Protests and the RNC

I was very involved in several events related to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul and even managed to attend the convention on Wednesday and Thursday night. I was the guest of the Republican National Committee! So, there is a lot to report. I'll try to post a part of the story each day this week.

First, I want to weigh in on the protests during the convention. The arrests of so-called anarchists has been reported. Unfortunately, the actions of a few people intent on destroying property (I saw broken windows at one of the downtown department stores and a sheriff's vehicle had a broken window) and their subsequent arrests has dominated the media coverage. What a shame. The protest against the war in Iraq on September 1 was not covered. An "Iraq Veterans Against the War" group marched along with families of veterans. Several people held photographs of loved ones who were killed or wounded during the war. With the exception of Cindy Sheehen, who was also in St. Paul at a Ralph Nadar rally, the families of soldiers and veterans actively protesting against the war have largely been ignored. I can tell you that their presence in the march was something to see, and it is terribly unfortunate that more attention hasn't been paid to soldiers who are actively against the war. The protest marchers were incredibly diverse, old and young and people of all races. A group a women wearing burkas participated. Some people brought their kids. I wish more attention was paid to this in the national media.

There were reports that members of the Connecticut delegation were harassed by protesters. Frankly, I don't see how that was possible. There were barricades everywhere so that anyone without credentials couldn't get close to any entrance. Since I had a pass on Wednesday and Thursday, I was able to move around and get a clear sense of where people without credentials could and could not go. A protest space closest to the convention center was reserved for people engaging in a counter protest with signs saying "Support our Troops." There was definitely a double standard when it came to issuing permits. The protest route was quite circumscribed to the point that we seemed to be marching in a circle.

From what I saw, I believe the so-called violence during the convention was exaggerated. I know there were a couple of incidents in Minneapolis that I did not witness, but people need to know that the protests on Monday and Thursday nights near the convention site in St. Paul were very well organized. Volunteers from the ACLU and Lawyers Guild were present to insure that people were treated fairly.

All I can say is that you should have seen the riot gear the police and members of the National Guard had on. They were loaded for anarchists. I was standing near a group of police officers at one point and looked over to see that each person had a gun, a taser, a pellet gun, a tear gas gun, pepper spray, a night stick, and plastic handcuffs. With all of the protective gear they had on as well, I was surprised they could move.

I witnessed an officer using pepper spray, and, in my opinion, his use of anything was unnecessary. Yes, a few people dressed ominously in black with their faces covered tipped over newspaper stands and threw debris in the street, but I don't think that form of acting out warranted arrests or defensive action.