News & Public Affairs
Occupy Tampa celebrates its first birthday; members reminisce listen
10/02/12 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Occupy Tampa, Occupy Wall Street, Citizens United, Nick Windholz, protests, sidewalk chalk
Occupy Tampa turned a year old last week. Supporters marked the occasion with a series of events yesterday in downtown Tampa including a march, sign waving and chalking the sidewalk in front of the Tampa Police Department. One Occupy protester, Andrew Speirs, was confronted by a police officer while drawing political messages in yellow chalk.
Speirs, an active protester during the Republican National Convention in August, complained that police...
1 commentsAnti-pollution activists lock themselves together at TECO plant - police use saws to free them listen
08/31/12 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Occupy Tampa, Earth First!, RNC, Republican National Convention, direct action, protests, TECO, pollution
Seven environmental activists locked themselves down yesterday during a direct action at the TECO power plant in Apollo Beach. Even though police spent hours cutting the locks that linked protesters no one was arrested.
Earth First! activist Leah Rothchild wanted to use the Republican National Convention as a loudspeaker for the group.
Be the first to comment“Because this is the dirtiest coal burning power plant in the state of Florida and TECO whose power plant it is, they’re ...
Last Call Friday: the RNC Wrap up
08/31/12 Lisa MarzilliLast Call Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Republican National Convention, Life Malcolm, Kelly Benjamin, Professor David Meyer, protests, Deronda Metz, Charlotte NC Salvation Army
On today's "post RNC" show we were joined by Tampa activists Life Malcolm and Kelly Benjamin, who were involved in organizing many of the protests covered by WMNF reporters and other local media.
We also heard from UC Irvine Sociology Professor David Meyer on why the projected number of RNC protestors differed so dramatically from the the actual turnout. And we heard from the head of the Charlotte N.C. area [Salvation Army](http...
Be the first to commentUniversity of CA Irvine Professor David Meyer discusses low protestor turnout for Republican National Convention listen
08/31/12 Lisa MarzilliLast Call Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Professor David Meyer, UC Irvine, Republican National Convention, protests
It's being reported that law enforcement outnumbered protestors at this year's Republican National Convention in Tampa by as much as 4 to 1. The most anticipated "March on the RNC" on Monday was expected to draw some 5,000 people but instead drew a few hundred. Weather was definitely a factor as Florida's entire Gulf coast was under a tropical storm warning from Isaac. ...
Be the first to commentPoor People Economic Human Rights Campaign blocked by police during Monday's second major march on the RNC listen
08/28/12 Josh HoltonWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: RNC, Cheri Honkala, Green Party, protests, arrests, Republican National Convention, Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign
Despite a tropical storm warning, school closures, and the postponed Republican convention activities in Tampa, the second major protest of Monday kicked off in the afternoon in the city’s downtown financial district. The Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign organized a large non-permitted march starting in “Romneyville.”
Khaki clothed police officers on bicycles escorted the southbound march for half a mile down Tampa Street, which leads to the RNC venue. Several children led the ...
Be the first to commentDeath of Democracy protest at RNC kick-off party draws more than 1,000 grieving protesters listen
08/27/12 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: RNC, Republican National Convention, FCAN, protests, Occupy Tampa, Occupy Movement, anarchists
More than 1,000 activists from around the country took to the streets in St. Petersburg yesterday in protest of Republican policies. Marches were planned by two different groups the night before the Republican National Convention begins. But all of the demonstrators came together for one march with an endless list of complaints. Warren Lundquist traveled from Palm Bay on Florida’s west coast with signs saying Mitt Romney should run for president of China, not the U.S. He said he’s not craz...
Be the first to commentHillsborough Public Defender office prepares for arrests during GOP convention listen
08/22/12 Seán KinaneLast Call Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: RNC, Republican National Convention, Public Defender, Hillsborough County, protests, arrests
The Republican National Convention’s kick-off party is Sunday in St. Petersburg. There are at least three major protests planned outside Tropicana Field that day and many more once the official events move to Tampa on Monday.
If previous political conventions are any measure there will be dozens, if not hundreds of arrests. On this show we found out about how people caught up in arrests will get processed and what their court experience might be like.
Joining us to talk about this was...
Be the first to commentTampa Police share strategies of devices and tactics they'll use with Republican convention protesters listen
08/17/12 Janelle IrwinWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Tampa Police, RNC, Republican National Convention, Bob Buckhorn, LRAD, pepper spray, rubber bullets, protests
Yesterday, the Tampa Police Department gave a behind the scenes look at security plans for the Republican National Convention. The training included a crowd control demonstration using bikes, horses and smoke bombs.
The federal government gave Tampa $50 million to fund security for the convention. Most of that money will pay for thousands of police officers from 60 outside agencies. Kris Babino, a Tampa police officer, has been training many of ...
Be the first to commentRepublican convention protesters have questions for Tampa officials during ACLU rights forum listen
08/08/12 Liz McKibbonWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: RNC, Republican National Convention, Event Zone, Mary Mulhern, Rocky Brancato, Jim Shimberg, John Bennett, Free Speech Zone, ACLU, Mike Pheneger, Tampa, Tampa Police, protests
The Republican National Convention begins in Tampa in less than three weeks; areas of the city designated as the Event Zone and Designated Protest Area will bear additional restrictions. The ACLU of Florida hosted a panel discussion Tuesday night at the University of Tampa to screen questions about personal freedoms during the event.
The panel discussion between city officials and citizens was the [thi...
Be the first to commentAnonymous video on YouTube: when Tampa RNC protests are illegal "there's no other option left but to fight" listen
07/10/12 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: RNC, ResistRNC, Anonymous, Bob Buckhorn, Republican Convention, Tampa, protests, Black Bloc
On Monday a new YouTube account from user "Victor Robert" posted this video "Anonymous Message To Mayor Buckhorn And RNC Protesters"
The voice is computer generated. The video includes scenes of Occupy Wall Street protests and police violence. Much of the video is of a person wearing a Guy Fawkes mask walking outdoors near cabbage palms - the video is altered by an electronic effect.
Here are some quotes from the video:
Be the first to comment"Mayor Bob Buckhorn has created "Clean Zones" ... a desperate ...
