Minneapolis, MN – On Oct. 7 over 200 people joined a Minneapolis anti-war protest to mark the anniversary of the start of the war on Afghanistan with a call for an end to war and for the troops to be brought home.

The Minneapolis protest gathered in the busy Uptown area and then marched over a mile to a closing rally.

The protest was initiated by the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition (MPAC). MPAC issued a statement that says in part, “The war in Afghanistan is now 11 years old, the longest war in U.S. history. Along with over 2000 U.S. military personnel, thousands of Afghans have lost their lives, thousands more injured and many more displaced.”

The MPAC statement continues, “Despite claims that the U.S. is winding down the war, tens of thousands of U.S. troops will stay there through 2014. The U.S. has plans to keep thousands of troops, contractors, CIA operatives and air power (including drones), there until 2024.”

“All opposed to the continuation of this war must speak out. Without an independent marching movement, the U.S. government will stay in Afghanistan not only for another two years, but many more years after that,” the MPAC statement continues.

“The people of Afghanistan want the occupation forces out of their country. The people of the U.S. want an end to the war and for the troops to be brought home,” the MPAC statement concludes.

Members of Occupy Minnesota joined the anti-war protest. Occupy Minnesota was holding a gathering to mark one year since the launching of the Occupy movement in Minnesota. Occupy Minnesota participants held their own march to meet up with the anti-war protest.

Mia Overly, a member of Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Minnesota was among the speakers. Overly explained that her brother is in the U.S. military in Afghanistan.

Overly said, “Brothers and sisters, as you know we are all here today to mark 11 years of the war and occupation in Afghanistan. But I am here today also as a person directly affected by this unjust and inhumane occupation. My brother is one of the young Marines that are currently in Afghanistan. To end this war is personal for me!”

Overly continued, “Young soldiers and marines are dying in Afghanistan every day, 31 every month on average. More than 2000 American troops have died in this 11-year war. These deaths go unrecognized; but they are the lives of our brothers, our sisters, our daughters and sons. Even more unnoticed than the forgotten American deaths are the deaths of our Afghan brothers and sisters. Countless Afghans die every year from the U.S. occupation of their country. The U.S. finds these deaths so inconsequential that there isn’t even a officially released death count. But you can bet these deaths are in the millions.”

Another speaker, Meredith Aby of the Anti War Committee told the crowd, “For 11 years now we have had the War on Terror – a war on the peoples of the world in the name of ‘fighting terrorism.’ A war that has targeted Muslim and Arab people abroad and at home. A war that has eroded our civil liberties at home. A war that has killed thousands of U.S. service members and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Afghans. A war that has deprived school children and the poor of the government tax dollars that they need to read, eat and survive.”

The Minneapolis protest was organized under the call of “End the War in Afghanistan Now!”, as well as opposing in wars in Syria and Iran and calling for funds for jobs, housing and other human needs, not war.

The weekend of October 5-7 saw anti-war protests in many cities around the U.S. to speak out against the war.

A wide range of organizations, including AFSCME Local 3800, the Anti-War Committee, Military Families Speak Out, Students for a Democratic Society, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Twin Cities Peace Campaign, Veterans for Peace, and Women Against Military Madness endorsed the Minneapolis protest.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #AfghanistanWar #MinnesotaPeaceActionCoalition #OccupyMinneapolis

On October 20, 2011, hundreds of people participated in a demonstration in front of U.S. Bank in downtown Minneapolis to draw attention to the fact that over 25,000 Minnesotans lost their homes to foreclosure in 2010 alone. Seven people were arrested in the intersection in front of the bank and charged with “interfering with pedestrian and vehicular traffic.” Four of them were scheduled to go to trial for that charge on July 30, but on July 20 the prosecutor added the charges of unlawful assembly, public nuisance and not complying with a ‘peace officer.’

In the July 30 hearing, Judge Daniel Moreno sided with the defense’s motion against adding the new charges. He encouraged the prosecution to charge the protesters with petty misdemeanors instead of misdemeanors and, when they would not, he encouraged the accused to do a straight plea to him directly so that he could give them a lesser punishment. All four protesters pled out to petty misdemeanors, despite the prosecution’s courtroom antics to prosecute them to their fullest extent in an effort to crush the local anti-foreclosure movement.

Nationally, the Occupy movement is facing increasing police brutality, police infiltration and trumped up charges. Locally, the Minneapolis city attorney’s office has decided to try to shut down the growing movement of people standing in solidarity with families struggling to save their homes from foreclosure, by giving protesters outrageous charges. For example, the city prosecutors have escalated charges on the 14 protesters who defended the Cruz family home on May 30. Prosecutors at the City Attorney’s office originally charged these supporters with trespassing, but now they are facing riot in the third degree, which is a gross misdemeanor and carries a sentence of up to one year in prison and a $3000 fine.

In the week leading up to the July 30 court date, many progressive groups, including the Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout, the Anti-War Committee and the Minnesota Committee to Stop FBI Repression, issued action alerts to their supporters asking them to call Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, Assistant City Attorney Mary Ellen Heng and City Attorney Susan Segal as a part of a pressure campaign to defend the right to protest and the Occupy movement. There will be continued pressure on the mayor and the city attorney’s office as the Cruz defendants’ cases head to trial.

#MinneapolisMN #HousingStruggles #OccupyMinneapolis #HomeForeclosures #InjusticeSystem

Minneapolis, MN – About 100 rallied in front of City Hall here, April 9, and then occupied the office of Mayor R.T. Rybak, demanding a public meeting with the mayor in response to the April 7 police attack on occupiers. Initially, representatives of the mayor’s office threatened arrests. After about an hour of chanting and mic checks in the office reception area, Mayor Rybak agreed to an April 10 meeting.

On April 7, Occupy Minneapolis attempted to reoccupy downtown’s Peavey Plaza. The Minneapolis Police Department attacked protesters, arresting 12. Some participants were injured, including a reporter from a local TV station, whose camera was smashed.

#MinneapolisMN #PoliceBrutality #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMinneapolis #MayorRTRybak

Minneapolis, MN – More than 75 people rallied here, Feb. 3, as a part of the National Day of Protest against the provision of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that allows for indefinite detention without trial. The protest occurred outside the Obama campaign headquarters. President Obama signed this unconstitutional bill into law Dec. 31. According to Anh Pham of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR), “This law allows the government to continue to oppress anyone who doesn’t agree with them.”

Sam Richards of Occupy Minneapolis stated, “The NDAA of 2012 is the largest assault on our rights since the Patriot Act. Obama ran as a champion of civil liberties. We demand an end to the attack on our civil rights.”

This demand rang clear as activists joined in chants, speeches, guerrilla theater and an occupation of the Obama headquarter building as part of the direct action. The message of the protest was apparent, with signs such as “No war on our rights: No NDAA,” and chants like “Hey Obama, pay attention! We say no to indefinite detention!”

After hearing representatives from organizations such as the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, Occupy Minneapolis and the Anti-War Committee, protesters performed a skit to illustrate what the NDAA laws could look like. During speeches by activists, guerrilla actors dressed as military and FBI personnel attacked and hooded them, thus silencing the progressive voices. A member of the Anti-War Committee called out “I have a constitutional right to protest!” as an ‘FBI agent’ threatened her and led her out of the demonstration.

Then the crowd entered the Obama headquarters building, to press their demands for civil liberties. Many stayed to occupy the headquarters for over two hours and were successful in getting a future meeting set up with state director of the Obama campaign.

Jess Sundin of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, whose home was raided by the FBI on September 24, 2010 stated, “The government is already engaging in attacks on anti-war and international solidarity activists. While the U.S. government spends billions waging war on people of the world, they want to criminalize our right to speak out against their unjust wars.”

#MinneapolisMN #Minneapolis #PresidentObama #MinnesotaCommitteeToStopFBIRepression #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMinneapolis #NDAA #NationalDefenseAuthorizationAct #indefiniteDetention #PoliticalRepression

Minneapolis, MN – More than 50 people jointed a Dec. 23 picket line here, at the Obama campaign headquarters, to demand the President veto the National Defense Authorization act, which contains provisions that allow indefinite detention without trial. The protest was organized by Occupy Minneapolis and local anti-war groups.

Critics of these provisions, which President Obama is expected to sign on Dec. 26, say the bill is a real threat to civil liberties and human rights. Several provisions in the NDAA give congressional authorization of indefinite military detentions without trial for people accused by the government of being terrorists. It codifies the powers claimed by both George Bush and Barack Obama based on the “2001 Authorization to Use Military Force” to declare people enemy combatants, indefinitely detain them without trial, gut habeas corpus and carry out assassinations.

Sam Richards of Occupy Minneapolis said, “The NDAA of 2012 is the largest assault on our rights since the Patriot Act. Obama ran as a champion of civil liberties, we are going to urge him to veto NDAA and protect our right to habeas corpus, among other things.”

Jess Sundin of the Anti-War Committee and Committee to Stop FBI Repression said, “We are protesting this effort by Congress to give the president the right to lock American citizens up indefinitely without trial. It's a way of declaring people enemy combatants. We in the anti-war movement know firsthand how the government feels about those who disagree with them. This would give the government permission to not only investigate me for ‘supporting terrorism’ because of my activism, but to detain me based of accusation alone, lock me up and throw away the key. President Obama needs to do the right thing and veto this now.”

Sundin was one of the activists raided by the FBI last year and summoned to a Chicago Grand Jury investigating ‘material support for terrorism.’

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #PresidentObama #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMinneapolis #NDAA #NationalDefenseAuthorizationAct

The action began with a practice round of mic check on the Plaza outside and then occupiers each grabbed a sign and headed up to the 24th floor meeting room. The public meeting is held inside a large glass-walled room, where about 100 people sit in the room, and dozens more mill around outside, watching the proceedings on TV screens. Some signs were held against the glass, while several more went inside, with slogans reading, “Shelter is a human right,” “The first amendment is 24/7,” and “The 99% will not be silenced.”

Heads turned when an occupier named Divine stood up and shouted, “Mic check!”

Other occupiers repeated after him, as he shouted, “Stop the violation of our constitutional rights! End the harassment, intimidation and attacks on Occupy! Return all our bedding and tents! Revoke all trespasses! Allow shelter for Occupy's assembly!” Divine was removed by two large security guards, but other occupiers picked up where he left off.

These occupiers were also removed, repeating, “Stop the attacks on Occupy!” as all were escorted out of the building.

Sarah Martin explained why the commissioners were targeted by protesters, “The county has tried everything to take the Plaza from us – seizing our tents, tarps and blankets, banning dozens of individual occupiers with trespass notices and a constant campaign of harassment and threats. They raided the Plaza last week, but still, we're not going away.”

#MinneapolisMN #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMN #HennepinCountyCommissioners #OccupyMinneapolis

Minneapolis, MN – About 100 supporters and participants of Occupy Minneapolis gathered at People’s Plaza here, Dec. 11. They hung signs advancing the demands of the 99%, using clothespins on ropes tied to plaza light poles, pounding staked signs into frozen planters and taping their messages onto poles and benches.

“On the 2 month anniversary of OccupyMN, we gather at the People's Plaza again, to reclaim our space and continue our fight for equality and justice,” said a statement from organizers of the action.

Sam Richards said, “The 1% can pay for a place at the table. The only way the 99% can have our voices heard is ongoing occupations and protests in public spaces. The Hennepin County attorney is trying to take away our right to assemble and be heard. The People's Plaza is our plaza – a place for us to gather, to organize and to voice our demands for a society that puts people over profits.”

He added, “The county has tried everything they can think of to take the plaza from us – seizing our tents, tarps and blankets, banning dozens of individual occupiers with trespass notices and a constant campaign of harassment and threats. But we refuse to be deterred. The county can steal our belongings but they cannot evict our demand for justice!”

Participants in Occupy Minneapolis are still maintaining a 24/7 presence on the plaza.

#MinneapolisMN #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMN #OccupyMinneapolis

Minneapolis, MN – El 6 de diciembre, fue un día de acción nacional a favor de aquellas familias en peligro de perder sus casas debido a la ejecución hipotecaria. Para ello más de 100 personas se congregaron frente a la casa de Bobby Hull en la 3712 Columbus Ave. Sur, Minneapolis, y anunciaron el inicio de una ocupación de su casa para garantizar que el banco US Bank no le saque de su casa.

El señor Hull quien es un veterano de guerra, humilde y trabajador, ha vivido en esta casa en el sur de Minneapolis desde el año 1968 con su familia pero está en peligro de perder su casa, la cual pasaría a manos del banco. Aunque ha vivido allí por décadas y ha hecho sus pagos mensuales al banco, por razones de salud no ha podido seguir con los pagos exigidos por el banco. Hull ha intentado negociar con el banco para reducir el pago mensual, pero el banco no le hace caso y sigue intentando retomar a la casa. En el vecindario en el sur de Minneapolis donde viven muchas familias latinas y afroamericanas de la clase trabajadora hay muchas familias que han perdido sus casas debido a la ejecución hipotecaria durante la actual crisis económica, aumentando la pobreza y la crisis de familias sin hogar.

Ahora hay un movimiento de inquilinos y dueños de casas que dicen “basta” a los bancos y rehúsan salir de sus casas cuando el banco intenta adueñarse de sus casas. El movimiento de indignados en Minneapolis, conocido como Ocupar Minneapolis, está apoyando a Bobby Hull para que el banco US Bank no le saque de su casa. Ocupar Minneapolis es parte del movimiento Ocupar Wall Street que ocupa espacios públicos y ahora también casas para protestar a favor del 99% de la población trabajadora y en contra del 1% de los más ricos, los bancos y las grandes corporaciones que verdaderamente controlan la economía y la política del país por sus propios intereses y no los intereses de la gran mayoría.

Ocupar Minneapolis sigue con su ocupación de la plaza en el centro de Minneapolis, aunque los políticos del condado de Hennepin están intentando restringir la habilidad de los manifestantes para mantener su protesta allí. Hasta la fecha la ocupación de la plaza en el centro de la ciudad sigue viva. También el movimiento Ocupar Minneapolis sigue con la ocupación de la casa de Monique White en el norte de Minneapolis. Como la casa de Bobby Hull en el sur de Minneapolis, la casa de la señora White está también en peligro de la ejecución hipotecaria. Los manifestantes dicen que van a mantener las ocupaciones hasta que haya justicia.

#MinneapolisMN #HousingStruggles #Foreclosure #Eviction #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMN #OccupyMinneapolis #BobbyHull

Minneapolis, MN – On Dec. 6, a national day of action for occupying foreclosed homes, more than 100 people rallied here in front of Bobby Hull’s house at 3712 Columbus Avenue. They announced the start of an occupation of his home to prevent US Bank from kicking Hull and his family out of their home.

Bobby Hull, a working class Vietnam War veteran, has lived with his family in the South Minneapolis home since 1968. But now he’s in danger of losing the home, which would be taken by the bank. Although he’s lived there and made his mortgage payments for decades, due to health reasons he wasn’t able to keep up with the high payments more recently. Hull tried to negotiate a lower monthly payment with the bank, but they wouldn’t negotiate and moved forward with the attempt to take away his house. In South Minneapolis, where many working class Latino and African American families live, there are many families who have lost their homes due to foreclosure during the current economic crisis, which just further increases poverty and homelessness.

There’s a growing movement of tenants and homeowners who are saying “Enough is enough!” to the banks and refusing to leave their homes when the bank tries to foreclose on them. The Occupy Minneapolis movement is supporting Bobby Hull to try to prevent US Bank from kicking him out of his house. Occupy Minneapolis is part of the Occupy Wall Street movement that is occupying public spaces and some homes too. These occupations are a protest in favor of the 99% of the population and against the 1% of the richest people, the banks and the large corporations that control the economy and politics of the country for their own interests instead of in the interest of the vast majority.

Occupy Minneapolis’s central occupation continues downtown at The People’s Plaza outside of Hennepin County Government Center and City Hall, although Hennepin County officials continue trying to restrict the protesters’ ability to stay there. As of this writing the occupation of the downtown plaza continues. Occupy Minneapolis members are also continuing to occupy Monique White’s house in North Minneapolis. Like Bobby Hull’s house in South Minneapolis, Monique White is also in danger losing her home to foreclosure. The protesters say they’ll maintain the occupations until they win some justice.

#MinneapolisMN #HousingStruggles #Foreclosure #Eviction #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMN #OccupyMinneapolis #BobbyHull

At 8:30 a.m., while some occupiers still slept, Hennepin County Sheriffs seized blankets, tarps, a table and food.

Since Oct. 7, Occupy MN/Minneapolis has carried out a day-and-night protest at the Hennepin County Government Center, now dubbed People’s Plaza, demanding a redress of grievances including joblessness, homelessness, foreclosures and the buying of elections; the occupiers are demanding people over profits.

As part of that protest, occupiers have demanded the right to use tents in order to have shelter and to bring attention to the situation of the thousands without shelter in Minneapolis every night. On Nov. 30, occupiers set up 40 tents that were ripped down by Hennepin County Sheriffs in the early hours of Dec. 1.

#MinneapolisMN #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMN #OccupyMinneapolis

Minneapolis, MN – Occupy Minneapolis won a real victory, Dec. 2, when Hennepin County Sheriffs and security guards were forced to abandon their plans to remove the possessions of occupiers, including tarps, bedding, tables, chairs, signs and banners from People’s Plaza.

States Occupy participant Monique Tenison, “Occupy Minneapolis prevailed today in our refusal to move all of our property off the Plaza. Around 11:30 a.m. the sheriffs were gathered at the county building doors and eventually retreated. We found out that they retreated due the commissioners calling off the order made to the sheriffs to start removing our belongings at 10 a.m. This is a result of us maintaining our stand and not leaving when told to do so. When rules are made by the county that do not allow basic needs for occupy protesters to continue assemble thought the cold Minnesota winter, that is a violation of our constitutional rights.”

This morning the county gave notice that “unattended items” would be taken away, the implication being that anything that was not being physically held by a person would be removed. Sheriffs made threats throughout the morning and early afternoon, and then massed to move on the occupation.

Due to the determination of the Occupiers and a huge call-in campaign to county commissioners, the sheriffs were forced to back off.

“We won,” said occupy participant Sarah Martin. “They were trying to bring the occupation of People’s Plaza to an end and they did not succeed. We will continue to speak out for the rights of the 99%.”

This attempt to end the Occupation in Minneapolis has failed. Tonight occupiers will be spending the night on People’s Plaza.

#MinneapolisMN #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMinneapolis

Minneapolis, MN – More than 400 protesters gathered on People’s Plaza here, Nov. 29, defying the anti-free speech rules imposed by county government. While state Representative Karen Clark spoke to the rally, activists set up 40 tents on the Plaza.

According to Sam Richards, who has been occupying The People’s Plaza since Oct. 7, “To keep the occupiers safe and healthy through the winter we can no longer rely on Hennepin County. They, in the name of public safety, have declared a ban on tents. This is ludicrous and we are taking matters in our own hands.”

Occupiers are committed to maintaining the protest through the winter but have come up against a brick wall of opposition and harassment from county officials, who singled out the Occupy protest by passing a new policy of “no tents” and “no sleeping” on the plaza.

Among the speakers at the rally were Michelle Sommers, President of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005; Cliff Poehler, Treasurer of AFSCME Council 5; Linden Gawboy of the Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout; Angel Buechner of the Welfare Rights Committee, City Council member Cam Gordon and Stephanie Taylor of Students for a Democratic Society.

Angel Buechner told the crowd “These kinds of ‘no shelter’ and ‘no camping’ policies exist to be used against homeless and poor people. Now they’re being used against the Occupy movement to stifle our freedom of assembly because we stand up against the 1% of rich people that dominate the politics and economy of this country. Everyone has the right to shelter and the right to protest.”

Dozens of people slept in the tents and many more stood guard outside throughout the night. At 4:15 a.m., about 50 cops from the Hennepin County Sherriff’s department, along with Hennepin County security guards, marched onto the plaza and surrounded the tents and protesters.

The sheriffs dragged more than 40 protesters out of their tents. While one tent was torn down, a protester would hop into a nearby tent. The cops went to each tent, shaking and pulling on them while the people stood their ground. The reaction of the cops was to pull, drag and throw people out. They even hauled off all the kiddy tents.

Fifty Occupiers, including the people in the tents chanted, “Whose plaza? Our plaza!” “We are the 99%! We occupy; we represent!”

After marching in mass behind the truck that carried away the survival gear, Occupy Minneapolis regrouped and made a plan. With new tents in hand, they marched across the street to City Hall and pitched tents anew. They decorated the Hubert H. Humphrey statue with the ‘anonymous’ mask and Occupy signs. They covered the new tents with signs and greeted early morning commuters exiting the light rail train.

Around 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 30, the Minneapolis Police Department arrived and ordered the tents be taken off city property. Calls were made to Mayor R.T. Ryback’s office to demand that he order the police to allow the tents to stay, that there be no eviction the occupiers.

A press conference was organized, but moments later the Minneapolis Police Department stormed in and yanked the tents away. Two protesters were arrested.

Activists from Occupy Minneapolis vow they are staying. “You can take our tents but you can’t take away an idea!” stated one protester.

The People’s Plaza in Minneapolis has been occupied since Oct. 7 in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement. The occupiers are united behind the theme of “people before profits.”

#MinneapolisMN #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMinneapolis

Starting now: Call & e-mail Hennepin County Commissioners to demand that they stop restricting Occupy Minneapolis’s right to protest & right to shelter!

Don’t dismantle Occupy Minneapolis tents on Wednesday – shelter is a human right! Stop threatening Occupy Minneapolis right to protest! Stop the intimidation and harassment of Occupy Minneapolis!

On Wednesday, occupiers and supporters will take action, setting up “99 Tents for the 99 Percent” on the plaza. County officials have been trying to coerce the protesters to cancel this event through the use of intimidation, harassment and threats. This is unacceptable. We need to stand up for the right to protest and the right to shelter. We need to pressure the County authorities to NOT dismantle or confiscate the tents on Wednesday, to not threaten the protesters with repression if they stand up for their basic rights.

Since Occupy Minneapolis started their protest at The People’s Plaza on October 7 as part of the global Occupy Wall Street movement, Hennepin County Sheriff Stanek and Hennepin County Administrators have refused to allow the protesters to have shelter from the weather. Since there was no actual policy forbidding shelter on the plaza, County Commissioners made up a new set of rules directly singling out Occupy Minneapolis’s protest, restricting protesters from sleeping or having shelter on the plaza. The public responded with an outpouring of support for the occupiers, as hundreds rallied, community and labor leaders spoke out, and 100 people slept out on the Plaza the first night the sleeping restriction was to take effect. Occupiers have continued to sleep on the Plaza every night since, and the Plaza has continued to serve as a central rallying point for the struggle to put people before profits.

As winter sets in and temperatures drop, the need for shelter must be defended. It is a question of basic rights and safety. Please call the County Commissioners to pressure them to keep hands off our tents and hands off the Occupy movement’s right to protest and right to shelter!

Call as many of the commissioners as you can, but if you can only call two, call Gail Dorfman and Peter McLaughlin.

Gail Dorfman: 612-348-7883 | gail.dorfman@co.hennepin.mn.us Peter McLaughlin: 612-348-7884 | commissioner.mclaughlin@co.hennepin.mn.us Mike Opat, chair: 612-348-7881 | mike.opat@co.hennepin.mn.us Mark Stenglein: 612-348-7882 | mark.stenglein@co.hennepin.mn.us Randy Johnson: 612-348-7885 | randy.johnson@co.hennepin.mn.us Jan Callison: 612-348-7886 | jan.callison@co.hennepin.mn.us Jeff Johnson: 612-348-7887 | jeff.r.johnson@co.hennepin.mn.us

#Minneapolis #MinneapolisMN #InJusticeSystem #PoliceBrutality #Eviction #OccupyWallStreet #OWS #OccupyMinneapolis #CallIn

The complaint argues that the new “Procedures for Public Use of the Hennepin County Government Center” issued by Hennepin County and certain unwritten procedures enforced by the county violate the demonstrators’ First Amendment rights because:

• The rules were expressly created in response to OccupyMPLS, which is a content-based limitation on speech.
• The rules put forth impermissible time, place and manner restrictions.
• The rules are unconstitutionally overbroad.
• The rules are a result of arbitrary and unconstitutional decision-making.
• The unwritten procedures were designed to suppress Plaintiff’s speech and are inconsistent with how the county has treated other groups.

The complaint, which provides details of the county’s restrictions, asks the court to declare that the “Procedures for Public Use of the Hennepin County Government Center” and certain unwritten procedures relating to chalk, electricity and use of structures are unconstitutional under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

“The rules put forth by Hennepin County are particularly troubling because they were created as a direct response to OccupyMPLS,” stated Justin Perl, partner at Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand. “They were not based on any previous ordinances. The Constitution does not allow the government to just make up new rules as you go along in order to target a particular group.”

“In the United States, we have celebrated protesters occupying spaces around the globe during the Arab Spring, yet we are quick to criticize the Occupy Movement for utilizing some of the same methods of expression.” stated Charles Samuelson, executive Director of the ACLU-MN.

Plaintiffs include: Occupy Minneapolis and individuals Benjamin Egerman, Benjamin Painter, Samuel Richards, and Melissa Rowan. Plaintiffs are elected delegates of OccupyMPLS to represent their interest as an unincorporated political association.

Cooperating attorneys include: Tim Griffin and Brian Thomson of Leonard, Street and Deinard and Alain Baudry, Justin Perl and Leora Maccabee Itman of Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand LLP.

#StPaulMN #InJusticeSystem #civilLiberties #ACLU #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMN #OccupyMinneapolis #AmericanCivilLiberitesUnion

Minneapolis, MN – About 50 people rallied here at People’s Plaza, the encampment of Occupy MN, and proceeded to south Minneapolis where they occupied a foreclosed home, November 19. In the early evening Minneapolis police, arrested two participants, and attempted to board up the home. Activists surrounded the home, police left, and occupiers re-entered the home. The occupation is ongoing.

This is the second foreclosed home to be occupied in recent weeks. On Nov. 8, an occupation began at the home of Monique White. White, who lives at 3310 N 6th St, is facing imminent eviction from her foreclosed home.

#MinneapolisMN #Foreclosures #HousingStruggles #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMinneapolis

Minneapolis, MN – About 800 people blocked a major bridge here, Nov. 17 in a march demanding jobs. Police declared the protest to be an unlawful assembly and arrested 11 people who sat down in an act of civil disobedience. The 10th Avenue Bridge, which spans the Mississippi River, was closed for about an hour.

Speaking on the bridge, Pastor Paul Slack demanded Congress pass a job bill that addresses unemployment, particularly the massive unemployment that exists in the African American community.

“Minnesotans know better than almost anyone how much crumbling bridges and infrastructure can cost a community. We must fix Minnesota’s infrastructure and we must use these jobs to fix the economic inequality in our state – with 22% African-American unemployment we have one of the worst racial job gaps in the country. We are marching to demand that our leaders pass a jobs bill that will put people back to work repairing our infrastructure and providing vital public services, not kill even more jobs with devastating budget cuts,” said Tee McClenty, Executive Vice President of SEIU HealthCare Minnesota.

After the protest on the bridge, demonstrators marched to People’s Plaza, the home of Occupy Minnesota for another rally.

Kim Defranco of the Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout told the crowd, “Make no mistake, the 1% wants us to go back to our foreclosed homes, unemployment lines, to our jobs and shut up! So they can continue their stealing from us. We tell the 1%, it's too late. We will not go back! We are awake and united and we will continue this fight until we get justice.”

Deb Konechne, of the Events Committee of OccupyMN urged people at the rally to join encampment at Peoples Plaza, where people have held a 24-hour presence since Oct. 7.

#MinneapolisMN #MinneaoplisMN #CapitalismAndEconomy #SEIU #OccupyMN #OccupyWallStreet #SEIUHealthcareMinnesota #MinnesotansForAFairEconomy #OccupyMinneapolis