Activism Change

A statement regarding Michael Petrelis and David Pasquarelli from ACT UP/NY

Question:

I just find it hard to believe that somebody could just dump cat shit on a woman’s head while she’s in front of an audience and on video tape and she would have no legal recourse.

Ain’t America grand? B/

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How on earth where the battery charges dismissed?  Pat was in front of an audience and on video tape when that happened. I suppose at the time "they" thought the act didn’t meet the definitions of battery and/or assault.  I would further suppose the same error would not be recreated today. What about a civil suit?  Why doesn’t Pat do something now? IANAL (I Am Not A Lawyer) and I don’t play one on TV, but I don’t know if that kind of "double jeopardy" works for misdeamonors.  Or statute of limitations, or both.  Possibly that the case was dismissed instead of going to trial… I dunno.  Maybe there’s no civil equivalent. B/

I just find it hard to believe that somebody could just dump cat shit on a woman’s head while she’s in front of an audience and on video tape and she would have no legal recourse.

Response:

How on earth where the battery charges dismissed?  Pat was in front of an audience and on video tape when that happened. I suppose at the time "they" thought the act didn’t meet the definitions of battery and/or assault.  I would further suppose the same error would not be recreated today. B/

What about a civil suit?  Why doesn’t Pat do something now?

Response:

How on earth where the battery charges dismissed?  Pat was in front of an audience and on video tape when that happened. I suppose at the time "they" thought the act didn’t meet the definitions of battery and/or assault.  I would further suppose the same error would not be recreated today. What about a civil suit?  Why doesn’t Pat do something now?

IANAL (I Am Not A Lawyer) and I don’t play one on TV, but I don’t know if that kind of "double jeopardy" works for misdeamonors.  Or statute of limitations, or both.  Possibly that the case was dismissed instead of going to trial… I dunno.  Maybe there’s no civil equivalent. B/

Response:

How on earth where the battery charges dismissed?  Pat was in front of an audience and on video tape when that happened.

I suppose at the time "they" thought the act didn’t meet the definitions of battery and/or assault.  I would further suppose the same error would not be recreated today. B/

Response:

ACT UP SF is right about HIV and AIDS!

Response:

ACT UP SF is right about HIV and AIDS!

Care to expound on what you think they are right about; AIDS does not exist? AIDS exists as in Petrelis case but can’t cause illness, even though he is complaining about not receiving adequate HIV care while in prison? They have the right to assault people and call them murders but don’t have the guts to press charges with the SF DA on these so called AIDS murders they have identified on there web site and verbally on numerous occasions. Please tell us just which of there statements you support and what evidence you use to support your thinking on the subject. Gary Stein

Response:

How on earth where the battery charges dismissed?  Pat was in front of an audience and on video tape when that happened. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Beyond that, I agree with everything you said, David. Very disappointing. —–Original Message—– Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 10:40 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Would someone care to list the police records preceeding their jailtime. I think those who haven’t suffered the cultlike antics and AIDS revisionist mythologies of Actup SF would be enlightened to see there is a long history of hate filled and violent activities. ACT UP/SF CHRONOLOGY(partial list) [...snip...] 1996 Kitty litter (dumped 25 lbs. of cat feces over head of San Francisco AIDS Foundation at community forum exposing HIV+ to potentially infectious toxoplasmosis contagion/battery charges dismissed)*6 [...snip...] (* denotes documentation available for these items) *               ACT UP Golden Gate *  519 Castro St. #93 San Francisco CA 94114 *  Phone:(415)252-9200 * FAX: (415)252-9277 http://www.actupgg.org * *  ACT UP/Golden Gate is not affiliated with "Act up San Francisco."

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Beyond that, I agree with everything you said, David. Very disappointing. —–Original Message—– Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 10:40 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Would someone care to list the police records preceeding their jailtime. I think those who haven’t suffered the cultlike antics and AIDS revisionist mythologies of Actup SF would be enlightened to see there is a long history of hate filled and violent activities. ACT UP/SF CHRONOLOGY(partial list) 1995 $10,000 Vandalism at San Francisco Republican offices (charges dismissed) 1995 "Riot at the Hyatt"* (tables overturned, panicked guests flee, AUSF characterizes disruption a "riot")2 1996 "Spitting" on reporters (T. Kingston) & city hall staffer (M. Housh) ("…Bellefountaine, Pasquarelli and their supporters have spat on, thrown disgusting liquids and solids on, shoved, threatened and assaulted a whole host of people…" SF Weekly, Men Behaving Viciously, 4/11/96*3 1996 Harassment of AIDS workers B. Lein, J. James & B. Collins(SF Frontiers/carload of AUSF members shout at B. Lein–"…you are killing PWA’s, you fucking cunt;" followed J. James screaming:"You are an ignorant fuck, we are going to blow you out of the water;" AUSF members approach B. Collins on the street, they "came up to me, put a finger in my face and said ‘We are going to get you next.’ "}*4 1996 Vancouver "Bloodbath"(AUSF disrupts medical forum pouring red liquid over participants, closing down treatment forum–charges dismissed)*5 1996 Kitty litter (dumped 25 lbs. of cat feces over head of San Francisco AIDS Foundation at community forum exposing HIV+ to potentially infectious toxoplasmosis contagion/battery charges dismissed)*6 1996 Davies Medical Center assault yields community service; Department of Public Health official Marci Fraser harassed & spit on police complaint filed–AUSF member justifies the insident as "an appropriate humiliation tactic."; Proj. Inform meeting w/ SFPD, DA & Mayor’s office; community statement decrying violence published*7 1996 Separate Davies Medical Center disruption at an AIDS/HIV forum. 1996 "ACT UP Injuncted," SF Weekly (shoving matches,phone threats, disruption & harassment detailed)*8 1996 SFAF obtains TRO’s*9 (frightened them to tears by blowing whistles & sreaming that they "were part of a group that contibutes money" to a unnamed "right-wing, homophobic organization killing people with AIDS"–witnessed by Kate Krauss & Michael Lauro also documented in SF Frontiers)*4 &10 1997 Anti-violence non-profit CUAV(Community United Against Violence) has 12 complaints of individuals being harassed or threatened by AUSF members on file*11 1997 AIDS Benefit Councelors unable to afford cost of security & cancels AIDS medical forums*11 l 1998 Peggy Taylor harassment (harassed & assaulted: fell down stairs & injured)* 12 1998  AUSF member "pies" Mayor Brown 1999 Pasquareli’s emailings RE: "increase your security" threat to non-profit organization Survive AIDS*13 1999 Pasquarelli quoted in Zengers RE: "Until finally, to this day, they don’t have these fora anymore.  There are no more clinical trial recruitment fora in San Fransicco, and thank God.  It is one of the accomplishments of ACT UP/San Franciosco."*14 1999 AUSF members surround Rev. Cecil Williams at mayoral debate and require him to be escorted to safety 2000 AIDS treatment forum disruptied, forum organizer injured & taken to hospital ER/battery charges filed.  AUSF member Andrea Lindsey states that "our primary goal was to prevent Martin Delaney & Dr. Steven Deeks (forum presenters) from speaking."*15 2000 AUSF fails to comply with medical marijuana requirements according to SF officials 2000 A. Toni Young, community HIV/AIDS advocate, harassed–AUSF members surround her  on street, shouting at her calling her "an AIDS whore." *16 meeting (contact B. Lein) 2000 SFPD pulls "death threat" off of Vince G’s (AIDS volunteer advocate) voicemail system according to Vince G.* 2000 AUSF member Andrea Lindsey quoted RE: AIDS treatment forum disruption:"…Our goal was to prevent (Dr.) Deeks from speaking."*17 2000 Pasquarelli wtites letter to editor stating suicide of Jeff Getty (AIDS volunteer) is "appropriate"*18 2000 Mitch Katz, a SF public health official, files assault charges following disruption and assault at a SF Board of Superviser’s meeting*19 2000 $1.6 million ACT UP pot club forms secret trust & buys building*20 2000 ACT UP seeks non-profit status*21 2000 SF public health official charges that AUSF members phoned his home threatening his young daughter 2000 Threatening phone call left in Dr. Dan Caccione’s (UCSF AIDS Program) home phone 2000 AUSF members disrupt client sevices dept of SFAF, photogragh clients, injure security guard & are arrested by SFPD (* denotes documentation available for these items) *               ACT UP Golden Gate *  519 Castro St. #93 San Francisco CA 94114 *  Phone:(415)252-9200 * FAX: (415)252-9277 http://www.actupgg.org * *  ACT UP/Golden Gate is not affiliated with "Act up San Francisco." Do You Yahoo!? Great stuff seeking new owners in Yahoo! Auctions! http://auctions.yahoo.com

Response:

As a sometimes member of ACT UP/NY, I have to say that I was really disappointed with this screed. I utterly support that these guys should get fair treatment and due process. That’s what is MISSING from much of the judicial system in the U.S.–unless you have the $$$. Beyond that, I agree with everything you said, David. Very disappointing.                 George M. Carter – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Bail is used by the court to ensure the appearance of the defendants in court. It is very unlikely that the two men will flee. Who they are is very much defined by their activism and the AIDS pandemic, and they would never abandon that fight. Their passions are driven by the AIDS pandemic and the attempt by the U.S. establishment to sweep the disease under the rug.  Am I sure that I just heard you correctly…  "attempt by the U.S. establishment to sweep the disease under the rug".    If anyone is trying to sweep the knowledge of HIV under a rug, it’s the pirated group acting out under the assumed mantle of ActUpSF!   They are the very definition of Denial itself.  Postering the city with graffiti informing the population that "AIDS IS OVER" and readily espousing the idea that HIV has nothing to do with AIDS.  And that even though they are HIV infected that they pose no danger to their sexual partners because of this "fact".  And that safe sex is irrelevant.    Add to this personal form of Denial, Pasquarelli has been assaulting anyone he thinks ought to be smacked for holding views contrary to his own for years. Disrupting health meetings by physical assault on the patients themselves while yelling "Die, faggot, die!" at them is hardly civil behavior.  Harassment of the public health system, it’s personnel and destruction of it’s property begs for some sort of action by the city.  The latest round of their Denialist assaults, is only the latest round.  The disgusting trend had to be stopped. What is the question?       Gertrude Stein’s last words No one mouth is big enough to utter the whole thing.    Alan Watts

Response:

Bail is used by the court to ensure the appearance of the defendants in court. It is very unlikely that the two men will flee. Who they are is very much defined by their activism and the AIDS pandemic, and they would never abandon that fight. Their passions are driven by the AIDS pandemic and the attempt by the U.S. establishment to sweep the disease under the rug.

  Am I sure that I just heard you correctly…  "attempt by the U.S. establishment to sweep the disease under the rug".     If anyone is trying to sweep the knowledge of HIV under a rug, it’s the pirated group acting out under the assumed mantle of ActUpSF!   They are the very definition of Denial itself.  Postering the city with graffiti informing the population that "AIDS IS OVER" and readily espousing the idea that HIV has nothing to do with AIDS.  And that even though they are HIV infected that they pose no danger to their sexual partners because of this "fact".  And that safe sex is irrelevant.     Add to this personal form of Denial, Pasquarelli has been assaulting anyone he thinks ought to be smacked for holding views contrary to his own for years. Disrupting health meetings by physical assault on the patients themselves while yelling "Die, faggot, die!" at them is hardly civil behavior.  Harassment of the public health system, it’s personnel and destruction of it’s property begs for some sort of action by the city.   The latest round of their Denialist assaults, is only the latest round.  The disgusting trend had to be stopped. What is the question?       Gertrude Stein’s last words No one mouth is big enough to utter the whole thing.    Alan Watts On Display in the UK     http://www.web-gallery.co.uk

Response:

ACT UP/NY 332 Bleecker St. Suite G5 New York, NY 10014 Web: www.actupny.org Statement regarding Michael Petrelis and David Pasquarelli ACT UP/NY supports Michael Petrelis and David Pasquarelli in their fight against punitive charges and high bail. They are being punished for their outspoken actions regarding the AIDS pandemic. The punitive bail and charges for them are not in place to prevent them from fleeing prosecution but rather to discourage their activism. Bail is used by the court to ensure the appearance of the defendants in court. It is very unlikely that the two men will flee. Who they are is very much defined by their activism and the AIDS pandemic, and they would never abandon that fight. Their passions are driven by the AIDS pandemic and the attempt by the U.S. establishment to sweep the disease under the rug. Exceptional charges and high bail are an obvious attempt to suppress Petrelis’ and Pasquarelli’s First Amendment rights and to deny them due process. Approved at the ACT UP/NY meeting on January 28, 2002. ACT UP-AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power ACT UP is a diverse, non-partisan group of individuals united in anger and committed to direct action to end the AIDS crisis. We advise and inform. We demonstrate. We are not silent. ACT UP/NY is the original chapter of ACT UP, founded in March, 1987.

Response:

Filed under: Activism Definition

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