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Tag(s): Arrest; Dissent; First Amendment; Fourth Amendment; Intimidation; Minneapolis; Petition; Police Brutality; Police State; Protest; (more...) Republican National Convention; Video (less...)
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September 1, 2008 at 11:03:32

Headlined on 9/1/08:
Thugs with Badges: Crackdown in Minneapolis

by Mark Crispin Miller and Rady Ananda Page 1 of 3 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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This may be the first video release on the Twin Cities raids-against legitimate protest at the Republican National Convention. Twin Cities author Jeremy Hubbell provides background info on this decade-long practice. Included is a call to action, with an online petition, mayors' phone numbers, links and info on upcoming national actions. OpEdNews has been covering the ongoing raids as reported by The Uptake, The Minnesota Independent, and others. Our own Kathlyn Stone has been posting at the Twin Cities Daily Planet.

Video release by the National Lawyers Guild

Late Tuesday night, at 2:00 a.m. on August 27th, Minneapolis police arrested members of the Glassbead Collective, and searched their rooms, as a pre-emptive measure against protest at the Republican National Convention. Glassbead is a New York City group that documents police misconduct and First Amendment activity around the United States.

Vlad Teichberg, a journalist from Glassbead, reports being detained at 2 am in Minneapolis on August 27th. Notes, computers, cameras, cell phones, clothing, and money were confiscated by police.

NLG attorney Bruce Nestor reports the media group was originally told they were being investigated for recent car burglaries in the neighborhood. They were then questioned about their travel plans. All of the detainees declined consent to a search of their property, but the cops searched those belongings anyway. Later, Nestor was told that he and others were detained for trespassing on railroad property.

Some of the material illegally seized by Minneapolis police last week in "an intelligence operation" contained information regarding other protest groups, including organizers' names and phone numbers, as well as their schedules and meeting and protest locations. Nestor correctly predicted that the police would use such information to conduct future raids, and further prevent Constitutionally protected protest over the next week.

This August 27th video may be the first video release on the Twin Cities use of Gestapo tactics to subvert First Amendment protest at the RNC.

Teichberg condemns police thuggery, noting there is:

"a systematic system where police are manufacturing accusations. This particular problem can undermine the very essence of our democracy. It is fundamentally un-American and threatens the very fabric of our existence, because if the people who are told to enforce the laws are free to violate those laws, there can be no rule of law. And what do we have? We have a society run by a bunch of thugs with badges."

Author Jeremy Hubbell on the Minneapolis police

Jeremy Hubbell, who is working on a book about the Twin Cities, advises that the Minneapolis police have been mobilized for just such actions since the late 90's:

"The behavior of the Minneapolis police was predictable. Since the EarthFirst!, AIM, Medota Dakota, and neighborhood groups used aggressive nonviolence (treesits and lockdowns in buildings scheduled for demolition) to block construction of Hwy 55 through south Minneapolis (mid-1990s to climactic event in Dec 99, Operation Coldsnap), the city rapidly caught up with other metro police forces and their 'counter-terrorism' type policing. They got a little too zealous from that point on. In the summer of 2000, e.g., the U of MN hosted the International Society of Animal Genetics conference--and police pre-emptively raided homes of known anti-gmo activists. Incidents have occurred since of this nature. Pre-emptive raids are old hat. Just fyi that this is not 'new' in our 'hasn't been a free society for a long time nation.' Not even new in "Nice" Minnesota.

"I should also note: the St. Paul site for the RNC is perfect for controlling protest. If you haven't seen it or can't quite appreciate the maps of the site. The Xcel center (the power distributor of the Twin Cities, formerly NSP - Northern States Power) has a moat on three sides due to freeway construction. To get there, you either exit the freeway, or walk downhill from the Cathedral or state capitol. On the east is downtown St. Paul and the Mississippi. Directly east, in fact, is the center of upper class St. Paul - the St. Paul Hotel, Rice Park, and The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra - the most secure section of the city. On the one hand, the geography should allow for an orderly separation of-protesters-from their object without arrest (just have them walk circles on the capitol mall. On the other hand, due to the control, it will be quite easy to make arrests - even easier than it was in NY." Online Petition to Halt Police Violence

Via Fernwoods, an on-line petition to protest and halt the violence by police (with frequent updates on the site as well):

Police are suppressing the coverage of events by seizing people's video cameras. People's cameras were smashed to the ground and broken. These are not isolated incidents, they represent a pattern of targeting people. We need everyone to video-the activities of the police Department. When we no longer have the freedom of the press, we no longer live in a democracy.

Urgent! Defend Freedom of Speech and Assembly at the RNC!Stand Against Police Repression!

Sign the online petition to send a message to the Minneapolis-St. Paul Police, Bush, Cheney, McCain, RNC, the Minneapolis and St. Paul City Councils, the Minnesota Gov., Congressional Leaders and the media to end the police violence against RNC protesters IMMEDIATELY!

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In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three books. Her blogs also address religious, gender, sexual and racial equality, as well as environmental issues; and are sprinkled with book and film reviews on various topics. She spent most of her working life as a legal investigator for private lawyers, and five years as an editor. She currently serves as a senior editor at OpEdNews. All material offered here is the property of Rady Ananda, copyright 2006, 2007, 2008. Permission is granted to repost, with proper attribution including the original link. "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." Tell the truth anyway.

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11 comments

I'm an anti-civilizationist and election boycott advocate in San Diego. For reasons not to vote in faith-based elections with secret vote counts for candidates you cannot hold accountable if they fail to represent you, check out the discussions, articles, and videos on my website http://noinnovember.ning.com
Mark E. SmithI'm an anti-civilizationist and election boycott advocate in San Diego. For reasons not to vote in faith-based elections with secret vote counts for candidates you cannot hold accountable if they fail to represent you, check out the discussions, articles, and videos on my website http://noinnovember.ning.com

Thanks Rady and Mark!

I signed the petition and sent a donation.

Then, thinking about it, I ordered a course in Mandarin.

The police crackdown to prevent disruption at the RNC is identical to what went on in Beijing prior to the Olympics. Our country is so far in debt to the Communist Chinese that they now have the power to make policy here and our government leaders appear to be nothing more than Communist Chinese puppets. We've been sold out. The Communist Chinese own us, lock, stock, and barrel.

When the wealthy elite decided to "open China as a market" (with the intention of shipping our entire manufacturing base there and destroying the U.S. as either a producer or a consumer market), the Chinese must have demanded something in return. And the only thing that would have satisfied totalitarians would have been total power and control.

There are millions of Communist Chinese who speak English, but I think that in the FEMA camps, which I now believe are intended as Chinese Communist reeducation camps for the U.S. population, it might give me a survival edge if I can learn how to address them in their native tongue.

It may seem like a paranoid conspiracy theory to you, but for me it ties up all the pieces of the puzzle so neatly that I can't risk ignoring it.

by Mark E. Smith (21 articles, 30 quicklinks, 100 diaries, 1325 comments) on Monday, September 1, 2008 at 3:32:40 PM

In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three books. ...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rady AnandaIn 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three books. ...

to see more of bio, click on member name

good luck with Mandarin

hey Mark ~ thanks for your comment and for signing the petition.

Learning Mandarin may be the smart thing to do ...

;-)

by Rady Ananda (127 articles, 290 quicklinks, 37 diaries, 1129 comments) on Monday, September 1, 2008 at 7:18:26 PM

I'm sixty-seven and I live in Northern California. I graduated from college in 1963 and from law school in 1966. I retired in 2001, after working 23 years for the United States Forest Service. I have radical politics, and before going to work for the Forest Service in 1978 I spent ten years trying to contribute to the revolution.
GLloyd RowseyI'm sixty-seven and I live in Northern California. I graduated from college in 1963 and from law school in 1966. I retired in 2001, after working 23 years for the United States Forest Service. I have radical politics, and before going to work for the Forest Service in 1978 I spent ten years trying to contribute to the revolution.

Thanx from me also

I signed the petition. I've BEEN contributing to IVAW, Cindy Sheehan, Arthur Silber, and Impeachment.Now, but since ending the Embargo of Cuba is of equal importance to me as ending the War in Iraq, I'm sometimes stumped about who to contribute to.

I hope it won't sound too egotistical to say, in this week of maximum ego-expressions from everyone in America substantially to the left of McFlyBoy, you fellow members are more than welcome to come to my place here at OEN, read my pieces, and comment.

by GLloyd Rowsey (54 articles, 4 quicklinks, 29 diaries, 397 comments) on Monday, September 1, 2008 at 5:53:22 PM

In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three books. ...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rady AnandaIn 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three books. ...

to see more of bio, click on member name

all the world's a stage

and we gotta have strong egos to deal with all the flack we take for our moments in the spotlight.

thanks for signing the petition and for donating - I'm sure those groups will use the funds wisely.

and I took your advice, and commented on your most recent article. I don't comment enough on other people's work... I really ought to do that more. I like your style and your brevity (oy, could I learn some of that).

That's another reason we have to have strong egos... sometimes it feels like we writers are just talking to a wall. I think we are read far more than people ever comment.

Having plugged at this for a few years now, as a blogger, I come upon sites that mention my work or directly link it... so I have to realize that we often can't know how much our work reaches people... we just have to keep doing it.

Like the hunk of marble waiting to be sculpted, the blank canvass waiting for chalk or paint, the tree or mountain waiting to be climbed, we do it just cuz it's there... right? We're artists... whether we get money or kudos, we are driven to create.

thanks for your comment.

by Rady Ananda (127 articles, 290 quicklinks, 37 diaries, 1129 comments) on Monday, September 1, 2008 at 7:27:11 PM

Kathlyn Stone is a Minnesota-based writer covering science and medicine, health care and related policies. She publishes www.fleshandstone.net, a health and science news site.
Kathlyn StoneKathlyn Stone is a Minnesota-based writer covering science and medicine, health care and related policies. She publishes www.fleshandstone.net, a health and science news site.

Thanks for posting this!

City officials need to take some responsibility for how visitors -- not only Republican visitors - are treated. They turned our cities over to Homeland Security but guess who will be in court and paying fines for the next five years?

Why aren't the mayors speaking out for people? They appear as cowards hiding behind a bullmoose county sheriff. And Chris Coleman, St. Paul's mayor, is likely a one-termer for competing to bring the RNC to St. Paul.

by Kathlyn Stone (42 articles, 227 quicklinks, 27 diaries, 665 comments) on Monday, September 1, 2008 at 10:53:20 PM

Michael Cavlan , RN, was an Official Green Party Observer for the 2004 Ohio Re-Count.
He was the Green Party Candidate for US Senate 2006 and is a Candidate US Senate
2008 Seeking Green Party Endorsement in Minnesota. See www.michaelcavlan.org
Michael CavlanMichael Cavlan , RN, was an Official Green Party Observer for the 2004 Ohio Re-Count.
He was the Green Party Candidate for US Senate 2006 and is a Candidate US Senate
2008 Seeking Green Party Endorsement in Minnesota. See www.michaelcavlan.org

Kathyln and All

I am from Minneapolis. To all you Democratic party apologists, let me assure you that the city Councils in St Paul and Minneapolis gave the police the legal authority to do what they are doing.

In fact, they held secret meetings, with no public allowed and there gave them the legal authority.

St Paul in 100% Democrat on the Council, Minneapolis is all Democrat except for the one Green Party Councilman.

For the record, i am quite unpartisan in my condemnation. The lone Green City Council-person in Minneapolis, Cam Gordon went along with this. His weak kneed "amendments" to this was and is sad and pathetic.

He reminds many Greens of, well a Democrats, quite frankly.

After the RNC is over, I will do a series of reports, on the ground.

Oh and BTW, the corporate media are flat out, knowingly lying about what is going on here. From NPR to Faux Snooze.

by Michael Cavlan (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 279 comments) on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 8:53:13 AM

Deborah Emin is the author of the novel, Scags at 7, which will be back in print in 2009 by Sullivan Street Press. She also writes for the Huffington Post, Mediachannel.org and has had articles in Gay City News, NYCPlus and alternet.org. During the Kucinich presidential campaign 2008, she worked as his official campaign blogger. More information about Deborah and her projects can be found at www.deborahemin.com
Deborah EminDeborah Emin is the author of the novel, Scags at 7, which will be back in print in 2009 by Sullivan Street Press. She also writes for the Huffington Post, Mediachannel.org and has had articles in Gay City News, NYCPlus and alternet.org. During the Kucinich presidential campaign 2008, she worked as his official campaign blogger. More information about Deborah and her projects can be found at www.deborahemin.com

Remembering NYC in 2004

It was as wild a time for some as this seems to be as well. It doesn't take much to overturn democracy, even Democracy Now!, but it takes a lot to put it back. Yes, signing petitions and calling, especially calling, is a good thing to do as well as helping out with a donation to help those caught up in this pseudo secured state. It is outrageous to call this a democracy any longer and it would be great if someone would contact Obama and ask him to say something abou this. I know I am wishing for the moon. But it never hurts to ask, he can only say yes or no. Perhaps his wife would be more outspoken now.

by Deborah Emin (20 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 75 comments) on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 8:55:01 AM

64 year old retired factory worker. Lifetime democrat; now a member of the Ron Paul revolution.
ronheri64 year old retired factory worker. Lifetime democrat; now a member of the Ron Paul revolution.

The Federal Government has Nationalized the Police

Ever since the "false flag" operation on 911, our tyranical government has used the threat of terrorism to dismantle the Constitution. Every act by American citizens is considered suspect; from buying an airplane ticket, to driving down the street; from having the "wrong bumper sticker", to asking questions. Americans must continue to exercise their rights to free speech, assembly, and demand that our elected officials obey the oath they took to defend the Constitution. Power currupts, and we are clearly entering a police state.

by ronheri (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 195 comments) on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 8:55:24 AM

37 year old Bid rose well above the ignorant environs of his upbringing and filled his mind with the extremes of subversive underground counterculture and illegal substances until he wound up sitting naked on the end of his bed in one of his empty rooms of this world, bleeding, and trying to braid a noose to hang himself with out of a trashbag that contained the last of his worldly belongings... Then he cut off all his hair and moved straight away to the wild unknown country where he could not ...

to see more of bio, click on member name
C.Bid37 year old Bid rose well above the ignorant environs of his upbringing and filled his mind with the extremes of subversive underground counterculture and illegal substances until he wound up sitting naked on the end of his bed in one of his empty rooms of this world, bleeding, and trying to braid a noose to hang himself with out of a trashbag that contained the last of his worldly belongings... Then he cut off all his hair and moved straight away to the wild unknown country where he could not ...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Did anyone expect any different?

I suppose most of us never thought it would be quite as bad as it has been... but, geez, if you remember the huge protests against the war when it first began and the non-coverage all those received (along with the abusive police tactics) it's fair to say that everyone should have seen this coming...

Isn't that sad commentary on the state of this nation?

I applaud the bravery and strength shown by everyone who holds steadfast in the face of this type of intimidation...

by C.Bid (0 articles, 7 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 732 comments) on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 9:55:09 AM

In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three books. ...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rady AnandaIn 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three books. ...

to see more of bio, click on member name

expected and still appalled

I think most of us knew this would happen - ergo all the nonviolence training before the conventions.

Foreknowledge does not preclude being shocked and appalled by abuse, tho.

We need to hold those city councils accountable for their unconstitutional decision to squelch First and Fourth Amendment activities, if Michael's post is accurate.

And I think we ought to fine, jail and fire every one of those cops who "took orders" to violate US citizens' constitutional rights - from the low snakes who did it all the way up to the king snakes who organized it.

Fucking fascists.

by Rady Ananda (127 articles, 290 quicklinks, 37 diaries, 1129 comments) on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 5:08:44 PM

I am a soldier in the war against my children and their children. The enemies preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed. I may not win, in fact I probably won't, but neither will I be silenced by those who wish to do so. Intellect is my weapon, the written word my bullets.
jeff pragerI am a soldier in the war against my children and their children. The enemies preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed. I may not win, in fact I probably won't, but neither will I be silenced by those who wish to do so. Intellect is my weapon, the written word my bullets.

The Real Truth Is

While the sham press attempts to hypnotize the masses with untruths, lies and propaganda, which is working by the way, the elitist leaders are plundering earths resources. While we argue non-issue political ideology the elitist corporations and bankers control the strings on the puppets of government. While the deceitful Democratic and Republican parties attempt to fool the masses into believing they are different the government moves towards a police state without addressing the issues of poverty, economics, energy and monetary policy.

This is a Fascist Dictatorship, it doesn't matter which party gets elected. They both represent the same interests. Not ours, we aren't members of the club.

In fact, the club only takes a few new members. Anyone earning over $5 million a year gets immediate entry to prevent dissent. Money talks in the club of the ruling class, the rest of us are, as George Bush Senior said, BUDsters - Broke, Useless and Depressed.

by jeff prager (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 184 comments) on Friday, September 5, 2008 at 11:32:51 PM