Feds use biggest gun on Arrestee at RNC (the kid from TX)

[annm4peace]

Yesterday was the start of the trial for 1 of two young adults who came to protest at the RNC against the horrible Bush policies.
A friend went to the 1st court hearing that started yesterday.. here is what she had to say below.
"The federal and state governments are putting such huge resources into prosecuting those who protested the RNC. In the case of David McKay, (who did apparently make and possess a few Molotov cocktails after getting here but then decided not to use them and was only a few hours from getting on a plane and departing from here), he was only 22 years old and looked up to 32 yr old Brandon Darby, the FBI’s informant for over a year prior and who had infiltrated more than one social justice group (over a year before the RNC). The US Attorney has assigned its top Criminal Division head attorney to the case and numerous FBI and other federal agents are in the courtroom."

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/conventions/38433549.html?elr=KArks:DCiUoaW_eEO7UiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiU

Accused of intending to bomb GOP convention: Angry activist or entrapped victim?

Is David Guy McKay an angry activist who decided to make firebombs to strike police who derailed his plans to disrupt the Republican National Convention?

Or is he the victim of entrapment, a naive follower goaded into more radical action by a government informant bent on getting someone arrested?

Those were the substance of the opening statements Monday on the first day of the federal trial for McKay, 22, of Austin, Texas. The trial is expected to last all week.
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Call radio and TV news stations and ask.. Why are they using the Top Prosecutor when we have real hard core crimes that need to be prosecuted? Why is the goverment so focused on targeting questionable arrests ? Call into 950am radio show from 6pm-7pm and mention this.. we need to force them to talk about it. Call-In Line: [phone]
Call your State Reps and if you live in the Twin Cities call your County Commissioners and tell them with such an incredible budget Deficit.. Our tax dollars should not be used on this trials against dissent!.

I emailed the Star Tribune the following questions:
Why is a top US Federal Prosecutor on this case, when there are so many other real destructive and dangerous criminals that need to be prosecuted?
Who is behind trying to make this case into a huge terrorist act?
Do they need to win to validate the riot gear the law-enforcement wore, and the excessive force and use of tear gas, rubber bullets and riot gear?
I heard that there where a lot of FBI agents in the court room, why is that ? Isn't there other things they could be doing ? Are they there to intimate those in the court, or the jury?
Why isn't the guy who made violent threats and then rammed his SUV 3 times into the Planned Parenthood clinic charged with a Felony? He seems much more dangerous.
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first they came after the youth who they called anarchists, and I was silent... then they came for the peaceful protesters, and I was again silent, then they came for the journalist and I was silent.. then they came for me....

[Downtown Hound]

1. As you probably know

In Oakland over here in CA we just had a riot over the guy that was shot and killed on BART. I read that more than 300 business and cars were damaged. The RNC had 3 or 4 businesses that were damaged and a few cop cars as well. Yet the local, state, and federal governments are acting like they just dealt with the riot of the century at the RNC. I saw a piece online about a female police officer who's sole job for the past few months has been to pour over every piece of video available to them of the RNC protests in a room where the entire walls are covered with mugshots of RNC arrestees. Then she tries to match up any criminal actions, no matter how minor, of the faces on the videos with those hanging on the wall.

The obsessive nature of prosecuting the RNC arrestees, the brutal force by which they were put down, even the peaceful ones, and the terrorism charges against the RNC 8, has been one of the scariest things I've ever seen happen to American democracy. If only we could get the police to be so diligent about prosecuting other crimes with the gusto that they're going after RNC protesters, huh?

On the brighter side, I think it's safe to say that the protests really scared the powers that be. If they hadn't, then they never would have reacted the way they did. They're trying to put their boots down on this kind of activity now before it spreads.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. What's even scarier is the way the local right wingers lapped it all up

They were flooding local comment boards, repeating early allegations as gospel truth and applauding the St. Paul cops for beating up innocent passersby who had to walk through the restricted area to attend an unrelated outdoor event.

Scary bunch of authoritarians we have in this country, which is one unnerving aspect of our current economic mess. While I would hope that the eventual outcome would be a democratic socialist reorganizing of society, it's just as likely that the powers that be could tap into the knuckle draggers' confused frustration and reinforce their media-fed notions that their troubles are due to Latinos, Muslims, gays, and intellectuals.

[Downtown Hound]

3. I'm curious, did you attend any of the protests?

I'd be really interested in hearing any stories you might have if you did.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. No, I was swamped with work at that time

I was disappointed at first, but seeing the way the cops reacted, I'm glad I didn't go.

I firmly believe that there were agents provocateurs involved, because the violence started after most of the protesters had left.

[Downtown Hound]

5. Oh, there's no doubt in my mind that agent provocateurs were used

There's a video on youtube of a bunch of masked "anarchists" pushing a dumpster around, then taking out all the trash in it and littering the road, and then tipping it over. The problem with this is that they're doing it in full view of the cops, and they're not doing anything but standing there watching. Later, after the damage is done, the cops move in very slowly, but essentially allow them to run away while making only a half-assed effort to arrest them.

One of the major signs you look for when it comes to agent provocateurs is to see how the cops react to them. If there is an individual causing damage right in front of them, and they're not doing anything, that's a big red flag there.

Also, I've read reports about how the guy that smashed the Macy's window ran back behind a line of police cars after he did so. I've also seen video of other protesters yelling at the widow breakers to stop what they were doing. Yep, agent provocateurs all the way. There are no doubt a few protesters that embrace these destructive tactics but more often than not, it's the police doing it their damn selves.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. I saw such an example in Portland

Cheney was addressing a $25,000 a plate dinner at a downtown hotel, and the streets around the hotel were blocked off. Protesters assembled on the Transit Mall (which is closed to all except buses) behind the hotel. (This was the time when the Darth Vader cops suddenly tear gassed and pepper sprayed protesters who were just standing there.)

Anyway, suddenly an SUV came down one of the streets (supposedly blocked off) that crossed the Transit Mall. Four guys jumped out of the truck, found a cop car parked on the Transit Mall, and immediately started rocking it. They were urging the crowd to help them tip the car over, but fortunately, the protesters in that area were mostly boomer types, who'd seen it all before, and they just walked away, leaving those four guys to look like idiots.

The only "vandalism" I saw during that protest was when a couple of the younger protesters wrote on buildings with chalk.

[Downtown Hound]

11. Yeah, Ive heard they did it in Seattle too

It seems to me that whenever there is a major protest planned for months in advance, those are always the ones that end up going bad. And why is that? Because that's when the feds and whoever else wants to disrupt them have plenty of time to assemble their army of window smashers, that's why.

[annm4peace]

8. was there for 5 days.. Starting Aug 31st

the Poor People's "March for our Lives" on Sept 2,, had the most agents.. it was so shameful.. Trying to intimidate the poor..

Best thing: watch "Terrorising Dissent" it just gives you a very little taste.

I was with ret. CIA Ray McGovern, ret. Coleen Rowley, ret. UN inspector/Marine Scott Ritter, and ret. Col Ann Wright.. the night of mass arrest including Amy Goodman.. we were near the St. Paul Hotel.. The were very upset at the over the top law-enforcement.. it was like being in a war zone.

[Downtown Hound]

9. I've seen Terrorizing Dissent

as well as Ground Noise and Static, another good one. It really pissed me off how they used gas at the end of that march, which had been totally peaceful. And then the fuckers snatching Wendi Binion out of the crowd and charging her with felony riot when there hadn't even been any violence at all.

I wish I had been with you annm4peace. I did a lot of protesting back in San Francisco in 2003 and got gassed, pepper sprayed, and arrested, so I know what it's like. But what happened in St. Paul was something that I never could have imagined. It was horrible. The police should be hanging their heads in shame, but the thing that pisses me off is I know they're probably getting a good chuckle out of all of it.

Thank you so much for putting yourself out there the way you did. You guys and gals fought one hell of a battle and I am so proud of you. You have my unending support in your desire to see that justice is done regarding this travesty. If there's any way I can help just let me know.

[annm4peace]

7. another shameful Death in CA

Yes I have been watching that and keep signing the petitions from Color of Change, and sending letters to officals. it is sickening and happens way too often.
I am so glad the people there rose up and said NO MORE !!!!!!!!


The damage to the business might have been done by law enforcement.. the guy came from behind the line of cops with a pole.. cop-watchers saw this themselves.

Ramsey County is refusing to give up the 6000 foot of police video.

[Downtown Hound]

10. Yeah, I think it probably was law enforcement to a certain degree

Especially the Macy's window. I've heard the exact same thing. This kind of shit needs to be exposed. I'm tired of police pissing on protesters.