We’re Getting Ready… For Court
(What are you doing?)
(Watch Video at YouTube | Blip.TV | Indybay.org)
Trial Starts October 25
NEXT COURT DATE: September 10, 2010
Get caught up on the May hearings: Court Update from the First Two Days of RNC 8 Hearings, Court Update from the Third Day of RNC 8 Hearings, Detailed Court Notes from May 3rd, Court Update from the Fourth Day of the RNC 8 Hearings, and Court Update from the Fifth Day of the RNC 8 Hearings.
Defend the RNC 8!
The RNC 8/RNC Eight are organizers against the 2008 Twin Cities Republican National Convention who have been falsely charged in response to their political organizing: Luce Guillen-Givins, Max Specktor, Nathanael Secor, Eryn Trimmer, Monica Bicking, Erik Oseland, Robert Czernik and Garrett Fitzgerald.
On Saturday, August 30th 2008, the Ramsey County, Minnesota Sheriff’s Department executed search warrants on three houses, seizing personal and common household items and arresting RNC organizers Monica Bicking, Garrett Fitzgerald, Erik Oseland, Nathanael Secor, and Eryn Trimmer. Later that day Luce Guillen-Givins was arrested leaving a public meeting at a park. Rob Czernik and Max Specktor were arrested on Monday, September 1. These arrests were preemptive, targeting known organizers in an attempt to derail 2008 anti-RNC protests in St. Paul, MN before the convention had even begun. The “RNC 8″ were originally charged with conspiracy to riot in the 2nd degree in furtherance of terrorism, a felony which was the first ever use of Minnesota’s PATRIOT Act.
In December 2008, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner (who is also running for Governor of Minnesota as a Democrat) added three more felony charges: 2nd degree conspiracy to riot (without the terrorism enhancement), 1st degree conspiracy to commit criminal damage to property in furtherance of terrorism, and 1st degree conspiracy to commit criminal damage to property (without the terrorism enhancement). Then, in April 2009, Gaertner dropped the two “in furtherance of terrorism” charges due to political pressure from RNC 8 supporters. The other two conspiracy charges still remain, and the RNC 8 still potentially face several years of prison time.
This site contains news updates, press releases, biographies, resources, events, and information for contributing to their legal support, and is maintained only by the support committee for the RNC 8. For the latest updates on the defending the RNC 8, view the Recent Posts on the left or sign up for the Friends of the RNC 8 announcements list.
This case is as an opportunity to demonstrate community solidarity in the face of repression and to establish a precedent of successful resistance to the government’s attempts to destroy our movements. We will not be intimidated!
SEE YOU IN THE COURTS!
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Watch background on the case and interviews with the RNC 8 in the film Terrorizing Dissent: (~35min.)
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The stories syndicated in the really super-cool widget below do not necessarily reflect the views of Friends of the RNC 8/the RNC 8 Defense Committee, the accused or their counsel.
