Undercover informant Andrew Darst was arrested for breaking into a house, verbally confronting his wife and others, and striking two men. He is charged with two felony counts of first- and second-degree burglary as well as fifth-degree assault.
Darst's violent run-in with the law is of considerable relevance to the trial of the "RNC 8," a group of local activists charged with Felony Conspiracy to Riot in Furtherance of Terrorism, a case that marks the first known use of the "terrorism enhancement" provision in Minnesota's version of the U.S.A. Patriot Act. Darst is a key witness in this upcoming, historic trial.
"It's deeply ironic," notes Rick Kelley, a member of the Community RNC Arrestee Support Structure (CRASS). "The RNC 8 aren't accused of participating in violence of any sort; in fact, they were pre-emptively arrested solely for their organizing work before the convention even started. Yet the star witness against them is himself violent and aggressive."
This is far from the first time that law enforcement has used unsavory and unreliable individuals to mount their cases, but the political nature of the RNC 8 case makes it stand out.
"The FBI has a history of this exact sort of thing," said retired FBI Agent Coleen Rowley. "It doesn't look like much has changed. And, in the post-9-11 world, career pressures to produce 'terrorism stats' seem especially to outweigh other considerations."
Over 800 people were arrested during the RNC, including journalists, medics, legal observers, activists, and bystanders. Many continue to contest the circumstances and justice of their arrests.
Unless charges are dropped in light of these newest revelations, the RNC 8 trial is expected to begin in September.
About CRASS -- Community RNC Arrestee Support Structure is a non-hierarchical coalition of RNC arrestees and community allies, including local groups such as Coldsnap Legal Collective, Friends of the RNC8, National Lawyers Guild - MN, Communities United Against Police Brutality, Anti-War Committee, Twin Cities Indymedia, and Veterans for Peace. CRASS provides multifaceted support to those arrested during the 2008 Republican National Convention to ensure that all interested arrestees have the support necessary to fight their charges and stand up for free speech. For more information about CRASS, visit RNCaftermath.org.
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