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'RNC Welcoming Committee' promises no warm welcome for GOP convention
TwinCities.com ^ | 08/27/07 | RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER

Posted on 08/28/2007 6:16:18 PM PDT by Reaganesque

The RNC Welcoming Committee doesn't really want to welcome the Republican National Convention to the Twin Cities.

And they're organizing this weekend - a year before the Republican heavyweights arrive - to make their un-welcome heard.

A few hundred "anarchists and anti-authoritarians" will gather for a pre-convention convention this Saturday and Sunday, to give shape and strategy to their 2008 RNC convention plans, according to a woman who identified herself as Bea Bridges. Bridges read a statement at a news conference this morning about this weekend's gathering but did not take any questions from invited reporters.

In her statement, she said the group doesn't plan any mayhem for this weekend. But she didn't preclude alternative, illegal action when the Republicans come to down.

"Some among us may choose to resist state violence using pacifist tactics, while others use whatever methods they deem necessary and appropriate," she said in a brief appearance at the run-down Jack Pine Community Center in Minneapolis.

The anarchist group is just one of a host of groups getting ready to voice their protest during the convention next year.

A group of DFL activists plan to mount Jumbotron screens in downtown St. Paul near the Xcel Energy Center to share their opinions.

"We just think shouting obscenities at the police in the street is so 20th Century,'' Martha Ballou, an attorney and organizer behind the Jumbotron effort, said earlier this year.

Another group, calling itself Unconventional Action, is already recruiting for volunteers to act as everything from street medics to intelligence gatherers during the Republican convention in the Twin Cities and the Democratic Convention in Denver.

Chuck Samuelson, of the Minnesota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, believes that about 100,000 protesters will demonstrate in one way or another during the early September 2008 convention. That's about 400,000 fewer protesters than showed up during the Republican convention in New York in 2004.

"That's because of our location, geographically, and there is basically no place for these guys to stay," said Samuelson.

His group is working with the Twin Cities governments and law enforcement to assure that demonstrators can have their say while the convention is in town. Already, the MCLU has recruited litigators from the top law firms in Minnesota to make sure the cities are prepared to let that happen.

During the convention, he hopes to have an on-call cohort of about 300 lawyers ready to help defend people who are arrested.

"In the best of all possible worlds no one who doesn't want to be arrested is going to be arrested," he said.

Rachel E. Stassen-Berger can be reached at rstassen-berger@pioneerpress.com.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: 2008rncconvention; anarchists; convention; organize; rnc; twincities
I post this mainly for the entertainment value. I just love the thought of anarchists organizing. Maybe we should send them a dictionary? Apart from that, the anarchists have a talent for threatening violence while claiming themselves to be above such tactics. We can look forward to more "mostly peaceful" protests from the Democrat base at the convention.
1 posted on 08/28/2007 6:16:19 PM PDT by Reaganesque
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To: Reaganesque

Why in the world would the GOP select MiniMo as the site for the convention. Why not SFO? Or Berkeley? Or Portland?


2 posted on 08/28/2007 6:20:31 PM PDT by Oldexpat
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To: Reaganesque
anarchists organizing - isn’t that an oxymoron?
3 posted on 08/28/2007 6:22:47 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: Reaganesque

So what do we do?

1. Counter-Protest nutjobs to make fools out of them

2. Counter-protest Democratic convention in Denver

3. Both

4. Who cares.


4 posted on 08/28/2007 6:27:24 PM PDT by Tears of a Clown
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To: Reaganesque

Leftists just hate it when people other than leftists think they should also be free to assemble and speak.


5 posted on 08/28/2007 6:47:08 PM PDT by VR-21
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To: Oldexpat
Why in the world would the GOP select MiniMo as the site for the convention.

The Republican party hasn't had intelligent leaders for over twenty years. I remember the so called Republican party in Texas in the forties. Their greatest fear was that they would win an election and have to do something. Unfortunately that philosophy still prevails and no one knows how to do anything. They still claim to be able to "do it" better than the Democrats.

6 posted on 08/28/2007 7:02:14 PM PDT by FreePaul
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To: Reaganesque

Looks like A.N.S.W.E.R. has taken out the checkbood again.


7 posted on 08/28/2007 7:16:56 PM PDT by DoughtyOne ((Victory will never be achieved while defining Conservatism downward, and forsaking its heritage.))
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To: Oldexpat

They chose the Twin Cities for geographical reasons. MN neighbors states that are closely divided between being Blue and Red such as Wisconsin and Iowa. They also feel like it could help put Minnesota in the GOP column.

Personally, I think they’re dreaming.


8 posted on 08/28/2007 7:54:01 PM PDT by no dems (In the General Election; we must not let America forget that Fidel Castro endorsed Clinton/Obama)
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To: no dems

I think they are full of $hit. Minnesota? Why not WI, which Bush really won?


9 posted on 08/28/2007 7:59:52 PM PDT by mimaw
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To: mimaw

I can’t answer that. The GOP has screwed up soooooooo much in the last two years with corruption mongers, pedophiles and faggots; who knows why they do what they do?


10 posted on 08/28/2007 8:43:45 PM PDT by no dems (In the General Election; we must not let America forget that Fidel Castro endorsed Clinton/Obama)
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To: FreePaul

I suspected as much. Why be in a game you don’t intend to win? At least make room for somebody who does.


11 posted on 08/29/2007 1:14:27 AM PDT by tanuki (u)
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To: Oldexpat

My thoughts exactly.
Why go into a liberal p,o,s, city lie this?


12 posted on 08/29/2007 2:03:12 AM PDT by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
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To: Joe Boucher

The Pubs do this all the time, and it dwives me nutz. Pick a good Pub city, for heaven sakes. Stop plunking our conventions down in liberal h*llholes where Pubs don’t want to go to. Why would anyone want to be surrounded by the enemy and inject large sums of money into their local economies to further their socialist causes? Whoever is running our party have their collective heads up their derrieres.


13 posted on 08/29/2007 2:33:08 AM PDT by flaglady47 (Thinking out loud while grinding teeth in political frustration)
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To: flaglady47

“Whoever is running our party have their collective heads up their derrieres.”
If you look at the amnesty debacle, the spending that went on while the pubs controlled everything, the North American union b.s. and so many other issues, you are so very correct.


14 posted on 08/29/2007 2:43:05 AM PDT by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
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To: flaglady47

Are there any Pub cities, much less good Pub cities?
One large enough to accommodate so many people?

If so, I’m disappointed the Pubs didn’t consider them.

This is a drive-by post.
I’m off to catch an airplane in a bit.
It’s the only reason I’m up at this time of night. ;o)


15 posted on 08/29/2007 2:45:39 AM PDT by dixiechick2000 (There ought to be one day-- just one-- when there is open season on senators. ~~ Will Rogers)
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To: Reaganesque

Drugs and alcohol, but no mayhem. Minnesota will welcome Republicans after a few more tax increases from our Democrats, Democrat-Farm-Labor Party.


16 posted on 08/29/2007 2:48:20 AM PDT by Son House ($$Proud Memeber of Vast Right Wing, Out To Lower Your Tax Rates For More Opportunities.$$)
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To: Joe Boucher

The Republican Party won’t have to worry so much about itself after it’s dead. After the “political left” controls everything important starting in January ‘09, they will also help in killing off both “conservatism” at every political level and the Republican Party at every political level!


17 posted on 08/29/2007 2:56:55 AM PDT by johnthebaptistmoore
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To: flaglady47

San Diego!

But, it was done in 1996.

Now, I’m out the door...


18 posted on 08/29/2007 4:06:17 AM PDT by dixiechick2000 (There ought to be one day-- just one-- when there is open season on senators. ~~ Will Rogers)
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To: flaglady47
The RNC and various GOP leaders including my senator, RNC chairman Mao Martinez, struck again!

Next presidential election watch for them to select picturesque San Francisco (Sodom by the Sea) as da place for da Republican convention.

You may rightfully assume I haven't sent the RNC an FDR dime for eons.

Leni

19 posted on 08/29/2007 6:04:23 AM PDT by MinuteGal (Three Cheers for the FRed, White and Blue !)
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