Protest Caterpillar and INS in York, PA

Protest Caterpillar and INS in York, PA

FREE THE DETAINEES! END THE OCCUPATION!

Demonstrate Against the Secret Arrests and Detentions of Immigrants!
Protest Caterpillar's Support of the Israeli Occupation of Palestine!

Saturday, October 18th
York, PA - 1 PM
Converge at Springettsbury Park, 1501 Mt. Zion Rd., York
Rally at York County Jail INS Facility, March to Caterpillar Distribution Plant

The October 18th Coalition for Human Rights is calling on all who believe in human rights to join us for

a mass, legal rally and march in York, PA on October 18th, 2003. The planned demonstration is slated to

have a dual focus: a rally at the York County Prison, to protest the continued illegal detention of

immigrants following 9-11, and then a march to the nearby Caterpillar Parts Distribution Plant to

protest Caterpillar's continuing support for Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine.

We envision the demonstration at York County Jail as being a mass event to
create nationwide attention concerning the secret arrests and detentions of immigrants in this new

climate of increased repression and attacks on civil liberties. York County Prison is a major hub for

the Department of Homeland Security's newly created Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, and

the biggest detention center on the East Coast.

Specifically, we will be demanding the release of the names of all detainees, an end to the practice of

solitary confinement of prisoners, and a stop to physical and psychological abuse of prisoners. We are

also calling for the release of all detainees and political prisoners, including all of those being held

at Guantanamo Bay.

In addition, we endorse and support the demands raised by Farouk Abdel-Muhti and all of the other

detainees while on hunger strike at Passaic County Jail in New Jersey

(http://www.mobtown.org/york/hungerstrike.txt), as well as the demands Farouk made while in York County

Jail in April of this year (http://www.mobtown.org/york/farouk.txt). We feel that all of the detainees

are being held in violation of the Bill of Rights and are being denied their constitutional rights to a

fair and speedy trial, and to legal representation. We demand that this situation be fixed immediately!

We are also calling for an investigation into the background of the corrections officers at the York

County Jail, as well as independent inspections of the jail facilities.

Following the demonstration at York County Jail, there will be a march to and rally at the Caterpillar

Parts Distribution Plant in Springsburry Township, PA, just outside of York. This plant has the highest

volume of shipping parts, more than any other facility like it in the world, and it ships its parts to

Caterpillar and other corporations world-wide.

Caterpillar is responsible for the manufacturing of armored bulldozers, which they sell to the Israeli

Defense Force. The IDF uses these bulldozers in the occupied territories to demolish homes of families

thought to be associated with Palestinian militants. This policy of collective punishment is

specifically against the Geneva Conventions, and is considered a war crime under international law. It

was with such a bulldozer that American Palestinian solidarity activist Rachel Corrie was murdered by

the IDF last spring, while non-violently trying to prevent a home demolition. Rachel, while in plain

sight, was viciously run over and then backed over again, by a bulldozer manufactured by Caterpillar.

Our specific demands in relation to Palestine are for Caterpillar to stop supplying bulldozers to the

IDF and the end of the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine.
We are also planning this action in solidarity with past and current worker's struggles at this

Caterpillar plant. To that end, we are demanding that Caterpillar respect worker's rights. We demand

that there be no more layoffs, no more union busting, and a respect for worker's right to organize.

By coming together in the interest of human rights and human dignity we CAN defeat the on-going threats

to our civil liberities here at home and the terror exported by US companies around the world. Make

your voice heard in the struggle of human needs over corporate needs. Let's stand together to show the

world not all Americans stand with the Bush Administration's policy of endless war and corporate greed.

END THE DISAPPERANCES, US OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST!

In solidarity,
October 18th Coalition for Human Rights

We are actively seeking endorsements and participation of other groups.
For more information, or to endorse this call, please email yorkaction@ziplip.com

Endorsements:
DC SUSTAIN
York Anti-Racist Action
DC Anti-War Network (DAWN)
Central Jersey Jews Against the Occupation
York Antifas
New Jersey Anti-Racist Action
York NEFAC
New Jersey NEFAC
Northeast Branch Group, Anarchist Black Cross Federation
Bad Apple Collective(Baltimore, MD)
Freedom Socialist Party
Anarcho-Communist Union of Philadephia(NEFAC)
Baltimore Anti-Racist Action
Open City Anarchist Collective (NEFAC-NYC)
Central Pennsylvania Anarchist Black Cross
Committee for the Release of Farouk Abdel-Muhti
Roundhouse Collective(Baltimore NEFAC)