December 16, 2006

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Maryam Ayazi. I arranged with a person in my district to gather signatures to Impeach Bush and Cheney at Roosevelt Ave./74th Street subway station in Queens. I wanted you to be aware of how the Police Department in New York City is reacting to this. There were many police officers and security guards who were adamantly against me collecting signatures to Impeach Bush and Cheney. They did various actions to get me to leave.

I am writing to tell you about these actions. I stood on the street at the entrance of the Roosevelt/74th Street subway station on Broadway. The bus station was on 75th Street around the corner from the entrance. I had a blue binder. I had attached big signs in colored writing saying IMPEACH BUSH AND CHENEY. It was very visible. A security guard and/or other type of uniformed police employee reacted and began loudly talking about why it was wrong to impeach George Bush. He was about five feet or more away. He told me it was lucky that this country had Freedom of Speech. I answered him back and the guard left. An undercover police employee came from the bus station and stared at me. He held up his arm to show me his police identification sewed on his sleeve. Then he left. It felt intimidating, but it didn't scare me.

Then a young woman signed the Impeachment petition. The first secuity guard shot out from around the corner and referred personally to the young woman asking why she would sign the petition when Bush had done so much to help immigrants. The young woman immediately stopped filling out the petition and left. (I guess the security guard took her for an immigrant.) Then the same security guard began telling me why it was wrong to impeach George Bush. I listened and asked him if I had the right to Freedom of Speech. Throughout my two hours there, several security guards passed me looking straight at me.

Finally, I decided to go home. It was between 2:30 and 3:30. When I went downstairs to catch the train I heard some musicians from Ecuador playing their flutes. Their group was named "Raices." There were three musicians and they looked very native Indian. I decided to collect signatures while I listened. Then one of the singers began telling people to sign my petition. He was using his microphone to say this. He said that Bush and Cheney should be impeached, but said that all the Republicans should be impeached. He spoke English like a native speaker. He said something about this country's constitution being illegal.

Some guy came and signed the petition. Then the musician who called for people to sign my petition said he would sign the petition to Impeach Bush. Then I smelled fire and saw smoke. People began to leave. The place became empty where it was packed before. One of the singers went down to the subway and said it the smoke had something to do with gas fumes. Later I saw fireman leave the scene. A muslim man came to sign my petition, and a policeman came up to me and asked what I was doing. I put my notebook away and told him I was getting people to sign my petition to impeach Bush and Cheney. He said there was a time and place for everything. I said, " Okay, so you don't like what I'm doing." He said, "It's not that I don't like what you're doing, its just that this is MTA property." He explained something about that only religious groups could solicit on MTA property. I left.

I was able to get 7 E-mail addresses (one of which I am sure was given to me by an undercover cop); 4 signatures with zip codes; and 3 postcards.

I am concerned about what happened at the station. I think it should be videotaped and shown on Democracy Now.

Maya
86-31 57th Avenue, Apt. 2C
Elmhurst, New York 11373
718-507-2514
mayaayazi@yahoo.com