We have been calling the Mayor's office all week telling them to drop the charges on those trying to keep people in their home. and Especially drop the Riot charges. I told the person on the other line.. as a tax payer i ask the city drop the charges so we don't have law suits against the city and didn't she know that other cities are finding that the courts are ruling in favor of the "citizens" and their "Rights". She said and I quote: "oh yeah, name one". and I said well New York for one but I guess you didn't see that in the news yesterday.
*** so if you have a couple of minutes of free time if you could call our Minneapolis Mayor, and Attorney General and let them know it is shameful they are prosecuting those who try to keep people in their homes and be sure to name the city and state you are from.. the further away the better, and ask them to drop the charges.
Call-In: This is an opportunity for all of us to stand in solidarity with our creative and courageous occupiers. If you can’t come to court, please make phone calls:
Mayor R.T. Rybak at 612-673-2100
Assistant City Attorney Mary Ellen Heng at 612-673-2270
City Attorney Susan Segal at 612-673-3272
Ask them WHY Occupy protesters are facing unusually harsh charges.
Demand that they DROP ALL CHARGES on anti-foreclosure protesters.
July 25th marked an important day in the ongoing struggle. As 11 of the 37 people arrested defending the Cruz house arrived for their pre-trial hearing, they were joined by over 60 supporters demanding the city drop the charges. The courtroom was packed as all 11 refused to plead guilty to a range of charges, including 3rd degree riot, a gross misdemeanor. However, this next month will see court dates for many of those arrested during Occupy Homes MN actions–please come to show your support if you can!
Trial motions begin at 8:30 am, but it’s hard to tell how long the first day will last.
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/422022844505688/ <http://www.facebook.com/events/422022844505688/>
Wednesday, Aug 1, 1:30 PM – Pre-Trial for May 30th eviction arrestees
Wednesday, Aug. 8 and Thursday, Aug. 9 , 1:30--Pre-Trial hearings
Background:
On October 20, 2011, hundreds of people participated in a demonstration in front of U.S. Bank in downtown Minneapolis, to draw attention to the fact that over 25,000 Minnesotans lost their homes to foreclosure in 2010 alone. 7 people were arrested in the intersection in front of the bank and charged with “interfering with pedestrian and vehicular traffic.”
Four of these people are scheduled to go to trial on July 30th, but on July 20th they had three more charges added (unlawful assembly, public nuisance and not complying with a “peace officer”)!
Nationally, the Occupy movement is facing increasing police brutality, police infiltration, and trumped up charges. Locally the Minneapolis city attorney’s office has decided to try to shut down the growing movement of people standing in solidarity with families struggling to save their homes from foreclosure by giving protesters outrageous charges. For example, the city prosecutors have escalated charges on the 14 protesters who defended the Cruz family home on May 30th. Prosecutors originally charged supporters with trespassing, but have now moved to significantly more serious charges including 3rd degree riot – a gross misdemeanor which carries a sentence of up to one year in prison and a $3,000 fine. As is happening across the nation, Minneapolis prosecutors are trying to intimidate Occupy protestors. Let’s do all we can to stop this attack on our constitutional right to protest in Minnesota. We witnessed similar repression in 2008 at the RNC, and we know how to stand up against it.
Don’t jail the movement, jail the bankers!
The Uptake Video of Rally at City Hall
http://www.theuptake.org/2012/07/25/occupy-protests-erupt-in-minneapolis-city-hall/
and one of the days of arrests. The City of Minneapolis is very mistaken to think prosecution will stop us
http://www.theuptake.org/2012/06/22/high-profile-arrest-at-evicted-minneapolis-familys-home/
125 community members gathered at the home of the Cruz family in South Minneapolis and 13, including hip-hop artist Brother Ali, were arrested when they crossed the police line to protest PNC Bank’s reversal of their commitment to work with the family after the family fell into foreclosure due to a bank error. Brother Ali, who grew up in north Minneapolis, has been an outspoken supporter of Occupy Homes anti-foreclosures protests for about a year.
In front of the crowd of supporters, each of the 13 spoke as to why they were willing to cross the police line before asking the officers to allow them to step onto the property and be arrested, bringing the total arrest count at the home to 39 within the past month.
Despite Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak’s statement that the city was not in the foreclosure business, nearly two dozen Minneapolis police officers stood guard on the Cruz home to protect it for mortgage holder Freddie Mac. The arrests they made were for trespass.
Here is one of the video's of 14 arrests. I was across the street watching as I had a bum leg.
anyhow check out the video yourself and see if there should be riot charges against the activists.. (maybe the cops but not the people).
http://www.kare11.com/news/article/977836/391/14-arrested-by-Minneapolis-police-after-foreclosure-protest
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