( – promoted by Jack McCullough)

UPDATED AGAIN: September 1, 10:59 p.m.

Amy Goodman has been arrested in St.Paul

by: bluestateblues

Mon Sep 01, 2008 at 21:19:32 PM EDT

This afternoon, I watched today's edition of Democracy Now!, which included a piece about the St. Paul police conducting preemptive raids in advance of the Republican convention, targeting groups of protesters, journalists and videographers, including videographer, Elizabeth Press, who works for Democracy Now!.

I just received the following email announcing Amy Goodman has just been arrested.

I spent time volunteering for Democracy Now! last week in Denver, where I distributed information about the show at events around the city. Amy produced a 2 hour show daily during the convention in Denver, and planned to do the same this week during the Republican convention.

 You can view the video of Amy being arrested here.

Cross posted from Rational Resistance:

The Republican Convention starts Monday, and the police in St. Paul are rounding up activists to prevent them from demonstrating against the Guardians of Privilege.

Glenn Greenwald is all over the story at Salon, including video of residents and neighbors. I am particularly interested in the president of the local Lawyers Guild chapter, who is very informative.

In these raids, armed officers from a nearby county sheriff's department (that's right, they were operating outside of their geographic jurisdiction) burst into at least four homes, known in their neighborhoods as “hippie houses”, handcuffed the residents and guests in the homes and forced them to lie on the floor for as long as forty-five minutes, and executed warrants authorizing them to seize such common household items as laptop computers, maps of St. Paul, twine, cardboard, spray paint, and paint thinner. A couple of people were arrested on the bogus charge of conspiracy to riot.

In one video one of the lawyers working as a liaison with the police at a home where journalists were being detained is seen speaking to the press in handcuffs.

It's obvious that they're doing this to prevent people from protesting the Republican Convention. It's too early to know if there has been any coordination between county sheriff Bob Fletcher and the RNC, but I assume people will be looking into that. Meanwhile, this is something that we need to follow very closely. As the Bush administration has attacked all forms of constitutional protection, including the right of habeas corpus, this comment from Firedoglake is particularly apt:

Didn’t the Chinese do the same thing to potential protesters (raid their homes, intimidate them, follow them around, force them to leave town, detain them) ahead of the Olympics and we denounced them as the repressive regime that they are.. even called our president to boycott their precious games? I’m so glad that we live in a country that would never do such things to its own citizens….

I'll keep this diary updated as I learn more.

UPDATE: Local TV stations are showing video of items the local sheriff says he seized from the raids, including buckets of urine, homemade caltrops to block buses by puncturing their tires, and other items.

The Strib has more information, including a response from Denis Nestor, the Lawyers Guild president that Glenn Greenwald also interviewed.

The alleged urine, Nestor maintained, was actually three buckets, two of which contained dirty water used to flush toilets while conserving water. The third was seized from an illegal apartment occupied by someone not connected to the RNC protests. There was no bathroom in the illegal apartment and urine was collected in a bucket, Nestor said.

 UPDATE: Here's the link to the RNC Welcoming Committee, the anarchist organization sponsoring a lot of the anti-RNC activities. As you read their materials, you can see very clearly that they intend to blockade and disrupt the Republican activities.

Here's what they say about “violence”:

30. (Insert question about rock throwing/smashing windows)

As the Welcoming Committee, we refuse to condemn the defense of individuals, communities, and the Earth. Most violence comes from the state. When you come to St. Paul in September, look around: we won’t be the ones with nightsticks, guns, and Tasers.

31. What’s your stance on violence and property destruction?

Destruction bad. Property bad. The concept of property is used to deprive people of the basic necessities of life. We live here, and want to live in beautiful, clean environments, just like you. We also believe we have a right to defend ourselves, and if the tools used to attack us include the tools of property, it’s not exempt.

32. But haven’t all of society’s gains been made by “non-violent” action?

First, while we support oppressed peoples defending themselves with whatever means appropriate, our blockading strategy does not call for violence.

Power will use whatever means are most effective to maintain control. The primary tool of state control is violence whether physical, economic, or psychological. The state will use violence when needed to put down dissent. The only check on state violence is the risk of losing sovereignty and with that facing greater dissent. When “non-violent” action has seemed to be successful it is not because the appeals of the masses tugged at the hearts of the men in power. Rather, it becomes clear to those in power that if they don’t deal with the more moderate protests the protesters will all become “extremists”, and more voices will rise in protest. So, ultimately those who are behaving in a more moderate fashion receive a space at the table in order to keep the “radicals” out and to prevent the radicalization of the moderates. So, even the moderates have the state’s fear of radical action backing up their arguments.

At the Big Tent in Denver, Markos Moulitsas of “Daily Kos” fame made plenty of copies of his new book, Taking on the System, available. I’ve been reading my copy on my trip back to Vermont (I am actually writing this diary from O’Hare in Chicago).

It’s a good read. Markos is an excellent writer (lord knows he gets enough practice). It lacks citations, which drives me nuts, but I’m getting a lot out of it. Most of the book is an exercise in breaking out the transformational power of new media into its constituent parts and providing successful case studies of each (and not always political case studies as Markos sees a lot of parallel institutional change in, for example, the music industry).

Markos casts himself and the netroots movement as the next step in Saul Alinsky-style activism, disarming the critcism from the more reactionary set (many of whom cite Alinsky – to whom Taking on the System is dedicated – as an inspiration themselves) with Rules for Radicals quotations such as “we will start with the system because there is no other place to start from except political lunacy”. It should be mentioned that Markos casts himself in such a role without ego, as he is uniquely able to speak about himself and his contribution objectively, almost clinically so. It’s refreshing.

But here’s the discussion: Markos observes in the prologue that the rapid democratization of media and (by extension) other power institutions has left the “traditional gatekeepers” (largely the traditional media) and the political “elites they guard” with a choice:

Some are embracing this democratization, welcoming the new participants. Others are simply tolerating the interlopers, acknowledging the process as an inevitable evolution in our culture. Then there are those digging in their heels, and fighting a losing battle to protect their domain.

At the Denver convention – both on the ground with the Vermont delegation and in reviewing the coverage back home – JD, Christian and I were witnessing all three of these reactions. Most prominently (I believe) on display was the “tolerating” process of simply dealing with these changes as an inevitability. But each of the other reactions Markos lays out were clearly in play as well.

Rather than give you my opinion, I’d like to hear the opinion of GMD’s readers. Among the Vermont “gatekeeper” and “elite” set, who do you think is welcoming the new paradigm, who is simply accepting it and trying to make the best of it, and who is digging in and pushing back?

(This seems like it’s worth keeping an eye on. – promoted by JulieWaters)

Over at my blog, Integral Psychosis I posted daily- and in some cases with multiple updates- what I could find (and what I heard from friends on the ground) about the protests at the DNC.  My plan was/is to do the same for the RNC.  However, I thought I had a few days to post about other stuff, clean the house, work in the garden, and finish re-siding my garage.  Boy was I wrong.  Activists, folks concerned with police oppression (and political oppression of minority ideas), and those interested in seeing just how f*@!ed-up the system is when you believe a better, and entirely different, world is possible, will probably find this interesting; here’s my post from last night (with numerous updates from this afternoon):

I’ve still got a few posts I was hoping to get up over the next few days, before I switch into RNC protest coverage.  Seems me and the St Paul PD aren’t on the same page.  A story hit Infoshop a day or two ago predicting emanate preemptive arrests of protest organizers in St Paul and other “anarchists”, and well, turns out they weren’t just being paranoid:

As of 11:45 PM MTN time, word from the Twin Cities Indy Media site is that at least one person has been arrested following a police raid of the convergence center, where activists have been meeting and planning for the upcoming RNC.  At least a dozen SPPD officers raided the facility with guns drawn and blocked off the street which accessed the center, detaining everyone who was inside.  Individuals and their possessions were searched, ID’s were scanned and names (etc) were taken down; anyone willing to have their picture taken was released immediately.  The report as of 10:00 PM (local time) is that the police had no warrant.  From TCIMC:

At 9:15 Friday night, the Saint Paul Police entered all doors of the RNC Convergence Space in St. Paul, MN with guns drawn. The Space serves as a community center and organizing space for the upcoming protests against the Republican National Convention. At the time of the raid, people were sitting down to dinner and watching a movie.

The police presented no warrant at the time of the raid, but claim that they have a warrant to search the space for “bomb-making” materials. No “bomb-making” materials were found. Rather, the police barked orders for everyone, including a 5 year old child, to get on the floor with their faces to the ground. Everyone inside was put in handcuffs.

In the hours following, the police photographed everyone inside the space and recorded information from their Identification cards. The police took all personal laptops and hard drives.

One female activist was sexually harassed by a cop who groped her crotch.

The police are claiming that the space must be closed down due to “fire code” violations. According to City Council member Dave Thune, the police do not have the authority to enforce fire code. Only the Fire Department has the power to enforce this code.

A statement released from the RNC Welcoming Committee (an umbrella group co-ordinating many of the planned RNC protests):

“The Ramsey County sheriff’s dept and the SPPD raided the RNC convergence space and detained over 50 people in an attempt to preempt planned protests of the rnc on Monday.

Looking for items found in any twin cities house like jars, paint, and rags, this attempt to portray us as criminals and destroy our credibility has already backfired as evidenced by the masses who have come to support us.

We are now accused of a simple fire code violation, which is outside the scope of the sheriffs department and clearly not justified provocation for a forceful raid with guns being drawn. Children and elderly people were inside the convergence center when the police violently busted down the doors. The police may claim that the raid was executed according to protocol – however, the violence inherent in this action may only be a hint of the violence to be expected on Monday and beyond, and is only a hint at the violence perpetrated daily by the police.

The convergence center is simply a gathering place and is not used for illegal actions – it is a place for workshops and trainings. Tonight we were watching films and sharing food.

This action will not deter us from our plans to protest the RNC on September 1st. We want to invite all people who oppose this police oppression to join us on Septemeber 1st. See you in the streets.”

Awesome.  Now, I’m glad I wasn’t in Denver, but I’m really starting to regret not being in Minnesota.  Much more to come.  The RNC Welcoming Committee has a Saturday morning press conference scheduled.

IMPORTANT UPDATE!:  The raids have continued this morning.  At least three seperate houses in Minneapolis & St Paul have been raided by police, sherifs, FBI agents, and members of the Dept of Homeland Security.  At least one person from Food  Not Bombs has been arrested and charged with four counts of conspiracy, and now TCIMC is reporting that at least another three people have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to incite riots.  Legal observers and lawyers have been on the scene, but it appears to be entire chaos in St Paul.

Also, at least two organizers associated with the convergence space that was raided last night have reported that, while being detained by the police at the convergence “someone” broke into their homes and cars, taking nothing but clearly opening file cabinets and boxes and rifling through various documents and personal belongings.

My personal plea is that the Feds and cops chill out for a couple days: I’m trying to get ready for a BBQ over here and staying glued to my computer for updates and developments is not particularly helpful.

UPDATE #2:  Raids on known homes of activists and radicals have been continuing throughout the Twin Cities in Minnesota all morning and afternoon (the latest one I read about includes cops drawing automatic weapons!); other than last night’s raid on the convergence center, public spaces, such as Twin Cities IMC, aren’t being raided but have seen city and State regulators come through looking for code violations to shut them down.  

UPDATE #3: Members of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) were kicked-out (!) of the police press conference regarding the raids and arrests earlier today.  Also, there is no certain number of arrests made (that I’ve seen) but my casual count from a handful of sources would put the number around a dozen, and growing.  In addition, it is being reported that journalists from Indy Media and Democracy Now! have been detained.  A 4:00 PM (MTN Time) press conference has been scheduled (the one planned for this morning doesn’t seem to have happened, most likely because everyone was being detained by the police.

Pop on over to the above link to my site for continuing updates.

“What I find interesting is that, as a mother of five, she’s still a virgin. I think that beats Our Lady AND Mother Theresa in one punch.” – Anon E. Maus

What was the McCain camp thinking? This is comedic gold for us Dems. Discuss.

I missed some of the highlights, like the roll call, that I always enjoy. Still, I think there were some great speeches and events this week, and some that were a bit lacking. Here are some of my reactions.

Obama's speech: As I said before, I liked it. It had substance, it showed his ability to attack McBush, and it also brought in the emotional content that really pulls people together.

Al Gore's speech: the content was great, probably the best speech I've ever heard him give. I was dissatisfied by the presentation. He talked too fast, and stepped on all his applause lines. It made me wonder if they had the TelePrompter going too fast so they could hustle him off the stage to get Obama on. If they were running long, why not can that first boring song that Stevie did, or, better yet, can Michael McDonald completely?

The Clintons' speeches: I haven't watched his speech yet, but I thought Hillary Clinton's speech was really good. A number of people I talked to said it brought tears to their eyes. After eight years of Obama as president she'll still be qualified, and Biden will be too old.

Chelsea Clinton: After all the shit she's had to put up with from the right wing, especially Limbaugh, she's turned out great. Any parent would be proud to have raised such a smart, poised, articulate daughter. Whatever their personal failings, the Clintons obviously did something right.

Brian Schweitzer: Also a good speech, although these guys from the big, empty states lose me when they start talking about “clean” coal–hint–no such thing.

Best line of the week: It's got to be Barney Smith: “I want a president who will put Barney Smith ahead of Smith Barney.” I don't know, or care, who wrote that.

LT. GOV. CANDIDATE NATE FREEMAN ANNOUNCES

ECONOMIC PLAN TO CREATE NEW JOBS AND BUSINESSES

Northfield, VT – Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor Nate Freeman today announced an economic plan that tackles the critical need for new jobs and businesses in the state.

“For those who are out of work, struggling to get by or nervous about their own job security, it is painfully obvious that our state isn’t creating enough new jobs and businesses,” said Freeman, who is vying for the Democratic nomination in Sept. 9^th primary election.  “As Lt. Governor I will actively seek to inspire a new wave of entrepreneurs and start-up companies.  Just as Ben & Jerry's, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Burton Snowboards and others emerged from their humble beginnings 25 years ago, I believe that we can again become a place where people create companies that support our way of life in Vermont.”

Freeman, a small business owner from Northfield, called on current Lt. Governor Brian Dubie to…

Freeman, a small business owner from Northfield, called on current Lt. Governor Brian Dubie touse his office to take a more proactive role in helping Vermonters in this tough economy.

“When so many Vermonters are hurting the way they are now, we need leaders who will stand up and fight for them,” said Freeman.  “I haven’t seen Brian Dubie do that at all.  Where has he and the rest of the Jim Douglas administration been on this issue?”

For his part, Freeman proposes to create jobs and new businesses by:

1. Fully funding and supporting Community Capital of Vermont, a non-profit that provides capital and business development services to Vermont start-up companies.  The organization’s programs, such as the Vermont Job Start Program, help entrepreneurs start and grow the companies that create the kinds of jobs that are badly need in the state.    
   
2. Initiate a matching grants research program that will enable Vermont’s university researchers and students to work side-by-side with the state’s technology companies to develop new cutting-edge technologies.  This applied research will make Vermont businesses and their products more competitive, while introducing Vermont’s top students to local companies, increasing the odds that the students will get in-state jobs when they graduate.  The state’s in-kind and monetary contribution would be matched by the participating companies, providing a big return on the state’s investment.
3. Review why the Vermont Economic Development Authority failed to produce results with the formation of Vermont Capital Partners in 2004.  Vermont’s $2 million investment in this for-profit venture was supposed to result in another $23 million in seed funding for Vermont companies.  That didn’t happen and only two companies received seed funding, one of which now lists its home as Texas. 

“I believe that Vermont’s creative and hard-working people can once again become a national leader in developing high growth, socially responsible businesses,” said Freeman.  “Let’s not forget how creative and determined we Vermonters can be.”
 
For more information about Nate Freeman’s campaign for Lt. Governor, visit www.NateFreeman.com.

Freeman, a small business owner from Northfield, called on current Lt. Governor Brian Dubie touse his office to take a more proactive role in helping Vermonters in this tough economy.

“When so many Vermonters are hurting the way they are now, we need leaders who will stand up and fight for them,” said Freeman.  “I haven’t seen Brian Dubie do that at all.  Where has he and the rest of the Jim Douglas administration been on this issue?”

For his part, Freeman proposes to create jobs and new businesses by:

1. Fully funding and supporting Community Capital of Vermont, a non-profit that provides capital and business development services to Vermont start-up companies.  The organization’s programs, such as the Vermont Job Start Program, help entrepreneurs start and grow the companies that create the kinds of jobs that are badly need in the state.    
   
2. Initiate a matching grants research program that will enable Vermont’s university researchers and students to work side-by-side with the state’s technology companies to develop new cutting-edge technologies.  This applied research will make Vermont businesses and their products more competitive, while introducing Vermont’s top students to local companies, increasing the odds that the students will get in-state jobs when they graduate.  The state’s in-kind and monetary contribution would be matched by the participating companies, providing a big return on the state’s investment.
3. Review why the Vermont Economic Development Authority failed to produce results with the formation of Vermont Capital Partners in 2004.  Vermont’s $2 million investment in this for-profit venture was supposed to result in another $23 million in seed funding for Vermont companies.  That didn’t happen and only two companies received seed funding, one of which now lists its home as Texas. 

“I believe that Vermont’s creative and hard-working people can once again become a national leader in developing high growth, socially responsible businesses,” said Freeman.  “Let’s not forget how creative and determined we Vermonters can be.”
 
For more information about Nate Freeman’s campaign for Lt. Governor, visit www.NateFreeman.com.

Justin Campfield

Campfield Public Relations, LLC

(802) 649-2482 office

(407) 758-6238 cell

1 (888) 807-4142 fax

www.CampfieldPR.com

I just wanted to send a quick, heartfelt thank you out to those GMDers who clicked that Paypal button to help us Denver=bound boys out. It helped out a lot, and I hope you got your money’s worth.

Also, thanks to odum, Christian, the two Peters, Philip Baruth and Selene for both the assistance and the good times.

Thanks again.

GMD in the spotlight again: Cox News Washington.

(Cross posted at Broadsides.org)

Just when I thought I could take a breather from the shallow end of mainstream politics, up steps Grandpa McCain with his best imitation of the dirty old man with his selection of Sarah Palin as his vice presidential nominee. Come on, did you see how creepy McCain looked while lurking about the podium while Palin tried to speak? Watch it, Johnny-boy, because Sarah’s hubby races snowmobiles. But, then again, with an ice-cold wife like Cindy, Johnny’s certainly used to getting his ass kicked around.

McCain’s selection of Palin, however, could certainly be the pinprick to the Obama hope balloon that the Republicans – and the Clinton’s – have been looking for. And he’s delivered it before all those adoring Obama fans even had time to wipe the running eyeliner off their cheeks from last night’s tears of elation. Oh, the beauty of…of… of… oh yeah, hope. Whatever.

I ran into a staunch Democrat this morning while picking up my morning newspapers and, after uttering the obligatory “it was great” mantra with that far away look in his eyes that seemed to be searching for some proof – any proof! – for his feelings, he came forward with this whispered caveat: “But why did Obama soft-pedal his critique of Bush/Cheney?”

The answer was simple. Because Obama’s Democratic Party and, in many cases Obama himself (FISA, Patriot Act reauthorization, Iraq War funding, etc.) did NOTHING to stop Bush/Cheney. And they know it. It’s the modern Democratic Party dilemma of being terminally disqualified at election season based on its own legislative season inanities. Remember the mid-term election of 2006, for example, when the Democrats told us that with control of both houses of Congress they’d be able to stymie that twin tower of bastardism, Bush/Cheney? And how, exactly, did that work out for us? Cue Emily Latela and one more, big “never mind” to the nation.

Sadly, the Democrats seem to be all about the next, great rainbow chase over the horizon. They all but sit on their hands during the Republican rainy seasons (and, let’s face it, it’s been pouring for eight years), roll out their next, great rainbow candidates (Gore! Kerry! Obama!) in the election seasons, and then send their faithful and ever-forgiving followers out searching for that elusive pot of gold. For Democrats, the bullshit of election season continues to hijack their ever-so-meager attempts at accomplishment during legislative season. And around and around they go.

Repugnant as it is, when the smarmy Republicans want a world war, by golly, they start one. Worse, they let it linger and fester and drain us all until…well…they find a new one! Hey, it’s not as if the Democrats – at least the ELECTED Democrats – are going to stop them.

But wait. This was supposed to be about Sarah Palin (cue sound of screeching halt).

Let’s face it, Grandpa McCain hit the trusty “refresh” key with his choice of Palin. Oh sure, it all amounts to one more warm piss in the kiddie pool of a campaign season stuck in the shallow end (nothing new there), but, if shallowness shall rule (hope, anyone?), McCain just upped the ante by playing his Palin card.

Let’s recap the game as it’s now being played out seemingly without parental approval: Obama has hope. McCain has experience. Biden has experience. Palin has hope.

Oh fuck, checkmate.

But, in this case, we’re the losers. Yeah, “we”, as in: we, the people. Because the more the two corporate parties are hell-bent on dragging us down this moronic road of nothing but clichés, the more the great spectacle of nothing in particular distracts us all from a whole lot of important matters. You know, those “silly” and “distracting” things like war, peace, health care, global warming and the like.

By now, we all know why McCain picked Palin: She’s young, she’s a woman, she’s an outsider and she’s conservative. In other words, she’s “better” than Hillary Clinton when it comes to rule number one in the not-so-great game of presidential politics: Superficial appeal is all that matters.

McCain and the Republicans are all but wetting themselves with their hopes that the Democrats will begin attacking Palin for (what?) being young, energetic, an outsider and – oh no, here comes that word again – hopeful. Hmm, all that seems to sound familiar. Oh yeah, that’s all sooooo Obama.

Better yet, McCain and the Republicans are hoping beyond hope that the Obama faithful childish trashing of Palin will only further irk the Hillary crowd, which as you’ll recall, doesn’t just include women but also the working class that Palin and her husband just happen to come from.

Oh my, we are, indeed, a nation stuck in the shallow end of what should be a very large political pool. Sooner or later the lifeguards have got to declare that it’s “adult swim time,” no?

It’s been an adventure. I wish I could say that entirely in the positive sense of the word, but it’s definitely a good thing that I was here. There are a lot of comments I could make, but I’m tired. And I walked more yesterday than I have since the Step It Up walk. Ouch.

It should be said that as amazing as the show was inside (and by “amazing” in this post, I’m referring to my amazement that nothing went wrong), the logistics outside were horrific, and there were a lot of angry people walking for hours and miles to get in, or being funneled out exits way to small to accommodate gazillions of people. The crowd I was with actually pushed over the temporary fencing and made their own way out, and in true bleeding-heart liberal style, many lingered for a while to help the elderly or unsteady climb over the concrete barrier to exploit the hole created in the fence line and (thankfully) escape.

I staggered around after my own escape and got lost, wandering through a very large housing project. I was hoping to catch up with fellow Vermonters as I’d felt a bit cut off from them in the evenings, what with the logistics of taking the bus out to the place I stayed Tuesday and Wednesday nights – the condemned home of a medical marijuana growing renter who was in the process of being evicted (and who’d just had most of his plants stolen), and for whom I had to knock with a secret code to be allowed entry so he’d know I wasn’t the cops. More on that later… or not.

So I caught up with some of the younger delegate set at the hotel the delegation had been staying at, but… er, well… the phrase “fifth wheel” comes to mind, so I quickly set off in search of more suitable downtime environments, finding bloggers JD Ryan and Philip Baruth  having drinks with Senator Shumlin. I settled in, and I think it was the most relaxed I’ve been all week.

So a collection of videos follow below the fold, but first here’s Stevie Wonder and dancing Vermont legislators from Mile High Stadium…

Here’s a particularly effective street theater demonstration from Iraq Veterans Against the War. Unfortunately, I didn’t video the best part – where they “roughed up” a faux detainee, but this should give you the flavor.

Here’s a sense of some of the sheer scale of what was up, including the logistic nightmare of getting in out of the stadium (including the aforementioned downed fence and mass escape at the end).

Here’s the reaction of some of the Vermont delegation to Obama’s appearance on the stage, as well as some comments afterwards.

…and in a final reminder that Vermont is the Rodney Dangerfield of states, here’s a screen capture from an MSNBC slideshow of the night. Note the description below the picture…