For Those Who Asked...

[JesseMartin]

From the associated press:

Police target protesters at RNC convention

'They will not crush our spirit,' one protester says of police raids

updated 3:14 p.m. CT, Sat., Aug.

30, 2008

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Republican National Convention protesters targeted in a series of police raids Friday night and Saturday say they won't back down from their plans to march on the event's opening day.

Organizers have said they hope to attract up to 50,000 people to the protest Monday.

Four people were arrested at two Minneapolis homes and booked on probable cause of conspiracy to commit a riot, said Gina Berglund, an attorney helping to represent protesters. There were no arrests at a third home targeted. Later, the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office said a fifth person was arrested at an undisclosed location.

"A lot of people in the activist community are really on pins and needles about who's next," Berglund said.

Protester Michelle Gross said a fourth home, this one in St. Paul, was being raided Saturday afternoon. Two people were outside the home in handcuffs while police awaited a search warrant, she said. St. Paul police spokesman Tom Walsh said a search warrant was being executed but could not confirm whether anyone had been arrested.

On Friday night, Ramsey County sheriff's deputies raided an organizing site of a group — the RNC Welcoming Committee — that has publicized plans to disrupt convention activities. No one was arrested.

"They will not crush our spirit," said protester Lisa Fithian from Austin, Texas, at a gathering of about 300 people in a Minneapolis park Saturday afternoon. "Our organization will continue. We will be on the streets.

"

The raids drew criticism from other than the targets.

Dave Thune, a St. Paul city councilman whose district includes the theater building used as a hub for the protesters, denounced the raid, saying people had a legal right to assemble there.

"We spent so much time trying to welcome people to the city and now this is the way we start out," he said. "It pretty much sucks.

[untbowler]

so exactly how is this different than the Denver Police response??

[KingDL1]

From the associated press:

Police target protesters at RNC convention

'They will not crush our spirit,' one protester says of police raids

updated 3:14 p.m. CT, Sat., Aug.

30, 2008

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Republican National Convention protesters targeted in a series of police raids Friday night and Saturday say they won't back down from their plans to march on the event's opening day.

Organizers have said they hope to attract up to 50,000 people to the protest Monday.

Four people were arrested at two Minneapolis homes and booked on probable cause of conspiracy to commit a riot, said Gina Berglund, an attorney helping to represent protesters. There were no arrests at a third home targeted. Later, the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office said a fifth person was arrested at an undisclosed location.

"A lot of people in the activist community are really on pins and needles about who's next," Berglund said.

Protester Michelle Gross said a fourth home, this one in St. Paul, was being raided Saturday afternoon. Two people were outside the home in handcuffs while police awaited a search warrant, she said. St. Paul police spokesman Tom Walsh said a search warrant was being executed but could not confirm whether anyone had been arrested.

On Friday night, Ramsey County sheriff's deputies raided an organizing site of a group — the RNC Welcoming Committee — that has publicized plans to disrupt convention activities. No one was arrested.

"They will not crush our spirit," said protester Lisa Fithian from Austin, Texas, at a gathering of about 300 people in a Minneapolis park Saturday afternoon. "Our organization will continue. We will be on the streets.

"

The raids drew criticism from other than the targets.

Dave Thune, a St. Paul city councilman whose district includes the theater building used as a hub for the protesters, denounced the raid, saying people had a legal right to assemble there.

"We spent so much time trying to welcome people to the city and now this is the way we start out," he said. "It pretty much sucks.

Where do these people come from, how do they have time and money for this crap.

[JayDub]

Where do these people come from, how do they have time and money for this crap.

What does it matter? If they want to protest peacefully, let them. Last I checked the First Amendment covers dissent.

[KingDL1]

What does it matter? If they want to protest peacefully, let them. Last I checked the First Amendment covers dissent.

Intent to Riot does not sound too peaceful to me, I don't think we have all the details on this one yet.

[KRAM1]

It has simply become the "thing to do" for some folks. As long as it is peaceful (and I am not certain some were planning on "peaceful" protest) I am 100% fine with it. These folks are fringe folks and I would even guess that some do not even vote. I, too, wonder...where do these folks get the $$$ to do this sort of thing? Don't they have jobs?????? Anyway, this is nothing different than the Denver police at the DNC. If you thought it would be different you might want to think again.

The sport of politice...let the games begin!

[GreenMachine]

It has simply become the "thing to do" for some folks. As long as it is peaceful (and I am not certain some were planning on "peaceful" protest) I am 100% fine with it. These folks are fringe folks and I would even guess that some do not even vote. I, too, wonder...where do these folks get the $$$ to do this sort of thing? Don't they have jobs?????? Anyway, this is nothing different than the Denver police at the DNC. If you thought it would be different you might want to think again.

The sport of politice...let the games begin!

You're right, a lot of these people are recruited and show up because they don't have a lot do do with their time. When I lived in Austin, there were a bunch of protesters outside a Nordstoms with signs talking about how cruel it was to kill animals for clothes. I pointed out to one of the more vocal guys that the boots he was wearing was made from leather that came from a cow and his reaction was "Oh yeah, but that's different". Gotta love'em all.

[JesseMartin]

I agree that many protesters are poorly informed and/or not too bright, but arresting people planning to march is insane on both sides...with some addenda.

If the planners were smart, they'd get a permit for a "rally" from the city. Then they'd have to follow zoning restrictions, etc. but would be safe from intervention as long as they followed the rules. Even nuts like the KKK have learned "the system" well enough to do their thing.

If it comes out that either group of protesters had permits, and hadn't strayed from the guidelines, then I'd really like to see it go to court.

I haven't weighed in too much on these because I don't feel like putting up a First Amendment class on here, but the short version is that the content of your speech can't be restricted, but the time, place, and manner can, to preserve the public trust, general peace, blah blah blah. So if you want to protest, you should make sure you have your ducks in a row. The thing about going to the homes of people planning a protest is a gray area, because they do have the right to free assembly, but it could be considered an imminent threat to public peace if they were planning to do it without a permit. The city cannot place undue, overreaching, or overly restrictive guidelines on free speech unless they have a reasonable excuse for doing so. As such, they have to grant a permit to protesters who follow the rules.

If the city refuses to allow it, they broke the law.

If the protesters refuse to follow the city's guidelines, as long as those guidelines are considered constitutionally reasonable, then they broke the law.

The Democratic planners were peacably assembling, but if they were using that time to plan an un-peaceable (?) assembly, then they were, in effect, breaking the law by providing a clear and imminent danger to the public.

If you have a permit and follow the rules and people mess with you, the law (and you would hope, the police) are on your side. If not, and there's a riot, the law is against you.

I don't doubt that there were some tards in their midst, but I'd bet that the organizers probably knew their stuff...and if they chose to go the route of not applying for a permit, then they are the ones responsible for everyone who went to jail.

Hahahah and then there's the great summary of these occurrences by Councilman Thune: "It pretty much sucks." Thanks for the in-depth analysis there, Cronkite.