Pre-emptive raids in MN

[White Shogun]

Glenn Greenwald
Saturday Aug. 30, 2008 12:44 EDT
Massive police raids on suspected protestors in Minneapolis

[updated below (with video) - Update II - Update III]

Protesters here in Minneapolis have been targeted by a series of highly intimidating, sweeping police raids across the city, involving teams of 25-30 officers in riot gear, with semi-automatic weapons drawn, entering homes of those suspected of planning protests, handcuffing and forcing them to lay on the floor, while law enforcement officers searched the homes, seizing computers, journals, and political pamphlets. Last night, members of the St. Paul police department and the Ramsey County sheriff's department handcuffed, photographed and detained dozens of people meeting at a public venue to plan a demonstration, charging them with no crime other than "fire code violations," and early this morning, the Sheriff's department sent teams of officers into at least four Minneapolis area homes where suspected protesters were staying.

Link to story

But there is more to the story (of course):

On the first day of the convention, participants will employ a three-tiered direct action strategy to disrupt the RNC. The tiers are organized in order of priority according to the number of participants; if a small number of participants show up, only the first tier will be carried out, but if the numbers are on hand, all three tiers will be in effect.

Tier One: Establish 15-20 blockades, utilizing a diversity of tactics, creating an inner and outer ring around St. Paul's Excel Center, where the RNC is to take place.

Tier Two: Immobilize the delegates' transportation infrastructure, including the busses that are to convey them.

Tier Three: Block the five western bridges connecting the Twin Cities.

Those plugging into this strategy will be free to shape their actions as they see fit, using the tactics they consider appropriate. As the specific blockade sites are established, there may be a system of delegating some sites as "red zones" (prepared for self-defense), "yellow zones" (peaceful but assertive), and "green zones" (aiming to avoid any risk of arrest) so as to accommodate a wide variety of creative tactics and involve individuals with differing needs and talents.

Quoted from the website of the group who's homes were raided.

Star Tribune article about the events. Apparently, "a gas mask, bolt cutters, axes, slingshots, homemade "caltrops" for disabling buses, even buckets of urine" were found in the raid. Edited by: White Shogun

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

There was not a single act of violence or illegality that has taken place, Nestor said. Instead, the raids were purely anticipatory in nature, and clearly designed to frighten people contemplating taking part in any unauthorized protests.

wow. just wow.

 

[Poacher]

I'm of two minds about things like this. Nobody wants to see police abusing power but on the other hand when I go the website of this group and read:

"The RNC Welcoming Committee is an anarchist / anti-authoritarian organizing body preparing for the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota."

I really don't mind that the cops did what they did.

That site was really well put together. One wonders who is funding it.

 

[Kaptain]

You don't mind what the cops did because of that statement???

Funny how millions of illegal Mexicans are allowed to shut-down entire cities and angry blacks are allowed to intimidate a small town with massive numbers all in support of blacks who kicked the crap out of a white kid, but don't you dare disrupt our convention.

Don't let one rogue website and a few unconfirmed stories of buckets of urine condone abusing mostly peaceful demonstrators. Our government and media lies to us all the time.Edited by: Kaptain Poop

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Just a small dose/glimpse of the quickly rising police state & the double-standard against Whites.