The majority of the people arrested in Philadelphia protesting the Republican National Convention were practicing nonviolent civil disobedience, not property destruction, as the media would have us believe. Over a hundred remain in jail, and have suffered abuse by the Philadelphia police and corrections officers.

The charges and the bail amounts have been surreal, and folks' civil rights have been violated repeatedly. For example, John Sellers, Director of the Ruckus Society, was held on bail of $1 million--more than is typically required for accused rapists, wife-beaters, child molesters, and assorted murderers. His crime? Standing on a sidewalk, watching the demonstrations. 75 people were arrested at a site that was used for making puppets, and their materials confiscated. They were charged with "obstructing traffic" and their bail was set at $15,000 each, even though none of them were in the street or participating in a demonstration at the time of their arrest. Bail for activists arrested during peaceful demonstrations and street blockades have been set us high as $500,000 each.

Once arrested, the reports of abuse inside jail have been numerous and horrifying. Pepper spray has been used on detainees during their arraignments. Prisoners have been stripped, beaten, deprived of sleep, denied food and water for extended periods, and refused access to a bathroom. People with diabetes and asthma have been denied their medications.

Leslie Cagan, a ZNet correspondent reported: "There are numerous accounts of arrestees who have been isolated, verbally abused, punched, kicked, thrown against walls, bloodied, and dragged naked across floors, in one instance through a "trash trough" containing refuse, spittle, and urine. There has been a reported sexual assault by a female officer who pulled and twisted a prisoner's penis, as well as reports of people dragged by their genitals, and nipples being twisted by guards. Seven witnesses saw one woman dragged naked and bleeding ... Many of the arrestees have been held since Tuesday [Aug. 1] without arraignment, some without phone calls or contact with their lawyers. There are reports of missing paperwork, and arraignments with incomplete or slipshod records, and lawyers have been allowed only very limited visits."

The detainees are being released slowly and sporadically. The prisoners have been practicing jail solidarity, demanding that they all be treated equally, that the abuse be stopped, and that they all have access to their lawyers. A solidarity protest outside the Roundhouse Jail and calls from concerned people all over the world have been effective in reducing bail or having charges dropped against many of the arrestees.

John Sellers of the Ruckus Society was released on August 10th; this is a portion of his statement: "Ruckus condemns the use of violence in any form. We have never taught the use of vandalism or property destruction in a political protest. We have never advocated the use of vandalism by other organizations. Hundreds of citizen activists now sit in the Philadelphia Prison System. They are not the individuals who chose to destroy public and private property during the Republican National Convention. They are, in fact, people of conscience whose greatest crime is standing up to the grave injustices that are shaking this country to its core. They are political prisoners being punished by the same corrupt system whose authority they had the courage to question."

To help, contact the Legal Support Team in Philadelphia at 215-925-6791. They need money for the bail fund and legal support. You can also call some or all of the following numbers and ask that people arrested for exercising their free speech rights be released immediately: Mayor John Street at 215-686-2181, DA Lynn Abrams at 215-686-5777, Deputy Police Commissioner Mitchell at 215-686-3364, Captain Fisher (Head of the Police Department office of Civil Affairs) at 215-685-3684, Chief Maxwell (Head of Criminal Investigations for the police) at 215-686-3362, Police Commissioner John Timoney at 215-686-3149 or 215-686-3388, City Council President Ann Verna at 215-686-3442 or 215-686-3412 and 3413, Mayor's Chief of Staff Stuber at 215-686-7508, and Roundhouse Jail 215-686-1776 or 215-685-8574.