RNC arrestees update

3 articles from http://tc.indymedia.org

100 Confront Gaertner at DFL Fundraiser; No Arrests
“your felonies, your fault!": no peace for the prosecutor of the RNC
felony cases!
More Information on RNC-WC Infiltrators

100 Confront Gaertner at DFL Fundraiser; No Arrests

Last night's rally and dance party outside RNC felony prosecutor
Susan Gaertner's gubernatorial fundraiser in downtown Minneapolis was
a smashing success from the perspective of protest organizers. At
4:00, the RNC 8 held a press conference satirically endorsing
Gaertner's run for Governor, and presenting a giant check for "Eight
dollars and zero sense." Soon thereafter a banner was dropped from a
nearby parking ramp, and the crowd for the CRASS-organized rally
swelled to about 100. A large police presence of nearly two dozen MPD
officers with a booking van and flexicuffs was also on the scene, but
the crowd avoided arrests and ended the party at about 6:30, chanting
"We'll be back!"

Meanwhile, the number of cases dismissed by St. Paul City Attorney
John Choi this week is at 30 according to CRASS, all but three of
which were scheduled for trial on December 15. Many of the cases are
from the Shepherd Road and 7th/Jackson parking lot mass arrests. A
minimum of 63 misdemeanor/gross misdemeanor cases have now been
dismissed and a dozen others declined for prosecution.

Press Statement from the RNC 8 | CRASS | Petition to Susan Gaertner:
Drop the Charges | "your felonies, your fault!" | Photos by
kostyaissoli | (did you take photos or videos of the rally? publish
or link to them on TC Indymedia and we'll add them here!)

Numbers reported in the Pioneer Press show that of 171 cases either
resolved or ongoing, 10 have bench warrants, 27 have been resolvd, 62
are still open (that is, the accused are fighting the charges), and
72 have been declined or dismissed. Numbers calculated by CRASS are
slightly different, but with a similar average of 75-80% of cases
either being challenged or having been dismissed. The number of cases
resolved or ongoing - 171 - is starkly short of the 808 arrests
during the RNC. The massive arrest of 396 people during John McCain's
acceptance speech is still being mulled over by Choi's office.

Meanwhile, Tuesday's rally had an appropriately festive atmosphere,
boosted by the Funk Mobile Unit of the local Funk the War. It was,
after all, in part a birthday celebration for Gaertner, and she
received more than her fair share of Happy/Crappy Birthday
renditions! Crowding alternately in front of the main entrance to the
Minneapolis Club and the Club's private parking ramp, potential
Gaertner supporters going in and out were harangued with noise,
dancing, and demands that Gaertner drop all RNC felony charges,
particularly those against the RNC 8. Flyers were handed out to
confused but often sympathetic passersby, and the scene was a
beautiful, noisy, funky ruckus!

Minneapolis police officers arrived even before the demonstrators,
guarding both entrances to the building. As the party continued, more
and more officers and an MPD booking van arrived. Soon, officers
ordered partyers to move on the premise that they were blocking the
sidewalk, after which the party would move to the other side of the
club. Officers also took issue with the volume of the mobile sound
system, after which it would temporarily be lowered. Eventually, a
police megaphone declared the event an unlawful assembly and officers
with rings of plastic handcuffs arrived, but the party continued for
another half hour and no arrests were made. With a large number of
cameras in the crowd, as well as the presence of corporate media,
forcible arrests might have been too embarrassing for Gaertner and
the Democratic Party.

It's yet to be seen whether the weakness of the cases given to St.
Paul attorney Choi will also be felt in the Ramsey County offices of
Susan Gaertner and the director of her prosecution division, Phil
Carruthers. But it is clear that RNC arrestees and allies intend to
continue pressuring Gaertner, and that the pressure is beginning to
be felt: reports have already been heard that potential Gaertner
donors have cited yesterday's protest in their decision to stay away.
The question from many in Tuesday's crowd is: When's her next
fundraiser going to be?

“your felonies, your fault!": no peace for the prosecutor of the RNC
felony cases!
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 12/02/2008 - 23:39.
in

* Local
* 2008
* Class War
* Minneapolis
* Protest
* RNC

12.2.2008

dusk on a december tuesday, barely warm enough to emerge from our
(barely) heated abodes. the suited democrats descend on the swanky
minneapolis club, expecting a calm entrance to susan gaertner’s
birthday fundraiser for her gubernatorial campaign, but alas! the
iron gates are surrounded by the rabble, an angry mob of the
dispossessed and their defenders. the suits push through, ignoring
our festival. these ruffians, armed with a sound system and raucous
tunes, cast a spell of momentary liberation outside this fortress of
the rich. the panopticon watches: the ubiquitous surveillance camera
and two cops guard the door, allowing only the monied minneapolites
through. someone tries to deliver a singing telegram to gaertner, but
they are turned away. a banner is dropped from a parking garage, but
quickly removed.

the crowd exudes life and rage, in stark contrast to the drab
professionals waiting for busses, and the ominously shiny
skyscrapers. we are dancing and hollering and watching each other’s
backs. the filth drift in, tension rises but the unbirthday
celebration continues. one pig emerges from the building, tells us to
shut off the sound system, but he is alone and surrounded by people
chanting “drop the charges!” the music stops for a moment but soon
begins anew. an unmarked van full of pigs arrives, then a “booking
van” parks nearby. the filth pull out zip ties, itching to fill their
arrest quota, but still they make no move. they order us to disperse,
and we move the dance party around the corner. they repeat the
dispersal order: we repeat the move.

for once, a relief from the drudgery of recuperation! so many put in
chains by the police state, and so many years faced in jail. for a
community struck by infiltration and repression, we managed to prove
ourselves unintimidated. if the state means to crush our resistance
through their legal system, we mean to struggle ever harder. gaertner
may try to ride into the governor’s office on the waves of felony
convictions, but we plan on exploiting every point of tension we can,
turning the cracks in society into ruptures.

DEVASTATE the avenues of the rich! DEPOSE all politicians! vote YES
on CIVIL WAR.

http://twincities.indymedia.org/2008/dec/100-confront-gaertner-dfl-fundr...
http://www.rncaftermath.org


More Information on RNC-WC Infiltrators
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 12/01/2008 - 22:38.
in

* Local
* RNC

We are releasing this communiqué and information because we have
encountered confusion and uncertainty amongst others in the radical
community, both in the Twin Cities and elsewhere, regarding the
infiltration of the RNC Welcoming Committee and the status of the
four RNC-WC infiltrators. These four self-described “members”
attended RNC Welcoming Committee meetings, were a part of our
activist community, visited our homes, shared our food and befriended
our comrades over much of the RNC Welcoming Committee’s existence.
Without going into all the legalities that would bore all but the
(sensational, stalwart, and superlative) lawyers among us, the
repercussions of the actions of these individuals and the entirety of
the police state before, during and after the RNC lead us to be
discrete about the information we share at this present time. As the
cases of those facing serious RNC-related charges progress through
the courts in Minnesota – or as charges are dropped – more
information about these informants will become public.
We do not speak on behalf of any organization, but simply as
individuals who participated in anarchist anti-RNC organizing, who
continue to be involved in the RNC aftermath, and who are
particularly interested in using our experience surrounding these
infiltrators to make our movements stronger and more secure.

And now, here they are--the 2008 RNC Hall of Shame:

Marilyn Hedstrom, pseudonym "Norma Jean Johnson" - Ramsey County
Sheriff's Department Narcotics Officer

"Norma Jean" entered the radical community through Minneapolis Food
Not Bombs with her supposed niece, "Amanda Clara" (see below) late in
2007. They soon began attending and surveilling RNC Welcoming
Committee meetings, as well as meetings of RNC-WC committees and the
meetings and functions of other, non-anarchist organizations until
the end of August. She is in her late 40s/early 50s with curly
blonde, graying hair and a medium build. She portrayed herself as
divorced and becoming politically active for the first time. She was
confirmed to be an infiltrator on September 1st. Since then, she has
been seen multiple times on duty in Ramsey County District Court.

Rachel Nieting, pseudonyms "Amanda Clara" and “Amanda Amey” - Ramsey
County Corrections Officer (now allegedly a Sheriff's Deputy)

"Amanda", in her early 20s and resembling a college student, began
attending RNC-WC and committee meetings along with Marilyn/"Norma
Jean." Unlike her co-conspirator, however, "Amanda" ceased
involvement in the spring of 2008; her role as an infiltrator appears
to be the most limited of the four infiltrators known. Since the
convention, she has also been seen on duty. Her fake MySpace account
is currently still being used. You can view it at:
http://www.myspace.com/amandaclara. She also has a Facebook (make
sure to poke her!) at:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Amanda-Amey/579453547.

Chris Dugger (real name) – Ramsey County Confidential Reliable
Informant (now allegedly a jail guard)

Chris began attending RNC-WC meetings very early in 2008. He was also
active in attending committee meetings and meetings with
non-anarchist groups through the end of August. Like Marilyn/"Norma
Jean," he portrayed himself as participating in a radical project for
the first time and avoided helping except for the most basic tasks.
He is around 30 years old (looks older) and is short with a very
large, muscular build and several tattoos. He was confirmed to be an
infiltrator on September 1st by observations of his behavior in
downtown Saint Paul. Chris is not a cop, but an informant –
presumably paid or rewarded by some other means.

Andrew Darst (real name, aka Andy/Panda/Pandy, online names Warchyld,
Killswitch) – Federal Confidential Reliable Informant

"Panda" began attending RNC-WC meetings around the time of the pReNC
in the fall of 2007 and stayed with the group through late August
(including during the 2nd pReNC 5.3). He was introduced to the group
as an avid urban explorer, and was (and still may be) active in the
regional urban exploring scene, as a participant and as an
administrator on websites devoted to the subject. At the first pReNC,
he attended the event with two other urban explorers, known to be
sympathetic to government agencies. He was first seen within the
anarchist circle at the Crimethinc convergence three years ago, and
has attended the convergence annually ever since. Like the other
infiltrators, he was active in committee meetings and attended
functions with other, non-anarchist organizations. Importantly,
however, "Panda" was also involved in anti-RNC activity independent
of and unrelated to the RNC Welcoming Committee. He participated and
organized around Sector 5, and it appears that he remained on the
streets in some form or fashion throughout the convention protests.
His relationship with Matthew DePalma was the basis for DePalma's
recent RNC-related federal case, and he also appears in court
documents relating to the "Texas Two," Austin activists also facing
federal RNC-related charges. He audio-recorded various gatherings and
meetings, including the second pReNC (5.3). His apartment at 26th St
and Bloomington in Minneapolis was wired for audio and video
recording. He is around 30 years old with sharp features and has dark
brown hair and eyes. He is tall (around 6’2) with a large, stockier
build (see photos). He was confirmed to be an infiltrator by – among
other incidents – observations of him assisting police in downtown
Saint Paul on September 1st. Like Chris, he is not a cop but an
informant (in this case a federal informant) – presumably paid or
rewarded by some other means.

Photos of Andrew Darst/”Panda”:
http://tinyurl.com/watching1
http://tinyurl.com/watching2
http://tinyurl.com/watching3
plus more info: http://tinyurl.com/watching4

MOVING FORWARD

It is important for us to use this case of infiltrators as a learning
tool for our future activist excursions, especially in our home
cities. The Welcoming Committee and surrounding communities made
several mistakes regarding the issue of infiltration. The issues
surrounding our mistakes should be part of an ongoing conversation
that addresses the issues of state harassment within our circles.
Everyone can and must use the experience of the RNC to expand the
effectiveness of our organizing and activism. Currently, however,
there is little to no structure within our communities to build
substantial trust around ourselves and our comrades. Infiltrators
have done their dirty deeds for decades, even centuries, and they
will continue to do so. We urge our communities and our movements to
take the threat they pose seriously, and understand that while we
cannot allow the state's disgusting tactics to dictate the terms of
our resistance, we do not have to put up with them, either. Clearly,
even in an open, aboveground group such as the RNC Welcoming
Committee, they can wreak havoc.

We support the demand that the charges against all RNC arrestees,
including the RNC 8 and the “Texas 2”, be dropped. The real criminals
are those who attempt to destroy our communities and relationships
through deception, greed and collaboration with state repression of
dissent.

We welcome comments and questions (within discretion) about this
situation. If you encountered these individuals, we may be interested
in your stories, and they could potentially be used for the defense
of those facing RNC-related charges. For guidelines on telling us
your RNC informant experience, email us at observations – at – riseup
– dot– net.