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More Great News! (Legal Update)

Please Note: The following announcement is posted here for historical background information; the action described here has already taken place.

This is exciting news. Milwaukee Wobs got kicked out of the stadium space on Father's Day, feelings hurt, they returned sometime mid last week to confirm that they were actually being kicked out of space bought and paid for by tax payers by public servants acting on the behest of Major League scum - they were.

So, in preparation for bringing more people into the space for the All Star Game on the 9th; the ACLU called up the Brewers and threatened court action. Wobs and ACLU folks will meet the Brewers today, armed with the 1st amendment and the standard set with the Pittsburgh Consent Agreement as the standard to beat. The Wobs are ready to get a little sweatshop education in there at the meeting.

Major League Baseball learns fast. Let's see how they try to defuse this one and avoid the PR problems they created for themselves here in Pittsburgh with the arrests. If things are as they appear, free speech outside the stadium spaces in going to be a mob up campaign, where anti-sweatshop activists can nail down the free speech rights by:

  • Exercising those rights in the stadium spaces and getting kicked out.
  • Quickly setting up the next demonstration date to confirm that "irreparable harm" will be caused unless their free speech rights are nailed down before the upcoming date.
  • Working with the ACLU or - initiating a public campaign (in the absence of a supportivie ACLU chapter there are plenty of other options we can figure out - although those ACLU folks sure are good and seem to like this one).

The ACLU has taken an interest in the issue is proceeding to help out in Milwaukee. There is also an offer the help out at Bank One in Phoenix. Please take every opportunity when meeting with the goons to help educate them about sweatshops and demands sweatshop related discussion between local activists and team management. Let's offer our sweatshop educational services.

Nailing down the space outside the stadium should inspire folks to push the envelope - INSIDE the stadium space. Yea, the rules are different, but we do have SOME FREE SPEECH RIGHTS inside the stadium space that we need to figure out how to use. The ML Assholes are pretty slick, at this point in the season they want to be everyone's buddy. Get 'em mad. Another note: the stadium free speech issues in Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Phoenix were initiated by small groups of Wobblies and allies. There is no capacity reason not to go and just do it. All you need is a couple folks and a leaflet that makes anti-sweatshop demands on the TEAM. Ride it out, enjoy. Please send an update to the General Defense Committee.

Pittsburgh is going to demonstrate just how friendly fans are to learning more about sweatshops on July 4 by going out into the lots in small teams; the far away lots where working people park their cars, and talking to BBQers about what the Pirates can do to stop sweatshops. Drive to Pittsburgh and hang out with us; come to our BBQ after the action and be a founding member of the Pittsburgh GDC.

For the One Big Union, Kenneth X346812