"Terrorizing Dissent [the Election Cut], crudely cut together just two months from the
RNC '08, will leave you speechless.... I urge anyone who cares about the future of our democracy to begin by watching Terrorizing
Dissent"
This is the link to the full length video (trailer
on the youtube above)
PepperSpray wasn't in St. Paul, Minnesota to document the Republicans, or the crimes they have
committed. The list is so long and the crimes so bad that even corporate media has been doing that for some time now.
Our
reporters were getting another story.
The powers apparently don't want that story out, and were targeting independent
reporting to try to keep that story from getting to the people.
Although the arrests and harassment of media is a
crime that forms part of the problem, the real story is that regular people are organizing themselves and rising up for solutions.
About
the film documentary GROUND NOISE AND STATIC:
In November, one or the other of the corporate candidates will win, and then, as always, it
will be what the people do, not the politicians, that counts.
A video report on the protests that occurred in connection
with the Democrat and Republican National Conventions, Ground Noise & Static is a manifesto. We went to Denver and St.
Paul to take the pulse of the movement. Corporate media would cover the platitudes and posturing of the politicians, we were
interested in something else, a story hidden in plain sight, captured in the now-classic street chant, This is what democracy
looks like.
Ground Noise & Static is a joint effort of Franklin López of subMedia.TV and PepperSpray Productions.
It is the direct result of a wonderful collaboration with many indymedia-style activists and journalists who all pitched in
for the common good and success of their various efforts to tell their Unconventional stories.
EMAIL I GOT
I posted this here on 10-16-08
It was from an emil I recieved
I highlighted the RNC reference yellow ~joe
On Oct 8, 2008, at 11:40 PM, NIN member Tom Finnell (VT) sent us the
photo below?titled ?American Gothic 2008? to remind us why we've been working long and hard to impeach Bush and/or Cheney. Bush's
National Security Presidential Directive 51, let's remember, gives him the right to put down any demonstration he (or their
other cronies) declare to be an insurrection.?
???????? The PosseComitatus Act forbids a President from putting the military on America?s streets. Governors usually
only call out the National Guard in case of an insurrection.
???????? A Pentagon spokesperson last week claimed the 3,500-member lst Brigade, enroute from
three years of combat in Iraq, was going to be used only for life-saving support in disaster areas, yet would be bringing
their individual weapons wherever they would be sent. Under pressure by interviewers, he
admitted last week on the Amy Goodman show Democracy Now, that at the St. Paul Republican convention, Army troops were indeed used as a backstop for the Secret Service and
did bring ?explosive ordnance disposal? with them. Governors discovered they had never been consulted and have petitioned
against Bush?s violation of the posse comitatus ?act. Stay tuned.
Thousands of protesters gathered in St. Paul, Minn., the site of the Republican National Convention. As tensions mounted
between those gather and police, AP Photojournalist Evan Vucci was in the middle of the crowd. (Sept. 2)
During the first week of September 2008, Republican Party delegates gathered in
St. Paul, Minnesota for the Republican National Convention (RNC) - the media spectacle and corporate sleaze-fest that completes
their nominating process. An army of armor-clad riot police, National Guard, and private security with their humvees, rubber
bullets, and tear gas protected them. FBI-assisted sheriff's raids at more than a half-dozen activist homes and organizing
centers in Minneapolis-St. Paul sought to hinder opposition.
A panel discussion of the Media and Law Enforcement at the 2008 Republican National
Convention in St. Paul: What Went Wrong, What Went Right? Sponsored by Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists, the
Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law, the Minnesota Journalism Center and the School of Journalism & Mass
Communication at the University of Minnesota.
"... the pair of Portland Medics came across a man running backwards, wrapping a
woman's cut open and bleeding hand while they both yelled for a medic. The medics took over the patient and the man disappeared
into the crowd. The 20-second pause to attempt an evaluation of the patient's hand resulted in the police behind gaining ground
and having a chance to deploy more chemical weapons. The medics began running again, patient in tow, one medic guiding her
while the other finished the wrapping job on her hand. While doing this, the medics came upon a young man limping and yelling
for help, 'I can't run! Help!'"
The eyewitness account attested here by R. Westlund, a Portland Street Medic and
trained Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), depicts some of the astounding incidents that occured during the Peace demonstrations
at the Minneapolis-St. Paul RNC that defy all sense of reason. It documents violations of social normalcy and degradation
of the most basic of community values and principles by any standard or definition: medics brutalized, humiliated, abused
and arrested for the crime of providing medical treatment to the injured.
It is not accidental that Amnesty International
has issued an alert for "Disproportionate Use of Force Against RNC Protesters" and is calling for impartial investigations
by authorities into the ill-treatment of prisoners and other abuses, plus a review of police tactics and weapons that were
used against the demonstrations. The Amnesty report also notes that police actions appear to be in breach of United Nations
standards on the use of force by law enforcement officials, in addition to U.S. laws: Use of Force Against RNC Protesters
"Disproportionate," Charges Amnesty International http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGUSA20080905001&lang=e
Despite the Empire's sadistic Robocops, despite the War Machine churning in the basement
whose roiling turbulence drives the country's economy and dominates the entire planet with genocidal butchery, Street Medics
will continue risking their own safety and liberty to help out the ill and injured wherever the Peace and Justice movement
takes initiative through community mobilizations and actions toward broad and radical social change. But we need your help.
Police attacking peaceful crowds, journalists and legal observers; bodies on the ground; never
enough Street Medics (video by the Associated Press) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELeSPqIb44M
Flash bombs, concussion grenades, smoke bombs, rubber bullets, wooden bullets, bean bag shots,
pepper ball bullets and chemical warfare against peaceful people http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7jKQHe4DaY
How to help the Street Medics: Donations We need to raise funds for legal defence,
bail money, and to replace medical supplies and personal items confiscated illegally by the Police - our losses are already
in the thousands of dollars. If you can, please give generously here: http://www.portland-or.net/street-medics/Donations-Portland-Street-Medics.html
If you would like to donate by other means (check, cash, supplies, etc), please get in touch
with us at this address street.medix@portland-or.net so that we can make arrangements.
Hands-on work We need volunteers willing and capable
to help out with desk work, research, media work, writing and publishing, contacts with people (especially and including handling
contacts with legal defence, fundraising, community organizing). Please write to this address street.medix@portland-or.net
Firsthand account by a Portland Street Medic assisting folks at the RNC by
R. Westlund, legendline@yahoo.com
Monday, September 1st, 2008. St Paul, MN Entered Shepard Rd at 4:00pm, these medics taken
into custody around 6:00pm.
Two Portland Medics were following the front of an unpermitted march around the
Excel Center. The march stayed primarily to the sidewalks and pedestrian trails from its beginning at the capitol to the bike
trail along the river and Shepard Rd.
One side of Shepard Rd has train tracks and steep hills or fences leading to
the back of buildings connected to the Excel Center. Along this line National Guardsmen were posted every 15 or 20 feet, all
armed, some with working dogs at their sides. On the other side of the bike trail is the river, where at least two armed Coast
Guard boats followed alongside the march.
The cross street of Jackson had two lines of riot police blocking it. Marchers
at the front carrying banners stepped into the street, ready to head up Jackson toward the downtown area. Before they were
in the center of the street, police shot canisters at them. After a short pause, the canisters would pop, hiss and release
a colored gas. At least four of these were fired as marchers retreated to the sidewalk.
Once on the sidewalk, marchers
paused and began to regroup. Having not received a dispersal order for the streets or the bike trail, the assumption was that
the bike trail was a safe place to return to. Without pause, the police continued their assault of canisters which let out
colored gas and also began deploying concussion grenades into the crowd on the sidewalk.
Medics frequently operate
in a prevention role. As such, the two Portland Medics near the front of the crowd stayed in their position on the bike trail
when marchers began retreating from the police weapons, calling to the crowd to walk and stay calm. Within a minute, the Medics
realized that the sidewalk was also under assault and was no longer a safe place to be. The pair turned and headed back up
the bike trail with the other folks.
Believing in the medic creed of never needing to run, the pair initially attempted
to keep walking and keep the crowd slow and calm around them. Unfortunately, the pair soon realized the asking this group
to slow down was violating the number one medic creed of Do No Harm, because the assault of differently-lethal weapons was
coming on faster than the crowd was moving.
As the pair of medics broke into a run, they watched police in riot gear
passing them in the streets, running alongside the crowd and continuing to fire tear gas canisters and concussion grenades
parallel to the moving crowd. The result of this was folks toward the back of the crowd having to run through fully-formed
plumes of tear gas. Any attempt by the crowd to slow down to allow the tear gas to dissipate was met with pepper spray from
the officers running up the bike trail behind the crowd.
During the evacuation the pair of Portland Medics came across
a man running backwards, wrapping a woman's cut open and bleeding hand while they both yelled for a medic. The medics took
over the patient and the man disappeared into the crowd. The 20-second pause to attempt an evaluation of the patient's hand
resulted in the police behind gaining ground and having a chance to deploy more chemical weapons. The medics began running
again, patient in tow, one medic guiding her while the other finished the wrapping job on her hand.
While doing this,
the medics came upon a young man limping and yelling for help, "I can't run! Help! I can't run any faster!" under the Roberts
St overpass. One medic left the woman and spoke with the man while still moving. He stated he had been hit in the ankle by
a gas canister, and on request pulled his pants up to show his ankle. His skin, pant leg and shoe had green paint on them
and his ankle appeared purple underneath. His friends, too scared to stay and help, turned him over to the care of the medics
and ran with the crowd. The medics each pulled one of his arms over their shoulders and started forward again, with one medic
still holding the uninjured arm of the female patient, giving her aftercare instructions to the tune of, "when we can stop
running, come back and let me look at that!"
While evacuating these two patients the medics realized they needed a
chance to decontaminate. Chemical weapons were still being deployed to the side and in front of, and behind the folks at the
end of the running mass. The medics pulled off their goggles, nitrile gloves, and handkerchiefs to change to new ones while
still running with these patients.
Realizing that there was no safe zone to any side, including forward, where more
chemical weapons were being deployed, the medics began to think about other options for the patients who couldn't keep up
with the fleeing crowd. One of the medics, having previously acted as a police negotiator with success on behalf of patients,
was thinking about turning around and negotiating with police to let the two medics and two patients stop and get out of the
chemical weapons zone. When that medic, wearing no protective gear and still moving forward, turned to gauge the amount of
time to prepare for police negotiations, an officer less than 8 feet away sprayed from the pepper spray canister he was already
aiming and covered half of the medic's face.
The medic turned away from the spray and ran into a pillar of the Wabasha
St overpass. The pair of medics saw a team of three medics, two of them from Portland Medics, also under the overpass, where
they had paused to treat patients. The severely pepper sprayed medic was now a blind patient. One of the Portland Medics from
the trio came over to help the buddy evacuate the blind medic, leaving the others to work as a pair.
One medic kept
offering to flush the eyes of the now-blind medic, but with police continuing to advance there was no opportunity to stop.
Chemical weapons continued to be fired at the crowd from several sides.
The blinded medic was aware of the movements
and sounds of the crowd. At one point, the crowd stopped moving forward and began moving side to side in panic. One of the
medics assisting the blinded medic later explained that the police had moved across in front of a portion of the crowd, blocking
their escape on three sides with riot police firing chemical weapons and on the fourth side with Coast Guard boats armed with
machine guns.
For no reason known to the medics, the police moved their front line and again forced the crowd to run
forward with chemical weapons being deployed behind and to the side of them. The three medics were able to flee fast enough
to increase their distance from the police. Entering the park, the medics attempted to stop and flush the eyes of the blinded
medic, feeling safer there than on the sidewalk and believing the police would not continue pushing the crowd in the park.
Before being able to flush the medic's eyes, the police were noted to be approaching, still holding chemical weapons. The
medics picked up their flushing supplies and moved further into the park. Finding another spot further from the police, the
medics were able to flush the eyes of the injured medic. Within moments of finishing that task, the patient with the injured
hand was located in the park.
The three Portland Medics did an evaluation of this patient's hand at this point and
realized the seriousness of the injury. When making plans to transport this patient to the wellness center for further evaluation,
the medics realized that the park was surrounded by bike, horse and riot police. The medic who acts as police negotiator and
a buddy walked toward the bike police, holding out a badge and repeated, "I am an EMT. I need to speak to someone. Who can
talk to me?" Several bike officers frowned and shook their heads, waving the medics away. The medics continued up the line,
being motioned to come no closer than about 30 feet, repeating, "I am an EMT. I have a patient with a serious injury. I need
to have her taken to a clinic." The police repeatedly waved the medics back into the crowd with threatening motions.
The
medics returned to the patient and explained that they were unable at that point to have her removed from the scene, but that,
with legal observers for support, they were going to try again. Before that could happen, the police began making announcements,
stating that everyone was under arrest and was to sit down with their hands on their heads.
While waiting to be arrested,
the medics sat with the patient and continued giving her care advice, such as keeping the hand elevated and asking to be handcuffed
in the front instead of behind, as well as advising her to advocate for herself by stating that she had been seen by two EMT's
and that she needs further medical care.
The five medics described herein were all sitting together waiting to be
arrested and continued their medic work of spreading calm and educating folks about how to take care of themselves. The medics
passed out food to those who were hungry and advised that folks stop drinking water if they thought they might have to urinate
in the next few hours. The medics talked about what it might be like in jail, how long folks could expect to be in, made sure
that everyone had the legal support phone number committed to memory with a silly mnemonic, and told everyone around how much
they were loved and how important they are as people.
When arrested, the police moved in in groups of 8-10 and would
ask a person from the front of the crowd to stand up. The person would be handcuffed and walked by a pair of officers across
the park to wait in a line for a photo and to be searched before being loaded on the bus. When the police got to the section
where the Portland Medics were sitting, they took folks out one by one in no particular order. All the medics were removed
before the patient, and they lost track of her at that point until all were released from jail several days later.
Several
of the medics were questioned while standing in line with their arresting officers. Some of the questions were, "When did
you arrive in the city? Did you come here for the RNC?" and "Who came with you to the city?" One medic was asked, "Were you
in the tear gas? Did it work?" All the medics were questioned extensively about their medic kits, including such questions
as "Why would you carry this?" and "Are you sure there aren't weapons hidden in here?"
One of the medics from the
original pair reported to the arresting officers that the medic has chronic joint problems and requested to be handcuffed
in the front. The officer refused but stated there would be a chance in "a bit" to ask a superior officer. During the 50-minute
wait in line, that medic repeatedly identified themself as an EMT and repeatedly informed the officer that the handcuffs were
causing pain. The medic twice requested medical attention. When the medic had a chance to have the handcuffs moved to the
front, the supervising officer who made the move cinched one cuff down into the skin, causing instant numbness in the thumb
and pinky. The medic pointed this out to the arresting officer, who shrugged and said, "He's the supervisor."
After
another 15 minutes in line, being searched and having a photo taken, the medic was moved onto a bus where one of the other
medics was already seated. In tears, the medic informed the other, "I can't feel my left hand." The second medic looked at
the hand, then requested to the officer on the bus to loosen the cuff. The officer looked at it and took out the tool used
to cut plasticuffs off, but had trouble fitting the tool in between the skin and the cuff. After several adjustments the tool
was pressed into the skin to be slipped under the cuff.
The red lines in the skin where the cuff had been remained
for over 12 hours. As of this writing, exactly 72 hours after having the cuffs removed, the medic still does not have feeling
to the outside of the thumb and the outside of the pinkie on the left hand.
While that medic was in line having paperwork
filled out, a supervising officer came around checking on the process. The arresting officer pointed to a check box next to
a felony charge of rioting, and asked, "Are we doing this one?" The supervisor looked at the box, shrugged, looked at the
officer and replied, "Nah, not anymore."
The first medic onto the bus, the other of the original pair, was originally
held on a felony. After being held for 40 hours without charges, the medic was finally charged with a Gross Misdemeanor in
the 3rd degree of rioting. At the arraignment, the medic was accused by the prosecutor of throwing various objects at the
police. The prosecutor then asked for the maximum bail considering the "nature of the charges and the out of state residency."
The judge set the bail at the maximum of $2,000. Bail was posted during the 47th hour and the medic was released during the
50th hour.
The four Portland Medics face the following charges-
One is charged with a Gross Misdemeanor in
the 3rd degree of rioting. This carries a maximum penalty of 1 year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The other three are
charged with a Misdemeanor in the 1st degree of "Presence at an unlawful assembly and refusing to leave." This carries a maximum
penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Portland Indymedia Webradio Coverage Of RNC Is Back On The Air! TUNE IN NOW!
author: Victory! Continuing coverage Day 3 of RNC protests Studio # 503 715 0994 AIM portlandimcradio http://portland.indymedia.org/en/static/pdxradio.shtml
On Friday, we delivered your letter to St. Paul authorities,
telling them that we won't stand for the intimidation and harassment of journalists.
With many of the arrested journalists at our side we delivered
more than 60,000 letters (collected in less than 48 hours) demanding that St. Paul authorities
drop charges against all journalists arrested during last week’s Republican National Convention.
The charges have not been dropped yet, but we are going
to keep the pressure on until they are. If you have not already, please send this email to your friends and ask them to help join our call.
In the meantime, here are videos of the event filmed by
the citizen journalists at TheUptake.org:
"From the pre-convention raids to the ongoing harassment
and arrests of journalists, these have been dark days for press freedom in the United States," said Nancy Doyle Brown of the
Twin Cities Media Alliance, before she helped to deliver the Free Press letters.
"Tragically, there are stories that the world needed to
hear this week that will never be told," Brown said. "They won't be told because reporters working on them were sitting in
the back of squad cars, were stripped of their cameras, or were face down on the pavement with their hands cuffed behind their
backs."
Many journalists still face charges. Free Press will not
rest until these charges are dropped. You can help by sending more letters to St. Paul:
Friday's rally sent a powerful message in support of journalists
and free speech and against press intimidation. You played a vital role in making this happen.
P.S. A generous Free Press supporter
has offered a $300,000 matching grant. Help
us meet this ambitious goal! Your gift today will help Free Press continue to do our work.
Wendy Binion, who works with Portland Indymedia, was snatched from Mears Park in St.
Paul during the rally prior to the March for Our Lives on September 2nd, 2008. She was surrounded by riot cops in the street
and was taken away to a special facility for processing. Her detainment is part of a definite pattern by authorities during
the RNC to disrupt and intimidate independent media journalists who were covering the demonstrators' perspective from the
streets of St. Paul.
A protest led by the
Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign leads to police tear gas and concussion grenades at the Republican National Convention
in Saint Paul, MN. Marta Costello is caught in the melee as she brings you the gnooze (the g is silent).
Street Medics Victimized by Police Brutality and Unjustified Arrests at RNC
R. Westlund - the author of this Press Release - is one of the Portland Street Medics who were arrested
in Minneapolis-St. Paul this week during the Republican National Convention; is also a trained Emergency Medical Technician
(EMT) and eyewitness to some of the abuses and atrocities.
This Press Release includes the names of some of the arrested
Street Medics and describes some of the details of the incidents from the battle zones, including Police attitudes and behavior
plus the level of violence and injuries sustained by peaceful demonstrators at the DNC who were engaged in activities entirely
protected by the US Constitution.
If you would like to donate by other means (check, cash, supplies, etc), please get in touch with us at this address
street.medix@portland-or.net so that we can make arrangements.
Portland Street Medics Victims of Police Brutality and
Unjustified Arrests at RNC
Four members of the Portland Street Medic Collective who had travelled to the RNC to provide
medical care to the radical community were arrested on 9-1-2008. All are now released pending court dates in October.
Before
the arrest, the medics were following an unpermitted march around the outskirts of the boundaries of the Excel Center. The
march stayed mostly to sidewalks and utilized several pedestrian trails.
After heading nearly a mile down a bike trail
with a river on one side and an unpassable bank on the other side of the road, protesters found themselves under fire from
police chemical weapons, having never received an order to disperse. The protestors and the medics fled back up the bike path
while the onslaught of chemical weapons and differently-lethal weapons continued behind and next to the fleeing crowd. Police
in riot gear ran past the tail end of the running group, continuing to launch weapons into the crowd, forcing those at the
back to run through the already dispensed weapons.
The four medics helped with the evacuation of at least five patients,
including one with a broken hand from being hit with police weaponry, one with an injured ankle from being hit with police
weaponry who needed physical support to walk, and one who was blinded by pepper spray. This assistance left the medics at
the very back of the crowd and among the worst victims of chemical weapons as they fled the scene.
At the corner of
Ontario and Shepard the crowd was trapped in a park by lines of riot police and all people in the park, including those holding
tickets to a concert and attempting to utilize the pedestrian bridges to get to the concert, were arrested. Those with misdemeanors
were released later that night, while those being held on felonies were in jail for 48 hours.
Three of the Portland
Medics, David Drew, Jr, Tracy Maier, and R. Westlund are charged with Misdemeanors in the 1st degree of "presence at an unlawful
assembly and refusing to leave." They face 90 days in jail and fines up to $1,000. The fourth, A. Oliver Hayes, is charged
with a Gross Misdemeanor in the 3rd degree of rioting, and faces one year in jail and a fine of $1,000.
Later
in the week, a group of six medics, three of them from Portland, were again the targets of police misconduct. A group of 350
people were being detained and preparing to be arrested on a bridge. The group included some legal observers from the NLG
and 12 Street Medics. Medic Dispatch received news that the legal observers in the group had been released prior to the arrest,
so the six medics headed out to see if they could negotiate with the police for the release of the medics.
Upon arrival
at the scene one of the Portland Medics spoke with an officer and received a phone number for "Watch Command" to begin negotiations.
On the first phone call, the medic explained the job of the medics and explained that they were asking for the release of
the medics detained on the bridge. The medic gave WC their full legal name and offered to provide proof of credentials as
an EMT. WC offered to give the request to the commander at the scene and then call the medics back.
After a reasonable
amount of time, the medic called WC back to check on the status. WC questioned the location of the medics, and the medic confirmed
that they were at the scene of the arrest before ending the phone call to wait for further news.
The medic attempted
to speak with two officers on scene, but neither would produce a supervisor to do the negotiations. Moments after the second
attempt, while the Medic Liaison was making another call to WC, one of the Portland Medics was pulled out of the crowd of
observers and drug into the street by four police officers. The medic's pockets were searched while the medic stated, "I do
not consent to this search." While still searching this medic, the commanding officer led four more officers into the crowd
and pulled out the Medic Liaison, who had been on the phone moments before. The first medic was released back into the crowd
after their pockets were searched.
The second medic was questioned as to why they were carrying a backpack and hip
pack. The medic explained their status as an EMT and allowed officers to take their registration card as proof. Officers explained,
"You reached your hands in your pockets, and that makes us nervous, so now we have to check what you're up to." The medic
repeatedly denied consent for the search but officers began opening the medic kits regardless. An officer asked, "Where did
you get all this stuff? Did you steal it off the ambulance?" The medic responded, "I'm not going to answer any more of your
questions until I speak to my lawyer." The officer replied, "In that case, you can pick your own shit up off the ground,"
and began opening ziplock bags and dumping medical supplies on the ground.
During the search, officers repeatedly
made threats about possible criminal charges against the medic, including "medical terrorism." Officers dumped the entire
contents of both medical kits on the ground, purposefully stepped on the equipment, read all the aftercare flyers and made
threats about "testing the pepper spray" on this medic, and searched the medic's body and clothing three separate times in
an extremely rough and inappropriate manner. After running the medic's ID through the system, the officers ordered to medic
to clean up all the supplies, and accused the medic of littering when a small packet of vitamins was overlooked on the ground.
Once the supplies were repacked, the medic was free to go.
These police actions were not based on any reasonable suspicion
of wrongdoing. The police were targeting the medics who were attempting to liaise with commanding officers and harassing them
in order to reduce their power and prevent further negotiating tactics.
R. Westlund Friday, September 5, 2008
______________
democracy now! producers arrested earlier this week are on marion bridge where mass arrest appears
likely. other journalists too. repression of journalists is totally unprecedented in recent regional history.
jail vigil will need more and more bodies now and throughout the weekend - help support released and
unreleased arrestees!! stand up! email rncjailvigil@riseup.net if questions.
According to the ColdSnap Legal Collective, there are reports of abuse of people in jail, including many civilians caught in mass arrests. At least 15 people are on hunger strike since this morning to
protest their incarceration. Over a hundred people were charged with felonies on Monday. Most of these folks were charged
with Felony Conspiracy to Riot. ColdSnap has gotten many reports that people are not getting proper medical attention, are
being refused their medication, and/or have been separated from the rest of the group.
A heavily guarded Poor People's March through St. Paul ended with an organizer placing an order for a citizens arrest for George Bush for crimes against
humanity under the barricades surrounding the Xcel Center. Following the march, a massive riot police presence at the end
of the march attacked those who did not disperse fast enough with tear gas, pepper spray, and concussion grenades.VIDEO:1 | 2
On the evening of September 2, police chose to prohibit Rage Against the Machine from following several other
bands at an existing concert, going backstage and shutting off power. This sent an infuriated crowd of 2,000+ marching on the RNC.
Despite the crackdown, civil disobedience to disrupt the RNC from anarchist affinity groups has continued.
I'm not an anarchist. At least I wasn't one of the kids running around the Xcel Energy Center in black handkerchiefs
during the St Paul RNC. Nor did I store my urine in a bucket for a week to throw on delegates, and I didn't break any windows
either. But, I was one of the people detained by police on Monday. One of my co-workers even saw me on the Channel 11 news,
zip-tied like a hog, being led away walking backwards by two riot police. I'm assuming that he knew me well enough to reason
I wasn't there with violent intent, but asked nonetheless why I went to downtown St Paul that day. I thought about it for
a second, but couldn't give a good answer to why I'm now in an FBI database. "I wanted to take pictures" and "I wanted to
see it for myself" was what I managed. Then he asked why I was arrested. I had a much clearer answer for that. After sitting
at the entrance gate (which is where I got to see Sean Hannity get yelled at from 5 feet away) and seeing all there was to
see, I ventured down to the river walk looking for a route to Harriet Island where a concert was going on. I took that route
because it seemed every other way was closed, and the police were directing people down that way. After doddling for a while
taking pictures of the coast guard boats with dual M249 mounted machine guns, I continued on until just about by the Wabasha
bridge our large group of meandering sight-seers and concert goes were confronted by a huge line of fully geared-up riot police.
I'm not trying to say a criminal element was for sure not present in the crowd, but at that spot, at that time there didn't
seem to be anything even remotely violent going on. People calmly walked up to the line of officers and asked what was going
on, or how they could get around. They were met with unhelpful answers or simple outstretched arms signaling to stand away.
I saw it as a photo opportunity. After a few minutes people started to pool by the police line. This seemed to happen naturally
as this was one of the only thoroughfares to get around the Excel Energy Center. People were starting to get frustrated and
demanding to know what was going on. This is when the full police line started advancing on us, including horse mounted police
and officers with non-lethal weapons drawn. I would like to make it clear that at this point there were no directions from
officers given to the crowd. There was just a very large slowly moving line coming towards us. At this people stated yelling
again, demanding to know what was going on. The line pushed us back maybe a hundred or so yards and stopped, still no directions
were given by officers. No order to disperse. So rather dumbfoundly a few hundred people stood around either confused, or
yelling questions at police. It then came to the attention of the people standing by me (east closest to Wabasha Bridge) that
another line had formed behind us to the west, maybe one hundred yards back. We were literally enclosed by hundreds of riot
officers in lines to the east and west, and by the river to the south (don't forget the coast guards) and a few officers filling
in the railroad tracks to the north. We were like mooing cattle being corralled. People asked if they could leave only to
be told to get back. One of anarchists in the signature black handkerchief started dancing in the street in front of the cops,
peacefully I might add. Another photo opportunity. Then things began to feel really bad. Guns were still drawn and still no
orders given. I called my girlfriend to let her know what was going on, and that I was scared I may not be going home tonight.
While still on the phone with her, an Officer began to yell, "Get down on the ground and put your hands on your head! You're
all under arrest for felony conspiracy to commit riot!" My girlfriend heard this over the phone and I can only imagine her
response. I promised I'd do what I was told and that I loved her. Then I quickly hung up and put my hands over my head. I
won't go into detail, but most, if not everyone I could see from the ground was peacefully complying. I didn't hear any yelling,
gunshots or pepper sprayed screaming. Maybe it was because the world seemed to be closing into a very small area immediately
surrounding me. I don't know how to describe the feeling that day other than it sucked something very fierce. I don't care
who you are, or how much guts you think you have, hundreds of riot cops ready for whatever comes are scary as anything I've
ever seen. My arms went numb holding them over my head. Eventually an officer made it over to me. "Are you going to co-operate?"
I was asked. I thought, do I have any other choice? I nodded and said yes. I was patted down, zip-tied and told to stand.
I was only asked what I had in my pockets. I guess they trusted me enough, and didn't even bother taking out the camera or
phone out to make sure they weren't a grenade or something. Being led away walking backwards, zip-tied, facing a felony was
the second scariest thing in my life. "Why couldn't I leave? Why couldn't I leave?" I asked to no response. I was feeling
humiliated, and worked out other questions. "God, don't you love America." Asking such questions while facing felony charges
for simply walking down the street makes you feel a little better. I know this now. Don't ask me why, I can't answer. I
was led over to the curb where others were sitting awaiting processing. The police where actually nice after the initial tension
was gone. Me and another detainee joked with the officers holding us. One even loosed my watch for me after it began digging
into my cuff. This continued for a while they went down the line taking names, addresses, phone numbers and drivers licenses.
By now I was thinking this was really messed up. They had all this information from us, but still had not yet once went through
my pockets to verify I didn't have a weapon. When they processed everyone in my small group we were told to stand so we could
be cut free and released. We were told this was our lucky day, no charges. At first I felt so relieved that I wasn't charged
or held longer, that I almost forgot that I was now in an FBI protester database for sure. As we walked away we were told
that if we were caught anywhere downtown in the next week that we would be arrested. As I walked down the railroad tracks,
and had a chance to reflect, it was immediately clear to me that the only thing they wanted from most of us was our names
and information. I went though the entire ordeal with nothing more actually searched on me than my wallet, and we were never
once told to disperse or face arrest. So I thought about the original question my co-worker asked, "Why did you go down
there?" and when the next coworker asked I had a much better answer. Thinking about the huge lines of police and being humiliated
on TV, I answered, "Because I had a right to be there." They looked at me like I was an idiot for getting involved. I don't
know how to explain that either, but I believe it in my core. I didn't go to protest, or for any other reason but for the
right to be there. And the fact that nobody seemed to "get it" made it all the more important. After thinking about it more,
that's the scariest thing to me now: You're government can arrest you for walking down the street, and nobody seems to care.
...if you knew the true depth of the interconnectivity and imposed
silence of the corruption that surrounds us? You'd either want to lay down and die, or start a war.
Living in a World
that mirrored the conflicts of the IRA in Ireland really doesn't seem very appealing? But when you examine the criminal enterprise
that has infected our entire Nation? It would certainly seem like the more appropriate reaction when trying to absorb the
morality of their undertaking, and what is truly right or wrong, fair and just.
There are about 2 to 3 million people
involved in the hush of this MOB sanctioned abuse of our country. Many of them drawn directly from a life of criminal activity
so the silence of their past buys their cooperation. It involves absolutely every major security entity in the United States,
in cooperation with DOJ, FBI, CIA, DEA, Homeland Security, and even your local Sheriff. Further, they have invaded the pulpits
of American Churches, to feel that they are somehow the part of a much bigger Godly undertaking, in the reporting and manipulation
of subjects who display any signs of free will, or thought processes that challenge their conventions.
They are working
the exact same model as the SS of pre-World War 2 Germany, in the instillment of fear and suspicion of your neighbor. They
control those perceived as subversive to their cause through the destruction of reputation, employment opportunity, standing
or acceptance in the community. They are the scourge that violates every convention of the Godly or Religious virtues they
espouse. They have ruined everything Great about Our Nation except for the Beauty of those who would have the courage to speak
against their horrors.
This is the World in which we live. A World you don't see if you walk through it without question.
Our
true strength in everything that makes us human is to never quit asking.
You did have the right to be there, of course, and it's people like
you who will save our democracy. Thank you for posting. It seems like there's nobody there at your back, but there is. The
spirits of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Sojourner Truth, and all those revolutionaries who put themselves on the line to
stand up for human rights have your back. I swear they're out there, and you can count yourself among them.
"These
are the times that try men's souls." -- Tom Paine
"There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem
invincible but in the end, they always fall - think of it, always." -- Gandhi
In between explosions of concussion grenades and teargas
clouds in Minneapolis-St. Paul, volunteer Street Medics from all over the country who have assembled there are continuing
to provide much needed first aid and medical care to injured and frightened people everywhere in the city where lawful and
peaceful assemblies, passersby, journalists and bystanders are getting attacked indiscriminately and without provocation by
Police, National Guard and teams of unidentified Federal Agencies without badges or numbers.
Two raw, unedited video
items that were just published provide an excellent documentation of the level of unprovoked and indiscriminate violence targeted
against peaceful non-violent assemblies, against Street Medics, against legal observers and journalists:
o- Independent journalist caught in the middle of panic and mayhem during an attack with concussion grenades and
teargas against a peaceful march: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6L8J3L-2Kw
Starting at dawn on Tuesday, Portland Street Medics who were arrested while treating injured people at the RNC
were being released one by one by the illegitimate authorities who had seized them. One of our colleagues is still in jail
and has not yet been charged with anything. All of the arrests of Portland Street Medics are entirely illegal.
We
have confirmed information that additional unidentified Street Medics have been seen in jail by other people, but no details
about who they are or why they are being held.
The Portland Street Medics who were released are well, except for tiredness.
We are not able to communicate with the one of our members who is still in jail to ascertain wellness - our colleague is being
held in a situation where legal observers have repeatedly confirmed that people are being denied access to medical care and
targeted with selective abuse. {Please see the statement from our lawyers below, titled "Over 300 Protesters, Bystanders,
Medics and Media Arrested: Update from Coldsnap Legal Collective".}
All of the arrested Street Medics' personal
items, money, medical supplies and tools were confiscated and are still not being released by Police despite repeated requests,
even though the items in question are not relevant to any legal proceedings (they are not being held as evidence, nor are
they proscribed materials). Seizure of these materials is an illegal tactic to prevent our members from providing first aid
and medical care to the people who are now in the streets and parks in Minneapolis-St. Paul. This is in direct violation of
the US Constitution which in the Fourth Amendment provides protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. {Please
see the Constitutional reference from the Cornell Law School below.}
Some details The Portland Street Medics who were arrested include a long-time Queer liberation and radical performance
artist; two trained Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), one of whom is also a Wilderness First Responder; and a Nurse Practitioner
in training, who is also an Herbalist with more than fifteen years clinical experience.
It's plainly obvious to everyone
that our members, sworn to the primary directive of all healthcare workers to "First, Do No Harm", should have never been
arrested and must be allowed and supported to return to their duties immediately without any interference whatsoever.
Contacting
the authorities ...has proven to be very difficult. As one of our supporters reports here, http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2008/09/379093.shtml#315129 phonecalls to the Ramsey County Jail, the Sheriff, and Mayor Coleman, are being redirected through a maze of sometimes
incompetent, sometimes purposefully dysfunctional routes and individuals who are making the process of leaving messages and
official complaints nearly impossible.
Still, we are asking people to please call these (new) numbers and to politely
ask that: o- all Street Medics be released immediately and allowed to resume duties; o- all people who were arrested
and are not being charged, to be released immediately; o- all personal items and medical supplies and tools that were
confiscated from Street Medics to be returned immediately so that our teams can provide much needed care for injured and ill
people in the streets and first aid stations all over Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Please call these numbers: St. Paul
Police chief: 651-266-5588
Help line: 651-266-9333
Please send letters to: St. Paul Police Department
Chief John Harrington 367 Grove Street St. Paul, Minnesota 55101
Ramsey County Jail Sheriff Bob Fletcher
425 Grove Street St. Paul, Minnesota 55101
Please keep distributing and re-publishing our updates
We
really are grateful for all of your letters and phonecalls of support. Without your love and care, none of our work would
have been possible.
"Over 300 Protesters, Bystanders, Medics and Media Arrested: Update from
Coldsnap Legal Collective" link to twincities.indymedia.org
" US Constitution - Amendment IV: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and
effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable
cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to
be seized." http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html
Randy
Rowland, from PepperSpray Productions, here.
Instead
of sending you an announcement about a screening, this email is unusual for us, it is a call for help.
Two
PepperSpray collective members, Lambert Rochfort and Joe LaSac, on assignment in St Paul covering the protests associated with the Republican
National Convention, were both arrested on Sunday while covering the story. Both are still being held without charges or an
opportunity to go before a judge.
Lambert was swept up in a mass arrest of peaceful citizens
who were surrounded by cops and all arrested. Joe was arrested about the same time as Amy Goodman and two other journalists
from "Democracy Now!" were arrested. In fact if you watch the footage of Amy Goodman standing in handcuffs, the fellow sitting
on the ground at her feet is Joe.
Lambert and Joe had covered the DNC in Denver, and
were in St Paul to cover the protests. They both had their
cameras with them when arrested and were clearly doing nothing illegal, just trying to get the story that corporate media
tends to overlook. There have been several other attacks on journalists there, including a raid on an indymedia hospitality
center, and a raid on the house of a group that documents police brutality. It goes without saying that there is no freedom
of the press if reporters are jailed for covering the story.
We want our people released without charges, and we want
our equipment back. If you value indymedia and the role of independent journalists--and I know you do, or you wouldn't be
on our announcement list--then please take some or all of the following actions to secure the timely release of these PepperSpray
videographers.
If you are in the St Paul area or can ask those you know who are in that area, please join the 24 hour
vigil at the Ramsey County Jail, 425 Grove St., St Paul (24 hour vigil)
Please call some or all of the following numbers,
demanding that our reporters be freed:
Chris Coleman, St. Paul Mayor: 651.266.8510 or Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman's
office at 651-266-8535 Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350 (press extension 0) Ramsey County Sheriff: 651.487.5149
Here are the names and numbers of St Paul City Council people to call as well: Melvin Carter - Ward 1 - 651- 266-8610
Dan Thune - Ward 2 - 651-266-8620 Pat Harris - Ward 3 - 651-266-8630 Russ Stark - Ward 4 - 651-26-8640 Lee
Helgen - Ward 5 - 651-266-8520 Dan Bostrom - Ward 6 - 651-266-8660 Cathy Lantree - Ward 7 - 651-266-8670
PepperSpray
Productions is an all-volunteer independent media collective based in Seattle, WA. Among other things, we produce a weekly
access TV show called "Indymedia Presents" which airs on 20 channels, from Seattle to New York, including in St. Paul and Minneapolis.
For more info about our work, we invite you to visit our website: www.peppersprayproductions.org
YES! Call these folks. The police violence, arrest of medics. legal observers, journalists and
just random people is pure evil. The concussion grenades, tear gas, etc = solid excessive. There is military presence
that may not be National Guard (150 of them at last count)
On the up side, many locals have never come face to face
with the police state - and they are Seriously Pissed.
And the lawsuits should be great fun.
We are sending you this message because the situation in St. Paul is
very grave and we're concerned that the real story is not being told by the mainstream media.
Over the past few days, the
heavily armed and extremely large police presence in St. Paul has intimidated, harrassed and provoked people; and, in a number
of instances, the police have escalated situations when they used excessive force. They have used pepper spray, including
spraying at least one person just inches from her face as she was held down on the ground by several police officers. They
have freely swung their extra long night sticks, pushed people around, rode horses and bicycles up against peacefully gathered
groups, and surrounded people simply walking down the streets. On Tuesday evening, they used tear gas on a small group of
protesters in downtown St. Paul.
The massive police presence
and the uncalled-for actions by the police on the streets has not been the only problem. The police raided a convergence center
and several locations where people are staying over the weekend and they have stopped and searched vehicles for no clear reason.
For background on the activities of the police in St. Paul, check out Marjorie Cohn's article here.
On Tuesday afternoon, they
literally pulled the plug and turned off the electricity at a permitted outdoor concert. The timing of this led to a situation
where hundreds of understandably angry people ended up joining a march being led by the Poor Peoples Campaign for Economic
Human Rights, a march that organizers were insisting be nonviolent. In other words, the police set up a dynamic that could
have turned ugly, but the skill of the organizers kept things calm and focused.
All of this - and much more
- needs to be understood in the context of the overwhelming presence of police. Police from all around the Twin Cities have
been put to work, and they have also brought in police units from around Minnesota and from as far away as Philadelphia, PA.
The National Guard and state troopers are in the mix, to say nothing of the Secret Service, Homeland Security and who knows
who else from the federal government!
We are very concerned about
what this all means about the right to protest, the right to assemble, and the right to have one's dissenting voice heard.
We are worried about what it means about the growing militarization of our nation and the ongoing assault on the Constitution.
We shudder to think about how the influx of new weapons and armed vehicles and everything else will be used in the neighborhoods
of St. Paul and Denver: both communities each received $50 million from Homeland Security to purchase the equipment and pay
for the policing during the conventions.
There are still two more
days of the Republican Convention in St. Paul -- two more days of protest and possibilities of police mis-conduct, over-reaction,
and excessive use of force.
We urge you to call the
Mayor of St. Paul right now! Let him know that people around the country know what's happening! Urge him to stand up for the
Constitution and to take action to end the militarization of the downtown areas of his city! Urge him to reign in the police
and help bring civility to the streets of St. Paul!
Mayor Chris Coleman: 651-266-8510
And call your local media
outlets to demand that they tell the real story of what's happening in St. Paul this week.
it's confirmed! Being charged with same as Amy Goodman, "felony, rioting"
- SEPT 5 2008
- Portland Indy Media
- evening updates
6:29PM:
PDX IMC: Multiple accounts of torture in Ramsey County Jail. Here's 1 account: http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/51910-developing-detainee-alleges-torture-in-ramsey-county-jail
2:37PM:
Tin Can Announce: press conference 4pm STP city hall re: police abuse and misconduct
11:17AM:
TC IMC: HLS Demo today, meet @ small park on corner of 25th and Franklin, next 2 place
called Northern Clay Center. Meeting time is 4:30 PM.
11:11AM:
Coldsnap Cabaret Fundraiser TONIGHT for legal funds! 8pm, Converg. Space, 627 Smith
Ave, St Paul. Sliding scale and family-friendly!
11:10AM:
TC IMC: Confirmed report of vigilante cops around the convergnce center. masked up
in two black suvs harasing people.
11:08AM:
TC IMC: Dacota People Calling for supporters and media at camp coldwater at 2pm today.
Need media there as well
11:07AM:
Cold Snap Legal: Judge has summarily dismissed motion to release seized property.
Try 651-266-5637 for info from cops -other possible actions TBA.
11:05AM:
MN Indy: Free Press and local press-freedom advocates to deliver 6Ok letters demanding
release of detained journos, 10 a.m. St. Paul City Hall
11:04AM:
MN INDY: Star Trib says 818 people were arrested over the 4 days of the RNC, including
396 last night
breaking news - September 5
2:37PM:
Tin
Can Announce: press conference 4pm STP city hall re: police abuse and misconduct
11:17AM:
TC
IMC: HLS Demo today, meet @ small park on corner of 25th and Franklin, next 2 place called NorthernClayCenter. Meeting time is
4:30 PM.
11:11AM:
Coldsnap
Cabaret Fundraiser TONIGHT for legal funds! 8pm, Converg. Space, 627 Smith Ave,
St Paul. Sliding scale and family-friendly!
11:10AM:
TC
IMC: Confirmed report of vigilante cops around the convergnce center. masked up in two black suvs harasing people.
11:08AM:
TC
IMC: Dacota People Calling for supporters and media at campcoldwater at 2pm today. Need media there as well
11:07AM:
Cold
Snap Legal: Judge has summarily dismissed motion to release seized property. Try 651-266-5637 for info from cops -other possible
actions TBA.
11:05AM:
MN
Indy: Free Press and local press-freedom advocates to deliver 6Ok letters demanding release of detained journos, 10 a.m. St. PaulCity Hall
11:04AM:
MN
INDY: Star Trib says 818 people were arrested over the 4 days of the RNC, including 396 last night
9:37PM:
Cold
Snap Legal: NLG lawyer confirms that the John Doe who was water-striking has been bonded out. No "Doe"s remain in the Jail
(unless from tonight).
9:17PM:
TC
IMC: people arrested early in today's march have been trickling out of the jails recently. The cops are still pulling that
same random drops shit
8:52PM:
TC
IMC: WCCO reports one of their photojournalists has also been arrested. will all these arrests wake up the corporate media?
it never hurts to dream...
- SEPT 5 2008
- Portland Indy Media
- updates
9:37PM:
Cold Snap Legal: NLG lawyer confirms that the John Doe who was water-striking has
been bonded out. No "Doe"s remain in the Jail (unless from tonight).
9:17PM:
TC IMC: people arrested early in today's march have been trickling out of the jails
recently. The cops are still pulling that same random drops shit
8:52PM:
TC IMC: WCCO reports one of their photojournalists has also been arrested. will all
these arrests wake up the corporate media? it never hurts to dream...
7:46PM:
The Uptake: Fox news crew gassed: http://tinyurl.com/6z6q7v also KARE 11 reporter
arrested
7:38PM:
TC IMC: Flash Bangs on Marion again!
7:31PM:
TC IMC: codepink has just disrupted the proceedings inside the xcel energy center!
7:29PM:
TC IMC: democracy now! producers arrested earlier this week are on marion bridge where
mass arrest appears likely. other journalists too. repression of journalists is totally unprecedented in recent regional history.
7:19PM:
PDX IMC: Uptake now claiming to not turn in anything in to police.
6:57PM:
TC IMC: jail vigil will need many more bodies, especially considering tonight's police
terror. stand up for friends now! rncjailvigil@riseup.net
6:43PM:
TC IMC: 100+ people on marion bridge
detained, plastic handcuffed face down
6:39PM:
TC IMC: western ave bridge, west
of capitol reportedly safe to cross
6:36PM:
The Uptake: Chuck and team were trying to leave by car. Told by cops to "get out of the fucking car and run"
6:35PM:
Mn Indy: Arrest teams are approaching seated
protesters on Marion bridge. Resisters are told they'll be met with force
6:34PM:
MN INDY: MnIndy's Paul Demko is among 400 people on the Marion St. bridge over 94; police say anyone on the bridge
is under arrest.
6:24PM:
TC IMC: 11th
and st. joseph: swat team has shop up with tear gas guns aimed. request LOs and media now!
6:23PM:
TC IMC: journalists from uptake, tc daily planet arrested. also: medics fear
arrest and marion/st. anthony, need LOs
6:22PM:
Cold Snap Legal: Marion & St. Anthony in St Paul, medics fear arrest. Legal observers needed on Marion Street bridge
now!
6:20PM:
PDX IMC: Portland Indymedia journalist gassed again, tear gas thick. Very few, if any, ways out
6:17PM:
PDX IMC: March in low income residential,
tear gas thick, lots more concussion grenades
6:16PM:
PDX IMC: pigz throw concussion grenades, people throw back rocks
6:15PM:
PDX IMC: Portland Indymedia journalist gassed outside police line, tear gas THICK inside police
line
6:10PM:
The Uptake: can't get back to the office to get us the footage. We're blocked off.
6:09PM:
Mn Indy: spotted an officer with an M-16.
6:07PM:
Mn Indy: Just heard over cop radio. "We are not equipped to deal with the crowd."
PDX IMC: 600
people moving quickly down Marion, trying to get on I-94, cops lagging behind and flustered
5:56PM:
TC IMC: disparate police violence/confrontations all around
capitol area - too scattered to reliably keep up.
5:43PM:
Cold Snap Legal: 27 arrested at 12th and cedar. police arresting many of march leadership
5:37PM:
PDX IMC: Portland Indymedia Webradio back
on the air, TUNE IN NOW!
5:33PM:
The
Uptake: Videographer Suzanne taken away in pig vehicle
5:30PM:
TC IMC: 50-75 tactical teams or national guard (?) by history museum - everything closed on john ireland
blvd
4:57PM:
The Uptake: reports videographer may be detained, was filming march LIVE
4:54PM:
Cold Snap Legal: marchers now being detained one by one and led to police vans
4:54PM:
MN Indy: An older woman in a blue-jean jacket just walked in the line of fire
of cop aiming at guy in tree. He ignores her, but lowers his rifle.
4:51PM:
TC IMC: banner drop over 35E
4:46PM:
Cold Snap Legal: report of inmate john doe on water fast! and hunger strike in
segregation at Ramsey Co. cell block 3C room415 as of 630pm sept. 4
4:42PM:
PDX IMC: Folks penned in and sitting to deescalate cops. Pepperspray deployed
12th & Cedar
4:36PM:
TC IMC: large line of riot police moving north on cedar crossing 12th towards
capitol, 5 min issued. Crowd peaceful. Horses intruding
4:33PM:
PDX IMC: Penned in 12th & Cedar
4:17PM:
TC IMC: safe way out of bridge is towards rice/university, one block west of capitol.
horses pushing people back from bridge. Cops issue 10min warning for tear gas
4:15PM:
Dump trucks, snow plows between marchers and xcel center (remember Soilent Green?)
4:08PM:
PDX IMC: Protest (wisely) choosing to move from the bridge to more tactically sound
location.
3:58PM:
TC IMC: march still blocked on john ireland bridge over I94. stormtrooper presence
is intense. cops appear to be only allowing people to go back
3:54PM:
Cold Snap Legal: most all cops at j ireland bridge now have gasmasks on
3:34PM:
Cold Snap Legal: 100 protesters have blocked the Hyde Street bridge
3:33PM:
Cold Snap Legal: 2-300 protesters are trapped on RICE street bridge
3:31PM:
Cold Snap Legal: Reports of gas deployed on I 35 and Kellogg
3:28PM:
TC IMC: 600 people on bridge, concern for alter-abled folks unable to leave, police
are using snowplows to barricade.
3:23PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: rumors of "curfew" false. Police: march permit to be revoked
after 5. Sheriff Fletcher encouraged city employees to vacate downtown area 3:21PM PDT: PDX IMC: Marchers on john Ireland
bridge surrounded by police. Gas masks on. Severely tactically disadvantaged. 3:17PM PDT: PDX IMC: Undercover confirmed:
surveillance gear unveiled under lime kafta scarf. White, fat, full brown beard, black hoody, baggy blue jeans, back pack.
3:10PM PDT: The UPtake: Horses lined up, cops eager for conflict, and protesters sitting on ground to deescalate at the
cop line. 2:58PM PDT: The Uptake: Must watch video recorded live of lawyers in the Mayor of St. Paul's office: http://qik.com/video/266902 2:54PM PDT: Mn Indy: Police told peace team
they will arrest the march at 5 despite assurances from police to organizers 2:39PM PDT: TC IMC: Crowd surrounded by cops.
Cops entered crowd. Pepperspray deployed. Threats of tear gas looming. 2:35PM PDT: PDX IMC: Cops not letting No Peace
For War Makers start. 2 people snatched. Lots of cops. Many arrests happening now. 1:43PM PDT: TC IMC: FreePress.net has
collected 40k+signatures agains abuse of journalists in Twin Cities, deliver to Mayor Coleman tmrw. FREEDOM OF PRESS! 1:42PM
PDT: TC IMC: Warning: police in unmarked vans have white numbers chalked on top of windshield. Avoid them! Someone is stirring
up riot rumors- the govt? 12:57PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:Witness to brutality (yourself or others)? Witness to arrests?
Deliver statements to ColdSnap at Convergence! 627 Smith Ave, St. Paul 12:49PM PDT: PDX IMC: Events happening now: Student
Strike/March to Arrest the War Criminals, Peace Island picnic on Harriet Island, Jail Solidarity Vigil 12:41PM PDT: TC
IMC: cops in riot gear are parked on sidewalk lining shepard road up to 35E. yawr march is on kellogg blvd south of capitol
12:40PM PDT: Mn Indy: Riot cops testing FIREHOSES inside the "green zone." cop says staging across from us (media) in
prep for parade from the capitol. 12:36PM PDT: Tin Can Announce: community gathering and debrief tomorrow at noon at the
convergence space 12:33PM PDT: PDX IMC: 100s marching to Harriet Isl for Peace Isl picnic & to educate RNC delegates
getting onto a yacht 11:49AM PDT: TC IMC: Downtown state employees are being asked to evacuate, downtown business owners
have been asked to close shop for this afternoon.
10:43AM:
Cold Snap Legal: No Peace for the Peacemakers!Antiwar march TODAY @ 4PM from the Capitol!
Police threatening to clear streets by 5pm, Legal observers needed!
10:33AM:
TC IMC: National Lawyers Guild press conference @ 3 pm. at 319 ramsey
9:39AM:
Mn Indy: car owned by person from pagan cluster was detained and told car is on "federal
stop & search list"
9:25AM:
TC IMC: Police have closed the Smith High Bridge. Reporters are trying to find alternative
paths to Welcom Comm. Press Conference.
9:19AM:
Pepperspray Productions journalist Lambert Rochfort, from Seattle, released!!
9:18AM:
TC IMC: Police have new 6-wheeled teargas enabled ATV - how dumb is that? http://twitpic.com/a609
.
9:07AM:
Cold Snap Legal: Just a reminder that someone will be at the convergence space today
@ noon taking written affidavits on police misconduct.
4:32AM:
cold Snap Legal: Support is Really needed right now at Hennepin Cty Jail (4th &
4th, Mpls). Police are intimidating the support there.
4:26AM:
Cold Snap Legal: Medics Desperately needed @Hennepin Cty Jail (4th st & 4th ave,
Mpls) for arrestees being released; treatment for chemical weapons needed.
4:24AM:
Cold Snap Legal: Arrestees from RATM concert currently being released @ Hennepin county.
If you are an arrestee, fill out a legal outtake form from coldsnap!
-breaking news
-Portland Indy Media
-Updates
-
September 3 ŕevening
9:40PM PDT:
11:05PM:
Cold Snap Legal: 44 people arrested on 7th and 2nd Ave. 2 videographers freed.
11:00PM:
TC IMC: Numerous reports: Horse/riot/bike cops 7st + 6th Av, 7th St + 2nd Av
10:51PM:
TC IMC: booking area now in empty lot at 11th st and hennepin
10:45PM:
PDX IMC: Portland Indymedia Webradio has signed off for tonight but will be back up
tomorrow evening
10:42PM:
TC IMC: Near 7th & Marquette, Metro Transit bus repurposed as Police Bus is taking
arrestees. Call coldsnap 651-356-8635 for legal help-not IMC
10:37PM:
TC IMC: 4 arrests @ 5th & marquette. booking is going to 8th & Marquette.
Keep up the good work coldsnap!
10:28PM:
TC IMC: reports: Horse/riot/bike cops 7 st + 6th Av, 7th St + 2nd Av / 7th + marquette
many arrests, MnIndy reportr trapped. Maybe herding to Loring
10:06PM:
Cold Snap Legal: Front of target center cleared. 7th & Hennepin blocked by riot
cops. Pepper spray deployed.
9:49PM:
TC IMC: ALERT: IMC+Legal Observers needed @ Target Center. 1st Ave N closed by riot
cops b/w 6th & 7th St., some allowed to leave (some not?) CALL tc imc
9:45PM:
TC IMC: 30-40 police have been putting more pressure on the people of Camp Coldwater
9:40PM : Cold Snap Legal: Concert goers @ the rage
against the machine show are taking to the streets. riot cops on every corner, 1 arrest. need legal observers
6:20PM:
TC IMC: Explosion
reports turned out to be a kid playing with a firecracker. However, the ATF and the Secret Service are still on the scene.
6:17PM:
Tin Can Announce: Thursday's Spokes at 11 AM at the Convergence Space. Enter through the side door, not the main entrance.
There will be media upstairs
5:59PM:
TC IMC: RNC Welcoming Committee 8 Charged with "Conspiracy to Riot in Furtherance
of Terrorism"!
5:47PM:
TC IMC: reports kid who lives in the building saw it happen, told police kid likely
responsible does this kind of thing often. (pdx imc: clarify?)
5:32PM:
TC IMC: reports an explosion at st peter and 6th or 7th. Cops closing in. LO's and
Media needed! (pdx imc: hopefully just concusion grenades)
5:23PM:
TC IMC: recent report that police activity has increased around supporters outside
of the jail
4:55PM:
PDX IMC: Heavy riot police & National Guard presence en route to Jail Solidarity
Vigil. Police preparing to use german shepherd dogs.
4:51PM:
The phone number for Ramsey Co. Jail: (651) 292-3698
4:36PM:
PDX IMC: 60 people marching to the Jail Solidarity vigil
4:25PM:
PDX IMC: Studio # 503 715 0994 & AIM portlandimcradio
4:23PM:
PDX IMC: Portland IMC Webradio back on the air to continue Day 3 RNC coverage TUNE
IN!
4:15PM:
Tin Can Com: 3 members of the Tin Can Comms Team have been released, We are awaiting
the release of 6 more! The Man Cant Keep US DOWN!
-breaking news
-Portland
Indy Media
-Updates
September 3
4:15PM:
Tin Can Com: 3 members of
the Tin Can Comms Team have been released, We are awaiting the release of 6 more! The Man Cant Keep US DOWN!
3:55PM:
Cold Snap Legal: Clarification:
8-person limit refers to office, not vigil. Go to the vigil!
3:54PM:
PDX IMC: Cold Snap Legal Twitter
back up
3:49PM:
TC IMC: Coldsnap legal twitter
feed appears to have been blocked.
3:42PM:
TC IMC: Released people at Ramsey Co. jail getting intimidated by riot police; vigil
for prisoners @ 8:30 PM.
3:40PM:
Cold Snap Legal: ColdSnap now cannot have more than 8 folk present; all unscheduled
vol's must call b4 coming; experienced office/legal esp. please call!
2:59PM:
Tin Can Announce: Please DO NOT go to the coldsnap office unless you are a registered
volunteer.
1:52PM:
PDX IMC: 2 journalists from IMC affiliate Pepperspray Productions have been arrested
and need your help http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2008/09/379147.shtml
1:28PM:
Gustav Info: IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BEING A HUMAN RIGHTS MONITOR PLEASE CALL 404
588 9761 OR EMAIL jwilliams@ushrnetwork.org
1:27PM:
HURRICANE GUSTAV HUMAN RIGHTS MONITORS NEEDED IN TENNESSEE: Memphis, Knoxville, Nashville,
LOUISIANA: Alexandria, Shreveport, TEXAS: Houston, San Antonio, GEORGIA: Atlanta, ARKANSAS: Fort Chaffee
1:06PM:
TC IMC: probable arrest of at least 2 individuals at smith and grand
12:36PM:
Cold Snap Legal: Cold Snap legal/iWitness office all clear: cops visited building,
did not enter office, no raid!
12:34PM:
PDX IMC: 8 people being arrested or detained @ Jail Solidarity Vigil 443 Grove St.
Minneapolis. Large detainment vehicle nearby with "digi camo" cops
12:12PM:
Tin Can Com: URGENT People with felonies coming up on the docket right now. Bail needed
at courthouse donate using coldsnaplegal.org paypal
10:35AM:
Cold Snap Legal: We also need help in the office answering phones, etc. Give us a
call at 651.356.8635!
10:34AM:
Cold Snap Legal: Coldsnap volunteers down at the jail haven't slept and need help
with outtake today! Email rncjailvigil(at)riseup.net with your phone #!
9:58AM:
Cold Snap Legal: ICE agents are entering jail and pulling out arrestees with "foreign-sounding
names!"
9:52AM:
Gustav Info: About 1,000 people are registered right now. Access this data base at
disastersafe.redcross.org
9:50AM:
Gustav Info: The Red Cross has a place where folks in shelters can register so others
can search for them and know they’re safe.
9:49AM:
Gustav Info: Checkpoints were lifted in advance of Nagin’s 11:59pm Wednesday
time designation. All residents are now able to enter the city.
9:44AM:
TC IMC: Dakota reclamation at camp coldwater (south of Hwy 55 and 54th St in MPLS)
continues today. Sisters Camelot will be serving there at lunch and requests help with supplies and volunteers.
9:43AM:
PDX IMC: To follow these breaking news updates from your phone, Text 40404 with: Follow
portlandimc
9:37AM:
TC IMC: codepink actions: 12:30 MPLS hilton (on marquette) , 2:30 saint paul hotel
(on market by perimeter) - march
8:59AM:
Cold Snap Legal: If you witnessed the arrests at Bedlam Theatre at 1:30 this morning,
please call the Coldsnap hotline ASAP: 651-356-8635.
8:58AM:
The Uptake: Sierra Club will be holding a 1PM press conference on their Paid for Big
Oil Campaign in our media space today.
8:42AM:
COld Snap Legal: Convergence Space, 627 Smith, St Paul, NOON: Lawyers will be taking
affidavits from those who have not had their property returned yet
8:40AM:
TC IMC: Spokes @ 11am @ C Space, Rise and Shine. WOLVERINES!
8:39AM:
Cold Snap Legal: Men in jail have been on 23 hour lockdown, They are on hunger strike
until this ends and they are either charged or released.
8:33AM:
Cold Snap Legal: Property seized during raid or arrest? PLEASE give a statement to
NLG lawyers at Convergence Space at NOON; this will help get it back.
12:19AM:
Cold Snap Legal: 4 people being detained at 7th & Nicollet
12:18AM:
Cold Snap Legal: Mounted cops showing up at 7th & Nicollet in downtown Minneapolis.
Legal observers needed!
12:17AM:
Cold Snap Legal: Bedlam is calm; cops have left
12:12AM:
Cold Snap Legal: 11th & 3rd Ave in Downtown Mpls: Over a dozen cop cars in the
area! Normal security? Doubtful.
12:06AM:
Cold Snap Legal: Several cops still inside the Bedlam Theatre; no warrant
12:05AM:
Cold Snap Legal: People being handcuffed and detained at 7th & Nicollet (Nicollet
Mall Light Rail station) in downtown Minneapolis
12:03AM:
Cold Snap Legal: 5-6 mounted cops, 20 bike cops, and more on foot around the Nicollet
Mall Light Rail station in downtown Mpls
11:57PM:
Cold Snap Legal: 5th & Hennepin, cops are mobilizing with flex cuffs.
11:56PM:
Cold Snap Legal: 2 arrests outside of Bedlam.
11:55PM:
TC IMC: rumor control, IMC space is A-OK! police presence was outside bldg; tapes
and people inside were secured, ok now. it's staying open!
PDX IMC:
Rumor that PDX's IMCista may be out, but no one can confirm. Wendy call Cold Snap, if you're out!
10:23PM:
TCIMC'er
off site: Unclear reports from public IMC space 300 Broadway. Appears police r on scene and lawyers may be trying 2 escort
people @ space elsewhere. Trying to reach people at space.
10:10PM:
Gustav Info:
Orleans
parish residents may return to homes at 11:59 PM On Wed Sept 3rd
10:08PM:
Gustav Info:
residents/business owners who sustained losses in designated counties can apply 4 FEMA assistance by registering online at
http://www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA
10:03PM:
Cold Snap
Legal: Situation calming down in Bedlam area. Let's hope it stays that way!
9:46PM:
TC IMC:
Cops staging on 6th and Cedar. Detention bus outside public IMC space. Will try to update.
9:45PM:
Cold Snap
Legal: Police in area around 300 Broadway, St. Paul
9:35PM:
Cold Snap
Legal: Cops donning riot gear a few blocks from the Bedlam.
9:25PM:
Cold Snap
Legal: Other reports say that cops are gearing up around 6th and Cedar. Stay tuned.
9:25PM:
Cold Snap
Legal: Cops supposedly cleared out of the Bedlam area.
8:51PM:
Cold Snap Legal: Cops left Camp Coldwater.
8:49PM:
Cold Snap Legal: 2 vehicles stopped on I-94 just west of Snelling exit, surrounded by 6 cop cars.
PDX IMC: Ha! Police told CNN there were "no arrests"
7:39PM:
TC IMC: Small groups are now dispersing from around the capitol
7:36PM:
Gustav Info: 6am Sept 3, Jefferson Parish will allow residents to return home. Officials warn that amenities
are primitive if available.
7:32PM:
Gustav Info: Buses are waiting at shelters across the South to bring Gustav evacuees home. Unclear if
buses only available for evacuees that utilized the publicly assisted system
7:22PM:
PDX IMC: Portland IMC Web radio is back on the air!!! Tune In NOW!!! (yay!)
7:21PM:
Tin Can Announce: wednesday's spokescouncil - 11am at convergence center. spread the word!
6:26PM:
Tin Can Com: Cops near Excel are searching people's bags for goggles and gas masks-- hide them!
6:24PM:
Cold Snap Legal: Report from prisoner: had been pepper sprayed all over her body, was not allowed to wash
it off, now has first degree burns.
6:21PM:
Cold Snap Legal: Tear gas has been deployed at 7th and Wabash
5:58PM:
TC IMC: Police used pepper spray and tazer at Poor People's/Rage Against The Machine March
5:55PM:
Tin Can Com: Poor people's march in front Excel; organizers had protesters raise right hands & pledge
nonviolence.
5:53PM:
PDX IMC: Poor People's march just announced intention to put Bush/Cheney under citizens arrest upon arrival
at the Excel center
5:47PM:
Tin Can Com: 7th & St. Peter police snatched & arrested someone out of the Poor People's March
5:42PM:
Tin Can Com: 7th & St. peter, organizers asking protesters in black to get behind the front of the
march or to breakaway
5:37PM:
Tin Can Com: 7th & cedar 50-100 riot police in front of the march as it heads up 7th. No reported
violence.
5:36PM:
PDX IMC: Street reporter feels that "shit could hit fan if police provoke this crowd" report cut short
with "I'm being kicked ou..."
11:47PM PDT: PDX IMC: Portland IMC journalist is out of jail, it's confirmed! Being charged with
same as Amy Goodman, "felony, rioting" 11:30PM PDT: COLD Snap Legal: 4 marked cop cars outside of the Bedlam again. 11:13PM
PDT: TC IMC: press conference with ppehrc, rncwc, & others 10am weds, 400 western ave (bushville) 11:06PM PDT: Gustav
Info: 34 of Louisiana�s 64 parishes declared a federal disaster area 10:58PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: If you've
been released from jail and have NOT had your property returned, please call the Coldsnap hotline (651.356.8635). We can help
out! 10:57PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: We're going to need volunteers at the jail tomorrow between 7am and 12noon to do outtake!
Show up at Grove and Lafayette and help us out! 10:28PM PDT: PDX IMC: Rumor that PDX's IMCista may be out, but no one
can confirm. Wendy call Cold Snap, if you're out! 10:23PM PDT: TCIMC'er off site: Unclear reports from public IMC space
300 Broadway. Appears police r on scene and lawyers may be trying 2 escort people @ space elsewhere. Trying to reach people
at space. 10:10PM PDT: Gustav Info: Orleans parish residents may return to homes at 11:59 PM On Wed Sept 3rd 10:08PM
PDT: Gustav Info: residents/business owners who sustained losses in designated counties can apply 4 FEMA assistance by registering
online at http://www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA 10:03PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Situation calming down in Bedlam area.
Let's hope it stays that way! 9:46PM PDT: TC IMC: Cops staging on 6th and Cedar. Detention bus outside public IMC space.
Will try to update. 9:45PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Police in area around 300 Broadway, St. Paul 9:35PM PDT: Cold Snap
Legal: Cops donning riot gear a few blocks from the Bedlam. 9:25PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Other reports say that cops are
gearing up around 6th and Cedar. Stay tuned. 9:25PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Cops supposedly cleared out of the Bedlam area.
9:24PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Van on 94 just west of Snelling is still being searched by cops on the scene. 9:15PM
PDT: TC IMC: Reports of Bedlam theatre getting raided 9:04PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 4-10 cop cars surrounding the Bedlam
Theatre at Cedar-Riverside Light Rail Station. 8:51PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Cops left Camp Coldwater. 8:49PM PDT:
Cold Snap Legal: 2 vehicles stopped on I-94 just west of Snelling exit, surrounded by 6 cop cars. 8:42PM PDT: PDX IMC:
Fascnating affidavit: link to stmedia.startribune.com 8:20PM PDT: PDX IMC: fredPAC(Frederick Progressive Action Coalition) reports 3 arrested today for
"j walking" 8:16PM PDT: PDX IMC: Ha! Police told CNN there were "no arrests" 7:39PM PDT: TC IMC: Small groups are
now dispersing from around the capitol 7:36PM PDT: Gustav Info: 6am Sept 3, Jefferson Parish will allow residents to return
home. Officials warn that amenities are primitive if available. 7:32PM PDT: Gustav Info: Buses are waiting at shelters
across the South to bring Gustav evacuees home. Unclear if buses only available for evacuees that utilized the publicly assisted
system 7:22PM PDT: PDX IMC: Portland IMC Web radio is back on the air!!! Tune In NOW!!! (yay!) 7:21PM PDT: Tin Can
Announce: wednesday's spokescouncil - 11am at convergence center. spread the word! 7:19PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Cops questioning
and asking for IDs from people going in and out of Camp Coldwater. 7:08PM PDT: TC IMC: Protesters trying to leave on St.
Peter. 70 cops walking down 12th to cut them off. Traffic stopped. Cops charging into crowd at Saint Peter and Exchange 7:06PM
PDT: The Uptake: Noah Kunin is now safe. Filming live: http://www.qik.com/theuptake 7:04PM PDT: Tin Can Com: 300 riot cops on lawn of capitol 6:53PM PDT: The Uptake: Noah Kunin
just arrested. Was filming behind officers. 4 cops pulled him in. 6:47PM PDT: Tin Can Com: 11th & wabasha-- bike cops
blocking street 6:45PM PDT: PDX IMC: Portland Indymedia journalist shot/struck in eye with tear gas canister. Mickey's
Diner gassed 6:42PM PDT: PDX IMC: Our guy on the street is ok it turns out and describes volleys of tear gas and concussion
grenades thrown into the crowd. 6:41PM PDT: Tin Can Com: cops using pepperspray, concussion grenades, rubber bullets.
2 groups going down wabasha & st. peter towards capitol. 6:40PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Police scanner: Police are blocking
10th, 11th and St Peter. "Going in for the kill" because they are "sick of this shit." 6:30PM PDT: Tin Can Com: Cops near
Excel are searching people's bags for goggles and gas masks-- hide them! 6:26PM PDT: Tin Can Com: Minneapolis Police Dept.
gave warning to disperse at 9th & St. Peter. 6:24PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Report from prisoner: had been pepper sprayed
all over her body, was not allowed to wash it off, now has first degree burns. 6:21PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Tear gas has
been deployed at 7th and Wabash 5:58PM PDT: TC IMC: Police used pepper spray and tazer at Poor People's/Rage Against The
Machine March 5:55PM PDT: Tin Can Com: Poor people's march in front Excel; organizers had protesters raise right hands
& pledge nonviolence. 5:53PM PDT: PDX IMC: Poor People's march just announced intention to put Bush/Cheney under citizens
arrest upon arrival at the Excel center 5:47PM PDT: Tin Can Com: 7th & St. Peter police snatched & arrested someone
out of the Poor People's March 5:42PM PDT: Tin Can Com: 7th & St. peter, organizers asking protesters in black to
get behind the front of the march or to breakaway 5:37PM PDT: Tin Can Com: 7th & cedar 50-100 riot police in front
of the march as it heads up 7th. No reported violence. 5:36PM PDT: PDX IMC: Street reporter feels that "shit could hit
fan if police provoke this crowd" report cut short with "I'm being kicked ou..." 5:33PM PDT: PDX IMC: Crowd very displeased
with show cancellation. Poor People's March redirecting energy & leading the chants. 5:30PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:
Tons of riot cops heading east on University. 5:27PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 15+ Jane/John Does have been hunger striking
all day to get anemic Jane Doe medical treatment. She passed out, still being denied treatment! 5:25PM PDT: Cold Snap
Legal: RATM breakaway march formed after cops cancelled show now "several thousand," now marching with Poor People's March
towards Xcel Center. 5:18PM PDT: TC IMC: Riot Cops had refused to allow RATM to take the stage, surrounded concert 5:12PM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Rage Against the Machine just took 200 people on unpermitted march toward river. They are chanting,
"Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me." 5:09PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Hearing horrible stories of things being done to
people in jail. Writing out details for a longer update. 5:08PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Riot cops have left Northstar clinic,
have now blockaded Grove. 5:07PM PDT: TC IMC: 4 minivans full of riot cops and 30 undercovers at Northstar clinic. 4:57PM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Riot police staging at RATM concert. 4:56PM PDT: Cld Snap Legal: 4 minivans full of riot cops and
30 undercovers at Northstar clinic. 4:53PM PDT: Tin Can Com: Riot police stagin at concert 4:33PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:
Mobile Broadcast News Bus surrounded by police. Unconfirmed that police are breaking into the bus-- LO's and cameras needed!
4:25PM PDT: Tin Can Com: Decreased cops as march continues 7th & lafayette 4:22PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 30 police
vehicle at Kellogg and Jackson, headed north on Jackson. 4:22PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: RMO bus let go. Yay! Rock on! 4:21PM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Rude Mechanical Orchestra bus pulled over in the parking lot at the Kellogg and Hwy 54 underpass. Cops
have flex cuffs ready. 4:20PM PDT: RNC 08: march moving on 7th 4:18PM PDT: TC IMC: SURPRISE! Rage Against the Machine
playing @ State Capitol in 35 minutes, Anti-Flag is opening right now. 4:16PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Man tasered, surrounded
by riot cops at 5th and Wacouta. 3:59PM PDT: PDX IMC: Confirmed, one of Portland Indymedia's street reporters has been
arrested but not tazered(yet) and is smiling like a champ @ 5th & Wacouta 3:43PM PDT: PDX IMC: Unconfirmed yet, but
indy reporters arrested may be our own Portland folks 3:39PM PDT: Tin Can: 5th & Sibley two confirmed arrests - female
indy reporter, male with her down on the ground tasered; crowd chanting let them go 3:33PM PDT: RNC 08: Riot cops at every
intersection along 7th between Jackson and Broadway 3:32PM PDT: TC IMC: Scattered reports of harassment with red laser
dots around cities, @ parks - watch out! 3:21PM PDT: RNC 08:Riot cops at 5th & Sibley, 6th & Sibley; Wacouta sides
seems clear; rally in the park going OK 3:19PM PDT: TC IMC: Mears Park massing for march to Xcel, heavy police presence
"a March for People's Lives" already @ 500 people. Capitol concert heavy guard. 3:06PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: less-lethal
weapons still out at Ripple Effect, snipers on roof of building in area. 3:04PM PDT: The Uptake: Code Pink rumored to
be storming RNC. Noah's live, on the beat: http:///www.theuptake.org 2:42PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Riot cops at Ripple
Effect have rubber bullets, gas canisters, and concussion grenades ready. 2:38PM PDT: RNC 08: Dakota ancestral space @
Coldwater in MPLS @ HWY 55 (Hiawatha) & 54th Street invites helpers and campers Camp has 4 day permit, setting up. 2:37PM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 120 riot cops at Ripple Effect concert at the State Capitol 2:37PM PDT: RNC Medic: 40 - 60 Riot
cops reported at 7th and Sibley 2:35PM PDT: Gustav Alerts: Flood Warning - West Baton Rouge (Louisiana) Issued At: 2008-09-02T21:09:00
2:21PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Folks needed at the jail release site at Grove & Lafayette to help with outtake! 2:04PM
PDT: The Uptake: We're live on and off: http://www.theuptake.org. Noah's at the convention center. 2:03PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 20 cops in riot gear at 4th &
Sibley, 20 more cops at 5th & Sibley, many other cops at 6th & Sibley (all near Poor Peoples March) 1:59PM PDT:
Cold Snap Legal: 60-80 riot cops massing up at 8th and Lacouta Commons 1:58PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: SWAT team vans also
pulling up at Mears park 1:42PM PDT: TC IMC: police are saying that protesters will be targeting the media. Indy media
believes otherwise. Remember who attacked the media yesterday? 1:09PM PDT: PDX IMC: Live Portland Indymedia Webradio coverage
resumes! Tune in now! 12:49PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Scratch that on the calls. We are getting some, others are still being
blocked. We are working hard to get this fixed ASAP. 12:36PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Dakota people got four day permit to
have ceremony at coldwater all is good! 12:34PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: We are getting calls from jail again! Thanks, everyone!
12:33PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: ICE cops surrounding concert on Cedar Ave 12:32PM PDT: RNC 08 Announce: meet up and
check in 3:30 mears park before march 12:05PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Rmsy Cty jail holding solidarity folks in holding
cells & refusing to book them for "non-cooperation" - others still being processed this am 12:00PM PDT: Cold Snap
Legal: Supporters still needed at Coldwater Spring. 11:58AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Sheriffs, Homeland Security massing
and "masking up" at Coldwater Spring. Legal observers present there. 11:58AM PDT: Cld Snap Legal: People at concert on
MLK & John Ireland being targeted and illegally searched 11:57AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Police and sheriffs are lining
up at Coldwater. Supporters needed at 54th & Highway 55! 11:56AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: street medic being held in
cuffs on University Ave 11:15AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Dakota people reclaim Camp Coldwater! Awesome! They are requesting
support at 54th St & Hwy 55 in Mpls. 11:05AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 2-3 vanloads riot cops now circling jail vigil
in tactical vans w/ doors open. Ramsey Cty sheriffs also on scene taking pics of volunteers. 11:01AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:
Vegan food being received, people being treated for injuries. Some arrestees sick and not receiving treatment for that - only
1 nurse @ jail 11:00AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: "A bunch" of arrestees on women's side on hunger strike for medical treatment,
according to a support person at 11am. 10:59AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 3 people being arrested by the Cathedral. 10:56AM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 25-30 cops encircling our volunteers at vigil outside jail. Legal observers needed there now! 10:35AM
PDT: The uptake: RNC08 Day 1 photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photo... Courtesy of Jon Behm and Stacy Schwartz! Thanks! 9:57AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Calls from jail
to Cold Snap have been blocked - please call the jail - 651-266-9350 - and demand that they allow free calls to 651-356-8635
9:53AM PDT: Mn Indy: It's slow-going at arraignment court. Only two protesters processed this morning, I hear. 7:26AM
PDT: TC IMC: We are also soliciting testimonials from people in the street. If you have been gassed, shot at or pepper sprayed
we want to here your story 7:23AM PDT: TC IMC: Indymedia needs information about any journalists that have been arrested,
detained or otherwise maligned by the cops. Call us: 651-503-5661 7:22AM PDT: TC IMC: Good Morning People of the Twin
Cities and the world! Are you ready for day two? 11:53PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Sweatshirts and blankets are needed at
the jail! If you can help organize this or have stuff to offer, please call us or head on down there! 11:39PM PDT: Cold
Snap Legal: We would still love more folks to help out with outtake at the jail, and will gladly take volunteers in our office
as well. Give us a call! 11:38PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Check out http://tinyurl.com/6fsjrv for extended arrestee updates! 11:35PM PDT: Common Ground Relief: Houma Native Nation update and
call for help. http://www.commongroundrelief.org/node/711 11:32PM PDT: PDX IMC: Found source for New Orleans updates and will be following/posting them in
addition to Twin Cities coverage 11:29PM PDT: Common Ground Relief: (New Orleans) By 10 p.m., Gustav's center was located
about 20 miles southwest of Alexandria, La. The storm, downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm at 10 p.m., was moving
northwest near 13 mph. 10:43PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: We need people to help with outtake and solidarity at the vigil outside
the jail! Please come help if you can! 10:43PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Numerous reports from people being released of people
inside being denied medical treatment, those needing it being separated from others 9:37PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Van searched
& towed @ Grand & Macalester - no warrant. Cop told owner: "This is what happens when @ists come to our city &
destroy things." 9:35PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Making sure that arrestees get the medication, food, and other things they
need. 8:47PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Felony charges have historically been used as scare tactics against activists. There
is much less precedent for them to hold up in court 8:46PM PDT: PDX IMC: Unconfirmed report that cop cars may be getting
smashed 8:41PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Credible report of convoy of Natl Guard heading toward Twin Cities on Hwy 55 between
8 and 9 pm, with at least 7 humvees. 8:40PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Arrest tally from Ramsey County Sheriff's Office as
of 10:30 p.m.: 284 total; 130 felonies; 51 gross misdemeanors; 103 misdemeanors. 8:23PM PDT: PDX IMC: Reports of people
having been arrested at gunpoint with assault rifles. Mini vans with writing in corner of windows are undercover police vehicles.
8:04PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Many arrestees are being held without booking in the Ramsey Cty jail. Not in the system yet,
told no info & they won't see judges until Wed. 8:02PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Phone caller: 12-13 people being held
in a "cage" in Ramsey County Jail. 7:59PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Newest arrest tallies per the sheriff: 283 total; 129
felonies; 51 gross misdemeanors; 103 misdemeanors. 7:50PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Bridges at Robert St, Wabasha, Smith closed,
leaving only 35E bridge open to downtown StP. Metro Transit buses do seem to be running now. 7:49PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:
Joint press conference 9am Tuesday at 400 Western Ave in St. Paul (from twin cities indymedia) 7:48PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:
RNC arrest tally so far: 256 total; 119 felonies; 48 gross misdemeanors; 89 misdemeanors. Per Ramsey County Sheriff's Department.
7:17PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Correction: 1st hearing for RNC arrestees 9 am at Law Center, Lafayette & Grove. 10:30
hearing @ main courthouse for seized items. 7:14PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Bus service resumes in downtown St. Paul. 7:12PM
PDT: PDX IMC: Vernon Rodrigues medical condition still unconfirmed. Please call Ramsey County jail 651-266-9350 7:06PM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Heads up, folks, National Guard is marching through downtown, according to RNC worker. Stay safe! 7:00PM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Coldsnap street team members are out of jail now. (PDX IMC: Fuck Yeah!) 6:49PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:
Authorities said of those arrested today, 73 were charged with felonies, 42 with gross misdemeanors, and 48 with misdemeanors.
6:47PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Court hearing for those arrested today will be tomorrow @ 8am @ Ramsey Cty Courthouse, 15
West Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 6:46PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: According to Ramsey Cty officials, 167 people have been arrested
in St. Paul. 6:39PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Sighting; 8 Humvees, 10 Buses heading to St. Paul from Brooklyn Park, possible
Guard 6:37PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Smith Ave bridge being blockaded by cops. 1 truck, 3 cars. Anarchists can't get to
convergence space. 6:34PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Code Pink is w/ Mothers Against the War. They're being pushed against
Wabasha Bridge by 150 riot cops now. 6:33PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: TC Indymedia has some sweet video of today: http://tinyurl.com/6594cq 6:23PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Code Pink rally surrounded by 50 riot cops at Wabasha & Kellogg,
being pushed east on Kellogg 6:20PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Riot cops amassing at Kellogg and Wabasha - CUAPB rally. 6:19PM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Pi Press reporting 130 arrests today 6:09PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Things quieting down here; we're
supporting arrestees & gathering and processing info. No estimate of arrest #s at this point. Hundreds. 6:03PM PDT:
Cold Snap Legal: Amy Goodman has been released. Many other journalists, legal observers, medics, and friends are still inside.
5:59PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 30 arrested, taken away by bus from Upper Landing Park. Cops were searching people's bags
at river walk. 5:21PM PDT: TC IMC: Arrests of minors with massive police presence on 9th and Temperance 5:20PM PDT:
TC IMC: Upper Loring Park not releasing all. Bus of 30+ taken away. Going after individuals, particularly out-of-towners.
Concert+protesters 5:07PM PDT: TC IMC: Report that the mass arrests by the river have turned into detainments and "get
the hell out of here"'s 4:59PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Amy Goodman's arrest video - she was pepper-sprayed point blank while
handcuffed: http://tinyurl.com/5ol8zz 4:55PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 150 ppl cordoned off by river, ~50 let go. Word was out of towners more
likely to be arrested. Horse, riot cops, coast grd, bikes involved 4:47PM PDT: TC IMC: schedule: dinner at 627 smith 7pm,
spokescouncil 8:30pm. redirect groveland park, corner of st. clair and cleveland in STP. send 1 spoke 4:46PM PDT: Cold
Snap Legal: Police closing high bridge to Harriet Island. City worker says it's to keep protesters out of downtown. 4:45PM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Rumor control: Our office hasn't been raided. Not to our knowledge, anyway. 4:40PM PDT: TC IMC:
video of woman repeatedly peppersprayed at close range - http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/01/18531784.php 4:32PM PDT: COld Snap Legal: Police left Ramsey Cty. jail support vigil. 4:30PM PDT: Cold Snap
Legal: 100 or so people being detained on Shepard Road by the Xcel 4:30PM PDT: TC IMC: police staging area (several hundred)
is by shepard and sibley. 3-4 people seen detained there. 4:27PM PDT: COld Snap Legal: 3 cop cars at vigil outside jail.
4:27PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Amy Goodman arrested on probable cause for riot charges. Audio of her arrest: http://tiny.cc/PVol7 4:09PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Coldsnap street team members, 6-8 medics, maybe others STILL being detained
at Jackson and 7th. 4:08PM PDT: TC IMC: several IMC journalists reported arrested at upper landing mass arrest. also,
still many people detained at 7th-jackson 4:07PM PDT: TC IMC: reported confrontation @ science museum; 2 more WC arrests
(1 confirmed) 4:06PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Reports of confrontation near Science Museum 4:01PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:
Corporate media reports FBI and "informants" involved in raids 4:00PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Journalists combative with
officials at city press conference, challenge them on misinformation and lies. 3:56PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Most people
being released near Harriet, cops still making arrests, picking people out one by one. ~300 cops present there. 3:55PM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Approx. 50 arrested and loaded on bus, including 5 medics on Jackson and 7th. 3:53PM PDT: Press
Conference: Information Officer backs away from conference after press focused on oppression of journalists. 3:48PM PDT:
Info Officer of SPPD: Denies arrests of journalists 3:47PM PDT: Chief of SPPD: cops "were threatened and at many times,
I believe, frightened" by "masked criminals" today. 3:44PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Police report 56 arrests, 7 being felonies,
and expect number to rise 3:35PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Mass arrest currently happening at Upper Landing Park. 3:32PM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Correction: Two more legal observers arrested at Spring & Shepard. So much going on we can't type
fast enough to report it 3:30PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 9 arrested in comms raid being charged with conspiracy to riot,
same warrant as pre-RNC house raids 3:29PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Three legal observers being arrested at mass arrest at
Spring & Chestnut. 3:28PM PDT: Cold SNap Legal: Police in riot gear have blocked off downtown St. Paul. Bridges closed,
buses shut down. 3:27PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Cops threatening to arrest everybody @ river walk - 300+ ppl inc. medics,
legal observers, journalists, concertgoers, kids. Tear gas used. 3:27PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Our team is supposedly is
under arrest - streaming live NOW http://theuptake.org/ 3:26PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Press Conference w. St. Paul Mayor & Police Chief @ 5:30 @ 172 East
4th Street St. Paul, MN 55101 3:25PM PDT: Journalists being told to leave Harriet Island arrest zone 3:23PM PDT: PDX
IMC: Corporate Media journalist being exempted from arrest and handed a gas mask. 3:21PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Harriet
Island concertgoers all being handcuffed and arrested. 3:17PM PDT: TC IMC: Massive regroup and standoff at Upper Landing
Park. Sheppard road and eagle park by river under science museam 3:16PM PDT: PDX IMC: The Uptake.org videographers included
in arrests 3:15PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Harriet Island - SPPD closed off area with 100-200 ppl, including families w/
kids, elderly. Horse cops, gas masks. 3:11PM PDT: COld Snap Legal: Mass arrests on Jackson & 9th, including Democracy
Now! journalists Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddou, Nicole Salazar. 3:09PM PDT: PDX IMC: Not currently hearing from the
Sectors anymore 3:07PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Seeds of Peace were just detained, let go. 3:04PM PDT: TC IMC: Seeds
of Peace being arrested at 11th and Jackson. Legal observers needed. 3:02PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Dozens of police vehicles
now at Jackson by river. Officers pushing crowds back. 30-40 cop cars coming down 94, preparing for mass arrests. 3:02PM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! has been arrested. 3:00PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: National Guard moving
in on Cedar and Kellogg 2:59PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Comms raid in progress at 6th & Wall. Legal observer on the scene.
9 in custody, property being seized. 2:58PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: National Guard rolling in to Cedar and Kellogg 2:58PM
PDT: TC IMC: 30-40 cop cars coming down 94, preparing for mass arrests 2:57PM PDT: TC IMC: Police radius secured around
12th and robert 2:56PM PDT: TC IMC: Nasty attacks on anticap block by river. Moving now 2:56PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:
Comms raided. 9 arrested, charged with "conspiracy to riot." Evidence seized. Cop would not show legal observer warrant. 2:55PM
PDT: TC IMC: Lots of empty delegate buses pulling out of staging area near lafeyette road 2:44PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:
5 arrests at Minnesota & 8th. 2:44PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Democracy Now! journalists among those arrested at Temperance.
Lots of police brutality among these arrests. 2:42PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: In other news, Metro Transit resumes bus service
into downtown St. Paul. 2:41PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: "Lots" of arrests happening on 7th & Jackson. 2:40PM PDT:
Cold SNap Legal: Anti-capitalist bloc being tear gassed on Jackson by river. 2:39PM PDT: TC IMC: Girl seriously injured
by car at 12th and Wabasha, protesters surrounding car, refusing to let it go. Cops doing nothing. 2:38PM PDT: Cold Snap
Legal: 2 Coldsnap street team folks, one journalist were arrested in group on 9th & Temperance. 2:37PM PDT: Cold Snap
Legal: Person tased on 7th & Roberts. 2:36PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Cops blocking all northern bridges over highway,
moving systematically to wall folks into SE and kellogg park. Cops moving down Chestnut. 2:35PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:
20-25 arrests @ 9th & Temperance, 2 arrests elsewhere in town 2:34PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: St. Paul Police Chief John
Harrington and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman holding 5pm press conference 2:27PM PDT: TC IMC: many unconfirmed reports
coming to TCIMC that airport security is seriously ramping up. if anyone there can confirm specific details please call dispatch
line. 2:26PM PDT: PDX IMC: Uh Oh, all communications went too quiet 2:20PM PDT: TC IMC: Black bloc at 5th and sibley.
Running from cops, throwing barricades into streets. Cops are looking for specific individuals to arrest. 2:19PM PDT:
TC IMC: people being kicked in head by horses on kellogg 2:18PM PDT: TC IMC: BLACK BLOC PLUS OTHERS ARE BEING PUSHED NORTH
ON ROBERT. LOTS OF SPPD WITH GAS MASKS AND BIKES AND ROBERT KEEPING PEOPLE IN. SEVERAL RUBBER BULLET WOUNDS REPORTED - MULTIPLE
PROTESTERS DOWN 2:16PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Female individual snatched off street by unmarked car on 6th & Wacouta
2:14PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Person tackled by 5 SPPD in riot gear for refusing a search. Media was present for this.
2:11PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Vernon Rodrigues in Ramsey Co Jail, needs medical attention. Call jail at 651.266.9350! 2:09PM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: WCCO confirms that National Guard is being called in to help with crowd control in St. Paul. 2:08PM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: The live video at http://www.theuptake.org is amazing. You should watch it if you're not in the streets right now. 2:07PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:
Pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets, concussion grenades being used in more locations than we can write in one tweet right
now. 2:05PM PDT: TC IMC: projectiles fired on kellogg b/t wabasha and cedar; massive numbers pepper sprayed; black bloc
dragging barricades into street. also concussion grenades. several injuries from rubber bullets on 6th street. MEDICS needed
on 6th, and on Kellogg! 1:59PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: SWAT team at Kellogg between Minnesota and Cedar; tear gas, concussion
grenades reported 1:54PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Pioneer Press reporter: Tear gas now at Kellogg and Cedar. 1:53PM PDT:
Cold Snap Legal: Police platoons will be erected at cedar & kellogg and wabasha & kellogg. 1:52PM PDT: Cold Snap
Legal: Police putting on gas masks at Mulberry & Kellogg 1:51PM PDT: Sector 4: sector 2 requesting backup at kellogg
and wabasha, massive amounts of riot cops 1:49PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 1 from pagan cluster arrested; was punched in face,
is bleeding 1:49PM PDT: Sector 3: police platoons will be erected at cedar & kellogg and wabasha & kellogg 1:47PM
PDT: 300 people being stampeded by police horses on 2nd & Kellogg 1:47PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 15 people at 6th &
Wall being booked, pictures being taken, being loaded into vans 1:46PM PDT: Sector 7: about 50 riot police in full gear
entering 20 unmarked vehicles along Cedar and 7th 1:45PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 2 medics arrested at 6th & Wall 1:44PM
PDT: Sector 6: deploying gas shortly at 11th & wabasha 1:43PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Per CUAPB: "Hundreds" of police
and National Guard giving order to disperse at Wabasha & Kellogg; wearing gas masks 1:42PM PDT: Sector 2: cops are
getting ready to gas funk the war blockade at kellog and wabasha 1:41PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 2 more arrests at 6th &
St. Peter - one possibly a medic 1:39PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Police blocking off bridges into downtown St. Paul, not
letting people into (or out of?) march route. 1:39PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Police "politely requested" to go into Tin
Can Comms building. Stay safe and strong, guys! 1:38PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Cops moving in on blockade at Minnesota and
Kellogg. Legal observers are on the scene. 1 more arrest on Sibley & Warner. 1:38PM PDT: Sector 2: there is a soft
blockade going up at kellogg and minnesota. Riot police are responding 1:37PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Metro Transit service
into downtown St. Paul suspended until #RNC08 congestion abates. http://metrotransit.org 1:34PM PDT: TC IMC: arrests @ 7th and Wall = approximately 28. 1:34PM PDT: TC IMC: Sibley near
Mississippi river: standoff with police. one reporter assaulted, camera taken. 1:32PM PDT: Sector 2: funk the war is holding
minnesota and kellog and tactical squad coming 1:32PM PDT: Sector 2: there is a soft blockade going up at kellogg and
minnesota. Riot police are responding 1:30PM PDT: Sector 2: Funk the War moving south on minnesota 1:28PM PDT: Cold
Snap Legal: 12 being cuffed and loaded into vans on wall between 6th and 7th 1:26PM PDT: Sector 7: We are now at the reconvergence
time 3:15. There is confirmed activity of a group marching north on wabasha from 4th 1:25PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: The
report about the jail on lockdown came from NLG lawyers denied entrance. They were told it was in effect until 3:30pm. 1:24PM
PDT: Sector 7: funk the war at 4th and wabasha police moving north on wabasha to respond 1:23PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:
6 buses of riot police and two jeeps arriving at Wabasha and Kellogg. Police are going to seal off Wabasha from Kellogg to
I-94. 1:22PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: person in car being detained is on kellogg & mulberry 1:21PM PDT: Cold Snap
Legal: 1 person detained in 1 car, surrounded by 40 riot cops, 1 secret service. 1:20PM PDT: Sector 3: 6 buses of riot
police and two jeeps arriving at Wabasha and Kellogg. Police are going to seal off Wabasha from Kellogg to I-94 1:17PM
PDT: TC IMC:Two arrests on 5th and minnesota. ** Cops running over people at kellogg and wabasha. ** **Ramsey county jail
refusing to allow lawyers in. On lockdown. ** St. Joes Hospital on lockdown, denying water. ** Sleeping dragons on I94 7th
St exit! 1:16PM PDT: Sector 3: 30-40 people blocking kellog and wabasha to be given dispersal order 1:16PM PDT: Cold
Snap Legal: "vanload of female-bodied people" taken away in unmarked van from 7th & Wall 1:15PM PDT: TC IMC: ** delegates
seen walking in from mulberry and kellogg - mulberry is 2 blocks outside perimeter. **platoon of cops being sent to kellogg/st.
peter 1:14PM PDT: TC IMC: several busses, some fully occupied, sighted on kellogg blvd just west of lafayette bridge.
many near I94 and 52 (same area) 1:14PM PDT: TC IMC: 6 detained at chestnut and shepard. ** NEED REINFORCEMENTS at 4th
and wabasha action. 1:10PM PDT: Sector 7: platoon going to st peters bridge 1:10PM PDT: Cold SnapLegal: Jackson &
Kellogg 1 detained, another on 1st & Siblye 1:09PM PDT: Sector 2: Many empty buses moving on shepard moving up sibley
and onto kellogg; 1:09PM PDT: Sector 1: Sleeping Dragons on 94 and 7th street exit, cops moving in. 1:08PM PDT: Cold
Snap Legal: 2 more arrests @ 5th & Minnesota, horse cops running people over @ Kellogg & Wabasha, cops surrounding
ppl @ Kellogg & Sibley 1:06PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Ramsey Cty jail on lockdown - no lawyers allowed inside. St. Joseph
hospital also on lockdown, denying people water 1:05PM PDT: Sector 5: Cops deploying on bridges off 94 to seal off protesters
1:05PM PDT: Sector 1: many moving buses at I94 and 52 1:04PM PDT: Sector 3: platoon of cops being sent to kellogg
and St. Peter. 1:03PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: People being released on Lafayette and Grove. Vigil and outtake to greet them.
Come join them if you want to plug in! 1:02PM PDT: Sector 2: An action at 4th and wabasha is requesting reinforcements
1:01PM PDT: Sector 4: many delegates on foot walking in from mulberry and kellogg 1:01PM PDT: Sector 6: large group
marching 9th & minnesota going north 1:00PM PDT: Sector 7: Possible contention in main march. Black bloc on minnesota
and 7th may be facing contention 12:59PM PDT: Sector 7: no national guard at wabasha and kellog 12:58PM PDT: Sector
2: Cops responding to 5th and sibley blockade 12:57PM PDT: Sector 7: Mounted police attacking protestors at kellogg and
wabash, riot police on scene 12:54PM PDT: TC IMC: Live at http://portland.indymedia.org RNC web radio coverage. They will be on all day covering the events taking place, and giving updates.
Useful information such as legal numbers, coldsnap updates, tips for protesters, and live call-ins. 12:52PM PDT: TC IMC:
legal observers needed at jackson/7th - busses are being blockaded (soft) there! - bike cops on way ** delegates being blocked
on foot between wabasha and st. peter on kellogg - police confrontation imminent 12:51PM PDT: TC IMC: large bus staging
ground spotted underneath lafayette/52 bridge, between warner road and kellogg. **kellogg and st peter blockade is still strong
- 10 mounted police just arrived ** riot police heading towards st. peter and 7th 12:51PM PDT: TC IMC: corporate media
reporting numbers at peace march at 10,000 or less. likely accurate according to IMC activists there. 12:50PM PDT: TC
IMC: 18 confirmed arrests there. more likely coming. legal observers not being allowed to observe. ** steady stream of pepper
spray injuries coming to northstar collective clinic at 639 Jackson; medics headed to jail with supplies shortly 12:49PM
PDT: TC IMC: protesters trapped at 7th/st. peter REINFORCEMENTS NEEDED! ** windows broken wabasha/6th by macy's 12:48PM
PDT: TC IMC: An NLG lawyer is trapped in the illegal detainment at randolph and shepard ** coldsnap: cops lining up at 7th
and ceder, cops trying to divide lawful from unlawful protesters 12:47PM PDT: Sector 7: possible national guard deployment
to kellog and wabasha 12:46PM PDT: Sector 1: Mobile cops enroute to push sector 1 protesters north east 12:46PM PDT:
Sector 1: CAN holding 5th and Sibley with soft blockade 12:45PM PDT: Sector 6: 9th and robert: group forming with sheilds,
more coming with cars 12:44PM PDT: Sector 2: more cops going to kellog and wabasha 12:42PM PDT: Sector 2: On Kellog,
between St. Peter and Wabash, 3 delegates on foot, being blocked, police confrontation imminent! 12:41PM PDT: Sector 4:
delegates being routed through kellogg and john ireland, cops on kellogg between mulberry and college 12:40PM PDT: Sector
3: bringing in delegates at st peter and kellog WIDE OPEN 12:39PM PDT: Sector 7: busses blocked at jackson and 7th! 12:38PM
PDT: Sector 3: kellog & st peter blockade still strong. sent in 10 mounted police 12:37PM PDT: Sector 7: riot police
heading towards st peter & 7th 12:36PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 6th & Wall arrestees being booked on site 12:36PM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 6 arrests and pepper spray at Chestnut and Shepard. 12:35PM PDT: Sector 7: kellog and wabasha 50
anarchists to block delegate van, group being pushed eastwar 12:34PM PDT: Sector 7: Blockading 94 at 7th and wall still
up 12:34PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Per comms, "18 confirmed arrests a couple more coming through" 12:33PM PDT: Cold
Snap Legal: Steady stream of folks with pepper spray injuries at the Northstar clinic; medic headed to jail with supplies
soon 12:32PM PDT: Sector 7: 6th & wabasha by macy's, broken windows, total destroy 12:31PM PDT: Sector 7: Brown
Hat being targeted by cops for breaking window w/ grlfriend 5th and Wabasha 12:31PM PDT: Sector 3: delegate bus blocked
in cedar and wabasha area 12:29PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 2 police cars driven into crowd in sector 5 - squad car #s 1404
& 1529 12:28PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 15th arrested on 6th & Wall, being transported to Ramsey on bus. 12:16PM
PDT: Sector 6: Cops lining up at 7th and Cedar, cops trying to divide lawful protestors/unlawful 12:16PM PDT: Cold Snap
Legal: randolph & shepard surrounded, cops saying they won't let anyone go unless they search everyone. this is illegal.
LOs needed there now! 12:15PM PDT: Sector 7: forming scrimmage on 7th & st peter to block protesters 12:15PM PDT:
Sector 7: crowd dissipating at 6th and St. Peters, several cop cars smashed, barricades standing 12:14PM PDT: Cold Snap
Legal: arrestee from kellogg & ireland injured, pepper sprayed and denied medical attention. 12:12PM PDT: Sector 7:
st. peter and 5th riot cops forming 12:12PM PDT: Sector 2: Police responding to jackson and Kellogg 12:11PM PDT: Cold
Snap Legal: 2 police cars driven into crowd in sector 5 - squad car #s 1404 & 1529 12:10PM PDT: TC IMC: ** several
cop cars smashed 6th/st.peter ** randolph/shepard surrounded - cops say they won't let anyone go 12:09PM PDT: TC IMC:
arrestee from kellog/johnireland peppersprayed, injured, denied medical attention ** police forming scrimmage on 7th/st.peter
to block protesters 12:07PM PDT: TC IMC: police sent to 6th/cedar on reports of cars smashed/bricks "taken off buildings"
** riot cops forming st. pater/5th ** 2 police cars driven into crowd in sector 5 ** 12:05PM PDT: Sector 7: 20 cops responding
to rock throwing and shattered Macy's window on 6th and wabasha, 12:04PM PDT: Sector 6: Small blockade being attacked
by cops at cedar and 7th 12:02PM PDT: Sector 4: Delegate buses are coming through sector 5 through John Ireland and Kelogg
12:01PM PDT: Sector 6: 5th and Minnesota, delagate busses there 12:01PM PDT: Sector 7: Blockade on minnesota between
4th and 5th. 12:00PM PDT: Sector 5: 7th and 6th unpermitted march swarming from several directions, joined by black block
11:59AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Pi Press reports 20 arrested at 6th and Wall in anti-war march 11:59AM PDT: Sector 7:
Peace march on Minnesota, heading to 4th and 5th 11:58AM PDT: Sector 1: shots fired at black block and st peter one person
down 11:57AM PDT: TC IMC: small blockade being attacked by cops at cedar/7th 11:56AM PDT: TC IMC: 5th and Minnesota,
delagate busses there, Peace march on Minnesota, heading to 4th and 5th 11:55AM PDT: TC IMC: RUBBER BULLETS FIRED AT 10TH/ST
PETER BLACK BLOC. 1 PROTESTER DOWN. national guard also coming to scene reportedly with concussion grenades and smoke. 11:55AM
PDT: TC IMC: cops being sent to exchange/10th/st. peter intersection. 50 anarchists there. report of tear gas AND RUBBER BULLETS
BEING DEPLOYED. 11:54AM PDT: TC IMC: Cops escorting a bus fleeing west down Kellogg past broadway. 11:52AM PDT: Sector
2: cops being sent to exchange and st. peter for 50 anarchists tear gas and rubber bullets being deployed 11:51AM PDT:
Cold Snap Legal: Cops have pinned black bloc on Exchange, have gas masks on 10th and St. Peter. 11:50AM PDT: Sector 3:
need water at shepard & randolph 11:49AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 2 more street team members on 7th and Wabasha with
cops closing in. 7 or 8+ more detained and 1 in car at 7th and Wall. 11:48AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Cops on Sibley and
7th. Tasers are out on Shepard and Randolph. Black bloc make total destroy everywhere. 11:47AM PDT: Sector 7: cops holding
on jackson and 6, protestors moving southbound. 11:44AM PDT: Sector 1 & 6 & 7: cops on Sibley and 7th in response
to breaking of windows 11:43AM PDT: Sector 5: 1 arrest at john ireland and kellogg, snatch squad 11:41AM PDT: TC IMC:
7th and Wall blockade has been cleared. report of cops on sibley/7th in response to breaking of windows ** COLDSNAP STREET
TEAM MEMBER ARRESTED BY SNATCH SQUAD **TAZERS DRAWN AT SHEPARD/RANDOLPH 11:40AM PDT: TC IMC: report that delegate busses
have detoured and are crossing the mississippi at wabasha street. ** police cut team has arrived at shepard/randolph blockade.
walking delegates in to security zone at wabasha and kellog. cops arriving. NEED SUPPORT 11:39AM PDT: Sector 1: 7th and
wall is cleared 11:37AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Arrest at 9th and Wacouta confirmed. Phones ringing off the hook, stuff
happening all over town. Go team go! 11:35AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 7th & Wabasha - legal observers being surrounded
by police blockade. 11:35AM PDT: Sector 1: 7th / wall arrested, pulled out of car and car being towed 11:34AM PDT:
Sector 3 & 4: Delegates being bused in on 7th and Chesmut 11:33AM PDT: Sector 6: Reinforcements needed at kellogg
and wabash- buses coming through 11:30AM PDT: Sector 2: reinforcements needed at kellogg and wabash- buses coming through
11:30AM PDT: Sector 1: 50 officers on bikes, etc, heading left on 94 in front of the armory 11:29AM PDT: Sector 2:
more busses coming over wabasha bridge 11:29AM PDT: Sector 3: more busses coming over wabasha bridge 11:28AM PDT:
Sector 1: 8th / wall successful blockade, riot cops moving in to break it up 11:27AM PDT: Sector 2: Pagans at Kellogg
and Cedar attempting to engage with delegate buses 11:27AM PDT: TC IMC: 20 pagans at kellogg/cedar stopping delegate busses.
** successful blockade at 8th and wall. cops moving in. 11:26AM PDT: TC IMC: windows OF DELEGATE BUS SMASHED ON KELLOGG
11:25AM PDT: TC IMC: New 7th and wall hard blockade. on 94 offramp 11:23AM PDT: TC IMC: Sherrif Bob Fletcher is personally
on site at John Ireland and Kellog confronting black bloc 11:23AM PDT: TC IMC: dance party at ceder and 6th splintering
a little, cops running in weird directions away from group. black bloc attacked kellog and john ireland 11:22AM PDT: TC
IMC: Dispatch back up! call 651.503.5661 to report. use wisely 11:21AM PDT: TC IMC: 5 arrested at 7th/wall - car barricade
** help needed at ireland kellogg blockade 11:21AM PDT: IMC: Bash back is holding the line at kellogg and summit, despite
being rammed by riot cops! ** cops surrounding vehicle at 7th/wall ** POLICE READYING GAS AT CEDAR/7TH at march 11:20AM
PDT: Sector 6: Breakaway march at wabasha and 6th not allowed to move anywhere but north 11:19AM PDT: Sector 5: Black
block moving with bash back, WINDOWS OF DELEGATE BUS SMASHED AT KELLOG 11:18AM PDT: ector 3: delegate transportation route
35e to st clair to lexington to 94 11:18AM PDT: Sector 4: delegate transportation route 35e to st clair to lexington to
94 11:17AM PDT: Sector 1: New 7th and wall hard blockade. on 94 offramp 11:16AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Kellogg and
Summit, 1 person being detained, several police on scene, legal observers needed 11:14AM PDT: Sector 5: black bloc being
attacked, legal observers requested at kellogg and john ireland 11:13AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Sheriff Bob Fletcher personally
on site at Kellogg and John Ireland. 11:13AM PDT: Sector 1: 94 and 7th still blocked, cops confirming wabasha bridge is
cleared, cops coming from 12th and wabasha 11:12AM PDT: Sector 5: Black bloc at St. Paul College parking lot near Kellogg
and John Ireland, sherriff is personally on site 11:11AM PDT: Sector 1 - 5 arrests @ 7th & Wall who were attached
to a car- 1 person still in 11:11AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 5 arrests @ 7th & Wall who were attached to a car- 1 person
still in 11:10AM PDT: Sector 1: Wall and 7th car barricade, car lockdown, 5 people arrested 11:09AM PDT: Sector 5:
Police bike cops on 11th and robert 11:08AM PDT: Help needed at blockade at ireland and kellog 11:02AM PDT: Cold Snap
Legal: Horses ramming Bash Back! line on Kellogg and Summit. BB! is successfully holding the line, blocked a bus. We love
y'all! 11:00AM PDT: 20 anarchists detained at 6th/wall. police attempting to cut locks at 7th/wall blockade 10:59AM
PDT: Black bloc is headed away from capitol down john ireland w/ riot cops. *** reports medics have been gassed today. ***
protesters have taken back the street at st. joseph and exchange - dancing like it's 1999! 10:58AM PDT: Riot cop lines
around "free speech zone". NEED MEDICS at wacouta and 8th/9th - national guard about to deploy gas 10:55AM PDT: Cold Snap
Legal: 6th and wall, 20 anarchists detained, bringing in investigation unit. Riot cops rushing in at Jackson and Minnesota,
no LOs there now. 10:55AM PDT: Report of fight with cops at 9th/wacouta and 1 officer down. 10:54AM PDT: Successful
lockdown on shepard rd! 10:53AM PDT: Protestors blocking traffic at 9th/wacouta. police sent to 7th/wall; another likely
blockade readying there. 10:52AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 8 and 9th on wacouta, National Guard and riot police about to deploy
gas. Journalists and medics have been pepper sprayed and gassed today. 10:45AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Confirmed sighting
of police preparing to use gas at 7th and Minnesota 10:44AM PDT: Cops indiscriminately pepper spraying at 7th and Minnesota
10:43AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 10th and Jackson is been succesfully blockaded, including cop buses! Also, cops regrouping
on Wabasha and 7th. 10:42AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Pepper spray used at 7th and minnesota, cops calling for backup. Cops
are going to use gas. More cops coming. LOs needed there now! 10:42AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Black bloc march on Kellogg
going toward Capitol, police staging on Rice & John Ireland. 10:39AM PDT: COPS ARE INDISCRIMINATELY USING TEAR GAS
AND PEPPER SPRAY AT 7TH AND MINNESOTA STREETS. HELP NEEDED ASAP: WATER, MEDICS. JOURNALISTS GASSED 10:38AM PDT: 10th and
Jackson street has been successfully blockaded by activists! 10:37AM PDT: Corporate media reports that Monica Bicking,
the released WC arrestee, was released with no charges filed. Sheriff Bob Fletcher attempted to interrogate her yesterday.
Bicking remained silent. 10:37AM PDT: Funk the war breakaway march is at 12th/I94 and wabasha area. cops trying to cork
march away. needs support! 10:36AM PDT: One more RNC Welcoming Committee arrest is confirmed. Total is 7; 6 in custody
10:35AM PDT: Sector 1 permitted meetup point is wacouta commons. ~40 activists there, one van of cops 10:33AM PDT:
Report that robert street is lined with cops from 10th street to the river. 10:32AM PDT: Busload of 50 national guard
unloaded into security perimeter by st. paul cathedral - kellogg and john ireland area 10:31AM PDT: Report of 3 people
breaching security perimeter at chestnut. 10:30AM PDT: Three arrests at smith and goodhue. thousands massing at capitol
building. macalester student march proceeding down summit ave with heavy police presence. still swat teams massing at smith
and grand on route to convergence center. 10:28AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Cops trying to kettle breakaway march past 12th
and Wabasha 10:28AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Undercovers and uniformed officers in bushes in park on downtown side of Smith
St bridge. How cliched is that? 10:21AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Funk the War breakaway march on I94 and wabasha - cops dispatched
to 7th and Wabasha. Nat'l Guard gathering near Cathedral. 10:20AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Pioneer Press reports Monica was
released with no charges filed 9:52AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 8 arrests 7th south of Grand, pepper spray used 9:48AM
PDT: Cold Snap Legal: 150 people on marshall near kellogg, st. paul confronted by police 9:47AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:
10 horse cops arrive at Smith and Grand. More cops arriving. Legal observers needed there now! 9:47AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal:
50 cops in 2 SWAT groups on Smith and Grand. Horses going south on Smith, SWAT teams going east on Grand - converging @ intersection
9:46AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Police blockade at Smith & Grand StP. 15 cop cars, 2 arrests so far 9:10AM PDT: Cold
Snap Legal: Van taken, 1 confirmed arrest. 6-7 plainclothes cops, MPD and Ramsey Cty marked cars. 8:51AM PDT: Cold Snap
Legal: Homeland Security SUVs & 1 car at 4th & Jackson St. Paul 8:38AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Random searches at
MLK Blvd & Market St. Legal observers wanted there. 8:37AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Grand & Snelling, riot police
gathering. Macalester Pres assured cops wouldn't be there; apparently false. Students prevented from marching. 8:30AM
PDT: TCIMC dispatch line is down for a few minutes. Getting it back up as soon as possible. Our team is first taking care
of the initial round of press conference on Western Ave. 4:14AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: No raid at Juliet St. Police destroyed,
then impounded activist's car. No arrests were made. 12:22AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: correction, police have not entered
house - St. Paul Police, ATF, and FBI agents are at the address 12:06AM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: Police raid at 1162 juliet,
st. paul. Related to RNC welcoming committee 10:53PM PDT: Cold Snap Legal: "Quiet night, but a big day tomorrow! Keep
it cool, keep it safe, and if the cops show up, keep your fucking mouth shut! We've got your back!" 9:57PM PDT: For updates
and to post news and requests from NOLA visit new orleans indymedia and us.indymedia.org 9:55PM PDT: Twin Cities Indymedia
stands in solidarity with the New Orleans region, about to be struck by Hurricane Gustav. 9:55PM PDT: NOLA Common Ground
has put out the first of many probable calls for help - they are seeking 2 way "walkie talkies" and other point-to-point radio
gear, and a great deal of other equipment. 9:54PM PDT: There will be a joint press conference regarding protests and actions
surrounding the RNC at 10am Monday. Speaking will be the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, the RNC Welcoming Committee,
Indymedia and others. 8:21PM PDT: Citing Hurricane Gustav, the RNC will be in session from approximately 3pm to approximately
5pm on Monday. No evening session. 8:18PM PDT: coldsnap legal: Convergence center staff asking folks to clear out for
now to avoid Imperial entaglements. 8:03PM PDT: No word yet on the Katrina survivors with the Poor People's march who
were arrested in St. Paul. 8:02PM PDT: Reports from anarchist aid workers and I-News collective members in New Orleans.
Handicapped people on the top of the list have yet to be evacuated. Activists digging in to continue to help after government
leaves. 8:01PM PDT: National Lawyers Guild has filed for an emergency temporary restraining order to stop police from
harassing reporters at RNC. 7:45PM PDT: One of the Welcoming Committee members picked up by the illegal raids on Saturday
morning has been released due to legal pressure. 7:43PM PDT: We will be reposting breaking news from
RNC Protests. Updates coming from Twin Cities IMC and ColdSnap Legal Support
ZEBRA 3 Report (my blog) has more articles on this
In what appears to be the first use of criminal charges under the 2002 Minnesota version of the Federal
Patriot Act, Ramsey County Prosecutors have formally charged 8 alleged leaders of the RNC Welcoming Committee with Conspiracy
to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism. Monica Bicking, Eryn Trimmer, Luce Guillen Givins, Erik Oseland, Nathanael Secor, Robert
Czernik, Garrett Fitzgerald, and Max Spector, face up to 7 1/2 years in prison under the terrorism enhancement charge which
allows for a 50% increase in the maximum penalty.
Without going into all of the supersecret ways that anarchists spot undercover cops in a crowd, these two men were pointed out as infiltrators
by reliable sources and then interviewed on camera. The two split up once they realized they were "made" and then one just
left the march all together.
Interview conducted at the the March For Our Lives in St. Paul, September 2nd, 2008:
The RNC Welcoming Committee wants to say thank you to all who have stood with us through these challenging
days, to all who have faced the brutal attacks and repressive intimidation of the police, and have still gone back to the
streets. Thanks to all who have made calls, sent emails, donated money, and expressed your outrage at these brutal attacks.
"Saturday morning my sister, Monica Bicking, and her boyfriend, Eryn Trimmer, were arrested in Minneapolis.
Monica was released on Sunday, but Eryn and others are still in custody, and the police will try to keep them detained as
long as possible."
Did you know that anarchists killed several police officers during the 1999 anti-WTO protests in Seattle?
No, you don't know that, because it never happened. But this is the kind of thing that many rank-and-file
police believe who have been trained to police summit protests, including the ongoing anti-RNC protests happening this week
in St. Paul, Minnesota. There were riots and lots of police violence in Seattle in 1999, but nobody was killed during those
protests. Yet, police officers doing anti-protest policing in many American cities have been told this lie about anarchists.
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.
Attached is a copy of the search warrant affidavit enabling the RNC Welcoming Committee raids. The
affidavit was released to the press before it was released to the defendants' lawyers.
The other major events unfolding now: * The under-pressure jail vigil supported by Coldsnap at the
Ramsey County Jail (Grove & Lafayette) * The heavy riot police (bearing the misnamed 'non lethal' array of weapons
including rubber bullets, gas canisters and concussion grenades) are guarding the Ripple Effect concert, Coldsnap estimates
120 riot police. There appear to be snipers on the MnDOT building - which is still less hazardous than trusting Carol Molnau
to keep our bridges up. [the government's sniper body count is much lower than the MnDOT body count these days.] * Something
is going on around Mears Park, Coldsnap reported @ 3:55 that 60-80 riot police at 8th & Wacouta Commons. Breaking @ 5
PM from one source: "a March for People's Lives is going to take place tonight from Mears Park to the Xcel. Already at least
500 protesters and just as many police. Riot, swat and bicycle." ***** Due to the extreme coolness of our readers, our
callout for an index of establishment activities for the remaining 2.5 days of the RNC has been answered quite rapidly. Anonymous
writes:
I'm working on collecting all of these calendars into one place (and will post again when I've got
it done, hopefully soon!), but if people need them right now here are the best ones: parties: http://www.politicalpartytime.org/upcoming/, private parties: http://vita.mn/find_event.php?open_tab=all&date=F&event_cat_id[]=325, public
events: http://vita.mn/find_event.php?open_tab=all&date=F&event_cat_id[]=328, and a map of all: http://www.startribune.com/infocenter/26881849.html, and official convention events: http://portal.gopconvention2008.com/
And another writes: I have begun creating a centralized calendar of official/establishment events
associated with/related to the RNC. It's available by going to this google calendar. I'm almost done with today's events and should have everything in by this evening. Enjoy crashing and covering the party!
--From your friendly activist neighborhood librarian :) [TCIMC Dispatch: thanks!! Google tracks yr data, tho, etc.]
More events for today: http://twincities.indymedia.org/2008/sep/rnc-events-scheduled-rest-today 4:00 Prayer Service hosted by Governor Rick Perry and the Texas delegation When Tue, Sep 2, 4pm
– 5pm Where Central Presbyterian Church, Saint Paul (map) Description A prayer service, hosted by Texas Governor
Rick Perry and the Texas delegation, will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 2, at the Central Presbyterian Church in Saint Paul.
The service will be led by Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. The Texas delegation has invited all other Gulf State delegations
to participate.
6:00pm Official Evening Program - Service When Tue, Sep 2, 6pm – 7pm Where Xcel Energy
Center (map) DescriptionJohn McCain’s commitment to his fellow Americans, a commitment forged in service to his country,
is one of the defining hallmarks of his life. Tuesday’s events will highlight John McCain’s record of service
and sacrifice and reflect his commitment to serving a cause greater than one’s own self-interest.
7:00pm African American Voter Reception When Tue, Sep 2, 7pm – 8pm Where Karma: 315
1st Ave, N. Minneapolis (map)
9:00pm Arab American Cultural Celebration When Tue, Sep 2, 9pm – 10pm Where Minneapolis
Convention Center: 1301 2nd Ave, S. Minneapolis (map)
Please join Phyllis Schlafly and the Republican Coalition for Life for a Life of the Party party. A
cocktail buffet reception Tuesday, September 2, 2008, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Crowne Plaza Hotel, 11 East Kellogg Boulevard,
St. Paul, Minnesota Honoring The Honorable Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska
SOME WEDNESDAY EVENTS 8:00am Ohio Delegate Breakfast WhenWed, Sep 3, 8am – 9am WhereRadisson
Plaza in Minneapolis (map)
12:00pm IAVA (Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America) Event WhenWed, Sep 3, 12pm – 1pm WhereMore
details to come (map) DescriptionIAVA will be organizing a care package assembly event on Wednesday afternoon and delegates
will be participating. *NOTE: The event time is still TBD, but is tentatively scheduled for 12 pm – 3 pm on Wednesday
Afternoon.
2:00pm New York Delegate Lunch WhenWed, Sep 3, 2pm – 3pm WhereMarriott City Center (map)
Comms returns to full power as reported by Anonymous. Way to go! w0w all around. TIN CAN COMMS COLLECTIVE IS BACK UP! Submitted by Anonymous
on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 15:40. THEY CAN'T STOP THE FREQUENCY! Tin Can is back up and running! The number is the same
1-651-314-7836. Now the only functioning info group is RNC08 if you want that text Follow RNC08 and send it to 40404
Repeated attacks on the civil liberties of independent press and activists before and during the
election process emerge as a pattern during the days leading up to the Republican National Convention. The FBI and Minneapolis
police continue attacks on independent journalists in the days leading up to the Republican National Convention, obstructing
coverage of important concurrent events. On Saturday morning an FBI officer and a chief deputy from the Douglas County Sheriff’s
dept. along with approximately 30 St. Paul police officers bearing firearms, tasers, pepper spray and at least one AR-15 surrounded
a house where members of I-Witness Video Collective and journalist Elizabeth Press from Democracy Now were meeting. National
Lawyer’s Guild Legal Observer Sarah Coffey was detained in handcuffs outside the building while acting as a liaison
with the police.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (August 30, 2008) – Occupants of the building did not consent to a search and were forced
to lock themselves in the building. At approximately 3:00 p.m. (CDT) police officers tried to serve a warrant that had the
wrong address. After being denied entry they stormed the building through the attic by gaining access to an adjacent property.
The warrant covered all of journalistic equipment including privileged notes, computers, cameras, video tapes and communication
devices. People inside were forcefully detained, photographed and police made a record of their names and addresses. After
a 45 minute search the police released all detainees and left without seizing any of the equipment. Five other members of
I-Witness video who were not present at the house were also simultaneously detained. Three of them detained as they were riding
their bicycles a mile away from the scene of the search and the other two as they were driving in a car. The three-hour detainment
stopped the media group from documenting three other raids happening simultaneously against activist groups in Minneapolis
and St Paul.
This follows an incident from earlier this week when three members of Glass Bead Collective were illegally detained and
had their equipment and notes confiscated by the Minneapolis police.
I-Witness Video is an independent media group using video to protect civil liberties. During the 2004 Republican National
Convention in NYC, video evidence provided by I-Witness Video exonerated 400 arrestees by exposing lies stated by the NYPD
in sworn legal affidavits
I'm outraged ....
by St. Paul law enforcement's overly aggressive and violent tactics to stifle independent
journalism.
Yesterday, police in St. Paul arrested several journalists, including Democracy Now!
host Amy Goodman and an AP photographer as they were covering protests of the Republican National Convention. Get involved
in this campaign by demanding that press intimidation cease immediately, and that all charges be dropped.
Police in St. Paul arrested several journalists yesterday, including Democracy Now!
host Amy Goodman and an AP photographer as they were covering protests of the Republican National Convention. And earlier
this weekend, police raided a meeting of the video journalists' group I-Witness with firearms drawn to arrest independent
media, bloggers and videomakers.
Fill out the form below to demand that press intimidation cease immediately and that all
charges be dropped. Your message will be delivered to:
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman
Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner
St. Paul City Attorney John Choi
Host Committee of the Republican National Convention
Update from the streets, first aid stations and clinics at the protests
Minneapolis-St. Paul RNC
A number of Street Medics from Portland were arrested on Monday afternoon
(Sep 1st) while tending to injured protesters. All of them belong to one affinity group which has been participating in the
actions as a unit of Street Medics acting together.
About half were released by evening, while a few individuals among
them are still being held. They have been singled out for "special procedures". Legal support and lawyers are trying to help
out with their case as it seems to be a unique situation wherein the Street Medics might be charged with unusual (and outrageous)
offenses.
If you have any funds to help with bail money and related expenses for the Street Medics, please email us
at this address: street.medix@portland-or.net
Everything you give will go toward enabling us to continue doing much needed Movement work and providing essential
community service.
Denver DNC
Street Medics from Portland constituted about one third of the total numbers
of Street Medics at Denver during the week of activities there. Added to Street Medics from Olympia and Seattle, WA, our Medics
from the NW constituted about one half of all the Street Medics in Denver. At the end of the week some of us continued on
to Minneapolis-St. Paul while others returned to Portland.
During the week of protests in Denver we treated hundreds
of injured people and took into our care an unexpected number of activists with additional health concerns, both related and
unrelated to the events, plus tended to people with various illnesses as well as some difficult cases with chronic conditions.
We treated injuries from pepper bullets, pepperspray, beatings, strangleholds, clubbing, cuts, scrapes, bruises, handcuff
injuries, exhaustion, dehydration, heat illness, exposure to the elements, asthma attacks, psychological emergencies, and
some serious medical emergencies.
None of us were hurt or arrested, though most of us experienced the direct threat
of both, frequently. A few of us sustained minor injuries from pepperspray, pulled muscles, sprains, and suffered exhaustion.
Some of our Street Medics were temporarily detained by Police during raids and events on the streets but all in all most of
those tense situations were resolved well.
We will issue another communique when we have more information to share
with you.
Many thanks for your love and support for our work, and also for your letters and phonecalls with concern
and care - it's your support that enables us to continue.
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Protesters attacked delegates, smashed windows, punctured car tires and threw bottles
Monday, a violent counterpoint to an otherwise peaceful anti-war march at the Republican National Convention.
Police wielding pepper spray arrested at least 283 people, of which 129 were felonies, 51 gross misdemeanors
and 103 misdemeanor arrests.
The trouble happened not far from the Xcel Energy Center convention site, and many of those involved
in the more violent protest were clad in black and identified themselves to reporters as anarchists. They wrought havoc by
damaging property and setting at least one fire. Most of the trouble was in pockets of a neighborhood near downtown, several
blocks from where the convention was taking place.
But the main antiwar march was peaceful, police said, estimating about 10,000 people participated.
Late Monday afternoon, long after the antiwar marchers had dispersed, police requested and got 150 Minnesota National Guard
soldiers to help control splinter groups near downtown.
Five people were arrested for lighting a trash bin on fire and pushing it into a police car, St. Paul
police spokesman Tom Walsh said. Authorities didn't have immediate details on the other arrests.
At least four journalists were among those detained, including Associated Press photographer Matt Rourke
and Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!, a nationally syndicated public radio and TV news program. Goodman was intervening
on behalf of two producers for her program, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar, when she was arrested, said Mike Burke,
another producer.
Walsh said he had no immediate information on the four.
The antiwar march was organized by a group called the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War,
whose leaders said they hoped for a peaceful, family-friendly event. But police were on high alert after months of preparations
by a self-described anarchist group called the RNC Welcoming Committee, which wasn't among the organizers of the march.
"Unfortunately today, a very small handful of individuals decided to break the law, damage property,
and put people's safety at risk," Mayor Chris Coleman said.
About 180 protesters who weren't part of the march caused trouble, St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington
said.
Protesters, many who were dressed all in black and covered their faces with bandanas or gas masks,
broke windows, tipped over newspaper boxes, pulled trash bins into the street, threw bottles, bent rearview mirrors on a bus,
flattened tires, and attempted to block intersections by joining hands.
Some protesters were seen lying on an interstate exit ramp to block traffic in downtown St. Paul and
linking arms to block other roads.
At one point, people pushed a trash bin filled with trash and threw garbage in the streets and at cars.
They also took down orange detour road signs. One of them used a screwdriver to puncture the back tire of a limousine waiting
at an intersection and threw a wooden board at the vehicle, denting its side. Another hurled a glass bottle at a charter bus
that had stopped at an intersection. The bottle smashed into pieces but didn't appear to damage the bus.
After the official march ended, police spent hours dispersing smaller groups of protesters, employing
officers on horses, smoke bombs and pepper spray.
Protesters put eye drops in each other's eyes after police used chemical irritants such as pepper spray
and tear gas. Some wore bandanas and masks to protect themselves.
Terry Butts, a former Alabama Supreme Court justice who is a convention delegate, was on a bus taking
delegates to the arena when a brick through the window sprayed glass on him and two others. Butts said he wasn't hurt.
"It just left us a little shaken," he said. "It was sort of a frightening moment because it could have
been a bomb or a Molotov cocktail."
Organizers of the antiwar march had hoped 50,000 people would turn out for the march. One of the largest
rallies in the Twin Cities in recent history was a 2006 immigration rights protest in Minneapolis that drew about 35,000.
UPDATE 9:15 AM: From the WC: Three house raids occurring: 2301 23rd Ave. S., 3500 Harriet Avenue, 3240 17th Ave. S. Lawyers
and legal observers at each scene.
UPDATE 8:52 AM: 3500 Harriet Avenue MPLS has just been raided by police according to a reliable source.
We are receiving credible reports (just confirmed again) that a house helping with food (Food Not Bombs) has been raided
by the police, and possibly another house as well. NLG attorneys are on the way to these houses, and we have heard that the
police are using the same search warrants as they did last night.
Last night, CUAPB president Michelle Gross and CUABP vice president Darryl Robinson were among many people
detained during the convergence space raid. Upon returning home after the raid, they found their garage and Darryl's car had
been broken into. Nothing of value was taken but boxes of documents were clearly opened and gone through and many items were
moved around. The activists believe strongly this invasion of their privacy is a direct result of their work and that it was
probable that it occurred while they were at the convergence space.
Despite this action and their detention at the convergence space, both activists remain committed to continuing their work
through Communities United Against Police Brutality, including copwatch at events throughout the RNC.
We have also heard that the convergence space raid was carried out by the Ramsey County Sheriff's office, not the St. Paul police, and local City Council member Dave Thune was on the scene. Reportedly Thune said that the county
had no authority to try to shut down the convergence center on the basis of a fire code violation.
4,000 Protesters Try to Break Down RNC Fence After Rage Against the Machine Concert
Rage
Against the Machine plays impromptu concert outside Capitol
Last Edited: Tuesday, 02 Sep 2008, 10:03 PM CDT
Created: Tuesday, 02 Sep 2008, 7:42 PM CDT
Clouds of tear gas surround crowds of protesters, media and police in riot
gear on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2008. Protesters marched toward the Republican National Convention After a Rage Against the Machine
appearance at the State Capitol.
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A group of about 4,000 protesters are trying to break down the security
fences at 5th and 7th, near the northwest entrance to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
The protesters marched toward the
RNC from the State Capitol after an impromptu Rage Against the Machine concert.
Arrests
stats
At least 10 people were arrested
Tuesday. Added to the 284 arrests Monday, the number of RNC protest arrests is nearing 300.
Homemade
bombs explode
Near Mickey's Diner, protesters exploded
three homemade bombs near police. officers responded with tear gas and smoke bombs.
Rage concert through megaphone
St. Paul police shut down the concert,
which didn't stop band members Zack de la Rocha and Tom Morello from
shouting lyrics to songs like “Bulls on Parade” through a megaphone.
Rage Against The Machine
played a free show on the State Capitol lawn as part of the Ripple Effect music festival.
Rumor circulated Tuesday night that
a member of Rage Against the Machine was arrested, but police told FOX 9 they had no confirmed arrest of a band member.
Protester
scales fence along perimeter
Around
7:50 p.m. police reported a protester had climbed over the fenced perimeter around the Xcel Energy Center.
Protests began Tuesday with about 2,000 in the Poor People’s march in St. Paul,
blocks from the Republican National Convention.
Protesting an arrest
Police tried to arrest the first
protester before a surge of others moved in, protesting the arrest.
Police were concerned because about
30 anarchists latched onto the march, organized by the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign
“Don’t take over our
parade,” an organizer told anarchists. “We have a point here about poor people in America."
The
original plan
The rally started at Mears Park,
about nine blocks away from the RNC, before a planned march to the Xcel Energy Center where they planned to serve Republicans
with a "citizens' arrest."
Hospital
on lockdown
St. Joseph's Hospital was placed
on lockdown from about 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. due to a large protester presence.
e-mail: 
homepage: 
Take action on this important campaign at:
The second day of the RNC presented more of the same repressive tactics and mass arrests by the police and national guard. 
Play Video
irritated
Gee, sorry I missed it.