More information about protest and repression in St. Paul around the RNC.

MEDIA ADVISORY September, 4, 2008

For Immediate Release:

Contingent of Lawyers, Activists, and Media Take Concerns of Police Brutality at RNC to Mayor Coleman's Office

- WHAT: Attempt to meet with Mayor Chris Coleman about escalation of police brutality in St. Paul

- WHO: Lawyers, activists, and members of the media

- WHEN: September 4, 2008 @ 4:00 p.m.

- WHERE: St. Paul Mayor's Office, 15 W. Kellogg Blvd.

Police violence has not been limited to the streets. The Coldsnap Legal Collective, providing support to people arrested at the RNC, has received numerous reports of abuse in the jails. In addition to widespread denial of medical attention, multiple people have been brutalized by Sheriff's Deputies inside their cells. At a press conference earlier today, recently released activist Elliot Hughes made statements that while in jail he had a bag placed over his head, a gag in his mouth, and was beaten to unconsciousness by multiple correctional officers.

Civil Rights Leader, Leading Theorist of Nonviolent Activism to Speak at 7 p.m. on May 5 at Olympia’s Temple Beth Hatfiloh

(Olympia, Wash.) Civil rights leader and colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. James M. Lawson will be speaking at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 5 at Temple Beth Hatfiloh, 201 8th Ave SE in Olympia. Rev. Lawson will talk about building a community that both values activism – to promote better quality of life and greater equity among citizens – and ensures civility and respect for the rights of all. The event is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the City of Olympia, The Evergreen State College, The Hispanic Women’s Network, Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation, Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace, participating members of Olympia Port Militarization Resistance, The Port of Olympia, Unity in the Community, and Veterans for Peace. For directions to the temple, visit www.bethhatfiloh.org/directions.html

Lawson is a leading figure in the civil rights movement. On the eve of his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called Lawson "the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world."

Location: Temple Beth Hatfiloh 201 8th Avenue SE Olympia, WA

This event is free and open to the public.

Kenji Yoshino is the author of the award-winning book, Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Human Rights, a groundbreaking critique of current civil rights law and a vision for a new direction. A specialist in constitutional law, anti-discrimination law, and law and literature, he has published work in The Advocate, The Boston Globe, The Nation, The New York Times, Slate, The Village Voice, and The Washington Post, as well as in a wide variety of academic journals.

I love it! This is shamelessly pulled from, and linked to, www.cnn.com

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A majority of Congress on Friday urged the Supreme Court to side with gun owners in an upcoming case testing whether an individual has a guaranteed right to bear arms.

The bipartisan group of senators and representatives signed on to a legal brief supporting a challenge by District of Columbia residents to own a handgun for protection in their home.

The justices hold oral arguments March 18, and could provide a landmark ruling on a legal question that has largely gone answered since the Second Amendment was ratified in 1791.

In their "amicus" brief, 55 senators and 250 representatives urged the high court to strike down the district's ordinance that prevents citizens from legally owning a handgun.

For more, click on the link above.

Nice to know there are some law makers out there who think DC is full of crap and denying their citizens the right to self-protection within their own home.

I ran this by Rick real quick to see if he thought it was Olyblog appropriate... The link takes you to another website where you can download a PDF of a comprehensive Washington State Gun Rights pamphlet. I'm happy to discuss any issues or questions that arise from this. It is a PITA to load PDF docs on my computer right now (slow 'puter) so I would appreciate a quote of the issue in question. Thanks!

Had a dinner at Old School today starting at 5pm, I reserved the back room, figured about 6-8 people.

We had dang near 20 people openly wearing sidearms crowding Old School and eating pizza. I somehow forgot to mention the size of a "small" pizza to my friends :-)

We spent about 3 hours chatting, and having a good time. Nobody had any problems or issues with us, and I'm pretty sure that 20 people openly carrying were noticed. When we were all getting ready to leave, we chatted with with a couple of guys playing video games about OC.

Drew Hendricks showed up as well, and had a good time talking and exchanging information.

It was quite a rush to have 20 people show up as a show of solidarity against the OPD's harassing actions.