National Call for Action to Stop Police Brutality at the Republian
National Convention!

Support 300 people arrested in Saint Paul! Demand an end to illegal
detention and brutality in Ramsey County Jail!

9/3/08, St. Paul – Approximately 300 people have been arrested for
participating in demonstrations since the beginning of the Republican
National Convention. The majority of arrestees remain in custody and are
being held in inhumane conditions. Of the 300 arrested, approximately 120
have been accused of trumped-up felony charges by police; many of them are
being held illegally beyond Minnesota’s 36-hour limit on detentions
without formal charges.

All people who value democracy and fear for the erosion of our
constitution, regardless of political affiliation, are called upon to
demand an end to this egregious denial of constitutional and human rights.
Prisoners have reported being denied medical treatment and essential
medications, and many are engaged in a hunger strike to pressure the
sheriffs to give them critical care. Many are being held in 23 hours/day
lockdown and/or have not been allowed to meet with lawyers or make phone
calls – especially trans prisoners. Several prisoners have been able to
reach legal support to report brutal physical assaults by multiple
corrections officers. The constitutional and legal rights of all
prisoners are being denied across the board, with no apparent end to this
outrageous treatment.

Please call the following offices and continue calling until all arrestees
have been released:

St. Paul Mayor – Chris Coleman (651.266.8510)
Head of Ramsey County Jail – Capt. Ryan O’Neil (651.266-9350 ext 1)
Ramsey County Sheriff – Bob Fletcher (651.266.9333)
County Chief Judge Gearin (651.266.8266)

Demand the following:
Immediate medical attention as needed for ALL arrestees;
That the prisoners who haven’t given their names (Jane & John Does and
Jesse Sparkles) have access to group meetings with a lawyer in jail;
Dismissal of all charges;
Release of all minors; and
Ensure trans prisoners have access to phone and attorneys, and are held in
gender group of their choice.

Donate!
Money is needed to help cover legal costs and get people out of jail. Any
amount you can give is greatly appreciated. To donate by Pay Pal visit
https://coldsnaplegal.wordpress.com and click on the donate button.

For more details and up-to-date information about jail conditions and
prisoner status, please see:

http://coldsnaplegal.wordpress.com/

http://twincities.indymedia.org/

Visit St. Paul in September 2008!

http://www.nornc.org

Witnesses report the four were dancing and singing. After breaking out in one dance, two attempted to crawl under the bottom of the fence at the corner of 6th and Market in solidarity with the vets who were arrested for the same activity a few days ago.

“Freedom of Speech should not be caged,” they were chanting. “We should not be caged.”

As has become typical of the actions here in St. Paul, mass numbers of police emerged.

Mancias and Fairooz began tying pink ribbons and bows to the fences as the cops appeared—although not, one witness noted, in full riot gear. They began pushing people with batons and CODEPINK’s Jodie Evans and Dana Balicki began reminding bystanders to remain peaceful.

CODEPINKers were singing “Give Peace a Chance,” and flashing the cops the peace symbol. The media swarmed.

During the hubub, “Desiree and Nancy just scooted themselves under the fence,” Balicki said.

The crowd has now moved back across from the St. Paul hotel. A large crowd has gathered and is now singing and chanting, “End the Occupation.”

police have indiscriminately used rubber bullets, concussion grenades, and chemical irritants to disperse crowds and incapacitate protesters. Police appear to be specifically targeting videographers documenting these police abuses. By the end of the day today, only 12 people had been arraigned. . . . . “These tactics are designed to protect the most vulnerable people in jail, and take a page from the history of labor solidarity,” said Rick Kelley of Coldsnap Legal Collective, an activist-based legal collective supporting the arrestees. . . .

In an unusual court decision, Ramsey County Judge Paulette K. Flynn today convicted two minors of criminal contempt for refusing to provide their identity. The two minors were then sentenced to 30 days in an adult jail facility. “This decision undermines one of the most fundamental human rights concepts in the justice system, to protect the rights and safety of children,” said Jordan Kushner, Mass Defense Committee Chair of the National Lawyers Guild’s Minnesota chapter, and an attorney for one of the minors. “This shows the willingness of the courts to go to any length, including sacrificing the most important due process rights, to answer to the political pressure to persecute activists.”

More here.

[I meant, actually, to provide an actual list of news stories on these matters but I haven't found terribly many that aren't insulting, replete with gross inaccuracies, or devoted exclusively to Amy Goodman, who has now been released. Sorry!]

Day Two Diary, Part One

Day Two Diary, Part Two

new photos up here: http://flickr.com/photos/anneelizabethmoore

more arrests appear to be in progress.