In Albany: RNC Arrestee Benefit Show DECEMBER 5th!!!

On December 5th, 7pm there will be a RNC Arrestee Benefit Show at the Social Justice Center in Albany. Cultural Relativity and Oddy Gato will be performing with other various acts as well. Please attend and hear about about what occurred at the RNC and maybe throw some money into the pot to help with legal fees and transportation for people to travel back to St. Paul to defend themselves. What must be pointed out specifically about the RNC is the fact that the police indiscriminately arrested over 200 people down by the riverfront, many of whom had done NOTHING ILLEGAL. Also, on this day, 9/1/2008, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now (www. democracynow. org) was arrested illegally along with many, many other members of the media with proper media credentials who were not mainstream nor embedded with the police. Furthermore, many people falsely and illegally arrested were charged with felonies so as to keep us off of the streets and to make crowd control that much easier. Attorneys working with the National Lawyers Guild and the ACLU are identifying this year's RNC as one of the most extreme examples of strategic, premeditated attacks on the First Amendment in U.S. history. The convention's planning committee facilitated $50 million in Federal funds to the Ramsey County authorities, basically hiring out all local law enforcement available as the RNC's own private military contract force. An additional $10 million was then spent on an insurance package to cover legal fees specifically resulting from police misconduct. Authorities used extreme force and mass arbitrary arrests to target, intimidate, and jail dozens of major and independent journalists all week long. Their tactics not only kept non-Convention citizens away from downtown but detainees were kept as long as legally possible, preventing journalists from reporting on any event outside of the Convention's main itinerary. I was one of the folks who were arrested with Felony Riot charges. These were later reduced (due to insufficient evidence) to a gross misdemeanor, 3rd Degree Inciting a Riot. What this means is that anyone charged with Gross Misdemeanors or Felonies must appear in person for every court date that is scheduled. We cannot miss a court date at all because if we do the judge will issue bench warrants for those who fail to appear. Up to this point I have paid almost $5,000 in bail, legal fees and travel fees to defend myself and to prove my innocence. Many other folks are required to do the same and they have significantly less resources than I am lucky to have. So, please come out and support those folks who went out to the RNC to protest the war; treatment of veterans; treatment of the poor; authoritarianism; and many other issues and see a sweet show. 7pm start time and 11pm ending time. A donation of $5 is suggested, or if you lack the funding just telling others to come to the Benefit would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much, Zach Swift http://rnc08arrestees. wordpress. com/ www. aclu. com http://coldsnaplegal. wordpress. com/ www. nlg. org/ www. conspiracytoriot. com www. nornc. org http://profile. myspace. com/index. cfm?fuseaction=user. viewprofile&friendid=7895343 www. myspace. com/culturalrelativity www. myspace. com/oddygato

<p>On December 5th, 7pm there will be a RNC Arrestee Benefit Show at the Social Justice Center in Albany. Cultural Relativity and Oddy Gato will be performing with other various acts as well. Please attend and hear about about what occurred at the RNC and maybe throw some money into the pot to help with legal fees and transportation for people to travel back to St. Paul to defend themselves.</p> <p>What must be pointed out specifically about the RNC is the fact that the police indiscriminately arrested over 200 people down by the riverfront, many of whom had done NOTHING ILLEGAL.<br /> Also, on this day, 9/1/2008, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now (www. democracynow. org) was arrested illegally along with many, many other members of the media with proper media credentials who were not mainstream nor embedded with the police. Furthermore, many people falsely and illegally arrested were charged with felonies so as to keep us off of the streets and to make crowd control that much easier. Attorneys working with the National Lawyers Guild and the ACLU are identifying this year's RNC as one of the most extreme examples of strategic, premeditated attacks on the First Amendment in U.S. history. The convention's planning committee facilitated $50 million in Federal funds to the Ramsey County authorities, basically hiring out all local law enforcement available as the RNC's own private military contract force. An additional $10 million was then spent on an insurance package to cover legal fees specifically resulting from police misconduct. Authorities used extreme force and mass arbitrary arrests to target, intimidate, and jail dozens of major and independent journalists all week long. Their tactics not only kept non-Convention citizens away from downtown but detainees were kept as long as legally possible, preventing journalists from reporting on any event outside of the Convention's main itinerary.</p> <p>I was one of the folks who were arrested with Felony Riot charges. These were later reduced (due to insufficient evidence) to a gross misdemeanor, 3rd Degree Inciting a Riot. What this means is that anyone charged with Gross Misdemeanors or Felonies must appear in person for every court date that is scheduled. We cannot miss a court date at all because if we do the judge will issue bench warrants for those who fail to appear. Up to this point I have paid almost $5,000 in bail, legal fees and travel fees to defend myself and to prove my innocence. Many other folks are required to do the same and they have significantly less resources than I am lucky to have.</p> <p>So, please come out and support those folks who went out to the RNC to protest the war; treatment of veterans; treatment of the poor; authoritarianism; and many other issues and see a sweet show.</p> <p>7pm start time and 11pm ending time.</p> <p>A donation of $5 is suggested, or if you lack the funding just telling others to come to the Benefit would be greatly appreciated.</p> <p>Thank you very much,<br /> Zach Swift</p> <p>http://rnc08arrestees. wordpress. com/<br /> www. aclu. com<br /> <a href="http://coldsnaplegal">http://coldsnaplegal</a>. wordpress. com/<br /> www. nlg. org/<br /> www. conspiracytoriot. com<br /> www. nornc. org<br /> <a href="http://profile">http://profile</a>. myspace. com/index. cfm?fuseaction=user.<br /> viewprofile&amp;amp;friendid=7895343<br /> www. myspace. com/culturalrelativity<br /> www. myspace. com/oddygato</p>