Last night I attended an educational meeting at the Julia de Burgos Cultural Center in el Barrio NYC that featured William Ramirez, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Puerto Rico. The meeting was to update those in solidarity with the students and other protesters in Puerto Rico as to what is happening on the ground and what are some possible next steps, in terms of fighting back against the brutality that has been unleashed upon students exercising their constitutional rights.

Ramirez lamented the lack of U.S. media coverage of the goings on and expressed how Al Jazeera and the BBC have both been on the ground in Puerto Rico demonstrating that the international media seems more interested than U.S. media (a complaint VivirLatino shares). Ramirez urged the audience that grew to about 75 people, to compare how police in Wisconsin are treating protesters and the media coverage given to those actions to how police are treating protesters in Puerto Rico and media coverage (or lack thereof).

In response to the U.S. media ignoring the situation and various gag rules that have been put on students by the University of Puerto Rico, the students have rallied behind the slogan “Callar Jamas” – Never Silenced. Certainly the videos, images and first hand accounts circulating via social media and independent media networks is proof of this slogan in action.

Ramirez shared examples of the brutality of the officers against the students. We heard first hand testimony from Adriana, a young woman who had been fondled by police arresting her. Ramirez said that this was becoming more common place. He said that he thought that this added element of sexual harassment stemmed from the police thinking that the female protesters were weaker and would put up less of a fight. Ramirez added how the contrary is the case at the UPR, with young women playing lead roles. What has been disturbing has been how mujer leaders in Puerto Rico have come out defending police action against women. For example, member of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives, Albita Rivera Ramirez, former Director of the Puerto Rican Office of Woman’s Affairs is on video saying that how police restrain women , by touching their breasts, is acceptable. Rivera Ramirez has also called the accusations of sexual harassment, “a matter of political ideology”.

Ramirez also relayed how after arrest, some students were not immediately processed, but rather were being driven around in police vans while being beaten. This is known because of some text messages that the students who were essentially kidnapped by police were able to send out to friends and lawyers.

Ramirez pointed out how the harassment and abuse has gone beyond the student protesters and the UPR. He shared how many students who have been beaten, pepper sprayed, etc. have actually been bystanders, like one athlete riding his bike past a protest who was pulled off his bike, handcuffed, and pepper sprayed to the point of vomiting on himself (this was on video). Students have also reported being visited at home and being “warned” that they were being watched.

Because of the aforementioned and other incidents that have been captured on video, the ACLU of Puerto Rico is looking to file a pattern and practice suit against the police of Puerto Rico. Not confident in the justice system on the island, because of how the Puerto Rican Supreme Court has been stacked with friends of the Governor, Ramirez said the ACLU of Puerto Rico is looking to the U.S. courts and to international bodies like the United Nations, specifically the special rapporteur on torture and the International Court of Justice in Geneva.

The above is very interesting to me as it mirrors many of the legal avenues taken in the late 90′s early 2000′s by anti-police brutality activists in NYC.

Ramirez also wanted to emphasize how behind all of this is the Ley 7 in Puerto Rico, Governor Fortuño’s austerity law, if you will, that has led to massive layoff of island workers. The Board of Trustees have been told twice to go to the Puerto Rican Senate and “open their books” to justify the $800 fee that many see as the center of the recent round of protests and twice the UPR Board has been a no-show.
Fortuño has been quoted as saying that he will not allow “extreme left” speech at the UPR and the police actions against students can be seen as his words turned into policy. Fortuño was described as a “Tea Party” type in terms of policy and ideas and Ramirez quipped that to Fortuño anything left of Bush is communism. Ramirez wondered aloud that with growing crime on the island how the island could justify the expense of sending so many police officers to beat up students and suppress free speech.

As we move forward in support of Puerto Rico as a free speech zone, it is important to note that police have not, I repeat, have not left the UPR as reported. The Fuerze de Choque, or “riot police” have left the campus. As the struggle continues and plans for more strike actions on the UPR and around the island continue, Puerto Ricans globally need to keep their eyes and ears open and all who claim to want to follow the Constitution of the U.S. have a duty to pay attention.