Welcome to the new world order in the age of homeland security! This has been brewing for some time, in fact search and seizures as bad as these go back years - it’s just never reported and therefore never happened. One recent twist was the passage of FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) which pretty much legitimizes this kind of legal misconduct. This isn’t a Democratic or Republican issue - both are guilty of willful constitutional neglect in this regard - and both parties should be held accountable.

There’s a PDF copy of the search warrant affidavit used in one St Paul raid on the IMC site:
http://twincities.indymedia.org/2008/sep/copy-affidavit-used-rnc-wc-raids

What’s immediately evident is that the Police (which in this instance would have to include the secret service and FBI) just don’t understand the use of irony by activists and anarchist groups. The seriousness in which they analyze the RNCWC video would be hilarious if not so purposively deceptive. They also exhibit an approach to levying conspiracy charges in a manner that seems . . . well . . . conspiratorial.

This in from iWitness in St Paul:

Police have arrived at our office in St. Paul. They say that they have received reports of hostages barricaded in the building. We are behind a locked door. Lawyers are outside dealing with them.
- Eileen

- Michael Eisenmenger