SugarHouse 13 to Be Tried on Tuesday

For Immediate Release

On Tuesday, thirteen activists for Casino-Free Philadelphia will be tried at the Criminal Justice Center, 13th and Filbert Streets, in connection with a Sept. 29, 2009, demonstration at the SugarHouse casino construction site. The trial is scheduled to begin 9:00 a.m. and is expected to end between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. Supporters will gather at Arch Street Methodist Church, at 55 North Broad Street, from 9:00 to 9:30 for a brief rally before proceeding to the court house.    

"The trial will call attention to the costs of casinos, to the importance of using civil disobedience as a tool to fight social injustice, and the corrupt, undemocratic politics that have politicians doing the bidding of billionaires" said Dan Hajdo, spokesperson for Casino-Free Philadelphia.

"The trial will call attention to the costs of casinos, to the importance of using civil disobedience as a tool to fight social injustice, and the corrupt, undemocratic politics that have politicians doing the bidding of billionaires" said Dan Hajdo, spokesperson for Casino-Free Philadelphia.

A diverse group, each individual in the Sugarhouse 13 has their own, compelling story to tell about how they came to oppose casinos. All Philadelphia residents, the SugarHouse 13 in age from 25 to 72 and include several grandparents, two members of the clergy, and a few public school teachers, and veterans of the civil rights movement.

The defendants and other opponents of predatory gambling see social injustice in the fact that casinos depend on gambling addicts for profits, and the fact that poor people are the group most adversely affected when casinos are introduced into a community. They know research shows that the presence of casinos in a community generates the need for more police, as well as criminal justice and addiction services. They have seen the numbers that show casinos will cost the city more than any revenue they may generate. They worry building casinos often result in a net loss of jobs when competition from casinos causes local businesses to close.

"The SugarHouse 13 put their bodies on the line to keep Philadelphia casino-free," said Hajdo. "We are hoping that their trial will raise public awareness of the social and political injustices that sparked them into action."

The defendants were arrested for lining the entrance of the site and refusing to move. They were held for 12 hours and are charged with one felony, criminal conspiracy, and two misdemeanors, failure to disperse and disorderly conduct.

Casino-Free Philadelphia's mission is to stop casinos from coming to Philadelphia and close any that open. The social and economic costs of predatory gambling are plainly apparent from an industry reliant on addiction to survive. Visit us online at www.CasinoFreePhila.org.

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