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..."
If this wasn't so despicable, unconstitutional, and downright fascist, it would be funny. Cops circling a place called Seeds of Peace? Raiding so-called "hippie houses"? If the cops wanted to know what was going on with RNC protesters, they could have checked the website. When a guy from the National Lawyers Guild reads the charges, people can't help but laugh:
Videos from Veracifier/Talking Points Memo.
Firedoglake notes the mainstream media silence....
Twincities Indymedia is following with a live feed of updates.
More updates: The Dirty Hippies are suing to stop confiscations of cell phones and cameras among protesters... Um, is there a publicity department for the Ramsey County MN Sheriff’s Office? We think not.
