Copy of Affidavit Used in RNC-WC Raids
Attached is a copy of the search warrant affidavit enabling the RNC Welcoming Committee raids. The affidavit was released to the press before it was released to the defendants' lawyers.
The document is shocking as it details the extent to which the state has resorted over the past months to disrupt an organization that has not itself partaken in planning for actions, but has been clear from its formation about serving a facilitation role only. It attributes alleged action planning by organizers with the RNC Welcoming Committee to the entire Welcoming Committee itself. It details informant activity, and singles out the individuals arrested in last week's raids as "leaders" of an organization that operates by consensus.
Clearly, the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department is the "criminal enterprise organization."
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Comments
God on the police!
There's no way you can read that--smoking gun after smoking gun--and not see the police proactively investigating threats and shutting them down.
I meant "good on the police"
Ample evidence and more that these thugs should be in jail.
Good at meeting your expectations, not the truth
This stuff is ridiculous. Go watch the movie for instance and you'll see it is a big joke, the moltov cocktail lights someone's backyard bbq, the wirecutters are actually lawn sheers, etc. It is a music video for god's sake!
Urine and feces? Secret hand-motions. Bombs? Scripted lists of EXACTLY what you're looking to hear? That and everything else is police invented to scare the police into aggression! ...and you.
Don't be confused! Don't take humor of those against the evils of today for the evils: Republicans advocating torture, wagging a war in Iraq whose death toil is in the hundreds of thousands, and a two party political system that allows people here, in our city (or at least MY city) to freeze to death in the winter, and many more horrors in between.
Let's focus on 1) the real enemies--the elites--who try to split the people from each other, and 2) on making the gains we need to live in dignity. We can do it.
Peace through self-determination, self-determination through justice!
db
Nice
Oh, so they found exactly what their investigation said they would find. Hmmm, that sounds like evidence of a conspiracy to me. Or, a really great investigation by people who were much smarter than the criminals. You lost, just admit it. You look like fools. So do the lawyers who "defend" you. Even now, one of them has admitted that there are those of you who deserve to be charged and punished.
Classic case of snitch and plant?
Looks to me like the SS dude inserted false testimony about molotov cocktails into a real program of nonviolent direct action. Not buying it.
Not Buying It
Because you're using your thinking cap or your bandanna? I think it's too tight, look at the affidavit again. I know, anything negative must have been planted. Classic.
Just going by your record
Planted evidence and false testimony are common, particularly in political prosecutions.
Common
Also common for those "friendly to the cause" to claim everything was planted. Prove it.
To Anonymous: That's the beauty of this Constitution
... that a supect/defendant need not prove his innocence, the state must prove his guilt. It reamins to be seen whether there was reasonable suspicion or porbable cause in these cases. What is clear is that apologists for state-sanctioned abuse, like Anonymous, are far more dangerous to liberty than a few you people in black hoodies and bandanas. Let's put violence in persepctive, and remember, after the DNC/RNC, the "anarchists" will return home. The police departments in Denver and St. Paul, both of which received $50 in federal security funds, will not lay down their weapons, and will not relinquish one iota of the coercive, authoritarian repression that "anonymous" and his ilk, are willing to surrender to them.
Everything
The e-mails were planted, the evidence from informants was faked, etc., etc. Is this story also a case of planted evidence and lies?
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 3 DOJ-RNCC-charge
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A 23-year-old Michigan man was charged last week in federal court for illegally possessing Molotov cocktails, which he allegedly intended to use at the Republican National Convention.
Matthew Bradley DePalma, Flint, Mich., was charged Aug. 30 with one count of possession of firearms that were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. DePalma made his initial appearance yesterday, and his complaint was unsealed today. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday in Minneapolis.
According to the criminal complaint, DePalma knowingly and intentionally possessed Molotov cocktails from Aug. 22 through Aug. 28.
"The FBI, in close cooperation with our law enforcement and government partners, is working diligently to identify, investigate and respond to threats directed at the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area during the Republican National Convention," said Ralph S. Boelter, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Minneapolis Office. "Any criminal activities aimed at disrupting the convention or acts to harm persons or properties in violation of federal law will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted, as appropriate."
DePalma was arrested without incident Aug. 30 at approximately 6:15 a.m. by agents of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force at a residence in south Minneapolis.
According to a FBI affidavit, DePalma became known to the FBI in July 2008, when DePalma attended the CrimeThinc Convergence near Waldo, Wisc. During this event, DePalma allegedly stated his intention to travel to Minnesota to attend the RNC, and also expressed his desire to "make some bombs" and "blow up" things during the RNC.
The affidavit states that DePalma discussed with a FBI source his desire to make Molotov cocktails, describing in detail the use of ingredients that would make the flammable liquid more viscous so that it would stick to a target and burn longer and hotter than an ordinary gasoline-based Molotov cocktail.
The affidavit states that DePalma went to the Hennepin County Library on Aug. 18 and spent 90 minutes researching recipes for explosive devices. DePalma produced a handwritten list of items he would need to construct "special" Molotov cocktails that would stick to people and other targets.
DePalma's conversations, recorded on Aug. 20, described a plan to place a bomb near the Xcel Center during the RNC in an effort to disrupt the convention. The plan involved entering the tunnels near the center and using either Molotov cocktails or a chemical bomb to destroy electrical cables and cause a power outage. DePalma, the affidavit states, also described a related plan to use napalm-filled Molotov cocktails on the streets against police officers stating, "I will light one of those pigs on fire."
The affidavit states that DePalma obtained supplies for making Molotov cocktails on Aug. 21-22.
On Aug. 22, DePalma allegedly manufactured two jugs of a homemade napalm-like substance for use in Molotov cocktails. He created a flammable gelatin, and described to another the proper technique for throwing a Molotov cocktail to obtain the best explosion. DePalma continued to discuss his desire to make a bomb for use at the Xcel Center on either the convention's first day (Sept. 1) or last day (Sept. 4).
According to the affidavit, DePalma stated that if he could bomb the center on Sept. 1 they might call off the convention. He added that a "power outage would say a lot" and that it was his "main purpose." DePalma also said that he would like to bomb the Xcel Energy Center on Sept. 4 so that the convention would "end with a bang."
DePalma was observed traveling to a remote location in Rosemount for the purpose of assembling and testing Molotov cocktails. On Aug. 25, DePalma went to a remote location in Roseville for the purpose of experimenting with chemicals for a chemical bomb.
The affidavit states that DePalma manufactured three additional Molotov cocktails in a Minneapolis apartment on Aug. 28, where he was arrested. The affidavit states that DePalma possessed a total of five Molotov cocktails between Aug. 22-28, which were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law.
If convicted, DePalma faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. All sentences are determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice
and your point is?
That there are extremists, bent on violence, in your very own homeland? Duh! Just as there are extremists to be found almost anywhere on the planet (political, religious, whatever).
And, if true, he should be duly punished.
But are you really trying to compare his case with those involving the protests and protesters? Ridiculous!
Yes, during the protest there were a few acts of random violence. I would like to believe that such was committed by immature thugs who would, no doubt, do the same thing if bored on a Saturday night. This is an American societal (parental?) problem.
Or, could be they were there to do those small acts of violence to discredit the real protesters (far more numerous) - whether there of their own accord or plants.
Sad thing about that is that, in recent years we can't really tell the difference: are the (always a small number) 'bad guys' acting violent for real, members of protesting/legitimate organizations/groups, or plants?
Regardless, they are small in number at such events. And their actions in no way compare to the possible nutbar in your example.
Let's keep perspective in check, please.
As I said above
The paid snitch testimony mentioned in the 9/3 affadavit regarding Molotov cocktails is probably false, designed to graft them onto the real program of nonviolent direct action that the actual RNC WC was organizing. Note that DePalma is not one of the six people mentioned in the warrant affadavit that occasioned this thread. Perhaps the DePalma case is genuine and provided the wacko violence factor that the SS dude sought to attach; or perhaps it's made up and DePalma himself is one of the confidential nformants.
Chlorine
Notice on p.9 the appearance of "Chlorine" and "Bleach" one after another in a list of items allegedly seized at the abandoned Lilydale Tennis Club. Do you think the cops found a cylinder of chlorine gas? Or is it a "typo" enhancing the discovery of a bottle of Clorox? What does such a typo say about the integrity of this "investigation"?
Hey Moron
I hate to break this to you but clorox = chlorine bleach. What difference does it make whether they list the brand name or not. It's not a typo and it's not trumped up. It's chlorine bleach. Now how do you know it was clorox? Where you there?
I agree, this is lock-solid. It's even worse than I thought. You're just crying foul because they infiltrated your group, even monitored criminal e-mails, and foiled your attempts to really create destruction.
Look it up, Homer
Chlorine is a chemical element, a deadly gas at room temperature, used in warfare early in the last century, generally found only in industrial plants or laboratories. Clorox is chlorine bleach, largely a solution of sodium hypochlorite. The point I made, and which you evidently seek to obscure, is that the common household item, "Chlorine Bleach", was strategically split into two items in order to suggest that the RNCWC was in possession of WMD, and that, deception or error, speaks ill of the Schutzstaffel's so-called investigation. Get it now?
Ha!
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 3 DOJ-RNCC-charge
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A 23-year-old Michigan man was charged last week in federal court for illegally possessing Molotov cocktails, which he allegedly intended to use at the Republican National Convention.
Matthew Bradley DePalma, Flint, Mich., was charged Aug. 30 with one count of possession of firearms that were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. DePalma made his initial appearance yesterday, and his complaint was unsealed today. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday in Minneapolis.
According to the criminal complaint, DePalma knowingly and intentionally possessed Molotov cocktails from Aug. 22 through Aug. 28.
"The FBI, in close cooperation with our law enforcement and government partners, is working diligently to identify, investigate and respond to threats directed at the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area during the Republican National Convention," said Ralph S. Boelter, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Minneapolis Office. "Any criminal activities aimed at disrupting the convention or acts to harm persons or properties in violation of federal law will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted, as appropriate."
DePalma was arrested without incident Aug. 30 at approximately 6:15 a.m. by agents of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force at a residence in south Minneapolis.
According to a FBI affidavit, DePalma became known to the FBI in July 2008, when DePalma attended the CrimeThinc Convergence near Waldo, Wisc. During this event, DePalma allegedly stated his intention to travel to Minnesota to attend the RNC, and also expressed his desire to "make some bombs" and "blow up" things during the RNC.
The affidavit states that DePalma discussed with a FBI source his desire to make Molotov cocktails, describing in detail the use of ingredients that would make the flammable liquid more viscous so that it would stick to a target and burn longer and hotter than an ordinary gasoline-based Molotov cocktail.
The affidavit states that DePalma went to the Hennepin County Library on Aug. 18 and spent 90 minutes researching recipes for explosive devices. DePalma produced a handwritten list of items he would need to construct "special" Molotov cocktails that would stick to people and other targets.
DePalma's conversations, recorded on Aug. 20, described a plan to place a bomb near the Xcel Center during the RNC in an effort to disrupt the convention. The plan involved entering the tunnels near the center and using either Molotov cocktails or a chemical bomb to destroy electrical cables and cause a power outage. DePalma, the affidavit states, also described a related plan to use napalm-filled Molotov cocktails on the streets against police officers stating, "I will light one of those pigs on fire."
The affidavit states that DePalma obtained supplies for making Molotov cocktails on Aug. 21-22.
On Aug. 22, DePalma allegedly manufactured two jugs of a homemade napalm-like substance for use in Molotov cocktails. He created a flammable gelatin, and described to another the proper technique for throwing a Molotov cocktail to obtain the best explosion. DePalma continued to discuss his desire to make a bomb for use at the Xcel Center on either the convention's first day (Sept. 1) or last day (Sept. 4).
According to the affidavit, DePalma stated that if he could bomb the center on Sept. 1 they might call off the convention. He added that a "power outage would say a lot" and that it was his "main purpose." DePalma also said that he would like to bomb the Xcel Energy Center on Sept. 4 so that the convention would "end with a bang."
DePalma was observed traveling to a remote location in Rosemount for the purpose of assembling and testing Molotov cocktails. On Aug. 25, DePalma went to a remote location in Roseville for the purpose of experimenting with chemicals for a chemical bomb.
The affidavit states that DePalma manufactured three additional Molotov cocktails in a Minneapolis apartment on Aug. 28, where he was arrested. The affidavit states that DePalma possessed a total of five Molotov cocktails between Aug. 22-28, which were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law.
If convicted, DePalma faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. All sentences are determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice
And the link to the RNC?
Despite the DOJ case number, there's nothing in your post to show knowledge or participation by the RNC WC. So how's it relevant? Looks to me as if you, like SS Dude Samec, seek to create a false associatiation between this prosecution and the RNC WC just by spamming this thread with it.
Are you so clean?
"Ample evidence?"
Shall we go through your house and see if you have any bottles, jars, cloth, paper, twine, Syrofoam, soap flakes, or metal, glass, plastic or cardboard containers? How about "photographs and maps of downtown St. Paul?" What about "marbles and ball bearings" or "paint and spray paint" or "sticks and poles" or "nails, screws." As a photographer, I'm sure I have "manuals, books and/or instructions for the construction of... tripods." And I'm sure police would find all those other things on our property -- which is why we left the US for a country that still has some freedom.
What about "communications with other RNCWC group members?" Last I heard, the right to assembly was constitutionally protected. Last I heard, the RNCWC has not been formally identified as a terrorist group, outside of this document. Doesn't this seem a bit like the McCarthy days of evil communism? Is the check I wrote last week to what I thought was a group doing good going to land me in jail? I guess that's why they arrested award-winning journalist Amy Goodman, because she had interviewed (and thus had communications with) the RNCWC.
But I guess from the cowardly safety of an anonymous posting, you can get away with spouting such un-American gibberish. Remember, Mr. Anonymous -- that check you wrote to "save the unborn" could brand you as a terrorist in a different administration if the group you sent the money to has any scrap of paper or computer record that mentions bombing abortion clinics.
When we lock up those we disagree with, simply because they may be associated with people who say they're planning to break a law, we're sliding down a slippery slope.
Joanne M. Smith, the district court judge who signed this witch hunt, should be embarrassed to have her name on such a laundry list, and should be impeached.
And
...Caltropes, buckets of urine, just regular household items. I have a bucket of urine in my living room right now. I would welcome the police because I also don't have 20 people in my house and I haven't been planning to swarm, seize, and stay at an upcoming convention (see: caltropes, urine, etc). The only thing the lawyer can say about the caltropes is that there weren't a whole lot of them. Though the plan was to spread everything out and not keep it in one place, right? They left the bleach so that was still able to be used on people. Hooray!
The reason Amy Goodman was arrested is because she disobeyed the orders to stay up on the sidewalk while the police did their jobs. Look at the videotape on her own website. She was asked to stay on the sidewalk and she disobeyed. Provoked "unprovoked" action. In her own words, she said she was trying to free her producers. She had no right to "free them", they were being detained. She had a right to wait until the police did their jobs and let the process take it's course. Whether or not you believe that's fair or not, that's the way it works. Even for someone who's award-winning. I'm glad you left the country and I'm sure you're much happier where you are.
Arbitrary detainment is illegal
The Democracy Now! crew's testimony and footage supports many other instances showing a policy of targeting photographers and reporters. Only a fascist would contend that citizens must always obey the police, even when the police are committing a crime. Ms. Goodman had to disobey the cop's illegal order to do her job.
Why is this so hard?
If you interfere with a police investigation, you are obstructing the course of justice. Whether or not you believe the cop's order is illegal or not is irrelevant. You don't enforce the law, they do. I know it just enrages you to all hell but that's the case. Your last sentence is outrageous. Ms. Goodman had to disobey the order to do her job? Since when is it her job to jump into the fray and free those people? I'm not sure what they were charged with but she came in not knowing exactly what happened. What if they, for the sake of argument, punched one of the protesters in the face? Would it be her duty to free them? Please tell me what made the cops actions illegal. I don't want to hear about it being an illegal arrest and they're fascists and all that bs rhetoric. What legal statute did they break?
Obstructing Justice
Capriciously charging photographers and reporters as a pretext to suppress the truth is obstruction for real. The cop who did that is a criminal, without any reasonable doubt. The Sherriff who imposed this policy is likewise a criminal and a conspirator, along with whoever told him to do it.
I would have arrested
I would have arrested someone if I was a police officer and someone crossed through the police line after being told not too - no matter who Amy Goodman is.
As per policy
You harp on Ms. Goodman in order to distract us from the arrests of her camera crew, implementing police policy of illegally arresting photographers in order to conceal excessive force and probably other crimes (such as planting evidence).
No
You're assigning your own notions about the reasoning behind the arrest. How do you know the reasoning behind the arrest and if it goes beyond anything but what has been documented?
Police always target cameras
Your kidding, right? In virtually every one of the numerous cases I know of in which arrests have occurred before a camera operated by someone outside the police force, the police have sought to destroy or confiscate the camera and film. It's a universal constant. And targeting photographers for arrest or murder is common among repressive regimes from Somoza's Nicaragua to Bremer's Baghdad. Cameramen, particularly professionals, don't interfere with police or soldiers; they merely record what's in front of them as unobtrusively as they can. Police and solders, on the other hand, do frequently interfere with cameramen.
Except
...When they aren't unobtrusive, which can be said about Goodman, who tried to free those that were detained during a police investigation. End of story.
Perpetrators indict themselves
You have chosen the term, “investigation” above to hide an unprovoked, violent assault on two bystanders, media employees prominently displaying their press credentials, bloodying the face of one, a woman. Do you genuinely believe that that this professional camera team would jeopardize its primary mission by interfering rather than recording? Do you really, truly believe this? Does the universal hostility of police toward cameramen mean anything to you?
Why should citizens facing ongoing crimes by police await a distant court date to lift a finger in their own defense, particularly given the strong reluctance of court officers to prosecute police crimes, so that the opportunity for a hearing may well materialize only in the context of false charges brought against the victims themselves by the offending thugs in uniform?
Three decades ago, when a citizen slugged a cop who was swinging his billy-club at an unarmed, peaceful woman on a picket line, he saved her from serious injury or death, and naturally won in court. Have we really sunk now to the point where we can expect prison for defending ourselves and each other?
This raid wasn't an “investigation”. It was a police crime. It's because it was a crime, and the police knew this, that they sought, violently, to suppress the truth about their actions from becoming public. These were perpetrators indicting themselves by seeking to hide evidence.
justice
Too many have been conditioned to equate Justice with our "justice system". I daresay that any and all similarities between the two are coincidental at best.
I agree
whole-heartedly!
I live north of your border, but I watch and listen with keen attention 'cause what goes on 'down there' is starting to happen 'up here' too.
Guess it's time for this almost-granny-aged woman to dust off the marching (oops, I mean 'hiking' -gotta be careful what we say now, don't we) boots!
Give a whole new meaning to NIMBY!
you're kidding right?
Smoking gun after smoking gun? Okay, so let's go down the list, 'cause except for a very few of the mentioned items, the list means they could come into my house, and my neighbours, and most others in my community, and find most of the same things...
By item point:
1 - nope, don't have any of them assembled but definitely have each of those things listed
2 - ignitable fluids - lots of them, including the brake fluid (sheez!)
3-again, not assembled but all of them seperately
4-smoke bombs? well no, not since my science-inclined daughter grew out of her 'just havin' fun' days
5-maps and photos - (geez louise! who doesn't?)
6-manuals? nope, not me but a few of my professor friends do...being collectors of such
7-documents and instructions for violence - nope, and yes this is one of the only valid things on the document
8-explosive materials - okay, I'll give 'em that one as a possibility...but not a probability-lots of things are explosive
9-shields - well, yes if you want to count some pieces of wood I have laying aroung. Heck, lots of things can act as a shield and how in the h*ll is having a shield, normally used for protection, an instrument of violence?
10-wrist rockets? what? you mean the 'wrist rocket' brand of slingshots (from my childhood no less) that are hanging around in the basement somewhere?
11-marbles/ball bearings - yes and yes...(this is the most ridiculous of items on the list)
12-15: oh yes! I'm renovating! Oh, and the chicken wire? That was for protection of some small plants in the veggie garden (shame on me!)
16: no razorwire - only the 'stazi' use this-you know, the ones that go to all the trouble to erect those free (choke) 'free speech zones'
17: hollowed out puppets? Do they mean those old finger puppets of my daughter's, or maybe the set of nesting Russian Dolls?
18: only is someone forgot to flush (oops)
19: Caltrops: okay, a possible other valid item but again only possibly not probably. I had a an old farmer as a previous neighbour who had kept some of these in his garage - for old times sake
20: Police scanners/two-way radios: yep - the ex is a HAM and, geez, whadd'ya know? Actually helped out - catching a few REAL criminals on a few occasions
All the rest: just crap-everybody has the stuff and it's simply an attempt to go looking for anything that can be used against them (us)
Since I have so much of this stuff laying around, guess this means I'm a potential terrorist threat. This will come as some surprising news to most people who know me.
We should remember that the raids based on the warrant took place prior to any action whatsoever...if this kind of nonsense continues we will have no liberties left whatsoever. Next, the 'big they' will be searching our houses for non-PC colours of underwear.
That's how silly most of this list looks.
oh, and just in case...
some twit comes along with "yeah, but you didn't have 20+ people staying at your house" as justification - you should see my place when the whole family gets together, as it does quite often. No doubt, the 'stazi' would cuff all the kids too...
The older I get, the more dissapointed I become with our fake democracies and our willingness to abstain from civil discourse and action - democracy is more than just voting every once in a while. It's a fragile thing. Yes, real democracy (and civil actions) can be loud, noisy, messy, dirty and all that - but that is just part of it. Autocractic rule (corporatism, fascism) is easy - just kill (or disappear) anybody who disagrees with you, govern by police dressed up like they're in a Star Wars movie, and you can do what you want.
What do YOU want?
Good Points But...
I was figuring the "forgot to flush the toilet" excuse was going to be thrown out. I think it was officially justified as "the toilet was broken" but we can go with either one. It's just coincidence that urine and feces have both been used against cops time and time again by these criminals. As if the seized e-mails and information received by informants weren't enough. I know, I know, it's all made up by the criminals in the Bush Administration. Save it. We've heard it over and over. It's the default answer when one of the criminals are stumped. Perhaps you'd like to defend this little nugget, I'm guessing they're all lies by the Department of Justice, trumped up to make the poor victimized criminals look bad:
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 3 DOJ-RNCC-charge
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A 23-year-old Michigan man was charged last week in federal court for illegally possessing Molotov cocktails, which he allegedly intended to use at the Republican National Convention.
Matthew Bradley DePalma, Flint, Mich., was charged Aug. 30 with one count of possession of firearms that were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. DePalma made his initial appearance yesterday, and his complaint was unsealed today. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday in Minneapolis.
According to the criminal complaint, DePalma knowingly and intentionally possessed Molotov cocktails from Aug. 22 through Aug. 28.
"The FBI, in close cooperation with our law enforcement and government partners, is working diligently to identify, investigate and respond to threats directed at the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area during the Republican National Convention," said Ralph S. Boelter, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Minneapolis Office. "Any criminal activities aimed at disrupting the convention or acts to harm persons or properties in violation of federal law will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted, as appropriate."
DePalma was arrested without incident Aug. 30 at approximately 6:15 a.m. by agents of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force at a residence in south Minneapolis.
According to a FBI affidavit, DePalma became known to the FBI in July 2008, when DePalma attended the CrimeThinc Convergence near Waldo, Wisc. During this event, DePalma allegedly stated his intention to travel to Minnesota to attend the RNC, and also expressed his desire to "make some bombs" and "blow up" things during the RNC.
The affidavit states that DePalma discussed with a FBI source his desire to make Molotov cocktails, describing in detail the use of ingredients that would make the flammable liquid more viscous so that it would stick to a target and burn longer and hotter than an ordinary gasoline-based Molotov cocktail.
The affidavit states that DePalma went to the Hennepin County Library on Aug. 18 and spent 90 minutes researching recipes for explosive devices. DePalma produced a handwritten list of items he would need to construct "special" Molotov cocktails that would stick to people and other targets.
DePalma's conversations, recorded on Aug. 20, described a plan to place a bomb near the Xcel Center during the RNC in an effort to disrupt the convention. The plan involved entering the tunnels near the center and using either Molotov cocktails or a chemical bomb to destroy electrical cables and cause a power outage. DePalma, the affidavit states, also described a related plan to use napalm-filled Molotov cocktails on the streets against police officers stating, "I will light one of those pigs on fire."
The affidavit states that DePalma obtained supplies for making Molotov cocktails on Aug. 21-22.
On Aug. 22, DePalma allegedly manufactured two jugs of a homemade napalm-like substance for use in Molotov cocktails. He created a flammable gelatin, and described to another the proper technique for throwing a Molotov cocktail to obtain the best explosion. DePalma continued to discuss his desire to make a bomb for use at the Xcel Center on either the convention's first day (Sept. 1) or last day (Sept. 4).
According to the affidavit, DePalma stated that if he could bomb the center on Sept. 1 they might call off the convention. He added that a "power outage would say a lot" and that it was his "main purpose." DePalma also said that he would like to bomb the Xcel Energy Center on Sept. 4 so that the convention would "end with a bang."
DePalma was observed traveling to a remote location in Rosemount for the purpose of assembling and testing Molotov cocktails. On Aug. 25, DePalma went to a remote location in Roseville for the purpose of experimenting with chemicals for a chemical bomb.
The affidavit states that DePalma manufactured three additional Molotov cocktails in a Minneapolis apartment on Aug. 28, where he was arrested. The affidavit states that DePalma possessed a total of five Molotov cocktails between Aug. 22-28, which were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law.
If convicted, DePalma faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. All sentences are determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice
and your point is?
That there are extremists in your own homeland? Duh! They are everywhere ( political, religious, whatever) - and they are, thankfully, largely in the minority.
If you are trying to compare a possible nutbar with the protests/prosteters you are way off base. Nothing, nothing, that has occured is, in any way, similar.
The guy in your post, if the information is accurate, deserves to be prosecuted.
Let's keep some semblance of perspective here folks.
Great
That's the point. As do others who have broken the law. They deserve to be prosecuted as well. I'm not asking you to compare this guy with the others. In the face of evidence, most of you have been completely willing to dismiss any culpability on the part of the arrested. Instead, there are those who've shockingly been arrested for good reason (we can debate how many and we'll never come to a consensus).
The Problem
Unfortunately, this "possible nutbar" will be forever associated with the protests. The actions of so many criminals in the "anarchist" crowd have made that so. Regular folk will not divide the criminal actions from the peaceful actions because that's human nature. You see a number of out-of-control people on the news and that's what is remembered. Not the cause. Not the message.
And the link to the RNC WC?
The paid snitch testimony mentioned in the 9/3 affadavit regarding Molotov cocktails is probably false, designed to graft them onto the real program of nonviolent direct action that the actual RNC WC was organizing. Note that DePalma is not one of the six people mentioned in the warrant affadavit that occasioned this thread. Perhaps the DePalma case is genuine and provided the wacko violence factor that the SS dude sought to attach; or perhaps it's made up and DePalma himself is one of the confidential informants.
The trouble is...
is that this is going to look to a jury like good evidence of a criminal conspiracy of the worst sort. The fact that caltrops were named in the warrant, instructions for using the caltrops were found, and that caltrops (37 CAL TRUPS) were seized at the location where the warrant was served is not good news. The named parties in the affidavit need to get themselves first-class legal representation.
It's not the local sheriff's office which is going to get nailed here, not on these facts.
A Right to Sabotage
The public's right to rebel against tyranny is formally enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. I suspect that this is unusual among nations. In any case, it seems to me that this right reasonably extends to a right to sabotage a manifest drive toward tyranny.
Getting a judge to acknowledge the right to rebel is probably the hard part of this argument. I understand from some who know more law than I do that it's difficult even to get most legal scholars to stop discounting the Constitution's Preamble, to the effect that Government's main concern is providing for the public's general welfare. Reaching back before that to the Declaration of Independence may be too great a stretch for many.
That reads like a pretty
That reads like a pretty solid affadavit that more than establishes the needed probable cause for a search.
Surely you realize that some of the tactics involved here and being advocated by this group are criminal in nature -- blockading streets, blocking buses, blocking air vents, etc... These are criminal actions that have consequences.
If this group was only interested in protest marches and non-violent protest this wouldn't be an issue now... would it?
Blocking Streets is Not Terrorism
Is it even a felony? Or is it a misdemeanor? Unpermitted demonstrations often commit this "crime". (Note that most permit ordinances were ruled unconstitutional by the 8th Circuit court about a decade ago, because they imposed onerous delays on the applicant.)
Regardless, it's clearly dwarfed by the manifold crimes of the Bush administration and the party that it serves.
You had to do it
You had to end your statement with the crap about Bush and rendered the rest of it irrelevant. Follow the playbook, divert the argument to the Bush administration when you have no ability to think creatively. Perceived crime justifies actual crime. The comment you were referring to didn't call blocking streets "terrorism". They called it a crime. The question wasn't whether an demonstration without a permit was legal, it was whether it's legal to blockade traffic. It's clearly not.
Civil Disobedience
Blocking traffic and other forms of CD are effectively condoned when the abuse they oppose is serious enough. Some abuses in American history that compare to those of the Bush administration are the Indian genocide, Slavery & Jim Crow, the Philippine conquest, Cold War subversion, Vietnam, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Japanese internment.
http://twincities.indymedia.org/2008/sep/coverage-poor-peoples-march-and...
Interesting
"Effectively condoned" by you, still illegal.
Time Served
Effectively condoned by the judge or jury via mild penalties.
Here
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 3 DOJ-RNCC-charge
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A 23-year-old Michigan man was charged last week in federal court for illegally possessing Molotov cocktails, which he allegedly intended to use at the Republican National Convention.
Matthew Bradley DePalma, Flint, Mich., was charged Aug. 30 with one count of possession of firearms that were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. DePalma made his initial appearance yesterday, and his complaint was unsealed today. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday in Minneapolis.
According to the criminal complaint, DePalma knowingly and intentionally possessed Molotov cocktails from Aug. 22 through Aug. 28.
"The FBI, in close cooperation with our law enforcement and government partners, is working diligently to identify, investigate and respond to threats directed at the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area during the Republican National Convention," said Ralph S. Boelter, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Minneapolis Office. "Any criminal activities aimed at disrupting the convention or acts to harm persons or properties in violation of federal law will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted, as appropriate."
DePalma was arrested without incident Aug. 30 at approximately 6:15 a.m. by agents of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force at a residence in south Minneapolis.
According to a FBI affidavit, DePalma became known to the FBI in July 2008, when DePalma attended the CrimeThinc Convergence near Waldo, Wisc. During this event, DePalma allegedly stated his intention to travel to Minnesota to attend the RNC, and also expressed his desire to "make some bombs" and "blow up" things during the RNC.
The affidavit states that DePalma discussed with a FBI source his desire to make Molotov cocktails, describing in detail the use of ingredients that would make the flammable liquid more viscous so that it would stick to a target and burn longer and hotter than an ordinary gasoline-based Molotov cocktail.
The affidavit states that DePalma went to the Hennepin County Library on Aug. 18 and spent 90 minutes researching recipes for explosive devices. DePalma produced a handwritten list of items he would need to construct "special" Molotov cocktails that would stick to people and other targets.
DePalma's conversations, recorded on Aug. 20, described a plan to place a bomb near the Xcel Center during the RNC in an effort to disrupt the convention. The plan involved entering the tunnels near the center and using either Molotov cocktails or a chemical bomb to destroy electrical cables and cause a power outage. DePalma, the affidavit states, also described a related plan to use napalm-filled Molotov cocktails on the streets against police officers stating, "I will light one of those pigs on fire."
The affidavit states that DePalma obtained supplies for making Molotov cocktails on Aug. 21-22.
On Aug. 22, DePalma allegedly manufactured two jugs of a homemade napalm-like substance for use in Molotov cocktails. He created a flammable gelatin, and described to another the proper technique for throwing a Molotov cocktail to obtain the best explosion. DePalma continued to discuss his desire to make a bomb for use at the Xcel Center on either the convention's first day (Sept. 1) or last day (Sept. 4).
According to the affidavit, DePalma stated that if he could bomb the center on Sept. 1 they might call off the convention. He added that a "power outage would say a lot" and that it was his "main purpose." DePalma also said that he would like to bomb the Xcel Energy Center on Sept. 4 so that the convention would "end with a bang."
DePalma was observed traveling to a remote location in Rosemount for the purpose of assembling and testing Molotov cocktails. On Aug. 25, DePalma went to a remote location in Roseville for the purpose of experimenting with chemicals for a chemical bomb.
The affidavit states that DePalma manufactured three additional Molotov cocktails in a Minneapolis apartment on Aug. 28, where he was arrested. The affidavit states that DePalma possessed a total of five Molotov cocktails between Aug. 22-28, which were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law.
If convicted, DePalma faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. All sentences are determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk.
SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice
And the link to the RNC WC?
The paid snitch testimony mentioned in the 9/3 affadavit regarding Molotov cocktails is probably false, designed to graft them onto the real program of nonviolent direct action that the actual RNC WC was organizing. Note that DePalma is not one of the six people mentioned in the warrant affadavit that occasioned this thread. Perhaps the DePalma case is genuine and provided the wacko violence factor that the SS dude sought to attach; or perhaps it's made up and DePalma himself is one of the confidential informants.
Agreed
The penalties should be stiffer. As the bail already is.
Warranting Terror
No search warrant is a license to brutalize and arrest innocent bystanders, reporters and cameramen.
In the role of primary defense of the public against arbitrary abuse of police power, the judge considering any warrant application ought to view police claims with at least a modicum of skepticism, particularly in light of the manifestly political dimension of this case. Did the judge independently review the records of the informants upon whose claims the genuinely criminal activity attested depends? Did the police really find Chlorine gas in possession of the RNC WC as the sworn affidavit claims by means of what appears to be a strategic typo (see below)? How much weight did the judge give to the possibility that the proposed raid was simply a fishing expedition timed and designed to interfere with nonviolent civil disobedience, that it was itself part of an attempt (largely successful in the short term, judging from big-media “coverage” of the demonstrations) to suppress the political speech of many thousands of citizens with very grave concerns?
http://twincities.indymedia.org/2008/sep/coverage-poor-peoples-march-and...
To a democratic sensibility, the term, "obedience", is offensive in a civil context. Adults cooperate with each other; obedience is for children. Thus, "civil disobedience" is itself a problematic label, containing the fascist and feudal implication that obedience should be the norm. There is a subtle but important distinction between obedience and compliance. The first is mandatory; the second, provisional, conditioned on good behavior by government. In a democracy, citizens are not slaves of the state, but retain the capacity (not merely the "right") to rein in or reconstitute the state when necessary.
Breaking minor laws in order to call much-needed attention to grave crimes by the powerful is an integral part of maintaining liberty. Remember the Boston Tea Party? Countenancing such acts by some of the organizers of these demonstrations does not warrant police interference and police terror.
If they plot in public...
If they have these big public meetings, open to infiltrators, what do they expect will happen? The anarchists I've seen are just kids playing at cops and robbers, covering their faces and trying to taunt the cops. Play with fire and you will get burned. They don't have any real cause, except just to fuck things up for everyone else. Disrupt and cause violence, but do it by yourselves and don't do it around the peaceful protesters, cuz they don't want to get swept up because you are too stupid to plot a revolution in private.
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