Organizing Update from RNC Welcoming Committee

Coming to the Twin Cities to Crash the RNC? This final organizing update from the RNC Welcoming Committee contains (we hope!) information that you'll need as you make your way to Minnesota. In this email, you'll find the following information:

1.Convergence Center 2.Spokescouncils 3.Advisories 4.Legal 5.Comms 6.Trainings 7.Medic 8.Sexual Violence Advocacy 9.Food 10.Housing 11.Bikes 12.Childcare 13.Arise! Infoline

1. ::::CONVERGENCE CENTER::::
When you get into town, make sure and drop by our Beautiful Convergence Center, located at 627 Smith Ave. in St. Paul. There you'll find all the info you could want on crashing the convention (food, medic, legal, spokes, maps, etc.), as well as trainings, internet computers, meeting and workspace, and loaner bikes. And... printed Welcome Guides should be available by Friday! Check out http://www.NoRNC.org/beautiful-convergence-space or call 651.293.3968 for more info, or just stop by. Also note that the convergence center is located in St. Paul but on the “Minneapolis side” of the Mississippi river, and is easy enough to get to from Minneapolis and anything West of it without going through Downtown St. Paul.

The Convergence Center will also be the site of daily antiRNC orientations, which will provide a quick overview of protest planning, support infrastructure and convention plans, as well as time for Q&A. Thursday through Saturday, they will be held at 6pm, with Sunday and Monday's times TBA.

2. ::::SPOKESCOUNCILS::::
--all listed spokes are slotted to happen at the Convergence Center, 627 Smith Ave., St. Paul--
General antiRNC spokescouncil #1: Wednesday, 8/27, 7:00 pm
General Spokes #2: Saturday, 8/30, 7:30 pm (preceded by a day of sector spokes-
contact convergencecenter@riseup.net to reserve space if your sector hasn’t
already set something up)
General Spokes #3: Sunday, 8/31, 4:00 pm
General Spokes #4: Monday, 9/1, time TBA
General Spokes #5: Tuesday, 9/2, time TBA
General Spokes #6: Wednesday, 9/3, time TBA
General Spokes #7: Thursday, 9/4, time TBA

3. ::::ADVISORIES::::
Following are situations and police activities that we believe all folks coming to the Twin Cities should be aware of in order to keep themselves as safe as possible en route to Crashing the Convention. Please bear in mind that the harassment, surveillance and general unpleasantries enumerated below are par for the course with these kinds of events- while we need to prepare ourselves, none of this should deter us from resisting the State and building anti-authoritarian alternatives.
In general, be aware of...
-profiling based on appearance (read: if you look like a crusty traveling kid, you're very likely to be harassed and/or detained)
-increased patrolling of parks, particularly after hours (camping is not allowed)
-increased patrolling of train yards, with what we believe to be a higher likelihood of charges
-more bicyclists being pulled over, especially at night (for MN bicycle laws, see: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=169.222- note that you
are required to have a light and a reflector on your bike for night-riding!)

Additionally, information has been given to us suggesting that Hennepin County's Sex Crimes Unit officers are being reassigned to convention security sometime this week for the duration of the convention. What we have been told is that if you are the victim of any sex crime in their jurisdiction in that time period and choose to take it to the police, you only have 24 hours from
the time of the incident to do so. Cases brought after more than 24 hours will not be pursued, due to self-imposed staffing shortages.

If you are detained, arrested, or otherwise approached by law enforcement, DO NOT TALK to them. You have the right to remain silent, and to consult a lawyer. Contact Coldsnap Legal Collective's hotline as soon as possible to get support and to report incidents, 651.356.8635- documentation of such incidents may be very useful in whatever legal cases come out of the protests.

Bearing all of these things in mind, we want to remind everyone coming into town- and everyone already here- of the Day One strategy that we've all been organizing towards for more than a year and a half. Actions such as mass squats are valid in their own right, but will greatly increase your chances of being put out of commission before Day One - either through arrest or through the need to stay and defend them. While resistance can and should take many forms, we urge all Convention Crashers to keep that goal in mind and to pick your battles accordingly.

4. ::::LEGAL::::
Coldsnap Legal Collective is organizing legal and jail support for the RNC protests, including the Legal Hotline- 651.356.8635, a 24-hour-a-day solidarity vigil at the jail(s), and trainings. At their website, http://coldsnaplegal.wordpress.com, you'll find a Pre-Action Planning Checklist, info on Know Your Rights and Legal Support trainings, and downloadable Arrestee Support Forms.

Coldsnap is currently looking for volunteers for all areas of work, and can be contacted at coldsnap@riseup.net.

5. ::::COMMS::::
Tin Can Comms Collective is developing a communications system for the RNC protests. For information on how it works, how to plug into it, and on comms trainings, check out: http://www.tincancollective.org.

6. ::::TRAININGS::::
--Crashing the Convention Action Prep: Practical Tactical and Beyond--

*How To Crash the Convention! Practical, Tactical and Beyond!*
This comprehensive workshop will prepare you for participating in any or all of the activities on September 1st. It will cover the overall plan as well as the tactics and information needed to Swarm, Seize and Stay! There will be lots of practicing for swarming, mobile tactic, blockades and overall affinity group preparation.
8/28 Thurs, 1:00- 5:00 Lisa, Grumble
8/29 Fri, 2:00- 6:00 Lisa, Grumble
8/30 Sat, 2:00- 6:00 Lisa
8/31 Sun, 12-3:00 Nadine

*Global Justice Slideshow*
8/30 Sat, 7:00pm
Images, stories, lessons and inspiration from the global justice movement from Seattle to the most recent G8 in Japan! Get jazzed before the first big spokes! Presentation by Lisa Fithian

*Need An Affinity Group?!?*
Good affinity groups are created, not born. Learn about the roles members can play; leadership, communication; quick consensus decision-making; operating under pressure; escalating and deescalating conflict; and more. It’s best if you can attend this workshop with other members of your group.
8/30 Sat 12 –2 Andrew Willis Garcia, Sonia Silbert
8/31 Sun 10-12 Andrew Willis Garcia, Sonia Silbert

Other trainings and workshops happening at the Convergence Center can be found at http://www.NoRNC.org.

7. ::::MEDIC::::
The North Star Health Collective is the logistical organizing body for all of your medical needs, before, during and after the RNC.

*Details Include*
Medic Spokes will be held at 639 Jackson Ave., St. Paul, MN

Days: September 1-5 -we will have First Aid and Wellness Stations at the Convergence Center Space and locations throughout St. Paul.
Hours: 9AM-9PM (extended as necessary)
Phone: 1-800-719-6487

Please email northstarhealth@gmail.com if you want to run as a street medic, be in the Center, or are in need of medics for your sector and/or event. Bring your supplies and your experience.

8. ::::SEXUAL VIOLENCE ADVOCACY::::
A group of Twin Cities folks are offering sexual violence advocacy, resources, and support with the goal of transforming rape culture in part by trying to create more empowering options to those affected by sexual violence. We will have an advocate available during the RNC at the Northstar Wellness Center
(Aug. 29th - Sept. 5th) and a 24 hour support phone line at 651.434.2265
(beginning August 25th). We also have the capacity to offer safer space options
and transit to and from if needed.
Local 24 hour sexual violence crisis lines also exist in the Twin Cities and can be contacted at (Minneapolis) 612.871.5111 and (St. Paul) 651.643.3006.

9. ::::FOOD::::
The following information is for all those interested in volunteering in the kitchen with Seeds of Peace before, during, and after the RNC:

We will be setting up our kitchen at 12:00 noon on Wednesday the 27th of August in a parking lot on the corner of Smith and Wyoming Streets in St. Paul (about 6 blocks south of the convergence space).

From the 28th through the 4th, we will be providing daily lunches at the convergence space at 1:00 pm. Food not Bombs will be providing dinners at 7:00 pm.

Thus far, Seeds of Peace has committed to supporting the following actions, marches, and events:

-August 31st: Veterans For Peace March (11am at the Capitol)
-Sept. 1st: Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War (11am at Capitol)
Sector Actions (pre-packaged meals and street deliveries)
-Sept. 2nd: Poor Peoples’ Economic and Human Rights Campaign March (3pm Mears
Park)
-Sept. 4th: Anti-War Committee March (4pm - Food on the fly)
Youth Against War and Racism Rally/March (11am location TBA)

**We will also be providing healthy meals as needed to folks doing jail support and to people as they are released from jail.

Volunteering!!!!!!
So, here are the time blocks (4 hrs.) we would like folks to spend in the kitchen chopping veggies, doing dishes, etc.
-Aug. 28th - 29th: 8:00am - 2:00
-Aug 30th -Sep. 4th:
7:00am - 11:00am
11:00am - 3:00pm
3:00pm - 7:00pm
7:00pm-10:00pm

Donations Needed
We need cash donations to purchase those supplies that we can not get donated. In short any amount can help for example: we can get 5 gallons of propane for $20, 100 lbs of Rice for $60, 5 gallons of cooking oil for $25. You can donate by bringing a check or cash it to the kitchen at the corner of Wyoming St. and Smith Ave. in St. Paul. All the food groups will be using the bulk items we purchase. We will still welcome donations of bulk food.

We will also post a sign up for affinity groups to get food box for September 1. If your action or group need food support please give us a call at 208-240-3253 or 208-220-2133.

10. ::::HOUSING::::
As of this writing, the RNC Welcoming Committee has not secured any mass housing sites. Barring the last-minute appearance of a site, we will have to rely very heavily on the generosity of Twin Cities residents in opening up their houses and yards in order for everyone coming into town to have a safe place to sleep every night. We have established an ad hoc working group that will develop and execute a plan of action for securing housing over the next few days. If you would like to join this group, please contact rnc08@riseup.net. If there is any way you can arrange housing for yourself or your comrades without going through us- whether through a relative, friend, or friendly acquaintance, we urge you to do so. If this is not an option and you do not yet have a place to crash, check out the housing board at http://www.NoRNC.org/stay. While we do not want to downplay the seriousness of this need, we also want to assure everyone planning to come that, one way or another, we will find you a place to rest your head.

11. ::::BIKES::::
The folks at the RNC Bike Space have been busy as bees putting together bikes for the RNC. We have tons of energy in our great space and have seen a lot of bikes go out our doors, but we are starting to run low on the raw materials themselves (we're down to frames, which take a while to become bikes). If you are in town already and looking for some way to help, start asking around to everyone you see for bike donations. We are also calling on all of the folks that are coming from out of town to network with their local community bike shops and to bring/send as many as they can or bring their own. Demand will be high in the next few days and we hate to see sad faces.

The RNC Bike Space is located at the corner of 36th St E & 5th Ave in Minneapolis (google it) and will be open the following hours in the leadup to the RNC:

Friday: 10 AM - 5 PM ->Closing for Critical Mass. Limited bikes available at the Convergence Space.

Saturday: 10 AM - 8 PM ->Limited workspace, volunteers with bike experience are welcome.

Sunday: 10 AM until Close ->We have to be out of our space today as well as fix any last-minute bikes so all help will be welcome.

September 1-4: Any bikes left over will be at the Convergence Space. Bike Space folk and tools will be at the Convergence space to help with tune-ups and flats as much as we can and intends to have roaming bike fixers around St Paul as much as possible.

See our site for more details: http://nornc.org/bike

12. ::::CHILDCARE::::
Childcare will be available throughout the RNC. If you need childcare, or would like to help with childcare, please email childcarerncprotest@riseup.net.

13. ::::ARISE! INFOLINE
Call the Arise information hotline at 612.871.2283 for basic information about public protest/action schedules, transit and transportation info, community resources, rumor control, and everything unexpected. We'll refer out for answers to medical (North Star Health Collective) and legal (Coldsnap Legal Collective) questions.

The infoline will be up and running from 8am to midnight starting August 29.

Visit St. Paul in September 2008!
http://www.nornc.org

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