coleen rowley

On Sunday, November 8th, Beth El Synagogue in St. Louis Park hosted former Secretary of State, National Security Adviser and oil company apparatchik Condoleezza Rice; Twin Cities Indymedia got footage of Rice attacking the Goldstone Report which exposed Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

Members of Beth El's congregation protested the offensive invitation for months, only to get refused access to the congregation newsletter and board discussions. Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) led the organizing of an anti-torture protest outside.

During the action, Beth El security and the police attempted to demand the protest relocate away from the nearest public sidewalk into a so-called "FIRST AMENDMENT AREA" because Beth El had obtained its own protest permit from the St Louis Park police, apparently a 'covert op' of sorts. (The police didn't indicate if free speech still existed in other 'areas'.) On two occasions beforehand the police refused to return calls about any possible permits, then they attempted to spring this setup on WAMM, merely proving further the hopeless corruption and futility of the entire demonstration permit system itself. Of course profits were involved for Rice, who netted cash from the high-price event. Below: more videos, photo stills, detailed notes on Rice's speech, and the fight inside Beth El.

UPDATE 4/9: The one activist arrested at the "Tour de Fletcher" for alleged disorderly conduct has had his case dismissed due to "insufficient evidence" from the prosecutor.

On March 27, RNC 8 supporters delivered petitions and letters in song to Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner, demanding she drop the charges. Several plainclothes deputies were present and photographed activists. The next day, the National Day of Solidarity with the RNC 8, supporters held the Tour de Fletcher in Minneapolis, a bike ride to the sites of pre-emptive house raids last August. They were trailed by a disproportionate, multi-jurisdictional police presence which filmed, took photos and recorded license plate numbers outside the ride's conclusion at a benefit chili lunch. One activist was arrested, charged with disorderly conduct and released on bail. Long after the ride concluded and was declared a success, the cops stayed around, prompting many to draw the parallel between the waste of resources on the RNC 8 prosecution and the waste of 20-30 police officers to monitor a legal bike ride and lunch. Other events were held in at least 15 cities nationwide. Dozens of Tour de Fletcher photos from photojournalist Alan Wilfahrt | Friends of the RNC 8/CRASS press release | Rowley: Prosecutor Gaertner Petitioned by Thousands to End Persecution | Letter to MPD Chief Dolan | Arizona IMC: Flagstaff Pillow Fight for RNC 8 and other targets of state repression | More photos below

Minnesota Still Adversely Affected by Republican National Convention
Minnesota Prosecutor Petitioned by Thousands to End Persecution

by Coleen Rowley
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/coleen-rowley/minnesota-still-adversely_b_...