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RNC Arrests
Carol posted in the previous thread the information that Amy Goodman had been arrested at the RNC. Amy Goodman, as many of you know, hosts the Democracy Now show.
According to the Pacific Radio website, Amy and the whole crew were detained and as of yet, there is no further information.
Here's the video of her arrest. (I'm trying to figure out what is swinging from her neck. Is that a press pass?
In light of this happening, I contacted our own Polly Sigh to see if she is safe or if she needed the DCP to bail her out.
Polly is safe and will be posting more information tomorrow.
In the meantime, she told me that there were anarchists who were provoking fights and she described an attack on a police officer too. I will let Polly give her detailed story tomorrow.
But from what I can gather, there are definitely some preemptive arrests happening and there are also people provoking violence at the RNC.
McJoan at Kos has now placed a diary up that describes some of these events as well. Per McJoan:
Glenn Greenwald, I-Witness Video, Feministing, and FireDogLake have been reporting from Minneapolis about the excessive and unprovoked actions of the FBI and the Minneapolis police. Here's Glenn, today:
As the police attacks on protesters in Minnesota continue -- see this video of the police swarming a bus transporting members of Earth Justice, seizing the bus and leaving the group members stranded on the side of the highway -- it appears increasingly clear that it is the Federal Government that is directing this intimidation campaign. Minnesota Public Radio reported yesterday that "the searches were led by the Ramsey County Sheriff's office. Deputies coordinated searches with the Minneapolis and St. Paul police departments and the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
Today's Star Tribune added that the raids were specifically "aided by informants planted in protest groups." Back in May, Marcy Wheeler presciently noted that the Minneapolis Joint Terrorist Task Force -- an inter-agency group of federal, state and local law enforcement led by the FBI -- was actively recruiting Minneapolis residents to serve as plants, to infiltrate "vegan groups" and other left-wing activist groups and report back to the Task Force about what they were doing. There seems to be little doubt that it was this domestic spying by the Federal Government that led to the excessive and truly despicable home assaults by the police yesterday.
So here we have a massive assault led by Federal Government law enforcement agencies on left-wing dissidents and protesters who have committed no acts of violence or illegality whatsoever, preceded by months-long espionage efforts to track what they do. And as extraordinary as that conduct is, more extraordinary is the fact that they have received virtually no attention from the national media and little outcry from anyone. And it's not difficult to see why. As the recent "overhaul" of the 30-year-old FISA law illustrated -- preceded by the endless expansion of surveillance state powers, justified first by the War on Drugs and then the War on Terror -- we've essentially decided that we want our Government to spy on us without limits. There is literally no police power that the state can exercise that will cause much protest from the political and media class and, therefore, from the citizenry.
Note that there have been reports of semi-violent protest at the convention by anti-war protesters--apparently not the "Food not Bombs" students that have been under police and FBI surveillance for weeks, or the FBI and police raids against them might have actually turned up evidence that they intended to do more than non-violent protests. It's difficult to to sort out what really happened and who is responsible when there is such a provocative and heavy-handed police presence.
It is difficult to sort out the reality vs the online reports. Clearly, something is happening at the RNC in MN.
Perhaps Polly can enlighten us more tomorrow. She's planning on giving us her take and also planning on scouring the MN papers to see what they've said.
For now, I recommend that we stay calm and wait for more information before we leap to any conclusions.
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More than 50 arrested in MN
So Shrubby's pre-emptive war strikes has bled over to pre-emptive protestor arrests. This administration has got to be kidding! Especially with the news of Palin under investigation in "TrooperGate", her unwed 17-y/o daughter being pregnant, and some bozo on LKL saying the she had MORE experience that Obama & Biden Combined! OY !
These "pre-emptive" arrests are grossly unconstitutional. But they should result in some very large cash infusions in the lives of the people who have suffered from these illegal actions.
Several years ago at a World Bank/IMF protest, the DC police engaged in similar tactics, closing off downtown streets and then arresting everyone who happened to be on the street at the time. The police never gave any order for people to disperse, or leave the scene.
Many people who were illegally arrested sued the city, and the city eventually paid out large sums of money. Part of the settlement, if I recall correctly, involved the city agreeing to change police procedures to prevent the recurrence of such illegal acts.
So I assume that those arrested will be able to successfully sue for substantial amounts of money. And in the process, their lawyers should be able to use the power of pre-trial discovery to investigate and ventilate the participation of agencies of the federal government. (Unless Bush invokes the magic "national security" claim. Here we go back to the Supreme Court again for another ruling about the constitutional limits of Bush's claim to unlimited, unconstitutional powers as Commander in Chief.)
I will only add to Richard's comment that it also would not surprise me to discover that the "anarchists" who are throwing rocks and escalating violence are not known to the peaceful protesters and may be, in fact, provocateurs.
Since we do know many of those involved in peaceful protests there, including the IVAW and Vets for Peace folks, we understand fully that no such provocations are coming from them. They are being pre-emptively targeted and I hope they get a whole lot of money from the police and FBI.
Diary at kos about arrests commonly occurring at RNC conventions
Ok. Anyone remember the 2004 RNC convention in NY? I remember all those people arrested and held for days! Yet, I never heard what happened later.
Also there was the bicycle chalk artist who got arrested and had his device impounded by the police.
Such b.s.!
Why did the police arrest Amy Goodman? She wasn't throwing things or acting like an "anar-chist" from what I saw on the video. She was calmly trying to tell the police who she was and what she was doing there.
I hope she's got a good lawyer.
The end of this administration can't come too soon for me.
If people want to vote for the wrinkled symbol and Babs and her ta-ta's I'm moving to another country, if I have to hitch-hike.
(As one kind of snooty Republican who lives in the Upper East side of this town told me yesterday "we always lean Republican", I smiled sweetly and thanked her for her time, but in my dreams I saw someone take her by the neck and shake her. She said "we keep close tabs on what's going on" kind of condescendingly, and I just gave her the sweetest smile I could up close and personal, knowing she no way knows what's going on from Faux Snooze.) The good part is that I won't ever have to go back to that house again.
Karen and Richard, you are in a large part responsible for some of the success the party is having in '08, seeings how you were the pioneers of an online interactive Presidential
candidate's blog in '04, and because you worked so hard you paved the way for '08. I don't think anyone will ever forget that blog, or your service. You guys worked your hearts out, along with many others, not the least of them being the Kerrys. I am proud of John and Theresa, and very grateful to each of you.
I hope Kayakbiker wasn't arrested.
More info here:Salon
According to Greenwald, legally, the cops are allowed to hold people without charge for 36 hours, NOT counting weekends and holidays -- so they arrested people early in the weekend, are holding them without charge over the weekend (including today, Labor Day), then the clock will start ticking tomorrow morning, so they won't have to release them until early Thursday -- by which time they're hoping they'll be too scared and dispirited to protest, and/or will be so angry that the protests will be violent and make liberals look bad. Good time to send metta!
I hope he's alright too, slugbug.
(not usually up at this time, but I'm restless.)
Sparrow (in morning) - got this from a guy who works for The Nation - haven't heard from Kayakbiker yet - he is probably alright
Before heading to work & before seeing what Kayakbiker got from yesterday, I'm putting up a YouTube video that I got from someone who works at The Nation.
I just heard that Obama is 50% McCain 43%, anyone seeing any polls with those results yet. I haven't seen any yet.
Gallup: Obama now at 50% for the first time
PRINCETON, NJ -- Gallup Poll Daily tracking from Aug. 30 through Sept. 1, finds Barack Obama leading the race for president with his highest share of support to date. Fully half of national registered voters now favor Obama for president, while 42% back John McCain.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/109960/Gallup-Daily-Obama-Hi...
http://silencedmajority.blogs.com/silenced_majority_portal/2008/09/rnc-protest-in.html
These are Kayakbiker's photos, posted at his site and also at Democratic Underground. I don't have access to the code to post them directly and there are too many, so please visit them here.
My favorites are the DEMOCRACY made of ice and it's melting and the Abu Graib "prisoners" in orange going in front of where I think the convention was to be, or maybe another building with an RNC-related marquee.
slugbug..all the pictures were fantastic! I couldn't decide which one I'd prefer.
kangaroo
It's a post-convention bounce. I wouldn't count on anything until the RNC is over as well.
Protesting is forbidden in the gestapo-land of the United States Republican Party, I see. Overkill and ridiculous arrests - their voters probably think that's what makes/keeps you safe. It is so nauseating that in contrast to the DNC, this convention I can't stomach and I'm now watching the kids animations on our ABC afternoon programs instead. Not watching exactly, but that's my choice of background noise today.
It's a post-convention bounce. I wouldn't count on anything until the RNC is over as well.
I realise that ally, but then I am sure as hell not expecting a bounce from McBush and Palin.
Look at this self-confessed redneck's face. That's hate in those eyes. That's hate in the tightness of that mouth. That's a photo of a kid who could easily be one of the shooters at schools/colleges at some time in the future.
total article:
http://www.theage.com.au/us-election-2008/redneck-palin-boyfriend-joining-republican-convention-20080903-48c8.html
Oh - and that's a kid who could be a lot of time at the White House
Temperment: Blue is Cool, Red is Hot
Blue drains a jumper from outside the 3-point line in front of the troops and hundreds of cameras....
Red stares longingly at the landing pad of his newly picked running mate in front of giddy supporters and hundreds of cameras...
Take a Temper Mint break... Vote Cool.
Do you know what cracks me up about the situation with Palin's daughter and boyfriend?
The Christian Conservatives forced (FORCED) this person on HIM! And he took it because they were going to protest any other nominee who was a 'non-Christian'.
So in one fell swoop, they've proven how craven McCain is. And they've proven that the religious conservatives are no more moral than those liberals whom they've labeled for years as loose women and men with no morals!
September 3, 2008
Candidate McCain’s Big Decision
More often than not, the role of a vice president is a minor one, unless some tragedy occurs. But a presidential nominee’s choice of a running mate is vitally important. It is his first executive decision and offers an important insight into how that nominee would lead the nation.
If John McCain wants voters to conclude, as he argues, that he has more independence and experience and better judgment than Barack Obama, he made a bad start by choosing Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.
Mr. McCain’s supporters are valiantly trying to argue that the selection was a bold stroke that shows their candidate is a risk-taking maverick who — we can believe — will change Washington. (Mr. Obama’s call for change — now “the change we need” — has become all the rage in St. Paul.)
(snip)
Some of the things Ms. Palin has had to say in the recent past about foreign policy are especially worrisome. In a speech last June to her former church in Wasilla, Ms. Palin said the war in Iraq was “a task that is from God.” Mr. Bush made similar claims as he rejected all sound mortal advice on how to conduct the war.
- more -
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/opinion/03wed1.html?hp
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