FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1 Jan. 2002
200 Activists, Civil Libertarians and Cultural Icons Sign Letter of Support
for Jailed Gay Activists; Bail Fund Formed To Receive Contributions
Global Movement to Demand Fair Treatment and Reasonable Bail for San
Francisco's Michael Petrelis and David Pasquarelli Grows Stronger
SAN FRANCISCO - The New Year has brought renewed hope for two HIV positive
activists unjustly imprisoned and presently languishing at San Francisco
County Jail in lieu of a combined $1.1 million bail. Since their
incarceration 33 days ago on dozens of felony and misdemeanor charges
stemming from a phone/fax/email zap of health officials and reporters, a
widely circulated world-wide support letter for the two gay men - Michael
Petrelis, 43, and David Pasquarelli, 34 - has secured over 200 international
signatories.
The recently released support letter, updated December 28, 2001, boasts a
growing list of influential activists, civil libertarians, and gay cultural
icons. It calls for "fair legal treatment for Petrelis and Pasquarelli" and
"their immediate release on reasonable bail."
The letter, conceived and circulated by New York gay civil libertarian Bill
Dobbs and ACT UP Washington, DC activist Wayne Turner, states that "Petrelis
and Pasquarelli conducted a 'phone zap' as part of a campaign against
possible AIDS quarantine. Their vigorous efforts against the proposed Model
States Emergency Health Powers Act have stirred strong emotions. While we
(and others) may disagree with them on politics or tactics, the history of
AIDS has often compelled aggressive responses by activists."
Initial signers onto the letter of support included gay authors Sarah
Schulman, Ian Young, and Stuart Timmons; AIDS activists Ann Northrop and
Judy Greenspan; and Tony Award winning playwright and actor Harvey
Fierstein. The most recent supports of the imprisoned protesters include
activists Jesse Heiwa, Tyler St. Mark, and long term person-with-AIDS, Mary
Lucey; Gus Cairns, editor of the United Kingdom's Positive Nation Magazine;
Clinton Fein, editor and publisher of Annoy.com; prominent lesbian author
Patricia Nell Warren; Professor Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, PhD; and Reverend Pat
Bumgardner, Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of New York.
Global signers include Sky Gilbert of Canada, Alex Russell of the United
Kingdom, Michael Baumgartner of Switzerland, and Peter Kasule of Kampala,
Uganda.
The letter concludes by warning that "the prospect of high bail and
escalating criminal charges for protest is a genuine threat to civil
liberties" and that the "larger context for this case is the increased
repression of political dissent in the last several years."
As a response to this increased repression of dissent and accountability
demands and the immediate threat to Petrelis' and Pasquarelli's civil
liberties, friends and family members of the two activists have launched The
Direct Action Civil Liberties Fund (DACLF). The goal of the fund is to
quickly raise the required $1.1 million bail to secure freedom for the
jailed activists prior to trial. Upon resolution of the case, contributions
in the form of returned bail will be used to offset legal fees and support
expenses. The remainder will be used to initiate a legal defense and bail
fund for future political protesters jailed unjustly.
The open letter of support is available for public viewing and sign-on at
Open Letter Online
(http://www.openletteronline.com/cgi-openletteronline/aget3.cgi?num=269) or
via the DACLF website. Contributions to The Direct Action Civil Liberties
Fund can be made online with a credit or debit card at www.daclf.org, or
checks can be mailed to the address below:
The Direct Action Civil Liberties Fund
Attn: Free Petrelis and Pasquarelli
PMB 101
100 First Street, Suite 100
San Francisco, CA 94105
Web: www.daclf.org
Email: info@daclf.org
Media Contacts:
Mark Vermeulen
(415) 824-7533
vermeulen@mindspring.com
Wayne Turner
(202) 547-9404
actupdc@aol.com