Protest outside Rancho Las Palmas, where the Koch brothers' secret meeting was being held, Rancho Mirage, Jan. 30, 2011. Photo by Doug Porter.
UPDATE: We have returned, and will be filing full reports and media for the morrow.
In the meantime we can confirm that 25 were peacefully arrested in a civil disobedience action, with a crowd close to 2,000. Over a dozen buses brought people to the rally spot in Rancho Mirage from all over Southern California.
At approximately 2:30 pm, the crowd took over the intersection and entrance to Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa, where the Koch brothers were holding their special meeting. With banners calling to “Quarantine the Kochs”, demonstrators who planned to be arrested, lined up five at a time, backs to the Riverside County police with full riot gear behind them, and waited to be taken into custody. Which they were .
To join the rally and protest against the Koch Brothers. We will be posting updates on Twitter throughout the day. Follow us on Twitter to catch them.
To see more info on this rally go HERE and HERE.
Have a great day!
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WOW–like who would believe the super rich can HOB-NOB with members of the Supreme Court? Next thing you know the super rich will be having personal contact with our hard working members of congress, or even worse, personal contact with the president and his cabinet. Oh by the way those of us who believe in the Merchant Banker Theory are not the slightest bit surprised.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/
Check out the Washington Monthly: Steve Benen’s posts on the Rancho Mirage/Palm Springs gathering. Your twitter link and website story on the Kochsuckers were posted in the comments.
Sounds like it was a good time:
LA QUINTA, Calif. — Authorities in California say 25 protesters have been arrested for trespassing outside a strategy session of conservative political donors at a Palm Springs-area resort. Riverside County Deputy Melissa Nieburger (NEE’-bur-gur) said Sunday that the protesters were being booked at Indio Jail and released. Hundreds of people participated in the mostly peaceful demonstration that had been arranged with authorities, but some protesters crossed the street to the Rancho Las Palmas Resort.
Shane, yes – we just got back. We can confirm 25 people did get arrested – intentionally – as part of a civil disobedience action. There were a lot of people there – estimates ranged from 2500 to 1000 plus; there were near 1500 people who came via buses alone; just after 2:30 protesters took over the intersection and entrance to Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa – where the Koch brothers’ “secret” strategy meeting was occurring. In waves of 5 each, groups of protesters stood in front of the Riverside Co deputies who guarded the entrance. They were systematically taken into custody.
Many moments and many chants later, police with bullhorns threatened any of those who remained in the intersection and entrance with arrest. With this unwanted threat of arrest, the crowd finally returned to the opposite side of the roadway, and eventually melted away – promising to come back.
We’ll be posting full reports of the demonstration with videos and pics – plus an accounting of our “roadtrip.” Stay tuned to this channel.
It was a Riverside County Deputy that shot a calf last week that was running around not wanting to be caught. I suppose we’re all lucky none of the protesters were shot. They were wearing riot gear up there.
here’s a youtube vid …
Ah, let them have their fun, it’ll be nothing but a dust bowl soon if those idiots don’t get off their butts and do something about the Salton Sea.
The Sea is evaporating at an alarming rate, and when it’s gone Palm Springs is doomed.