PRESS RELEASE: Call for Independent Investigations into Police Misconduct during RNC

Local and national organizations urge Members of Congress to take action

St. Paul, MN – Local and national organizations issued an open letter today to Congressional Members Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Keith Ellison (D-MN), urging them to call for independent investigations into police misconduct during the Republican National Convention (RNC) recently held in the Twin Cities. The letter, signed by twelve groups, is seeking accountability for the police abuse and over 800 arrests that occurred during the convention.

Before the RNC, local and federal law enforcement conducted numerous preemptive raids on people’s homes and a public meeting space. During the convention, police indiscriminately used tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades, and tasers against non-violent demonstrations, harming hundreds of protesters, journalists, medical personnel, legal observers, and bystanders.

“The widespread level of political repression has so far occurred with impunity,” said Kris Hermes, working with the Coldsnap Legal Collective, providing legal support people arrested and brutalized by police. “It’s crucial that the disproportionate police response be scrutinized by an independent investigation that includes the voices of people injured and other community members from the Twin Cities.”

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman has hired two former federal prosecutors – former U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger and former assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Luger – to review the city’s security plan for the RNC. However, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the investigation “will not be a fact-finding mission to explore allegations of police wrongdoing or violations of people’s rights.”

“The Mayor’s so-called investigation sounds like a whitewash of law enforcement’s orchestrated effort to suppress dissent in the Twin Cities from the outset,” said Rick Kelley, another Coldsnap member. “If the intimidation and unprovoked police violence is not scrutinized, what’s the point of an investigation?” The federal government provided a grant of $50 million to law enforcement during the RNC. Much of it was used to purchase weapons that the police then used against non-violent demonstrators. “These weapons will continue to be used by local police in the Twin Cities for years to come, unless we’re able to hold them accountable for their actions,” continued Kelley. “We owe it not only to the protesters and others harmed during the convention, but to the people of St. Paul and Minneapolis.”

Further information:

Open letter from organizations to local Congressional delegation

Video of September 5th Press Conference on instances of police brutality

 

Did you leave town without your property?

If you left town without getting your property back, please follow these instructions:

1. Download, print, and complete this Statement to Authorize Return of Property.
2. In the statement, name a person who will be able to pick up your property as the authorized person. Your best option for this is a friend or relative who lives in Minnesota. Your second best option is your attorney (especially if you don’t have photo identification available). If neither of these options are available to you, call Coldsnap Legal Collective (651.356.8635). Coldsnap cannot guarantee assistance, but we will do our best to help.
3. Have your statement notarized. Kinkos or your local bank are common options for notaries.
4. Fax or overnight mail the notarized statement and along with copies of identifying documents (see the form for more info) to the authorized person you named in the statement and tell them to take it to the correct location (see below) with their own photo ID BY FRIDAY.

To get your case number and tracking number call Records at 651.266.5700.

To confirm whether your property is at the SPPD or the Impound Lot, call 651.266.5637. Getting through on this number has been inconsistent.

If you were charged with a misdemeanor at the time of your arrest, your property is probably at the Impound Lot Container, 830 Barge Channel Road (Hwy 52 & Concord).

If you were charged with a gross misdemeanor or felony at the time of your arrest, your property is probably at the St. Paul Police Department, 437 Grove Street.

NOTE: If you do not get your property back THIS WEEK, it is our understanding that you will have to make an appointment to get it back.

 

Have any videos, photos, or witness statements from the RNC?

If you have any unaltered or unedited original video (copies are okay), photos, or witness statements from the week’s events, PLEASE mail them or deliver them by hand. Follow the instructions below.

NOTE: These items are being collected, processed and catalogued for potential use in court matters. We CANNOT accept altered or edited items.

NOTE: IF YOU ARE A DEFENDANT IN A CRIMINAL CASE, please consult the attorney representing you and discuss the possible ramifications of any submission before doing so.

INSTRUCTIONS:

By mail:

1. Print out and complete the Intake Form.
2. Send the item (notes, video, photos, etc.) and completed intake form by certified mail to:

Berglund & Magnuson, PLLC

1595 Selby Ave. #102

St. Paul, MN 55104.

 

Quick Announcements!

A couple things we’re working on right now:

Bail Fund

• Coldsnap has received donations that can be put towards bailing folks out of jail, but we do not have the logistical capacity as a collective to allocate funds and post bail or bonds. We need a trusted affiliate group to step forward to help out with these logistics; please contact us at coldsnap(a)riseup.net if you are able to help coordinate this.

Evidence

• We will be posting information ASAP about where to drop off evidence about this week’s events. Stay posted.

 

Pressure Campaign to Support Arrestees!

Here are some government offices in the Twin Cities you can contact regarding the police brutality, mass arrests, and illegitimate charges that our community has faced during the RNC:

• St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman (651.266.8510)
• Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher (651.266.9333)
• County Chief Judge Gearin (651.266.8266)
• St. Paul City Attorney John Choi (651.266.8710)
• Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner (651.266.3222, RCA@co.ramsey.mn.us)
• Governor Tim Pawlenty (651.296.3391, tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us
• St. Paul Chief of Police John Harrington (651.266.5588, john.harrington@ci.st.paul.mn.us)

 

Press Release

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.

Under Minnesota law, detainees must be released after 36 hours if the court fails to review and affirm probable cause for their charges. This 36-hour period will expire at noon on Wednesday.

 

The “Good” News on Felonies

Over a hundred people were charged with felonies on Monday. Most of these folks were charged with Felony Conspiracy to Riot. Well, the “good” news is that cops give people felony charges all the time – when they beat you up. That way, the cops can say they acted in self-defense. It also makes it more likely you’ll plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for getting the felony dropped. This is good for the state, because if you plead guilty it makes it harder to sue the cops later for assaulting you.

So, if you have friends in jail from the RNC arrests who are charged with felonies, know that their bail may be higher in the short term, and they may be kept in jail longer. But many, many people engaged in this type of demonstration who are given this charge ultimately get it dropped. And we’re working to help everyone who got arrested during the RNC fight their charges—no matter what they are.

Keep an eye on this space for information on Court Solidarity—an effective tactic for group legal defense. Also, there are two meetings set up for arrestees: One on Saturday, September 6th, at 11am at the RNC Convergence Center (627 Smith Ave. in St. Paul), and another on Sunday, September 14th, at 4pm at Walker Church (3104 16th Ave. S in Minneapolis).

 

Arrestee Updates and How to Provide Support!

As of 10:30pm today, the arrest tally from Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office was: 284 total; 130 felonies; 51 gross misdemeanors; 103 misdemeanors. The jail is seemingly severely backed up and not everyone has been booked or processed, so these numbers clearly don’t represent the total arrestee count for the day. These numbers also do not necessarily include the numbers of arrestees whose identifications have not been verified.

In regards to the arrestees from this weekend’s raids, five of them are still being held at Ramsey County Jail on probable cause, which means that they might not be able to see a judge until Tuesday or Wednesday. One of the arrestees was released yesterday evening.

Though some people have been cited and released, the majority are still being held in jail. We’ve gotten many reports that people are not getting proper medical attention, are being refused their medication, and/or have been separated from the rest of the group.

Also, there are also many felony charges, which allow the state to hold the protesters for a longer period of time. Felony charges have historically been used as scare tactics against activists, and there is much less precedent for people engaged in this type of demonstration to have felony charges hold up in court. More often, these bogus charges are simply used to keep protesters off the streets and as a way to oppress and silence people.

Please show your support and solidarity by calling the jail at 651.266.9350 and demand that people are given proper medical attention, are given access to their medication, and are not separated from the larger group! Also, demand that arrestees’ charges are dropped and that they are released immediately! You can also call the Ramsey County Sheriff’s office at 651.487.5149 or the St. Paul Mayor’s office at 651.266.8510, as well your city council member, state representatives, etc.

More information about how to support your friends and loved ones here:

 

Police Misconduct Report

Download Coldsnap’s Police Misconduct Report to describe and document any police misconduct that you experience or witness. For information about documenting injuries and police brutality, download Midnight Special Law Collective’s excellent guide to documenting injuries: Shooting the Wounded.

Send completed Police Misconduct Reports by certified mail to:

Berglund & Magnuson, PLLC

1595 Selby Ave, Suite 102

St. Paul, MN 55104

 

In Solidarity…

Coldsnap Legal Collective stands in solidarity with those that have entered the streets today to express their dissent, as well as those that could not but whose voices should also be heard.

The RNC Welcoming Committee just released a press statement regarding the recent actions. The full text is proudly posted here: