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On Cindy Dach – the full apology text and Occupy’s stance

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One concern which has risen since the publication of the DBA report are over details which reveal that local business owner Cindy Dach of Made and Changing Hands Bookstore provided police information about Occupy Phoenix activities at First Friday. At a later First Friday event, several Occupiers (who were walking at the event and possibly leafleting the crowd-a normal function of many local groups and where thousands of Phoenicians visit local shops) were pepper-sprayed along with members of the public who were nearby.

The information she provided was publicly available and may not have caused immediate harm to activists. However, many in the community are upset that any information was given at all, especially with the history of police harassment on activists, the division of families through migrant persecution  and the expansion of the national security state. Some individuals have expressed that they will be boycotting her business. At Occupy we try to hear both sides before taking action. Cindy Dach’s apology is included here:

I am truly sorry. It was never my intention to provide an intelligence-gathering tip to local police, or attempt to disrupt free speech. Reading through the CMD report last night, I’ve come to realize how naive I was in this situation. To some, that will make me seem like a fool, but I was surprised to discover how my email was used. When this happened back in 2011, it didn’t occur to me that a First Friday crowd safety concern—just one of many that Roosevelt Row merchants were dealing with at the time—would be used instead to gather information about an Occupy meeting. These public safety concerns are a matter of public record, and as Roosevelt Row’s interim director it was my responsibility to address them. That was what my email to Sergeant Clements was about. There was no political motivation nor malice intended on my part.

All my life, I have rolled up my sleeves to help my community, and now I can say that I’ve had a reality shock and better understand how good intentions can be used for other purposes. It’s a sobering lesson. I apologize for any harm that was done as a result of my email. I don’t know any other way to say it—I’m sorry. Very sorry.

While some activists have stated clearly that they both “forgive her” and “sincerely believe that she has learned a lot through this incident,” others have expressed continued concern and distrust. Because of the lack of consensus, Occupy Phoenix, as of right now, does not officially call for any boycott and instead encourages all community members to make the decision as individuals about their own comfort level with Cindy Dach’s response.


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