It has been a successful year for those working to pick each other up in the RNC aftermath, with many charges against protesters dropped, the launching of several civil suits against the state, and happy milestones such as the terrorism enhancements being dropped from the case against the RNC 8.
I have been tracking the media coverage of the G-20 in Pittsburgh for the last few months and have begun an initial archive at rnc08report.org/pittsburgh-g20/ which is sadly taking shape to look like a rerun of the 2008 RNC. The city, police, business owner, and anarchist narratives might as well have been lifted from the coverage of the RNC in St. Paul, how similar they are. And these narratives were already repeated in the G-20 held across the pond in London, where preemptive raids of homes and convergence centers preceded mass arrests and police violence.
"In the wake of the "9.11 changed everything" overreaction (and repressive mentality), the RNC '08 Report has contributed immensely to the effort to restore the contours of free speech rights and other constitutional protections vital to the healthy functioning of our representative democracy."
-- Coleen Rowley, 9/11 FBI whistleblower and lecturer/writer on Civil Liberties and Effective Investigation
I have made the decision to travel to the upcoming G-20 in Pittsburgh, taking place from September 24th to 25th, in order to observe and document the pattern that seems to be globalizing, of police repression of protest and of the voices of the independent media. From St. Paul to Pittsburgh, from Tiananmen Square to Palestine to Iran, the utilization of new media tools by concerned citizens is becoming an increasingly vital defense against the bitter taste of the media-state narrative that is actively pushed on the public before, during and after these events.
"The RNC '08 Report, since its inception in September 2008, has been supporting our Chapter's efforts to protect and defend the First Amendment rights of the thousands of people who came out in protest of the Republican National Convention held in Saint Paul, September 1st-4th 2008. The RNC '08 Report is an outstanding example of how the efforts of ordinary citizens can playa crucial role in defending the First Amendment freedoms to publicly associate and petition the government for redress of grievances."
-- Bruce Nester, Minnesota Chapter President of the National Lawyers Guild
The RNC '08 Report has continued to do what it has been doing since the Convention. And with the recent anniversary of the 2008 RNC which created a flurry of work, the release of the CCTV footage a few months ago, and the need for some technical work on the site to accommodate the growing number of sources and source material, it would greatly benefit the project to receive a little funding.
The RNC '08 Report needs to purchase three hard drives that currently contain a copy of the CCTV footage from the RNC, in order to be able to meet a commitment to i-Witness video in New York. This will leave two copies of the footage in two separate locations in the Twin Cities, as well as a third set in New York.
Time not working and travel expenses to the G-20 in Pittsburgh have also created a crunch at a time of increased work.
We continue to work with CUAPB and the various legal teams as needed to provide materials for defense strategies and media appearances. We can also create blow-up graphics and information packets for press conferences on request. Got an event? Allow us to brainstorm with you to create some resources to inform the media and public!
Any donations towards these needs would be greatly appreciated.
Information about this project appeal, including a detailed introduction to the work of the report up to this summer, can be downloaded from rnc08report.org/appeals/
My contact information during the G-20 will remain the same. My contact coordinates follow below.
Thank you for your consideration,
Nigel Parry
RNC '08 Report
Tel: (646) 812-0897
DONATE NOW!
Donate by Credit Card via Paypal"The RNC '08 Report has been a great resource for us, as it has provided us an easy way to access all the available information published on the incidents before, during and after the Convention. Due to Nigel's work, we are able to easily search the website and find articles, pictures, and videos that relate to specific arrests or incidents without having to stress our own limited resources. The RNC '08 Report also provides us with links to various independent sources, hard-to-find government reports, and videos or images that may be overlooked or lost without this type of archival website. The RNC '08 Report has been there to chronicle everything.... Nigel's work will continue to help us inform future activists and those concerned with civil liberties about what happened when the Convention came to St. Paul, and what they may need to prepare for if a National Security Special Event comes to their town."
-- Melissa Hill on behalf of the Community RNC Arrestee Support Structure
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