BREAKING: Yesterday, #DxE activists in San Bernardino, CA, including women and children, were brutally assaulted by 6+ employees of the Ramos Bros circus. The activists were undertaking a peaceful demonstration outside of the circus, which has had reports indicating that animals such as camels, tigers, zebras, and horses are tied up so tightly that they cannot stand and forced to live in urine- and feces- covered enclosures.
The employees closed the gate, locking the demonstrators in the public grounds outside of the circus, and began to attack, beat, and choke them, including throwing at least two demonstrators to the ground and choking one so severely that he was not able to breathe. One employee assaulted the demonstrators with a flashlight. Others assaulted and shouted homophobic slurs at a gay man, Abraham Santamaria, who was one of the organizers of the demonstration.
After the assault, one of the circus employees approached a distressed female activist, Missy Freeland, and chillingly wiped blood from the encounter on her face.
When police were called, instead of responding to the demonstrators' complaints, they detained two of them. One demonstrator was cited, and the other was charged with assault with a deadly weapon (apparently for resisting attempts by employees to take his megaphone away). Police were extremely hostile and refused to charge any of the circus employees. The activist charged with assault, Abraham Santamaria, is a gay man and a person of color being held in an extremely hostile jail environment on $50,000 bail.
We are asking the animal rights community to:
1. Assist us in obtaining criminal defense and civil counsel in Southern California on this matter. (Send us a message or contact us at dxe@directactioneverywhere.com)
2. Offer financial support for Abraham and his partner Thomas to cover their legal fees.
3. Offer moral support to Abraham, Thomas, and the entire DxE SoCal region in the face of these blatantly fraudulent charges.
This incident shows once again that those who use violence against animals will not hesitate to use violence against human beings. In the face of this brutal assault, however, our movement must stand together.
Thomas has put up the indiegogo page for his partner's legal defense. Please contribute!
https://www.indiegogo.com/…/help-abraham-santamaria-dxe-act…
Stay tuned, and stay safe.
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