Twin Cities officials respond to RNC tension

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Various Twin Cities elected officials have responded to the raids leading up to the RNC, as well as the protests and police actions throughout the convention. In a written statement Minneapolis City Council members Cam Gordon and Elizabeth Glidden urge the use of nonviolent practices to resolve RNC related tension; Representative Keith Ellison speaks with journalist Amy Goodman about the treatment of journalists by Minneapolis and Ramsey County Police officers; and St. Paul Council member Dave Thune reacts to the Ramsey County Sheriff raids in St. Paul the weekend preceding the RNC. Cam Gordon and Elizabeth Glidden, Minneapolis City Council Members
Statement on Recent Law Enforcement Actions Targeting Protest Organizers
On Friday August 29th, a large, peaceful Critical Mass bike ride occurred in Minneapolis where protesters, passersby and police conducted themselves in a civil and respectful way – a hopeful beginning to the Republican National Convention and related protest events, marches, and citizen journalism. Continue Reading

VOICES: When “profiling” backfires

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The subject of profiling, the practice of weighing someone’s guilt or innocence based on the way they look or act, is bandied about a lot these days. Some people think it’s a perfectly acceptable practice when carried out by law enforcement. After walking into two profiling situations today I’m convinced of its dangers, not only to the victims but also the perpetrators. First, at a little before 3 p.m. my teenage daughter and I were heading for the Ripple Effect event at the State Capitol grounds to hear Michael Franti, a musician we both like. After we crossed Constitution Avenue a volunteer with the National Lawyers Guild pointed out to me that a state trooper took our picture as we crossed the street, and that he was taking pictures of every person that entered the venue from the same direction. Continue Reading