S.D.S. at the R.N.C.

Call for Radical ‘Green’ Space Organizing (www.nornc.org)

sdsatrnc — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 04:21:19 +0000

Call for Radical ‘Green’ Space Organizing

July 28th, 2008

Over the course of two pReNCs and many conversations surrounding plans to crash the RNC, members of the Welcoming Committee have heard a lot of interest in the possibility of creating “green space.” It is clear that there will be people arriving to protest the convention who, for a variety of reasons, need to minimize their risk of arrest as much as possible. The WC is committed to a world-altering process that allows everyone to have a voice in envisioning that which we are collectively trying to create. It is important that individuals who cannot risk imprisonment have the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way in anti-convention activities.

We recognize that on the one hand it is impossible to create a space completely outside of police threat: the very nature of the police state and the lack of respect by State authorities for ‘safe spaces’ means that no space will be completely safe. Moreover, we recognize that oppression comes from within as well as from outside and that all of us participate to some degree in systems of oppression. So no space is completely ‘green.’ However, we also recognize that it is possible to create spaces that minimize the threat of arrest and that such spaces are essential in maximizing opportunities to participate in crashing the convention.

Unfortunately, while the WC acknowledges the importance of such a space, it is beyond our current logistical capacity to organize it ourselves. We are writing to encourage individuals who are interested in the development of radical ‘green’ or ‘safe’ spaces to speak out about their visions and begin taking steps to establish them. The WC is willing to assist in networking individuals and groups working to create such spaces, in publicizing their work, and in any other way possible. Further, we have set up a discussion board, for folks interesting in this organizing to engage with each other. Anyone looking to get started is encouraged to check it out, to check out our site, and to contact us, rnc08@riseup.net.

Lastly, we want to encourage folks coming to the Twin Cities to be involved in various lower-risk public demonstrations and marches already in the works, including the anti-war march on Day One and the Poor People’s March on Day Two. These activities provide a way for all types of folks to be involved, with plenty of room for creative radical presence. Participating in or supporting any one activity- including the blockading strategy- does not rule out the possibility of participating in any other.

See you in September,
the Welcoming Committee

St Paul officials face lawsuit, violated rights of anti-war organizer leafleting at Obama rally

sdsatrnc — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 04:18:01 +0000

St Paul officials face lawsuit, violated rights of anti-war organizer leafleting at Obama rally

For Immediate Release: July 1, 2008

St Paul officials face lawsuit, violated rights of anti-war organizer leafleting at Obama rally

Press Conference
July 2. 9am

In front of Federal Building,
300 S 4th St, Minneapolis

A lawsuit for damages totaling $75,000 will be filed in Federal Court, July 2, by attorneys representing Mick Kelly. Kelly, an organizer for the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War, was arrested outside the Xcel Center June 5 while passing out leaflets at the Obama rally. He was promoting the September 1 anti-war march at the Republican National Convention. Police placed him under arrest, then he was searched, put in a squad car and taken to the old police headquarters where he was cited for soliciting and peddling.

Mr. Kelly states, “The city of Saint Paul violated my right to speak out against the war and to encourage people to come to the march on the Republican National Convention. It is part of a larger pattern of the city attempting to suppress the right to dissent. For example, the city has refused to grant a workable permit for the September 1 protest. The blame needs to placed at the door of Mayor Coleman and the city administration as a whole.”

The suit names the City of St. Paul and the individual officers involved in the arrest. Kelly is represented by attorneys Ted Dooley, Gena Berglund and Peter Nickitas, all members of the National Lawyers Guild.

Attorney Ted Dooley states, “What happened to Mick Kelly was illegal. The mayor, the city and the police will have to explain it in Federal Court. This is a straight signal to St. Paul City officials: The people have the constitutional right to speak out against the war and injustice, even though the Republican National Convention happens to come to town.”

Call to Swarm, Seize, Stay. (From the RNC Welcoming Committee)

sdsatrnc — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:48:28 +0000

*Swarm, Seize, Stay*

a call for Crashing the 2008 Republican National Convention

The playbill has been printed, the tickets have been sold, and on
September 1st , 2008, the Republican National Convention is
scheduled to open in St. Paul, MN. The RNC is political
theater- meant to showcase the GOP’s finest actors and send their chosen into
a spectacular final round of campaigning before the November election. But
what is spectacular about hiding the repressive show of force necessary to
keep this system on its bloody course? Republicans, like all politicians
in this two-act tragedy, exist to maintain systems of oppression that keep
us down- at any cost. Our Earth is not for sale and we are not mere
spectators in this brutal charade….who is going to pull the final curtain
in September?

The RNC Welcoming Committee calls for anyone and everyone who cares
about a better world than the politicians claim to offer to “Swarm, Seize,
and
Stay,” on September 1^st . Our goal for Day One is to blockade Downtown
St. Paul, so that the only show worth watching is the one we create in the
streets. Generally, Swarm Seize, Stay (3S) means:

Move into/around Downtown St. Paul via *swarms* of varying sizes,
from multiple directions, and with diverse tactical intentions.

*Seize *space through both hard (e.g., lockboxes) and soft (e.g.,
congestion), fixed and mobile, blockading methods.

*Stay* engaged with the situation in downtown St. Paul as long as
necessary. Regroup. Reinforce.

The RNC-WC has divided Downtown St. Paul into sectors, so that
organizing bodies throughout the country can coordinate their actions
and make sure that every inch of the map is covered come September 1^st.
Now it’s up to you. Pick a sector, gather your comrades, and
start planning.

For a sector map and further info, see: http://www.NoRNC.org
<http://www.NoRNC.org/>

See you in September,

the RNC Welcoming Committee

RNC Welcoming Committee

Come visit in September 2008!

http://www.rncwelcomingcommittee.org

http://www.nornc.org

ACTION ALERT: Call on St. Paul Mayor & City Council to support Permit Appeal by the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop War

sdsatrnc — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:44:56 +0000

ACTION ALERT: Call on St. Paul Mayor & City Council to support Permit Appeal by the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War

On Wednesday, May 14, the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War received an alternate permit for our demonstration on September 1, 2008. This alternate permit was provided because both the route and the time in our permit application were rejected by St. Paul Police.

Thanks to public pressure from you, and pending legal action in federal court, we now have a permit that will take our march up to the Xcel Center.

However, the terms of the alternate permit will not accommodate the large, national demonstration we are planning. The space and time limitations are unworkable, and are designed to limit the impact we can have on the RNC and its media coverage.

Every street around the Xcel Center will be closed, to provide security to the politicians who will meet inside to congratulate themselves on 5 years of a brutal war on Iraq. Two parking lots adjacent to the Xcel are reserved for media trucks, which the RNC will rely on to broadcast their message of war, trying to convince the people of this country to cast their votes for more years of war and human suffering in Iraq, and more years of ignoring human needs here at home.

The alternate permit grants our Coalition the small space that remains: A 2000 square foot triangle, across the street from the Xcel Center. Our permit allows the use of that space for less than 2 hours, and requires that the march proceed along a 1000-foot long turn about, then turn back on itself, and return to the State Capitol Building on the same road we marched in on. This limited time and space cannot accommodate 50,000 protesters.

The alternative permit effectively protects the Republicans and their message of war, while restricting the rights of common people to demand peace, justice and equality. Limiting both time and space for the march – ensures that only some protesters will have a chance to raise their voice at the site of the Convention, while thousands may never even see the building. This is a plan we cannot accept.

According to the City ordinance, permit decisions can be appealed to City Council. This week, we will ask St. Paul City Council members to overturn the police department’s decision, and grant our original permit request for September 1, 2008. We will also raise our objections to the alternate permit that was granted.

Moreover, the St. Paul Police Department is required to demonstrate a substantial public safety interest that necessitates rejecting the original request. We have received no explanation of how the alternate route satisfies any concerns raised by our original route. City Council members can get real answers.

We ask you to call on the St. Paul City Council to stand on the side of peace and justice, to issue the permit we applied for, to ensure a successful March on the RNC to stop the war on Iraq.

We expect our appeal to be heard at the City Council meeting on Wednesday, May 21, 2008, on the 3rd floor of City Hall at 15 W. Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul. The meeting begins at 3:30pm, and public hearings are scheduled for 5:30pm - it is not clear when the Permit appeal will be scheduled on the agenda. Please attend the meeting if you can, and contact St. Paul City officials beforehand.

Ask them to approve the original permit application, including a later and longer time, and a route that physically accommodates more protesters and provides more space at the Xcel Center. They can also help by getting the police to answer some of these questions:

1. Why was the original permit denied? What specifically about the route and time would create the traffic and safety issues stated as the basis for denial? How does the alternate permit avoid these issues?

2. Why does the March have to clear the Xcel by 2:00 p.m.? Will all demonstrators be banned from the “soft security zone” after 2:00 p.m.? If not, why can’t the March go later in the afternoon? Can the March starting time be moved back to accommodate people from out of town who will be arriving? If not, why not?

3. Why do the free speech rights of the corporate media take precedence over the rights of the people? Two parking lots adjacent to X-Cel are both being given to the media, can’t one of them be given to the people? Either parking lot would not be any closer to X-Cel than the demonstration zone, but would greatly expand the ability of people to reach the Xcel and turn around without problems.

4. When will the delegates arrive on 9/1/08? Is the plan to make the March pass by X-Cel center by 2:00 p.m. just so that it will be gone by the time the delegates start arriving?

Debbie Montgomery (Ward 1) * 651-266-8610

Dave Thune (Ward 2) * 651-266-8620

Pat Harris (Ward 3) * 651-266-8630

Jay Benanav (Ward 4) * (651) 266-8640

Lee Helgen (Ward 5) * 651-266-8650

Dan Bostrom (Ward 6) * 651-266-8660

Kathy Lantry, President (Ward 7) * 651-266-8670

Also, please contact Chris Coleman, Mayor * 651-266-8510

Background:
See a map of the City’s proposal on-line here -http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_9262346
See the Coalition’s proposed route on-line here - http://www.protestrnc2008.org/node/39

.Statement of Purpose.

sdsatrnc — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:10:38 +0000

The purpose of this site is to promote and facilitate mass participation in resistance to the Rupublican National Convention to be held in St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota from September 1-4, 2008. This site will serve as a hub for news, information and logistics regarding the actions against the RNC and the policies of the Republican Party.