Detroit police raids hipster party, finds nothing
Posted on June 9th, 2008 by bile Categories and Tags: Uncategorized, ACLU, alcohol, American Civil Liberties Union, Aretha Franklin, art gallery, beer, crime, dancing, Detroit, Detroit police, fascism, freedom, fucking retarded, hipster, James Brown, James Tate, liberty, loitering, May, Michigan, police, police state, property, raid, regulation, theft, your rights 1 Comment »The DJ was spinning old records by James Brown, Aretha Franklin and the Meters during Funk Night last weekend, when the heavily armed cops dressed in commando-style uniforms burst into the west-side Detroit art gallery.The cops yelled at the patrons to hit the floor. Witnesses said some officers used their feet to force down a couple of people who failed to move fast enough or asked too many questions.
Detroit police conduct raids frequently for all sorts of illegal activity, and the public never hears a thing. But cops almost never raid art galleries filled with young hipsters, students and at least one lawyer. So this May 30 raid, not unexpectedly, is turning out to have an afterlife: The gallery and patrons have decided to fight back, and the American Civil Liberties Union has become involved.
To the police, CAID was a blind pig, where people were buying beer after hours. They handed out 130 tickets for loitering in a place where alcohol was being sold illegally and impounded 44 cars, which cost $900 to get back.
Cops found no drugs, no weapons, no people with outstanding warrants.
Police spokesman James Tate said officers warned Timlin about violations during a visit several weeks ago. “We don’t often do that,” Tate said. “He was advised of the issues he needed to clarify.”
Timlin confirmed the visit, but said he believed he had made the necessary changes. He said the police told club officials May 30 that they also need a permit to allow dancing.
As a response to the raid, Timlin has launched a week-long arts festival that started at midnight Friday and will end with a concert Saturday.
Timlin is lining up bands, artists, lecturers, filmmakers and others to keep the CAID going 24 hours a day for 8 days.
Timlin said the 192-hour art festival this week will be alcohol-free, but in featuring dancing, he seems to be asking for more trouble.
“We’re standing up for what we believe in,” Timlin said. “We’d prefer that the police come and dance with us.”
But if they are found guilty by the courts will they refuse to pay the fines? Are they willing to go to jail for what they believe in? Will they fight to get their $900 back?
