The Twin Cities Mutual Aid Defense Committee has formed to help in the defense of Robert "Tumbleweed" Czernik, a Minneapolis, Minnesota man facing a felony charge following a raid on a home after successful protests against a meeting of the International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG) in July, 2000.
Heavily armed Minneapolis Police officers, DEA agents, and other unidentified agencies carried out the July 24, 2000 raid upon the Sister's Camelot house, a free mobile organic food shelf. The raid sent Tumbleweed to the hospital with facial injuries and resulted in 14 arrests. Not surprisingly, the raid failed to turn up any evidence of drug dealing or marijuana growing, the stated reasons for the search. Instead the police carted off computers, notebooks, pamphlets, and even anti-ISAG patches. A bag of Mushrooms was recovered, and Czernik was charged with them, despite any evidence they were his.
A December 20, 2000 hearing with the Officers involved revealed that at least 1 undercover police officer (from which agency is unknown at this time) had been into the Sister's Camelot home prior to ISAG in order to gather information. This informant passed on information about alleged marijuana dealing and growing, even making allegations that a painted school bus used to deliver food to the neighborhoods was being used "Cheech and Chong" style to transport the "pounds" Camelot allegedly sold Because of this new information, another motion was filed, and on March 12, 2001, Judge William Howard sided with the defense, ruling for an in camera review of the informants notes to determine the constitutionality of his surveillance and if probable cause existed. That ruling will be made on April 23,2001.
We are putting pressure on County Attorney Amy Klobachur to drop the charges. Czernik is the only person facing a felony from ISAG, and he is cut off from the solidarity of mass trials the misdemeanor people face. This case is not the convenient veil of the " War On Drugs"; it is about government surveillance and harassment. The brutality witnessed in the streets that day carried over into the house that night. It has been clear since the beginning that the raid was an attempt to quell further dissent to the ISAG meetings, and that the continued prosecution of Czernik, a vocal anti-authoritarian, is a politically motivated attack upon his organizing.
We are organizing a Fax Campaign to the County Attorney's office on April 6th.
On April 9th, a delegation organized by TCMADC will visit her office. Encompassing a broad range of his supporters, including religious leaders and local politicians, they will ask her to drop the charges and stop harassing activists. We need your help. The climate surrounding the ISAG conference and its aftermath is chilling. The Police tactics were brutal, and the implications of Czernik's prosecution would allow major infiltration of activists, and further erode our freedom.
What you can do
Send letters of protest Hennepin County District Attorney Amy Klobachur. Make sure to ask for a response, and let us know what it is.
1) Send an e-mail Amy Klobachur asking her to drop the charges.  akca@co.hennepin.mn.us
2) Send us the same email as a BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) so we can gauge how many get sent.
3) Call her office and tell her that her office isn't for political harassment. 1-612-348-540 or 1-612-348-5550
4) Send a fax to her office on April 6th. 612 348 9712
5)Mail her at: Hennepin County District Attorney Amy Klobuchar C-2000 Gov't Center 300 6th St. Mpls, MN 55487
Solidarity,
TCMADC
Twin Cities Mutual Aid Defense Committee
C/o Arise! 2441 Lyndale Ave S. Mpls, MN 55405
 tcmadc@yahoo.com
1800 MYYAHOO-ext 612 TCMADC1(6128262431)
Press Calls to Phillip Resnick or Scott Seiler, attorneys 612 339 0411