Defend The RNC8! Town Hall Meeting Sunday 1/25 3-6pm

[annm4peace]

Defend The RNC8! Town Hall Meeting

Sunday January 25th, 3-6pm
Walker Church: 3104 16th Ave S. Minneapolis

In what appears to be the first use of criminal charges under the 2002
Minnesota Patriot Act, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner has charged 8
anti-RNC organizers with four Felony Conspiracy charges, including Conspiracy
to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism. The potential consequences of these
charges are enormous. Not only could we lose 8 of our friends and allies to
prison, it also creates a dangerous precedent for the suppression of dissent.

The Friends of the RNC8 invite you to join us at a Town Hall meeting to get
updates on the case and discuss what we can do to defend our friends and
community members. Topics covered will include: updates on the case; repealing
the MN Patriot Act; using political pressure to get the charges dismissed;
creating a broad-based RNC 8 Defense Committee; and other strategies for
resisting the attack on our loved ones and the larger movement.

Support Committees, like Friends of the RNC 8, are the first line of direct
support for activists facing or serving prison time. But these committees don't
typically have the ability, by themselves, to wage major campaigns for
high-profile causes. This is where you can plug in. We've already been in touch
with many Twin Cities activists excited to form the backbone of a new group
mobilizing around the special circumstances of the RNC 8 case, and we hope you
will join them.

Featured Speakers include:
*Coleen Rowley--Retired FBI agent, TIME Magazine's 2002 Person of the Year
*Phyllis Kahn--MN State Representative (DFL-59B)
*Peter Rachleff--Professor of History, Macalester College
*Michelle Gross--President, Communities United Against Police Brutality
*Meredith Aby--Anti-War Committee
*Mordecai Specktor--Publisher of American Jewish World, Father of Max Specktor

Speakers will be followed by small-group sessions and participatory discussion,
with a focus on action! The event is free and open to the public. Snacks and
child care will be available.

[Mnpaul]

1. Just thought I would share some good news

All charges dismissed in first RNC trial

A Ramsey County district judge said there was insufficient evidence to convict seven people accused of blocking a downtown St. Paul intersection on Sept. 1, and he tossed out all charges.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/conventions/38241584.html?page=2&c=y

[annm4peace]

2. any idea what this costs Ramsey County ?

I was guessing 10,000 per arrestee to go to trial.

It is really incredible the Ramsey County Attorney wants to still bring these cases to trial with the whole state as well as city and county in such an economic crisis.

Wasn't their an article several months ago that said the Public Defender's office was very short of funds.. and here are all these kids arrested during the RNC for exercising their freedom of speech or just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

It must be costing Ramsey county and City of St. Paul 100's of thousands of dollars.