Video: Police won't allow young girl her insulin (not part of union group police were watching)

[Omaha Steve]

Video & first story here: http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2008/09/video_posted_of.php

Video posted of Starbucks union supporters detained on light rail at MOA

A Mall of America Starbucks fired Erik Forman earlier this summer during the employee talks about forming a union through Industrial Workers of the World. In July, the Starbucks officially joined and Forman has his job back. Read the back stories we wrote here and here.

Well, his first day on the job didn't really go as planned. Video after the jump.

When IWW supporters tried to follow him to work on the light rail Aug. 30 (one day before the Republican convention officially kicked off), the group was greeted at the MOA by riot police who held them on the train at the station. The train eventually reverses and leaves MOA with everyone on board.

The video was posted today, but reports had been circulating shortly after the incident. This looks a lot like the detaining that occurred around the RNC. Police held everyone on the train even if they weren't involved in the group. This seems like a sticky situation considering they were on public transportation inside a private business.

Follow up story below.

http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2008/09/more_on_starbuc.php

More on Starbucks union members tiff with police

More details from a witness on the video and story we posted earlier this morning: The day of Aug. 31 started well for members of the recently formed Twin Cities- IWW Starbucks Worker union. Barista Erik Forman, who had been fired from his post after spurring an organizing effort, had recently been reinstated to his post at a Mall of America Starbucks. A small celebratory rally at the corner of Lake St. and Hiawatha went off without a hitch.

To cap the day off, the 40-or-so organizers decided accompany Forman on his first day back on the job. They piled into a light rail bound for the Mall of America.

When the train pulled into MoA station minutes later, union members were met with a grim sight: a stoic battalion of policemen in light riot gear lined along the station platform.

“Everyone stay on the train!” they demanded. “Anyone who gets off this train is getting arrested!”

After 10 minutes, the train doors shut. After another five, the train went back the way it came as passengers chanted, “Bullshit! Bullshit!”

Meanwhile, back inside the MoA Starbucks, barista Jeff Kelly noticed a large police presence gathering in the mall’s rotunda.

“From what I could see, they were mostly Bloomington police,” he says. “But there were at least two officers dressed in FBI gear.”

Posted by Matt Snyders at September 23, 2008 5:09 PM

[boobooday]

1. I clicked both links but didn't see the part about the insulin

As an insulin junkie, I know that is not good.

[Omaha Steve]

3. The insulin is in the video

Top link for the video: All People on the light rail were not allowed to get off at the stop. The girl, her mom, and the police not allowing her off the train are all in the video. Even though they were not part of the union group. NLRB charges were just filed last week over this incident. See the labor Forum story: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=367x13884

[mikelgb]

2. WOW. They detained the whole train!

and had them deported to the previous stop! unreal.

I would have pulled the emergency stop as soon as they closed the doors. Fuck that.