Multiple felony charges for my friends who protested at the RNC. Just released today.

[readmoreoften]

I will write with more news later. But my partner was called by some people we know who went to protest the RNC. These are college-educated young women who flew to protest from Austin. They have been in jail since the protest. They say there are many others still in jail. They said all have been charged with multiple felony convictions. They said there are still others who have not been released. They are still stuck out there because they long missed their flights.

As far as I know, these are not violent radicals, but very average working-class political activist lesbians. One is a very, very small girl.

I will report more when they return. For now, this is all I know. I just wanted to let people know that there are still people in jail for protesting. I didn't even realize this myself, so I figured it'd be a good idea to let everyone know.

[EC]

1. Mission accomplished...

now they can't vote...

[barbtries]

10. they haven't been convicted yet

they can vote.

[quiet.american]

2. So this is their new move. Scare off protests with the threat of felony convictions....

We've got to do something about this.

[tpsbmam]

I assume you mean they've been charged with multiple felony counts, not

convictions. This is terrible!! I didn't realize they were still in jail either. Where the hell is the ACLU??????

[cliffordu]

18. That's exactly right: Where IS the damned ACLU???

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Not convictions -- just charges.

The conviction is what happens as the result of a trial and a jury verdict (unless there is an acquittal), or a guilty plea. I assume these people are all awaiting trial. My guess is eventually they will be able to plead to a lesser (misdemeanor) charge, but the damage will have been done anyhow, in that their rights to free speech and assembly have been trampled on. I hope they sue the pants off everybody who had anything to do with this travesty.

[midnight]

6. That is an interesting pattern of charging people for crimes, and

then no convictions. But why?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Intimidation, pure and simple.

They throw you in jail, charge you with a felony, scare you half to death, and force you to spend a bunch of money on legal representation. So even if they eventually drop the charges, they figure next time maybe you won't be inclined to protest because you don't want to go through that again.

[CitizenPatriot]

12. around election time

it's the partisan DoJ's way of getting Dems in trouble. Not like I'm making this up or being sarcastic -- that's their plan and they've been doing it for years. They leak info of investigation to press to make high powered Dem look bad and then it fades away after the election.

In this case, it seems like an intimidation factor and demoralizing factor.

Of course, they don't realize how it motivates us when they do these things.

Idiots, to the end. They never know when to stop.

pigs get greedy, hogs get slaughtered or whatever that saying is.

[snot]

21. It's not JUST intimidation, though that's v. impt. It preempts free speech!

[readmoreoften]

11. I was also told that she is faces MULTIPLE felony charges.

So I'm not sure if they'll turn into misdemeanors. Maybe. Considering organizers are facing charges of terrorism, I'm not so sure this time.

[dmr]

22. 'Thought crimes' aka 'conspiracy to riot'. Arrests made from misread thoughts. How clever.

I had no idea people were still being jailed - nearly 2 weeks later! This is not right. I thought there were attorneys monitoring. I'm going to send this thread to Amy Goodman. I'm sure she would be interested in a follow up of what is still going on.

Shameful ........

[hootinholler]

20. They didn't have an arraignment?

What was bail? Were they remanded?

-Hoot

[silverweb]

4. Charges or convictions?

Two very different things.

If they've already been convicted, that was record time for indictment and trial that we've heard nothing about.

I'm guessing they've just been formally charged.

[mulsh]

5. um one is not charged with a conviction one is charged first

and then either convicted or found not guilty. it's part of what's left of due process. If they haven't been on trial or arranged a plea deal they're just being charged with felony crimes.

that being said. we need to do as much as we all can to defend these protesters.

[readmoreoften]

8. Right! Changed it to charges. It is possible the charges will be dropped or they won't be convicted.

It's going to suck for them to have to fly back out there for trial. I'm sure someone lost a job along the way over this.

[barbtries]

9. that was news to me as well

i hope they have good lawyers, ACLU, what-have-you. this should not be allowed to stand. the scene at the RNC was a travesty.

[Union Thug]

13. Political intimidation. Is there a defense fund set up?

I hope that bastards behind this know that if they strip away our ability to vote, we'll find other ways of changing the system. Just sayin'.

[w4rma]

14. These folks should not have to pay legal fees for this. There needs to be a legal fund for them.

Having a legal fund set up for them forces the fascists to know that we are going to stick together and help one another out when some of us try to use our free speech rights.

[1Hippiechick]

15. I want to know what the friggin' charges ARE! Is no one organizing a protest there??? n/t

[backscatter712]

16. Nazi fascist sacks of shit.

That's straight out of the fascist playbook - catch-and-release tactics.

Go read The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot by Naomi Wolf. It's straight out of there.

The Minneapolis police, Minneapolis prosecutors and every other person there who participated in these acts of political repression deserve death. They deserve violence against them. What did we do when we encountered the same types of fucks in WWII? Oh yeah. We shot them. They're garbage. Literally human garbage. I'm through giving them the benefit of the doubt when they treat us like animals.

[yellerpup]

17. K&R so people will know.

Citizens of this country have a right to dissent. Keep this active. These people need help.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

19. Your friends will likely receive a nice payment from the city...

...in two years.