OVER ONE HUNDRED PEOPLE ARRESTED IN OCALA NATIONAL FOREST
The citizens were being
stopped at blockades by county officers, then led through
immediate checks of licenses and registration, questionable
vehicle inspections, and in many cases, police dogs. When
"probable cause" was established full body and vehicle searches
resulted.
Campers began gathering to observe this treatment. This led to
harrassment by the officials, which escalated to physical
violence, pepper spraying, and citizens being pulled by the hair
across police lines to be arrested. These attacks were
documented by camera and video. Many of the citizens arrested
were placed in the Lake County Detention Center in Tavares, given
highest possible bails, and given longest possible waiting times
for court dates.
The primary reason for these people coming to the woods was to
camp freely on federal land and to gather to pray for peace. The
county officials and the Forest Service answered this with
aggression.
Some of the campers have banded together to continue to exercise
their constitutional rights to assembly peacefully, and are
planning to stay in the forest until the prisoners are freed and
allowed to reunite with their families.
A few of the released prisoners are planning on filing civil
suits against the police departments and the Forest Service for
their absolutely unjust treatment.
In the revised Resource and Management Plan of the National
Forests of Florida, it is quoted that the Forest Service planned
to "strengthen partnerships with tribal governments,
organizations, group and local communities." This was flagrantly
shown to be a lie, as the Forest Service made no attempt to
peacefully end the aggression of the two weekends.
Please contribute to our constitutional right to gather freely
while there still is land to gather on. Call the Ocala Forest
Ranger District at 352-669-3153 in Umatilla and demand that the
Forest Service look into the unethical treatment of campers in
their woods, and point out their unfulfilled commitment. These
abundant arrests cannot be ignored by all people who are
struggling for freedom and peace. Your time would be appreciated
by all in the woods and in the prisons.