Please send as far and wide as possible. Thanks, Robert Sterling Editor, The Konformist http://www.konformist.com Please crosspost! Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1998 18:58:36 -0800 Subject: PLEASE POST! : MINNEHAHA FREE STATE RAIDED MINNEHAHA FREE STATE RAIDED BY 600 POLICE! PROTESTERS INJURED AND JAILED - YOUR HELP IS NEEDED! PROTESTERS ARE NOT RECEIVING MEDICAL ATTENTION! PLEASE CALL THE HENNEPIN COUNTY JAIL AT 612-348-5112 AND DEMAND MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR THE INJURED AND THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF ALL THE PROTESTERS! The Minnehaha Free State/Liberated Zone in Minneapolis MN was raided Sunday morning at 4am by 600 State Troopers in what MN Governor Arnie Carlson has called the largest law enforcement operation in MN history. Police fired tear gas into all 7 seven houses occupied by a coalition of Big Woods Earth First! the American Indian Movement (AIM)and the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community. 33 people were arrested, 20 of them from lockdowns. (included an activist in a Santa suit locked into the chimney of one of the homes) Many of the protesters where tortured with pepper spray and pain compliance holds. One protester who was locked by the neck to a tripod had his life put in serious danger when the police overturned the tripod without taking any precautions to protect him. The extent of his injuries remains unknown. Media were blocked from the site by a wall of riot police and there are extensive reports of police brutality. During the raid various items sacred to the Mendota Community were destroyed. The sacred fire was extinguished in violation of federal laws which protect Native American religious expression. The sun dance tipi was destroyed, and the sweat lodge, site of numerous ceremonies over the past 4 months of occupation, was burnt down. Governor Carlson was on site gloating to the press and warming himself by the fires of burning camp materials. The protesters occupied the homes to block a new highway project intended to take a few minutes of the driving time from downtown Minneapolis to America's largest mall, the Mall of America. The highway will cut through a park, destroy homes and one of the last remaining examples of old growth oak Savannah as well as sites sacred to the Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota community. Over the course of the last 4 months the Mendota have been fighting for federal recognition as part of their efforts to protect the oaks and a sacred spring from destruction. Sunday was the protesters 133rd day of continuous occupation, believed to be the longest running urban occupation in American history. For more information about the situation call the Big Woods EF! hotline at (612) 362-3387. Your support is desperately needed to help with the legal defense and to keep the resistance alive. Checks can be made out to MNRAG and mailed to Big Woods EF! PO Box 580936 Minneapolis MN 55458-0936. There is also information posted at http://www.ruckus.org. There will be a rally at the site Monday the 21st at noon. 5307 Riverview Rd Minneapolis If you are interested in a free subscription to The Konformist Newswire, please visit http://www.eGroups.com/list/konformist/ and sign up. Or, e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject: "I NEED 2 KONFORM!!!" (Okay, you can use something else, but it's a kool catch phrase.) If you are interested in a free subscription to The Konformist Research Intelligence League List (KRILL), please visit http://www.eGroups.com/list/krill/ and sign up. Or, e-mail krill- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit the Klub Konformist at Yahoo!: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/klubkonformist ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Egroups is a FREE service thanks to NextCard Internet VISA. Apply online now for an intro APR as low as 2.9%. http://offers.egroups.com/click/137/2 E-group home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/konformist Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com
