RALLY COMMEMORATES ARRESTS

Participants From Tulia, Across Country

TULIA - About 250 people showed up at a rally in Tulia on Sunday to
commemorate the two-year anniversary of the controversial arrests of
46 people following an undercover investigation.

The program, dubbed the "Never Again Rally," featured entertainment
by local artists and speeches by nearly two dozen prominent figures
in drug policy reform and social justice issues.

The crowd at Tulia's Conner Park was split evenly between local folks
and participants from across the state and country.

Billy Wafer, who was arrested in the drug sting, cleared and later
filed a civil lawsuit, said it was encouraging to see the number of
people from outside Tulia who showed up to lend support.

"My heart is just racing," Wafer said as he surveyed the crowd. "It's
amazing. We knew we had the support of people all across the country,
but it's just amazing to actually see it. To see all these faces out
here supporting us. It's amazing."

The high number of people expected at the park and the tension from
the controversy over the Tulia arrest put local law enforcement on
alert.

A pair of Tulia police officers videotaped the rally from patrol cars
while other officers drove around the park periodically. Swisher
County Sheriff's deputies and Department of Public Safety troopers
had a sizable presence as well.

Event organizer Alan Bean of Tulia and Tulia Police Department Lt.
Joe Bill Dempsey said the law enforcement presence was appropriate
given the circumstances.

"We're going to be out here because we don't want anything to get out
of hand," Dempsey said. "We don't expect any problems and we're going
to be as accommodating as possible, but we're going to be prepared."

The rally was peaceful, with no incidents reported as of press time.

The event kicked off with a "Freedom Ride" from Austin with two buses
carrying supporters to a vigil outside the Formby and Wheeler Units
in Plainview, where participants protested the number of nonviolent
offenders in the prisons.

The vigil became a little tense as Assistant Warden Greg Franklin
confronted the protesters, demanding that the protesters move to
another area and stop videotaping the facility.

Kevin Zeese, president of Common Sense for Drug Policy Reform,
downplayed the incident and instead chose to focus on the message of
the vigil.

"We simply had a disagreement, and I think it was a fairly cordial
one," Zeese said. "We wanted to get the message out to all the
nonviolent drug offenders in there that someone is taking up their
cause. I think we were successful in that."

The rally proper kicked off at 6 p.m. in Tulia with singing by
children whose parents were arrested in the drug sting.

A succession of speakers then took the stage to speak out against the
drug war. The speakers' common theme was its inherently racist
nature, as well as to support the 46 people arrested in the drug
sting.

"We're here principally to show solidarity with the people in Tulia
who've had the bravery to stand up in the face of discrimination,"
said Will Harrell, executive director of the Texas chapter of the
American Civil Liberties Union. "But we're also here to get out the
larger message, which is that our current drug policy is a failure
and must be changed."

The rally was scheduled to continue through midnight, when
participants were to march to the Swisher County courthouse for a
candlelight vigil.

Bean said he was happy with the turnout and would consider the event
a success if people came away understanding the human cost of arrests
like those in Tulia.

"I want people to go home with the knowledge that prisoners are
people with families, children, mothers, fathers, brothers and
sisters," Bean said. "I want them to understand the consequences of
locking up people for so long for nothing but drug offenses."

Timeline

Jan. 21, 1998 - Tom Coleman hired by Swisher County Sheriff Larry
Stewart to work undercover.

March 29, 1998 - Coleman logs his first drug buy.

May 6, 1998 - Coleman charged with abuse of official capacity and
theft in Cochran County.

Aug. 17, 1998 - Charge against Coleman dropped after restitution made.

July 23, 1999 - First arrests in the drug sting after grand jury
hands up 132 indictments for 46 people.

Dec. 15, 1999 - First trial concludes.

Sept. 7, 2000 - Last trial concludes.

Sept. 28, 2000 - First civil suit filed in federal court.

Oct. 13, 2000 - Complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice
seeking civil rights investigation.

Feb. 22 - Second lawsuit filed.

Also a photo with this caption:
Differing Opinions: Greg Franklin, assistant prison warden at Formby
Unit Wheeler, from left, Kevin Zeese, president of Common Sense for
Drug Policy of Washington, D.C., and Scott Henson of the American
Civil Liberties Union accountability project of Austin give
viewpoints on the right to protest and videotape outside the prison
in Plainview