- Mitchel Cohen & Brian Tokar, writing from the BioDevastation
Conference against Genetic Engineering in St. Louis, home of Monsanto:
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- At least 20-30 people have been arrested and we need
your help. Police invaded two known movement homes this morning, apparently
in "pre-emptive raids" to prevent their attendance at Sunday's
demonstration against the World Agricultural Forum.
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- Others were taken into custody while riding their bicycles
to the BioDevastation gathering at Forest Park Community College, and the
police have left the bicycles lying along the road. Sarah Bantz - organizer
for MORAGE and a speaker at the BioDevastation conference - was arrested
for having a container of Vitamin C capsules, which police are claiming
to be an illegal drug.
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- Police have also entered the Randall Building, office
of the Gateway Greens/Green Party USA, St. Louis IndyMedia, the Confluence
newspaper, and other organizations, searching for violations and who knows
what else.
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- For the last two weeks, the St. Louis police have been
spreading rumors of Seattle-like violence in order to ratchet up the levels
of tension, rationalizing their procurement of riot gear and new crowd
control weapons.
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- We are asking EVERYONE to call the Chief of Police Joe
Mokwa, at (314) 444-5624 and demand their immediate release and stop their
harassment of the movement against genetic engineering and corporate agribusiness.
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- We understand that the police may hang up as people try
to call the above number. Other numbers for police are (314) 444-5555 and
(314) 231-1212.
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- Thank you, and please spread the word.
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