PRESS RELEASE

January 27, 2006

Contact: Dan Mayfield, (408) 313-3013
South Bay Mobilization, (408) 998-8504

Community Responds to the Abrupt Ending of a Hearing on the De Anza Arrests with a Call for a Press Conference

Time: 3:00 PM
Date: January 27, 2006
Location: 70 West Hedding Street
San Jose, CA 95110

San Jose, CA - On the evening of January 24, 2006, the Santa Clara County Human Relations Commission met to hear community issues including the case
involving eight people arrested during protests at De Anza College. Laurie Smith from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's office was present to address complaints from the community about police misconduct at the event. The resulting 90-minute presentation took on an accusatory tone that painted the protestors as criminals. Instead of addressing charges of racial profiling, excessive force and inappropriate police conduct, the Sheriff's office insisted that all the arrestees were criminals through a video presentation. The video produced was constructed in such a way to present the arrestees in the worst light.

Most noticeable was the omission of the sound feed during key moments such as the arrest of Elgrie Hurd III and other ground footage of the arrests. Also the video failed to show the entire context of the protest while using police radio transmissions to create a sense of chaos during the protests. This construction of a false chaotic situation remains the basis for the Santa Clara County Sheriff's office claim that they acted properly.

During the Sheriff's presentation, Chairman Khamis continually threatened the audience with the cancellation of the meeting if they voiced any dissent. Later Khamis abruptly canceled the hearing, greatly upsetting community members in attendance. This action prevented many community members from sharing with the Human Relations Commission their concerns and accounts of the event. Although the Sheriff's office and the Human Relations Commission stated that they desired to mend the damage created between the government institutions and the local community, Khamis' action resulted in creating more discontent and anger.

Mr. Mayfield, the attorney for all the arrestees except Mr. Hurd, said "I was very upset that we did not get enough time to refute the 90 minute presentation by the Sheriff. As I said in my two minutes, they have been working on this since November 12th, that is over 60 days, and all they can say is that they are hoping to find some White people to arrest, and that we should trust them that they arrested the Arab-Americans, and the African-Americans based on 'probable cause'.

What they have shown us, and remember this has not been provided to us for our review, it has only been shown to us, is a clever compilation of Sheriff's Office footage taken from a helicopter and news footage from various sources. The mixture is designed to give a false impression of the events at the Flint Center. For example, they have shown us footage of Hanny Zaki early in the evening saying that the demonstration is 'peaceful' and then later in the evening (after his friends have been beaten) the same Mr. Zaki kicking over unused and abandoned barricades. This is not a crime, but the Sheriff somehow wants us to believe that this proves that all Muslims are rock throwers.

Other examples abound: Over and over they pointed out to us various people seen from over 100 feet in the air and claimed they could identify the person. Finally, the Sheriff did not address at all the allegation of the illegal and immoral interrogation of Karimabdual Alhayak who was questioned in the jail by Sheriff's Deputy while I (his lawyer) was being told he was unavailable. In that questioning Mr. Alhayak was asked if his Mosque, or his imam, had ordered him to attend the demonstration. This kind of questioning only shows their desperation and their racism. Again we call for all charges to be dropped, and we call upon the District Attorney's Office to make a thorough review of the entire case including the crimes committed by the Sheriff's Office."

The community would like to invite the media for a press conference in order to provide a rebuttal to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and to present the student's account of the arrests. Also we continue our call for all the charges to be dropped. Please join us.

Time: 3:00 PM
Date: January 27, 2006
Location: 70 West Hedding Street
San Jose, CA 95110