by Mary Turck • 10/23/08 • The Strib and the PiPress give strangely different accounts of an RNC-related guilty plea.
Star Tribune: A 23-year-old Michigan man has admitted to plotting to detonate a homemade bomb in the tunnels near the Xcel Energy Center, hoping it would cause a power failure and prompt cancellation of the Republican National Convention.
Pioneer Press: Although he pleaded guilty, he said he intended the explosives to be used only for "self-defense."
Star Tribune: DePalma spent about 90 minutes at the Hennepin County Library on Aug. 18 researching recipes for homemade bombs. He bought the supplies for Molotov cocktails a few days later.
Pioneer Press: "Was it your idea to make them?" the judge asked.
"Yes," DePalma replied, adding that he believed he was "encouraged" to build them.
"By encouragement, I mean it was made very, very easy for me," he said. He said the informant drove him to various stations to get gas.
Star Tribune: On Aug. 22, DePalma allegedly made two jugs of a homemade napalm-like substance for use in the Molotov cocktails. He was seen traveling to a remote location in Rosemount to allegedly assemble and test the Molotov cocktails.
Pioneer Press: DePalma made five of the explosives. He and the government informant blew up two to test the design, and the FBI seized the other three.
Star Tribune: DePalma faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Pioneer Press: The judge noted that under federal sentencing guidelines, DePalma could be sentenced to 46 months to 57 months in prison and be fined as much as $100,000.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Mayhem and the Mainstream Media
by Mary Turck, 10/2/08 • The media's job is to report the news, and that includes reporting inconvenient facts that contradict the "official stories" about the RNC.
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher declared September 24 that the city of St. Paul endured "eight hours of chaos and mayhem" and that if police had not acted forcefully, "this town would have been destroyed" on September 1, the first day of the Republican National Convention. (St. Paul Pioneer Press, 9/25/08; Star Tribune, 9/29/08)
These uncritical reports of Sheriff Fletcher's news conference show a failure of reporting. Instead of simply repeating the sheriff's heated rhetoric, journalists need to look for evidence and report whether his statements are accurate.
One example illustrates the need for more careful reporting. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press article, Fletcher said that police had shown great restraint and that officers in riot gear were not deployed until about 3 p.m. I was on the streets of downtown St. Paul by early afternoon on September 1. So were hundreds of other journalists, and hundreds of police in riot gear. I have videos and photos of police in riot gear lining the streets at 12:30 p.m. I am willing to bet that Star Tribune and Pioneer Press photographers do, too.
Photos from my video at 7th and St. Peter at approximately 12:30 p.m. on September 1
Sheriff Fletcher apparently missed the riot gear deployment. If he is wrong--by three hours--about when police in riot gear were deployed, then what else is he wrong about? That's a basic question that the media need to ask and answer. Our job is to ask questions and find the truth, not to uncritically report the words of public officials.
Chaos and Mayhem?
What, exactly, is the "chaos and mayhem" that Sheriff Fletcher is talking about? What, exactly, is the "extensive damage to the city" that the Star Tribune editorial page (9/3/08) said was justification for "an appropriate show of police force"?
I have seen no reports of injuries to police or convention delegates, only of injuries inflicted by police on protesters, journalists and bystanders. Police booking records reveal no reports of guns fired or bombs exploded. News stories tell of half a dozen broken windows, maybe a dozen cars with flat tires, and miscellaneous damage to trash containers and newspaper boxes.
After the convention, the Minnesota Daily (9/8/08) talked to U of M police chief Greg Hestness, who had four officers detailed to the RNC. According to the report, "Hestness said the RNC protests were far tamer in his opinion than the protests following the 2003 Gopher hockey riots when 'strictly alcohol-fueled' students took to the streets starting fires and causing damage all over the University."
Of the 280-plus people arrested on September 1, only three were booked on charges of criminal damage to property. Of the 700-plus people arrested in St. Paul during the RNC, only 13 have been charged with felonies committed during the four days of the convention. (Eight more -- the RNC Eight -- were jailed before the convention on charges of "conspiracy to riot in furtherance of terrorism.")
Challenge to the media
When the media reports--and we should report--that Sheriff Fletcher claims to have saved the city of St. Paul from destruction, then we also need to report facts that enable the public to decide whether or not they believe him.
At the Twin Cities Daily Planet, part of our mission is to dig for enough facts to raise challenging questions. I wish we had a research staff to dig deeper and get all of the answers, but we do not. I think the big guys -- the mainstream media -- should be assigning researchers and reporters and digging deeper for information such as:
• Who was injured during the RNC and what were the injuries?
• Exactly what property damage occurred?
• How many people were arrested, and what happened to each of them?
• What was the command structure of the security forces assembled for the RNC? What was the role of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security?
• What was seized in searches of residences and the Convergence Center during the pre-emptive raids before the RNC?
• What residences have been searched AFTER the RNC, and what has been seized in these residences?
At a minimum, raising the questions lets people know that the full story has not been told. But the mainstream media has an opportunity to do much more. They have the opportunity -- and the resources -- to reclaim journalism's role of finding and speaking truth, rather than acting as stenographers for power.
Mary Turck is the editor of the Twin Cities Daily Planet.
|
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher declared September 24 that the city of St. Paul endured "eight hours of chaos and mayhem" and that if police had not acted forcefully, "this town would have been destroyed" on September 1, the first day of the Republican National Convention. (St. Paul Pioneer Press, 9/25/08; Star Tribune, 9/29/08)
These uncritical reports of Sheriff Fletcher's news conference show a failure of reporting. Instead of simply repeating the sheriff's heated rhetoric, journalists need to look for evidence and report whether his statements are accurate.
One example illustrates the need for more careful reporting. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press article, Fletcher said that police had shown great restraint and that officers in riot gear were not deployed until about 3 p.m. I was on the streets of downtown St. Paul by early afternoon on September 1. So were hundreds of other journalists, and hundreds of police in riot gear. I have videos and photos of police in riot gear lining the streets at 12:30 p.m. I am willing to bet that Star Tribune and Pioneer Press photographers do, too.
Photos from my video at 7th and St. Peter at approximately 12:30 p.m. on September 1
Sheriff Fletcher apparently missed the riot gear deployment. If he is wrong--by three hours--about when police in riot gear were deployed, then what else is he wrong about? That's a basic question that the media need to ask and answer. Our job is to ask questions and find the truth, not to uncritically report the words of public officials.
Chaos and Mayhem?
What, exactly, is the "chaos and mayhem" that Sheriff Fletcher is talking about? What, exactly, is the "extensive damage to the city" that the Star Tribune editorial page (9/3/08) said was justification for "an appropriate show of police force"?
I have seen no reports of injuries to police or convention delegates, only of injuries inflicted by police on protesters, journalists and bystanders. Police booking records reveal no reports of guns fired or bombs exploded. News stories tell of half a dozen broken windows, maybe a dozen cars with flat tires, and miscellaneous damage to trash containers and newspaper boxes.
After the convention, the Minnesota Daily (9/8/08) talked to U of M police chief Greg Hestness, who had four officers detailed to the RNC. According to the report, "Hestness said the RNC protests were far tamer in his opinion than the protests following the 2003 Gopher hockey riots when 'strictly alcohol-fueled' students took to the streets starting fires and causing damage all over the University."
Of the 280-plus people arrested on September 1, only three were booked on charges of criminal damage to property. Of the 700-plus people arrested in St. Paul during the RNC, only 13 have been charged with felonies committed during the four days of the convention. (Eight more -- the RNC Eight -- were jailed before the convention on charges of "conspiracy to riot in furtherance of terrorism.")
Challenge to the media
When the media reports--and we should report--that Sheriff Fletcher claims to have saved the city of St. Paul from destruction, then we also need to report facts that enable the public to decide whether or not they believe him.
At the Twin Cities Daily Planet, part of our mission is to dig for enough facts to raise challenging questions. I wish we had a research staff to dig deeper and get all of the answers, but we do not. I think the big guys -- the mainstream media -- should be assigning researchers and reporters and digging deeper for information such as:
• Who was injured during the RNC and what were the injuries?
• Exactly what property damage occurred?
• How many people were arrested, and what happened to each of them?
• What was the command structure of the security forces assembled for the RNC? What was the role of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security?
• What was seized in searches of residences and the Convergence Center during the pre-emptive raids before the RNC?
• What residences have been searched AFTER the RNC, and what has been seized in these residences?
At a minimum, raising the questions lets people know that the full story has not been told. But the mainstream media has an opportunity to do much more. They have the opportunity -- and the resources -- to reclaim journalism's role of finding and speaking truth, rather than acting as stenographers for power.
Mary Turck is the editor of the Twin Cities Daily Planet.
U.S. Army at the RNC
by Mary Turck • 10/8/08 • Army Col. Michael Boatner admitted October 7 that active-duty U.S. military were sent to St. Paul for the Republican National Convention. Col. Boatner, the future operations division chief of USNORTHCOM, told Amy Goodman on Democracy Now that the army was "up there in support of the US Secret Service. We provided some explosive ordnance disposal support of the event."
Col. Boatman denied that the army did any intelligence sharing. "They were just doing routine screens and scans of the area in advance of this kind of a vulnerable event," he said. "It’s pretty standard support to a national special security event."
This discussion follows the publication of an Army Times article last month announcing training of a U.S. Army unit for domestic operations under the control of U.S. Army Northern Command.
Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive, expressed grave concern: "Now the Pentagon is doing sweeps of areas before, you know, a political convention? That used to be law enforcement’s job. That used to be domestic civil law enforcement job. It’s now being taken over by the Pentagon. That should concern us."
The disclosure of U.S. Army operations at the RNC highlights the still unanswered questions about security forces there.
The RNC was designated as a national special security event. When the Secretary of Homeland Security designates a National Special Security Event, " the Secret Service assumes its mandated role as the lead agency for the design and implementation of the operational security plan. The Secret Service has developed a core strategy to carry out its security operations, which relies heavily on its established partnerships with law enforcement and public safety officials at the local, state and federal levels." (Secret Service web site)
Security forces deployed at the RNC included Hennepin and Ramsey County sheriff's departments, Minneapolis and St. Paul police departments, the University of Minnesota police department, Minnesota Highway Patrol, National Guard, suburban and rural police, and out-of-state police. The Secret Service was here. The FBI was here, and active in raids on homes before the convention. And now it's official -- the U.S. Army was here as well.
The latest disclosure highlights many still-unanswered questions about security at the RNC:
• Who gave the orders for raids on private homes and the political headquarters of protesters? We know the FBI was involved, but what was the nature of their involvement?
• Who ordered the arrests and detentions of journalists and harassment of photographers in the weeks before the convention?
• Who searched the computers and cell phones and cameras of those who were detained?
• Where did the information seized from computer hard drives and cell phones and camera memory cards end up?
• What federal agencies now have the name-and-address information and the photos of people who were temporarily detained but never arrested or charged with anything?
And then there's the $100,000 question: Will the investigation headed by former U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger even address these issues?
Col. Boatman denied that the army did any intelligence sharing. "They were just doing routine screens and scans of the area in advance of this kind of a vulnerable event," he said. "It’s pretty standard support to a national special security event."
This discussion follows the publication of an Army Times article last month announcing training of a U.S. Army unit for domestic operations under the control of U.S. Army Northern Command.
Matthew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive, expressed grave concern: "Now the Pentagon is doing sweeps of areas before, you know, a political convention? That used to be law enforcement’s job. That used to be domestic civil law enforcement job. It’s now being taken over by the Pentagon. That should concern us."
The disclosure of U.S. Army operations at the RNC highlights the still unanswered questions about security forces there.
The RNC was designated as a national special security event. When the Secretary of Homeland Security designates a National Special Security Event, " the Secret Service assumes its mandated role as the lead agency for the design and implementation of the operational security plan. The Secret Service has developed a core strategy to carry out its security operations, which relies heavily on its established partnerships with law enforcement and public safety officials at the local, state and federal levels." (Secret Service web site)
Security forces deployed at the RNC included Hennepin and Ramsey County sheriff's departments, Minneapolis and St. Paul police departments, the University of Minnesota police department, Minnesota Highway Patrol, National Guard, suburban and rural police, and out-of-state police. The Secret Service was here. The FBI was here, and active in raids on homes before the convention. And now it's official -- the U.S. Army was here as well.
The latest disclosure highlights many still-unanswered questions about security at the RNC:
• Who gave the orders for raids on private homes and the political headquarters of protesters? We know the FBI was involved, but what was the nature of their involvement?
• Who ordered the arrests and detentions of journalists and harassment of photographers in the weeks before the convention?
• Who searched the computers and cell phones and cameras of those who were detained?
• Where did the information seized from computer hard drives and cell phones and camera memory cards end up?
• What federal agencies now have the name-and-address information and the photos of people who were temporarily detained but never arrested or charged with anything?
And then there's the $100,000 question: Will the investigation headed by former U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger even address these issues?
Guns and Bombs and Things That Go Boom in the NIght
by Mary Turck • 10/2/08 • Over the past month, both Sheriff Bob Fletcher and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman referred to "guns and bombs" that "anarchists" brought to the RNC. The massive local, state and federal security presence is credited by both men with saving the city of St. Paul from the people with guns and bombs. But who were these people and how many guns and bombs did they bring?
Ramsey County Sheriff's Office booking records for the week of August 30-September 5. show seven weapons or explosives-related arrests during that time. Five of these look like regular, everyday arrests, such as domestic assault. Only two seem even remotely connected to the RNC. These two are arrests for possession of explosives. The two people arrested were a 22-year-old Texan arrested at 5:15 a.m. on September 3 and a 20-year-old Minnesotan arrested at 11:16 p.m. on September 3.
But arrest is only the first step. After an arrest, prosecutors weigh the evidence and file charges. Three people have been charged with possession of Molotov cocktails by the U.S. Attorney. No one has been charged with illegal possession of guns related to the RNC.
The Ramsey County Attorney's office reports ten felony cases related to activities during the convention. None of them involve guns or bombs. (The RNC 8, who were charged with conspiracy to commit a riot, were not charged with committing crimes during the convention.)
Some people who were arrested on the bridge on September 4 say that they saw police confiscate a gun or guns from others on the bridge. I've heard this from journalists whose reports I trust. The Ramsey County Sheriff's booking records show no weapons charges filed for that night. Perhaps the individuals with guns were Minnesotans legally toting their registered and concealed-carry-permitted guns. Perhaps they were undercover officers who were legally carrying weapons. I don't know, but it seems fairly unlikely that police would fail to charge a protester with possession of an unregistered or illegal weapon.
I have not heard a single report of any protester or anarchist actually shooting a gun or exploding a bomb during the RNC. Our civic authorities credit the police with this success. I am sure they are correct. I am sure we all owe a vote of thanks to Sheriff Fletcher for protecting the city of St. Paul from destruction and guns and bombs and anarchists and peaceniks and ... well, anyone else who is a threat to public order and decency.
I have not heard of a single lion or tiger or bear running amok in the streets of St. Paul during the RNC. I personally want to thank Sheriff Bob Fletcher and all of the security forces from Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Secret Service for protecting us from lions and tigers and bears.
Ramsey County Sheriff's Office booking records for the week of August 30-September 5. show seven weapons or explosives-related arrests during that time. Five of these look like regular, everyday arrests, such as domestic assault. Only two seem even remotely connected to the RNC. These two are arrests for possession of explosives. The two people arrested were a 22-year-old Texan arrested at 5:15 a.m. on September 3 and a 20-year-old Minnesotan arrested at 11:16 p.m. on September 3.
But arrest is only the first step. After an arrest, prosecutors weigh the evidence and file charges. Three people have been charged with possession of Molotov cocktails by the U.S. Attorney. No one has been charged with illegal possession of guns related to the RNC.
The Ramsey County Attorney's office reports ten felony cases related to activities during the convention. None of them involve guns or bombs. (The RNC 8, who were charged with conspiracy to commit a riot, were not charged with committing crimes during the convention.)
Some people who were arrested on the bridge on September 4 say that they saw police confiscate a gun or guns from others on the bridge. I've heard this from journalists whose reports I trust. The Ramsey County Sheriff's booking records show no weapons charges filed for that night. Perhaps the individuals with guns were Minnesotans legally toting their registered and concealed-carry-permitted guns. Perhaps they were undercover officers who were legally carrying weapons. I don't know, but it seems fairly unlikely that police would fail to charge a protester with possession of an unregistered or illegal weapon.
I have not heard a single report of any protester or anarchist actually shooting a gun or exploding a bomb during the RNC. Our civic authorities credit the police with this success. I am sure they are correct. I am sure we all owe a vote of thanks to Sheriff Fletcher for protecting the city of St. Paul from destruction and guns and bombs and anarchists and peaceniks and ... well, anyone else who is a threat to public order and decency.
I have not heard of a single lion or tiger or bear running amok in the streets of St. Paul during the RNC. I personally want to thank Sheriff Bob Fletcher and all of the security forces from Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Secret Service for protecting us from lions and tigers and bears.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
