Portland's own Rosehips Medic Collective is bound for the Republican National convention in Florida and the Democrat's barn dance in Charlotte, NC.
Ah, Charlotte!
the town that just last January came up...Well,
Back in May Charlotte North Carolina took to extraordinary step when it enacted the "extraordinary event" law. The dress rehearsals included the Duke Energy and Bank of America shareholders meetings. This was the first test expanded police powers that grant officers more leeway to stop and search people in or near protests.The meetings have been designated “extraordinary events,” which were approved by the Charlotte City Council in January in preparation for September’s Democratic National Convention. The city also said police will have extra power during the Speed Street festival in May and the 4th of July celebration uptown.When the city manager designates such an event, a number of items become prohibited inside a designated public area, such as crowbars, chains and hammers. But the most controversial part of the ordinance surrounds more mundane items, such as backpacks, satchels and coolers.
PROHIBITED ITEMS: Among items prohibited inside an Extraordinary Events zone:
- Bars, chains, shafts, cables or plastic pipe capable of inflicting serious injury
- Containers or objects heavy enough to be used as projections, or containing objects that can be used as projectiles that could inflict serious injury to a person and damage property.
- Paint guns, etching materials, spray paint containers, liquid paint, or markers containing a fluid that is not water-soluble.
- Backpacks, duffle bags, satchels, coolers, or other items carried with the intent to conceal weapons or other prohibited items.
- A glass or breakable container capable of being filled with a flammable or dangerous substance, carried with the intent to inflict serious injury to a person or damage to property.
- Sharp or bladed objects such as box cutters, utility knives, ice picks, or axes.
- Hammers or crow bars
- Pepper spray, mace, or other irritants carried with the intent to delay, obstruct or resist the lawful orders of a law enforcement officer.
- Body armor, shield, helmet, protective pads, or gas masks carried or worn with the intent to delay, obstruct or resist the lawful orders of a law enforcement officer
- Masks or scarves worn with the intent to hide one’s identity while committing a crime.
- Police scanners
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While the City of Tampa has released the location of the detention areas along with the route that corral people into them, indicated by purple and green lines on their map, we would like to say that we intend to use the white portions of the map instead. And that does not stop at the boundaries of the map.
The visitors coming without a ticket to the RNC, that the government warns the public about, such as anarchists, demonstrators, activists and even the feared Black Bloc are coming to speak out against war, promote the environment and an economy that works for everyone. They are coming to fight for the people of the nation and the world. They all know what the game is and they are here to fight for what is right. And the community should embrace them. They are doing what the rest only talk about on Facebook or with their closest friends.
- KBOO