Mn-prog-events Mailing List: Progressive Calendar 09.28.10

[David Shove (shove001]

             P R O G R E S S I V E   C A L E N D A R   09.28.10

1. Another media?     9.28 5pm
2. RNC8 last supper   9.28 6:30pm
3. Pentel/governor    9.28 7pm
4. Multifaith prayer  9.28 7pm

5. Alliant vigil      9.29 7am
6. Holorespiration    9.29 12noon
7. Blog/your story    9.29 6:30pm
8. Anya reads/dances  9.29 7pm
9. Iran/report        9.29 7pm POSTPONED
10. Palestine/Slisli  9.29 7pm

11. Eagan peace vigil 9.30 4:30pm
12. Northtown vigil   9.30 5pm
13. Higher ed future  9.30 5pm
14. Laos/War legacies 9.30 7pm
15. Defense vs FBI    9.30 7pm

16. Mpls Green Party - Supports peace activists raided by FBI
17. CM Cam Gordon    - Statement on FBI raids
18. Farheen Hakeem   - In solidarity with anti-war committee members
19. Cavlan Campaign  - Statement On FBI raids in Minneapolis
20. Dann Dobson      - Letter to Obama
21. Dann Dobson      - Bob Fletcher's boys still spy on peaceful citizens
22. Jimmy Mason      - Mpls FBI raids open some Dem eyes
23. Wizard Marks     - Some Dems have long known
24. WAMM             - WAMM board co-chair subpoenaed re grand jury
25. Bicking/Underwood - DFL silence on FBI raids
26. Ron Jacobs       - We've been here before/ The FBI raids in context

--------1 of 26-------

From: Eric Angell <eric-angell [at] riseup.net>
Subject: Another media? 9.28 5pm

"Is Another Media Possible?"

For generations, the way that most Americans have received "the news" has
been through a model of centralized corporate journalism.  Now, that model
is dying, and the question is: what model of journalism will fill the
void?  Longtime local journalists Rich Broderick, founder of the Twin
Cities Daily Planet, and Mary Turck, the Daily Planet's editor, discuss
"citizen journalism", share community resources offered through the Twin
Cities Daily Planet, and discuss how all of this relates to democracy.

SPNN 15 viewers:

"Our World In Depth" cablecasts on St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN)
Channel 15 on Tuesdays at 5pm, midnight and Wednesday mornings at 10am,
after DemocracyNow!  Households with basic cable may watch.

 Tues, 9/28 @ 5pm & midnight + Wed, 9/29, 10am
"Is Another Media Possible?"

Stream shows @ http://ourworldindepth.org

"Our World In Depth" features analysis of public affairs with
consideration of and participation from Twin Cities area activists.
Locally produced and not corporately influenced, "Our World In Depth" may
be better than PBS! Order a dvd copy or contact us at
ourworldindepth [at] gmail.com.


--------2 of 26--------

From: Meredith Aby <awcmere [at] gmail.com>
Subject: RNC8 last supper 9.28 6:30pm

Free "Last Supper" with the RNC 8
Tuesday, September 28 from 6:30 - 8pm @ Walker Church, 3104 16th Ave. S.,
Minneapolis

Join the RNC 8 and Defense Committee for a free meal at Walker Church on
Tuesday, September 28. This will be the "Last Supper" at Walker before
trial. Come to connect, talk about the recent developments in the case and
get plugged in to organizing around the trial. Oh, and for free food! This
won't be the last meal with the 8, however. Watch for information on our
upcoming Friday night trial event series and free meals for supporters
during trial. Stay tuned to RNC8.org and follow us on Indymedia, Facebook
and Twitter to be the first to know. FFI: rnc8.org


--------3 of 26--------

From: PRO826 [at] aol.com
Subject: Pentel/governor 9.28 7pm

Ken Pentel for Governor
New location for next meeting
Ken Pentel for Governor Campaign Meeting
Sept 28th, 7:00 pm
Andy Schuler's home
1108 W. 28th St. #1
Minneapolis, MN 55408

_Map of 1108 W 28th St # 1 Minneapolis, Minnesota by  MapQuest_
(http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Minneapolis&state=MN&address=1108+W+28th+St+#+1&zipco
de=55408-2003&country=US&latitude=44.95195&longitude=-93.293281&geocode=ADDR
ESS)


--------4 of 26--------

From: Women Against Military Madness <wamm [at] mtn.org>
Subject: Multifaith prayer 9.28 7pm

Multifaith Prayer Service for Respect

Tuesday, September, 28, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Central Lutheran Church, 333
12th Street South, Minneapolis. Minnesotans from many faith traditions
will gather for a "Multifaith Prayer Service for Respect." The service
is being held to pray for respect for the many ways that citizens of the
state profess their religious beliefs. Former Minnesota Governor Al Quie
will give the opening address. Father Erich Rutten, director of Campus
Ministry at St. Thomas, is one of the event's main speakers. Other
participants include the Reverend Peg Chemberlin, executive director of
the Minnesota Council of Churches, Imam Makram El-Amin of Masjid An Nur
and Rabbi David Locketz, president of the Minnesota Rabbinical
Association. Co-Sponsored by: the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
and two University of St. Thomas organizations, the Muslim Christian
Dialogue Center and the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning and
others. Endorsed by: the WAMM Middle East Committee.


--------5 of 26--------

From: AlliantACTION <alliantaction [at] circlevision.org>
Subject: Alliant vigil 9.29 7am

Join us Wednesday morning, 7-8 am
Now in our 14th year of consecutive Wednesday
morning vigils outside Alliant Techsystems,
7480 Flying Cloud Drive Eden Prairie.
We ask Who Profit$? Who Dies?
directions and lots of info: alliantACTION.org


--------6 of 26--------

From: Institute on the Environment <sjszurek [at] umn.edu>
Subject: Holorespiration 9.29 12noon

FRONTIERS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

The Institute on the Environment's spring 2010 Frontiers lecture series is
now underway. Join us each Wednesday for a presentation and Q&A session,
followed by a casual get-together in the IonE Commons. The lectures also
air live on the Web.

9/29 - Hooked on Halorespiration: How, Where and So What? Speaker: Paige
Novak, Associate Professor, Civil Engineering Chlorinated organic
molecules are some of the world's most hazardous compounds, causing
effects from cancer to obesity. Developed by humans for uses such as
degreasing, insulation, and fumigation, they now contaminate tens of
thousands of sites in the U.S.  alone. About 15 years ago, scientists
discovered bacteria that were able to "breathe" some of these chlorinated
compounds and thereby detoxify them. Astoundingly, some of these so-called
halorespirers actually require chlorinated compounds to live. Scientists
and engineers have since debated how these organisms came to be, whether
they have a niche in uncontaminated environments, and how we can best
harness their abilities. Novak will talk about her work trying to unravel
the natural role of halorespirers in hopes of developing better clean-up
methods.

Lectures take place Wednesdays, noon to 1 p.m, in IonE Seminar Room 380,
VoTech Bldg., St. Paul campus. All lectures are free, no registration
required, and also air live on the Web.

Institute on the Environment | 325 VoTech Building, 1954 Buford Ave. | St.
Paul | MN | 55108

See the Frontiers page
(http://environment.umn.edu/news_events/events/frontiers.html) for more
details, including links to the live broadcast and archived presentations.


--------7 of 26--------

From: Women Against Military Madness <wamm [at] mtn.org>
Subject: Blog/your story 9.29 6:30pm

Excited about WAMM's New Blog? Become a More Effective Blogger.

What's Your Story? Citizen Journalism 101: Wednesdays, September 29 and
October 6, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Rondo Public Library, 461 North Dale, St.
Paul. In this series, participants will develop ideas about what they see
going on in their communities and turning it into meaningful content.
We'll cover how to best use a blog, using pictures to tell your story and
fundamental best practices for telling your story online. TC Daily Planet
editor Mary Turck will facilitate this series. Come to one or more
session, as your schedule permits. Free will donations accepted.


--------8 of 26--------

From: Anya Achtenberg <aachtenberg [at] gmail.com>
Subject: Anya reads/dances 9.29 7pm

Anya Achtenberg reading (writers who dance, Dancers Who Write, with
Rebecca Frost, Wed. Sept 9/29 at Bryant Lake Bowl at 7pm --

I'll be reading at Bryant Lake Bowl on Sept. 29 at 7pm, largely from an
unfinished novel called History Artist, for which I won a MN State Arts
Board Grant a bit ago.

Okay, it's a literary reading, but one of the few that will have some
Cuban salsa music, and some actual hip movements and salsa dancing, which
will spark utter literary genius in all the participants, and a deep
desire to dance Latin in all of us as well. Go figure...There's nothing
like a writer who dances... The other reader, and there is nothing like a
dancer who writes, is Rebecca Frost, reading prose poetry and script
fragments. Please come! RSVP! Thanks/Gracias a todos, Anya*

Dancers Who Write

Bryant Lake Bowl Theater
810 West Lake Street, Minneapolis
Wednesday Sept 29th at 7:00 pm (6:00 doors open)
TICKETS: $6-$12 pay what you can. 612-825 8949 or
http://www.bryantlakebowl.com

Can visceral impulses spark literary invention? Anya Achtenberg and
Rebecca Frost offer excerpts from their poetry, fiction, and creative
nonfiction in this fifth evening of readings by Twin Cities' dancers and
choreographers. September offerings include an excerpt from Anya's
novel-in-progress, History Artist, as well as an excerpt from her essay
'How Can We Know the Writer from the Dancer?', prose poetry and script
fragments from Rebecca, that play with Subject and Object and point of
view. Salsa music is also rumored! Co-produced by Linda Shapiro and
Rebecca Frost, this is a series that showcases the literary talents of
writers who are also movers.

BIOS

Anya Achtenberg teaches creative writing throughout the United States, and
is creator of Writing for Social Change: Re-Dream a Just World Workshops.
Literary prizes in fiction and poetry include those from Coppola's
Zoetrope: All-Story, New Letters, Southern Poetry Review and Another
Chicago Magazine. Anya's works include: The Stone of Language (poetry,
West End Press); I Know What the Small Girl Knew (poetry, Holy Cow!
Press), The Stories of Devil-Girl, (novella, Modern History Press), and a
completed novel, Prairie Angel, excerpted in Harvard Review. Her
novel-in-progress, History Artist, centers around a Cambodian woman born
at the moment the bombing of Cambodia began, recipient of a 2008 Minnesota
State Arts Board Grant. Anya organizes cultural trips to Cuba for writers,
artists, filmmakers, and others. She is a writer who dances, Latin, rather
than the other way around. She studies with Cuban master Rene Thompson,
and by watching little kids and everyone else dancing in Cuba! She is
struck by the deep connection between the dance of the people and their
history, and between the moment-by-moment liberation of the spirit that
writing and Cuban dance both inspire. Anya works with individual writers
on their manuscripts, and writes about writing at www.anyaachtenberg.com.

Rebecca Frost is the winner of two mnartists What Light poetry
competitions, a Writers Rising Up online journal contest, a Jerome
Foundation Spoken Word Grant through Intermedia Arts, and as a member of
the Women's Performance Project, the beneficiary of two McKnight
Fellowships in Choreography. Longtime dancer, she's performed on nearly
every stage in the Twin Cities. Her poetry has been published in Grounds
for Peace, Honey Land Review, Currents magazine, and Close to the Ground,
as well as a prizewinning broadside. Rebecca served on the editorial board
for Water-Stone Review. Her MFA thesis novel, Love, House, was once
finished. Now, it's asking for another pound of flesh. Rebecca teaches
performance skills to writers (and others). www.rebeccamfrost.com

For information contact Linda Shapiro at shapi018 [at] umn.edu or Rebecca Frost
at frost.rebecca [at] gmail.com


--------9 of 26--------

From: Women Against Military Madness <wamm [at] mtn.org>
Subject: Iran/report 9.29 7pm      POSTPONED

Reportback from Twin Cities Activists' Meeting with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Wednesday, September 29, 7:00 p.m. May Day Books, 301 Cedar Avenue,
Minneapolis.

WAMM members Sarah Martin and Margaret Sarfehjooy met with the president
of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on Tuesday, September 21 in New York. Come
hear about their meeting with one of the controversial leaders of our
time! We will also discuss U.S. war threats on Iran and what the anti-war
movement should do in solidarity with the Iranian people. Speakers will
include Margaret, Sarah, and Mick Kelly from Freedom Road. Organized by:
Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Endorsed by: WAMM.


--------10 of 26--------

From: Women Against Military Madness <wamm [at] mtn.org>
Subject: Palestine/Slisli 9.29 7pm

Fousi Slisli: "Palestine: From an Arab to an Islamic Issue"
Wednesday September 29, 7:00 p.m. First Unitarian Society, Dietrich
Room, 900 Mount Curve Avenue, Minneapolis.

Fouzi Slisli is an expert in colonialism and contemporary Islamist
movements. He received a PhD from the University of Essex (UK) and teaches
racial history, Islam, colonialism and global politics at St Cloud State
University. Sponsored by: the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.
Endorsed by: the WAMM Middle East Committee. FFI: Visit
www.firstunitarian.org.


--------11 of 26--------

From: Greg and Sue Skog <family4peace [at] msn.com>
Subject: Eagan peace vigil 9.30 4:30pm

PEACE VIGIL EVERY THURSDAY from 4:30-5:30pm on the Northwest corner of
Pilot Knob Road and Yankee Doodle Road in Eagan. We have signs and
candles. Say "NO to war!" The weekly vigil is sponsored by: Friends south
of the river speaking out against war.


--------12 of 26--------

From: EKalamboki [at] aol.com
Subject: Northtown vigil 9.30 5pm

NORTHTOWN Peace Vigil every Thursday 5-6pm, at the intersection of Co. Hwy
10 and University Ave NE (SE corner across from Denny's), in Blaine.

Communities situated near the Northtown Mall include: Blaine, Mounds View,
New Brighton, Roseville, Shoreview, Arden Hills, Spring Lake Park,
Fridley, and Coon Rapids.  We'll have extra signs.

For more information people can contact Evangelos Kalambokidis by phone or
email: (763)574-9615, ekalamboki [at] aol.com.


--------13 of 26--------

From: FRPE2010 <frpe2010 [at] gmail.com>
Subject: Higher ed future 9.30 5pm

University of Minnesota - high profile discussion about the future of
higher education

Counter-event to President Bruininks' "Great Conversation": Reclaiming the
University: Fulfilling Our Promise to Students and the Public

President Bruininks has organized a "great conversation" about the future
of higher education. http://northrop.umn.edu/events/renewing-promise

Unfortunately, President Bruininks's "conversation" will be one-sided. All
of the speakers are top administrators. The cost of admission is at least
$20, which effectively excludes most students.

We agree with the University's administration about the value of a robust
discussion about the future of higher education. But such a conversation
must include critical voices from a wide range of stakeholders in the
university. Faculty for the Renewal of Public Education and the Education
Action Coalition have therefore organized a counter-event that provides a
venue for such a conversation (flier attached). The speakers include
undergraduate Sofia Shank; Gary Rhoades,
 <http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/about/gensec/>
General Secretary of the American Association of University Professors;
and Carl Elliott, U of M bioethicist. In addition to being General
Secretary of the AAUP, Gary Rhoades is also one of the preeminent scholars
of higher education in the United States. Carl Elliott has recently
published White Coat, Black Hat: Adventures on the Dark Side of Medicine
<http://www.amazon.com/White-Coat-Black-Hat-Adventures/dp/0807061425/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285644343&sr=8-1>and
an essay in Mother Jones magazine
<http://motherjones.com/environment/2010/09/dan-markingson-drug-trial-astrazeneca>
about the death of a U of M student in a clinical trial at the U. The
speakers will stick around after the event for 15-30 minutes to speak with
the press.

Reclaiming the University: Fulfilling our Promise to Students and the Public
Thursday, September 30, 5:00-6:30pm
U of M, West Bank, Blegen Hall, Room 5
FREE AND OPEN TO ALL

We are told that the university is in crisis. The administration claims
the crisis is created by reductions in public support. Yet even before the
recent cuts in state appropriations, the University was doing a poor job
fulfilling its educational mission as a land-grant institution.
Skyrocketing tuition has limited access to our state's flagship
university, the milking of tuition-generating units to fund initiatives
unrelated to education has diminished the quality of instruction, and the
pursuit of private sources of revenue has compromised the institution's
ethics and academic integrity. This critical conversation about higher
education will illuminate why higher education is failing the public, and
consider how collective action can change this situation.

Speakers:

Carl Elliott, Professor, Center for Bioethics, University of Minnesota "A
Fatal Drug Study at the University of Minnesota and Why It will Happen
Again" - on the tragic story of Dan Markingson, a mentally ill young man
who died in a clinical trial conducted at the University of Minnesota. The
case exposes stunning ethical lapses at the U, lapses that are likely to
recur without major structural changes.

Gary Rhoades, General Secretary of the American Association of University
Professors "Reclaiming the Public Promise of Public Higher Education" - on
how prioritizing private, institutional, and corporate interests in
pursuit of revenue and rankings has undercut the public responsibilities
and functions of public universities.

Sofia Shank, campus activist and Women's Studies major at the University
of Minnesota "The Legacy of Bruininks's 'Strategic Positioning': Tracing
the Direction of the University" - on the consequences of strategic
positioning for students at the University of Minnesota, and organizing
for change.

Moderated by Karen Ho, Associate Professor of Anthropology, UofM


--------14 of 26--------

From: Women Against Military Madness <wamm [at] mtn.org>
Subject: Laos/War legacies 9.30 7pm

National Traveling Exhibition: The Legacies of War

September 30 through October 24 Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Avenue
South, Minneapolis. The Legacies of War National Traveling Exhibition is
the visual story of the world's most heavily bombed country, as a result
of secret U.S. bombings during the Vietnam War-era. Told through the
voices of villagers from Laos and the diaspora, the exhibit includes a
rare collection of artifacts and contemporary pieces. Suggested Donation:
$3.00. The exhibition will be accompanied by workshops, film screenings
and a touring performance.

Opening Reception: Thursday, September 30, 7:00 p.m. Reception will
include a blessing ceremony, guest speakers and community gathering. Free.

Community Art Workshop: Sunday, October 2, 1:00 p.m. "Tapestry of Hope:
Weaving a Bomb Free Future," an international art exhibition and "Refugee
Nation" theater workshop. Free.

Film Screening: "Bomb Harvest:" Tuesday, October 12, 7:00 p.m. "Bomb
Harvest" is an award-winning documentary that follows a bomb disposal team
lead by Laith Stevens, a straight-talking, laconic Australian bomb
disposal specialist. The "Bomb Harvest" film crew were granted an
unprecedented two months on the ground with bomb disposal teams and live
bombs, in areas of Laos which have never been filmed in before. Post
screening discussion with the Mines Advisory Group (MAG). Suggested
Donation: $5.00.

Community Discussion: Wednesday, October 13, 12:30 p.m. Bring your lunch
for this roundtable intergenerational discussion following the "Refugee
Nation" matinee. Free.

Film Screening: "Bombies:" Tuesday, October 19, 7:00 p.m. "Bombies" is an
award-winning documentary which examines the problem of unexploded cluster
bombs through the personal experiences of a remarkable international group
of people whose lives have been forever changed by "bombies." Set among a
lush and magnificent landscape, this film provides a compelling example of
how activism and outreach can improve the lives of people affected by war.
Suggested Donation: $5.00.

Performance: "Refugee Nation:" October 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, and 17, 7:30
p.m. "Refugee Nation" is about a young generation struggling to understand
their history and the silence of an elder generation still healing from
the traumas of the U.S. waged Secret War in Laos during the Vietnam War
era. More than just a telling of Laotian American history, the two-person
performance eloquently touches upon issues relating to the refugee
experience, assimilation, generation gap, and mental health using drama,
film, music, and audience interaction, and personalizes these issues
through a genuine Laotian American perspective. The result is a product
that not only brings to light the hidden stories of Laotian Americans
around the U.S., but one that is able to unite people from all types of
backgrounds, ethnicities, and histories by relaying the ideas of change,
loss, struggle, healing, and the unrelenting strength of the human spirit.
Tickets: $10.00 to $12.00.

Endorsed by: WAMM. FFI: Visit www.legaciesofwar.org.


--------15 of 26--------

From: Michelle Gross <mgresist [at] visi.com>
Subject: Defense vs FBI 9.30 7pm

COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO FBI ATTACKS ON ANTIWAR ACTIVISTS

You have undoubtedly heard by now about FBI raids on homes of prominent
Twin Cities antiwar activists on September 24.  The targeted activists
have worked with the Anti-War Committee, played major roles in planning
protests against the RNC and have been vocal supporters of people
oppressed by US foreign policy, including Palestinians.  In addition to
the raids, activists were served subpoenas to appear before a grand jury
in Chicago on various dates in October.  Activists in Chicago, Michigan
and South Carolina experienced similar repression.

The community's response to these outrageous attacks was swift.  Dozens of
people, including CUAPB cop watchers and National Lawyers Guild attorneys,
turned up at the raided houses to observe law enforcement conduct and
provide comfort to the affected activists.  Over 70 people participated in
a 4 p.m. press conference.  And over 200 people came to an emergency
meeting at 5:30 that evening, on only a few hours' notice.  Nearly
everyone present signed a support statement, agreeing to stand in
solidarity with those affected.  Significant donations were also made
toward a defense fund.  For more information on the raids and to view a
short video of the meeting, go to
http://twincities.indymedia.org/2010/sep/roundup-dont-fck-our-activists-community-responds-raids
The video includes a salient analysis of the FBI's actions by former FBI
agent and whistleblower Coleen Rowley.

Follow up actions announced at the meeting include:

MONDAY, September 27th @ 4:30 PM @ THE FBI OFFICE (111 Washington Ave S.
Minneapolis, MN - Downtown) to protest the FBI raids on activists in our
community.  Since calling this action in Minneapolis, at least 19 cities
across the country have announced similar actions on Monday through
Wednesday this week, in a coordinated campaign being called Days of Action
Against FBI Repression.

THURSDAY, September 30th @ 7 PM @ WALKER CHURCH (3104 16th Ave S,
Minneapolis) follow up meeting to form a defense committee for affected
individuals.

Please drop everything to make it to these two important events and show
your solidarity with antiwar activists under attack.  We created important
movement support around the RNC 8, Scott and Carrie, and others and that
support has forced the powers-that-be to back down.  Now we will show them
the power of the movement when they come after our antiwar activist
friends and allies.

HANDS OFF THE RNC 8! HANDS OFF SCOTT AND CARRIE!
HANDS OFF AWC! STAND WILL ALL TARGETS OF POLITICAL REPRESSION!

UPCOMING WORKSHOP ESPECIALLY RELEVANT IN LIGHT OF FBI RAIDS

Panel Discussion on the Role of Police in Society Thursday, October 14 at
6:30 p.m. Walker Church, 3100 16th Ave S, Minneapolis In light of the
recent Metro Gang Task Force debacle, the recent death after tasing of
David Smith, several high profile incidents and lawsuits, and the second
firing of MPD cop Jason Andersen, CUAPB will hold a panel discussion that
takes us back to the root question: what role, if any, does policing have
in our society.  In the lead up to October 22 National Day of Protest
Against Police Brutality, panelists representing a wide range of political
views will present on this highly relevant topic.  There will be plenty of
time for questions and comments from the public.  Please join us for what
will be a fascinating discussion.

Mark Your Calendar Now!
Friday, October 22 National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality 7:00
p.m. March to mark the National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality,
leaving from Hiawatha transit center.  Protest the blatant and unpunished
murders of Fong Lee, David Smith and so many others, and the lack of
prosecution of cop corruption with the Metro Gang Task Force.  Demand an
end to police brutality NOW!

8:30 p.m. Joint CUAPB/RNC 8 Fundraiser at Favor Cafe, 913 W Lake St,
Minneapolis. A great lineup of spoken word and hip hop artists will
provide the entertainment.  Our goal is to raise funds for legal fees for
the RNC 8 and for people who face false charges after being brutalized,
including Philander Jenkins, who needs funds to appeal his false
conviction.  Suggested donation $10.


--------16 of 26--------

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:09:29 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
From: Ashley James <ajames123 [at] earthlink.net>
Subject: 5th District Green Party Supports Peace Activists Raided by FBI

The 5th District Green Party released the following statement today:

5th District Green Party Supports Peace Activists Raided by FBI

The Minneapolis/5th District Green Party condemns the intimidation and
persecution of Minneapolis peace activists who were raided and searched by
FBI agents on September 24. We call on Mayor Rybak, Representative
Ellison, and the Minneapolis City Council to protect Minneapolis citizens
from federal harassment for engaging in our constitutional rights of free
speech and association.

Ashley James
5CDGP Steering Committee


--------17 of 26--------

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:31:37 -0500
From: Cam Gordon <camgordon333 [at] msn.com>
 [Mpls City Council member Ward 2; Green Party -ed]
Subject: Statement on FBI Raids

I stand with the peace and justice activists whose homes were raided last
week by the FBI, and who will be required to testify in court about their
travels to parts of the world that continue to be wracked by violence and
injustice. At least one of the victims of these raids is a Second Ward
constituent, and I consider them all important allies in the ongoing
struggle for a world in which violence is never seen as a political tool,
and in which the rights and dignity of all people are respected.

These raids send an overtly political message likely to discourage people
from publicly questioning and criticizing their government, and to deter
them from organizing, communicating about and openly opposing policies
that they believe are unjust. These kinds of govenment actions that chill
the free speech of peace activists and the rights of all of us to freely
associate are contradictory to the founding princples of the United States
and have the potential to profoundly harm our democracy. The ability of
all of us to openly discuss, debate, protest and dissent is essential to
our future. As Thomas Jefferson said, "the spirit of resistance to
government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be
always kept alive."

This afternoon, I will attend the protest against the FBI's unwarranted,
and unjust actions at 4:30pm at the FBI's downtown Minneapolis office, at
111 Washington Avenue South. Please join me.


--------18 of 26--------

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 23:19:49 -0500
From: Farheen Hakeem <farheen [at] farheenhakeem.org>
Subject: Green Party Candidate Hakeem stands in solidarity with Anti-War
Committee Members

Farheen Hakeem & Dan Dittmann
for Governor & Lt. Governor
www.farheenhakeem.org
For Immediate Release: Monday September 27, 2010

Green Party Candidate Farheen Hakeem stands in solidarity with Anti-War
Committee Members

After Friday's FBI raid of five peace activists' homes, and the office of
the Antiwar Committee, Farheen Hakeem offered a statement: "I stand in
solidarity with my antiwar friends, whose privacy was invaded Friday
morning by the FBI.  I support their constitutional right to protection
from unlawful search and seizure, and their first amendment right to
freedom of speech, freedom of association, and freedom of assembly.
These are cornerstones of democracy that we lose to our peril."

Farheen Hakeem is running for Governor of Minnesota and is on the Green
Party ballot line for this November 2 General Election.  Hakeem was
elected as the National Co-Chair of the Green Party of the United States
in 2009, and says she has been involved in the party since 2002.

Hakeem was also a member of the Antiwar Committee from 2002-2005, and left
after deciding to run for Mayor of Minneapolis. "These are strong, defiant
women we seek to nurture in our neighborhoods, and who will protect our
right to dissent and organize," explains Hakeem.  Furthermore, Hakeem
continues to say, "Wall Street has pulled off the greatest heist in
history over the last two years, weakening our nation and throwing
millions into poverty while the Department of Justice and Securities and
Exchange Commission sit idle.  Where are our priorities?"

Hakeem claims that this is reason to not vote for a Democrat this
election.  "In 2008, the nation voted against the Bush polices by electing
a Democrat, yet the same repressive tactics are being used, where again
the long arm of the law tightens the chain that oppresses us, not breaks
them," states Hakeem.

Hakeem claims that if elected, she would be an ally to defend the rights
of all people, and states, "Whether we vote for a Democratic or
Republican, the corporations rule, and the needs of the people are
ignored.  Now, more than ever, voting Green is necessary."

MORE INFORMATION: Sarah Younus, 612-354-2960, info [at] farheenhakeem.org
Hakeem for Governor Campaign &#9830; http://www.farheenhakeem.org &#9830;
 612-354-2960
Contacts:  Sarah Younus, Media Coordinator, 612-354-2960,
info [at] farheenhakeem.org


--------19 of 26--------

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:04:55 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
From: greenpartymike <ollamhfaery [at] earthlink.net>
Subject: Cavlan Campaign Statement On FBI Raids In Minneapolis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2010
Contact:  Dori Ullman 612/414-9528

The Committee to Elect Michael Cavlan to the U.S. House of Representatives
denounces the FBI raids on the homes of the Anti-War Peace activists in
the Twin Cities early this morning.

Michael Cavlan said, "These raids are reminiscent of when the British
soldiers picked up innocent Irish activists and interned them in the early
'70's.  They, too, were targeted for arrest for simply standing up and
dissenting with London's policies."

We recognize this for what it is. An attempt to intimidate anti war and
peace activists into silence.  The government doesn't want to hear the
objections to the bloody invasions and wars it has been inflicting upon
people in other countries.  They don't want to hear the objections to the
government aiding governments in other countries in killing and
imprisoning their citizens who object to dictatorial activities of their
governments. They will fail as we will not be intimidated into silence.

We object to this harassment of those who participate in dissent of the
government.  This is a country founded on the rights to Freedom of Speech
and we should all be aware that this is a move at silencing everyone who
uses that right.  We believe everyone should be actively protesting the
activities of the FBI in conjunction with the U.S. government.


--------20 of 26--------

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 14:14:52 -0500
From: Dann Dobson <dann.dobson [at] gmail.com>
Subject: FBI raids 9/24 on Minneapolis peace activist homes

I wrote the White House today to complain about Fridays raids on the homes
of the 5 anti-war activists.

You can write the White House at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
or call them at:  202-456-1111

Dear President Obama -

As an individual who actively worked for your election in three states, I
am both disturbed and distressed by the raids on 5 homes in Minneapolis
and the Anti-War Committee's office searching for "evidence of terrorism".

These are policies we expected from the Bush Administration, NOT YOURS! We
thought that the Obama Administration would work to restore respect for
civil rights and liberties, not engage in the same kind of repressive
tactics that Bush, Chaney and Rumsfeld used.

When I worked for you to become President, this is NOT what I signed up
for.

I personally know a number of the individuals whose homes were raided and
they are no more terrorists than you, me or my cats.

Please return to the restoration of civil rights and liberties you
promised during your campaign and stop this witchhunt that harkens back to
Joe McCarthy.

You, your administration and our country are better than this.

Daniel D. Dobson J.D.
Summit Hill, Saint Paul

[King Obama and his palace guard don't care one two or ten craps what you
think, and your posts will just go in the royal toilet, but writing might
help make you furious enough to stop supporting Obama and his Dem
corporate puppets. -ed]


--------21 of 26--------

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 20:42:27 -0500
From: Dann Dobson <dann.dobson [at] gmail.com>
Subject: Bob Fletcher's Deputies still spying on peaceful citizens
outside Ramsey County

Today between 400 and 500 citizens protested outside FBI headquarters at
111 Washington Street, about the FBI's raids Friday, on 5 private homes
and the Anti-War Committee's Headquaters in Minneapolis.

During the protest two vans sat across the street in front of 100
Washington Street observing the demonstration. One van turned out to be
innocent, but behind the wheel of a blue Ford Exploer license #109AVJ, sat
Ramsey County Deputy Jay Maher.  This was confirmed by Melissa Hill of the
RNC8 Defense Committee. We have pictures of the van, license plate and
individuals inside.

Ms. Hill said video of them would be posted on TC.Indymedia.org later
today.

The question is why are Ramsey County Deputies continuing to observe, spy
on, citizens engaged in fully legal activities protected by the
Constitution, outside Ramsey County. Just last week we learned that Ramsey
County Depities traveled to Iowa to spy on citizens there in 2008, prior
to the RNC.

Bob Fletcher can no longer use the excuse that the Republican National
Convention is coming to Saint Paul. It has long come and gone.

Bob what is your excuse this time?
Dann Dobson
Summit Hill - Saint Paul

[Neither God nor His Second Son Billy-Bob Fletcher need give excuses. -ed]


--------22 of 26--------

Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 08:12:02 +1300 (NZDT)
From: Jimmy Mason <jimmason3000 [at] hotmail.com>
To: mn-politics [at] forums.e-democracy.org
Subject: [Minnesota] FBI raids 9/24 on Minneapolis peace activist homes

Nice to so many Dems opening their eyes to the fact that they've been had
& both parties are in fact the same. The Dems/media have done a fine job
of marketing Obama as a kinder, gentler President but the facts don't lie.
Under Obama we're in Iraq permanently (You weren't fooled by his recent
version of "mission accomplished" I hope), escalating Afghanistan, have
quietly attacked Yemen, quietly attacked Pakistan, quietly attacked
Somalia, went after Christians, militias & now peace protesters.

Who's next?  Just as many on the right won't care about some hippie
protesters, just as they didn't care about the RNC raids. Similarly, many
on the left looked the other way & abandoned their principles when it was
Christians or militias being targeted & that too was a mistake. Dem/Rep,
Left/Right, Liberal/Conservative, all just divide & conquer smokescreens.
The #1 threat to the United States is ceding our rights for fear of
"domestic terrorism" & both parties are 100% behind it.

Jimmy Mason
Nokomis East , Minneapolis


--------23 of 26--------

Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 08:48:04 +1300 (NZDT)
From: Wizard Marks <wizardmarks [at] q.com>
To: mn-politics [at] forums.e-democracy.org
Subject: [Minnesota] FBI raids 9/24 on Minneapolis peace activist homes

... Middle of the road and leftist democrats have known for a long time
that their party had lost its way.

The 1968 Democratic National Convention saw the democrats lose their grip
on their constituency and they have never regained that grip. They have
lost their way and are entirely in the service of big business as are the
republicans.

In the eighties, the republicans succeeded in convincing people that the
"middle" had moved to the right. Ergo, the middle of the road democrats
found themselves suddenly on the left fringe.

Neither party has had much, if anything, to crow about vis-a-vis homeland
security. The entire spy network serves the needs of Empire and whoever
sits in the big bear's chair is party to Empire, period. There was a time,
probably before WWII, that the democrats did serve the people and could
demonstrate that care with Social Security, the WPA, and the CCC. Of
course, FDR was considered a class traitor for initiating those reforms.

On the other side of the aisle, the republicans have fared no better. The
right fringe has taken over the party. Just a week or two ago Republican
Arnie Carlson publicly backed Independent candidate Horner for governor of
Minnesota. Granted, Horner was lately come to the Independence Party from
the republicans, but it shows that the republicans, too, have lost their
grip on their base and the right fringe has ascended into the spotlight.

Frankly, I can see no light along either the democrat or republican
tunnel. We are still in thrall to designer wars that satisfy the arms
makers and cause nothing but carnage (and a satisfactory bottom line in
some quarters).

The excess of paranoia and fear represented in the behaviors of Homeland
Security is something I liken to the fear and paranoia of slave holders
back in the day. If we insist on being king of the hill, then the
consequence is great pools of envy and subsequent determination to bring
us down on the part of everyone else.

But fear not. All great empires have fallen as a result of their own
hubris and careless disregard for everyone else. It is from within that
Rome brought down its own empire. It is from within that we will bring
ourselves down. We might do well to catalog the points along the
trajectory, of which these raids were only one small part.

Wizard Marks
Central, Mpls.


--------24 of 26--------

Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:12:56 -0500 (CDT)
From: Women Against Military Madness <wamm [at] mtn.org>
Subject: [WAMM] WAMM Board Co-Chair Subpoenaed to Appear Before Grand Jury

The witch-hunt continues! I know you have heard that Freedom Road and the
Anti-War Committee are being investigated by the FBI.

Yesterday, WAMM board co-chair and long time peace activist, Sarah Martin
was also served with a subpoena. She is to appear before a grand Jury, in
Chicago, on October 12, as part of the FBI investigation that is trying to
tie local peace groups to terrorism.

Sarah is innocent of terrorism or connection to organizations that condone
terrorism.

This is part of a nationally coordinated action, surely approved by the
director of the FBI and probably at higher levels than that. There has
been considerable national media attention. It appears that our Twin
Cities peace community has been thrust into the middle of something much
larger. The affected activists will need a lot of our support as they
resist increasing repression and "terrorism" hype from the Obama
Administration.

The people targeted have several things in common which give an insight to
the nature of this investigation. Locally, all have been connected to the
Anti-War Committee and/or WAMM. I believe all are connected to Freedom
Road Socialist Organization. All were deeply involved in organizing the
mass marches at the RNC in 2008. I believe all have been involved in the
efforts to stop the DNC from coming to Minneapolis in 2012. All or nearly
all have traveled to Colombia and/ or Palestine for international
solidarity work.

Please join us at the first meeting of a new solidarity and defense
committee, Thursday, September 30, 7:00 p.m. at Walker Methodist Church,
3104 16th Avenue South, Minneapolis. Feel free to invite friends,
neighbors, lawyers, church members and leaders so that we can organize to
keep this malignant FBI investigation from spreading further through out
our community.

Democracy is indeed under a terrifying assault! Sadly enough, it is coming
from the hands of our own government, directed at some of the best,
brightest, and most conscientious of our own citizens. For those of us who
hold the constitution and the Bill of Rights near and dear to our hearts,
we must stand up to this new assault on American freedom.

Kim Doss-Smith, Executive Director, Woman Against Military Madness (WAMM),
612-827-5364.


--------25 of 26--------

Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:14:16 -0500
From: Dave Bicking <dave [at] colorstudy.com>
Subject: FBI raids 9/24 on Minneapolis peace activist home

Dear Greens,

The Green Party has really been making some inroads lately in the activist
community.  Or at least the Democratic Party is looking worse and worse.
The contrast in our responses to the FBI raids is dramatic, and has been
noticed.  From the local elected officials to Obama himself, every level
of the Democratic Party has been either silent or complicit in the
increasing repression of activists.

I am forwarding a message from an old friend of mine, that he posted on
the Mpls Issues List, a discussion forum read by many people who follow
Mpls politics.  Charley is a long-time DFLer.  He ran for City Council in
2009, but failed to gain endorsement.  He spent a number of years recently
on the State DFL Central Committee.  Though we differed on party
affiliation, we have much in common, and he really did fight the good
fight within the DFL.

This email details his attempts to get any comment whatsoever from his old
DFL friends.  He has hit a brick wall.

Charley was already (finally) disillusioned with the DFL, but this really
confirms it.  I think that this experience will lead others to a final
break with a party that does not answer to its members.

Dave Bicking

------- Forwarded message follows -------
From:                   "Charley Underwood" <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com>
Subject:                [Mpls] FBI raids 9/24 on Minneapolis peace activist 
homes
To:                     mpls [at] forums.e-democracy.org
Date sent:              Wed, 29 Sep 2010 05:39:02 +1300 (NZDT)

UPDATE from yesterday's protest outside the Mpls FBI office:

There were over 500 people there.  I counted, coming up with 502 people at
about 5:05 p.m.  It was my 3rd count of the rally; the previous 2 counts
were in the 460 and 470 range.

Minneapolis city council member (2nd ward) Cam Gordon was the only elected
official I could see there, making several sweeps through the entire
crown.  Gordon, of course, is the only Green Party member on the city
council.  I had personally invited the following Democrats: mayor Rybak,
Council members Schiff, Lilligren, Reich, Samuels, Glidden, Tuthill and
Quincy, gubernatorial candidate Dayton, Congressmember Ellison.

I had also invited all of the above to make statements regarding the
raids.  To my knowledge, only Green party CM Gordon has done so.  His
statement is available at http://secondward.blogspot.com/

My telephone contacts with various elected officials has been extensive,
but mostly fruitless.  I have contacted the mayor's office 3 times by
telephone and 3 times by Facebook wall post.  I have also contacted the
mayor's staffer that I was directed to, a total of 3 times.  I have
contacted the above-mentioned council members by Facebook wall post or
message.  I have contacted one city council member several times by phone,
as well as Facebook wall posts to his policy aide (a friend of mine).  I
have made phone calls to Rep Ellison's office (4 calls) and his Facebook
account (1).  I have made phone calls to Senators Klobuchar (2 calls) and
Franken (2 calls).

In order to describe the results of these contacts, I need to be very
careful not to publish information here that conveys personal messages not
intended as public, so let me not name names, but simply say what the
results were.

One official merely deleted my post on his Facebook page with no response.
One official re-directed me to his office email, saying that Facebook was
not an appropriate venue for this conversation.  One official replied by
private message that he had contacted Keith Ellison's office and would get
back to me when he heard something.

In brief, the only substantive response I have received from any
government official has been from council member Cam Gordon.

This is extremely painful for me personally.  I count as friends several
of those whose homes were raided on Friday.  But I also count as friends
several of the officials who have remained silent so far.  Some of these
same officials have been shoulder-to-shoulder with me at peace vigils, at
political conventions supporting progressive candidates, at caucuses and
doorknocks and fundraisers and phone banks.

I cannot ignore the fact that the people whose homes were raided have also
been open and public in opposing the inevitable repression that will occur
if the Democratic National Convention comes to Minneapolis in 2012.  I
cannot ignore the fact that those who were subpoened are the same
individuals who have already announced their intention to demonstrate in
opposition to Obama's war agenda if the convention comes to town, have
already applied and have already been denied rally permits to demonstrate
in 2012.

It is painful for me to consider that Democrats whom I have known and
respected for so long would be silent in the face of this recent FBI
intimidation.  But the silence is deafening.  I beg for a statement from
them.

Charley Underwood
Longfellow (SD 62 A), Minneapolis


--------26 of 26--------

We've Been Here Before
The FBI Raids in Context
By RON JACOBS
September 27, 2010
CounterPunch

On September 24, 2010 the FBI raided several houses and a couple offices
in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Chicago and North Carolina under the guise of
looking for proof that the people living in those houses were involved
with organizations that "lent material support to terrorists."
Ironically (or perhaps presciently) the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) also
released an 88-page document titled The Policing of Political Speech:
Constraints on Mass Dissent in the U.S on that day.  Not content with
criminalizing the representation provided by attorneys to those accused of
fomenting terrorism, as in the case of Lynne Stewart, with these raids the
Obama administration has stepped up the repression that became quite
commonplace under George Bush.

In short, the government is attempting to criminalize the organizing of
antiwar protests.  Furthermore, it wants to make opposition to the the
government's assistance in repressing struggles for self-determination
illegal.  Other repressive actions by law enforcement against US citizens,
including the sentencing of a videographer to 300 days in jail for
trespass after he tried to film an unauthorized talk in Chicago and the
acknowledgement by the Pittsburgh FBI office that it had spied on peace
activists and used a private agency to help out, makes it clear that the
PATRIOT Act and its excesses are alive and well under the Obama
administration.  Repression is a bipartisan activity, especially when it
comes to the repression of the left.

These raids are a clear and vicious attempt to intimidate the antiwar
movement.  The grand jury is a fishing expedition, as evidenced (for
example) by the warrant asking for papers from no determined time.  This
intimidation is a continuation of the harassment of the Twin Cities
left/anarchist community that began before the 2008 Republican National
Convention.  As I recall, several organizers had their homes and offices
raided prior to the convention.  In addition, hundreds of protesters were
arrested and many more were beaten by law enforcement thugs.  Eight
organizers were eventually charged with a variety of charges including
conspiracy.  As of September 25, 2010, three of those charged had all of
their charges dropped and the rest face trial on October 25, 2010.

This is not just about the movement in the Twin Cities, however.  The
September 24 raids also took place in Chicago and North Carolina.  There
is a grand jury being convened in October 2010 with the intention of
perhaps charging some of the people (and maybe others) subpoenaed on
September 24.  These raids are an attempt by the federal government to
criminalize antiwar organizing. They are also an attempt to make support
for the Palestinians and other people fighting for self-determination
illegal.

The PATRIOT Act was passed on October 26, 2001.  Since that passage, the
level of law enforcement intimidation and outright repression increased
quite dramatically.  From little things like protesters being forced to
protest in so-called free speech zones or face arrest to the recent
approval of the assassination of US citizens by federal death squads,
there has been a clear progression away from any concern for protecting
civil liberties.  Indeed, the concern for civil liberties is usually
dismissed by politicians, judges, and other people in power almost as if
they were some worthless costume trinkets from grandma's jewelry box.  As
mentioned earlier, this harassment and repression is not new to US
history.  In addtion to multiple murders of Black liberation activists,
illegal surveillance, false imprisonment and other forms of harassment,
the use of grand juries was essential to the repression of the antiwar and
antiracist movements of the 1960s and 1970s.  As the NLG document points
out, "from 1970-1973, over 100 grand juries in 84 cities subpoenaed over
1,000 activists."  However, nowadays there seems to be less resistance to
it.  Some of this can be attributed to the lack of press coverage, which
is quite possibly intentional.  Much of the lack of concern, however, can
be attributed to the state of fear so many US residents live in.  This is
a testimony to the power of the mainstream media and its willingness to
serve as the government's propaganda wing.

To those who argue that the media don't always support the government and
then cite Fox News' distaste for Obama or a liberal newspaper's distaste
for certain policies enacted under George Bush, let me point something
out.  Like the two mainstream political parties (and the occasional right
wing third party movement like the Tea Party), even when different media
outlets seem to be opposing each other, the reality is that none opposes
the underlying assumptions demanded by the State. In fact, the only
argument seems to be how better to effect the underlying plan of the
American empire.  The plan itself (or the rightness of the plan) is never
seriously questioned.

The September 24, 2010 raids in the Twin Cities, Chicago and North
Carolina may not seem like much, even to other antiwar organizers and
leftists.  The setting up of "free speech zones" may also appear minor. A
grand jury fishing for supposed links to "terrorism" by antiwar activists
may seem like no big deal.  Violations of human rights in cases involving
foreign nationals like Aafia Siddiqui (who was sentenced to 86 years after
a trial that barely recognized her defense) do not even register on most
Americans' radar.  Yet, it is the cumulative effect of all of these
efforts at repression that we should be aware of.  As James Madison wrote:
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of
the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by
violent and sudden usurpations."

If these seemingly minor encroachments on liberties we assume we have go
unchallenged, how long might it be before assassinations and torture by
the US military and their mercenary cohorts are carried out on US
citizens?  Oh wait, that's already happening.

Ron Jacobs is author of The Way the Wind Blew: a history of the Weather
Underground, which is just republished by Verso. Jacobs' essay on Big Bill
Broonzy is featured in CounterPunch's collection on music, art and sex,
Serpents in the Garden. His first novel, Short Order Frame Up, is
published by Mainstay Press. He can be reached at: rjacobs3625 [at] charter.net


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