Police raid protesters in Twin Cities

St. Paul and Minneapolis police forces have been raiding multiple anti-war protest workspaces and residences over the past day in what demonstrators are calling an effort to silence their objections  before the Republican National Convention begins Monday.

“The actions by the St. Paul Police are an attempt to make people afraid to take a stand against the war and the Republican agenda,” said Steff Yorek of the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War.

{mosads}The Ramsey County Sheriff's office, which presides over Minneapolis, raided at least three homes and arrested at least five people Saturday morning in connection with RNC protest groups, said the  National Lawyer Guild (NLG).

The NLG has been using Twitter to keep in touch with people at the sites of the raids throughout the cities and has been helping represent the arrested who have been charged with conspiracy to riot  and conspiracy to damage property.

“We’re talking about multiple raids all over the Twin Cities and it’s out of control,” said Gena Berglund of the NLG. “It’s just crazy.”

The sheriff’s office could not be reached for comment Saturday, but according to Minnesota Public Radio, authorities seized gallons of urine, wrist rockets, and keroseine.

A similar raid occurred in neighboring city St. Paul Friday night, when police handcuffed and interviewed more than 50 members of the Coalition.

The Coalition consists of 130 individual organizations such as the RNC Welcoming Committee, a self-described anarchist group that has been using a two-story workspace downtown called the Convergence Center for several weeks to plan marches and events, like the main one expected on Monday, when President Bush is scheduled to speak at the Convention.

“There was no warning,” said Jess Sundin, spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War, who arrived on the scene shortly after police sealed off the area. “There was rumor that there was a search warrant, but we had attorneys on site, and they didn’t see any sign of a search warrant. It was really shocking.”

After photographs were taken of the individuals at the center Friday night, police released everyone with no arrests, said Sundin.

St. Paul police could not be reached for comment Saturday.