RNC '08 Report: Video

"Freedom is on the March" trailer (Glass Bead Collective)

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 00:37:43 PST

2:06 minute trailer for the coming documentary about police and protesters during the 2008 RNC, by Glass Bead Collective and Twin Cities Indymedia. Includes some unseen footage of riot police bizarrely abusing a small female protester wearing black.

St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington reports back on policing during the RNC (St. Paul City Council)

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:55:43 PST

1 hr 16 minute video from the St. Paul City Council feed.

Special message for the October 16th St. Paul RNC Arrestees Benefit (Submedia.tv)

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:47:29 PST

Submedia.TV's host, The Stimulator, kindly put together a message for the RNC arrestees benefit at the Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar in Lowertown, St. Paul, MN, on October 16th, 2008. Unfortunately, technical problems won out on that part of the evening. The benefit concert raised $1,000. Watch the Stimulator's cheeky message here.

Independent media "not welcome" at Coleman "media availability" (Minnesota Independent)

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:08:11 PST

Independent media were denied access to a recent press conference with Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman. This continues the disturbing trend of undermining independent media seen in Minnesota during the RNC.

Plans for left over police equipment after the Convention (Fox 9 (Fox News affiliate))

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:38:04 PST

Fox 9's Ellen Galles reports on what is happening to the $14 million worth of riot equipment purchased for 1,200 cops, 50 security cameras in Downtown St. Paul, and 60 police bicycles left behind after the RNC. Most of the equipment is being split between the various agencies across the Twin Cities metro area, with the St. Paul Police Department getting most of the leftovers, including a mobile command unit and the police bicycles. 2:10 minutes.

"Ground Noise and Static" (2008) (Submedia.tv)

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:04:56 PST

31 minute documentary on the protests that occurred in connection with the Democrat and Republican National Conventions, Ground Noise & Static is a manifesto. We went to Denver and St. Paul to take the pulse of the movement. Corporate media would cover the platitudes and posturing of the politicians, we were interested in something else, a story hidden in plain sight, captured in the now-classic street chant, “This is what democracy looks like.”

Uncertain Futures documentary (Indymedia)

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:17:37 PST

A 48-minute-long Bay Area Indymedia compilation of cinema verite video shot by independent journalists and found footage from the commercial media and Federal Laboratories, the people that tirelessly labor to bring us mace, tear gas and pepper spray.

First "Community Conversation about the RNC" (Fox 9 (Fox News affiliate))

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:38:56 PST

Beth McDonough reports live from outside St. Paul City Council after the first
"Community Conversation about the RNC". Includes footage from Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher's preemptive press conference earlier in the day.

Elliot Hughes at the "Community Conversation about the RNC" (The Uptake)

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:12:54 PST

Arrested during Day 1 of the RNC, Elliot Hughes, while under the care of the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department, alleged he was starved, beaten unconscious, hooded and gagged, and ultimately denied medical treatment. In this video from The Uptake hear Elliot's full testimony before a special meeting of St. Paul's council members, on Wednesday September 24th, 2008.

Leah Lane interview: "The Pacifist" (Fox 9 (Fox News affiliate))

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:13:22 PST

MUST SEE VIDEO. Trish Van Pilsum's interview with 18-year-old Leah Lane whose abuse by police was captured by both CNN and Fox 9 camera crews.

Medics say police targeted them at RNC protests (Minnesota Independent)

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:49:28 PST

3:37 minutes of a press conference from the North Star Health Collective, who organized "street medics" to provide first aid during the RNC. North Star treated over 1,000 people with pepper spray burns, hundreds of cases of respiratory distress, sprains, broken bones, and other trauma related to 'less lethal' weapons. Medics were forcibly removed from patients while treating them as well as being arrested while simply walking down the street.

KSTP gives thanks, congrats to police for RNC actions (KSTP Eyewitness 5 (ABC affiliate))

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:28:14 PST

MUST SEE VIDEO. An anchor report from the most tabloid of the local TV news channels in which the line between media and police is disturbingly blurred. KTSP is one of the channels that had journalists "embedded" (their words) with the St. Paul riot police.

Interview with arrested Portland Indymedia journalist Wendy Binion (Indymedia)

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 23:25:05 PST

Portland Indymedia journalist Wendy Binion was strangely and inexplicably snatched by police while taking a toilet break during the September 2nd Poor People's March in Mears Park. In this interview she tells her story.

400 protesters arrested on last day (WCCO (CBS affiliate))

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:02:02 PST

WCCO's Sue Turner reports back from the final RNC security briefing on September 5th, 2008. The Mayor and Police Chief said it was a very safe Convention and that, "no one was hurt and only two windows were broken in the whole of St. Paul." Of the almost 400 arrested last night only 29 are facing felony charges. 1:49 minutes.

How well did the police handle the situation? (KSTP Eyewitness 5 (ABC affiliate))

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:47:55 PST

KSTP's Glen Barbour reports on the 818 arrests during the Convention, 396 on Day 4, and 102 in Minneapolis. Includes footage of protester Mick Kelly who was shot at close range, during a peaceful demonstration, with a "less lethal" projectile. Barbour's report concludes with the statement, "At this point city leaders believe that no excessive force was used to secure the Xcel Center". 2:12 minutes.

Minneapolis Council Member wants independent investigation (KSTP Eyewitness 5 (ABC affiliate))

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:40:50 PST

Minneapolis Council member Cam Gordon wants an independent investigation into "questionable use of force" by police during the RNC. KSTP's Jennifer Griswold reports in this 1:48 minute-long clip.

Embedded with the St. Paul Police (KSTP Eyewitness 5 (ABC affiliate))

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:18:46 PST

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS was given unprecedented access to spend the first day of the RNC with a mobile field force team from St. Paul. Reporter Mark Albert and Photojournalist Jared Bergerson embedded with Division Two, beginning as they 'staged', Monday morning at 9:30am. Includes the bizarre scene of a firefighter "paramedic" with flexicuffs ready on his backpack.

Tom Halden reports the day after 400 were arrested (Fox 9 (Fox News affiliate))

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:10:07 PST

Fox 9's Tom Halden reports from outside the Ramsey County Jail on the day after the convention, after Day 4 in which 396 people were arrested, along with many members of the media including Fox's John P. Wise.

Police roughing up City Pages writers (City Pages)

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:41:08 PST

City Pages journalists Andy Mannix and Jeff Shaw were manhandled while trying to cover the protests on the final day of the Republican National Convention.

Fox 9 footage of protester Leah Lane abused by riot police (Fox 9 (Fox News affiliate))

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:02:20 PST

18-year-old Leah Lane came from Wisconsin to protest the war at the RNC. On the fourth day of the RNC, she refused to obey a dispersal order given by riot police. While clearly not posing any threat to the police, instead of merely arresting Leah, she was repeatedly maced including at point blank range, hit with the tires of police bicycles, and pushed to the ground.