[Imc-cyprus] Germany radio: Portland Street Medics arrested

Wed Sep 3 17:46:18 PDT 2008

HI,
Thanks again. Here's the latest on Google breaking news:

Portland Street Medics Arrested at RNC
Radio Utopie, Germany - 10 hours ago
A number of Street Medics http://portland-or.net/street-medics/ from
Portland were arrested on Monday afternoon (Sep 1st) while tending to
injured ...
 http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ned=us&q=Portland+street+medics&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d

On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 1:55 PM, Petros Evdokas <petros at cyprus-org.net> wrote:
> 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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>
>

-- 
Brenda Norrell
Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
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