Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Event: The New Age of Conspiracy: An Introductory Look at the Use of Conspiracy Charges Against Social Movements and Radicals
Please join Radical Education for Autonomous Persons (REAP), this Wednesday, November 6th, at 6 PM as we welcome Lena Mercer. Lena will be visiting the UIUC campus to discuss the use of conspiracy-related charges as a means of repressing social movements and politically radical individuals.
The New Age of Conspiracy: An Introductory Look at the Use of Conspiracy Charges Against Social Movements and Radicals (e.g. the Asheville11 and RNC8)
Where: Illini Union, Room 407 (1401 W. Green Urbana)
When: 6 PM - 8 PM
Conspiracy charges continue to be issued against social movements and politically radical individuals. These charges have long-term implications for the target individuals and movements, ranging from exaggerated felony accusations with excessively high bail to media exposure that makes it difficult for the accused to find employment or housing later in life, to public stigmatization of the movement.
Lena Mercer will discuss two recent cases that involve conspiracy charges - the Asheville 11 case and the case of the RNC8 - as well as the meanings of these charges and their implications for future political organizers.
Background information about these two cases is below.
Asheville 11
On May 1, 2010 eleven people were arrested and charged with nearly $20,000 worth of damage to store front and car windows in a tourist section of downtown Asheville. Picked at random the eleven were swept off sidewalks and into waiting police vehicles. They have become the targets of egregious attempts by the Asheville Police Department to show it maintains control.
What began as ten misdemeanor charges and $10,000 bail for each person, quickly ratcheted up to $65,000 bail with an additional three felonies added to every person. Each are facing over five years in jail; a higher penalty then often found in domestic violence cases.
In a clearly desperate act, the state is aggressively persecuting these eleven by charging them with every crime they can muster, demanding exorbitant bail and publicly slandering the defendants. With no evidence against them the presumption of innocence has been completely abandoned by the media and police.
(taken from http://asheville11defense.com/)
RNC 8
The RNC 8 are: Luce Guillén-Givins, Max Specktor, Nathanael Secor, Eryn Trimmer, Monica Bicking, Erik Oseland, Robert Czernik and Garrett Fitzgerald. Their case has proceeded as follows:
All were preemptively arrested prior to the 2008 RNC in response to their political organizing. They were falsely charged with Conspiracy to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism under the Minnesota PATRIOT Act.
Later that year, prosecutors added charges of Conspiracy to Commit Criminal Damage to Property in Furtherance of Terrorism, as well as both charges without the terrorism enhancement, for a total of four felony charges per defendant.
In early 2009, facing mounting political pressure, prosecutors removed the terrorism enhancements, leaving each defendant with two felony charges each.
In August 2010, Erik Oseland accepted a plea agreement to a single gross misdemeanor charge. In September 2010, all charges against Monica Bicking, Eryn Trimmer, and Luce Guillén-Givins were dropped, leaving four defendants to face trial beginning on October 25, 2010.
(taken from http://rnc8.org/)
Funding for this event is provided by SORF. This event is sponsored by Radical Education for Autonomous Persons (REAP), a registered student organization at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The New Age of Conspiracy: An Introductory Look at the Use of Conspiracy Charges Against Social Movements and Radicals (e.g. the Asheville11 and RNC8)
Where: Illini Union, Room 407 (1401 W. Green Urbana)
When: 6 PM - 8 PM
Conspiracy charges continue to be issued against social movements and politically radical individuals. These charges have long-term implications for the target individuals and movements, ranging from exaggerated felony accusations with excessively high bail to media exposure that makes it difficult for the accused to find employment or housing later in life, to public stigmatization of the movement.
Lena Mercer will discuss two recent cases that involve conspiracy charges - the Asheville 11 case and the case of the RNC8 - as well as the meanings of these charges and their implications for future political organizers.
Background information about these two cases is below.
Asheville 11
On May 1, 2010 eleven people were arrested and charged with nearly $20,000 worth of damage to store front and car windows in a tourist section of downtown Asheville. Picked at random the eleven were swept off sidewalks and into waiting police vehicles. They have become the targets of egregious attempts by the Asheville Police Department to show it maintains control.
What began as ten misdemeanor charges and $10,000 bail for each person, quickly ratcheted up to $65,000 bail with an additional three felonies added to every person. Each are facing over five years in jail; a higher penalty then often found in domestic violence cases.
In a clearly desperate act, the state is aggressively persecuting these eleven by charging them with every crime they can muster, demanding exorbitant bail and publicly slandering the defendants. With no evidence against them the presumption of innocence has been completely abandoned by the media and police.
(taken from http://asheville11defense.com/
RNC 8
The RNC 8 are: Luce Guillén-Givins, Max Specktor, Nathanael Secor, Eryn Trimmer, Monica Bicking, Erik Oseland, Robert Czernik and Garrett Fitzgerald. Their case has proceeded as follows:
All were preemptively arrested prior to the 2008 RNC in response to their political organizing. They were falsely charged with Conspiracy to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism under the Minnesota PATRIOT Act.
Later that year, prosecutors added charges of Conspiracy to Commit Criminal Damage to Property in Furtherance of Terrorism, as well as both charges without the terrorism enhancement, for a total of four felony charges per defendant.
In early 2009, facing mounting political pressure, prosecutors removed the terrorism enhancements, leaving each defendant with two felony charges each.
In August 2010, Erik Oseland accepted a plea agreement to a single gross misdemeanor charge. In September 2010, all charges against Monica Bicking, Eryn Trimmer, and Luce Guillén-Givins were dropped, leaving four defendants to face trial beginning on October 25, 2010.
(taken from http://rnc8.org/)
Funding for this event is provided by SORF. This event is sponsored by Radical Education for Autonomous Persons (REAP), a registered student organization at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Meeting: Wednesday, September 7th, 7pm
This Wednesday (September 7th) we'll be meeting in the Courtyard Cafe at the Illini Union at 7pm.
The reading for this week is: Anarchy 101 by Bob Black (link)
The reading for this week is: Anarchy 101 by Bob Black (link)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Meeting: Wednesday, August 31st, 6PM
Of those that responded to the Doodle survey, the best time to meet is Wednesday evenings. So, we'll be meeting this Wednesday, August 31st, at 6PM in the Courtyard Cafe at the Illini Union.
At this meeting we'll get to know each other, and decide what we want to do this year with REAP. Some things we may want to discuss include: how to pick what we read, what topics to cover, how often we should meet, social activities, and anything else that comes to mind!
WHAT: First REAP meeting of the semester
WHEN: Wednesday, August 31st at 6PM
WHERE: Courtyard Cafe in the Illini Union
At this meeting we'll get to know each other, and decide what we want to do this year with REAP. Some things we may want to discuss include: how to pick what we read, what topics to cover, how often we should meet, social activities, and anything else that comes to mind!
WHAT: First REAP meeting of the semester
WHEN: Wednesday, August 31st at 6PM
WHERE: Courtyard Cafe in the Illini Union
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Fall 2011 Meeting Time Survey
http://www.doodle.com/w7w8zr44eux8h5s4
Now that the first week of class is nearly over and you have a better
idea of what your schedule is like, I think it would be a good time to
decide on when we should meet for REAP (anarchist reading group).
I have created Doodle so that we can decide on a time that works for
everybody. The times listed are the time the meeting would START, and
meetings generally last about 1.5hrs or 2hrs. In the past we have met
during the evening, which seems to accommodate the most people. For
this reason I have listed meeting start times between 4pm and 8pm in
half hour increments.
Please fill out the survey by this Sunday (August 28th) by following
this link: http://www.doodle.com/w7w8zr44eux8h5s4
Now that the first week of class is nearly over and you have a better
idea of what your schedule is like, I think it would be a good time to
decide on when we should meet for REAP (anarchist reading group).
I have created Doodle so that we can decide on a time that works for
everybody. The times listed are the time the meeting would START, and
meetings generally last about 1.5hrs or 2hrs. In the past we have met
during the evening, which seems to accommodate the most people. For
this reason I have listed meeting start times between 4pm and 8pm in
half hour increments.
Please fill out the survey by this Sunday (August 28th) by following
this link: http://www.doodle.com/
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Quad Day 2011
Look for us at Quad Day 2011 today! We'll probably be on the south side of the union, by the steam vent.
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