This diary is in support of the hundreds of people, including friends of mine, who were arrested at the RNC. In particular, it is in support of the eight organizers (the RNC 8) who are currently charged with Conspiracy to Commit Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism, a 2nd degree felony that carries the possibility of several years in prison.
Six of the RNC 8 are attending court on Monday Oct 13th. In a show of support for them and the 800+ other RNC arrestees, please take 5 minutes to CALL and/or EMAIL Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, and St. Paul City Attorney John Choi and demand that ALL CHARGES BE DROPPED.
During the RNC, St. Paul was a police state complete with steel fences, protest pens, military style checkpoints, and thousands of riot police. Before protests even began, police raided homes and activist gathering spaces, detaining hundreds and confiscating people's belongings. Throughout the RNC, police systematically violated the rights of thousands, violently attacked protesters, and arrested over 800 people. St. Paul city officials were complicit in enabling this scenario, and now they deserve to hear from you!
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