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Before going into St. Paul for any protests, write the name of the COLDSNAP legal collective somewhere on your skin. 651-356-8635. Call this number once you are under arrest. Check in with them when you are released from the facility (located at 425 Grove, near the capital). They will help you in fighting charges. A group of over 200 of us were surrounded by riot police across from Harriet Island and a majority were detained. Two of my friends (who were both arrested) and myself were walking to a labor day concert on the island when police directed us to the opposite side of the fountain (where they were apparently giving the same orders in the other direction). They slowly closed in on us, wearing gas masks and threatening to gas us. I explained to an officer that I had a ticket to the concert and was simply trying to get across the bridge to the island. My two friends told them the same, but they did not have tickets (they were planning to buy them at the gates). They spent about two hours sending groups of 4 or 5 cops to apprehend each person while we all peacefully sat on the sidewalk and placed our hands over our heads (as directed). When they were about to arrest me, the cop I had spoken with earlier found me and (after checking my ticket and writing down my info) took me outside the circle, where many had gathered. A MAJORITY OF THESE PEOPLE WERE ALSO EN ROUTE TO THE CONCERT AND NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANARCHISTS WHO HAD STARTED EARLIER CONFLICTS! One man was walking his dog. One woman was on her way to work. They were being arrested indiscriminately. After being cuffed and before being placed on buses, they were separated into those charged with felonies and those charged with misdemeanors. Many charged with felonies were not part of any riots. If I hadn't ordered my ticket in advance, I'd likely be in custody. This just isn't right.
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Here is an update from about four hours ago from the COLDSNAP site. I will post it again as a separate topic. I hope that's alright. People NEED to know what's happening in our police state. Here it is:
As of 10:30pm today, the arrest tally from Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office was: 284 total; 130 felonies; 51 gross misdemeanors; 103 misdemeanors. The jail is seemingly severely backed up and not everyone has been booked or processed, so these numbers clearly don’t represent the total arrestee count for the day. These numbers also do not necessarily include the numbers of arrestees whose identifications have not been verified.
In regards to the arrestees from this weekend’s raids, five of them are still being held at Ramsey County Jail on probable cause, which means that they might not be able to see a judge until Tuesday or Wednesday. One of the arrestees was released yesterday evening.
Though some people have been cited and released, the majority are still being held in jail. We’ve gotten many reports that people are not getting proper medical attention, are being refused their medication, and/or have been separated from the rest of the group.
Also, there are also many felony charges, which allow the state to hold the protesters for a longer period of time. Felony charges have historically been used as scare tactics against activists, and there is much less precedent for them to hold up in court. More often, these bogus charges are simply used to keep protesters off the streets and as a way to oppress and silence people.
Please show your support and solidarity by calling the jail at 651.266.9350 and demand that people are given proper medical attention, are given access to their medication, and are not separated from the larger group! Also, demand that arrestees’ charges are dropped and that they are released immediately! You can also call the Ramsey County Sheriff’s office at 651.487.5149 or the St. Paul Mayor’s office at 651.266.8510, as well your city council member, state representatives, etc.
More information about how to support your friends and loved ones here:
What should I do while my friends are in jail?
* Call the Coldsnap Legal Collective jail support hotline (651.356.8635) and let them know your friends have been arrested;
* Contact other friends and loved ones who the arrestee wants to be informed of the situation. Update those people regularly, even if nothing has changed;
* Take care of logistics for your friends: Call their bosses, rescue their bikes, feed their cats, etc.;
* Call the jail to find out where they are in the process. Be polite but firm with the people at the jail. Don’t talk about the specifics of your friends’ cases;
* Try to get messages from the outside world to your arrested friends. This is a HUGE morale booster; and
* Flood the jail with phone calls, especially if folks have needs that aren’t being met. Call the mayor, the police chief, and other representatives of the state, or write a letter to the editor denouncing police harassment, misconduct, unlawful arrests, and/or the attempt to oppress and silence people. You may also want to organize other actions such as staging protests or rallies outside of the jail.
What should I do once people start getting out of jail?
* Go to the jail, be there when your friends get out, and have a ride home for them;
* Have food, water, clean clothes, music, and whatever else you can think of to emotionally support them after their experience;
* If they were brutalized by the cops or the jail guards, take photos of the bruises and wounds (show broad and detailed views, using rulers, coins, or other items of standard sizes to show scale), take them to a hospital or doctor you trust, make sure they’re examined and that police brutality is written in their medical records, and make sure they take a copy of their medical records when they leave. Preserve any evidence (e.g., bloody clothes) with the pictures and documentation and keep them in a safe space until you can get the originals to the legal team. (Keep copies of all photos and documents in a safe place, just in case.);
* Make sure to record their arrest and case information. If they have a citation, photocopy it. Take note of upcoming court dates. Make sure the legal teams gets all this info; and
* Remind people about their upcoming court dates and support them through the court process; and organize your friends and the community to show support by filling the courtroom.
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