Posted on29 September 2010.
Hartford- In response to
the recent raids by the FBI on anti-war activists in St. Paul, Minnesota and elsewhere in the Midwest, activists in CT and around the country are holding rallies this week to support those who have been targeted and to “demand an end to the state’s continued suppression of dissent”.
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Great video Dave. Sorry I missed the action but obligations at work kept me away. As always Peter thank you for your eloquent statement concerning this recent trampling of rights. You may be interested in the press releases from the National Lawyers Guild concerning this case of which I speak. More information found here. http://www.rnc8.org.
Folks should know that this recent wave of attempted repression of activists is not the first in the mid west area. Before the Republican National Convention a group of young anarchists who now are known as the RNC 8 were arrested, their homes raided and are waiting trial in the Ramsey County Court house on October 25. The group had formed the RNCWC or the Republican National Convention Welcoming Committee which was infiltrated early on by paid, confidential informants on behalf of law enforcement.
Here is just a bit of the story
• All were preemptively arrested prior to the 2008 RNC in response to their political organizing. They were falsely charged with Conspiracy to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism under the Minnesota PATRIOT Act.
• Later that year, prosecutors added charges of Conspiracy to Commit Criminal Damage to Property in Furtherance of Terrorism, as well as both charges without the terrorism enhancement, for a total of four felonies per defendant.
• In early 2009, facing mounting political pressure, prosecutors removed the terrorism enhancements, leaving each defendant with two felonies each.
• In September 2010, Erik Oseland accepted a plea agreement to a single gross misdemeanor charge. Also this month, all charges against Monica Bicking, Eryn Trimmer, and Luce Guillén-Givins were dropped, leaving four defendants to face an expected trial beginning October 25, 2010.
The rnc 8 site contains news updates, press releases, biographies and information for donating to their legal support fund and otherwise defending the RNC 8.
We at AFQOTP are proud members of the RNC8 Defense Committee and post updates on our site.
http://www.rnc8.org