Pre-emptive protests

Cops raid activist space in St. Paul. WARNING, video contains harsh language.



More here.

More raids today! Read here.

For the best coverage, check Twin Cities Indymedia

Getting the work done

Tonight, 16 volunteers came together at Mayday Books to put together press packets and badges for the many people who will be involved in the anti-war rally on the first day of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Here's something that needs to be said. Real change comes when people agree to give up a few hours of their spare time to try to make a difference. Tonight it was about collating and stuffing 1,000 press packets to distribute at next Monday's antiwar rally. It was about stuffing media passes into plastic sleeves and attaching flimsy strings so that the media can wear a badge that allows them to cover the event from primo spots.

It's about sore fingers and paper cuts and boring work with fun friends and comrades.

What could be more fun?

ABC affiliate says we're professional

Check this out!

Duluth coverage of Sept 1 march

The Duluth News Tribune ran a good article talking about the folks who plan to hop on a bus to the Twin Cities to protest the war during the Republican National Convention:

Anti-war groups plan protest in St. Paul

Duluth News Tribune
Published Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Several local anti-war groups outlined plans today to participate in a peace march next week in St. Paul at the start of the Republican National Convention.

Holding a news conference in the Duluth Civic Center were representatives of the Northland Anti-war Coalition, Grand Rapids Peace Circle, Bemidji Peace and Justice, Veterans for Peace Chapter 80, University of Minnesota Duluth students for Peace, and the Center for Just Living at the College of St. Scholastica.

Members of those groups will travel to St. Paul Monday for what they called a peaceful protest. The groups plan to march on the Capitol Building in St. Paul at 11 a.m. and later will make their way toward the Excel Energy Center, the site of the Republican National Convention.

The Duluth bus leaves at 8 a.m. from Peace Church, 1111 E. 11th St. The bus will stop in Pine City to pick up additional riders. The cost for the trip to St. Paul is $35 a seat, with discounts being offered for students, families and people with low incomes. For more information, call Peter Krause at 728-9395

For information about the Bemidji bus, which leaves at 5:30 a.m. and makes stop in Cass Lake and Grand Rapids, contact Vicki at 795-2453. The cost for this bus is $30 per seat.

They never post mine


moar funny pictures

They're coming!

I have been extremely busy lately trying to get ready for our big antiwar march at the RNC. Just heard about this lovely billboard that will great the Repubs at the airport! :)

Effigy vs. Pinata

Allow Sister Ilyka explain it for you.

Silly


more cat pictures

Randy Newman has a new album

And it makes me very happy.

NPR has a concert online where you can listen to the whole thing. Awesome!

Kyle Payne continues to be an ass

A whole lot of us posted about the squickiness that is Kyle Payne. The fellow is now facing sentencing for the sexual assault he admits to committing. But first, he'd like us all to hear all about his pain and his anguish. I consider myself fortunate for not posting my web address so I never got the form e-mail he sent. Suffice it to say, it was all about Kyle, Kyle, Kyle. Ugh!

Of the many wonderful responses, I've been enjoying Purtek's excellent post. Be sure to read the comments, too.

So as not to clog up her blog, there is something about this whole episode that makes me think about personal weaknesses.

Each and every one of us suffers from a weakness in regard to one thing or another. For whatever reason, we can't handle certain experiences and circumstances. For me, it happens to be cops with guns. I've had some real bad experiences with guns and I've had some real bad experiences with cops. Combine the two and I'm pretty much unable to respond effectively. Think of the concept of "triggering" and multiply it a few times.

So I avoid situations that put me into contact with cops who wield guns. Which shouldn't be all that difficult for a law-abiding white woman. Except that, in the activist community, there are a lot of good people, friends of mine, who practice the tactic of non-violent civil disobedience. They break bad laws in order to make a point. They get arrested, spend time in jail and use their court cases to argue for a greater good. This is a valuable and useful political activity.

I won't do it. I would be ineffective at it. It would be about my personal fears, my issues with guns and cops. I could really blow it if I wasn't able to contain the impulses and the alligator-brain responses that I learned as a child. It's important that I protect other activists from having to deal with my inappropriate responses.

Guess what? That is not a huge sacrifice on my part. It is basic common sense. It is honest self-assessment. It is basic respect for the goals and ideals of activists who are working to change the world for the better.

If Kyle has a problem with abuse issues, then he needs to protect other abuse survivors from his inappropriate responses and actions. That's simple common sense. That's basic decency.

But he won't do it. Because everyone has to deal with the problems of Kyle, Kyle, Kyle. Except for Kyle, of course.

Ferocious Attack Kitten

Here's a Craig's List ad for a cat. Fun!