I caught up with this piece from last week's Village Voice that I don't think I've seen linked in the other threads re: the upcoming RNC protests:
Protesting at the GOP convention?
Legal observers have your back.
The Watchers
by Janelle Nanos
There are a few things to know when planning a protest in New York City. An archaic state law forbids multiple protesters from wearing identical masks at an event. Signs carried on sticks or poles are considered potential weapons and will be confiscated. And if you didn't know these facts already, you should at least get acquainted with the volunteer corps of legal observers. They do know the rules, and they're an essential element in preserving your right to free speech and assembly.
Armed with neon-green hats, video cameras, and a knowledge of the law, legal observers were witness to more than 2,000 arrests—some peaceful, some not—at New York City demonstrations in 2003. This past March, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau predicted in a City Council hearing that there would be up to 1,000 arrests a day during the upcoming Republican National Convention. To prepare for this likelihood, the progressive National Lawyers Guild is recruiting over 250 volunteers to observe rallies and marches, and is bringing in a bevy of lawyers to handle, pro bono, any civil rights cases that arise.
In the time I lived in NYC, I was unfamiliar with this group.
The Mass Defense Committee of the New York City National Lawyers Guild Chapter
The Mass Defense Committee of the New York City NLG Chapter (MDC) provides legal assistance to progressive organizations, secures march and demonstration permits, provides lawyers, legal workers and law students to act as legal observers, and in some cases to act as counsel after arrest.
They have a webpage dedicated to the upcoming RNC protests, including downloadable .pdf files titled: Street Law, What You Need to Know During the RNC Protests, contact numbers if you're arrested. Other resources:
ATTORNEYS
We are actively recruiting lawyers to provide pro-bono (free) legal representation. Ideally, we will find enough pro-bono lawyers to represent everyone who may be arrested at protests during the Convention. However, given the possibility of unprecedented numbers of arrests, we cannot guarantee we will be able to recruit enough lawyers to volunteer. That is why the Guild is also recruiting lawyers who would be willing to provide legal representation at “low bono” (substantially reduced) rates. In light of this, activists may want to make some contingency legal defense fundraising plans.
Look around for the volunteers wearing the Green Hats:
LEGAL OBSERVERS
We are actively recruiting and training Legal Observers for the numerous protest activities being planned before and during the RNC. The Legal Observer program is designed to enable people to exercise their First Amendment rights to express their political views as fully as possible. Legal Observers, identified by their distinctive green hats, will be out on the streets to monitor any violation of constitutional rights and to document any arrests of protestors. Legal Observers are generally lawyers, law students, and legal workers. Guild lawyers also represent protest groups in negotiating directly with the police, both for any necessary permits as well as on the street during the protest.
I want to thank in advance all of you who will be representing us in the streets of NYC in a couple of weeks. I hope these resources help.