BREAKING: RNC 8 Charged with "Conspiracy to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism"

[The Sushi Bandit]

Source: Twin Cities Indy Media

In what appears to be the first use of criminal charges under the 2002 Minnesota version of the Federal Patriot Act, Ramsey County Prosecutors have formally charged 8 alleged leaders of the RNC Welcoming Committee with Conspiracy to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism. Monica Bicking, Eryn Trimmer, Luce Guillen Givins, Erik Oseland, Nathanael Secor, Robert Czernik, Garrett Fitzgerald, and Max Spector, face up to 7 1/2 years in prison under the terrorism enhancement charge which allows for a 50% increase in the maximum penalty.

Affidavits released by law enforcement which were filed in support of the search warrants used in raids over the weekend, and used to support probable cause for the arrest warrants, are based on paid, confidential informants who infiltrated the RNCWC on behalf of law enforcement. They allege that members of the group sought to kidnap delegates to the RNC, assault police officers with firebombs and explosives, and sabotage airports in St. Paul. Evidence released to date does not corroborate these allegations with physical evidence or provide any other evidence for these allegations than the claims of the informants. Based on past abuses of such informants by law enforcement, the National Lawyers Guild is concerned that such police informants have incentives to lie and exaggerate threats of violence and to also act as provacateurs in raising and urging support for acts of violence.

"These charges are an effort to equate publicly stated plans to blockade traffic and disrupt the RNC as being the same as acts of terrorism. This both trivializes real violence and attempts to place the stated political views of the Defendants on trial," said Bruce Nestor, President of the Minnesota Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. "The charges represent an abuse of the criminal justice system and seek to intimidate any person organizing large scale public demonstrations potentially involving civil disobedience, he said."


Read more: http://tc.indymedia.org/2008/sep/breaking-rnc-8-charged-conspiracy-riot-furtherance-terrorism

[MichiganVote]

1. Police state.

[L. Coyote]

46. Breaking: Apparently, Homeland Security is in charge of MPLS-STP police

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3919501

[MichiganVote]

59. Next time they'll have Blackwater guards.

[ixion]

2. They've been charged with thought crimes, in essence

because they've broken no law. This is where we're headed. Joy.

[bitchkitty]

3. Those sons of bitches!

Evidence released to date does not corroborate these allegations with physical evidence or provide any other evidence for these allegations than the claims of the informants

If they chose to, they could arrest any of us who have expressed anger or deep dissatisfaction with the * admin. They did this to SHAQ8, and they're not going to stop there, or with the RNC8.

This sucks so bad. I'm praying as hard as I can, for the money I need to leave this country, to fall into my lap. None of us are safe, if any asshole "informant" can say whatever they want, for whatever reason.

Double plus BAD!!!!

[AlphaCentauri]

40. Someone in this board must be making notes about everybody

I would not be surprised for any arrest of people expressing their own views

[napi21]

4. OK, I read that story 3 times. Help me understand this. They

charged members of the RNC Welcoming Committee? It's a Pub Convention! Were these people dirt inside the Party? Do I understand that right?

[Bozita]

6. "RNC Welcoming Committee" is the name of the protest group

[Bozita]

5. "... paid, confidential informants who infiltrated..." -- aka provocateurs

[zbdent]

11. I've heard that Gitmo had to release hundreds which were turned in

by "paid, confidential informants" ...

[Rebellious Republican]

12. Miami recount all over again.... paid operatives would be more

like it.

I was afraid this would happen, I even posted about this before the convention started.

Miami-Dade vote recount demonstration was staged
http://rationalrevolution.net/war/maimi.htm

[frylock]

27. cointelpro

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COINTELPRO

[UpInArms]

32. "...paid, confidential informants who infiltrated the RNCWC"

you beat me to it

[joneschick]

7. this goes under WTF?

and an immediate donation to the National Lawyers Guild.
So paid infiltrators can make shit up out of whole cloth and these activists are facing serious jail time?????
Can someone with a lawyerly background please assure me the level of bs and tell me what will really happen? sheesh.

[The Sushi Bandit]

14. I like the idea of a WTF forum!

Maybe the moddies can set it up!

[joneschick]

15. I suspect the concept isa trifle broad for a forum....

:hi:

[democrat2thecore]

8. Well....if that's the case.....

[maseman]

9. In a way this could be good

There will be a trial and if they get a fair judge he'll throw it out and make these laws look stupid. OF course if they get a fundie it could be real bad...

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

10. They need to demand a change of venue for the trial

Out of Nazi Germany to anywhere in the United States of America.

[tabasco]

13. Fascist Amerikkka

This is not my country anymore.

[AbbeyRoad]

16. This is so messed up

So everybody had better stay inside the lines or else. It doesn't matter whether you never committed an act of violence just as long as a paid informant, without proof, says you were thinking about it.

[BeHereNow]

17. HR 1955.

Nuff said.

BHN

[seafan]

26. I wondered the same thing about Todd and Sarah Palin's ties to the AK secessionists.

HR 1955: The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act


Sounds like HR 1955 would apply.

[crimsonblue]

50. HR 1955 was never passed into law

Nt.

[democrat2thecore]

18. I called the Mayor's office today - There was an emergency email last night documenting all this!

The Mayor's office claims they "aren't in control." I told them if that's the case, it's even more worrisome and they should take control of their city back from those who are giving it a black eye.

[LiberalFighter]

21. Which law enforcement agency was responsible?

If city then the mayor is full of crap.

[democrat2thecore]

23. Apparently

It's a coordinated effort with the county, city, state - and even the FBI! (Read: This was a fed job)

Please see this thread from late last night:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3911125

Thom Hartmann is also covering this well on his radio show.

[LiberalFighter]

28. When is something going to be done with these renegade law enforcement agencies?

[madrchsod]

19. well duh...informants were responsible for most of this shit

people should have done a better job in checking who was in the groups....

as an old sds member i`ve always wondered who was the informant in our group...

[Doctor_J]

20. I kind of wish the protestors had stayed away from St. Paul

Bringing unwanted attention to the convention and giving the Nazis an excuse to further the police state.

[stillcool]

22. I think that's the point...

I hear the message loud and clear.. no expression of dissent will be tolerated.

[crickets]

25. Aw, c'mon. They have a right to be there.

They had no plans to be violent or to kidnap anybody. There were no bombs or explosives. If you saw the vid posted a day or so ago, you'd see they were nerdy (go brave nerds!) political activist types planning to exercize their First Amendment rights. It's the 'police state Nazi' goons who are out of control and should not be allowed to jackboot all over everyone without citizens raising any type of resistance, perfectly legal resistance. I hope they blow the batons off these guys in court.

[peacetalksforall]

39. I don't know if I believe you - they obviously carried or were handed tools

to break storefront windows. The videos show them goading the police. They went their own way. Many purposely avoided showing their faces.

[Damian the LHP]

44. Your point?

Many purposely avoided showing their faces.

And that's bad? Scumbags will use any information they have to ruin your life if they catch you.

[ngant17]

53. most likely police informants

were actively encouraging the members to push the legal window or envelope, as it were, to move them into more violent situations.

And it would not surprise me if the informants were the ones who initiated the violence themselves. Which means the police have arrested innocent bystanders and it's guilt by association.

It's helpful that the NLG can work on this case, it is definitely another step toward a fascist state if these innocent people are thrown in jail for these bogus terrorism charges.

[Doctor_J]

57. This is believable. I would bet there were many agents provocateur there

This gives the fascists another opportuniy to take another baby step toward a police state with many "average Americans" in agreement.

[Downtown Hound]

45. You're so right

We should give up our right to protest and cower in fear because of how they might react. :sarcasm:

No wonder we got to this point. Too many people all too willing to just roll over and surrender.

[Truth2Tell]

49. The RNC wishes the same thing.

Weird.

[aquart]

24. "Terrorism." Does that mean they can be tortured?

Does it mean they can be stripped of their citizenship?

Does it mean they are permanently on the No Fly list?

[wellstone dem]

29. But it's the Ramsey County Prosecutors bringing this

and the Ramsey County attorney has her eyes on the Democratic nod to run against Pawlenty.

Prosecutors have prosecutorial discretion.

[Swagman]

30. protestors should film or tape every meeting...

[zeemike]

31. Actually they are doing us a favor

At great risk to themselves.
They are point out to us just how far this administration has moved us towed a fascist state.
Those young men and women are heros in my book and I hope they have the money and lawyers to fight this and make a big deal out of it.

[Raksha]

34. We can make damn sure they have the money

and the lawyers to fight it all the way to the Supreme Court.

My daughter's boyfriend was tasered and beaten yesterday, and for all I know they are both still incarcerated. They weren't threatening ANYONE! So I'm taking all this rather personally as you can imagine.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3911125&mesg_id=3911289

Edited to add link

[zeemike]

38. I wish I had the means to help you

But sadly I don't
But you have my moral suport and in my thoughts...there is a certiant power that comes from that but not of much balue to a lawyer.
And you are going to need some good ones...perhaps the ACLU would get involved.
But best wishes to you and yours.

[tomg]

55. Is there a defense fund or a link yet? nt

All I can say as a parent is that you have my prayers and hopes. You raised one hell of a great kid who has a pretty fine SO. If more of us spoke up when we first saw this coming, our kids who now face foreign and domestic enemies ( funny how the right always foregts the second half) would not have to put themselves on the line like this.

[Hugabear]

33. Conspiracy = thought crime

So now they're going to arrest people for terrorism merely for THINKING about it?

[The Sushi Bandit]

35. yep!

[Psyop Samurai]

36. Appreciate you keeping on top of this, Sushi Bandit...

The news is coming too fast, and is too overwhelming for some of us to comment, but we are paying attention!

[The Sushi Bandit]

37. Mahalo for your kind words!!

These people need our help!

[AlphaCentauri]

41. The Stalinist Police State Gone Wild

[lonestarnot]

42. ACLU ACLU ACLU ACLU ACLU ACLU ACLU ACLU ACLU ACLU

ACLUACLUACLUACLUACLUACLUACLUACLUACLUACLUACLUACLUACLUACLUACLUACLUACLUACLU! Get busier!

[EFerrari]

43. Bush Justice Department. January can't come soon enough.

:grr:

[LynnTheDem]

47. So it's official now.

The USSA.

[suffragette]

48. Allegations and no evidence plus terrorist charge =

Bush (In)Justice system in action.

[BreweryYardRat]

51. *facepalm*

Oh, for God's sake! Paid informants will always lie in order to get the money. We ought to enact laws saying that you cannot get an arrest warrant based solely on the testimony of paid informants.

Someone ought to find the list of informants and broadcast that information online.

[dipsydoodle]

52. Police also wish to interview

Emmanuel Goldstein in connection with this.

[Dogtown]

54. K&R n/t

[nebenaube]

56. This bullshit breeds terrorism......

Eventually, everyone will be a terrorist.

[conspirator]

58. Conspiracy to riot, will evolve into conspiracy to protest, will evolve into conspiracy to express

an opinion and then we are in a 1984 orwellian world.