Mind you that this convention is pouring millions into our local economy. As a person that lives less than a few miles from where this convention is taking place the general feeling around here is to just avoid the civic center for a week. not really that hard.
I also think you have your lines crossed... the "RNC welcoming committee" is not FOR the republicans... they are adamantly against them thus making it a slightly ironic name.
You also seem to be seeing zebras where only horses run.
This happened in my neighborhood. They spread their literature all over. They were arrested for the planning of acts of civil unrest and plotting to infringe on the freedoms and safety of other citizens. This group specifically and publicly stated their intentions to physically disrupt the convention and made allusions to harming property and personnel at the Civic Center. THIS is why they were "targeted" by the police not because they just wanted to protest the RNC. Literally hundreds of other groups are planning to publicly protest here in St. Paul that were not "harassed" because they did not plan to harm others. The second you intend to deprive someone of their rights you lose yours.
I have been a slashdot lurker for a long time now and now i have to actually post.
I live right around the corner from the building that the "RNC Welcoming Committee" is using as a staging ground for their protests. There were over 500 people in this small former theater, many of them with, oddly enough, bicycles, multiple bags of apples, and camping gear. I did not see any other "instruments of disruption" but there was and is a very odd vibe coming from these people. I was very thankful for the police's presence Friday night. There were cars double parked gridlocking the street in front of my house and double parked down our alley making it difficult to even walk.
If they are simply planning to protest peacefully then I support what they are doing but the MOMENT they decide to bring harm to another person they forfeit their rights to protest peacefully.
I am not looking forward to this next week. I am not looking forward to the hundreds of hippies wandering across my front and back lawns uninvited . If the police decide to "quash" the protests I fear this crowd will turn ugly and riot literally on my doorstep.
As for the people who said they were not planning anything questionable, out of the ordinary or saying that the police are infringing on the protesters civil liberties, I sincerely hope this is the case and that the police use more discretion. I do however fear for the worst.
p.s. The best part of the night was around 1am when these "kid's" parents drove up groggily and pissed off to pick up a car full of hippies.
-J
Slashdot Mirror
Mind you that this convention is pouring millions into our local economy. As a person that lives less than a few miles from where this convention is taking place the general feeling around here is to just avoid the civic center for a week. not really that hard.
I also think you have your lines crossed... the "RNC welcoming committee" is not FOR the republicans... they are adamantly against them thus making it a slightly ironic name.
You also seem to be seeing zebras where only horses run.
This happened in my neighborhood. They spread their literature all over. They were arrested for the planning of acts of civil unrest and plotting to infringe on the freedoms and safety of other citizens. This group specifically and publicly stated their intentions to physically disrupt the convention and made allusions to harming property and personnel at the Civic Center. THIS is why they were "targeted" by the police not because they just wanted to protest the RNC. Literally hundreds of other groups are planning to publicly protest here in St. Paul that were not "harassed" because they did not plan to harm others. The second you intend to deprive someone of their rights you lose yours.
I have been a slashdot lurker for a long time now and now i have to actually post. I live right around the corner from the building that the "RNC Welcoming Committee" is using as a staging ground for their protests. There were over 500 people in this small former theater, many of them with, oddly enough, bicycles, multiple bags of apples, and camping gear. I did not see any other "instruments of disruption" but there was and is a very odd vibe coming from these people. I was very thankful for the police's presence Friday night. There were cars double parked gridlocking the street in front of my house and double parked down our alley making it difficult to even walk. If they are simply planning to protest peacefully then I support what they are doing but the MOMENT they decide to bring harm to another person they forfeit their rights to protest peacefully. I am not looking forward to this next week. I am not looking forward to the hundreds of hippies wandering across my front and back lawns uninvited . If the police decide to "quash" the protests I fear this crowd will turn ugly and riot literally on my doorstep. As for the people who said they were not planning anything questionable, out of the ordinary or saying that the police are infringing on the protesters civil liberties, I sincerely hope this is the case and that the police use more discretion. I do however fear for the worst. p.s. The best part of the night was around 1am when these "kid's" parents drove up groggily and pissed off to pick up a car full of hippies. -J