Warning: Tom Ridge Has 'Experience' With Political Conventions

[G_j]

I put this together with the help of some fellow DU researchers earlier this evening. (thanks!)

--------Ridge and The Republican Convention
http://www.guerrillanews.com/newswire/172.html

Ridge's use of a Malden Institute report to justify the raid on the R2K protesters was particularly troubling. This ultra-right wing think tank used innuendo, lies and rumor in its propaganda-filled manifesto, suggesting that the global protest movement was funded by rubles smuggled out of the former Soviet Union. The raid, prior to the actual protest, raised many troubling legal questions, most notably prior restraint of First Amendment rights
---
on the Malden Institute:
http://www.pww.org/past-weeks-2000/Old%20McCarthyism.ht...

The pennsylvania state police and the 'old McCarthyism'

By Norman Markowitz

The Philadelphia Enquirer on Sept. 10 reported a bizarre but important story – one that shows the Gestapo tactics and lunatic anti-Communism associated with J. Edgar Hoover, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), and Joseph McCarthy are continuing. In a 23 report attempting to justify their infiltration, illegal search and seizures and brutal arrests and detention of protesters at the recent Republican National Convention, the Pennsylvania State Police cited "evidence" that the protesters were working for and funded by the CPUSA(the Communist Party of Eastern Pennsylvania particularly), trade unions connected to the "Soviet era" World Federation of Trade Unions, and other Communist and "Soviet" agencies.

The "source" of these allegations, according to the Enquirer, turns out to be something called the "Malden Institute," whose leading figures include a Florida televangelist with connections to Jerry Falwell, a novelist whose stock in trade was accounts of "KGB" disinformation campaigns, and, most of all an Englishman named John Rees, who, according to ultra-right watcher Chip Berlet, has John Birch Society connections and has been spreading Soviet and Communist conspiracy stories through ultra-right networks since the 1970s, undaunted even by the dismemberment of the Soviet Union.

The Malden Institute, according to the Enquirer, is to a significant extent funded by the Carthage Foundation of Richard Mellon Scaife, the Daddy Warbucks of many ultra-right organizations and campaigns, most of all the attempt to impeach President Clinton.

..more..
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http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/sep2000/rnc-s12.shtml
Police targeted protesters at Republican National Convention for their political views
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http://www.progressive.org/pmp0701/pmpwo301.html
Tom Ridge's record raises questions
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http://www.sfbg.com/News/34/45/45nffbi.html
Disrupting dissent
Philly chief wants feds to tackle L.A. protesters.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/12/10/MN146168.DTL
Cases Against Philadelphia Demonstrators Fizzle
GOP convention brought 391 arrests -- with little evidence
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*** NOW from TODAY"S NEWS:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles... /


FBI warns of possible threat against media

By Shelly Murphy and Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff | July 23, 2004

The FBI warned Boston television stations yesterday that news trucks might be attacked by members of a radical domestic group that wants to disrupt next week's Democratic National Convention.

''The FBI is investigating information that members of a domestic group plan to disrupt the by attacking media vehicles," FBI spokeswoman Gail Marcinkiewicz said last night.

The FBI didn't release any other details, including the name of the group, when it might attack, or whether the information has been deemed credible.

Marcinkiewicz said the information is being investigated by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force in Boston.

Bev Ford, a spokeswoman for the Boston Police Department, said the FBI warned Boston police yesterday that media vehicles might be targeted by a domestic group, but, ''We've got no information on where or when or how."

..more..
:tinfoilhat:

[aquart]

1. New York is not Philadelphia. Is Boston?

Should Ridge pull something in Boston, New York could become exceptionally unpleasant.

I do hope dear Tom thinks twice. 50,000 Republicans. 8 million New Yorkers.

[WildClarySage]

2. The idea is

to limit media exposure of the convention to prevent dems from getting any political kick from the event. Their attempt to intimidate the press will backfire; but their attempt to manipulate the story of the convention may be easier to pull off. If the press is busy reporting on whether or not something happened, the democrat's message is blurred. Personally, I think the whole thing will backfire spectacularly, and dems will be shown to be brave, and the press will be there in droves, just in case something happens.

[G_j]

3. intimidating the media: a bit 'o tinfoil

but I can't help but remember the anthrax intimidations

[Stone_Spirits]

4. Tom Ridge is one scary guy

thanks G_j :loveya:

[peace4all]

5. a gestapo lunatic

as head of Homeland Security he is VERY dangerous!