On March 8th, 2005 we held our International Women's Day Celebration Event at the Mad Hatter Cafe. The evening featured the visual art of Heba Amin, a report on AI St. Paul's human rights work, poetry readings by group and community members, and a reading of excerpts from Ariel Dorfman's Speak Truth to Power by the grayspace performance company.  This was the first in a series of annual Women's Day events we produced.





On February 14th, 2005, three of us (Nathan, Aaron and Mary) met for 90 minutes with St. Paul police chief John Harrington and seven members of his senior staff to discuss tasers and present him with AI's report Excessive and Lethal Force?: Deaths and Ill-treatment Involving Police Use of TASERs . The AI report documents the use and misuse of tasers by police departments in the US. They thanked us for the report (which they had not previously read) plus some articles on tasers. The SPPD began using tasers in February, 2004 and has a goal of putting tasers in the hands of all of its officers, including those who patrol public schools. On International Human Rights Day, December 10th, 2004, we hosted our first Write-a-thon at the beatiful home of a friend of Simone's. We wrote over 40 letters while feasting on turkey, greens and holiday treats. There was also a masseuse on hand giving free massages!

In the summer of 2004 we staffed AI info booths at several concerts and festivals including Peace Africa, David Byrne, the 2004 LGBT Pride Festival, Warped III. Below are some pictures from these events...


Nathan and Phil answering questions at the David Byrne concert at the Walker Art Center


Nathan and Phil staffing a table in mock Guantanamo Bay prison outfits to call attention to human rights abuses there


We built a life-size mock Camp X-Ray cage and displayed it at the Twin Cities LGBT Pride Festival in July 2004. Simone, Aaron (in mock Gitmo outfit) and Doug are staffing the table here.





On June 6th, 2004, we participated in The First Annual Twin Cities AI picnic in Como Park. The picnic included the awards ceremony for Group 315's (western suburbs) High School Essay Contest. Below is a picture of winner Mihir Gupta accepting the award from Dick Bopp.









On May 2nd, 2004, we marched in the May Day parade and hosted an information table at the May Day Festival. We collected about 200 signature for our POCs and handed out tons of brochures. The weather was beautiful and we were across the path from a bluegrass music jam and down wind of the funnel cake booth so we had a good time. This is one of many outdoor festivals that we have 'tabled' at.

In November, 2003, we did a gift-wrapping fundraiser at Bound To Be Read Books in St Paul. We raised over $200 - enough for zillions of stamps and booths at several festivals!

On October 26th, 2003, KFAI's Wave Project aired a 1 hour human rights show that we produced called "Airing on the Rights' Side". The show has segments on sexual human trafficking, post-9/11 anti-Arab discrimination, police brutality, and AI's 2003 Midwest Regional Conference.

May 4th, 2003, AI St. Paul hosted the first of many annual information tables at the May Day Festival. Rainy weather notwithstanding it was very successful as we passed out almost all of the literature that we brought with us and recruited some new members.

On March 21st, 2003, AI St. Paul joined with the Hamline University chapter of AI to host a vigil for the victims of the war in Iraq . Speakers included clergy, Hamline student leaders and others who felt a need to speak out. There was singing and candles and meditation.

October 2002, AI St Paul becomes an officially chartered Amnesty International USA group, #640.  Sixteen participants signed the charter and became the 'charter members'.


On August 27th, 2002, as our first pubic event ever AI St. Paul hosted a visit to the Twin Cities by Ethiopian dissident and recently freed prisoner of conscience Dr. Taye Wolde-Semayat.