SNAP — the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests — has expanded its target range from sexually predatory priests to director Roman Polanski, who skipped the country in 1978 to avoid receiving a sentence for charges he had unlawful sex with a minor the year before.

According to a statement, today, at 11 a.m., the group plans to picket the Los Angeles District Attorney's office on Temple Street to encourage it to pursue the county's case against Polanski, who was arrested Saturday in Switzerland, where is he now fighting extradition to the U.S.

The SNAP state promises that three to four picketers who will be “[h]olding signs & photos of themselves at the age they were abused, victims of child sex abuse will:

  •  blast Roman Polanski and his supporters, who apparently believe that drugging a raping a 13-year-old child is not a serious crime,
  •  announce a boycott of films and television shows made by Polanski and his outspoken defenders

  • praise the LA District Attorney for vigilance in the case, and

  • encourage all victims of sex abuse to come forward and report crimes, despite re-victimization by the Hollywood elite”

Yesterday L.A. Daily took note

of the groundswell of support by the international film community, but

speculated that such support could “split the film community from the

public as much as the Red Scare did.” SNAP's promise to boycott not

only the films of Polanski, but those of what SNAP calls “his buddies” in Hollywood

and Europe, may be a foreshadowing of just such a rift.

On Monday, SNAP issued a statement predicting dire consequences if California failed to bring Polanski to book:

“If Polanski is NOT extradited, the message child molesters will get is 'If you get smart lawyers, hang tough, and move elsewhere, you'll get away scot-free, especially if you've got some kind of talent.' That's a terrible message.

It's sad that California has a budget crisis and that Polanski has suffered pain in his adult life. It's wonderful that his victim has forgiven him. None of this, however, means he's not still a risk to kids. Nor does it somehow give a convicted child molester any kind of 'free pass.'”

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