Protest / Direct Action

The Twin Cities Felony Working Group, who have been doing legal support for those facing felonies stemming from the RNC, is attending David McKay’s trial and posting detailed notes of every day for the world to read. We have been concerned and saddened by many of the developments in this case, and we believe that it is important for the world to know what is going on here. Like many of the cases surrounding the RNC, the details and outcome of this case affect us all, particularly when there are multiple government informants involved.

The Twin Cities Felony Working Group, who have been doing legal support for those facing felonies stemming from the RNC, is attending David McKay’s trial and posting detailed notes of every day for the world to read. We have been concerned and saddened by many of the developments in this case, and we believe that it is important for the world to know what is going on here. Like many of the cases surrounding the RNC, the details and outcome of this case affect us all, particularly when there are multiple government informants involved.

TCIMC update 11:15am: The action is over; the activists inside the trade office building chose to go outside rather than be arrested after officials called the St. Paul Police Department.

from a statement released this morning:

At 10am this morning, January 23rd, 2009, approximately 20 local residents entered and sought to occupy the Minnesota Trade Office in downtown Saint Paul demanding an immediate end to all trade between Minnesotan companies and the State of Israel. They have issued the following statement signed by some of the participants and their supporters:

"We are here at the Minnesota Trade Office today, as we should be every day, demanding an end to all business between Minnesota and the State of Israel. While the recent devastation of the Gaza strip weighs heavy on our conscience, the violent occupation of Palestine and the systematic killing of Palestinians is unfortunately nothing new. Although Palestinians, and all people, deserve sovereignty, justice, and peace, we are here today as residents of Minnesota, many of us Jewish, because state-sanctioned genocide in the occupied territories continues without relent.

(CORRECTION)

I just learned that this court date is not as important as I thought (the actual jury trial will start, if at all, in the next 2 months). This means that solidarity is no longer needed (but I will still need court watchers). The collective energy of the community can be put to better use elsewhere. Thank you for all of your support and I will let you know when my actual trial starts.

Solidarity Forever,
Keep the struggle alive,
sincerely,
Daniel Bono

An International Day of Solidarity is being called for January 23, 2009, for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the Greek Anarchists and other anti-authoritarian activists in Greece. There are many overlaps between these two struggles, and those similarities are explored below. The date of the demonstration is to also commemorate the anniversary of the Riots in the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland, during the period of Nazi Germany (1943), where 70,000 Jewish people took this city back, and held it for a long time before the Germans took over.

Karen Meissner and Christina Vana

"On Saturday, January 17th, 2009, Karen Meissner and Christina Vana of
Milwaukee, WI found warrants had been issued for their arrests after reading
an article published by the Associated Press, which comments on an incident
relating to the protests during the Republican National Convention in
September 2008. Immediatly Karen and Christina traveled to St. Paul, MN and
within 24 hours of reading their names in the paper, went with their lawyers
to the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center. Here they were taken into