home

Rep. McCollum to Examine Police Misconduct in St. Paul

By TChris, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Sun Sep 07, 2008 at 01:18:00 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Rep. Betty McCollum says "she played a pivotal role in securing some $50 million for the Twin Cities to help defray the cost of the [Republican National Convention]." She deserves credit for her willingness to ask whether that money financed police security that was needlessly militaristic.

“Betty is the first public official we’ve met with since this crackdown began who has actually listened,” said Gena Berglund, an attorney who has been active in the Lawyers Guild’s efforts to protect the First Amendment rights of RNC protestors. Berglund said the NLG’s request to meet with Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher, who has been at the center of controversy over alleged police misconduct, or members of his staff was “turned down flat.” The NLG was able to meet this week with a staff person in St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman’s office, but said Berglund, “That meeting went nowhere. They are not interested in listening to us.”

[More...]

“At this point, what we should be demanding is that there be an investigation at every level – state, city, country, and federal – into what has happened this past week. It has been a legal outrage and we, as citizens and taxpayers, have the right to hold all officials responsible for law enforcement at the RNC accountable for their actions,” Berglund said.

< Saturday Night Open Thread | Obama v. McCain on Social Security >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Rep. McCollum to Examine Police Misconduct in St. Paul | 4 comments (4 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

    Milwaukee City Police... (none / 0) (#1)
    by NealB on Sun Sep 07, 2008 at 12:34:43 AM EST
    ...went to St. Paul. I think a batch of 15 to twenty were given permission to go. There was some controversy in the Milwaukee papers here about it; don't know why.

    What I saw in online videos of the black-clad police with RPGs was frightening. I imagine the folks who lived in those neighborhoods won't speak to what they saw given how violent it was and I can't remember seeing any traditional media video of it.

    The RPG fire was aimed a what looked like a small number of people, maybe a hundred, many of which were probably diehard curious who failed to see soon enough that it would have been smarter to leave earlier. The anti-insurgency police force was clearly milking their chance to fire their big guns at a couple dozen pushy kids. It was all very showy.

    Why are Republicans permitted to retain tax-payer funded employees for their propoganda shots? And why did the Milwaukee Police Department see fit to send their police employees to help out?

    No RPGs (none / 0) (#4)
    by thentro on Sun Sep 07, 2008 at 11:37:13 AM EST
    This is what happens when an RPG hits something. They were using flash bangs, gas, bean-bag guns and rubber bullets in St. Paul.

    IMO they were using them all like they had to spend em' but thats another story.

    Parent

    Good luck getting video (none / 0) (#2)
    by reslez on Sun Sep 07, 2008 at 02:28:30 AM EST
    Apparently the shiny new video cameras installed downtown were disabled whenever police were visible in one beating up people.

    Freedom of assembly no longer exists in this country. I just wish I knew when it died.

    the police in st. paul (none / 0) (#3)
    by cpinva on Sun Sep 07, 2008 at 05:08:11 AM EST
    were using Rocket Propelled Grenades on the protestors? where did they get this military hardware, and who authorized it's use by a civilian agency, in the continental United States?

    RPG's are weapons of war, used to attack armored personell carriers, tanks, and other heavy vehicles, they aren't normally deployed as anti-personell weapons.

    geez, whoever would have thought that i'd look back on the use of firehoses by the police, to break up violent demonstrations, fondly?

    the best way i can think of, to get the point across to the good citizens/tax payers of st. paul, is by filing massive civil rights suits against both the city and the individuals, from the mayor on down.

    yes, i understand they have insurance, and rumor has it that the RNC has agreed to cover them, but they too have finite resources. enough lawsuits, in the multi-million dollar range, will potentially create the risk of bankrupting the city.

    trust me, at that point, the citizens will definitely take notice.

    Rep. McCollum to Examine Police Misconduct in St. Paul | 4 comments (4 topical)

    Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment