[Imc-cyprus] Update - Portland Street Medics Arrested at the Republican National Convention

[Petros Evdokas]

Update - Portland Street Medics Arrested at the Republican National 
Convention
by
street.medix at portland-or.net
Weds, Sep. 3rd, 2008


In between explosions of concussion grenades and teargas clouds in 
Minneapolis-St. Paul, volunteer Street Medics from all over the country 
who have assembled there are continuing to provide much needed first aid 
and medical care to injured and frightened people everywhere in the city 
where lawful and peaceful assemblies, passersby, journalists and 
bystanders are getting attacked indiscriminately and without provocation 
by Police, National Guard and teams of unidentified Federal Agencies 
without badges or numbers.

Two raw, unedited video items that were just published provide an 
excellent documentation of the level of unprovoked and indiscriminate 
violence targeted against peaceful non-violent assemblies, against 
Street Medics, against legal observers and journalists:

o- Rubber bullets fired directly into a small crowd of peaceful people; 
Street Medics attacked:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OnnUTK7QjI

o- Independent journalist caught in the middle of panic and mayhem 
during an attack with concussion grenades and teargas against a peaceful 
march:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6L8J3L-2Kw


Starting at dawn on Tuesday, Portland Street Medics who were arrested 
while treating injured people at the RNC were being released one by one 
by the illegitimate authorities who had seized them. One of our 
colleagues is still in jail and has not yet been charged with anything. 
All of the arrests of Portland Street Medics are entirely illegal.

We have confirmed information that additional unidentified Street Medics 
have been seen in jail by other people, but no details about who they 
are or why they are being held.

The Portland Street Medics who were released are well, except for 
tiredness. We are not able to communicate with the one of our members 
who is still in jail to ascertain wellness - our colleague is being held 
in a situation where legal observers have repeatedly confirmed that 
people are being denied access to medical care and targeted with 
selective abuse. {Please see the statement from our lawyers below, 
titled "Over 300 Protesters, Bystanders, Medics and Media Arrested: 
Update from Coldsnap Legal Collective".}


All of the arrested Street Medics' personal items, money, medical 
supplies and tools were confiscated and are still not being released by 
Police despite repeated requests, even though the items in question are 
not relevant to any legal proceedings (they are not being held as 
evidence, nor are they proscribed materials). Seizure of these materials 
is an illegal tactic to prevent our members from providing first aid and 
medical care to the people who are now in the streets and parks in 
Minneapolis-St. Paul. This is in direct violation of the US Constitution 
which in the Fourth Amendment provides protection against unreasonable 
searches and seizures. {Please see the Constitutional reference from the 
Cornell Law School below.}


We are still in need of funds for bail, and for replacing lost medical 
supplies and tools for our volunteers. If you are able to give, please 
consider donating through this page (every little bit counts!):
http://www.portland-or.net/street-medics/Donations-Portland-Street-Medics.html
or, please write to us about making alternative donation arrangements here:
street.medix at portland-or.net

Some details
The Portland Street Medics who were arrested include a long-time Queer 
liberation and radical performance artist; two trained Emergency Medical 
Technicians (EMTs), one of whom is also a Wilderness First Responder; 
and a Nurse Practitioner in training, who is also an Herbalist with more 
than fifteen years clinical experience.

It's plainly obvious to everyone that our members, sworn to the primary 
directive of all healthcare workers to "First, Do No Harm", should have 
never been arrested and must be allowed and supported to return to their 
duties immediately without any interference whatsoever.

Contacting the authorities
..has proven to be very difficult. As one of our supporters reports here,
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2008/09/379093.shtml#315129
phonecalls to the Ramsey County Jail, the Sheriff, and Mayor Coleman, 
are being redirected through a maze of sometimes incompetent, sometimes 
purposefully dysfunctional routes and individuals who are making the 
process of leaving messages and official complaints nearly impossible.

Still, we are asking people to please call these (new) numbers and to 
politely ask that:
o- all Street Medics be released immediately and allowed to resume duties;
o- all people who were arrested and are not being charged, to be 
released immediately;
o- all personal items and medical supplies and tools that were 
confiscated from Street Medics to be returned immediately so that our 
teams can provide much needed care for injured and ill people in the 
streets and first aid stations all over Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Please call these numbers:
St. Paul Police chief:
651-266-5588

Help line:
651-266-9333

Please send letters to:
St. Paul Police Department
Chief John Harrington
367 Grove Street
St. Paul, Minnesota 55101

Ramsey County Jail
Sheriff Bob Fletcher
425 Grove Street
St. Paul, Minnesota 55101


Please keep distributing and re-publishing our updates

We really are grateful for all of your letters and phonecalls of 
support. Without your love and care, none of our work would have been 
possible.

Portland Street Medics
http://portland-or.net/street-medics/


Resources and Related Materials

"Over 300 Protesters, Bystanders, Medics and Media Arrested: Update from 
Coldsnap Legal Collective"
http://twincities.indymedia.org/2008/sep/over-300-protesters-bystanders-medics-and-media-arrested-update-coldsnap-legal-collective

" US Constitution - Amendment IV:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, 
and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be 
violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, 
supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place 
to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html

Our previous Communique:
http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2008/09/268617.shtml

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