PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY

On August 31st, 2007 hundreds of bicyclists participating in a Critical Mass ride were attacked by the cops.  During the ensuing police riot, bikers and bystanders alike were thrown against vehicles and arrested for simply asking questions.  Bikers were tackled from their bicycles without any order being given for them to stop.  Those who were documenting the event with cameras or other recording devices were singled out and intimidated or arrested. Personal property was destroyed, police cars were recklessly driven straight into groups of bicyclists, people were thrown to the ground, billowing clouds of chemical irritant were sprayed, pain compliance techniques were deployed, and tasers were used on unresisting people already on the ground in handcuffs.

The initial police presence included undercover officers, three marked squad cars which menaced the group throughout the ride, as well as a state patrol helicopter following overhead.  Prior to the ride the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department briefed the cops about the supposed plans of RNC protestors that were participating in the mass and falsely told them to expect violence or property destruction on the ride.  After police arrested a cyclist for “riding in a snake-like way” cyclists encircled the arrest chanting “What’s the charge?” and “Let him go!”.  Dozens of police officers responded to a call for help and swarmed in on the 8.31.07 Critical Mass, escalating the situation, causing chaos, and terrorizing innocent bikers.  The officers haphazardly arrested a total of 19 people (3 of them minors, another an unassociated bystander) and sent them to be booked on the charge of “Probable Cause, Intent to Riot”.  Although a spokesperson for the Minneapolis Police Department initially said that the police response had nothing to do with the RNC this claim was later contradicted by the sworn testimony of officers at the trial of one of those unlawfully arrested.

Of the 19 who were arrested on allegations ranging from assaulting a police officer, to fleeing arrest, two plead out on reduced charges of minor traffic violations and paid a small fine.  For 16 others, the city dropped their charges due to a lack of evidence.  Gus Ganley’s case was the only one to go to trial.  Gus faced charges of Forcibly Resisting Arrest, Assault on an Officer and Fleeing Police - serious charges for the city to bring against him.  The city dragged him and 8 jurors through a trial that lasted an entire week.  During the trial, video and photographic evidence taken by other participants played a key role in making it obvious that the officers involved were lying about what had happened that day when they threw Gus to the ground.  The jury deliberated a little more than 5 minutes to come back with a verdict of NOT GUILTY on all of the charges the Gus faced.  As it stands no known disciplinary action has been taken against the officers who lied under oath about their actions.

Thank you to everyone who supported the arrestees throughout this skewed legal process, donated, and who continues to ride in the mass.

AT LEAST THAT’S BEHIND US, OR IS IT?…

Although it’s wonderful that our fellow riders who were arrested last year have been cleared of the false allegations with which they were accused, it would be unwise to forget about what has happened.  Like it or not, the upcoming August Critical Mass (the one year anniversary of the police riot described on the first page of this flyer) will occur just days before the beginning of the 2008 Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul and Minneapolis.  There is strong evidence that last year’s Critical Mass crack down, and the increased police presence at rides since then, have been orchestrated by the Minneapolis and St. Paul police as a test run for their operations during the RNC.  And just like last August there’s a good chance the cops will be looking to create trouble in order to practice on riders.

Targeting Critical Mass is a common tactic for cops who view a leaderless event as a conspiracy.  For example, at the last Republican National Convention in 2004, Critical Mass in New York City was the object of police violence and repression. That Mass had 5,000 to 6,000 riders who wanted to ride their bikes in the days leading up to the RNC.  But the cops, who didn’t care at all about the rights of cyclists to ride together, treated the Mass like a criminal enterprise, arresting 264 riders, confiscating bikes, and violently abusing riders, all in the name of RNC security.  This action led to a lawsuit by bikers who were unlawfully arresting, suing the city and the Police Department for $5 million in damages, each!

Given the manner in which police handled the 8.31.07 Critical Mass in Minneapolis, the history of attacking the Mass at Republican Conventions, and the hysteria in the local media about the upcoming RNC protests on September 1-4, we think it very likely that no matter what we do, Critical Mass may well be a target of police repression this August at the one year anniversary of the 8.31.07 police riot.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

-Now that the criminal cases against riders have been resolved IN OUR FAVOR, continue to apply pressure to the Minneapolis City Council and the Police Oversight Board to demand that the police finally be held responsible for their violent, unwarranted, and illegal actions.  Let your local police officers know that you don’t appreciate them lying under oath.

-Know your rights and exercise them.  Attend one of the workshops that will be held this summer in preparation for the RNC and educate yourself and your friends on how to survive and resist police violence and oppression.  Coldsnap Legal Collective, the MN National Lawyers Guild, and Communities United Against Police Brutality will be offering many trainings.

-Don’t be intimidated in the face of oppression.  Each of us has the obligation to follow our consciences and stop violence when we see it.  Participate in the mass and hold the police accountable for their actions.

The City Attorney’s office is acting as a political tool for the Minneapolis Police Department and the City as it willingly serving their interests at the expense of the residents of Minneapolis. Instead of going after the police who planned and instigated a riot situation on 8.31.07, they are prosecuting the victims of police violence. This was painfully apparent in Gus’ trial, where the only evidence that the city felt that it needed to bring charges against Gus was the clearly fabricated story of a single officer. It was up to Gus and his attorneys to provide the mountain of evidence to prove his innocence. Though officer Craig William’s (#7769) story has been proven to be false by video and eyewitness testimony, it is highly unlikely that the City Attorney will ever prosecute him for perjury. Instead, the city is hell-bent on prosecuting the two remaining riders for crimes they didn’t commit based solely on the intentionally falsified reports of the police officers involved.

Gus had to go through months of worrying, a week of his life was taken away, and he lost thousands of dollars in the legal proceedings. This shouldn’t have to happen to anyone else! The city needs to be pressured to drop the charges against the remaining two riders in the Critical Mass ride.

Demand that charges against all critical mass participants be immediately dropped! The city has politicized the trials of the critical mass participants and won’t let up without citizen action. Here are contacts that you can make right now:

1. Call the City Attorney’s Office at (612) 673-2010 and ask to speak with Susan Segal, the city attorney. Let her know that leveling charges against the critical mass participants for political reasons is wrong and the flimsy charges should be dropped immediately.
2. Call or email your city council member (especially Gordon, Lilligren, Schiff, Glidden, Remington, or Hodges) or the mayor and let them know that you expect them to take a stand against police abuse and demand that they express their disapproval of these prosecutions to the City Attorney. You can also request a meeting with your council member to talk about the cases. The city council has to rehire the City Attorney every three years and has the authority to remove them early if necessary.

The final day of the trial began Monday morning ( 4.14.08 ) with the judge deciding that a recording of a police radio transmission earlier in the mass was not admissible as evidence. On the recording, police foreshadow the events to come, saying that they should “get a bus and just arrest all these bastards”. Gus Ganley then took the stand and testified to how it took him completely by surprise to find out that he was being charged with assaulting and fleeing an officer two weeks after the incident happened when he himself was assaulted. Gus then walked through the video of the event step by step explaining what was happening. It became shamefully apparent (for the 10th time) that officer Craig Williams (#7769) had either lied and knowingly committed perjury under oath, or that he was so utterly confused by the situation that he actually believes he had a minute-long interaction with Gus in the four seconds before he tackled him to the ground. It is difficult to believe that a highly trained police officer would be so confused about the important details of his own “assault”.

After Gus’ testimony, lawyers for both sides made their closing arguments and the jury went into deliberation. The jury asked one clarifying question and then asked to see the videos of the event one more time. After viewing the videos and returning to the jury room, it took them about five minutes to vote and come back with the predictable verdict of Not Guilty on all counts.

Gus can now finally try to get back to his life as a student at the U of M after seven months of worrying about this trial, an entire week wasted at the Hennepin County Courthouse, and with a debt of thousands of dollars. It is sobering to acknowledge that it took the testimony of nine eyewitnesses, Ganley himself, three videos of the interactions, and pictures of the event to counteract the bogus testimony of one police officer who was at the scene for five minutes. The city has obviously made it a priority to intimidate political speech and use a few individuals as scapegoats to cover up for gross police misconduct. This trial affirmed the importance of citizens to exercise their right and duty, like Ganley and the eyewitnesses did, to observe and record police misconduct and stop it in whatever way they can. It clear that the city will never hold their own officers accountable for macing, tasing, throwing to the ground, and using pain compliance holds on hundreds of bicyclists (and lying about it afterwards).

Gus’ victory in court is energizing, but it is important to remember that there are still two others who face trumped up charges from the city and who may be dragged through exactly what Gus was by the city of Minneapolis. Thank you to the many people who showed up in court to support Gus throughout this long ordeal and who donated for the legal defense. Because these trials are clearly political, it will take public pressure to encourage the city to drop its phony charges. Consider writing letters to the editor or putting pressure on your city council person and the city attorney’s office to put an end to this nonsense and drop the remaining charges. We will continue to send out announcements and update the site as new information becomes available.

The next Critical Mass ride is Friday, April 25th. Join us to celebrate Critical Mass’ victory in court!

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To contact the city attorney’s office: http://tinyurl.com/5xex58
To contact your council person: http://tinyurl.com/4vsv3v

For other news accounts see the “More Information” page.

The trial of Gus Ganley continued on Friday with witnesses for Gus’ defense being called to the stand. Ten different eyewitnesses testified to the series of events around Gus’ arrest and the August Critical Mass as a whole. Unlike the contradictory police accounts, the testimony from the eyewitnesses directly correlated with video and photographs taken at the mass. Witnesses testified to the aggressive police presence throughout the mass and their brutal misconduct during the ensuing police riot. It also became plainly obvious that the interactions between officer Craig Williams (#7769) and Gus which Williams claimed took place couldn’t have happened and are not shown in any of the many video recordings of Gus’ arrest. As the city’s accusations against Gus became less and less believable with each new eyewitness, the prosecuting lawyer asked fewer and fewer questions to the point where he didn’t even bother to cross examine the final witnesses who took the stand.

The city’s case seems to be completely unraveling but Gus isn’t out of hot water yet! The trial will resume on Monday, April 14th, at 9 AM and it may be the final day of the trial. Don’t let the city and the police get away with scapegoating Gus and dragging him through this politically motivated waste of time. Supporters are welcome to attend Gus’ trial to show their solidarity as he stands up for what is right. Your donations are also EXTREMELY helpful to help cover the costs of Gus’ and others’ legal defense.

Details for supporters:

To enter the court room you must pass through the security checkpoint. The Hennepin County Government Center is located at 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487. The proceedings will begin at approx 9 AM in room 953 and continue throughout the day until up to 4:30 PM. If in doubt, ask at the information desk where to find the trial of Augustin Ganley. Visible food and drink is not allowed in the court room and all supporters will have to pass through a metal detector. While in court, supporters must remain silent and will not be allowed to carry signs through the security station; the strength of our collective presence will send the message needed.

Note: Proceedings may go beyond Monday and you may attend as much of it as you are able. If you cannot attend this important trial, please consider donating money using the button to your right.

The trial of Gus Ganley began today with opening statements from the lawyers for the city and from Gus’ defense. The prosecution then called their witnesses, all police officers, to the stand to testify as to what they saw seven months ago. Officer David Stichter (#6837), who didn’t see what happened with Gus at all, testified to the fact that officers from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department briefed the MPD officers that this particular CM would be different, which contributed to the police’s extra-aggressive and brutal behavior throughout the mass. Officer Richard Lillard (#4151) seemed to forget or completely lie about his own highly physical interactions with Gus and other riders of the Critical Mass and gave testimony that blatantly contradicted video taken of those interactions. Officer Craig Williams (#7769), Gus’ supposed arresting officer, was the final witness to take the stand for the city. Williams gave an elaborate and well-rehearsed account of his interactions with Gus, but then wasn’t able to pick himself or those interactions out in a video that shows that the only role he played in Gus’ arrest was when he tackled him to the ground.

The trial will resume on Friday, April 11th, at 9 AM. Don’t let the city and the police get away with scapegoating the remaining three people who still face charges! Supporters are welcome to attend Gus’ trial to show their solidarity as he stands up for what is right. Your donations are also EXTREMELY helpful to help cover the costs of Gus’ defense.

Details:

To enter the court room you must pass through the security checkpoint. The Hennepin County Government Center is located at 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487. The proceedings will begin at approx 9 AM in room 953 and continue throughout the day until 4:30 PM. If in doubt, ask at the information desk where to find the trial of Augustin Ganley. Visible food and drink is not allowed in the court room and all supporters will have to pass through a metal detector. While in court, supporters must remain silent and will not be allowed to carry signs through the security station; the strength of our collective presence will send the message we need to send.

Note: Gus’ full trial will most likely last into next week and you may attend as much of it as you are able. There will be no proceedings on Thursday, April 10th. If you cannot attend this important trial, please consider donating money using the button to your right.

Court proceedings continued today for Gus Ganley, with the completion of jury selection. The start of the trial was delayed because the police officers who will be witnesses for the prosecution were suddenly not available to testify. The trial WILL begin tomorrow, Wednesday, April 9th with opening statements, and the prosecution will call their witnesses.

Don’t let the city and the police get away with scapegoating the remaining three people who still face charges! Supporters are welcome to attend Gus’ trial to show their solidarity as he stands up for what is right. Your donations are also EXTREMELY helpful to help cover the costs of Gus’ defense.

Details:

To enter the court room you must pass through the security checkpoint. The Hennepin County Government Center is located at 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487. The proceedings will begin at approx 9:30 AM in room 953 and continue throughout the day until 4:30 PM. If in doubt, ask at the information desk where to find the trial of Augustin Ganley. Visible food and drink is not allowed in the court room and all supporters will have to pass through a metal detector. While in court, supporters must remain silent and will not be allowed to carry signs through the security station; the strength of our collective presence will send the message we need to send.

Note: Gus’ full trial will most likely last several days and you may attend as much of it as you are able. There will be no proceedings on Thursday, April 10th. If you cannot attend this important trial, please consider donating money using the button to your right.

Today court proceedings began for Gus Ganley, now one of the three remaining bicyclists still facing charges for the 8.31.07 Critical Mass when the police rioted in the streets, maced, tased, threw to the ground, and used pain compliance holds on hundreds of bicyclists. The case was assigned to Judge Jack Nordby and jury selection has begun. The proceedings will resume at 9 AM tomorrow, Tuesday, April 8th in room 953 at the Hennepin County Government Center (address below). Once jury selection has been completed on Tuesday morning, the trial will begin with opening statements and the prosecution will call their witnesses. Gus is facing two gross misdemeanor charges and one misdemeanor and faces up to $7,000 in fines and up to a year and three months in jail if convicted of the charges the city has trumped up in an attempt to save face.

Don’t let the city and the police get away with scapegoating the remaining three people who still face charges! Supporters are welcome to attend Gus’ trial to show their solidarity as he stands up for what is right. Your donations are also EXTREMELY helpful to help cover the costs of Gus’ defense.

Details:

To enter the court room you must pass through the security checkpoint. The Hennepin County Government Center is located at 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487. If in doubt, ask at the information desk where to find the trial of Augustin Ganley. Visible food and drink is not allowed in the court room and all supporters will have to pass through a metal detector. While in court, supporters must remain silent and will not be allowed to carry signs through the security station; the strength of our collective presence will send the message we need to send.

Note: Gus’ full trial will most likely last several days and you may attend as much of it as you are able. There will be no proceedings on Thursday, April 10th. If you cannot attend this important trial, please consider donating money using the button to your right.

On Monday, April 7th, a full seven months after the police rioted in the streets, maced, tased, threw to the ground, and used pain compliance holds on hundreds of bicyclists , the first of the four people that the city is trying to scapegoat for their own brutal actions will appear in a trail before a jury of his peers. Gus Ganley will arrive Monday morning with his lawyer from the National Lawyers’ Guild and the citizens who support him so that the cops and the city can try to save face and have someone else to blame for their own misconduct.

Just as it is plain that the city with its helicopter, undercover officers, and specific targets had pre-planned the brutal attack on the 8.31.07 critical mass ride, it is also plain that we have to pre-plan our support of those people being scapegoated by the city. The lawyers, defendants, and their families can’t do this alone and shouldn’t have to. A large showing of public support will send the clear message to the city that this issue is not one that will fall silently out of the public eye as well as encourage a verdict in favor of the defendants.

Don’t let the city get away with its attempt to intimidate political speech by bringing unsupported charges against a few individuals. Plan on coming to show your support for Gus Ganley, the first person to go to trial, on Monday, April 7th at 9:15 AM. Bring your own friends, family, and co-workers to support bicycle, civil, and human rights and don’t let political oppression go unchallenged!

Details:

Arrive before 9:15 to give time to get through the security checkpoint. The Hennepin County Government Center is located at 300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487. Ask at the information desk where to find the trial of Augustin Ganley. Food and drink is not allowed in the court room and all supporters will have to pass through a metal detector. While in court, supporters must remain silent and will not be allowed to carry signs through the security station; the strength of our collective presence will send the message we need to send.

Note: Gus’ full trial will most likely last several days and you are encouraged to attend as much of it as you can. Monday morning the courtroom and judge will be assigned at 9:15, the jury will be chosen, and the trial will begin later in the day. If you cannot attend this important trial, please consider donating money using the button to your right.

Great news, the charges against the only minor who was being prosecuted by the city of Minneapolis have been dismissed! This means that only five individuals still remain scapegoated by the city.

As their jury trial dates loom closer, it is increasingly important that we get a strong showing of support at the upcoming court hearing on Thursday, January 24th. See the following post for more information.

We look forward to celebrating when the city drops all of the trumped-up charges. Your support on Thursday will help this happen.

UPDATE 3/28/08:  The city has decided not to go through with charges on yet another of the cases dropping the number of people facing changes to four!

Show your support for the Critical Mass arrestees on Thursday, January 24, 2008 (the day before the next CM ride)!

WHAT & WHEN:
At 10 AM at the Government Center (300 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487) lawyers will be asking the court to require the city to turn over information they believe is needed for the defense of those arrested during the August 31st Critical Mass ride. So far, the city has refused to turn over critical information such as prior records of police officers involved, intelligence information, internal communications about the incident, and information about the use of tasers and pepper spray.

WHY:
A large showing of support at this hearing will send a clear message to the city that this issue is not one that will fall silently out of the public eye, encourage a ruling in favor of the defendants, and put pressure on the city’s lawyers to do what is right and drop the charges before the upcoming trial dates. The closer the jury trial dates come, the more important it is for the community to show support for the defendants who are only facing charges so that the city can save face and attempt to justify the excessively brutal actions of the police against unarmed citizens.

FURTHER INFORMATION:
There will be people stationed at the information desk on the main level to direct supporters to the correct room and you can also ask to see the criminal jury trial calendar. Please come a bit early to allow time to find the room and get through security. Food and drink is not allowed in the court room and all supporters will have to pass through a metal detector. While in court, supporters must remain silent and will not be allowed to carry signs through the security station; the strength of our collective presence will send the message we need to send. Bring your friends and co-workers to support bicycle, civil, and human rights!