If you thought protests outside 2008's Democratic National Convention
were loud and proud, you ain't seen nothing yet. So say organizers
preparing for the 2008 Republican National Convention, set to take
place in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Organizers estimate 50,000 protesters are getting ready to
demonstrate outside the RNC, in the largest anti-war protest planned
so far this year.
"We have word that people are coming on busses and carpools, people
are flying in from all over the country," said Katrina Plotz, an
organizer for an RNC protest group. "We are expecting the police to
uphold our right to demonstrate, to speak out against the war."
AP Correspondent Haven Daley said in a Wednesday news video that it
may be difficult keeping the protests peaceful, attributing his
ominous prediction to "anarchist groups" which were not named.
"We're aware of the other tactics that the other groups are doing, so
we're trying to reschedule around those different activities," said
Code Pink activist Nancy Mancias.
St. Paul police have prepared an open-air prison, similar to those
employed by the New York City police in 2004, and the Denver police
during the 2008 DNC. The facility is capable of holding hundreds for
an unknown amount of time.
Tags: