April 25, 2000

Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey
Metropolitan Police Department
Police Headquarters
300 Indiana Ave., NW, Room 5080
Washington, DC 20001

Dear Chief Ramsey:

We are writing to express our concern over allegations of police ill-treatment of IMF/World Bank protesters. Human Rights Watch, the largest U.S.-based international human rights group, monitored the protests on April 16 and 17. On several occasions, it appeared to us that police officers exercised commendable restraint and that police department leaders' presence and negotiation skills made a real, positive difference during tense encounters. But we cannot ignore disturbing allegations of police abuse and overzealous or unwarranted law enforcement tactics.

Among the areas of concern:

• We question whether it was necessary to close the "convergence" center, a space being used by protesters to organize their activities. The fire marshal and police officials claimed that the space was a fire hazard, yet most of the safety issues noted could have been addressed by removing propane stoves or other flammable materials or unblocking doorways, without having to shut down the entire warehouse on the morning of April 15. What exactly was the fire code violation that required the closing of the space? Had the property owners been cited previously for any pre-existing code violations?
• Why were the "convergence" center and the offices surrounding it on the 1300 block of Florida Avenue, N.W. closed for several days, including on Monday, April 17? According to some witnesses, despite a court order, police refused protesters access to get their belongings from the center on Sunday. On Monday, when the director of the charter school at the location asked for an explanation or court order from police officials to better understand why his school and other offices in the building were closed, a police officer on the scene reportedly threatened him with arrest.
• Two World Bank employees were arrested on Saturday, April 15, near 20th and K Streets, N.W., while speaking with protesters. They report that other bystanders were also arrested. What was the justification for those arrests? Did police first give an order to disperse and were they allowed to leave the area?

• What was the justification for the mass arrests of approximately 600 persons on Saturday, April 15? Were they allowed an opportunity to disperse before they were jailed, some for as long as 23 hours?
• In addition to members of the press who were arrested during demonstrations, at least one photographer, Hee Soon Kim, from Hana News Picture Agency-Korea and the Associated Press, was clubbed until he fell to the pavement with his head bloodied near 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue on Sunday, April 16 at about noon. Two officers identified by witnesses in the crowd as involved in the beating removed their name tags. One reportedly had a lieutenant's gold-shield, and the other had a badge number of 178. Has this incident been investigated by the MPD's internal affairs unit?
• Television footage showed several officers striking or pushing protesters in their faces with batons during encounters. Are batons ever supposed to be used above the shoulders when an officer is attempting to "control" or move an unarmed person?
• What exactly were the criteria for spraying pepper spray at demonstrators? For example, if they approached a barrier but did not touch it, would officers use spray?
• How many protesters were injured during arrests or encounters with police during the period beginning on Friday, April 15 until Wednesday, April 19? How many required treatment at a hospital?

• Are any police officers on the MPD now being investigated for their ill-treatment of protesters or others during the April 15-April 19 period?
• Will officers who sprayed pepper spray without justification, used batons without justification, or fired tear gas canisters without justification be disciplined in any manner?
• Since many of the protesters are from out of town, it is likely they will not file complaints directly with the MPD, and if they do, it is likely they would not be able to pursue those complaints thoroughly. Since many of the encounters were videotaped by police, protesters, and the media, those tapes should be reviewed and should lead to investigations into possible mistreatment, whether or not individuals file formal complaints. Will you ensure that those MPD officers who may have used excessive force are investigated fully, and, if found responsible for using excessive force, disciplined appropriately?

We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
Allyson Collins
Washington Associate Director

cc: Ms. Wilma A. Lewis, United States Attorney, District of Columbia