[imc-st.louis] Fwd: support for RNC arrestees

[Ben]

-------- Original Message --------
Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 15:33:56 -0500

Please call the following offices:

     * St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman (651.266.8510)
     * Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher (651.266.9333)
     * County Chief Judge Gearin (651.266.8266)

And demand the following:

     * Immediate medical attention as needed for ALL arrestees;
     * That the prisoners who haven’t given their names (Jane, John,
and Jesse Does) have access to group meetings with a lawyer;
     * Dismissal of all charges; and
     * Release of all minors.

-----

Over 300 protesters, bystanders, media, and medics arrested at RNC

Two minors sentenced to 30 days in adult jail

St. Paul, MN – Two days into the Republican National Convention (RNC),
more than 300 people have been arrested, including at least 120 people
for felonies — mostly the notoriously vague charge, “conspiracy to
riot.” With no provocation, police have indiscriminately used rubber
bullets, concussion grenades, and chemical irritants to disperse
crowds and incapacitate protesters. Police appear to be specifically
targeting videographers documenting these police abuses. In response,
lawyers have filed a federal restraining order against such conduct.

By the end of the day today, only 12 people had been arraigned. Many
arrestees are refusing to provide identification, in order to call
attention to what they consider trumped-up charges and to collectively
bargain. “These tactics are designed to protect the most vulnerable
people in jail, and take a page from the history of labor solidarity,”
said Rick Kelley of Coldsnap Legal Collective, an activist-based legal
collective supporting the arrestees. “Based on the vagueness of their
charges and the program of police intimidation currently underway,
these individuals understand how they will fare if they don’t stick
together.” The court has been imposing the maximum bail of $2,000 for
misdemeanor defendants.

In an unusual court decision, Ramsey County Judge Paulette K. Flynn
today convicted two minors of criminal contempt for refusing to
provide their identity. The two minors were then sentenced to 30 days
in an adult jail facility. “This decision undermines one of the most
fundamental human rights concepts in the justice system, to protect
the rights and safety of children,” said Jordan Kushner, Mass Defense
Committee Chair of the National Lawyers Guild’s Minnesota chapter, and
an attorney for one of the minors. “This shows the willingness of the
courts to go to any length, including sacrificing the most important
due process rights, to answer to the political pressure to persecute
activists.”

Many arrestees are also being denied medical attention. One arrestee
with hemophilia and another with asthma are being denied their
prescription medication. An arrestee with a broken finger is being
refused medical care, as is a person who has been coughing up blood.
An anemic woman reported to Coldsnap today that she passed out for 20
to 30 minutes due to iron deficiency and was told that she could not
receive iron because it was a prescription medication, and because she
refused to identify herself. Iron is in fact an over-the-counter
supplement. The same anemic woman reported seeing a Sheriff knock
another woman to the ground and drag her out of the room by her hair.
“Just because people have been jailed does not mean their health
should be put in jeopardy,” said Kelley. “This is a matter of
compassion and basic human rights.” An unknown number of arrestees are
also engaging in a hunger strike to put pressure on the jail to
provide needed medical attention for other prisoners.


-- 
Ben West
westbywest at riseup.net
http://savetheinternet.org