Monday, August 13, 2007

Police attack immigrant rights march: Rhode Island

Apparently, North Providence police officers have some serious, serious issues in their Department. In a peaceful labor march yesterday, they broke the knee of a young 22 year old woman, Alex Svododa. This kind of gross and excessive police brutality should not be tolerated and the Attorney General should immediately commence an investigation. Further, the North Providence police should immediately drop their baseless charges against these peaceful protesters.

After the march - targeting Jacky’s Galaxie restaruant - started in the right lane of Mineral Spring Ave, the police ordered the march to move to the side. The protesters, numbering about 60, complied in an orderly and peaceful fashion. As the march was complying, several officers took the opportunity to make a vicious example of a peaceful protester by beating her, breaking her left leg, pepper spraying her, and then having the nerve to charge her with the triangle of charges that police always do when they are covering up their brutality: assaulting an officer, resisting arrest and obstructing “justice”.

While the BeloJo has a very sympathetic “pro-police” headline for their story, here are real pictures of the brutality. Click on each picture to see a blown up version.

Here are the protesters obeying police orders on where to march:



Here are the police beginning their assault:



Here are the police attacking Svoboda (notice her knee bending in an unnatural way):



The BeloJo story did include this quote:

When Deputy Police Chief Paul Marino approached to tell the protesters they needed to move onto the sidewalk instead of standing in the parking lot, one responded, “Hell of a day to be an officer, breaking a young girl’s leg!”

Indeed. They must be so proud.

Click here to see more pictures. Also, the protesters are accepting donations to help defray Alex’s medical costs. You can call Mark Bray at 201-669-0714 for more info or mail your donations to

Providence GMB
PO Box 5795
Providence RI 02903

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