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Zebra 3 Report by Joe Anybody
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Protests Ramping up ...well I do think so
Mood:
 chatty
Now Playing: Londons Calling
Topic: PROTEST!
Published on 02-22-2009 http://blacklistednews.com/?news_id=3425 Source: Guardian Britain faces summer of rage - police Scenes such as those seen in London in January when protestors clashed with mounted riot police at a protest over Israel's action in Gaza could become more common sights in the UK. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images Police are preparing for a "summer of rage" as victims of the economic downturn take to the streets to demonstrate against financial institutions, the Guardian has learned.Britain's most senior police officer with responsibility for public order raised the spectre of a return of the riots of the 1980s, with people who have lost their jobs, homes or savings becoming "footsoldiers" in a wave of potentially violent mass protests.Superintendent David Hartshorn, who heads the Metropolitan police's public order branch, told the Guardian that middle-class individuals who would never have considered joining demonstrations may now seek to vent their anger through protests this year. He said that banks, particularly those that still pay large bonuses despite receiving billions in taxpayer money, had become "viable targets". So too had the headquarters of multinational companies and other financial institutions in the City which are being blamed for the financial crisis.
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 2:31 PM PST
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Shoes Thrown in Iraq
Mood:
 incredulous
Now Playing: Sign petition for the release of Muntather Al-zaidi
Topic: PROTEST!
By Najlaa A. Al-Nashi, with Noah Baker Merrill It was only a few seconds - the shoes were flying toward President Bush, and with them a huge insult in Iraqi tradition. You may have heard the news that an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at the American president, but as an Iraqi I'd like to share with you a few details about the journalist, and why he did that. Muntather Al-Zaidi, the journalist mentioned in the reports, is 28 years old. He is from the Southern city of Nasiriyah, and lives in Baghdad. He works for the Egyptian-owned Al-Baghdadiya channel, but he is Iraqi. Muntather is well-known among those who know him as being against the occupation. Several months ago, he promised his brother that, if he was ever selected to interview President Bush, he would throw his shoes at him as a sign of his outrage and opposition to Bush's role in the suffering of his people and the destruction of his country. At the time, his brother thought it was nothing more than words spoken in an angry moment. Muntather's last reporting assignment, which ran last month, was an investigation of the conditions for Iraqi widows and orphans. As a result of three wars, the rule of a dictator, devastating sanctions, and a disastrous occupation, it is estimated that 5 million children are without at least one of their parents and there are 1.5 million widows. As he prepared this report, he was deeply impacted by what he saw, and he can be seen crying in the film that was broadcast in Iraq. Now let's have a look at what's going on in Iraq, and how these events are viewed among Iraqis: At Baghdad University and Al Mustansiriya University, students have refused to study or attend classes. Instead, they are protesting and asking for the release of Muntather by Iraqi security forces. From all over the world, Iraqis are sending messages thanking Muntather and his family for their son's message. In TV interviews and with phone calls, Iraqis are expressing their support of his actions. Many Iraqis inside and outside their country are saying that "for each action there is a reaction". Bush hurt everyone, they say, and so why is he surprised when he is met with an angry and insulting response on behalf of the people of Iraq? In Iraq, the traditional community is deeply rooted in tribal relationships. Whether Sunni or Shi'i (and some tribes contain members of both sects), in Iraqi tradition if a member of a tribe takes an action or is in trouble, members of his tribe will represent him and will be responsible for supporting him. But in Muntather's case, tribal leaders from throughout Iraq, from the North to South and from East to West, have claimed him as their son. They have said that they want him released safe and sound, offering to pay whatever fine the government will set for him. Muntather's actions have, for these days, united Sunnis, Shiites, and Christians. It united Iraqis as Iraqis. And it only took a few seconds. Sunni and Shiite tribal leaders have publicly asked that Muntather not be referred to using his tribal affiliation (Muntather Al-Zaidi), because they believe his tribal affiliation now encompasses all the tribes of Iraq: They've asked for him to be referred to as "Muntather Al-Iraqi" (Muntather the Iraqi). At the same time, the tribal leaders have said that they hope it is now clear that they have only one enemy - the occupation of Iraq. The Iraqi response shows clearly that Muntather's actions have triggered a deep release in Iraqi society. It gives an indication to the outside world how much so many Iraqis oppose the occupation and the ongoing presence of foreign troops in their country, but have been without a voice that cut through the walls of silence and the filtered mainstream media. 
It is important to be clear that this action by a single man does not arise from his role as a journalist, or from some specific incident or time in his life. It comes from an Iraqi man who, like all of his people, has suffered greatly from occupation, from the actions of mercenaries like those employed by Blackwater Worldwide, from the torture of Iraqis by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison and elsewhere, and from the sectarian violence that the occupation has cultivated, fueled, and allowed to thrive. Muntather himself was kidnapped a few months ago, though thankfully he was released alive. Now let's stop to analyze the situation. Why do so many Iraqis consider Muntather "their son", and why are they calling him a hero? Why are people printing his photo and distributing it in many parts of Iraq as a symbol to promote Iraqi courage and freedom? His actions expressed the same anger and pain they feel. But his actions gave it a voice, and in that one small action he lit a spark in them that reminds them of their history and their dignity. His symbolic act of protest told the whole story, cutting through the carefully constructed image that has been built by Bush and his supporters since they defied the UN and the world to invade and occupy Iraq. Getting back to responses: More than 200 Iraqi and Arab lawyers have volunteered to defend him in Iraqi courts, if they are given that opportunity. One Iraqi businessman signed a blank check and called on Munthather to make it out for any amount, as long as the businessman could receive the shoes that Muthather threw. Another man from Saudi Arabia offered 10 million dollars for the shoes. Muntather's nephew is about 6 years old. He was shown on video carrying another pair of his uncle's shoes, and he told Al-Baghdadiya Channel that he was prepared to throw this second pair of shoes, too, if they wouldn't release his uncle. In Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, there have been strong expressions of support, including protests and celebrations. Many Iraqis are saying that the situation in Iraq now is like it was before the revolution in 1920 which threw out the British occupying forces. They're saying that Muntather might be a spark for a new revolution in his country. In recent days, there have been protests all over Iraq asking for Muntather's release. Crowds in Najaf threw shoes at occupying forces. The streets of Iraq are filled with anger as people learn that Muntather has been beaten and tortured while in the custody of US-supported Iraqi forces. Yesterday in Jordan, a good Iraqi friend of mine got into a taxi cab. For Iraqi refugees in Jordan, riding in a cab often means insults, scorn, and disdain from Jordanians and Palestinians unhappy to have so many Iraqis seeking refuge in their country. But this time, it was different. The cab driver treated her with respect. Recognizing her Iraqi accent, he said he'd take her anywhere she wanted to go, and he would do it with pleasure, because she was one of the "shoe throwers". His case is not just a personal case - it is a national concern. Yesterday parliament had a meeting to help in releasing him. The news yesterday was that within two days he would likely be released, after having paid the fine for his actions under Iraqi law - 200 Iraqi dinars, or, after the catastrophic collapse of the Iraqi economy in recent years, less than twenty US cents. Today, though, the situation remains tense, and has worsened. The Iraqi government says he will likely have to serve 7-15 years in jail, with no possibility of paying a fine to be released. But in spite of this news, it does seem as if they will have to release him soon. If they don't, they risk losing the tenuous control they have in many parts of Iraq. Muntather's actions could serve as a spark bringing Iraqis to unite to oppose the occupation and the US-supported government. Anyone who knows Iraqi history knows very well what the anger of the tribes can do. Before the British were thrown out of Iraq in 1920, there was a recently-signed agreement on the status of occupying forces in the country. Under the pressure of a sustained national uprising opposing foreign occupation, the troops left far sooner than the British occupiers had hoped. It may well be that the agreement that Bush and Nouri Al-Maliki signed just before the "moment of the shoes" will fail before 2011, following the same course. Many Iraqis today hope so. Meanwhile, Muntather is still in jail, where he has suffered serious injuries, including what are likely a broken hand and arm, an injury to his eye, and possibly to his legs. Today there were protests in many of Iraq's governorates demanding his release. I remember, in the early days of 2003, it was said that invading US troops would be "greeted with flowers". No one said anything about how Iraqis would say farewell to Bush and his occupation. Please take a moment to sign this petition demanding Muntather's immediate release from Iraqi security forces.
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 6:36 PM PST
Updated: Wednesday, 17 December 2008 6:38 PM PST
Sunday, 23 November 2008
Wikipedia discription of the words "direct action"
Mood:
 mischievious
Now Playing: Direct action and understanding the words and their meaning
Topic: PROTEST!
A Z3 Report Direct action http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_action Direct action tactics have been around for as long as conflicts have existed, but the theory of direct action developed primarily in the context of labor struggles. Lenin discussed changes in the aims of Direct action in Certain Features of the Historical Development of Marxism in 1910.[2] In his 1920 book, Direct Action, William Mellor placed direct action firmly in the struggle between worker and employer for control "over the economic life of society." Mellor defined direct action "as the use of some form of economic power for securing of ends desired by those who possess that power." Mellor considered direct action a tool of both owners and workers and for this reason he included within his definition lockouts and cartels, as well as strikes and sabotage. However, by this time the American anarchist and feminist Voltairine de Cleyre had already given a strong defense of direct action, linking it with struggles for civil rights:"...the Salvation Army, which was started by a gentleman named Bob Luker was vigorously practising direct action in the maintenance of the freedom of its members to speak, assemble, and pray. Over and over they were arrested, fined, and imprisoned ... till they finally compelled their persecutors to let them alone." (de Cleyre, undated) By the middle of the 20th century, the sphere of direct action had undoubtedly expanded, though the meaning of the term had perhaps contracted. Most campaigns for social change—notably those seeking suffrage, improved working conditions, civil rights, abortion rights, an end to gentrification,and environmental protection—employ at least some types of violent or nonviolent direct action.The anti-nuclear movement used direct action, particularly during the 1980s. Groups opposing the introduction of cruise missiles into the United Kingdom employed tactics such as breaking into and occupying United States air bases, and blocking roads to prevent the movement of military convoys and disrupt military projects. In the U.S., mass protests opposed nuclear energy, weapons, and military intervention throughout the decade, resulting in thousands of arrests. Many groups also set up semi-permanent "peace camps" outside air bases such as Molesworth and Greenham Common, and at the Nevada Test Site.Anti-globalization activists made headlines around the world in 1999, when they forced the Seattle WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 to end early with direct action tactics such as blocking traffic and destroying property.One of the largest direct actions in recent years took place in San Francisco the day after the Iraq War began in 2003. Twenty-thousand people occupied the streets and over 2,000 people were arrested in affinity group actions throughout downtown San Francisco, home to military-related corporations such as Bechtel. (See March 20, 2003 anti-war protest).Direct action has also been used on a smaller scale. Refugee Salim Rambo was saved from being flown from the UK back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo when one person stood up on his flight and refused to sit down. After a two hour delay the man was arrested, but the pilot refused to fly with Rambo on board. Salim Rambo was ultimately released from state custody and remains free today. Nonviolent direct action Nonviolent direct action (NVDA) is any form of direct action that does not rely on violent tactics. Mahatma Gandhi's teachings of Satyagraha (or truth force) have inspired many practitioners of nonviolent direct action, although the use of nonviolence does not always imply an ideological commitment to pacifism. In 1963, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. described the goal of NVDA in his Letter from Birmingham Jail: "Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored."One major debate is whether destruction of property can be included within the realm of nonviolence. This debate can be illustrated by the response to groups like the Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front, which use property destruction and sabotage as direct action tactics. Although these types of actions are often viewed as a form of violence, supporters define violence as harm directed towards living things and not property.In the United States, the term has come to signify civil disobedience, and protest in general, particularly where the organizers are not concerned with preventing violence. In the 1980s, a California direct action protest group called Livermore Action Group called its newspaper Direct Action. The paper ran for 25 issues, and covered hundreds of nonviolent actions around the world. The book Direct Action: An Historical Novel took its name from this paper, and records dozens of actions in the San Francisco Bay Area."Direct Action" has also served as the moniker of at least two groups: the French Action Directe as well as the Canadian group more popularly known as the Squamish Five. Direct Action was also the name of the magazine of the Australian Wobblies. The UK's Solidarity Federation currently publishes a magazine called Direct Action.Until 1990, Australia's Socialist Workers Party published a party paper also named "Direct Action", in honour of the Wobblies' history and because the paper promoted the collective organisation of the oppressed in order to change society. One of the group's descendants, the Revolutionary Socialist Party, has again commenced a publication of this name[3]. Politics of Direct actionAs a principle, direct action is often advocated by those seeking social change. It is central to autonomism and has been advocated by a variety of marxists and anarchists, including syndicalism, anarcho-communism, insurrectionary anarchism, green anarchism, Marxist Humanists anarcho-primitivist and pacifists.
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 2:50 PM PST
Updated: Sunday, 23 November 2008 2:57 PM PST
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Undercover cops in Denver instigate trouble (ACLU Report)
Mood:
 crushed out
Now Playing: Denver (DNC) 2008 - cops use provocateur
Topic: PROTEST!
z3 readers here is where I ... FOUND THIS STINKY STORY: http://blacklistednews.com/?news_id=2198 Undercover police officers posing as protesters staged a fight with a police commander during the Democratic convention, and it was so convincing they were pepper-sprayed by a deputy who wasn't in on the ruse, a civil liberties group says. The officers pretended to struggle with the Denver police commander so it would look like they were being forcibly removed from a big demonstration and their cover wouldn't be blown, the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado said. The ACLU said it obtained a police report on the incident under a state criminal justice records law. In a letter to city officials, the ACLU questioned whether the fake confrontation worsened a tense situation with demonstrators and violated police rules. Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said he was unaware of the report and couldn't comment. ACLU staff attorney Taylor Pendergrass asked the city of Denver's independent police monitor to order an investigation. The monitor, Rich Rosenthal, said he received the request and was looking into it. The incident occurred on Aug. 25, the opening night of the convention. Police arrested 106 people that night, the most of any day during the convention. Police have said anarchists planned to cause trouble near convention delegates' hotels and downtown businesses and that officers were trying to control the crowd. A police "Use of Force" report released by the ACLU said, "In order not to be recognized as undercover detectives, some of the detectives put up a struggle with Commander Kroncke." Kroncke's first name wasn't immediately available. Sheriff's deputies from neighboring Jefferson County were helping Denver police at the scene, and one deputy "thought that Commander Kroncke was being attacked" and sprayed the undercover officers, the report said. The report said Kroncke was also sprayed. It doesn't say how many officers were involved or how badly anyone was affected by the spray.
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 3:49 PM PST
Saturday, 15 November 2008
Trampled While Trying to Enter Final Presidential Debate
Mood:
 sad
Now Playing: Vets Trampled by Police at 2008 Debates
Topic: PROTEST!
Anti-War Veterans and Supporters Arrested and Trampled While Trying to Enter Final Presidential Debate  HEMPSTEAD, NY — Ten members of the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), a group of military veterans who are calling for immediate withdrawal from Iraq, were arrested along with at least five civilians outside the final presidential debate at Hofstra University on Wednesday, October 15. The group had been trying to get answers for their questions from the candidates. "Neither of the candidates has shown real support for service members and veterans," said Jason Lemieux, a former Sergeant in the US Marine Corps who served three tours in Iraq, and member of IVAW.
The veterans and their supporters were met by riot police as well as police on horseback. After a tense standoff for five minutes, police used their horses to attack the crowd, knocking over and trampling several — including Army Sergeant Nick Morgan (pictured), who suffered a broken cheekbone. Read Reports by Ben Dean-Kawamura | by Alex Kane | Photo by Bill Perry
The questions IVAW wanted to ask were:
* (To Obama): "As President of the United States of America, are you prepared to back up your own words [about the illegality of the Iraq War] and the U.S. Constitution by supporting service members refusing to participate in what you describe as an illegal occupation?"
* (To McCain): "What promises are you willing to make, as a veteran, as a senator, as a presidential candidate, to the veterans of the United States, to prove that you will ensure the V.A. is fully funded, staffed and capable of preventing troops from suffering as they are now?" Demands in full: IVAW Send Letter to Schieffer, Plan Protest at Hofstra Univ. Debate
MORE COVERAGE: Photos by Jamie Lehane | Video from DN! | Video from IVAW | IVAW Press Release
RELATED: Will YOUR vote count? State's polls lack uniform standards | Anti-War Sentiment Still Strong Six Years After Congressional War Vote
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 4:16 PM PST
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
twincities Independent Media Report on RNC Ations
Mood:
 amorous
Now Playing: ST PAUL PROTEST REPORT from the anti-captalist
Topic: PROTEST!
Anti-Capitalist Bloc @ the RNC: An I.W.W. Report
Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 15:58. 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. But thousands of protestors still took to the streets to emphatically reject the Republicans' vicious policies of war, discrimination, and attacks on the working-class and poor. Among the more important mobilizing efforts against the RNC was the Anti-Capitalist Bloc, an initiative of the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.) union - Twin Cities General Membership Branch. The Anti-Capitalist Bloc was conceived as an organizing front for the week of the RNC that would unite those anti-capitalist activists with an orientation toward organizing. The Anti-Capitalist Bloc issued a "Call" and adopted a set of "Solidarity Principles" that made clear our opposition to not only the Republican party but the whole system of capitalism. Ten other groups signed on including three other I.W.W branches. Approximately 1800 full-color posters with the Anti-Capitalist Bloc message were distributed over the course of the week. But as Wobblies, we know that words are not enough, and so a series of events, actions, and contingents were organized by the Anti-Capitalist Bloc. Saturday August 30th
Police Raids and preemptive arrests:
In the days leading up to the RNC, police, sheriff and federal officers conducted raids on several activist's homes and organizing centers. The main target were members and supporters of the the anarchist umbrella group the "RNC Welcoming Committee". The Welcoming Committee promoted and provided logistical support for a strategy of shutting down the RNC through direct action blockades around the convention. Eight core meembers of the group were charged with felonies and accused of "terrorism" by the authorities. The activist Convergence Center rented by the Welcoming Committee was raided by the police, who detained, photographed and ID'd the dozens present. The media largely went along with the police story, presenting tires in garages, grey water sceptic systems, and kerosene as dangerous weapons. One raid in St. Paul hit the home of a large group of activists including one of the main Anti-Capitalist Bloc organizers. Police with assault rifles raided and detained several activists present, searched the house and copied computer hard drives. The police eventually backed off, releasing everyone without charge, after a large number of media, legal observers and activists arrived on the scene. Benefit Concert:
A benefit concert organized by the Anti-Capitalist Bloc at the Bedlam theater featuring the Rude Mechanical Orchestra, the Brass Messengers, and Mic Crenshaw brought folks together in the wake of the police house raids and raised needed funds for the defense of protesters and the I.W.W.'s active and public campaign at Starbucks. Sunday August 31st
I.W.W. Starbucks Ra1ly:
The next day, the day before the RNC officially opened, approximately 75 supporters of the I.W.W.'s local Starbucks campaign rallied. One of the worker-organizes who had been fired for union activity had just won re-instatement. Rank & file activists from AFSCME, CWA, MAPE, SEIU, and Wobblies from across the country spoke, chanted and waved picket signs. Labor Professor, author, and activist Peter Rachleff spoke. A heavy police presence monitored the rally. At the close of the rally, an invitation was extended to those assembled to accompany the I.W.W. barista back to his first day of work at the Mall of America Starbucks. In an orderly fashion, so as not to provoke police, folks left the picket signs, bought tickets and boarded the Light-Rail Train from Minneapolis to the Mall of America. Aboard the train, wobblies and their supporters, spirts high, belted out "Solidarity Forever" and other songs, and engaged the other riders who wondered about the police presence. The Mall of America is located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. At the first LRT stop in Bloomington, a contingent of riot-police stopped the train and engaged the I.W.W. about our intentions at the Mall. When it was made clear to Bloomington PD that we were merely accompanying our Fellow Worker back to his job and that we did not intend to picket, protest, riot, or engage in any of the other disruptions being bandied about the media, they allowed us to continue. At the Mall of America, it was a different story. As the train pulled in to the Mall station, dozens of fully-equipped riot police were visible. When the doors opened, an armored cop stood in front of each door preventing anyone from leaving the train. Attempts to negotiate were fruitless. No one, either with the I.W.W or passengers completely separate were allowed to leave. Police at first refused, then finally relented to, our demand that a woman and her child be allowed to exit as the woman was having a diabetes emergency. Mall officials were calling the shots and the police were enforcing them. Eventually, the doors simply shut and the train pulled out of the station back toward Minneapolis to the chants of "Bullshit!Bullshit!" from the unionists and the other passengers alike. Although we did not enter the Mall in force as planned, we were able to mobilize a good group of people in support of the I.W.W. Starbucks campaign. The action highlighted the crucial role workplace organizing must play in anti-capitalist strategy - something that would not have otherwise happened during the RNC protests. The reaction of the police at the Mall reinforced our perspective: The police answer to property, not "public safety"; the bosses fear workers organizing as much as they do protests and blockades on the streets. "Labor Day" Monday September 1st
Anti-Capitalist Bloc:
The first day of the Convention, Monday September 1st, Labor Day (and so a legal holiday in the U.S.) was always going to be the biggest day of protest against the RNC. Both the major permitted march (March on the RNC and Stop the War) and the anarchist-inspired blockade strategy were scheduled for Labor Day. The Anti-Capitalist Bloc contingent in the permitted march was conceived as a visible organized contingent promoting the politics of working-class direct action anti-capitalism to the mass of anti-war, labor, immigrant rights, and other demonstrators. In this it was quite successful. Over 300 people eventually joined in with the Bloc over the course of the march. The Bloc was led by Red & Black "DIRECT ACTION AGAINST CAPITALISM" banners in front, on the right by the new Twin Cities I.W.W. banner proclaiming "SOLIDARITY" in 5 languages (English, Spanish, Hmong, Somali and Finish - Ojibwe or Dakota will be added soon), and flanked on the left by Solidarity & Defense's tri-lingual (English, Spanish, Arabic) banner against the raids on immigrants. A "NO WAR BUT THE CLASS WAR" banner took up the rear. This "wall of banners" system kept the Bloc cohesive and visible, and gave participants a sense of security. A 5-person "tactical-team" from the local committee was in place to make emergency tactical decisions should that have been neccesary. The Bloc was loud and feisty. "Capitalism? NO! Patriarchy? NO! Racism? NO! Revolution... Yeeeaah!" "No War, But Class War!" "No Justice, No Peace! Police off the Streets!" "Ah!An-ti!Anticapitalista!" were some of the chants that caught attention. At different intervals during the march the Anti-Capitalist Bloc would come to a halt to give short speeches and allow space to seperate in front of us, a countdown would ensue and then the Bloc would charge forward to the cries of "Revolution!" The Bloc recieved compliments from many observers of differing political stripes. One union staffer offered this gem: "The IWW...you guys are like the black bloc of the labor movement." The full-color poster/statement of the Anti-Capitalist Bloc was distributed to 1000-1200 people at the March on the RNC. The professional look of the poster helped the Bloc stick out and was incentive to onlookers and demonstrators to hang on to it. This helped on a day when they were being inundated with literature from the full spectrum of the Left. Many of the participants asked for extra-copies to bring home, or share with friends - a sign that the Anti-Capitalist Bloc will retain some memory within the movement. The poster was worth the high cost and should be seen as part of any succesfull future major mobilization. The Bloc consistenly announced its intention to be a space where all anti-capitalists could be present including people with kids, elders, and people with differing abilities. It was not significantly different in composition from previous efforts however - majority young white guys with a bit of a Black Bloc look. This was by no means exclusively the case - lots of women participated and a few people of color. Only a couple young children and a few older people marched with the Bloc. The Bloc made a serious effort to vocally oppose all oppression, but clearly our movement still has a lot to overcome before it will look like the whole working-class, especially its most exploited and oppressed sections. Interestingly, a clear majority of those that marched with us were not members of the I.W.W. or any of the other endorsing groups. The Anti-Capitalist Bloc organizers stressed on multiple occasions that the purpose of this Bloc was not to engage in physical confrontations with the huge numbers of heavily armored police and Guard, but to help expand the base and popularity of anti-capitalist ideas and methods. At the same time it was stressed that we were not opposed to or in competition with those attempting to blockade the Convention. The logic of the Anti-Capitalist Bloc was embraced by all the participants - even among those that had clearly come ready to rumble. As the march finished up back at the state Capitol, the Anti-Capitalist Bloc came to an official end. A meeting was convened for those who wished to attempt to go back into downtown St. Paul and unite with the the blockades. A large percentage of those on the Bloc plus some others headed back down. One estimate put the returning group at 200. The returning march group soon met a sizable police force who eventually began shooting tear gas, rubber bullets, bean bags, and concussion grenades at the crowd. Police eventually gave up trying to detain the whole group, picking off a few for arrest while most escaped, ending one of the largest stand-offs of the day. SEIU:
Across the Mississippi River within view of the clouds of tear gas and confrontation, SEIU was holding a huge "Take Back Labor Day" concert with Billy Bragg, Mos Def, Steve Earle, Atmosphere, and others. Concerned that the concert crowd (nearly equal to the size of the whole anti-war march) may be tempted to join the fray, police blockaded the main bridge into downtown St. Paul. Hopefully some of the performers and concert goers wondered why SEIU had decided to schedule their concert to conflict with the march, and even more shamefully, become the only union listed as one of the corporate sponsors of the Republican National Convention its self. Tuesday September 2ndPoor People's March:
The next day, Tuesday September 2nd the Anti-Capitalist Bloc had called for another contingent in the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign March for Our Lives. This march was much smaller than the previous day's - approximately 800 at the start, but included a more significant percentage of working poor and people of color. The Anti-Capitalist Bloc gathered 50 around the I.W.W. banner - including wobblies from several states, Solidarity & Defense from Michigan, a couple NEFACers (and Jeff Monson the anarchist UFC mixed martial arts fighter!). Riot police again had a heavy presence and made several provocative forays into the rally to nab individuals ID'd in actions the day before, or in one case to grab a flag pole deemed larger than city regulations allowed. Several undercover/plainclothes police were quite obvious in the crowd as well. The Poor People's march weaved it's way through downtown St. Paul. The Anti-Capitalist Bloc marched and sang (at one point the Manu Chao lyrics "We are the workers/and we are marching/bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao!") Another 300-500 posters were distributed by membeers of the Bloc. The march continued up to the state Capitol lawn, where the "Ripple Effect" concert (featuring Dead Prez, Anti-Flag, Michael Franti, and others) was winding down. The police were refusing to allow Rage Against The Machine to perform as the concert permit had expired. Members of Rage Against The Machine encouraged the hundreds of young people there to join the march. They mostly did, and the march easily tripled in size. The march permit held by the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign did not prevent police from again opening up with their full barrage when demonstrators ended up back outside the Xcel Energy Center where the RNC speeches were happening Truckers Fuel Protest:
The Anti-Capitalist Bloc did not end up participating in the independent truckers fuel protest that we had endorsed and promoted (other than one SDS/IWW member from North Dakota who was a key organizer of the truckers action). There had been both logistical and political problems. None of the IWW OTR truckers were able to make it - originally we had thought a few were coming - and the main Truck Driver organizers had been insistent that all vehicles in their convoy prominently fly the American flag. In the abscence of actual revolutionary unionist truckers present for the action, we did not feel we had the capacity to challenge the American flag "rule" for the convoy. The convoy ended up being much smaller than hoped for and, like the other actions of the week, heavily policed. Wednesday September 3rdAnti-Capitalist Bloc meeting:
The next day two dozen participants in the Anti-Capitalist Bloc gathered at a meeting hosted by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) chapter at Macalester College. Besides SDS and the I.W.W., members of Solidarity & Defense, NEFAC, Class Action and WSA were also present. Discussion ranged from "big picture" analysis of the current situation to an evaluation of the RNC action that week to more general info-sharing on the respective groups' activities and plans. While obviously incomplete, the meeting was an important opportunity for folks who'd been running around together for several days to take a moment to introduce each other and exchange ideas and experiences. Rage Against the Machine:
While their efforts to take the stage at one of the free outdoor concerts of the week were consistently snubbed by the police, Rage Against the Machine did play a scheduled show Wednesday night at the Target Center in Minneapolis (at $60.00 a ticket!). When the crowd of 10,000 emptied the arena at the end of the show, police in riot gear were there to meet them. Many of the Rage fans chanted defiant lyrics at the police and hundreds occupied the street around the Target Center, many of them sitting down to get arrested civil-disobedience style. Whatever one thinks of Rage Against The Machine's sound or their place in the music industry, there is no doubt that they are treated as dangerous by the police. Their political message and attitude has struck a nerve with a sizable fan-base who seem willing to follow Rage's lead out into the streets. Tom Morello, the ground-breaking guitarist for Rage, explicitly promotes the I.W.W. with his solo side project, the "Nightwatchman". Thursday September 4thNo Peace for the Warmakers:
On the final day of the RNC, while John McCain prepared to give his acceptence speech, the final official action opposing the convention also took place. Organized by the local Anti-War Committee (one of the main groups behind the Monday anti-war march also) the demonstration was boldly titled "No Peace for the Warmakers". Some 800 protestors left the State Capitol grounds in an unpermitted march toward the Xcel. Individuals from the Anti-Capitalist Bloc were present but were not organized into any contingent this time. Riot police blocked every path toward the Convention and succeeded in sealing in the march several times long stretches of time. Despite the march's theme, the march organizers were not preopared for direct action confrontations with the police, but did encourage a massive sit-in to block one bridge (already blocked by police). The stand-off ended when police moved to make mass arrests, and one final time attacked with pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets. Some Conclusions
The Anti-Capitalist Bloc @ the RNC was a succesful intervention by a small revolutionary workers organization and our allies in the week of protest and activity in our Cities. The hard work achieved results. The Anti-Capitalist Bloc was able to articulate a popular revolutionary militancy through a number of different types of events that involved hundreds and communicated to thousands more. At a time when the State was seeking to take advantage of some of the weaknesses of the RNC Welcoming Committee's strategy and base, the Anti-Capitalist Bloc conveyed in a non-sectarian way another approach for radicals. While the number of people from endorsing groups that came from out of town was small, those that came contributed significantly to the collective success. In this way it was an important continuation of the new spirit of collaboration among the groups and militants of the "Red & Black" revolutionary anti-authoritarian movement. We welcome comments, clarifications, questions, and criticisms. Solidarity Forever! Links:
Anti-Capitalist Bloc
Call, Points of Solidarity & poster:
http://www.iww.org/en/node/4284 Benefit Concert:
http://vimeo.com/1649987 (RMO at March on the RNC)
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.vi...42885
(Mic Crenshaw) I.W.W. Starbucks Rally:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnK3I_zDuk0
http://twincities.indymedia.org/2008/sep/happy-labor-da...rkers
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/01/18531607.php "Labor Day":
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/01/18531916.php
http://solidarityanddefense.blogspot.com/2008/09/anti-c....html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2U6CWTARrU
http://vimeo.com/user717877
http://vimeo.com/1691669
http://vimeo.com/1652425
http://vimeo.com/1657220 (ACB starts at 2:53 S&D banner visible)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ktyEPQHbvM SEIU corporate sponsor of RNC:
http://www.msp2008.com/donors Poor People's March:
http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2008/09/99688.html
http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2008/09/99712.html Final Day:
http://vimeo.com/1691408
http://vimeo.com/1677932
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 11:58 PM PDT
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
RNC protesting
Mood:
 don't ask
Now Playing: Copied from Alternet
Topic: PROTEST!
Sitting outside the Black Dog cafe in lower St. Paul late Tuesday morning, a lanky kid in dreadlocks and a black Bob Marley T-shirt stopped, asked me for a light, and sat down next to me. It was drizzly and gray, and eerily quiet. The night before, nearly 300 people had been arrested by Minnesota police in a sweeping display of brute force. Among them were journalist Amy Goodman and two Democracy Now! producers, both of whom were physically assaulted. With helicopters overheard and the National Guard out, it felt like a city under siege. I asked the guy if he lived in St. Paul. "Yeah." It turned out he lives next door, in the building where I've been staying, an artist's co-op on Broadway Street. I was about to ask him what he thought about the scene here when he sort of laughed and said, "Yeah, you know -- I was just arrested." At around 9:45 that morning, John, 20, was walking home from the bank a few blocks away when he spotted what he thought was a police riot club -- a ubiquitous weapon on the streets here. "It was right off of West 7th Street in, like, a planter; I checked it out but it ended up being a broomstick." He put it down and kept walking, when suddenly he was surrounded by police officers -- "three squad for sure, maybe four" -- one of whom was a woman. "She was like, 'Get on your stomach or I'm gonna tase you!'" He asked them what he had done, but they wouldn't say. Instead, they asked him leading questions about other people they'd just arrested. "They said, 'so, who was in the white van you were associated with?" "I was like, white van? I don't know what you're talking about." John said he hasn't done any anti-war organizing -- "I'd like to" -- but since the arrival of the RNC and the protesters against it, he has been checking out the scene around town. "Yesterday I was just cruising around. I was in the Funk the War march -- they had this huge Gandhi statue and a globe …" But despite the mostly peaceful protests, when it comes to security, "it's been crazy." He showed me videos he'd taken on his phone while he skated around, lines of cops in riot gear -- "There was a bunch of people getting maced over there" -- and shots of the buses and unmarked minivans the police have used to detain people and take them away. I asked him if he had been read his rights. "No, they didn't read me my Miranda rights at all. ... They cuffed me, and when I complained to one one guy about the cuffs being too tight, he was like, 'Oh yeah? Well, let me tighten that up for you.'" While he kept asking why they were arresting him, John did not resist -- "I was really cooperative; I didn't want to be held" -- but he did remember something he had been given at one of the marches. "Finally I pulled this out," he said, showing me a slip of paper that read, "ACLU Important Contact Information." "Yeah, you should hold onto that," one of the cops told him. "They held me right down over there," he said, pointing north. "It's, like, the St. Paul police station." They confiscated and searched his belongings but forgot his cell phone in his pocket. "They put me in a cell that had snot and blood all over the wall," he told me, pulling out his phone and showing me footage of the stained white walls. He was given no phone call. John was held there for about 15 minutes before they had him talk to anyone; two plainclothes investigators interrogated him, asking him what he knew about the demonstrations against the RNC, some of which have led to rioting and destruction of property. "They tried to get me to admit to some involvement ... but I told them that I've just met people and been to peaceful marches." Before leading him back to his cell, they gave him a 612 number to call. "They asked me to report anything I knew." Googling the number later led me to a FBI homepage, Minneapolis division. After he was questioned, John was put back in his cell. He was never told how long they might hold him. "They didn't even tell me what I was being detained for until they opened the door." I asked him what. "Like, suspicion of planting something ... anything that could be used as a weapon, I guess." There was no documentation. As we were talking, we saw a caravan of unmarked vans led by a police car pull a U-turn in the middle of the intersection at the corner. One of the cars turned on its siren and they sped off. By then, a group of neighbors were hanging out near us. John greeted them and said, "I was just arrested." How was it? "Awesome," he laughed. "Best day of my life." "So, you were picking up sticks?" one guy joked, "What were you thinking?" "I thought I was free!" John laughed. I asked him what he was up to now. He said he wanted to go to a concert taking place at the Capitol. Dead Prez was scheduled to perform. At the station, he said, "They told me if I got picked up again that I would probably be locked up for the remainder of the RNC. ... They were like, 'You probably shouldn't go outside, because if the same cops see you they're not gonna be happy.'" He was dropped off across the street by one of the officers. ("He was nice enough to give me a ride back, so that was cool.") I asked him if he would be relieved when the RNC was over. "Yeah, most definitely. I wasn't looking forward to it coming. … I feel like I've been profiled since day one." Plus, it's been slow at the Italian restaurant where he works. "At first, at my work, they were like, yeah, this is a good opportunity to get some good business, but instead we're closing early … because most of (the RNC delegates) have rented out places and they get free drinks; they don't really care about supporting local businesses since they don't live here. They don't give a shit." A woman who also lives in the building next door sat down next to us. "I have to say," she said, "this city I live in has so much egg on its face. I'm embarrassed to say I live here. It's just tragic." "The vibe's like they came in and took over our whole city," John said. "It's like we don't have rights. Like we don't even live here."
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 5:54 PM PDT
TWIN CITIES - COPY PASTE OF INDY MEDIA on 9/3/08 12:42am
Mood:
 irritated
Now Playing: CIVIL RIGHT VIOLATED - IN MASS QUANTIES AT RNC
Topic: PROTEST!
OK Z3 Readers I copied and pasted the front page from Indy Media in Twin Cities at 12:402 am Lots of good RNC Indpendent Journalism here for all-you archive crazy Z3 readers http://twincities.indymedia.org/ 
Twin Cities Indymedia - minneapolis - st. paul
LiveWire - Breaking news from the streets
Call Indymedia Dispatch @ 651-503-5661 to post or Send us a LiveWire online >
Indymedia Dispatch assigns credibility on 1-5 scale - our estimate of truth! (Also check out Coldsnap Twitter, RNC08announce & Tin Can Comms - all the latest)
LiveWire· Wed, 09/03/2008 - 02:14updatecred_rating: Fourbedlam theatre is now calm; downtown mpls is not. cops massing at nicollet mall light rail, and 7th and nicollet. it appears that parties are being crashed!· Wed, 09/03/2008 - 02:02joint press conference 10am wednesdaycred_rating: FiveThe joint press conference with the PPEHRC, RNC-WC, and others will be held at 10am at 400 Western Ave (Bushville) in St. Paul. All media welcome· Wed, 09/03/2008 - 01:53UPDATEScred_rating: Four2 arrests at bedlam theatre in mpls now; cops mobilizing w/ flexcuffs at 5th and hennepin (block E area) in mpls· Wed, 09/03/2008 - 01:48don't worry - indymedia space is OK!cred_rating: Fiveconfirmation from the IMC space in St. Paul: space has NOT been raided. big police presence with large detainment vehicle was across the street. lawyers were called and tapes were immediately secured. communication with the space was completely lost, but everything is ok. the IMC space will STAY OPEN!· Tue, 09/02/2008 - 23:57IMC SPACE STATUS UNCLEARcred_rating: ThreeThere are unclear reports coming from the public IMC space at 300 Broadway. It appears police are on the scene and lawyers may be trying to escort people at the space elsewhere. Trying to get ahold of people at the space. (from a TCIMC'er off site)· Tue, 09/02/2008 - 23:34UPDATEcred_rating: FiveDetention bus outside public IMC space. Will try to update.· Tue, 09/02/2008 - 23:23UPDATEcred_rating: FourCops staging on 6th and Cedar.· Tue, 09/02/2008 - 23:04UPDATEcred_rating: Five10 cops outside Bedlam, cars being searched. They have not entered the building yet. SUV on the bike path. UPDATE: Cops have left.· Tue, 09/02/2008 - 22:55UPDATEcred_rating: FourFolks on 94 West being detained, possibly arrested.· Tue, 09/02/2008 - 22:44UPDATEcred_rating: FourCops leaving Camp Coldwater.moreRSS Feed • More LiveWires > · Featured Story · More Stories... · Features RSS RNC 2008 Roundup from S1 Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 10:01. in · Local · RNC · Feature Day 1: You guessed it: there was a large permitted march and many smaller direct actions ;) Riot cops, national guard, and the whole homeland security posse used batons, pepper spray, tear gas, tasers and other weapons on protesters, and there were nearly 300 arrests. Roundup:STORIES
Police state or free state? | Democracy Now's Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddos, and Nicole Salazar were illegally arrested | RNC mole outed | RNC action day 1 - an account PHOTOS:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 VIDEO:
RNC video page | Amy Goodman on being arrested | more vids | snake marches | Amy Goodman attacked | Funk the War attacked | Lots of video coverage at http://theuptake.org/.AUDIO:
Indybay: http://radio.indybay.org:8000/ and also here | PDX Indymedia: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/static/pdxradio.shtml | DC Pirate Radio | Live in the downtown minneapolis area: tune in to 89.1 FM
LEGAL INFO:
Summary from S1 | Coldsnap Twitter: http://twitter.com/coldsnaplegal· 1 comment · 123 reads Over 300 Protesters, Bystanders, Medics and Media Arrested: Update from Coldsnap Legal Collective Submitted by haloka on Wed, 09/03/2008 - 02:08. in · Local · RNC · Feature 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.· Add new comment · Read more · 4 reads · by haloka Copy of Affidavit Used in RNC-WC Raids Submitted by haloka on Wed, 09/03/2008 - 01:25. in · Local · RNC · Feature 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.· Add new comment · Read more · 5 reads · 1 attachment · by haloka Coverage from the Poor People's March and the Police Attack afterwards Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 21:43. in · Local · Protest · RNC · videos · Feature videos by Nick (nickcooper at indymedia dot org)After the Poor People's March tonight in St. Paul, protesters stuck around too long for the police's patience. After firing all sorts of things at them, the protesters tried to leave and were sprayed from lines of cops on both sides of the street.
http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2008/09/02/policeattack1.mpg
http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2008/09/02/policeattack2.mpgphotos:
http://www.indybay.org/publish.phpSpeech:
http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2008/09/02/speech.mpgcops dressing:· 18 comments · Read more · 76 reads subMedia RNC Dispatch #4 Submitted by rechelon on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 19:44. in · Local · Anarchism · Protest / Direct Action · RNC · Feature · Add new comment · 51 reads Dakota People Reclaim Sacred Site Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 17:27. in · Local · Coldsnap · coldwater · Freedom of Religion · Minnesota Dakota · Native American · Sacred Sites · Treaty of 1805 · Treaty Rights · Feature FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - CAMP COLDWATER, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA—On Tuesday, September 2, members of the Oceti Sakowin (Seven Council Fires) of the Dakota Oyate are reclaiming Coldwater Spring and the surrounding land. As the Original People of Minisota Makoce (Land Where the Waters Reflect the Skies), Dakota people are claiming their inherent right to their sacred sites as well as the rights preserved in the Treaty of 1805.· Add new comment · Read more · 61 reads Dakotas regain sacred space; Police at Ripple Effect, Mears Pk, Ramsey jail vigil; Tin Can Comms Returns; The Man's RNC events Submitted by Twin Cities Indymedia on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 16:49. in · Local · Events · RNC · Feature Overall today has mostly been quiet, though the Dakota have reclaimed their sacred space at Coldwater (54th Street & Hiawatha Ave/HWY 55) in S. Mpls. Coldsnap reports they have successfully gotten permission to have a ceremony for four days. Congratulations -- but they deserve permanent rights to that space!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 AlaskaSOME WEDNESDAY EVENTS
8:00am
Ohio Delegate Breakfast
WhenWed, Sep 3, 8am – 9am
WhereRadisson Plaza in Minneapolis (map)9:00am
Massachusetts Delegate Breakfast
WhenWed, Sep 3, 9am – 10am
WhereCrowne Plaza Bloomington (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 40404Two more days to go - TC-IMC· Add new comment · Read more · 37 reads · by Twin Cities Indymedia Cops Attack Anti-Capitalist Bloc on Shepard Road, 9/1/08: video Submitted by daveid on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 15:36. in · Local · 2008 · Anarchism · Police State · Protest · RNC · Feature Video starts just a few seconds after cops and perhaps national guard began to ruthlessly attack the Anti-Capitalist bloc across the street from them on the Shepard Road waterfront at Jackson. http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/02/18532139.phpThe bloc was moving northeast on Shepard and paused at Jackson Street across from a line of riot cops. Police, and what appeared to be Minnesota National Guard, then began to wildly attack the bloc with tear gas, bean bags, concussion grenades, colored smoke bombs, and green paint markers.· 2 comments · Read more · 74 reads · by daveid The Aftermath: Reports from Coldsnap Legal Collective and the RNC Welcoming Committee Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 10:01. in · Local · RNC · Feature Morning Update 9/2 from the RNC Welcoming Committee: Day one is behind us and the idea of business as usual during the RNC has been shattered.Monday night a Spokescouncil met and from that gathering the suggestion was made to take time today to reflect, to sleep, and to eat well so that energy is high when folks take to the streets again. We can’t forget though that Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher and the St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman are holding many of our friends hostage.· 2 comments · Read more · 157 reads 9.2: Press Statement from RNC Welcoming Committee Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 09:58. in · Local · RNC · Feature September 2, 2008
rncwcmedia[at]riseup.net[A statement read on behalf of the RNC Welcoming Committee, especially on behalf of the members of the Welcoming Committee who continue to be held without bail by Sheriff Bob Fletcher and who are being kept in 23 hour solitary confinement]First, let us start by saying thank you.· 10 comments · Read more · 135 reads More features in · undefined Twin Cities Indymedia @ The Republican National Convention in St. Paul - Sept. 1-4, 2008
Recent Features· RNC 2008 Roundup from S1· Over 300 Protesters, Bystanders, Medics and Media Arrested: Update from Coldsnap Legal Collective· Copy of Affidavit Used in RNC-WC Raids· Coverage from the Poor People's March and the Police Attack afterwards· subMedia RNC Dispatch #4· Dakota People Reclaim Sacred Site More RNC Featured News· Over 300 Protesters, Bystanders, Medics and Media Arrested: Update from Coldsnap Legal Collective · Coverage from the Poor People's March and the Police Attack afterwards · Copy of Affidavit Used in RNC-WC Raids · RNC 2008 Roundup from S1 · The Aftermath: Reports from Coldsnap Legal Collective and the RNC Welcoming Committee · 9.2: Press Statement from RNC Welcoming Committee · Radical Response to Hurricane Gustav and the RNC: From TC Indymedia and the Indymedia network · Convergence Space gets its lit back! · Press Statement from RNC Welcoming Committee on Day 1 · PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY: Motion for Emergency Restraining Order Against Police · PRESS STATEMENT FROM RNC WELCOMING COMMITTEE ON CONVERGENCE CENTER RAID · Poor People's Campaign Sets Up "Bushville" on Harriet Island · Organizing Update from RNC Welcoming Committee · Wells Fargo Attacked In Minneapolis · MPD Detains Three Indy Journalists; Confiscates Equipment · A time to dialogue, a time to demand · 8/31- Day of Action Against Capitalism: All out for the IWW Starbucks Workers! · Gathering Storms: A Statement on the Upcoming 2008 Convention Protests
Indymedia Newswires· Global · Global day of action against state terror in Aotearoa / New Zealand · Rejection of new sentences in Atenco case · Former Indymedia Journalist Among Ten Foreigners Detained in China · Direct Action Shuts Down Heavy Industry Projects in Iceland · UK Climate Camp Besieges Power Station · Two Youth Murdered As Israel Tries To Suppress Ni'ilin Uprising · Fugitive Rice makes narrow escape in Auckland more· U.S. · RNC Day 1: Category (A) Hurricane Hits Downtown St. Paul · Understanding the developing Braithwaite situation · Katrina & Gustav : On Remembrances and Anniversaries: Tears for the Gulf Coast & Immediate Concerns · Civil Rights Suspended in the Twin Cites · Celebrating Black August: From the Streets to Prison Resistance · Wide Spread Multi-agency Raids Continue in St. Paul · Illegal Police Raid on Anti-RNC Convergence Space in St. Paul more· Midwest · Chicagoans Join Anti-RNC Actions, Decry Violent Crackdown · RNC Sweep Raids Twin Cities IMC · Patrick Thompson Wins Small Claims Case Against “Ineffective” Attorney Harvey Welch · August 26, 2008 Film Screening at the IMC: Juvies, directed by Leslie Neale · Books to Prisoners: Our Volunteer Experience (DVD) · Peace Activists Literally Fenced In at 2008 Chicago Air And Water Show · Hundreds of Chicagoans Protest Against Possible War on Iran more size=1 width="100%" align=center>
TC-IMC Recent Headlines· RNC Calendar · Amnesty International USA Guantanamo Bay Cell at RNC09/02/2008 - 09:30· Ripple Effect music festival - at State Capitol09/02/2008 - 12:30· March For Our Lives09/02/2008 - 16:00· Support Our Oil Companies!09/02/2008 - 18:57· They Shoot the Dogs First, Law Enforcements Response at Ruby Ridge, Waco, and the War on Drugs09/03/2008 - 17:00· Scott Ritter: The Iran Talks09/03/2008 - 19:00· Big Oil CEO's Thank Texas Republican Delegates09/03/2008 - 19:01
· RNC · Please Support RNC Arrestees!· Amy Goodman Speaks· "What would stop an anti-anarchist from . . ."· Pics of direct action today ending in 30+ busts· RNC ‘08 interviews· more RNC protest videos from 9/1· UPDATE: Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar released after illegal arrests· DC Pirate Radio coverage of RNC protests· Is this a Police State or a Free State?· David Anderson· War & Peace · RNC Action, Day 1 - An account of the accounts of what’s happened so far· PHOTOS: Veterans Memorial March to RNC: Capital Lawn Rally and March/Civil Disobedience· VETERANS FOR PEACE MARCH -PART 2-· VETERANS FOR PEACE MARCH -PART 1-· VETERANS FOR PEACE MARCH -PART 1-· A Declaration Of War· Scott Ritter: The Iran Talks· Saturday: Stop War Dinner & Live Music Benefit for PSWI · Scott Ritter: The Iran Talks· Scott Ritter: The Iran Talks
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 10:01. in · Local · RNC · Feature Day 1: You guessed it: there was a large permitted march and many smaller direct actions ;) Riot cops, national guard, and the whole homeland security posse used batons, pepper spray, tear gas, tasers and other weapons on protesters, and there were nearly 300 arrests. Roundup:STORIES
Police state or free state? | Democracy Now's Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddos, and Nicole Salazar were illegally arrested | RNC mole outed | RNC action day 1 - an account PHOTOS:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 VIDEO:
RNC video page | Amy Goodman on being arrested | more vids | snake marches | Amy Goodman attacked | Funk the War attacked | Lots of video coverage at http://theuptake.org/.AUDIO:
Indybay: http://radio.indybay.org:8000/ and also here | PDX Indymedia: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/static/pdxradio.shtml | DC Pirate Radio | Live in the downtown minneapolis area: tune in to 89.1 FM
LEGAL INFO:
Summary from S1 | Coldsnap Twitter: http://twitter.com/coldsnaplegal· 1 comment · 123 reads Submitted by daveid on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 15:36. in · Local · 2008 · Anarchism · Police State · Protest · RNC · Feature Video starts just a few seconds after cops and perhaps national guard began to ruthlessly attack the Anti-Capitalist bloc across the street from them on the Shepard Road waterfront at Jackson. http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/02/18532139.phpThe bloc was moving northeast on Shepard and paused at Jackson Street across from a line of riot cops. Police, and what appeared to be Minnesota National Guard, then began to wildly attack the bloc with tear gas, bean bags, concussion grenades, colored smoke bombs, and green paint markers.· 2 comments · Read more · 74 reads · by daveid Submitted by daveid on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 02:14. in · 2008 · Media Gallery · Protest · RNC · St. Paul · War & Peace Veterans for Peace, local 115 from Red Wing, MN, organized a march with affiliates from around the country on the day prior to the beginning of the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Before the march began, speakers spoke on a stage on the lawn in front of the capital. On August 27th, a National Veterans for Peace Convention began in Bloomington culminating with today's actions.· Add new comment · Read more · 138 reads · by daveid 1next ›last » Joe Anybody's RNC PROTEST PAGE * * * * * * * * *
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 12:56 AM PDT
Updated: Wednesday, 3 September 2008 1:09 AM PDT
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
RNC - Indy Media Link = real news from st paul
Mood:
irritated
Now Playing: here is the best source for real news from the RNC (sic)
Topic: PROTEST!
http://minneapolis.indymedia.org/ UPDATE FROM ST PAUL INDY MEDIA 
RNC BULLSHIT
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 12:13 AM PDT
Updated: Tuesday, 2 September 2008 12:28 AM PDT
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Riots at the DNC 2008
Mood:
crushed out
Now Playing: Denver Police round up protesters at Democratic Convention
Topic: PROTEST!
DNC Strorm Trooper Games and Martial Law.
Modern Definition of Martial Law:
Martial law is when military-like actions are taken upon a nations own citizens and constitutional and human rights are violated on a regular basis as part of a standard operating procedure (SOP).
It is when you cannot protest without a "permit" and your freedom of speech is silenced.
It is basically what they call a "police state". It is when the "police" are trained by and act like federal officials/military police rather than the civilian peace keepers they are supposed to be.
It is when random AND permanent checkpoints are set up by Homeland Security and police officers like they have now all over the country especially along interstate-highway 8 and 10.
Many believe that martial law is ONLY when the actual Army and/or Marines/ National Guard patrol the streets but this is incorrect as these troops are committed in Iraq and Afghanistan and attending to the other 1100 U.S. military bases that are outside of the U.S.
Homeland Security and the local police departments have been trained by federal agents and are federal agents and in these modern times are now enforcing obvious martial law.
The days of the Army rolling down the street in tanks is over as it is unnecessary because the U.S. citizens have been pacified enough and Homeland Security and the Police have been trained and armed enough to where this would surely be over-kill.
Besides there are US National Guard bases in the majority of 30,000+ population towns and the troops are committed overseas.
A basic example of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for martial law would be the internment camps they have set-up in Colorado in preparation for the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
If the country was not under martial law setting up these kind of warehouse-style camps which are being hidden from the media and the citizens would not be permitted by the city, county or state.
There are videos and information available on YouTube and other places on the net about these camps and I also have a video which I will attach to this one.
So this is a basic explanation of Marital Law as it exists in the 21st century.
ANOTHER indication of Martial Law enacted is:
Watch a White House press conference/interview and/or go to your local court house and peak inside a court room and look at the American Flag.
You will notice that the flag will have gold tassel around it's borders. If you understand this and have any education in these matters you would know in fact that it is a Federal Crime to attach ANYTHING to the American Flag.
The ONLY thing that can be attached to the American Flag by Federal law under penalty of prosecution are GOLD TASSELS and they can ONLY be attached in the case of MARTIAL LAW ordered by the President of the United States of America.
Of course under martial law information, education, news, networks and the internet (as seen nightly on FOX news and CNN) are censored therefor research on this subject is not the easiest although it can be done.
Most of my the information which I have found was while I was studying political science and history at the upper division university level and was given by the professors rather than the texts.
The only reference/evidence that they could give were actual military/Department of Defense manuals in which the assertion of Martial Law and the indicators of the tasseled flag were referenced.
Under heavy assault for the assertion I have made here I have done a minute amount of research over the net due to time constraints. I will attempt more at a later date. The LINKS below here are what I have come up with for now. I encourage you to do your own research. You may have to cut and paste and remove spaces to view the links. For some reason YouTube is not allowing the links... http://www.apfn.org/apfn/flag.htm
http://www.kriegbooks.com/the_flag.html
http://www.barefootsworld.net/admiral...
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 4:04 PM PDT
Updated: Wednesday, 27 August 2008 4:09 PM PDT
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