Nice guys
These mokes should be given mental health screening and then institutionalized for a while...
From the Minneapolis
TwinCities.com:
Sheriff's investigation: Anarchists discussed kidnapping delegates
A year ago, the Ramsey County sheriff's office began looking closely at a group called the Republican National Convention Welcoming Committee.
What it found, according to an 18-page search warrant application and affidavit, led to weekend raids on two Minneapolis homes and a temporary St. Paul office for the self-described anarchist group.
According to the document, investigation learned:
- The self-described anarchist group � whose main goal was to "crash" the Republican National Convention," according to its Web site � traveled to or communicated with affinity groups in 67 cities to recruit members and raise money.
- Group members discussed the possibility of kidnapping delegates, blockading bridges, using liquid sprayers filled with urine or chemicals on police and throwing marbles to trip police and their horses.
- At an "action camp" held from July 31 to Aug. 3 in Lake Geneva, Minn., one member talked of concealing inside giant puppets "materials" that could be used on the street. Others discussed the need for Molotov cocktails, paint, caltrops (devices used to puncture tires), bricks and lockboxes for protesters to lock themselves together.
- Erik Oseland, one of the six group members arrested here, produced a video called "Video Map of the St. Paul Points of Interest." It included such major companies as Travelers Insurance and Qwest, hotels such as the Embassy Suites and the Crowne Plaza. Also included: the Pioneer Press building.
The main sources for the information were "regular surveillance" of the group and three people who posed as members � two informants and an undercover investigator. The informants monitored e-mails and conversations.
Geneva Finn of the National Lawyers Guild, which represents many of those arrested, said it was hard for her to weigh the evidence in the affidavit because "it's all based on the testimony of people who are not identified, and that's a real problem."
Police and the Sheriff's Department characterized the anarchists as troublemakers who had come from other cities and states to disrupt the convention.
"Yesterday, there was a group of people, not the protesters ... but a group of criminals who came here with a very express goal and intent," St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington said Tuesday. "They came here to try to stop the convention, to crash the gates, to stop the buses and the delegates. ... They failed."
And of course, the ACLU is getting into the picture:
The ACLU and the Minnesota Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild also criticized the police response to the protesters.
ACLU of Minnesota Executive Director Chuck Samuelson said he believes an excessive number are being charged with serious felonies such as conspiracy to commit riot.
Of the 284 arrests Monday, 130 were made on suspicion of felonies and 51 on gross misdemeanors. Samuelson said that in similar mass arrests during demonstrations, two-thirds are charged with misdemeanors.
Hey Chuck -- the ratio changed because this is not some home-grown protest. These are professional anarchists who traveled from other cities to cause havoc and they talked about kidnapping delegates. These mokes were taking things to the next level and fortunately, the police response was measured and appropriate.
I am still sad that the arrests happened when they did -- they gave the left some ammunition for P.R. among themselves. Better to watch the persons of interest and catch them in the act. Sill, that would have required a lot more manpower and you cannot have eyes everywhere.
As for the ACLU, they are in the same boat as the labor unions, MADD, Greenpeace, they started out doing great work and their efforts were needed but once their agendas were met, they didn't disband, they suffered scope creep and a corruption of their original ideals.
Posted by DaveH at September 4, 2008 8:38 PM