Shut up, Schultz...

…In addition to the NLG (National Lawyers Guild) green-hat legal observers we saw in St. Paul, in Pittsburgh the ACLU has added their orange hats to the mix, and markedly unlike the NLG, the ACLU takes notes and records demonstrators engaging in activity they deem inappropriate, even activities protected by the 1st amendment or by freedom of conscience…

…Another interesting event that took place during this march was the role of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). I found myself more than once on the sidewalk alongside the ACLU legal observers in their orange hats. When the police showed up to corral people in with riot gear and canines (unsuccessfully) I heard ACLU observers comment, “Oh thank god they are here”. Shortly thereafter, three legal observers were standing on the corner with cameras recording a group of folks changing out of their clothes. It seems as if the militarized functioning of surveillance has spread to the realm of our legal observers. This has some interesting implications as to what type of work needs to be done to bridge the gaps across a diversity of tactics…