Santander, Spain
September 4, 2007
On the night of September 1st in northern Spain’s port city of Santander, I, Gregory William Grisham Vento, U.S. and Spanish citizen, was peacefully exercising my right and duty of freedom of expression, with a large overhead protest sign, when I was arbitrarily and brutally arrested by several municipal police which spontaneously provoked a brief riot.

I am 47 years old, father of two and work and contribute to society like any other good citizen. I had affixed the sign to a post in a very popular square full of TGIF revellers. The public was generally very interested, delighted to talk to me and took turns taking pictures of their friends and loved ones under the sign. The two sided sing read on one side,(translated): 911 WAS AN INSIDE JOB www.investigar11s.org and on the other side: BU$HLADEN DEMOLITIONS INC. SPECIALTY IN TWIN TOWERS.

After an hour or so, suddenly a municipal cleaning crew showed up accompanied by several municipal police officers who proceeded to take the sign down. I immediately introduced myself stating that the sign was my property and that I would take responsibility for it. The police officer in charge said to me, “You can’t prove it’s yours. The fact is it’s mine, and I wish to trash it”. “Oh come on”, I said. “It´s mine, I’ll have it and be on my way.” Then the clean up crew member who had retrieved it handed it back to me saying to the police officer, “Look, this ain’t my job. I’ll have nothing more to do with this”, as he handed the sign over to me.

By this time several police officers had swarmed in upon me. One of them ripped my sign out of my hand as another immobilized my left arm. He then told me I was under arrest and that I present my identification. I pulled my wallet out of my pocket but, due to the fact one of my arms was immobilized I could not take my national ID card out of my wallet and simply held my wallet up for them to do so. Suddenly, one of the officers then swiped it out of my hand throwing it vehemently across the square dispersing its contents about the ground. Then as many as five officers were dragging me into a patrol car as I screamed for help, “I haven’t done anything wrong, I want my property, give me back my wallet…” I was, I must admit, panicking. I resisted the arrest because I felt not as a citizen being legally apprehended rather as a victim being criminally kidnapped. I feared for my life and resisted being dragged into the car as if my life depended on it.

All of a sudden everyone present started screaming and incriminating the police. Dozens of persons raced up to assist me against a clear abuse of authority and unjustified and excessive force. I was then overcome and tackled to the ground. One of the police rested his knee on my throat impeding my ability to breathe. Bystanders then saw that I was suffocating. “He can’t breathe. You’re choking him. His tongue is protruding from his mouth. Let him go, My God, you’re killing him”, they cried.

I could see through the corner of my eye as if tackled peering from beneath a barrage of football linemen a policeman was nervously trying to shred my cardboard sign. He then started hastily cutting it up with a saw he had acquired from the clean-up crew. I was surrounded by photographers stooped low rapidly shooting off pictures. Police then started literally hopping over tables knocking glasses of beer and cocktails over causing mayhem in pursuit of the photographers who successfully fled with their precious digital images which they had captured, their incoming pursuers intentionally blocked by sympathetic bystanders. Finally I was allowed to breathe, gasping for air. Now powerless I was dragged into the patrol car which raced away with me collapsed in the back, labouring for oxygen. I was alleviated for the time being, however terrified as to my eminent destiny. As we sped off the co-pilot continually rambled off through the perforated plexiglass shield threatening me with bodily harm, blaming me for everything occurred, insulting me with typical Spanish profanity, mostly in reference to my deceased mother, none of which shall I bother specifying here.

Once we arrived at police headquarters my kidnapper opened the rear door. I noticed then he was a sergeant. “Are you getting out or do I have to drag you out of there the same way you got in?” adding on a few more profane commentaries about my personal condition. (All of this should have been recorded by the building’s CCTV installation.) As I was hurried into the police station I received a blunt blow against the back of my head which momentarily “put out my lights”. I was persistently and violently pushed along down a long corridor into a small room, the door was slammed behind us. I found myself rounded up into a corner surrounded by three mafia type bandits wearing badges. One of which, the sergeant, threateningly holding up a fist to my face, screaming at me like a Marine drill sergeant, as the other two stood like sentinels behind him. I thought to myself, if they can get away with behaving like they did in public, what could they be capable of affording me now behind closed doors? I was terrified and praying for God or the Galactic Federation for divine protection.

He asked me questions to which when I attempted to reply he would wield his fist in my face squelching “Don’t say a f---ing word or I’ll knock your teeth in” followed by more comments about my deceased relatives. I was then thrown into the “slammer” which, as the metallic door slammed behind me, I quickly realized where its colloquial name came from.

I remained two hours standing in five square feet of space unable to sit down since the bench was made of cold, damp and mildewed concrete which due to my light apparel sucked the heat from my arse, chilling my bones and kidneys. I had never been read my rights, nor allowed to see a lawyer or make a telephone call. When they came to let me out I asked about this and they told me, “What are you talking about you f---ing bastard? You have already refused any of that and signed your statement and confession.” “What statement and confession?” I inquired. “I haven’t signed anything”. The sergeant, again fist drawn, “Are you calling me a liar? You ucranian son of a bitch”. Just call me a liar again and see what happens. Here’s your signed statement and confesión.” And he presented me with a very legal looking document of several stapled pages.

I was then transferred to Santander’s general hospital. I could not present my medical care card since it was lost when my wallet was tossed. I was hastily looked over by a police like looking doctor. I told him I had no serious injuries other than bruised arms, neck, and the right side of my torso and leg. Blood could be seen leaching through my right pant leg which he peeked at but did not even clean or bandage at all.

From the hospital I was taken to one National Police station to another where I was locked up at 5:20 A.M. I informed the keeper that I still had not been read my rights, seen a lawyer or made a phone call. He just bluntly responded, “This is my operation lad, I’m the boss here. It’s late, shut up, go to sleep, or you’re going to have more problems. I was indeed disappointed by his attitude however I was very relieved to be out of the hands of the local police. till noon the next day when I was transferred to the courthouse for a hearing. Finally, I was allowed to talk to a lawyer and make a phone call, eventhough it was too late for that. I was given a vinyl foam filled pad and a polyester blanket which reeked of stale urine. I had to sleep breathing in the stench with the blanket up to my neck since I was wearing nothing more than a very light shirt and the cell was cold and damp.

I arrived handcuffed to the County Courthouse to reassuringly find my friend and brother-in-law, Jeremy Buckley, who was with me when all this started and had been vigilantly seeking my whereabouts throughout the night. In my hearing I was surprised to learn that I had been charged not with resisting arrest rather for having “pushed and kicked police officers inside the police department confines”, all of which is of course trumped up charges imposed on me by what must be Spain’s most corrupt municipal police department. I was absolutely indignated and outrightly voiced my indignation for such false testimony.

The judge appointed me for a quick trial two days later. I appeared with witnesses and the charges were dropped to a misdemeanour and to be heard at a later date and excused.

I have placed the following claims and charges against the Santander Police.

1. The accusations placed against me for pushing and kicking police officers are absolute malicious lies, pure corrupt conspiracy and false testimony.
2. Hundreds, if not thousands of persons have witnessed my illegal, unconstitutional and barbaric detention.
3. My behaviour was at all times respectful and civic including while I was subject to physical and emotional abuse and unjustified and excessive force.
4. I did not resist arrest rather I attempted to recuperate my property and personal effects that had been strewn about the ground and were being destroyed in my presence. I was completely terrified by abusive and violent representatives of authority whom instead of legally arresting me were criminally kidnapping me. I admit however, that if I had not been reduced to a state of semi-unconsciousness I would have continued to avoid being thrown into a vehicle, since I felt as if my life depended on it.
5. I am not affiliated to any political group other than my participation in the World Wide Movement For exposing the Truth about the Self-Inflicted False-Flag State Terrorism of 11 September, 2001. I have been informing the public about this in the same manner for almost three years throughout Spain. I have always maintained excellent relations with all police bodies concerned in various cities Spanish cities and capitals. I was once arrested in Fuengirola of Málaga, Spain, without any aberration, of which I was immediately absolved of any charge. This is the first time I have ever been charged with “Attacking Police officials” or anything remotely similar.
6. The involved police officers should be immediately disciplined for abuse of authority and unjustified and excessive force.
7. I was victimized by threats and psychological torture.
8. My constitutional rights were severely trampled upon for which I shall not rest until those responsible are disciplined for the injustice which I have suffered so that no one else will ever to be one of their victims.
9. After spending my vacation in this beautiful city I shall return to Madrid with the worst memories of my life.
10. I invite all of Spain to find out for themselves who are the real culprits behind the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington by referring to www.investigar11s.org

Gregory William Grisham Vento