Fake emergency decree for Bush's G8 tea party
Savannah, May 21, 2004--

Georgia's six coastal counties, those most affected by the June summit on Sea Island, will be under a state of emergency order beginning Monday, according to Governor Sonny Perdue today.

The six coastal counties are among the poorest regions of the state. Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, McIntosh, Glynn and Camden counties will be under federal guns for GW Bush starting Monday, May 24. There is no huricane, no earthquake, no riot and rebellion. There is simply the fact that GW Bush's tea party will be upstaged by the fury of the people, particularly those from the coast of Georgia.

Citing, among other reasons, the "potential danger to the persons and property of this state from unlawful assemblages, threats of violence and otherwise" the executive order creates a unified public safety command for the Group of Eight Summit.

By aligning the Georgia Army National Guard and state law enforcement and public health under one office, the order potentially reduces the response time of state agencies if terrorists strike or demonstrations get out of hand, Harold Melton, Perdue's executive counsel, said Friday. Heading the command will be William "Bill" Hitchens Jr., the head of Georgia's homeland security office.

Protesters in Savannah said declaring a state of emergency was overkill.

"I don't think it's usual. I don't think it's an appropriate response," said June 8 Organizing Committee chairperson Kellie Gasink.

"To further disrupt and restrict citizens is wrong. It's burdensome is what it really is," she said. "If Bush is terrified about being in Coastal Georgia, then he should entertain his pals in his Washington, DC parlor, and not burden the poor people of Coastal Georgia."

The order does not provide additional money to Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, McIntosh, Glynn and Camden counties, those most affected by the June 8-10 meeting of representatives from the world's major industrial nations and the European Union.

The order, which could last through June 20, is the latest sign that Georgia leaders are prepared to take extraordinary steps to prevent trouble. No state or local criminal laws are changed by the order, signed by Perdue May 7, Melton said.

The last time a governor used such an order was during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, said Melton.

"It will also make it more easy to justify our application to cover expenses for the summit with federal monies," Melton said.

Already, $25 million in federal money has been transferred to the state for security expenses and millions more could be tapped for National Guard costs which would be paid directly to the Department of Defense.

William Pleasant, June 8 Organizing Committee/Savannah media director, dismissed the decree. He plans to be in Savannah's Forsyth Park June 8-10, where protesters will have a free speech microphone set up, among other events.

Savannah's June 8 Organizing Committee will receive a permit Monday to march in the city's cherished Historical District on June 8 at 10 a.m. The June 8 Organizing Committee fought toe-to-toe with local authorities since December 2003 to insist that the 1st Amendment rights of local residents would be protected. Currently, the June 8 Organizing Committee controls the city's centerpiece park from 9am to 9pm June 8-10, after a protracted and bloody political battle.

"I don't care if it goes to martial law," Pleasant said. "This is still a constitutional democracy. My friends and I will write and speak and perform. We will never bow to the combination of bogus war, lawlessness and corruption that amounts to fascism in the USA 2004. We will never bow to GW Bush and his brownshirts--including Governor Sonny Perdue. " he said.


Support the June 8 Organizing Committee
 http://www.freesavannah.com