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primroseburrowsFrom the UK Guardian:
Release Polanski, demands petition by film industry luminaries
Here's what the petition says:
We have learned the astonishing news of Roman Polanski's arrest by the Swiss police on September 26th, upon arrival in Zurich (Switzerland) while on his way to a film festival where he was due to receive an award for his career in filmmaking.
His arrest follows an American arrest warrant dating from 1978 against the filmmaker, in a case of morals.
Filmmakers in France, in Europe, in the United States and around the world are dismayed by this decision. It seems inadmissible to them that an international cultural event, paying homage to one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers, is used by the police to apprehend him.
By their extraterritorial nature, film festivals the world over have always permitted works to be shown and for filmmakers to present them freely and safely, even when certain States opposed this.
The arrest of Roman Polanski in a neutral country, where he assumed he could travel without hindrance, undermines this tradition: it opens the way for actions of which no-one can know the effects.
Roman Polanski is a French citizen, a renown and international artist now facing extradition. This extradition, if it takes place, will be heavy in consequences and will take away his freedom.
Filmmakers, actors, producers and technicians - everyone involved in international filmmaking - want him to know that he has their support and friendship.
On September 16th, 2009, Mr. Charles Rivkin, the US Ambassador to France, received French artists and intellectuals at the embassy. He presented to them the new Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at the embassy, Ms Judith Baroody. In perfect French she lauded the Franco-American friendship and recommended the development of cultural relations between our two countries.
If only in the name of this friendship between our two countries, we demand the immediate release of Roman Polanski.
Wait, what? A case of morals? The guy DRUGGED, RAPED, AND SODOMIZED A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL. Sure, he plea-bargained the charges down, but that just changes the sentence, not the facts. And so what if he's "a renown and international artist"? If he'd been a poor Mexican immigrant, would anyone protest his extradition? I'm thinking, um, lemme see...no.
I'll be pleasantly surprised if his "freedom" is taken away. His original sentence was FORTY-TWO DAYS, after all.
Release Polanski, demands petition by film industry luminaries
Here's what the petition says:
We have learned the astonishing news of Roman Polanski's arrest by the Swiss police on September 26th, upon arrival in Zurich (Switzerland) while on his way to a film festival where he was due to receive an award for his career in filmmaking.
His arrest follows an American arrest warrant dating from 1978 against the filmmaker, in a case of morals.
Filmmakers in France, in Europe, in the United States and around the world are dismayed by this decision. It seems inadmissible to them that an international cultural event, paying homage to one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers, is used by the police to apprehend him.
By their extraterritorial nature, film festivals the world over have always permitted works to be shown and for filmmakers to present them freely and safely, even when certain States opposed this.
The arrest of Roman Polanski in a neutral country, where he assumed he could travel without hindrance, undermines this tradition: it opens the way for actions of which no-one can know the effects.
Roman Polanski is a French citizen, a renown and international artist now facing extradition. This extradition, if it takes place, will be heavy in consequences and will take away his freedom.
Filmmakers, actors, producers and technicians - everyone involved in international filmmaking - want him to know that he has their support and friendship.
On September 16th, 2009, Mr. Charles Rivkin, the US Ambassador to France, received French artists and intellectuals at the embassy. He presented to them the new Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at the embassy, Ms Judith Baroody. In perfect French she lauded the Franco-American friendship and recommended the development of cultural relations between our two countries.
If only in the name of this friendship between our two countries, we demand the immediate release of Roman Polanski.
Wait, what? A case of morals? The guy DRUGGED, RAPED, AND SODOMIZED A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL. Sure, he plea-bargained the charges down, but that just changes the sentence, not the facts. And so what if he's "a renown and international artist"? If he'd been a poor Mexican immigrant, would anyone protest his extradition? I'm thinking, um, lemme see...no.
I'll be pleasantly surprised if his "freedom" is taken away. His original sentence was FORTY-TWO DAYS, after all.
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Date: 2009-09-29 03:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-29 04:06 pm (UTC)Also, it wouldn't be another rape trial, it'd be about him being a fugitive from justice. Because if he gets away with it, then he gets away with it, y'know? White male privilege wins again. Maybe dealing with the issue might even stop some other young girl from going through what this one did.
(Oh, and on a totally unrelated subject. Would you be up to doing a DC trip sometime in the near future? I could take the train down, we could hang out and tour things, it'd be ed-u-cational for the kids, and all kinds of other fun stuff!)