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“CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS FOR PUERTO RICAN CIVILIANS” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H6144-H6145 on Sept. 14, 2011.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS FOR PUERTO RICAN CIVILIANS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez) for 5 minutes.
Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask us to take action on a scathing Department of Justice investigation of a police department that ``regularly violates the constitutional rights of civilians through illegal searches, detentions, and arrests,'' that ``continues to demonstrate a deliberate indifference to the public's safety and the civil rights of individuals engaging in protected speech activities during protests,'' a police force where ``officers engage in a pattern and practice of unreasonable force and other misconduct to suppress the exercise of protected First Amendment rights.''
The report details the abuse against the people of Puerto Rico that they are facing by the Puerto Rico Police Department. Underscore, I said, ``I rise to bring the urgent attention of the U.S. House of Representatives to a human rights and civil rights crisis.'' I further stated, ``where the right of students to protest and speak their minds is being denied with clubs and mace and pepper spray.''
I spoke those words 7 months ago on this floor. The DOJ report states that the Governor of Puerto Rico has ``supreme authority'' over the police. Did he use that supreme authority to respond to Puerto Ricans who asked for help? Yes, he did.
The Governor's ruling party took immediate action after I detailed the abuse. The ruling party was outraged. It was outraged at me. Facing a civil rights crisis, the ruling party of Puerto Rico acted without hesitation, convening the legislature to urgently pass legislation to censure me for speaking out.
In part, the censure reads: ``Congressman Luis Gutierrez made false allegations about a supposed human rights crisis in Puerto Rico; he expressed himself in a denigrating and malicious manner about the honorable body of the Puerto Rico police; all of which tends to hurt the good image and good name of Puerto Rico.''
Here's the problem: The ruling party of Puerto Rico has made clear time and time again they are not concerned about the abuse of their people, only that the world might notice that abuse. They don't seem to understand that if you love people, you stand up and you speak out, not pretend that everything is all right.
For standing up, the Government of Puerto Rico gave me a 600-word censure. But the government didn't give one word, not one word of censure, to what happened to Rachel Hiskes.
Here's what the DOJ describes happened to her:
``A student journalist, Rachel Hiskes, entered the Capitol with other individuals and attempted to access the senate chambers.
``Puerto Rico Police Department officers, who had been dispatched to the capitol earlier in the day, stopped Hiskes and hit her.
``She was not resisting or combative. Hiskes then sat in the hallway with other visitors in protest. A capitol employee then sprayed Hiskes and others with chemical irritants.
``As Hiskes tried to get up, an officer hit her across the back with a baton, causing her to fall. An officer continued to push and strike her with his baton, driving her toward the doorway.
``When she reached the door and had her back to the officer, the officer shoved her out onto the concrete stairs using his baton and hitting her in the neck.
``Hiskes was never arrested or charged with any crime.''
Instead of protecting people like Rachel, the government derided the people.
This Governor's chief of staff, a man he has absurdly tasked with responding to the Department of Justice report, said protesting workers would be treated as ``terrorists'' and boasted he would personally kick protesting students off campus.
This government cannot fix a problem they helped to create and expand.
The students, bloodied with batons, deserve more. The workers beaten and the journalists pepper-sprayed deserve more.
And, to be clear, the many honorable and brave Puerto Rican police officers, men and women who are incorruptible, who do their jobs right and risk their lives every day, they deserve more too.
When crimes like these are brought to light, we expect criminal indictments.
I want to see a special prosecutor appointed, the grand jury seated, the trials begun and see those responsible, not just the police officers following orders but those who directed the police to systematically suppress free speech, sent to jail.
The goal must be to reestablish the rule of law and to reestablish a police department in Puerto Rico that protects and serves the people. The goal must be a police department fighting crime, not committing crime. The goal must be that no government can act with impunity against its own people.
And I have one last recommendation. The Governor of Puerto Rico should apologize to his people. Puerto Ricans have called out for help. In response, the Governor and the ruling party have led an effort to demonize them for standing up for their civil rights.
Governor, the Department of Justice of the United States of America has just made clear that your people were right and you were wrong, and it is time for you to say you're sorry.
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