Court Date for Lawsuit Against I-97 Campaign
Seattle Divest from War & Occupation Invites Media to Attend Court Hearing
For Immediate Release: May 14, 2008
The grassroots campaign Seattle Divest From War and Occupation invites the media to cover the hearing on a legal challenge brought by two pro-Israel organizations - one based in California - in an attempt to limit the freedom of Seattle voters to petition their government through the initiative process.
What: Washington Israel Business Council, Israel Emergency Alliance and Robert Jacobs vs. City Of Seattle, King County Director Of Records & Elections, and The Divest From War Campaign
When: Thursday May 15, 2008, 1 PM
Where: King County Courthouse, 516 3rd Ave., Seattle, WA, Judge Gonzalez's courtroom
Ballot initiative 97, if adopted, would require the Seattle Employees' Retirement System to divest from any company that (1) participates directly in the occupation of Iraq; (2) is profiting from privatization of Iraqi state resources; (3) provides direct material support to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, and Golan Heights; and (4) has a direct presence in Israeli settlements in the occupied territories listed above. It would also require divestment from Israeli government bonds if Israel carries out a military attack on Iran without UN authorization.
According to campaign spokesperson Carla Curio, "The plaintiffs, working on behalf of a foreign government, claim that they are more qualified to write an impartial and informative title for Ballot Initiative 97 than the City Attorney's office, whose staff perform this task on a regular basis. They are also claiming - again incorrectly - that the current ballot title is too long. Based on these meritless allegations, they are requesting that thousands of signatures that we have gathered to place this important initiative on the ballot be thrown out. On May 15, our attorneys will demonstrate that these claims are totally baseless."
Section 2.08.020 of Seattle Municipal Code states that it is up to the City Attorney to create a ballot title of 75 words or less, that "shall contain the essential features of such measure ... and shall not be intentionally an argument, nor likely to create prejudice, either for or against the measure."
The full text of the campaign's legal response to this lawsuit can be found at:
http://www.divestfromwar.org/materials/response-to-ballot-title-challenge.pdf
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More Information:
Seattle Divest From War
http://www.divestfromwar.org
media@divestfromwar.org
(206) 299-4186
