LSA student to face riot charge

LSA senior Jessica Curtin, a leader of the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action By Any Means Necessary, will face charges of rioting and malicious destruction of property for acts that allegedly took place May 9 when demonstrators protested a rally held by the Ku Klux Klan at City Hall.

The felony charge of rioting carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Curtin confirmed her own arrest, adding that she will face charges in the near future.

More University students could be arrested in the future as Ann Arbor police attempt to find the more than 30 unidentified suspects for whom they have outstanding warrants.

Shanta Driver and Luke Massie of Detroit, two leaders of the National Women's Rights Organizing Coalition, were also arrested on criminal misdemeanor charges and could face up to 90 days in jail for allegedly damaging gates and fences during the KKK rally.

All three will be represented by George Washington, a detroit-based attorney and staunch supporter of NWROC. Miranda Massie, a lawyer for Washington's firm, described the arrests and the prosecutions of counter-demonstrators as "astonishing."

"There is a tremendous witchhunt taking place by the Ann Arbor government," Miranda Massie said.

Several NWROC members denounced the way in which the police had carried out the arrests and their attempts to charge anti-Klan forces while protecting the Klan.

"The police went into this woman's house and arrested her at five inthe morning," said Caroline Wong, an NWROC organizer. "They've been going out and trying to intimidate anti-Klan forces."

Luke Massie did not deny the "acts" with which NWROC members have been charged but called them "negligible in the face of government reaction." He said their trial strategy would be to appeal to the jury, and said he doubted whether the prosecution could summon jurors willing to find the defendants guilty.

"We're going to speak to the jury about what an outrage it is to spend hundreds of thousands on prosecuting anti-racists," he said

At the time of the rally, no arrests were made. Police have since reviewed video footage and photographs of the event and managed to identify suspects.

NWROC organizers said Luke Massie and Driver will surrender to police next Tuesday, at which time the group will hold a press conference and protest.

07-13-98