Anybody from the mnrf forums need bail money? Check in!

[Baron Doune]

Just wondering is all.

I've got good rates.

RNC and all....

[TheFerret]

That seems a little random....though not out of place. I've been "hiding" from the RNC.

[groomporter]

I am I wrong to suspect that a good number of the protesters are imported from outside of Minnesota??
And that some are there just as an excuse to cause trouble?

[TheFerret]

GP, that doesn't surprise me at all.

[ladiedragon]

i beleive your right Gp, but Sandman..here's down there. or maybe he's in jail right now. don't know for sure.

[Nikita]

What's funny is a good amount of the protests have gone very peacefully and then the anarchists, cowardly dogs who don't want to show their face or use their real name in support of overthrowing the government for "something better" which lacks all definition or form, and ignores our peaceful revolutions every four years, come in and cause trouble under other people's names.

[groomporter]

Yeah, it reminds me a bit of the protests against the WTO talks a few years ago in Seattle. It seemed like there were a number of wannbe's and trouble makers causing problems for the "real" protesters.

[Nikita]

Yep and what's worse - most of them are on bail from Denver!

[Lord Figaro]

I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't from anywhere near here. I mentioned that to Brandi the other day, that I highly doubt the main trouble makers are from MN at all.

[Charlotte Rowan]

Troublemakers in MN? Nay!

[escherblacksmith]

I managed to avoid the bulk of the mayhem (I live in Midway), but the choppers were a tad annoying at night.

[SleepyArcher]

The news stated that most protestors are from the East and West.

[Oldarcher]

Many of the gross misdemeanants will cop to the jail time. It's quite a while till the next big "protest".

[Lord Figaro]

I remember years ago working for a temp place, where I discovered some groups will hire people if they don't have enough people. Not to name name's or anything. But two that I was offered a job with were PITA, and green peace. I just thought that was a bit funny.

[Baron Doune]

Sorry guys don't agree.

Just a bit worried about one person.

[ladiedragon]

I remember years ago working for a temp place, where I discovered some groups will hire people if they don't have enough people. Not to name name's or anything. But two that I was offered a job with were PITA, and green peace. I just thought that was a bit funny.

yea rage was talking about this. basically the "same" people are protesting both conventions. getting paid to, of course.

[groomporter]

I just don't get it. What's the point? Don't they have better uses for the money? Think of the viral web campaign you could do just with a couple thousand dollars and a Youtube account.

[Sandman]

First off, I'm fine for now, we will see how this month plays out.
Secondly.  There's a lot of corporate media rehash going around here.  Let me clarify.
Anarchists are not cowardly, we hide our face to grant members both anonymity from surveillance (any activist group these days are being infiltrated by law enforcement if possible), and anonymity in their actions, that's right, no one gets credit for what they do, they can't without IDing themselves.
My group was infiltrated by 2 paid informants and one Ramsey county police investigator.
The result, bogus charges, on planted evidence, that has ended up putting 8 of my friends away for 7 years, on charges of "riot in the furtherance of terror," if found guilty in court.
all 8 of these people are from the twin cities, not imported from the east or west, like was suggested.
Yes, national demos do import interest from other places, but protests in general are national events.
As for the "Real" protester/ "bad" protester argument, get with the times.
This year's RNC protest had established the "St. Paul standards," all groups agreed to work together, and not denounce actions or people to the media, even if they employed tactics that one might disagree with.
As one of the cowardly anarchists, all I can say is, the liberal authoritarian left, seldom has to deal with the consequences and repression that anarchists do.
I don't see anyone from the March on the RNC facing terror charges, and that organization was action oriented.  The group that received constant harassment, unlawful raids prior to the convention, was an anarchist logistics group, supplying solutions for housing, legal, medical, food, and informational support.   None of the other groups asked where people were staying, how they were being defended or treated, or where they were getting food.  However, because of the anti-government beliefs in what we do, obviously we are going to be the ones targeted.
As for those who want to continue to state that anarchists are violent, let me ask you this.
Who sent people to the hospital.  It wasn't anarchists, it wasn't protesters, it was the cops. 
Perhaps you're among those who think that violence against property is just as bad as violence against a person.  If so, I hate to tell you but violence against property is this decades buzz word for vandalism.  A broken window is never justification for inflicting pain on any animal, human or otherwise.  If you think it is, you have some serious prioritizing to do.
As for my personal politics, I'd be happy to discuss it over a mead or beer that you've payed for.

I have been working toward this protest for 2 years and didn't receive a cent, so to hear protesters are in it for the money when there are virtually no paying anarchist organizations devoted to protest is kinda silly to hear.  As for greenpeace, yeah they're basically in it for the photo-op, and are often guilty of throwing money out there in place of finding solutions to their problems or needs. 
But they're still great people.

[Kiss-me-Kate]

In any case, Sandy, I am glad to see you are okay.  We were all concerned about you.

[renren]

Yeah, don't go gettin hurt or nuttin, Sandy!

[Killian]

Glad to see you safe and not arrested Ryan! Call me sometime!

[Lord Figaro]

Glad to hear your okay Sandman. I don't agree with your ideals of destroying property as a viable protest. But glad to know your okay.

[SleepyArcher]

glad to hear your ok.

People protest for just about everything. The only problem I have is when protestors destroy public property or disrupt the normal activity of people not involved in what the protestors are protesting about. Like breaking windows of bussinesses at random or shutting a bridge down by sitting in the road. Protest all you but when it affects me or co-workers etc then I get upset. I know there many groups out there but who I am most upset at are the ones who smashed windows or cop cars etc because for some of that I have pay thru taxes and the other thing is those bussiness owners didn't ask for the destruction in which they have to pay for for something they didn't ask for. I'm sure the city of St Paul isn't going to help with that.

Say what you will about covering your face but when you do it and DO cause destruction in my book you are a coward no matter what your cause. Thee are always a few that make a bad name for a group and those wee them and I hope they are all caught.

Fight your fight Sandman you're entitled. I have no qaulms with that I just hope you are not the "destictive" kind which I believe u r not.

[willin]

covering their faces,  destroying property. . .

could be describing the mob disguised as indians that raided a private cargo ship in Boston harbor and destroyed it's cargo belonging to a multinational corporation, by throwing it overboard.  aka the Boston tea party -1773. they called themselves patriots and soon gained worldwide attention while conducting guerrilla warfare against the most powerful government & military force on the planet at that time.   patriots (a minority of the population) also used intimidation and violence against their loyalist neighbors & fellow colonists, tarring and feathering was a favorite patriot tactic. burning the farms and homes of loyalists drove thousands to flee from the colonies to Canada. as patriots took control of commonwealth governments they passed laws seizing the private property of loyalists, more than 4,000 claims were made by loyalists after the war, but the patriots newly formed government (aka the United States of America) seeing little to no public support refused to grant compensation. facing persecution over 60,000 thousand Loyalists left the country;  30,000 departed from New York alone, with most settling in Nova Scotia. this was perpetrated by patriots, the heroes of our history books, our founding fathers, our ancestors.

patriot - anarchist note the similarities

"Every generation needs a new revolution." ~Thomas Jefferson

"The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive."
~Thomas Jefferson

Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone.
The people themselves are its only safe depositories. ~Thomas Jefferson

When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.
~Ben Franklin

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.
Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote."  attributed to Ben Franklin

[willin]

in my attempt to keep within the new Forum guideline* added 09/09/2008

*"The Topics of Politics and Religion
Due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter, the increased potential for conversations to become inflamed, and in order to maintain a family friendly atmosphere we would like to ask all visitors to RenaissanceFestival.com to refrain from discussing the topics of modern politics and religions of any type.  We understand that this may be a controversial request, however, we feel that this is necessary in order to ensure the best possible experience for the majority of our visitors.  Please be advised that posts violating this guideline will be immediately deleted, and members who repeatedly post such subject matter will be subject to account suspension, or deletion at the Forum Administrators discretion. Exception: The discussion of historical politics as it relates to the time periods, persons, and social structures associated with your typical Renaissance Faire will be permitted.  However, any discussion that violates other Forum Guidelines will be deleted."   

http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php?topic=3388.0

seeing as how "Renaissance Faires" of recent years have embraced Pirates of the Caribbean era characters - mid to late 1700's  - (Jack Sparrow taught Ben Franklin the kite & key trick) not the renaissance at all, but that's the way it is.  i hereby contend my previous post in this thread to be (barely)within the guidelines of historical reference allowed in the exception highlighted above.

[Storm]

"Every generation needs a new revolution." ~Thomas Jefferson

"The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive."
~Thomas Jefferson

Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone.
The people themselves are its only safe depositories. ~Thomas Jefferson

When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.
~Ben Franklin

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.
Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote."  attributed to Ben Franklin


[/center]

Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin...

Don't you just love the Deists? My favorite group of "political thought meisters" by far!...

[Baron Doune]

Was worried about you Sandy...

I was in STP all week, never have ever seen anything like it before.