As of October 1, 2008 the U.S. has a new division of military assigned to keep the country safe and maintain crowd control when necessary. The Army assigned the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team to duty within the continental United States.

"The 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team has spent 35 of the last 60 months in Iraq patrolling in full battle rattle, helping restore essential services and escorting supply convoys.

Now they’re training for the same mission — with a twist — at home."
More news from the Army Times

After 35 months of training in Iraq, this military branch is now deployed to fight threats in the U.S. such as civil disobedience and massive protests.
This marks the first time an active military unit has been given a dedicated assignment to NorthCom, a joint command established in 2002 to provide command and control for federal homeland defense efforts and coordinate defense support of civil authorities.

The tricky part is that this initiative is in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act which is often cited as a major constraint on the use of the military services to participate in homeland security, counter terrorism, civil disturbances, and similar domestic duties. This law was created to prohibit the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps from performing any kind of police work or assisting law enforcement agencies to enforce the law.

The 2008 RNC in St. Paul exemplifies that an excessively forceful police presence leads to more violence. The blunt use of force and covert surveillance at the RNC is evidence that the government will take many measures, even preemptive ones, to silence the voices of dissent.

Can someone say Police State? The Government must be planning on huge numbers of people rising up against, take your pick; thousands of homes being foreclosed on while millionaires stay fat and rich, another illegal election process, poor plans to insure a clean energy future, a war with no end in sight, increased media consolidation that allows corporate media to pollute our airwaves and dull our brains, poor health care initiatives, a global political presence that embarrasses us while bullying other countries, further investments in military while a peace economy makes more sense.
You can add to the list of things to be outraged about in the comments section below.

Republican National Convention 2008

Media workers and activists are being scooped off the streets of in St.Paul, Minneapolis. More than 300 people have been arrested and detained.

8 organizers from the RNC Welcoming Committee, a group of activists facilitating actions around the RNC, have been arrested and face felony charges of "Conspiracy to Riot and Furtherance Terrorism". If found guilty they will face up to 7 1/2 years in prison. The 8 activists were among others arrested when Ramsey county police surrounded a house with M16 rifles and riot gear and proceeded to search and arrest the citizens. The search warrant indicated that they were looking for "bomb making material" such as card board, plastic bottles and twine. Police took laptops, cameras, notepads and other personal belongings.
This is the first such charge ever to be made in Minnesota. Police learned about activities by admittedly spying and infiltrating the group over the past year with an undercover cop and informants posing as a member of the group.


Here is a Copy of Affidavit Used in RNC-WC Raids

The New York City based media group I-Witness has been under watch and harassment of Ramsey county riot cops. Their rented house has been searched twice, their workers have been detained. Police also surrounded their workspace on a bogus claim that hostages were barricaded inside their building. I-Witness acts as a media watchdog for police misconduct towards citizens.

You can watch video of the first preemptive raid here


Philadelphia based Associated Press photographer, Matt Rourke, and three Democracy Now! producers, Nicole Salazar, Sharif Abdel Kouddous, and Amy Goodman are among the many media workers taken off the streets while peacefully doing their job.

You can contact the following offices and demand the immediate release of media workers. Demand that the county attorney's office not press charges against media workers.
Demand that felony charges be dropped for members of the RNC Welcoming Committee.

Chris Coleman, St. Paul Mayor: 651.266.8510
or Chris Rider from Mayor Coleman's office at 651-266-8535
Ramsey County Jail at 651-266-9350 (press extension 0)
Ramsey County Sheriff: 651.487.5149
Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner 651-266-3222