RESOLUTION IN FAVOR OF REPEALING THE MINNESOTA PATRIOT ACT

February 2 isn't just the next court date for the RNC 8--in Minnesota, it's also the evening of each political party's statewide precinct caucuses. For our liberal and progressive friends and supporters, the caucuses represent an important opportunity to build support for the RNC 8 and raise awareness of the repression of political organizing.

Ramsey County Attorney and gubernatorial candidate Susan Gaertner is not among the top contenders, but recently announced she will ignore the party's official endorsement and run in the Democratic primary. She has failed to listen to the repeated requests of Minnesotans to drop ALL charges against the RNC 8, including through thousands of petition signatures, rallies outside her events, and resolutions passed this time last year.

Therefore, we ask you to take two actions at your local precinct caucus on February 2:

1) Distribute the "Susan Gaertner and the RNC 8" Fact Sheet or other RNC 8 literature at your caucus. You can download the one-page fact sheet yourself at our website: rnc8.org/info. (If you need copies provided, contact us at info@rnc8.org ASAP and we'll see if we can get you some.)

2) Introduce a resolution opposing the charges against the RNC 8 and a resolution in favor of repealing the Minnesota PATRIOT Act. See our sample resolution language below, which you can use or modify. You can download a DFL resolution form here and bring the completed form to your caucus.

To find your local precinct caucus for the DFL, enter your address here. For the Green Party, check here. All DFL caucuses begin on February 2 at 7pm; Green caucuses begin at 6:30.

http://www.dflcaucuses.org/
http://www.mngreens.org/caucus2010

Thanks from the RNC 8 Defense Committee for your support of the RNC 8 and for continuing the fight against the suppression of dissent.

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SAMPLE RESOLUTIONS:

The text of these resolutions derives from the language of a resolution passed by the Duluth Central Labor Body in March 2009. The body represents 17,000 workers from various trades in the Twin Ports area of Minnesota and Wisconsin. (Interestingly, the DFL's 2010 state convention will be held in Duluth April 23-25.)

RESOLUTION OPPOSING CHARGES AGAINST THE RNC 8

WHEREAS, a free society is one in which people can organize collectively to improve their lives without fear of persecution by their government, and

WHEREAS, progressive movements for social change have historically suffered state intimidation and repression in our efforts to organize, including but not limited to the unconstitutional arrest of Minnesota labor organizers under "criminal syndicalism" laws of the first half of the 20th century, and

WHEREAS, the criminal conspiracy charges filed by Ramsey County, Minnesota prosecutors in September of 2008 against eight preemptively arrested organizers of Republican National Convention protests in Saint Paul (known as the "RNC 8") are still being pursued, with no evidence that the defendants committed any act of violence and with no alleged victim,

BE IT RESOLVED that we oppose the politically-motivated criminal charges against the "RNC 8" Republican National Convention protest organizers.

RESOLUTION IN FAVOR OF REPEALING THE MINNESOTA PATRIOT ACT

WHEREAS, a free society is one in which people can organize collectively to improve their lives without fear of persecution by their government; and

WHEREAS, changes to the Minnesota criminal code under the so-called Anti-Terrorism Act of 2002 threaten political speech by defining acts that "further terrorism" so broadly as to encompass civil disobedience designed to "disrupt or interfere with the lawful exercise, operation, or conduct of government, lawful commerce, or the right of lawful assembly," including strikes, union picket lines, and other collective actions to defend peoples' rights; and

WHEREAS, the first criminal charges under this law were filed by Ramsey County prosecutors in September of 2008 against eight preemptively arrested organizers of Republican National Convention protests in Saint Paul (known as the "RNC 8″), with no evidence that the defendants committed any act of violence; and

WHEREAS, due to public outcry, the "RNC 8" are no longer charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act but still face pending felony conspiracy charges of a political nature,

BE IT RESOLVED that we call on Minnesota state legislators to repeal section 609.714 of the Minnesota criminal code ("CRIMES COMMITTED IN FURTHERANCE OF TERRORISM") in order to prevent future politically-motivated repression of political and community organizing in the state.

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Dissent is not a crime
Organizing is not Conspiracy
and Protest is NOT terrorism

I have gotten to know these "RNC 8" young people, they are some of the most gentle souls and giving people I know.

You can read their bio's on the site. And also updates on trial dates and fundraisers for legal costs.
http://rnc8.org/

MN has a mostly proud history and tradition of organizing, and protesting for peace; and for economic and social justice in the last 60 years. (Excluding the crimes against native people).
These young people were only organizing the logistics.. a place to gather, food, lodging..etc.
What our city leaders allowed to happen to our citizens before, during and after the RNC was wrong, and the fact that they are letting the FBI and homeland security to continue to tell them to pressure the prosecution is shameful.


I hope you can help restore justice and democracy to MN.

What a brave, brave, brave and selfless man you were.

I just saw this photo for the 1st time last Monday. I found it more powerful than other phone of Dr. King. He was probably in his early 30's. He knew that he was right, and they were wrong.

n/t