23737: (report) Morse: Ram band members arrested, last released

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: OLOFFSONRAM@aol.com
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The Haitian police came into the Oloffson last Thursday around midnight,
during our show, and after a song called <Justiss>, grabbed three
musicians and
hauled them off to jail. Between midnight and 1am I called the Marine
guard at
the American Embassy but there was nothing he could do since the band
members
were Haitian. In the morning, I called the DCM and the American Ambassador
but
they wouldn't take my calls. The Ambassador's secretary connected me with
the
Consul General. I told the Consul General that I was going downtown to the
police station and I just wanted someone to know my whereabouts. We
considered
going to the police station with a lawyer but were told by a policeman
that
there were 125 people in jail and they each had a lawyer, so we decided
against
the lawyer. Four of us went down to the police station. 3 musicians and a
friend, and spoke to the policeman in charge. Everyone was calm.  The
policeman showed us pictures of people on a wanted list, some who had
dreadlocks. The band members who were arrested had dreads. Basically i
told the
officer that we had spent the Summer touring, which he knew, and he told
us to
go home and he would see what he could do. At 3 pm, the 3 musicians were
released and driven to the Oloffson in a police car. A few bruises but
happy to
see friends and family

RAM plans on performing  Thursday night.
Richard Morse