City ‘Treated Us Like Violent Criminals’

Occupy Coachella Valley protesters, including some arrested in a city ordered crackdown earlier this month, condemned the city’s decision Thursday to evict the group’s camp at Civic Center Park and called on council members to work with them.

Dustin Powell, who was on suspicion of unlawful assembly, told council members that he joined the Occupy Wall Street movement in the Coachella Valley to voice his concerns about the country’s broken system.

“We gathered in peaceful assembly, and the city of Palm Desert treated us like violent criminals,” Powell said.

The comments came during Thursday's City Council Meeting at City Hall, just a stone throws away from the protesters' former encampment. Councilwoman Cindy Finerty sat taking notes, and the others sat in silence as the comments came the oral communications portion of the meeting.

Powell had urged the council during its previous meeting to continue its support of the sit-in protest at Civic Center Park, but instead the city did not renew the group’s permit to use the park after its 11 p.m. curfew.

“We always have been and always will be a peaceful group. I would have no part in it, otherwise. The only use of force, the only disturbance of peace, came from the city’s perverse and militant use of police,” Powell said.

He said the city set a precedent for “jailing responsible citizens. The city has set a precedent for strong-arming peaceful assembly.”

Powell and nine other protesters were taken into custody that day and eventually released.

Jayel Aheram, who was also arrested earlier this month, questioned the city’s decision for ordering the arrests and keeping up a regular surveillance of the protesters.

He said he spent seven months in Iraq and when he came home he was thrown in jail.

“Yet when I chose to participate in exercising my constitutional right, the city manager under your names on your behalf arrested us. Chained us, cuffed us … to that I say shame on you,” Aheram said.

Gale Wheat of Indio, who was also arrested on suspicion of violating the park’s curfew, said she was thrown into a freezing cell “while the officers of Indio police laughed and had a very good time calling me the Occupy Coachella Valley (expletive) protester.”

She said the bill of rights have been trumped by Palm Desert.

“This is wrong,” Wheat said, adding that she had planned some conciliatory remarks.

“I’m asking you to please not think of us as the enemy, to get to know us and to start trusting us,” she said.

Ryan Cartwright, who was also arrested, also questioned the city's actions.

“There will be counter suits, I promise,” Cartwright said.

Mary Walker of Palm Desert, who was also arrested, told council members that they will be held responsible for the late night raid.

“I’m disgusted by the way police handled us that night,” Walker said.

Rebecca Day of Palm Desert said she has been participating in the Occupy Coachella Valley protests.

“We were told our permit would no longer be removed. I found your timing more than suspect, waiting until the council meeting was over,” Day said. “Ordinances can be a good thing, but they should not be the end all.”

She called on the council to work with protesters.

Alex Hoover of Cathedral City also asked for the council to work with protesters.

“We’re not criminals. We’re just trying to get back what is ours,” Hoover said.

The city had granted the group a permit for several days to stay overnight in the park, but refused to grant any more permits out of fear that it would set a precedent for other groups to set up residence in the park.

The city attorney has said the city supports the group's first amendment right to protest and use the park during its hours.