We disapprove of the continued unfair prosecution of Camilo Viveiros Jr., arrested during the Republican National Convention in 2000. People were arrested in Philadelphia during the R.N.C. while exercising their constitutionally protected rights to freedom of dissent and free speech. Police actions on August 1st, 2000, curtailed those rights through preemptive attacks and the arbitrary arrests of hundreds of protesters, including artists making signs and props to be used later on in the day, legal observers, and first-aid providers. The arrests along with the inflated bails, fallacious charges, and drawn out court proceedings have inconvenienced lawful protestors and are not just consequences for demonstrators.

Mr. Viveiros' long term commitment to bringing about change through organizing and non-violent, peaceful methods, stands in direct contradiction with attempts to portray him as violent and reckless. It is unacceptable to smear the reputation and threaten a hard working young man with a lengthy prison sentence, while continuing to allow inappropriate police handling of protesters to be portrayed as heroic.

Proceeding with this case jeopardizes our rights to express our concerns through assembly and protest. We encourage all of the charges against Camilo Viveiros Jr to be droppe