Cross-posted from: Kevin Gosztola

Under cover of the night around twelve police cars stopped five journalists when they were heading back to where they are staying in Chicago during the NATO summit. All five have been covering protests against the NATO summit for the past few days.

The five journalists included Luke Rudkowksi, who streams as @Lukewearechange, Tim Pool, who streams as @Timcast, Jeoff Shively (@Jiraffa), Dustin & Jess. They are known for their work livestreaming and tweeting out regular coverage of Occupy protests.

Rudkowski of We Are Change managed to record the Chicago police approaching the journalists in the car. The police have their guns drawn. They shout, “Hands! Hands! Get your hands up!” And then, “Fuckin’ hands!” Then Pool’s voice can be heard saying, “We’re being raided. For folks who are watching, we are being raided by the CPD right now as we speak.”

There is some trouble with the door. The door is locked and the police are knocking on the windows of the car. The door is opened. A police officer can be heard telling one of the journalists, “Put your coffee down so you don’t burn your crotch.”

Police officers ask a journalist, who I presume is Rudkowski, if he has anything on him. He then is told to leave the camera on the seat of the car.

The video cuts and then we see Shively and Rudkowski recounting what happened. They say police are following them. They add the police would not explain why they were stopped, they were pulled over by unmarked police cars and Rudkowski and Dustin were cuffed together.

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Kevin Gosztola is a trusted author who publishes his writing regularly to OpEdNews and Open Salon and he is a 2009 Young People For Fellow. He is a documentary filmmaker currently completing a Film/Video degree at Columbia College in Chicago. Currently, he is working on a documentary project on Renaissance 2010 and Chicago Public Schools

Original Article

Minneapolis, Minn. - After nearly a month of public debate, Minneapolis City Council President Barb Johnson finally tabled her anti-occupy, anti-homeless ordinance. The ordinance, originally introduced as a resolution, would have restricted the usage of most public plazas in evening while making it illegal to nap upon a public plaza anytime. While some may see this as a victory for nappers and Occupiers alike, it must be remembered that this was not the first attack against the right to assemble, and it will definitely not be the last. Minneapolis Occupiers faced the same sort of targeting while at The People’s Plaza last fall by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, and now the discussions against occupy have begun in the Minneapolis City Council, spearheaded by Barb Johnson.

From the selective enforcement of unconstitutional laws against activists engaging in their first amendment rights on April 7th, to recently listening to Target’s testimony as to how unsafe Peavey Plaza can be despite accepting the evidence that the Minnesota State Patrol had been intentionally targeting Occupy Minneapolis and distributing illegal substances to activists and citizens alike… Barb Johnson has been the subject of some recent public turmoil.

It seems like oppressing the peaceful protester has become the new trend for the City of Minneapolis despite the fact that last fall they voiced their support for the movement of the 99% in a city-wide resolution:

“That in order to create a shared dialogue through which to address the problems and generate solutions for 99% of Americans the City [of Minneapolis] stands in support of peaceful calls for serious reforms to the income tax, financial, and electoral systems, and of education efforts in furtherance of those goals.”

To be openly honest and fair, some of the members of the Minneapolis City Council took the resolution to heart, while others maintain business as usual. Occupy Minneapolis  currently faces plaza restrictions on The People’s Plaza, the home of last fall’s occupation and although the attempt to suppress the movement was tabled, business as usual now means the destruction of Peavey Plaza (the site of the Spring occupation).

The permit to destruct Peavey Plaza had been approved just days after Barb Johnson tabled her restrictive resolution. The City of Minneapolis continues to truck along with their conception that working for the people means working with the corporations. People have been voicing a lack support for the new Peavey Plaza design for many alternative reasons, the most notable is the fact that the plaza itself is an architectural landmark. During the earlier discussions of the Peavey Plaza renovation, occurring last October, Erin Hanafin Berg (a member of the group and a field representative for the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota) was quoted for noticing that there was only one design that was being pushed forward.

“It was a rude shock when only the new, reconfigured scheme was on the table, and we were told that the restorative scheme was unfundable”.

The reasons for a new design of Peavey Plaza are reasonable in the sense that opening the space up and making it accessible to all is beneficial, however little regard has gone toward preserving the landmark that Peavey Plaza has become. Although the city has several options that preserve the site and make it accessible, it seems that the council refuses to look at any other redesign options that do not include total demolition of the plaza.  On May 17th, 2012 the Minneapolis City Council approved the demolition permit. They now focus to overturn the prior week’s ruling against the demolition of Peavey Plaza by the city’s Heritage Preservation Commission.

Regardless of whatever the Heritage Preservation Commission decides when it comes to how historic Peavey Plaza is, it seems that the initial plan was to limit the public involvement in the first place. The Minnesota Orchestra Hall has had both the plans and funds to renovate their building, however from the conception of their renovation they have stated that they refuse to contribute fully to the expense of a Peavey Plaza redesign. While I wouldn’t personally advocate for a non-profit organization to pay for the expense of renovating public space the debate is about preserving the culture and heritage of Peavey Plaza itself, and it is an issue separate from the Orchestra Hall’s renovation. The city still has to find nearly $8 million to fund their renovation of the plaza, they also need to wait for a ruling by the Heritage Preservation Commission, and yet they have already approved the permit to destroy the site. It is clear to see that there is a major push forward with this project, but with politics that are as shaky as this, it is clear that they have big hopes but no idea how they are going to be able to fund the project.

With Target’s interest in the the Minnesota Orchestra renovation (Target is one of two current corporate sponsors, the other corporate sponsor is US Bank, which has been continuously scrutinized by Occupy Minneapolis) and the new Vikings Stadium (although not confirmed, Fox 9 News reports that Target could want naming rights, creating a perfect ‘trifecta’ of corporate sponsorship for the company) we can only assume that Barb Johnson and all of her attempts to inhibit the Occupy Movement were also moves that had been carefully hinted at by Johnson’s colleagues along with the Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department, and the Mayor’s Office… but who are Barb’s colleagues? It is clear from a recent MPR interview with both Council President Barb Johnson and Councilman Gary Schiff about the stadium that Johnson’s colleagues are not the people of Minneapolis but could very well be that of major corporate influence:

Johnson: Well, I visited with all of my colleagues that are supportive of the stadium and, you know, I don’t see people wavering. I really don’t.

Schiff: And that’s unfortunate because there’s still much time before the final vote, and if people are listening to their constituents, all the polls show overwhelmingly 70 percent of Minneapolis residents oppose public financing of sports facilities.

Council President Johnson is as corrupt as a city politician can get from living the high life on the donor’s dollar to working with the City Attorney in order to manipulate the system in an unconstitutional way, all levels of our government are in the same discourse.  We live in a state that was shut down a year ago because it couldn’t figure out how to afford operating costs, and now the State of Minnesota and the City of Minneapolis are attempting to start large projects and renovations in downtown Minneapolis without any new idea of how to fund the projects. If we are not destined to learn from history, we will be condemned to repeat the past -many people realize this, yet some still do not.

Our Statewide Occupy Movement, and the general working class people, have something in common and that is what we call culture. We are all a part of our Minnesotan community. While an occupation is flourishing with the culture of direct democracy and a rapid acceptance of people zany people, many of us involved in the Occupy Movement tend to remember our general culture as well. Our concerns usually reflect the concerns of where we have lived and as activists, we are simply indulging in a culture of our own. Our culture could be summed up in one word; solidarity. In Minnesota, the general consensus on what occupy culture is about can be explained clearly by the Occupy Minneapolis Statement of Unity:

We are creating a global, sustainable community that values the health of the Earth and its inhabitants over corporate profits.

We are a diverse group of non-violent people and we find strength in that diversity. No one person or group speaks for all of us as a whole. We wish to see an end to the corruption of both corporations and government.

We will persist until the voices of the people overcome the corrupting influence of money.

The goals of Occupy, or what many of the activists involved in the Occupy Movement are focused upon are not too radical… the radical idea is opening yourself up to being a part of it. While Occupy Minneapolis continues it’s struggle against the corporate and political powers that are clearly at work against the rights of working class individuals, those involved in the movement will continue focusing on advocating for ideas that we can generally get behind. This is the movement itself, and anybody that engages in such open-minded activism with the idea that they are not a part of the Occupy Movement, are simply misunderstanding the what a movement is made up of -they are simply made up of people.

While some continue to physically occupy Peavey Plaza, others continue activist efforts in other areas of the city. The common ground that the Occupy Community currently shares along with some community activists and historic preservation groups is the culture of Peavey Plaza and the community itself. Peavey Plaza has been the staging area for many historic protests along with many other events. The Occupy Movement is held together by the culture of solidarity, the Minneapolis culture is held together by the community itself. It is only human to want to take a moment to think about how to best preserve the our culture, and in the act of destroying Peavey Plaza, the City of Minneapolis will unearth a time capsule that was placed into the ground in 1974  by community members that had hopes for a better future.The city still has no plans made for how they will handle this time capsule itself, but I’m sure they’re just about as logical as the plans were for “helping” the North Minneapolis tornado victims.

While Minneapolis ignores the people of Minneapolis and Minnesota, the Occupy Movement will continue efforts against the mass injustices will continue. Whether Occupy Minneapolis continues occupying or they continue organizing in homes, neighborhoods, and cities their constant hope for another world is not only heard, but feared by big business and corporate sponsored governments.

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Osha Karow is an Occupier and activist that has been involved in the Occupy Minneapolis movement. He is a contributing blogger for OccupyMN.org. The above article is a perspective piece and may not reflect the views of all of those involved in the Occupy Movement.

Original Article

Minneapolis Says NO to Stadium Tax Scam!!
No Subsidies for Billionaire Zygi!
We Demand Our Right to Vote!

RALLY: Wednesday, May 23, 4:30 - 7pm, Minneapolis City Hall. Meet outside on 4th St. side. Come as soon as you can.

It’s not a “done deal”.  Zygi Wilf can’t get any money from Minneapolis unless the City
Council votes to approve the deal.  We have just days left to stop them. 

Intergovernmental Relations Committee votes on Thursday, May 24, 10am; full City Council votes on Friday, May 25, 9:30am.  Both votes are in Council Chambers, Room 317, City Hall - come if you can.  No public comment will be allowed, but your presence is important!

This vote is critical!  If the Council votes Yes, this will be the largest long-term financial commitment in the city´s history.  Total payments may exceed $675 million, a debt burden on our children and grandchildren for the next 30 years.  We have far more important priorities than subsidizing a billionaire who wants to make more profit from the additional luxury suites! The game of football can still be played in the existing Metrodome.

Irresponsible! 

The city has NO money to pay for this until 2021, after the Convention Center debt is paid.  In the meantime, the city pays no principal, or even interest, just racking up more debt each year!  This is not an investment.  The city will not own a piece of the stadium, and it receives no revenue that would help pay the debt.  The construction jobs will be long gone before the city even starts paying.  This is short-term gain with severe long-term consequences.

Undemocratic! 

In 1997, Minneapolis residents voted overwhelmingly to protect us from the power of the City Council to tax us for professional stadiums.  As a result, our City Charter (Constitution) requires a referendum for any such costs over $10 million.  City leaders asked for and received a State exemption from their own Charter!  If the Council votes Yes on this plan, they will take away your hard-won right to a vote by the people!

If this makes you angry, DO SOMETHING NOW!  Come to the rally, come to the Council meetings, and contact the members of the Minneapolis City Council!

The 7 Council members who currently support this scam:

Barbara Johnson  612-673-2204  barbara.johnson@minneapolismn.gov
Diane Hofstede  612-673-2203  diane.hofstede@minneapolismn.gov
Don Samuels  612-673-2205  don.samuels@minneapolismn.gov
John Quincy  612-673-2211  john.quincy@minneapolismn.gov
*Sandra Colvin Roy  612-673-2212  sandra.colvin.roy@minneapolismn.gov
*Meg Tuthill  612-673-2210  meg.tuthill@minneapolismn.gov
*Kevin Reich  612-673-2201  kevin.reich@minneapolismn.gov

*the last 3, Reich, Tuthill, and Colvin Roy, are the mostly likely to switch sides.  We just need
one more no vote!

Thank these 6 opponents, and encourage them to stand firm:

Cam Gordon  612-673-2202  cam.gordon@minneapolismn.gov
Robert Lilligren  612-673-2206  robert.lilligren@minneapolismn.gov
Lisa Goodman  612-673-2207  lisa.goodman@minneapolismn.gov
Elizabeth Glidden  612-673-2208  elizabeth.glidden@minneapolismn.gov
Gary Schiff  612-673-2209  gary.schiff@minneapolismn.gov
Betsy Hodges  612-673-2213  betsy.hodges@minneapolismn.gov

WE’LL BE BACK!

Follow-up rally Thursday evening, May 24, same time and place. A celebration if the committee votes no; an angry protest if they vote yes, with the demand that the Council overturn the committee vote on Friday morning!

Quit Playing Games With Our Children’s Future!

Our kids can’t eat footballs! Don’t let them throw poor and working people and families under the concrete slabs of a new Vikings’ Stadium.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/315935715149366/

Original Article

Chicago, IL -  Early morning house raid in Bridgeport and harassment of activists indicates intolerance of free speech rights. The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) condemns a preemptive police raid that took place at approximately 11:30pm Wednesday in the Bridgeport neighborhood, and instances of harassment on the street, in which Chicago police are unlawfully detaining, searching, and questioning NATO protesters. The Bridgeport raid was apparently conducted by the Organized Crime Division of the Chicago Police Department and resulted in as many as 8 arrests.

According to witnesses in Bridgeport, police broke down a door to access a 6-unit apartment building near 32nd & Morgan Streets without a search warrant. Police entered an apartment with guns drawn and tackled one of the tenants to the floor in his kitchen. Two tenants were handcuffed for more than 2 hours in their living room while police searched their apartment and a neighboring unit, repeatedly calling one of the tenants a “Commie faggot.” A search warrant produced 4 hours after police broke into the apartment was missing a judge’s signature, according to witnesses. Among items seized by police in the Bridgeport raid were beer-making supplies and at least one cell phone.

“Preemptive raids like this are a hallmark of National Special Security Events,” said Sarah Gelsomino with the NLG and the People’s Law Office. “The Chicago police and other law enforcement agencies should be aware that this behavior will not be tolerated and will result in real consequences for the city.”

In another incident, 3 plainclothes police officers unlawfully stopped, handcuffed, and searched a NATO protester on Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive at approximately 2pm today. According to the protester, he did not consent to a search and there was no probable cause to detain him. The police also photographed and questioned him about where he was from, how he got to Chicago, how long it took, what he was doing here, where he was staying, who he was with, and how long he was planning to say in Chicago. The protester refused to answer any questions and was eventually released.

The NLG has received reports that at least 20 people have been arrested so far this week, and two people are still in custody, not including the Bridgeport residents who are still unaccounted for. One of the protesters currently being detained, Danny Johnson of Los Angeles, has been accused of assaulting a police officer during an immigrant rights rally on Tuesday afternoon. However, multiple witnesses on the scene, including an NLG Legal Observer, recorded a version of events that contradict the accusations of police.

During the week of NATO demonstrations, the NLG is staffing a legal office and answering calls from activists on the streets and in jail. The NLG will also be dispatching scores of Legal Observers to record police misconduct and representing arrestees in the event the city pursues criminal prosecutions.

Contact: NLG Legal Worker Kris Hermes 510-681-6361 or NLG Attorney Sarah Gelsomino 773-520-8246

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By: National Lawyers Guild

OccupyMN.org is circulating the following press release from the National Lawyers Guild.

Original Article

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On Friday, May 11, Occupy Minneapolis joined a march and day of action coordinated by Minnesotans for a Fair Economy, and other organizations fighting social and economic injustice.  The rally and subsequent march highlighted struggles of homeowners facing foreclosure, as well as Wells Fargo’s recent refusal to allow Somali immigrants to send money to their families in Somalia.  After the march, we performed some good, old-fashioned civil disobedience, and blocked a couple intersections by sitting in the middle of them for about an hour.  Police threatened to start arresting people, but never actually did, after one man was taken into custody and then later released, and traffic dispersed elsewhere.

I was among those sitting in the middle of the street, blocking the traffic.  When the police officer warned us to get out of the intersection or face arrest, his choice of words were to the point: “while we respect your right to peacefully protest, the rest of the 99% are just trying to get home from a long day at work, and you’re blocking them in.”  I turned to my friend next to me and said, “he has a fair point.”  He replied, “well, this is what civil disobedience is.”

After considering for a moment, I decided to stay put.

The next day, I checked the occupymn.org email account, and opened one from one of the disgruntled folks blocked by our protest on his way home from work.  While it was relatively polite and well-considered compared to other email we get from folks who disagree with what we’re doing, it was also an example of quite a few of the common misunderstandings circulating about the Occupy movement, as a whole:

Hello- Yesterday, your organization had a large demonstration in downtown Minneapolis. I knew about the demonstration prior to when it started, because my employer notified everyone in the building that there would be such a protest. Not once did anyone speficially bring issue to it, as causing a problem, becase this IS America and you have every right to demonstrate in a peacefull [sic] manner. Your democracy IS working for you.

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“Your democracy IS working for you” is a really broad and definitive statement, and says a lot about your view of what Occupy us about.  You seem to correctly realize that, largely, we’re protesting the corruption of our society’s institutions, and how it’s undermined true democracy.  But you also indicate that you believe that, because we were (at that moment) able to gather in the middle of the street without significant pushback from law enforcement, that Occupy activists around the country are mistaken, and that is how democracy — a system where we have an equal and meaningful voice in the ways in which our society is governed, for which we’ve been loudly demanding — works, and that really, we needn’t be out protesting.  I’ll refer you to the Declaration of the Occupation of New York City for ways in which this is not, in fact, true.

What DID actually cause a problem is when you “occupied” the street that my bus goes down. Because then, as part of the 99% that takes public transportation, I was unable to go home to my wife and child at the time I had said I would be home. As I was standing helpless at my bus stop, I overheard many conversations related to your protest.

The GOOD news, is that everyone was made fully aware of who you are. The neutral news is that everyone had a hard time trying to figure out exactly what you wanted, and who you wanted it from. The BAD news, is that everyone….strangers who have never met…..were in full agreement that you were an annoyance, and a public nuisance. So congratulations, Occupy MN = Annoyance of MN.

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This demonstration was not an OccupyMN/Occupy Minneapolis event; it was coordinated by Minnesotans for a Fair Economy, and a bunch of other folks representing different organizations helped plan parts of it.  I correct you on this point not only because it would be unfair for Occupy Minneapolis to take full credit for the success of the demonstration, but also to illustrate another point: Occupy Minneapolis isn’t the only group of folks in town who are pissed off.  In the midst of your frustration with having to wait longer than usual to get home that day, did you get a chance to take in any of the signs people were holding, the statements people were making, or the overall message of the demonstration?

I want to help you understand, as a loose organization with no leadership….that your message is flawed. You are preaching to the choir when you talk about how hard life is. You are also slapping the choir when you prevent us from getting home. The “1%” of my organization is blind to your message, except for trying to protect the 99% of us, from YOU.

You’re mistaken when you assume that our goal is to inform people of the negative difficult aspects of their lives, as if we somehow had more insight over the daily problems they face than they did themselves. Instead, rather than lament about the injustice and inherent unfairness of our economic system and then write it off as yet another example of how “the world isn’t fair,” we recognize that no injustice is ever corrected without directly challenging it.  Maybe you don’t think Occupy is the way to solve the plethora of problems we face; fine.  But don’t you feel your irritation is a bit misdirected?  Setting aside any political differences or voting preferences we may have, can’t we agree that something is very wrong with our government?  While jobs are being cut so that corporations can increase their profit by exploiting the lack of human rights in other countries; while our presidential debates more closely resemble circus sideshows than the serious events they should be; while Wall Street firms get away with ruining our economy for the profits of the few, while anti-war activists are stalked and harassed by FBI… who deserves more of your anger?  The people protesting the corruption that ruined our economy and democracy, and the ongoing repression of our right to free speech, or those actually responsible for those injustices?

I refuse to ask my employers to give you a job because you sat in the street. This is America, and that’s not how you get work.

I refuse to ask my banker to “take it easy” on people who took on a loan for more than they could pay back. This is America, and that’s not how you get credit.

I refuse to allow criminals to work along side of me. This is America, and there are consequences for every decision you make.

My grandfathers left sweat, blood and limbs on different continents fighting in the Second World War. They built the country that I love today by putting their life on the line to do so, and they knew full well what the rules were and ARE.

YOU don’t understand these rules. That’s your problem.

I assure you, no one truly believes they can get work as a direct result of sitting in an intersection during rush hour.  That’s civil disobedience, not a crazy new kind of resume.  But you do bring up another common misconception about the Occupy movement: that we are a coalition of unemployed people, roaming the streets demanding high-paying jobs and handouts.  If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say “get a job,” it could be my new job.

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Many of the people involved with Occupy, locally and across the country, are unemployed.  And this makes sense, when you consider that we’re in the midst of an economic recession coupled with massive unemployment and wage and benefit reductions.  It also makes sense when you consider that, in America, it often takes a drastic drop in the quality of ones life before one is willing to loudly protest inequities that are at least superficially apparent to everyone.  When OccupyMN started, I was working a full-time job in the banking industry.  Nearly all of the organizers worked full-time jobs in a variety of fields.  And for people who work full-time, go to school, and then spend some of their free time involved in a march or rally, or at the Occupy site, hearing “get a job, loser” is as infuriating as it gets, as well as counter-productive.  Rather than being a good way to give the protester a piece of your mind that they might seriously consider and take to heart, it invariably tells everyone who hears you that you truly don’t get it.  And those protesters who actually are unemployed, do you think they’re not looking for work?  If it were that easy, to just go and “get a job,” don’t you think we would have found a way out of the unemployment crisis by now?  Or is it that you don’t want to believe that, despite doing everything “right,” maybe you’re just a little afraid that you may some day be unlucky enough to find yourself in a similar situation?

The point isn’t that we need jobs, even though many of us do.  Giving us all the best jobs available wouldn’t solve the economic crisis we’re facing.  Full employment, as the solution to the abundance of grievances we’ve presented, wouldn’t take money out of politics, or remove the corruption from our regulatory bodies, or reverse centuries of oppression at the hands of the most powerful elite.  Giving us all great jobs with generous benefits wouldn’t give back the homes that were taken from people who, to address your over-simplified assertion that people took out loans they couldn’t afford, thereby creating their own mess, were targeted by predatory lenders, or simply defrauded.  Good jobs would be a good thing, to be sure, but unemployment is only one piece of the crisis.  I don’t know who you’re referring to as “criminals,” but your anger?  It’s misdirected.

You say we don’t understand the rules, and that that’s our problem.  No, you misunderstand.  We’re out here precisely because we do understand these “rules,” overly-simplified as you’ve made them out to be, and because we oppose the unfair and corrupt ways in which they’ve been implemented and continue to be enforced.  We’re not here because we don’t understand that the wealthiest few in our country get to make decisions for the rest of us, benefiting themselves while hurting us, our families, and our livelihoods in the process; we’re here because we oppose that.  We’re here because we want something better.

I will ask once, with a please, don’t block my bus again. Some of us have to get on with our lives that most CERTAINLY suck at different times, but that’s to be understood. Nothing is free in this world.

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I can’t make any promises.  Not because I don’t know what it feels like to want to get home after a long day of work stuck in a cubicle downtown, making other people rich.  But because blocking traffic during rush hour, like making a human chain around a house in foreclosure to prevent eviction, or setting up a camp in the middle of a city to demonstrate direct democracy, is the very definition of civil disobedience: breaking minor laws in such a way that generates widespread attention and awareness of the issues in which the citizens are concerned.

We won’t see a better society by politely asking for it, and you know that as well as I do.  Next time you see us out protesting, take the time to figure out what it is we’re protesting, and come talk to us.  Tell us what you want to do to create a better world.  We probably have a lot more in common than you think.

Original Article

At the public City Council hearing on May 2, representatives of Target spoke in favor of Barb Johnson’s unconstitutional resolution to restrict freedom of assembly in city-owned parks and plazas, citing concerns about drug use and intoxication at Peavey Plaza.

According to City Council member Cam Gordon:

“One of the talking points of those who want to shut down the Occupy protests (supporters of the Johnson resolution both on the Council and in the community) is that Occupy has brought more drug use and intoxicated people to Peavey Plaza. It now seems that law enforcement officers have played a major role in bringing drug use and intoxicated people to the plaza. Was this site chosen with the intent of undermining Occupy’s credibility, or is it just a coincidence? Or did the officers participating in the DRE program target Occupy because they view the protesters as a collection of drug users? As I see it, this new information calls into question all of the ‘evidence’ that Occupy has increased crime and livability problems on the plaza, strengthening my opposition to the Johnson resolution.”

Based on this new information, we believe that Target’s support for the resolution has no credibility. Continued support for this resolution by Target would constitute an outright assault on our democracy. Corporate special interests such as Target have no business seeking to influence public policy to stifle dissent

Unless Target acts immediately to publicly withdraw support for this resolution and stand up for freedom of assembly, we intend to organize a picket to educate shoppers about Target’s attempts to suppress the inalienable rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution.

Sincerely,

Occupy Minneapolis

Original Article