Pete Johnstone-Swartz was returning from the Cincinnati Pop Festival when he was attacked and shot three times by the Cinci Pigs at the bus depot. Pete was hospitalized in serious condition. He was charged with possession of dope, a hash pipe, resisting arrest, and assaulting a police officer. Pete is now held in the Cincinnati Workhouse jail with a $3,800 bond and no bread for legal help.
The Serve The People Coalition has made the demand of $5,000 to the promoters of the Cincinnati Pop Festival to cover some of the legal expenses of the people that were busted as a result of the promoters usual fuck-ups. [See “People vs. Promoters,” FE #108, June 25-July 8, 1970.]
The other demand made upon the promoters was that the Coalition is to have control over the conditions of any of their promotions. This is to insure against having our people ripped-off again
There were 50 to 60 people at the June 30, STP meeting to hear the responses to our demands and to take appropriate actions.
Mike. Quatro was at the meeting to try to explain why his end of the $5,000 demand could not be met because of his own personal poverty.
Quatro said that he would provide up _ to $900 worth of legal aid via one of his own lawyers. We explained to him that if he wanted to do that on his own, we would not object. We made it clear that this action of his would not in any way be a substitute for our $5,000 demand.
The STP Coalition initiated a number of actions to resolve some of the problems that came up as a result of the Cinci Pop without the aid of the pig promoters. The first action deals with the immediate problem of the people like Pete Swartz who still need legal aid.
The Coalition decided to try to raise some money at the next WABX free concert July 19. The Coalition will ask the brothers and sisters there to donate to a fund that will help pay for legal expenses.
The other problem is the need for some long range plans to prevent or at least control the conditions of future pop festivals and concerts.
It was on this point that someone suggested establishing a Community Tax to be levied on as many of the concerts, festivals, etc., as possible.
This would insure that some of the monies being sucked off our people would be redirected back into needed Community programs.
These programs include a possible self defense fund to help those that are busted at any future festivals or concerts.
The concept of a Community Tax brings up a multitude of problems: How would the tax be levied? To whom? How much?
A separate STP meeting was set up to work out a program for initiating the Community tax.
The results of the special meeting will be published in the next STP News release.
At the next Serve The People Coalition meeting, Tuesday, July 14, 7:30 p.m., at the Unitarian Church, on Cass at Forest, we will begin. to set up actions to implement the Community tax. program.
STP meetings are open to all individuals and organizations that are interested in getting together to Serve The People.