Press Release




PRESS RELEASE
MAY 19, 2013

REPORT ON POLICE PRACTICES AT PROTESTS:
 Including NATO Chicago, G8 Maryland, Occupy Wall Street (OWS), Occupy Oakland, Occupy Los Angeles.

Report by OSCE-ODIHR (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,  Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights).

  Protest Monitoring Report: http://www.osce.org/odihr/97055
  Guidelines for Peaceful Assembly: http://www.osce.org/odihr/24523
  Report /Proposals, incl Use of new Technology: http://www.osce.org/odihr/98264

CONTACTS:
(local in the US) SUE BASKO  SueBasko@gmail.com  310-770-7413
  • Lawyer for Indie Media/ Human Rights/ Protest Advisor
  • Assisted with prep/ contacts for the US leg of the report.
  • Attended the report presentation and meeting of 60+ member nations in Austria
  • Advanced worldwide legislative proposals for use of technology at protests, such as nations promoting and not interfering with use of cell phones, live streaming, and wifi at protests
  •  
OMER FISHER (Official from OSCE-ODIHR and writer of the report
Warsaw, Poland
Omer.Fisher@odihr.pl
Phone: + 48 22 5200 749 
  • Human Rights Official at OSCE-ODIHR
  • Traveled to 12 nations to observe / monitor protests (public assembly)
  • Led the monitoring groups in Chicago, Maryland. Visited Oakland, New York, Los Angeles for report.
  • Wrote and presented the report: http://www.osce.org/odihr/97055

SUMMARY:
Last year, OSCE-ODIHR sent a team to monitor protests in 12 nations, including in the US:  NATO protest in Chicago, G8 protest in Maryland/ Camp David, Occupy Wall Street in New York City, Occupy Los Angeles, Occupy Oakland.
Report: http://www.osce.org/odihr/97055

The report identifies challenges, highlights good practices and provides recommendations on how commitments relating to freedom of peaceful assembly can be better implemented in all OSCE participating States.
Guidelines for Peaceful Assembly:   http://www.osce.org/odihr/24523 

Role of New Technologies: At 2 OSCE-ODIHR meetings in November in Austria, Ms Basko put forth proposals, which were adopted and put into the final report, recommending the member nations should promote and allow the use of cell phones, wifi, live streaming at locations of protest. 
Report/ recommendations: http://www.osce.org/odihr/98264

Today, wifi is used for reporting and live streaming.  It has been reported (by Jason Leopold) that at the recent protests to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, the military commander ordered the wifi to be turned off, even in the Starbuck’s.  This goes contrary to the OSCE-ODIHR recommendations to promote use of wifi and cell phone technology at protests.  There are other such instances of apparent jamming, etc.  Also, it is a very difficult to get use of a hotspot when a journalist travels nation to nation to report on protests.  The goal of the recommendations to the OSCE member nations is to improve this situation. 
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