Feds execute "pre-emptive raid" on RNC protestors

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FireMax

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Read the following story. What do you think about our government taking an extra step by raiding an organization with guns drawn, even before they have been to a demonstration. BTW, the police found no weapons or bombs, even though the search warrant said that was what they were seeking.

My opinion? Taking away the rights of people I may not agree with is not acceptable to me for it may be my rights which are taken away next.

http://www.infowars.net/articles/September2008/010908Raids.htm

Feds Directed Preemptive Raids On RNC Protesters
National Lawyers Guild seeks judicial review

Steve Watson
Infowars.net
Monday, Sept 1, 2008

Raids carried out on what police described as "the headquarters of an anarchist/anti-authoritarian group" ahead of the Republican National Convention in Minnesota, were directed by the Federal Government it has been revealed.

Salon Columnist Greg Greenwald highlights the Federal involvement in a scathing article denouncing the raids as an all out attack on free speech and the right to protest.

Minnesota Public Radio reported yesterday that "the searches were led by the Ramsey County Sheriff's office. Deputies coordinated searches with the Minneapolis and St. Paul police departments and the Federal Bureau of Investigation."

Photographs taken by a Professor at the University of Minnesota who lives in the neighborhood where one of the homes was raided yesterday, have also confirmed the federal involvement in the raids.

Greenwald adds:

Today's Star Tribune added that the raids were specifically "aided by informants planted in protest groups." Back in May, Marcy Wheeler presciently noted that the Minneapolis Joint Terrorist Task Force -- an inter-agency group of federal, state and local law enforcement led by the FBI -- was actively recruiting Minneapolis residents to serve as plants, to infiltrate "vegan groups" and other left-wing activist groups and report back to the Task Force about what they were doing. There seems to be little doubt that it was this domestic spying by the Federal Government that led to the excessive and truly despicable home assaults by the police yesterday.

According to reports, six activists were arrested when the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department stormed a rented meeting place of the self penned "RNC Welcoming Committee" in St. Paul on Friday night.
 
If only they would put that amount of work into the Mexico/US border,

I think a little more restraint was warranted there was not a significant threat present, just a nuisance which could cause minor domestic disruption but nothing significant.
 
If only they would put that amount of work into the Mexico/US border
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The people currently in power in both political parties don't see our borders as important. They see a coming world that would be better without borders. That is why they do nothing to support our border control agents, and even sacrifice a few every now and then to signal our neighbors that they are serious about no borders.
 
I'm not surprised even if it is true. Unfortunately, there isn't a standard anymore regarding 'reputable' sources. :rolleyes:
 
Don't confuse the excercising of 1A rights with what these folks are about. "These folks" being a hostile and destructive minority hiding among the legitimate protestors. Remember Seattle? Good for the LEOs.
 
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Preemptive is for combat not for domestic use against citizens. Unless the LEO's had concrete evidence of wrong doing then this is extremly wrong.
 
The government, being aware of impending criminal activity, does not have to allow it to happen before taking action.

I imagine it happened like this:

1. The government placed informants in the radical community. (And they didn't even try to hide the fact...)
2. Elements in the radical community advocated criminal activity.
3. The government intervened, targeting those elements. (Conspracy charges, most likely.)

Note: Most in the radical community, let alone most protestors, will carry on as they intended.

And for those unfamiliar with the federal conspracy statute:

The general federal conspiracy statute makes it a crime for "two or more persons [to] conspire . . . to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose." It is distinct from the substantive crime contemplated and is charged as a separate offense. Conspiracy is one of the most commonly charged federal crimes.

There are four elements necessary for proving a criminal conspiracy, each of which must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. A conspiracy exists where: there is an agreement between the parties; to achieve an illegal goal; with knowledge of the conspiracy and with actual participation in the conspiracy; and at least one conspirator committed an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.
 
Reputable source.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/08/30/police_raids/index.html

Another

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/08/30/more_raids/?refid=0

Another

http://www.startribune.com/local/27...yqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUX

Another

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/u...1220104985-Dcl+Tjoc3eipfJB8HL+HPQ&oref=slogin

It's not like this is new. Various police forces and the fed have been infiltrating peace organizations for almost as long as Bush has been in office. Further the use of fairly extreme police powers have been routine for the same period.

An interview with a veteran public radio reporter who was arrested by the police.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THMVJQUGJLM
 
The National Lawyers Guild are committed to a "change" to Marxism. I would be inclined to believe exactly the opposite of what they write. I am pretty sure that there have been informants inside these violence spouting groups to give a pretty good idea of what they intend to do and to give evidence to back up search warrants. I heard on the news tonight, part way through the second day of the convention, that there have been over 200 felony arrests of these anarchists and Marxists.
 
My favorite part of these news stories is where the search warrant authorized the authorities to look for "maps of St. Paul."

Good grief.

(And I don't say that because I think I own one of those, a leftover from a trip I took to St. Paul a while ago. No way do I own one! No way!)
 
these idiots had been blogging about using violence for months, and some of you have a problem with these raids?.

BTW,

minnesota public radio is about as socialist as it gets.

the star trib is equally commie.

and i don't think i need to opine about NYTimes
 
I hate anarchists with a passion but I cannot support preemptive strikes against someone that has done nothing wrong yet. You cannot punish someone for something they might do. They have every right to protest that anyone else has...just as others have the right to show up and show support. This type of behavior, along with screening participation in public political events is one of my biggest problems with the neo-cons that have been in control the last eight years.

I would be curious to hear what reliable information that had to get warrants for these raids.
 
"Various police forces and the fed have been infiltrating peace organizations for almost as long as Bush has been in office."

They were doing infiltrations in the 1960's, and no doubt infiltrated other types of groups decades before.
 
Give me a break.

These groups were openly espousing using their "first amendment rights" to SHUT DOWN the first amendment rights of the RNC.

"Free Speech for ME but not for THEE" is NOT how it works in the US - it's how it worked in the Soviet Union.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A protest near the site of the Republican National Convention gave way to violence Monday as demonstrators attacked members of the Connecticut delegation, smashed windows, slashed car tires and threw bottles during an anti-war march, St. Paul police said.

...
A group of protesters came toward the delegation and tried to rip the credentials off their necks and sprayed them with a toxic substance that burned their eyes and stained their clothes, delegate Rob Simmons told KMSP-TV.
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Poor widdle peace protesters, boo f---ing hoo. DEADLY FORCE would have been justifiable against someone throwing caustic chemicals, as I see it.

People who are openly espousing, planning, and preparing for violent actions against police and the general public SHOULD NOT be ignored by police until they bring their plans to fruition. Why isn't that just COMMON SENSE?

Robert Peel figured it out about 200 years ago - "The basic mission for which the police exist is to PREVENT crime and disorder," why can't everyone else?
 
mvpel, I agree 100%. I guess members here think police should have sat on their hands and done nothing, until after people were hurt or killed. The fact is they openly bragged about causing disruption and being violent long before the RNC. It is LE's job as you stated, to PREVENT crime if possible.

Why is it that the DNC can go off without this kind of violence, but not the RNC? What does that say about these liberal "peaceful" protest groups?
 
It's ironic, isn't it? Democrats took over Congress on a wave of anti-Iraq sentiment, but still wouldn't end our involvement there. The Democrats deftly suckered the radical anti-war left, yet somehow it's still the Republicans' fault.
 
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