We got better by the second song: “This Land is Our Land”. That would be important for everyone to remember.

The “Minnesota 8’s” and our group (of Daniel Ellsberg, Pete Seeger, Ray McGovern, Pat Humphries, Sandy O., Ann Wright, Medea Benjamin, David Rovics and myself) statements on the right to dissent are posted at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/coleen-rowley/minnesota-still-adversely_b_180391.html

Impeccable Liberal cites some places that don’t have that right. Let’s not let that happen here.

I think if you want to ask serious questions about the health of our democracy, a better story can be found in studying the process and abuse of process in both parties. Talk to the Ron Paul delegates about the MN GOP convention. Talked to the Ron Paul delegates to the RNC. Watch the flow of flow of money, the wining and dining of state delegations, like the Sunlight Foundation did.

If there is no real opening for democratic representation in the major parties, and the big national convention spectacles that rally consensus among the two parties faithful that symbolically represent millions of primary voters are a sham, the arrests of a few bellicose Green Party bloggers threatening to shut the whole thing down is a useful distraction for the real powers that be.

This still isn’t East Timor or Aceh under Suharto. This isn’t Burma in 1988. Maybe the fact that these RNC8 types can’t mobilize a hundred thousand our a million peaceful protesters like some have in these more obviously repressive societies is a sign that there is nothing to protest. Or maybe it is a sign that the ugly spirit has really already triumphed here,

This story really sickens me, especially when I see the pictures. The police have NO RIGHT to trail the bike riders, especially the St. Paul police. What the H was the St. Paul cop doing in Minneapolis? They don’t even have the excuse of the Republicans being in town. Do they think because the bike tour was done in the poorer part of down that they can get away with this?
I hope all those on the ride sue the City of Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis Police Dept for harassment!

Shame on so called progressive, DFL Mayor Rybak and the City Council members who condone the action of Chief Dolan, and the Minneapolis, and St. Paul Police Dept. They have had 2 days to speak out and they have not done so. They are silent so they are complict with the PD’s actions.
Only Cam Gordon has spoken out about the illegal action of law-enforcement during( and before) the RNC, and even after all the video, testimony and pictures.. Mayor Rybak and City Council, and even the whole DFL party has been silent. But they the can not hide under “special event” excuses this time,, this was just a bike ride on a sunny afternoon, that included friends and family, young and old, and even had lunch at a church. Shame on the Minneapolis PD, St.Paul PD, and City leadership.. and especially on the DFL party for the inaction and silence.. you might as well be Republicans