Progressive Calendar 09.19.08 | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: David Shove (shove001tc.umn.edu) | |
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:09:41 -0700 (PDT) |
P R O G R E S S I V E C A L E N D A R 09.19.08 1. McCain/Palin/protest 9.19 8:30am 2. Ford Plant/KFAI 9.19 11am 3. Peace rally 9.19 12noon 4. Palestine 9.19 4:15pm 5. Shop for peace 9.19 5pm 6. MTN anniv/party 9.19 6:30pm 7. Just war is just war 9.19 7pm 8. NOW/women/politics 9.19 8:30pm 9. Moyers/$ meltdown 9.19 9pm 10. Battle/Seattle/film 9.19 11. Preemptive peace 9.20 9am 12. Peace walk 9.20 9am Cambridge MN 13. Beyond elections 9.20 10am 14. NWN4P Mtka 9.20 11am 15. Northtown vigil 9.20 2pm 16. RNC/facts/lessons 9.20 2pm 17. Romania/Rwanda 9.20 2pm 18. WAMM v police state 9.20 6pm police raids 19. Muller 20. Andy 21. Dobson 22. Sirr (ZNet) 23. Kelly 24. Hedges (Truthdig) 25. ed capitalism or fascism (haiku) --------1 of x-------- From: "wamm [at] mtn.org" <wamm [at] mtn.org> Subject: McCain-Palin/protest 9.19 8:30am Do Democracy, Protest in Blaine Friday, September 19, 8:30 a.m. Key Air's New Hangar at the Anoka County-Blaine Airport, 10188 Radisson Road, Blaine. (The closest parking lot is on the south side of 105th Avenue, just before you get to the corner with Radisson Road.) "WE THE PEOPLE" populist-leaning, Constitution-supporting, grassroots democracy believers will help line the sides of the bike and walking path at the entrance to Key Air's new hangar with your "End the War" banners and other anti-war messages as the McCain-Palin plane touches down. This is a nonpartisan, issue-based, anti-war protest. -- Reply-To: rowleyclan [at] earthlink.net Subject: FRI.9/19:BLAINE: Do Democracy! If you haven't heard, they're back... (But not necessarily by popular demand.) Actually the Palin-McCain phenomenon, brought together only a couple of weeks ago, is already traveling back to the scene <http://www.minnesotaindependent.com/8820/mccain-palin-to-visit-blaine-minn> of the crime (Minnesota) this Friday, September 19th. And while it's true that some of us have barely recovered from all of our patriotic marching, rallies, artistic displays and music concerts during that week of the RNC, what I wrote in my letter to the Pioneer Press back then, remains more true than ever, that "Patriots Can't Stay Home <http://global-peace-timnolan7.blogspot.com/2008/09/patriots-cant-stay-home_06.html>!". We don't have the time to organize any hotdogs or cake this time but we are hoping several of you "WE THE PEOPLE" populist-leaning, Constitution-supporting, grassroots democracy believers will plan to come up to Blaine on Friday morning and help us line the sides of the bike and walking path at the entrance to Key Air's new hangar at the Anoka County-Blaine Airport, 10188 Radisson Road, with your "End the War" banners and other messages. It appears there is parking in the Blaine soccer field lots that are only a short distance to the airport's Radisson Road entrance where those with tickets will be allowed in to attend the Palin-McCain appearance. Altho' the Palin Performance will apparently not begin until noon, seating starts at 9:00 am so that's when we'll try and get ourselves the first free, front row seats on the bike path. If you haven't seen what true *participatory* *democracy* is about in a while, check out the unprecedented numbers and great messages a group of regular coffee-drinking Alaskan women turned out in Anchorage a few days ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNlcYaEOLRM. Now this is REAL DEMOCRACY! Issue-based real democracy that is the right, duty and privilege of all us average Americans. Not the scripted, tightly controlled, and highly guarded show that many of us witnessed with the RNC in St. Paul. So COME ONE, COME ALL, with lipstick or not, to 10188 Radisson Road in Blaine at 9 a.m. this Friday, September 19th . Let's show the Alaskans that we can do democracy here too! -Ross and Coleen Rowley --------2 of x-------- From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com> Subject: Ford Plant/KFAI 9.19 11am Fri. Aug.19, 11am, KFAI Radio FORD PLANT:Green Jobs & Public Ownership MICHAEL WOOD of the Gus Hall Action Club and CHRISTINE FRANK of Climate Crisis Cloation of the Twin Cities (3CTC) talk about the fight to stop the closing of the Ford Plant in St. Paul--and, along with the hydro dam (built by the U.S. Army of Engineers) the plant should be put under public ownership. Learn where the fight for labor and the challenges to address global warming and the need for clean, renewable energy are converging to create a new, powerful coalition. EVENTS about the Ford Plant and Green Jobs below. On Catalyst:politics & culture hosted by Lydia Howell on KFAI Radio:90.3fm Mpls 106.7 fm St.Paul.All shows live-streaming & archived on-line for 2 weeks after broadcast on the Catalyst page at: http://www.kfai.org EVENTS: MON.SEPT.22,7pm FORUM on Proposals to Save the Ford Plant May Day Books, 301 Cedar Ave. S.(basement of HUB Bicycle),West Bank, Minneapolis. Speakers: Alan Maki, organizer w/Casino,Hotel & Resturant Employees Union;David Riehle, local chair of United Transportation Union Local 650;Micheal Wood & Christine Frank. More info about 3CTC: Christine Frank: 612-879-8937 G3ETMONTHLY ACTION ALERTS by email: christinefrank [at] visi.com GUS HALL ACTION CLUB: gushallactionclub [at] yahoo.com SAT,SEPT.27, 1pm-3pm GREEN JOBS RALLY Minneapolis Urban League 2100 Plymouth Avenue North, Minneapolis Organzied by EJAM/ Environmental Justice Advocates MN CONTACT Karen Monahan: 612-436-5402 www.ejamn.org --------3 of x-------- From: "wamm [at] mtn.org" <wamm [at] mtn.org> Subject: Peace rally 9.19 12noon Do Democracy, Protest in Minneapolis Friday, September 19, Noon Peavey Plaza, 1111 Nicolet Mall, Minneapolis. No matter who is elected this November, show the candidates and the world that you believe that war and occupations are never the solution. Rally for peace (not a candidate or political party) and come to Peavey Plaza during an Obama-Biden rally with your "End the War" banners and other anti-war messages to give the message "we don't want war" from any political party. This is a nonpartisan, issue-based, anti-war protest. --------4 of x-------- From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com> Subject: Palestine 9.19 4:15pm Friday, 9/19, 4:15 to 5:30 pm, vigil to end US military/political support of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, corner Summit and Snelling, St Paul. --------5 of x-------- From: Debra Heisick <debraheisick [at] hotmail.com> Subject: Shop for peace 9.19 5pm Shop for Peace Join us in kicking off International Peace Week with an evening of shopping, food, and fun. Ten Thousand Villages is a non-profit, fair trade store that sells handcrafted items made by artisans in more than 30 countries. Products include home and garden decor, jewelry and personal accessories, musical instruments, toys, coffee, and tea. They provide vital and fair income to people in developing countries by selling their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America. Ten Thousand Villages will contribute 20% of proceeds made from 5:00 - 8:00 PM on Friday, September 19, to the Dispute Resolution Center - the oldest community mediation program in Minnesota. Begin your holiday shopping early and put your dollars towards a good cause. Parking in the ramp next to the Pottery Barn will be validated for one hour with a purchase - a Friday night bonus! For more information on Ten Thousand Villages: http://stpaul.tenthousandvillages.com Beneficiary: Dispute Resolution Center Location: Ten Thousand Villages 867 Grand Ave. St. Paul, MN 55105 Date: Friday, September 19, 2008 Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Dispute Resolution Center 91 East Arch Street St. Paul, MN 55101 651.292 7791 www.disputeresolutioncenter.org Mission The Dispute Resolution Center promotes the constructive resolution of conflict through open communication and shared decision-making. --------6 of x-------- From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com> Subject: MTN anniv/party 9.19 6:30pm I would like to invite you to the following Minneapolis Television Network event. MTN is the cable access community television center for Minneapolis located at St. Anthony Main along the river. It truly represents Main Street, like KFAI. This will be a great opportunity to support community media! MTN will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary at a special event on this Friday, September 19 at Babalu Restaurant at 800 Washington Ave. N. 6:30 pm - Welcoming Program 7:30 pm- Food (Cuban Favorites) Even if you have never seen MTN's channels this is a chance to see what all the hype is about. There will be memories, food, drink. friends, history, great music, silent auction, raffles, door prizes, and much much more. Tickets will be available for $10.00 at the door or at MTN anytime before the event. It would be great to have a big crowd of great KFAI and Twin Cities folks at this event! Doug Cain Checkout Equipment & Studio Manager The Minneapolis Television Network 125 SE Main St. Suite # 244 Mpls. MN. 55414 phone 612-331-8575 xt. 0 or 329 fax 612-331-8578 _http://www.mtn.org_ <http://www.mtn.org/> MTN 25th Anniversary --------7 of x-------- From: "wamm [at] mtn.org" <wamm [at] mtn.org> Subject: Just war is just war 9.19 7pm [ed head] Play about the Just War Concept: "Cirque de Guerre" Friday, September 19, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. University of St. Thomas, O'Shaughnessy Center, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul. "Cirque de Guerre" (French for "Circus of War"), uses a circus motif to present a series of comedic and satirical acts or scenes about the absurdity and immorality of the Just War concept. Tickets: $20.00 (Students: $10.00). Sponsored by: Every Church a Peace Church (ECAPC). --------8 of x-------- From: t r u t h o u t <messenger [at] truthout.org> Subject: NOW/women/politics 9.19 8:30pm NOW | Women in Politics "Given the hoopla surrounding Sarah Palin's and Hillary Clinton's historical political ascendance, why does the US rank so low among countries for percentage of women holding national office?" --------9 of x-------- From: t r u t h o u t <messenger [at] truthout.org> Subject: Moyers/$ meltdown 9.19 9pm Bill Moyers Journal | Facing the Financial Fallout http://www.truthout.org/article/facing-financial-fallout On Friday: "Amidst historic economic failures, 'Bill Moyers Journal' takes an in-depth look at what led to the financial meltdown, what it means for American families and how it will affect voters between now and November." --------10 of x-------- From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com> Subject: Battle/Seattle/film 9.19 FRI.SEPT.19-THUR.SEPT 25 Film; BATTLE IN SEATTLE Uptown Theatre 2906 Hennepin Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55408 12:00p, 2:15, 4:30, 7:00, 9:20 In late 1999 tens of thousands of ordinary citizens from around the world - union members, environmental activists, farmers, students, teachers, and nuns - gathered together in an extraordinary alliance to challenge the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Seattle. The citizens won. It this dramatic political year the feature film "BATTLE IN SEATTLE," starring Andre Benjamin, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Rodriguez, Channing Tatum, and Charlize Theron showcases activists as heroes protecting people and the planet from destruction at the hands of destructive corporate power from this epic historical event. There were many hurdles to pulling together the real struggles and actions in Seattle, and seemingly monolithic entities to bring down, but with commitment and intensity the fight continues on many fronts: and the only way to bring on more victories for the people, for the planet, for the future is if YOU jump on in. Oil Change and the Separate Oil & State campaign are poised on the brink of pushing real change targeting Big Oil money in our so-called democracy - with your help, we can tie this up too! WE INVITE YOU TO RELIVE THIS MONUMENTAL VICTORY by organizing around this cultural event: SEE THE FILM. Take your friends, your loved ones, your co-workers, your neighbors, and remember what victory looks like for the global environmental and social movement. The film transports you to the heart of the action, and leaves you filled with hope about creating a more just world. THE FIRST TWO WEEKS IN THE THEATERS ARE CRITICAL! If enough people see the film, it will expand into other cities around the country, bringing its important message to an even larger audience! Order tickets at http://www.battleinseattlemovie.com/tickets The film opens September 19 in New York, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Washington, DC, San Rafael, and and September 26 in Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Sacramento - check the website for new cities being added! Go to our Oil Dollar ATM, print out dollars showing how much oil money your representative, senator, or the presidential candidates take, and pass them out at the theater. This is a great opportunity to engage people energized and turned on to activism by the film Peace, Samantha Miller Oil Change USA --------11 of x-------- From: "wamm [at] mtn.org" <wamm [at] mtn.org> Subject: Preemptive peacemaking 9.20 9am Conference: Preemptive Peacemaking: Just Peace vs. Just War Saturday, September 20, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. University of St. Thomas, O'Shaughnessy Center, 2115 Summit Avenue, St. Paul. Keynote address, Glen Harold Stassen, Professor of Christian Ethics, Fuller Theological Seminary, winner of the Christianity Today Award for Best Book of 2004 in Theology or Ethics (Kingdom Ethics), Just Peacemaking: The New Paradigm for the Ethics of Peace and War. Break-out sessions including: the nonviolence of Jesus; What is the ECAPC movement and how can we be part of it?; How does the arts community speak peace?; Just Peacemaking: A better answer for terrorism and the nuclear threat; and more. Tickets: $35.00 (Student: $15.00). Sponsored by: Every Church a Peace Church (ECAPC). FFI: Email <allanbostelmann [at] msn.com> or call 612-722-5957. --------12 of x-------- From: Ken Reine <reine008 [at] umn.edu> Subject: Peace walk 9.20 9am Cambridge MN every Saturday 9AM to 9:35AM Peace walk in Cambridge - start at Hwy 95 and Fern Street --------13 of x-------- From: Stephanie Bates <Stephanie.Bates [at] americas.org> Subject: Beyond elections 9.20 10am The Resource Center of the Americas is hosting Michael Fox and Silvia Leidecker this Saturday at 10am. They will be showing clips of their newest documentary "Beyond Elections: Redefining Democracy in the Americas." Beyond Elections: RCTA OFFICES 3019 Minnehaha Ave, Romero Room (Suite 20) 612-276-0788 10-11:30am Coffee and Bagels provided www.beyondelections.com What is democracy? Freedom, equality, participation? Everyone has his or her own definition. Across the world, over 120 countries now have at least the minimum trappings of democracy- the freedom to vote for all citizens. But for many, this is just the beginning not the end. After decades of US-backed dictatorships, civil wars and devastating structural adjustment policies, representative politics is in crisis and citizens across the Americas have begun to redefine democracy under their own terms: Participatory Democracy. --------14 of x-------- From: Carole Rydberg <carydberg [at] comcast.net> Subject: NWN4P Mtka 9.20 11am NWN4P-Minnetonka demonstration- Every Saturday, 11 AM to noon, at Hwy. 7 and 101. Park in the Target Greatland lot; meet near the fountain. We will walk along the public sidewalk. Signs available. --------15 of x-------- From: Vanka485 [at] aol.com Subject: Northtown vigil 9.20 2pm Peace vigil at Northtown (Old Hwy 10 & University Av), every Saturday 2-3pm --------16 of x-------- From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com> Subject: RNC/facts/lessons 9.20 2pm The RNC Protests: What happened and what can we learn? Saturday, September 20 at 2:00 p.m. at the Brian Coyle Center 420 15th Ave S, Mpls (one block west of Cedar & Riverside intersection; one block from Cedar-Riverside Light Rail station) Join us for a DISCUSSION on the RNC PROTESTS What happened and what can we learn from it? Were the protests successful? Why or why not? What was your experience? How do we stay organized? What about the ongoing legal battle and the struggle for summation? Activists in the Twin Cities organized against the RNC for up to two years. When the RNC came, we had the largest anti-war protest this year on Sep 1, direct action blockades, great political music, other marches and creative protests, police raids, thousands of riot police creating a police state-type atmosphere in St. Paul, teargas and pepper spray, and by the end of the week over 800 arrests (including terrorism-type charges against 8 people), with almost half of the arrests coming on Day 4 at the "No Peace for the Warmakers" march. Come share your thoughts about what we can learn from our protests and the state's reaction. Event sponsored by www.frso.org * More info: 612-823-2841 --------17 of x-------- From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com> Subject: Romania/Rwanda 9.20 2pm Saturday, 9/20, 2 to 4:30 pm, free film and forum, about genocides "Romania 1941/Rwanda 1994," In-Flux space adjacent to the Nash Gallery, Regis Center for Art, 405 - 21st Ave S, West Bank, Mpls. http://nash.umn.edu/events/ (Teacher continuing education credits available through chgs [at] umn.edu) --------18 of x-------- From: "wamm [at] mtn.org" <wamm [at] mtn.org> Subject: WAMM/re: police state 9.20 6pm Meeting: WAMM's Response to Police State in Twin Cities Saturday, September 20, 6:00 p.m. Ann Galloway's Apartment, 4354 28th Avenue South, Minneapolis. In relation to activities that took place while the Republican National Convention (RNC) was in town, quick action is needed. Come brainstorm ideas and for a press release. Wine and food provided (or bring your own). Two cats will be present in the apartment during the meeting. RSVP is appreciated. FFI and to RSVP: Call Ann, 612-790-8598. --------19 of x-------- Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:37:12 -0500 From: Alan Muller <amuller [at] dca.net> Subject: Re: [SPIF] after assessment It is hard to imagine anyone's mind being changed by debating the fine details of the Sheriff's statutory authority, no matter how long it goes on. Seems to me that people's views on the RNC festivities tend to be determined by their underlying outlook--how much they value freedom of speech vs "law and order." These probably aren't readily subject to change..... A question I don't see being discussed is how anybody could have reasonably expected anything BUT a police-state lockdown. This became inevitable once a decision was made (by whom?) to host the RNC. This was surely obvious to the authorities who were busy planning it. Seems that people on the other side planned their participation in various ways--from being "good" peaceful marchers to nasty anarchist destroyers. Regardless, were they not taking up pro forma positions in a setup orchestrated by others? In essence, marching to the beat of others' drums? Maybe this is effective democracy in action but I am not so sure..... --------20 of x-------- Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:22:27 -0500 From: andy <afahlstrom [at] riseup.net> Subject: [tcradicalcommunity] Visits from the police? Advice on how to keep yourself and your friends safer http://tc.indymedia.org/2008/sep/ramsey-county-sheriffs-still-roaming-hennepin-county-fishing-expedition Within the past few days the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office has been visiting homes in both Minneapolis and St Paul trying to fish for information relating to the RNC and the RNC Welcoming Committee. While I am not a lawyer and can't give legal advice, I found some information online that I hope is helpful for people to know for themselves and pass on to other people in their lives and their communities. It is info about the best way to deal with police information gathering expeditions and how it can be dangerous to say ANYTHING to the police in these situations. Carla J. Magnuson is a lawyer who has agreed to give general legal counsel in RNC Welcoming Committee related matters. You may pass on her number to law enforcement officials if they come asking for information around the RNC. Really this would just be a formality as you don't have to say ANYTHING to them in these situations. The number that you can give to officers is 612-237-2008. The quick summary of all the advice on the pages below is to tell law enforcement official simply that "I'm going to remain silent. I would like to see a lawyer". Beyond that point, there isn't a need to engage with them. Feel free to pass this on, Andy -Dealing with Police: http://www.midnightspecial.net/materials/dealingwithpolice.html -If you have a little time on your hands, watch the videos on the website below for good advice from a law professor on why it's *always* a bad idea to talk to the police. http://tinyurl.com/remainsilent -Common Interrogation Lines: http://www.lawcollective.org/article.php?id=55 -An article written by another lawyer called "Police can lie to you - and they do": http://tinyurl.com/policelie - Other Resources: Coldsnap Legal Collective: http://www.coldsnaplegal.org Just Cause Law Collective - http://www.lawcollective.org Midnight Special Law Collective - http://www.midnightspecial.net --------21 of x-------- Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:47:15 -0500 From: Dann Dobson <dann.dobson [at] gmail.com> Subject: [SPIF] Fwd: Conflict of Interest by Tom Heffelfinger - Coleman Campaign announces Heffelfinger part of "Truth Squad" Attached you find a letter which I just sent to Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and the Saint Paul City Council about the conflict of interest that Tom Heffelfinger now has, with his appointment today to Senator Coleman's *"TRUTH SQUAD TO HOLD AL FRANKEN ACCOUNTABLE"* http://www.colemanforsenate.com/pressrelease-detail/102/coleman-for-senate-campaign-announces-truth-squad-to-hold-al-franken-accountable Last week Mayor Coleman appointed Tom Heffelfinger to investiagte police actions during the Republican National Convention. He immediately announced he would not examine police misconduct as part of his investigation. "What is clear is that the independent review will not be a fact-finding mission to explore allegations of police wrongdoing or violations of people's rights, Heffelfinger said." http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/conventions/28105534.html?elr=KArks8c7PaP3E77K_3c::D3aDhUec7PaP3E7_0c:5D:aPc:iUiacyKUU I do not believe that Mr. Heffelfinger can simultaniously act as a spokesman for the Coleman for Senate Campaign, while leading an "impartial investigation". Mr. Heffelfinger must immediately resign from his post investigating the RNC and should be fail to do so, Mayor Coleman must remove him, to at least preserve the pretense of impartialaity. Dann Dobson Summit Hill - Saint Paul * Mayor Coleman <Chris.coleman [at] ci.stpaul.mn.us> I just opened an e-mail from the Coleman for Senate Campaign Committee and see that the Coleman Campaign has just announced a 13 member "TRUTH SQUAD TO HOLD AL FRANKEN ACCOUNTABLE". One of the members of the Coleman "Truth Squad" is none other than Tom Heffelfinger, one the two individuals, who you appointed last week, to lead the investigation into the police actions during the Republican National Convention. I believe that this poses a very serious conflict of interest on Mr. Heffelfinger's part. I fail to see how Tom Heffelfinger can lead an independent investigation into police actions, during the Republican National Convention, at the exact same time he is acting as an advocate for Senator Coleman. You must remove Tom Heffelfinger from his position as an investigator of the RNC and replace him with someone who is truly non-partisan, so there can be a fair, open and honest investigation. Allowing Mr. Heffelfinger to investigate police actions, at the same time, he argues for Senator Coleman taints the entire investigation before it even begins. Daniel D. Dobson J.D. 801 Goodrich Avenue Saint Paul, Minnesota 55105 651-227-4376 DannDobson [at] yahoo.com --------22 of x-------- Dissonant Democracy: Protest, Brutality And Healing At The Rnc This is my incredibly true story of RNC demonstrations in three part dissonance September 17, 2008 By Rebecca Trotzky Sirr Source: Toward Freedom ZNet Part One: My Crazy House, My Committed Community I am hosting dozens of young activists at my home. Already my house is crowded. My friends and their two young kids needed a place to stay after becoming homeless after the market demand for new graduates plummeted. My single-dad friend and his two young kids needed a place to stay suddenly, too. Unable to rent due to bad credit history, with a job working third shift, he couldn't afford childcare and housing. Even before out of town activists arrived, our three bedroom house had up to five kids under ten, and four adults. Even without added pressure, our social system and local economy showed cracks. Still, in the community people hold each other up. Beginning last weekend, August 30-31, two dozen youth with their backpacks and zines arrived in groups looking for floor space or a lawn to roll out sleeping bags. My neighbors provided a big soup pot. If there's room for two, there is room for three. If there's room for seven, there's room for seventeen. We accommodate. Foreshadowing the week to come, as out of town guests arrive, before RNC starts, police raided many community houses in Minneapolis and St Paul. My ex's house, the house that brought over surplus dumpstered yogurt and cheese, the one that fixed my bike's flat tire - all raided by police with guns blazing. Armed with a warrant, during night time hours "under the cover of darkness" to prevent the "loss, destruction, or removal of objects" police broke down the Twin Cities activists' doors. Most of those present in these homes were detained, identified, photographed, and released. However, during these weekend raids and picked up off the street, eight anarchist/anti-authoritarian organizers associated with the RNC Welcoming Committee were targeted for serious charges. By Wednesday, September 3rd, Ramsey County Prosecutor charged these eight activists detained during the pre-emptive raids with Conspiracy to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism. In the first application of Minnesota's version of the Patriot Act activists associated with the RNC Welcoming Committee Monica Bicking, Eryn Trimmer, Luce Guillen Givins, Erik Oseland, Nathanael Secor, Robert Czernik, Garrett Fitzgerald, and Max Spector, currently face up to 7 1/2 years in prison. Recently, law enforcement agencies revealed that multiple paid informants and infiltrators were used to gather information about the RNC Welcoming Committee. This did not surprise those involved; three months ago the local free paper reported on the recruitment of moles to infiltrate RNC protest organizations. RNC Welcoming Committee activist William Gillis analyzed the situation, saying the use of infiltrators "includes befriending and working with [a] group to move that group's agenda forward. That is work of sick people, and a sick tactic used against activists." Cela Kutz commented on the difficulties in maintaining friendships in that environment, "We suspect that there are four infiltrators in the Welcoming Committee. It has definitely negatively affected how we as a group have come back together and been able to work together." Over the duration of the RNC, 818 people were arrested. Many more are detained and released on the streets without charges. Presumably information gained during detentions without charges is used for monitoring activists' movements. The large number of people arrested, the enormity of the charges on a select few, powerfully impacts our intertwined community. Part Two: Health Care at the RNC "I'm so excited, inspired really, to see the difference in interactions between providers and patients," states Dr. L a volunteer with North Star Health Collective a health activist organization providing free care for RNC protesters and community. "The goal here is to eliminate the power differential between us doctor types and the people we serve." Dr. L sits in the triage area at the Wellness Center at the RNC leading an orientation session for fellow EMT and medical student volunteers. I volunteer with Dr. L and assisted in the founding of the health collective. Our Wellness Center sits within walking distance of protests, across the street from the Level 1 Trauma Center in the County Hospital. For the past 8 months, local health care providers and activists have been meeting to discuss the needs of the community during the convention. North Star coordinated and provided health care services, resources, and training for protests and participants during the RNC. The services come with a radical social critique of medical system, "We reject the idea that health care should be distributed based on ability to pay," states a founding collective member Kim Christoffel, a graduate student in Social Work at the University of Minnesota. The three principals of unity in North Star Health Collective include: Resist the commercialization and corporatization of our health care. Organize on the principles of decentralization, autonomy, sustainability and mutual aid. Work to end all relationships of domination and subjugation, including but not limited to those rooted in patriarchy , race, class, xenophobia, and homophobia Pharmacists, herbalists and doulas worked along side trauma nurses and physicians in a situation where lines blur between disciplines of medicine. 'Sarah,' a young woman hit with rubber bullets, enters the Wellness Center accompanied by a street medic and a friend. In tears she gulps breaths, "I was just standing there, turning to leave, and they shot me!" An herbalist sits down with Sarah to get the full history, while a nurse practitioner evaluates for serious medical injuries. After ruling out critical trauma, attention turns to healing and treatment. By the time she leaves the center, Sarah receives Tylenol, Motrin in addition to massage therapy and homeopathic remedies. This represents an innovative multiple treatment strategy led and directed by Sarah. As a medical student, I created a brutality documentation form that allowed people like Sarah to catalogue their stories in a cohesive way. While only a part of the process, health care providers document instances of brutality so that we can help future legal defense cases or civil suits. More importantly, we allow survivors of violence an opportunity to share their experiences in a safe, comfortable atmosphere free of judgement. During the RNC, the most common injury was from chemical agents used for crowd control - second degree burns with skin peeling occurred with sustained contact with pepper spray and tear gas. These injuries are being reported to the National Lawyers Guild for use with the development of their work to protect civil liberties. The rapid response of community health care providers to support democratic justice movements builds opportunities for ongoing alliances in the Twin Cities. Part Three: Brutality - Are We Safe? We saw a trickle of injured protestors at the wellness center. On September 5th the members of the North Star Health Collective denounced the use of violence to suppress protestors. Garth Kahl, an EMT from Oregon explained, "There is a reason that these are called less-lethal weapons as opposed to non-lethal weapons. The indiscriminate firing of baton rounds, sponge grenades, and other blunt force projectiles in crowded areas is highly dangerous and irresponsible." Throughout the organizing during the past year and a half, the Welcoming Committee endorsed a strong use of "security culture" to protect activists from arrest, prevent infiltration and disruption of long-planned-for direct actions or civil disobedience. One element of security culture utilized during Welcoming Committee organizing alienated many locals: vouching. This form of security allows entry to meetings or conferences only when two known activists 'vouch' for that person. Suspicion and paranoia pervaded the activist community, creating an elitist activist echo-chamber. The "security culture" failed to exclude three infiltrators, but successfully excluded a lot of community organizers. Some say the RNC protests have been the most heavily recorded event in human history. Protesters, police, and journalists alike carry cameras to document the call and response of the streets. Interestingly, a number of arrests have included reporters and journalists from mainstream media organizations. According to Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, at least 18 journalists have been cited covering the RNC protests, although more have been pepper sprayed, or detained and released without charges. The ACLU has called for investigations of violations of journalists' civil liberties at the RNC. Not only journalists, but our entire community has been violated. Most heavily impacted are communities of color. In her article "Where is the Color in the Twin Cities?" Lisa Albrich writes "I've just spent the past two hours on-line reading accounts of the police violence all over the Twin Cities. Not one article addressed the whiteness of the organizing. Not one article identified any of the people involved in the actions as "white" organizers or activists." While much attention has been paid to arrests of prominent journalists & protesters harsh treatment during arrests, in the streets of St. Paul many community members feel invisible as they live out the RNC protest repercussions. Undocumented families, refugees have been staying away from their homes in highly patrolled areas near downtown St. Paul in fear of encountering police by accident. I visited and documented a gentleman of color who had no prior criminal history, who was detained without cause near central St. Paul. During his arrest, while handcuffed he was beat by a police officer. The victim had recently had major surgery, released from hospital less than a week prior. Later, during booking, the same officer punched him repeatedly in the head and neck in front of other officers who looked on without concern. When police realized that this man was severely injured, they drove him one block away from the hospital and let him limp his way to the ER. People of color, those most marginalized in our community, have faced severe consequences because of RNC protests. Police riled up, frustrated with protesters are taking out their anger on those without large wallets, or skin privilege. While not all RNC protesters are wealthy and white, both activists and journalists are socially well-connected and are a relatively protected group. Local long time Twin Cities organizer Marshall in an open letter to RNC activists writes, "Much respect, for real, to all of you who braved a lot of repression. It's just important to put that repression into context so our little heads don't explode with self-importance--Revolutionary Humility!" Many have commented that the protesters have a strong sense of historical importance. Two days ago a street medic commented proudly to me, "They already are calling this the Battle of St Paul, just like the Battle of Seattle (1999 anti-WTO street protests.) I am so proud of the work we are doing!" RNC Welcoming Committee anti-authoritarian/anarchist logistical support for the RNC protests spoke out on September 5th in an "unmasking" press conference. Showing the faces of six RNC WC members humanized an organization that had previously alienated many journalists and community activists by adopting a policy of no real time engagement with the media. During this press conference, Welcoming Committee members made strong connections and critiques of the police response to RNC protesters. "Brutality is not a surprise, but it is deplorable" Gillis states. Another Welcoming Committee member, 56 year old lifelong Quaker peace activist Betsy Raasch Gilman emphasizes the broader connections between the streets of St Paul and the world. "House raids that occurred this weekend in St Paul are very similar to house raids in Iraq" proposes Gilman. She continues, "There are no terrorists in Ramsey County Jail. There are terrorists in the Xcel Center (site of Convention)." I'm not sure of the lessons we should carry forward from the 2008 RNC. Emiliano, a director of a local bilingual political theater company, lectures on route to downtown St Paul, "The problem of the left is that we have not adapted our strategies. We have been fighting using the same tactics, confronting the police on their terms. Every time, they will win." In a game of cat and mouse, activists and police forces chase each other across the playing field of a city, media, and minds of locals in the Twin Cities. Nearly everyone is connected, from the girl working the neighborhood caf, to my kid's vice principal. The Twin Cities knows someone who knows someone arrested, pepper sprayed, or tear gassed. We walk tense, stiff on familiar paths to work, school. Soon it will be over. Then, we can begin our real organizing work again. Rebecca Trotzky Sirr is a fourth year medical student at the University of Minnesota who organizes with the North Star Health Collective. North Star blends social justice and medicine to bring free health care to the streets of her community. Rebecca was born and raised and currently lives in Minneapolis. Rebecca and her awesome 9 year old son want to know who thought it was a good idea to bring the Republican National Convention to their hometown, because they would like to give them a good talking to. --------23 of x-------- Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:05:52 -0500 (GMT-05:00) From: Kelly <saintcurmudgeon [at] earthlink.net> Subject: Re: [SPIF] after assessment RNC: Were the Police Promises to the Community Kept? Trust is a fragile thing. Especially if you send someone to a community meeting about something as important as the Republican National Convention (RNC) which I reported here. I trusted. I believed. I know better now! Here is a reminder of what was promised: The St Paul, Minnesota model of community policing will be used where we do things differently here * only arrest individuals who do something wrong, no "scooping" of groups for mass arrest * police will be in police uniforms, no special gear, no looking like an invading army * the whole city will be a free speech zone, no Boston model of free speech in cages * wants to communicate and plan immediately with all groups who wish to have event or parade permits while having to acknowledge and respect that city council & mayor have and control the 180 day rule for parade permit * wants to work out a security operational plan with each group that wants to have event or parade permits, even willing to have police officer walk within the group. Comments from the audience indicated a range of plans from peace groups providing their own monitors to my own plan of pointing and taking video. * reassures us that no contract security will be used. All police officers from other groups will be partnered with a St Paul officer or supervised by a St Paul officer. All training done here in St Paul using St Paul model. * the size of the super security fortress zone should be smaller than the previous RNC convention. Traffic will have to be changed, which has yet to be worked out. * if arrests made, only people without IDs should expect to be held a long time * no plans to embed or provoke with secret police in local groups * enforce only local jurisdiction laws, the St Paul police do not have the authority to enforce federal or international law * a communications core group will try to use all methods of communications (even blogs) to let everyone know about traffic delays and other convention issues http://www.mnblue.com/node/802 So lets go through this, point by point: * There was definitely handcuffs and police car rides to the jail, although technically some of those people were only "detained" for up to 32 hours, not all were charged. Which means there was "scooping" of groups for mass arrest. In the Uptake videos, one can hear the response, "We'll sort you all out later". One can clearly hear someone asking quite clearly, "How can I peaceably leave?". * The police definitely looked like an invading army. There was special gear, even snow plows called up. One would have thought that there was a teenager giggling operator somewhere, thinking this was a video game, except on the streets, it looked a war was about to begin on civilians. * The whole labor day march was done in a freedom of speech cage. Every march looked like that. At one point, I wanted to stop and eat, yet I was afraid to cross the police line, even though I should have been able to. People were maced or worse crossing police lines. * I can't comment on working out security with marching groups, because I was not involved in that. * It did appear that no contract security was used - yeah, one promise kept. * The super security zone was either smaller than previous RNCs if you consider the fenced area or larger if you felt the whole downtown was a police state. * Both detentions-without-arrests and arrests took a very long time - days to process. Having an ID did not mean a reasonable time release. * Very definitely police were embedded in every possible police group. Long term neighborhood peace groups suddenly had enthusiastic new people. * Funny how the police would not enforce federal law, until that applied to protesters. * Communications ahead of time was good, although the communications about RNC current traffic problems were very poor. And then there was and still is the question of who is in charge. Here is what I wrote after the community meeting: "Who will be in charge? This is the question on everyone's mind. Matt Bostrom said the National Special Security Act of 1998 makes RNC, a security event with control by Secret Service, FBI, and FEMA. It sounds like that changed to basically just be Secret Service. Matt's understanding is that the Secret Service is partnered with a local group which is the St Paul police. The Secret Service position is to let the local government work on out the issues like parades and events, meeting the "site" and "sound" rule of the courts. The levels of local control will be 1) St Paul local police 2) State Patrol 3) Minneapolis police department with Rob Allen, who handled the bridge disaster and the latest Critical Mass bike ride 4) state facilitator for resources. It sounds like the Sheriff's giant holding pen leadership is not in the chain of command." http://www.mnblue.com/node/802 Sheriff Fletcher received his giant holding pen, with its many "alleged" abuses, with no observers allowed inside. In fact, Sheriff Fletcher received the authority for the "preemptive" arrests and search warrants for ordinary stuff. Trust broken. --------24 of x-------- Tyranny on Display at the Republican Convention Posted on Sep 8, 2008 By Chris Hedges Truthdig St. Paul is a window into our future. It is a future where, as one protester told me by phone, "people have been pepper-gassed, thrown on the ground by police who had drawn their weapons, had their documents seized and their tattoos photographed before being taken away to jail". It is a future where illegal house raids are carried out. It is a future where vans containing heavily armed paramilitary units circle and film protesters. It is a future where, as the protester said, "people have been pulled from cars because their license plates were on a database and handcuffed, thrown in the back of a squad car and then watched as their vehicles were ransacked and their personal possessions from computers to literature seized". It is a future where constitutional rights mean nothing and where lawful dissent is branded a form of terrorism. The rise of the corporate state means the rise of the surveillance state. The Janus-like face of America swings from packaged and canned spectacles, from nationalist slogans, from seas of flags and Christian crosses, from professions of faith and patriotism, to widespread surveillance, illegal mass detentions, informants, provocateurs and crude acts of repression and violence. We barrel toward a world filled with stupendous lies and blood. What difference is there between the crowds of flag-waving Republicans and the apparatchiks I covered as a reporter in the old East German Communist Party? These Republican delegates, like the fat and compromised party functionaries in East Berlin, all fawned on cue over an inept and corrupt party hierarchy. They all purported to champion workers' rights and freedom while they systematically fleeced, disempowered and impoverished the workers they lauded. They all celebrated the virtue of a state that was morally bankrupt. And while they played this con game, one that gave them special privileges, power and wealth, they unleashed their goons and thugs on all who dared to challenge them. We are not East Germany, but we are well on our way. An economic meltdown, another catastrophic terrorist attack on American soil, a war with Iran, and we could easily swing into an authoritarian model that would look very familiar to anyone who lived in the former communist East Bloc. A few of those arrested in St. Paul, including eight leaders of the RNC Welcoming Committee - one of the groups organizing protests at the GOP convention in St. Paul - now face terrorism-related charges. Monica Bicking, Eryn Trimmer, Luce Guillen Givins, Erik Oseland, Nathanael Secor, Robert Czernik, Garrett Fitzgerald and Max Spector could get up to seven and a half years in prison under the terrorism enhancement charge, which allows for a 50 percent increase in the maximum penalty. This is the first time criminal charges have been filed under the 2002 Minnesota version of the federal Patriot Act. The Patriot Act, which was put in place as much to silence domestic opposition as to ferret out real terrorists, has largely lain dormant. It has authorized the government to monitor our phone conversations, e-mails, meetings and political opinions. It has authorized the government to shut down anti-war groups and lock up innocents as terrorists. It has abolished habeas corpus. But until now we have not grasped its full implications for our open society. We catch glimpses, as in St. Paul or in our offshore penal colonies where we torture detainees, of its awful destructive power. The commercial media told us that what was important in St. Paul was happening inside the convention hall. The vapid interviews, the ridiculous soap opera sagas about Sarah Palin's daughter and the debate about whether John McCain or Barack Obama has proprietary rights to "Change" divert us from the truth of who we have become. You had to search out "Democracy Now!," TheUptake.org, Twin Cities Indymedia, I-Witness, along with a few other independent outlets, to see, hear or read real journalism from St. Paul. It does not matter that the RNC Welcoming Committee describes itself as an "anarchist/anti-authoritarian" organization. We don't have to embrace a political agenda to protect the right to be heard. Shut down free speech and radicals only burrow deeper underground, splitting ossified political systems into fractured extremes. We may well end up with the Christian right on one side, with politicians like Sarah Palin providing an ideological veneer to a Christian fascism, and embittered leftist radicals who turn to violence on the other. St. Paul was not ultimately about selecting a presidential candidate. It was about the power of the corporate state to carry out pre-emptive searches, seizures and arrests. It was about squads of police in high-tech riot gear, many with drawn semiautomatic weapons, bursting into houses. It was about seized computers, journals and political literature. It was about shutting down independent journalism, even at gunpoint. It was about charging protesters with "conspiracy to commit riot," a rarely used statute that criminalizes legal dissent. It was about 500 people held in open-air detention centers. It was about the rising Orwellian state that has hollowed out the insides of America, cast away all that was good and vital, and donned its skin to shackle us all. --------25 of x-------- Capitalism or fascism - it's the same rich bastards at the top. Capitalism is fascism with the gloves on. Fascism is capitalism with the gloves off. Their common enemies are the people and democracy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- - David Shove shove001 [at] tc.umn.edu rhymes with clove Progressive Calendar over 2225 subscribers as of 12.19.02 please send all messages in plain text no attachments To GO DIRECTLY to an item, eg --------8 of x-------- do a find on --8 vote third party for president for congress now and forever
- (no other messages in thread)
Results generated by Tiger Technologies Web hosting using MHonArc.