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RNC convention in Minneapolis starts with federally supported house raid campaign on hippies by Thom Jefferson Aug 31, 2008 At least 4 house raids and 50 people initially detained during the raids with only 2 or 3 leading to arrest. Nothing 'harmful' found in these raids. Lawyers being cuffed and detained. Journalists having equipment confiscated. Citizens told to stay in home or be arrested. |
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These aren't people with molotov cocktails being raided. While there have been some legitimate raids, the newest batch seem to be treading heavily on our constitutional rights. One house involved claims that they were told to stay inside or be arrested. No warrant had been served- just scare tactics on the people. Another group raided were responsible for providing evidence from the 2004 RNC that cleared up at least 400 people falsely arrested. In addition, they uncovered evidence of perjury among those testifying in those hearings. During the latest arrests and detainings, lawyers have been cuffed for no reason, journalists have had equipment confiscated so they can't do their job. ...In the land of the free. Where we have thousands of troops fighting for our freedom to peacefully assemble and protest such atrocities. Video and updated commentary can also be found here: http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/08/31/raids/index.html |
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(2008-08-31 21:30:12) Protesters here in Minneapolis have been targeted by a series of highly intimidating, sweeping police raids across the city, involving teams of 25-30 officers in riot gear, with semi-automatic weapons drawn, entering homes of those suspected of planning protests, handcuffing and forcing them to lay on the floor, while law enforcement officers searched the homes, seizing computers, journals, and political pamphlets. Last night, members of the St. Paul police department and the Ramsey County sheriff's department handcuffed, photographed and detained dozens of people meeting at a public venue to plan a demonstration, charging them with no crime other than "fire code violations," and early this morning, the Sheriff's department sent teams of officers into at least four Minneapolis area homes where suspected protesters were staying. There is clearly an intent on the part of law enforcement authorities here to engage in extreme and highly intimidating raids against those who are planning to protest the Convention. The DNC in Denver was the site of several quite ugly incidents where law enforcement acted on behalf of Democratic Party officials and the corporate elite that funded the Convention to keep the media and protesters from doing anything remotely off-script. But the massive and plainly excessive preemptive police raids in Minnesota are of a different order altogether. Targeting people with automatic-weapons-carrying SWAT teams and mass raids in their homes, who are suspected of nothing more than planning dissident political protests at a political convention and who have engaged in no illegal activity whatsoever, is about as redolent of the worst tactics of a police state as can be imagined. From the above link. Wow- it's just sad. This is the freedom our soldiers are fighting for? To the piss bucket people- that's just not cool and you deserve to be arrested for showing your disdain in that manner. This by no means should bring open season on anyone with a thought! | |
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(2008-08-31 22:00:17) Inside an RNC Raid By: Lindsay Beyerstein Saturday August 30, 2008 12:59 pm Thanks to the miracle of cellular technology, I was able to talk to a homeowner while his home was surrounded by police conducting an RNC-related raid. At approximatedly two-thirty this afternoon, I reached Mike Whelan, a waiter and army veteran, at his duplex at 951 Iglehart Ave. in St. Paul, Minnesota. Whelan said he'd invited independent observers from the group LegalWatch stay in one half of his side-by-side duplex while they monitored RNC protests. Whelan described himself as a supporter of the RNC demonstrations, but said he is not affiliated with any particular group. "I want to build a country that's based on good social values," he explained. ... http://firedoglake.com/2008/08/30/inside-an-rnc-raid/ | |
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(2008-08-31 22:24:36) ..and the slime trail continues. At the DNC, right next to where Obama is campaigning to "clean it up"- is a lavish party for the Blue Dog Dems thrown by one of our larger telcoms. The thing is- there aren't any press allowed. Invite only. What's wrong with the picture? Well- our elected officials work for us- not big corporations. At this celebratory event- no one interviewed in the following videos would comment on what they are attending. That in itself is shady. Why should a meeting between a corporation and our elected leaders be private and without press? Especially when the corporation throwing the party has been in the news as one that stomped on our constitutional rights for the Bush administration? -Vids of the Blue Dog Dems party guests unable to answer why they are at a party: http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/08/25/blue_dogs/index.html *Blue Dog Dem definition at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Dog_Democrats | |
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(2008-09-01 12:42:57) From TwinCities.com... * Three videographers with the Glass Bead Collective, a group that documents police activities at rallies and demonstrations and has supplied video in court cases, were detained and their cameras confiscated during a police stop in northeast Minneapolis early Tuesday. * A cameraman with KSTP-TV was barred by the U.S. Secret Service and Minneapolis police from filming a protest at the Minneapolis HUD headquarters in which three people were arrested. * Darryl Robinson, a member of Communities United Against Police Brutality, was "viciously attacked" by Minneapolis police while he was observing officers outside of a homeless shelter, he said. "Hopefully we're going to have freedom of the press, and that reporters will not be man-handled just because they want to cover the story," Honkala said. | |
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(2008-09-01 13:04:14) http://twitter.com/coldsnaplegal Jackson & Kellogg 1 detained, another on 1st & Sibley less than 20 seconds ago from web 2 more arrests @ 5th & Minnesota, horse cops running people over @ Kellogg & Wabasha, cops surrounding ppl @ Kellogg & Sibley 2 minutes ago from web Ramsey Cty jail on lockdown - no lawyers allowed inside. St. Joseph hospital also on lockdown, denying people water. 4 minutes ago from web | |
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(2008-09-01 13:16:59) http://twitter.com/coldsnaplegal Jackson & Kellogg 1 detained, another on 1st & Sibley less than 20 seconds ago from web 2 more arrests @ 5th & Minnesota, horse cops running people over @ Kellogg & Wabasha, cops surrounding ppl @ Kellogg & Sibley 2 minutes ago from web Ramsey Cty jail on lockdown - no lawyers allowed inside. St. Joseph hospital also on lockdown, denying people water. 4 minutes ago from web | |
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(2008-09-01 13:55:46) SWAT team at Kellogg between Minnesota and Cedar; tear gas, concussion grenades reported http://twitter.com/coldsnaplegal Live video coverage at http://theuptake.org/ | |
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(2008-09-01 14:14:37) SWAT team at Kellogg between Minnesota and Cedar; tear gas, concussion grenades reported http://twitter.com/coldsnaplegal Live video coverage at http://theuptake.org/ | |
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(2008-10-03 17:25:31) this sort of thing doesn't just happen at conventions or rallies. It happens in small towns across the country. I am a law abiding citizen who has worked for the post office in my town for about 20 years, I have raised 3 children, owned rental property, and own my home. I am a taxpayer. I come home from shopping and find my son's car in my driveway with a police car behind him. I get out of my car and asked what was going on, only to be told to stay away from the vehicle. I turn to go back to my car making the comment that I am a taxpayer and deserve to know why there is a police car in my driveway. I properly park my car and proceed to bring my groceries in my home, another police car pulls up and the cop gets out saying "here's you taxpayer dollars hard at work", I shake my head and go inside, I come back out and get more bags, go inside, let dogs out, come back outside to make sure I have all my groceries and to my surprise there are 5, yes 5 !, police cars in front of my house. I'm standing on my front step and with hands raised "why are there so may cops here", a police officer told me to go in the house, I said no, i'm going to finish getting my groceries, he said "go inside or I'll arrest you!" I'm taken aback, step back up on the step and say "this is my home", my son gets out of his car at this time because he's concerned with me , 4 cops jump him, i turn to go in the house saying this is Bull----!, I'm calling the chief of police! they grab my arm and pull me down on the step and cuff me. My son and I were both arrested and when we were being brought into the station I was told it was my fault because of my attitude and again they stated that this is my hard earned taxpayer dollars at work. The officer inside the station said to my son "Augh!, did you fall down and get a boo boo!" My son has his p.o. box # on his license and when he handed it to the officer, the comment was made - how do you fit in your p.o. box - in other words he shouldn't have is p.o. as his address on his license, why would the dmv permit it if it was illegal. My son was harrassed all night over this. His ticket stated he failed to change his address on his license, which isn't true, and mechanical issues with his car. All of the above happened right at my home while I was carrying in groceries - what does this tell you about the state of affairs in this country! | |
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(2008-11-04 21:19:39) RE: (2008-10-03 17:25:31) Why was your son being questioned by the police? Was there a reason they were called? | |