Over 300 Protesters, Bystanders, Medics and Media Arrested: Update from Coldsnap Legal Collective
Two days into the Republican National Convention (RNC),
more than 300 people have been arrested, including at least 120 people
for felonies -- mostly the notoriously vague charge, 'conspiracy to
riot.' With no provocation, police have indiscriminately used rubber
bullets, concussion grenades, and chemical irritants to disperse crowds
and incapacitate protestors. Police appear to be specifically targeting
videographers documenting these police abuses. In response, lawyers have
filed a federal restraining order against such conduct.
By the end of the day today, only 12 people had been arraigned. Many
arrestees are refusing to provide identification, in order to call
attention to what they consider trumped-up charges and to collectively
bargain. 'These tactics are designed to protect the most vulnerable
people in jail, and take a page from the history of labor solidarity,'
said Rick Kelley of Coldsnap Legal Collective, an activist-based legal
collective supporting the arrestees. 'Based on the vagueness of their
charges and the program of police intimidation currently underway, these
individuals understand how they will fare if they don't stick together.'
The court has been imposing the maximum bail of $2,000 for misdemeanor
defendants.
In an unusual court decision, Ramsey County Judge Paulette K. Flynn
today convicted two minors of criminal contempt for refusing to provide
their identity. The two minors were then sentenced to 30 days in an
adult jail facility. 'This decision undermines one of the most
fundamental human rights concepts in the justice system, to protect the
rights and safety of children,' said Jordan Kushner, Mass Defense
Committee Chair of the National Lawyers Guild's Minnesota chapter, and
an attorney for one of the minors. 'This shows the willingness of the
courts to go to any length, including sacrificing the most important due
process rights, to answer to the political pressure to persecute activists.'
Many arrestees are also being denied medical attention. One arrestee
with hemophilia and another with asthma are being denied their
prescription medication. An arrestee with a broken finger is being
refused medical care, as is a person who has been coughing up blood. An
anemic woman reported to Coldsnap today that she passed out for 20 to 30
minutes due to iron
deficiency and was told that she could not receive iron because it was a
prescription medication, and because she refused to identify herself.
Iron is in fact an over-the-counter supplement. The same anemic woman
reported seeing a Sheriff knock another woman to the ground and drag her
out of the room by her hair. 'Just because people have been jailed does
not mean their health should be put in jeopardy,' said Kelley. This is a
matter of compassion and basic human rights.
Under Minnesota law, detainees must be released after 36 hours if the
court fails to review and affirm probable cause for their charges. This
36-hour period will expire at noon on Wednesday.
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Undercovers, Paid Informants, Affidavits and Anarchists
You can read an affidavit submitted by the police through a link on the Star Tribune page, and read an article about it at http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/conventions/27793634.html?e... .
Important to remember that when undercovers and paid informants are used, nothing anyone says can be trusted to be a statement from an "anarchist" since they may have been an undercover saying stuff to provoke people or use as evidence later.
Still, if you read the affidavit, it really looks like a bunch of young people who were excited about doing something positive, stopping the war machine, disrupting a convention of war criminals and corporate whores, got really careless, and forgot to follow a lot of the basic rules of the game.
As much as we know the police and federal agents are acting as agents of repression and violence here, it also seems pretty clear that most of them feel they are protecting people from legitimate threats of violence. Where did they get that idea? Maybe they read a crimethinc book written by a bunch of macho adolescents? Maybe they read the NoRNC website description of Swarm, Seize and Stay? Maybe they watched some YouTube Videos about the planning for the protests? It's a big question why people were so careless, and a bigger question why none of us who have been around long enough to recognize this kind of carelessness didn't step in to try to warn people of the consequences of their mistakes.
I really hope everyone gets out safely, and I hope that all charges are dropped, AND I hope that people learn from this that they need to be careful about the tactics they use, and who they tell about them.
And I think it's important to be upfront and honest about what has happened here, so that people aren't tricked into rallying, marching, and making public fools out of themselves on behalf of people who did things that they might not know about or agree with.
I never signed on to the St. Paul agreements, so I'll just say that I think a lot folks in the community have been set up and let down by the carelessness and naivety of some of the RNCWC folks. And we've been let down by a total lack of leadership and protection from older, more experienced members of the movement who could have easily seen this coming. Of course we've been let down and set up and attacked and violated MORE by the cops and FBI and agents of repression. But that's to be expected. Yes, it's to be EXPECTED. Especially when people (who are not in political office) make easily trace-able public statements promising and encouraging illegal activity, and carelessly engage in posturing and the indiscriminate use of symbols of violence.
Local residents, people of color, poor people, young people, indigenous folks, and long time radical activists have all been put in danger based on the justification provided by a bunch of over-zealous and under-mentored young folks. JUST LIKE THE RNC 2000, DNC 2000, RNC 2004 and DNC 2004, The Twin Cities radical community has a lot more work and a lot of wounds to heal in the wake of this crap. Let's get everyone who's been kidnapped free, learn from this, and then not let this kind of shit happen again.
Stay safe and be careful!
"Granted, people who break
"Granted, people who break windows should probably be held; charges should be brought against them."
That is a quote from Gena Berglund while speaking on Democracy Now. Is this person part of "the" or "a" legal team? How can this person adequately represent other persons that she believes should be arrested? They need a zealous advocate, not a wishy-washy house of cards.
Democracy at work! I wonder
Democracy at work! I wonder if the same thing will happen in Sacramento?
RE:
And I think it's important to be upfront and honest about what has happened here, so that people aren't tricked into rallying, marching, and making public fools out of themselves on behalf of people who did things that they might not know about or agree with. Online Diploma
RE:
It's a big question why people were so careless, and a bigger question why none of us who have been around long enough to recognize this kind of carelessness didn't step in to try to warn people of the consequences of their mistakes. Homeschool Programs | Homeschool Online
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