RNC '08 Report: All site additions (global feed)

Vance Opperman wants national convention again in '12 (MinnPost)

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:41:12 CST

Fri, 13 Nov 2009--Local publisher Vance Opperman wants one, or both, of the national conventions in the Twin Cities in 2012. Apparently the publicity and visibility garnered for the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul outweighs the disturbing — to many — memories of a well-armed police presence that kept violent protesters at bay and intimidated many others.

Citizens Police Review Board hears more stories of abuse from the G-20 (Examiner.com)

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:59:28 CST

Wed, 11 Nov 2009--On Thursday, the Pittsburgh CPRB met at the Community of Reconciliation Church in Oakland to hear yet another series of stories about police abuses during the G-20. The story is familiar now. The offenses are as well. Normally when around officials, the zero-calorie statement is common. Not at the CPRB, though. "What amazes me in this country is not what we see," said Vice-Chair Richard M. Carrington, "but what we put up with."

The convict and the call center: Former FLS Connect employee says shop has felons working there (Politics in Minnesota)

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:38:59 CST

Wed, 11 Nov 2009--A little more than a year ago, Larson, who served as CEO of the Minneapolis-St. Paul 2008 Host Committee -- the group that spearheaaded the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul -- forked over more than $75,000 to buy a new wardrobe at the Minneapolis Neiman Marcus store for newly anointed GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

2 RNC protesters sentenced for tossing road sign (Associated Press)

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:34:51 CST

Wed, 11 Nov 2009--A judge has sentenced two Wisconsin women to community service for throwing a road sign off a freeway bridge in St. Paul on the first day of the 2008 Republican National Convention.

Two freeway sign-throwers sentenced (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:31:56 CST

Wed, 11 Nov 2009--Two women who pleaded guilty to throwing metal road signs off the Interstate 94 bridge in downtown St. Paul onto the freeway were each sentenced Tuesday to seven years of probation. The incident took place Sept. 1, 2008, the first day of the Republican National Convention.

Republican National Convention figure reportedly cleared in threat case (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:08:19 CST

Tue, 10 Nov 2009--A former Minneapolis woman was acquitted Tuesday of charges she threatened to kill a government informant, her lawyer said. Katyanne Marie Kibby, 25, was acquitted by a federal jury in Austin, Texas, said public defender Jose Gonzalez-Failla.

Charges withdrawn against 2 who Twittered police location (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:14:04 CST

Mon, 02 Nov 2009--The Allegheny County District Attorney has dropped all charges against two New York men accused of posting locations of police officers on Twitter during the G-20 summit.

How Could It Be Against the Law to Spread Public Information? (AlterNet)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:28:10 CST

Thu, 29 Oct 2009--The hazmat team rushed into Elliot Madison's home in Queens, N.Y., and headed straight for the kombucha tea brewing in a corner, assuming that the outspoken anarchist was concocting a chemical weapon. Now Madison, 41 -- who is under investigation by a federal grand jury for violations of a rarely used anti-riot statute -- has denounced the probe as politically motivated and in violation his constitutional rights.

Protester pleads in terror case (Austin American-Statesman)

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:52:23 CST

Tue, 27 Oct 2009--Bradley Neil Crowder, 23, of Austin pleaded guilty Monday to a felony terroristic threat charge in Ramsey County, Minn., District Court, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped a charge of aiding and abetting second-degree assault, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

Texas man gets 15 months for throwing sign during RNC (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:50:29 CST

Mon, 26 Oct 2009--A Texas man accused of throwing a large metal sign off the Marion Street Bridge on Sept. 1, 2008, the first day of the Republican National Convention, pleaded guilty Monday to aiding and abetting terroristic threats, a felony.

Texan admits he tossed road sign from bridge during Republican National Convention; serving time for possessing Molotov cocktails (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:14:52 CST

Mon, 26 Oct 2009--A Texas protestor accused of helping to toss a road sign from a bridge during the Republic National Convention in St. Paul has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and received a 15-month sentence.

Twitter anarchist raided under 'riot' laws (CNN)

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:29:57 CST

Sat, 24 Oct 2009--An anarchist social worker raided by the feds wants his computers, manuscripts and pick axes back. He argues that authorities violated the U.S. Constitution and the rights of his mentally ill clients while searching for evidence that he broke an anti-rioting law on Twitter.

A day of lies and poses: Pittsburgh Magistral Court hears G-20 arrests: Day 2 (Examiner.com)

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:33:27 CST

Fri, 23 Oct 2009--To know a cop's lying in court is painful, but nowhere near as bad as knowing that he's wrong. Watching an entire case of prosecution made with it for over a dozen people is almost unbearable. It's also how Friday was spent at the Pittsburgh Magistrate Court, with a Detective William Friburger of the Pittsburgh NARCO describing the LRAD and police tactics on Sept. 25th in a mix of sports and football metaphors. Friburger is built like a football player, a center or somebody who eats the living.

G-20 arrestees line up before judges (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:16:12 CST

Thu, 22 Oct 2009--A parade of college students marched through the Municipal Courts Building yesterday to explain why they were caught up in mass arrests following the G-20 summit, and District Judge Kevin E. Cooper played the role of a scolding parent. "Young lady, you made a bad judgment," he told Jocelyn Petyak, 21, a Pitt senior who was arrested on the night of Sept. 25 in Oakland and charged with failure to disperse and disorderly conduct. "You should have left your friends and gotten your butt out of there."

3 more Pittsburgh G-20 protest charges dropped (Associated Press)

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:30:48 CST

Tue, 20 Oct 2009--Allegheny County prosecutors have dropped charges against a University of Pittsburgh professor and two school newspaper photographers arrested during the Group of 20 economic summit.

Chicago police officers accused of forcing man to pose for photo during Pittsburgh G-20 summit (Associated Press)

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:09:28 CST

Fri, 16 Oct 2009--The Chicago Police Department is investigating several of its officers accused of forcing a college student they arrested during last month's G-20 summit in Pittsburgh to pose for a group photo with them. The department, which has been dogged by embarrassing allegations of misconduct in recent years, began investigating the Pittsburgh claims after video of the alleged incident was posted on YouTube.

Chicago police conduct at G-20 summit in Pittsburgh under investigation (Chicago Tribune)

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:49:43 CST

Fri, 16 Oct 2009--Chicago police are investigating a video of officers who allegedly forced a college student to pose with them after his arrest during last month's G-20 summit in Pittsburgh.

Pitt students to catch break in G-20 arrests (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:47:55 CST

Fri, 16 Oct 2009--Most of the University of Pittsburgh students arrested during G-20 protests will have the opportunity to clear their records, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said Thursday. But what's unclear is how many will have to perform 50 hours of community service in order to get the charges dropped.

RNC 8: Court Report from October 8 Hearing (Community RNC Arrestee Support Structure (CRASS))

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:36:30 CST

Wed, 14 Oct 2009--Thanks to everyone who attended the rally and court solidarity on October 8! Enough supporters showed up that the court staff agreed to switch to a larger courtroom. Not only that, but even in the larger room, we took up enough space that the customary sad-looking undercover investigators needed to stand the entire time.

Charges dropped against PG reporter arrested during G-20 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:14:02 CST

Wed, 14 Oct 2009--The Allegheny County district attorney's office has dropped charges against a Post-Gazette reporter arrested while covering a protest in Oakland during the G-20 summit. Sadie Gurman, 24, was one of more than 100 people, including many students and several other journalists, swept up by police on the night of Sept. 25 near Pitt's Cathedral of Learning. She had been charged with failure to disperse and disorderly conduct.