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Communities United Against Police Brutality
EMAIL NEWSLETTER
October 6, 2010
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UPCOMING EVENTS
October 22 is the national day of protest and there are lots of important upcoming events to report on, all having to do with resisting excesses of the police state. Mark your calendars now.

TOMORROW: Stop FBI Repression Community Meeting
Next community meeting to organize Stop FBI
Thursday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m.
Walker Church
3104 16th Ave S, Minneapolis
Please attend and help organize to Stop FBI repression against antiwar activists. (See story below to learn more about this case.)

Talk by Radical Attorney Tony Serra
Saturday, 10/9, 5 p.m.
Hamline Law School, 1536 Hewitt Ave, Room 105, St. Paul
Suggested donation $5-20 for Scott Demuth Defense Fund
Tony Serra is a well known civil rights attorney and tax resister from California. In 2003, he won Trial Lawyer Of The Year award for his work representing Earth First! and labor activist Judi Bari in her lawsuit against the FBI, in relation to the bombing of her car. Other clients of note include Rod Coronado, Huey P. Newton, and Sara Jane Olson. He has also represented members of the White Panthers, Hells Angels, Earth First, and the New World Liberation Front.

Grand Juries – What are they? How can we resist them?
Sunday, October 10, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Walker Church
3104 16th Ave S, Minneapolis
In the last week of September, 14 anti-war and international solidarity activists were hit with Grand Jury subpoenas. These are the most recent but certainly not the only grand jury subpoenas served on activists from different movements around the country. In this context it is critical that radicals, activists, and supporters of those targeted understand the use of this shadowy institution--including the "rights" they grant us and the rights we claim for ourselves. Carrie Feldman, a local activist and former member of the Coldsnap Legal Collective, will be speaking about what a grand jury is, how they have been used to target radical movements, and her experience resisting a federal grand jury investigation into the animal liberation movement. In addition, one of the local antiwar activists targeted by the latest round of subpoenas will speak on the current situation in that case. Stop the FBI harassment! Say no to government repression of activists! For more information on the recent raids and subpoenas into the anti-war movement, visit: http://stopfbi.net/ For more information about Carrie's case, visit: http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com

Legal Education Session and Know Your Rights Training in response to the FBI offensive against the Anti-War Movement:
The Legal Information Activists Need to Know
Sunday, October 10, 4:30 p.m.
Walker Church
3104 16th Ave S, Minneapolis
Meant to continue the training presented by Carrie Feldman, topics to be covered include:
- An explanation of the Federal Laws prohibiting "Material Support to Terrorists" and how they are being used, and how they threaten the rights of peace activists everywhere
- Discussion of the federal grand jury process, and its oppressive use against political movements
- Training on what to do "if an agent knocks." What are rights if a federal agent want to talk to you, comes to search your house or other property, or serves you with a subpoena?
Information will be presented by local civil rights Attorney Jordan Kushner, with contributions by other lawyers and activists with pertinent experience. Co-Sponsored by NLG-MN, CAIR-MN, WAMM, Anti-War Committee, RNC 8 Defense Committee, Al-Aqsa Institute, Communities United Against Police Brutality

Panel Discussion on the Role of Police in Society
Thursday, October 14 at 6:30 p.m.
Walker Church
3104 16th Ave S, Minneapolis
In light of the Metro Gang Task Force debacle, the recent death after tasing of David Smith, several high profile incidents and lawsuits, and the second firing of MPD cop Jason Andersen, CUAPB will hold a panel discussion that takes us back to the root question: what role, if any, does policing have in our society. In the lead up to October 22 National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality, panelists representing a wide range of political views will present on this highly relevant topic. There will be plenty of time for questions and comments from the public. Please join us for what will be a fascinating discussion.

Friday, October 22 National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality
THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE IN THE START OF THE MARCH!

October 22, 7:00 p.m.
March to mark the National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality
Leaving from Lake Street at Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis
Protest the blatant and unpunished murders of Fong Lee, Quincy Smith, David Smith and so many others, and the lack of prosecution of cop corruption with the Metro Gang Task Force. Demand an end to police brutality NOW!

October 22, 8:30 p.m.
Joint CUAPB/RNC 8 Fundraiser
Favor Cafe
913 W Lake St, Minneapolis
Suggested donation $10
The wonderful owners of Favor Cafe (the only Black-owned business in uptown) are turning over their beautiful club to us for this festive evening fundraiser. A great lineup of spoken word and hip hop artists will provide the entertainment. Regular and adult beverages, appetizers and delicious soul food entrees will be available for purchase, including vegan options. Our goal is to raise funds for legal fees for the RNC 8 and for people who face false charges after being brutalized, including Philander Jenkins, who needs funds to appeal his false conviction.
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ANTI-WAR ACTIVISTS: "WE HAVE NOTHING TO SAY TO A GRAND JURY"
Chicago, October 5th, 2010, five anti-war and international solidarity activists from Chicago and Minneapolis announced they are invoking their 5th amendment right to not testify in front of a Grand Jury investigation. Stephanie Weiner, one of those raided and subpoenaed spoke to 150 supporters at a press conference outside the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago, "This is an attack on the anti-war movement, but the strong response of our movement, where more than 61 protests in cities across the country, makes it absolutely clear that this is about more than just 14 activists in the Midwest. It is an attempt to limit the voice of anti-war, peace, and international solidarity activists."

The five signed letters to Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Fox. They informed him of their decision to invoke their 5th amendment rights to not testify. One of those subpoenaed to appear today, Meredith Aby of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee, said, "Our opposition to U.S. war and occupation in Afghanistan and Iraq, our scathing criticism of U.S. government support for repressive regimes and death squads in Colombia and Israel is well known and public. This attempt to criminalize the fourteen of us in the anti-war movement must be stopped. The Grand Jury should be ended. There should be no charges."

Joe Iosbaker stated, "We have nothing to say to a Grand Jury. Most people do not understand how secretive and undemocratic the Grand Jury is. I am not allowed to have my lawyer with me. There isn't even a judge. How strange is that? It is the U.S. prosecutor with 23 people they hand picked to pretty much rubber stamp whatever the prosecutor says. A person is defenseless in that situation."

Jim Fennerty an attorney working to defend the activists said, "Assistant U.S. Attorney Fox is cancelling the subpoenas for the five due to appear today. This does not put an end to the Grand Jury investigation however. Fox can reissue subpoenas for new dates or decide to arrest the activists and charge them with crimes."

Activists organized a successful National Call In Day yesterday, with thousands phoning to demand that President Obama and U.S. Attorney General Holder publicly call off the Grand Jury investigation.

For more information www.stopfbi.net

ALSO: If you haven't called Attorney General Eric Holder and President Obama yet PLEASE DO!

President Obama (202-456-1111) and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (202-353-1555)
Demand :
**End repression of anti-war and international solidarity activists!
**Return all materials seized in the raid!
**Stop the Grand Jury Subpoenas of activists!
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MPD POLICY CHANGES
With little fanfare, the Minneapolis Police Department updated a number of policies, including its use of force policy and Taser policy, as of October 1. The changes are reflected in online Policy and Procedure Manual. You can see the new policies at: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/mpdpolicy/5-300/5-300.asp

Under these new policies, Tasers are now considered "less lethal" rather than nonlethal. Impact weapons get similar treatment. Recall that in 2006, the city council required the MPD to adopt a fairly stringent Taser policy in order to purchase more Tasers but barely 18 months later, the MPD secretly gutted the policy. Their actions can be directly attributed to the deaths of Quincy Smith and David Cornelius Smith. The new policy makes it clear that Tasers neither can be used on passive resistors or simply noncompliant suspects. Given the large number of complaints we get of people being Tased while handcuffed simply for speaking, if the policy is actually followed this could bring the community some relief.

To quote Dave Bicking, who first broke this story, "It appears that Quincy Smith and David Cornelius Smith have succeeded where the CRA [Civilian Review Authority] failed. It's sick that it takes that kind of price to be paid."
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"FALSE REPORTING" LAW GOES DOWN IN FLAMES!
We are ecstatic to report that the so-called False Reporting law passed by the Minnesota Legislature four years ago has been overturned by the state appeals court. You'll recall that CUAPB took the state of Minnesota to federal court to overturn this awful law, which criminalizes reporting of police brutality if the person can't prove it happened (and sometimes even if they can). We lost at the very conservative 8th circuit federal court and have been in the process of mounting an appeal when this ruling came down from the state appeals court in another lawsuit. To see the decision, go to http://www.lawlibrary.state.mn.us/archive/ctappub/1009/opa091795-0928.pdf The decision incorporates many of the First Amendment arguments we advanced, so we are quite happy to see the law go down for those reasons. All-in-all, a wonderful decision for the community.

In a nutshell, the decision says "Minn. Stat. § 609.505, subd. 2 (2006), which criminalizes knowingly making false statements that allege police misconduct, but not knowingly making false statements to absolve police, violates the First Amendment's prohibition against viewpoint discrimination."

One excerpt we particularly enjoy: "Our guide in this undertaking is the majority opinion of Justice Antonin Scalia in R.A.V., a landmark case declaring a St. Paul ordinance banning certain cross burnings to be unconstitutional. . . . 'St. Paul has no . . . authority to license one side of a debate to fight freestyle, while requiring the other to follow Marquis de Queensberry rules.' . . . '[T]he government may proscribe libel; but it may not make the further content discrimination of proscribing only libel critical of the government.'"
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Communities United Against Police Brutality
3100 16th Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Hotline 612-874-STOP (7867)
Meetings: Every Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Walker Church, 3104 16th Avenue South