6:26 The Uptake videographer was allowed to leave a group of more than 1 hundred people being arrested.
Legal observer is being arrested at Sibley & River.
1 minute ago from web
Police in riot gear have blocked off downtown St. Paul. Bridges closed, buses shut down. 3 minutes ago from web
Cops threatening to arrest everybody @ river walk - 300+ ppl inc. medics, legal observers, journalists, concertgoers, kids. Tear gas used. 3 minutes ago from web
Update 6:18
Videographer being arrested; street medics being arrested by river.
Update 6:12 eastern
Mass arrests, including journalists:
Mass arrests on Jackson & 9th, including Democracy Now! journalists Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddou, Nicole Salazar.
less than a minute ago from web
Amy Goodman, from Democracy Now has been arrested.
Video from protest:
I'm following this here:
twitter
The uptake
Portland Indymedia webradio
Live video on The Uptake showed National Guard troops gathering.
I'll update as information comes in.
Corporate media reports FBI and "informants" involved in raids.
1 minute ago from web
7th & Jackson arrests at 30-40. Democracy Now! journalists among those arrested at Temperance. Lots of police brutality among these arrests.
half a minute ago from web
St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman holding 5pm press conference.
Female individual snatched off street by unmarked car on 6th & Wacouta 15 minutes ago from web
Person tackled by 5 SPPD in riot gear for refusing a search. Media was present for this.
Pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets, concussion grenades being used in more locations than we can write in one tweet right now. 19 minutes ago from web
Update:
From Twitter
4:52 EST
Police platoons will be erected at cedar & kellogg and wabasha & kellogg.
1 minute ago from web
Police putting on gas masks at Mulberry & Kellogg. 2 minutes ago from web
1 from pagan cluster arrested; was punched in face, is bleeding. 4 minutes ago from web
About 50 riot police in full gear entering 20 unmarked vehicles along Cedar and 7th. 6 minutes ago from web
~300 people being stampeded by police horses on 2nd & Kellogg 7 minutes ago from web
Police seize sustainable living bus:
Here is an excellent diary by annan about this seizure.
And more from annan about a raid on a protester center on Friday the 29th.
And a video about this raid:
Regarding use of National Guard troops, h/t to jebediah.
Here's the poop on National Guard use as Police: (3+ / 0-)
As I understand it:
The POTUS cannot use the Army to Police its citizens. (Posse Comitatus 1878)
GOVERNORS CAN use the their State Militias (National Guard) to police citizens (same law)
HOWEVER, with the John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007 the POTUS now has the right to take control of a State's Militia without federally activating them. A clear end-around of the specific intent of Posse Comitatus.
And Congress wonders why their approval rating is in the crapper. This was no doubt pushed through under the idea that a POTUS could step in if a governor is idiot and doesn't know how to use the National Guard in an Emergency - like say oh, a Hurricane.
BUT it gives shocking powers to the POTUS to squelch protest and police the citizenry in a most injudicious manner if they choose to.
The point of laws is not to trust that people will do right thing - its to make sure they do.
by Jebediah on Mon Sep 01, 2008 at 04:17:16 PM EST
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Democracy Now! member detained, Amy Goodman jumps fence to question cop.
by The Uptake
Saturday Aug 30th, 2008 7:51 PM
At least 7 activist spaces and private homes have been raided by police in Saint Paul/Minneapolis on the weekend before the Republican National Convention. Additional sites, including the Twin Cities indymedia collection building, have had code inspectors arrive to try to find a reason to close and evict the property. A newswire is being promptly maintained at this site, describing the latest incidents http://twincities.indymedia.org
A Democracy Now! journalist who was visiting at one of the raided houses, was detained and is currently reporting on the situation. A whole room full of I-Witness video journalists were detained. Over two dozen legal observers and attorneys were detained. In other words, the police aren't just arresting and detaining low-power young and poor individuals, but are going ahead and grabbing people with some status.
Audio of Goodman arrest.
LInk to Star Tribune photo montage of RNC protest here.
Video of Amy Goodman arrest:
RNC arrest tally so far: 256 total; 119 felonies; 48 gross misdemeanors; 89 misdemeanors. Per Ramsey County Sheriff's Department. 2 minutes ago from web
Correction: 1st hearing for RNC arrestees 9 am at Law Center, Lafayette & Grove. 10:30 hearing @ main courthouse for seized items.