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Republican Convention Begins with Arrests and Distractions
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by Jarrett Martineau | September 1, 2008 at 03:36 pm
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With Hurricane Gustav and Palin pregnancy updates defining the news agenda for the day, the opening of the Republican National Convention has, despite the distractions, been called to order.
For real-time updates on the RNC, check out our Scan featured coverage here.
UPDATE | 09:30pm EST - Reports are now surfacing that journalist Amy Goodman, of DemocracyNow, is one of several journalists that was arrested at the RNC on Monday.
[Amy Goodman's] arrest comes amid accusations of police brutality in St. Paul. I-Witness founder Eileen Clancy was arrested and detained last Saturday by the police in an apparent preemptive arrest. Clancy states she and her team were surrounded in the house they were staying at in St. Paul before they had the chance to video tape any protests.The police handcuffed Clancy and her team and claimed they were waiting for their search warrant. The officers were armed and at least one police offer was carrying an M-16, Clancy wrote in her blog.
In addition to preemptive arrests, the police are responding aggressively to the presence of protesters.
Court hearing for those arrested today will tomorrow @ 8am @ Ramsey Co Courthouse.
PREVIOUSLY - 06:36pm PST
The Republican Party has gaveled its 2008 presidential nominating convention to order, ready to have Sen. John McCain carry the party's banner this fall against Democrat Barack Obama.The party stuck with its plan to proceed with the long-planned convention despite the distraction of Hurricane Gustav's strike along the Gulf Coast earlier Monday. President Bush, who had been expected to appear at the convention Monday night, called that off so he could go to Texas to monitor the storm developments.
Party chairman Robert Duncan told delegates Monday's session would be abbreviated and he urged them and people watching at home to help people whose lives have been disrupted by the hurricane.
Police are now wearing gas masks as they prepare to meet protesters. Reporters for The UpTake have live streaming cameras watching today's demonstration outside the Xcel Center.
The RNC protests legal team is posting updates as @coldsnaplegal & @patiomancer is at the protests #rnc08 @theuptake will b uploading video
Two more legal observers arrested at Spring & Shepard. So much going on we can't type fast enough to report it.
Cops loading mass amounts of people into vans (down by the river no less) and other vehicles and taking them away. #RNC08
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jstrevino
Sacramento, California, United States
Jarrett Martineau
Vancouver, Canada
Sanjay Jha
New Delhi, IndiaThrift Store Addict
Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
JeffHuang
Berkeley, California, United Statesizzymunchted
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United Statessarahkatheryn
Lawrence, Kansas, United States
WaynePhotoGuy
Saint Paul, Minnesota, United Statespi8you
Saint Paul, Minnesota, United Statesgsdali
United States
craigphillips
Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (9)
at 15:12 on September 1st, 2008
I was surprised by the size of the event... The news had said they expected 50,000 people and I believe there was indeed 40,000 to 50,000 people...
I found the anarchist types to be the most disturbing...
Any response they recieved from the police force, they certainly deserved..
They were out slashing ties dumping trash cans and generally just making a mess...
WaynePhotoGuy has contributed a photo to this story.
at 15:34 on September 1st, 2008
Jarrett Martineau, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 15:56 on September 1st, 2008
Completely insane as I came in to work (very early) today, and I wasn't even out there when it started getting truly nuts with the arrests and everything. Glad I decided to make the hike to the Capitol to start though, as everything around the Xcel was cordoned off, would have made a very boring photo shoot.
pi8you has contributed a photo to this story.
at 16:25 on September 1st, 2008
CNN is reporting that at least 56 protesters were arrested this afternoon near the RNC site.
at 18:05 on September 1st, 2008
Jarrett, it was a wild time indeed. I will be dropping a mess of photos in the pool in the next couple of hours.
at 18:24 on September 1st, 2008
Excellent - thanks! Looking forward to seeing what you've got, Mikasi.
at 18:07 on September 1st, 2008
Toto, we're not in Lake Wobegone anymore.
at 18:29 on September 1st, 2008
Jarrett Martineau, I like this story. It's good stuff.
This is not a good sign for the RNC. They may want to start listening to the people.
at 07:58 on September 22nd, 2008
There have been quite a few letters to the editor at the Strib by people like Wayne praising the cops for their fabulous job, but they never seem to get the point that the protesters committing acts of violence numbered about a dozen by what I've read and the number of people being beaten down, maced and arrested is in the hundreds. Also a typical tactic of police to plant operatives in the crowd to start trouble and pave the way to mass arrests. I suppose the folks that support Blackwater-style policing find the notion of living in a militarized police state quite comforting. Feels safe or something.