During Occupy Austin’s birthday week, we participated in a national day of action called Chalk the Police. The Austin Police Department responded with two arrests, including arresting a Peaceful Streets Project cop watcher for failing to identify himself. In another Chalkupy related development, Austin Chronicle photojournalist John Anderson tried to obtain Texas Department of Public Safety records but was denied. Their reason: sharing the documents could enable further “terrorist” chalk attacks on the Capitol! The details are in my #Chalkupy Update on Firedoglake:
The first set of Chalkupy-related arrests occurred when Texas Department of Public Safety State Troopers nabbed Audrey Steiner and Corey Williams from the sidewalk across the street from the Texas State Capitol. Both were arrested for “criminal mischief” — a class C misdemeanor though the DPS threatened in the press to increase charges to class B — but when they reported to court for their first hearing, no record of their charges could be found. The Troopers neglected to file their charges, or perhaps hope to withhold them for a later day as a threat.
