Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

RNC Protest Plans Already Under Way
Breitbart ^ | November 13, 2007 | Amy Forliti

Posted on 11/13/2007 2:24:31 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

MINNEAPOLIS - Shrouded in black, with a bandanna masking her face, a self-proclaimed anarchist slips into her combat boots and dashes through town, tossing a Molotov cocktail here, launching a bowling ball there.

The YouTube video is more parody than threat: The flaming cocktail ignites a charcoal grill, and the bowling ball knocks down pins instead of crashing through a Navy recruiting office window. But as the video fades to black, the message on-screen is clear: "We're getting ready. What are you doing?"

With less than 10 months to go before the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St.Paul, activists are already plotting to crash the party.

On the drawing board: A mass march to protest Iraq; human roadblocks; schemes to disrupt public transportation; and talk of a temporary free state near the main convention site, St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center.

With tens of thousands of people expected to visit the Twin Cities during the convention Sept. 1-4, local and federal law enforcement are getting ready as well.

Civil rights groups and attorneys are talking with police and demonstrators to ensure laws are followed during what will likely be the largest crush of people the state has seen in years.

"It's better to be planning early rather than late," said Jordan Kushner, coordinator of the Legal Observer and Political Defense Committee, a committee within the National Lawyers Guild. "People have as much right to the streets as the Republicans who are coming here to engage in their activities."

St. Paul Police Commander Doug Holtz said the city is working out details on how to accommodate protesters, but declined to go into them. "The city of St. Paul is going to be well-prepared to have an excellent convention," he said.

The group behind the spoof video, the RNC Welcoming Committee, began organizing last fall and says it is helping other groups organize, too.

Members of the group declined to meet with an Associated Press reporter or talk by phone, confining their exchanges to e-mail.

The group says it will help protesters find food, housing and medical support during the convention. It also plans to provide maps of roads, bridges and sites to aid in planning. And it intends to create a family-friendly area for children of protesters.

Protesters also are getting ready for the Democratic National Convention in Denver Aug. 25-28.

The group "Recreate 68"—a reference to the troubled 1968 Democratic National Convention—seeks to serve the same umbrella function as the RNC Welcoming Committee in Minnesota, by supporting other protesters.

Recreate 68 is anti-war and opposed to the two-party system, member- spokesman Glenn Spagnuolo said.

The RNC Welcoming Committee describes itself as an anarchist/anti- authoritarian group. When asked about the use of violence, the group wrote in an e-mail: "We may choose to use pacifist tactics, but we will defend ourselves, our communities, and the Earth. We will not bring violence to the protests, but we will not back down and we will not be terrorized."

The group said it also would not apply for a permit to demonstrate, saying: "We will not allow the state to regulate our resistance."

Some groups who have applied have been frustrated to find the city of St. Paul won't grant them until six months before the convention.

Mick Kelly, a spokesman for the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War, said his group plans a massive anti-war march on the convention's first day. It's important to get a permit early so people can plan travel from around the country, he said.

"The Republican National Convention—they've begun their preparations full-press," Kelly said. "We in the anti-war movement need to do the same thing."

Teresa Nelson, legal counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, said the ACLU wants to make sure protesters are close enough to the convention so they can be seen and heard.

The ACLU and other observers will be on hand to ensure protesters' civil rights aren't violated and to avoid a repeat of the 2004 Republican Convention in New York, when more than 1,800 people were arrested. Some of those people said they weren't protesters at all but were swept up by police. Some lawsuits are still pending.

___


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Politics/Elections; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: 68democratconvention; aclu; anarchists; answer; antiamericans; antiwar; birkenstockers; cindysheehan; cutandrun; defendthernc; electionpresident; elections; freep; gatheringofeagles; gitmo; goe; gop; hippies; hippiessmell; lawyersguild; moonbats; opinfinitefreep; organizedretards; peacecreeps; protestors; protestwarrior; rentamob; republicans; riotpolice; riots; specialedkids; stinkinghippies; vlwc
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last
Typical.
1 posted on 11/13/2007 2:24:34 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
The group "Recreate 68"—a reference to the troubled 1968 Democratic National Convention

Where's Mayor Daley when you need him?

Recreate 68 is anti-war and opposed to the two-party system

Big surprise there. Comrades! You have nothing to lose but your chains! /s
2 posted on 11/13/2007 2:28:16 AM PST by GodBlessRonaldReagan (Big dog, big dog, bow-wow-wow! We'll crush crime, now, now, now!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
"We may choose to use pacifist tactics, but we will defend ourselves, our communities, and the Earth. We will not bring violence to the protests, but we will not back down and we will not be terrorized."

Then they probably won't mind if the outraged private citizenry decides to finally band together and kick the living $h!t out of those who would violently disrupt a peaceful process.
3 posted on 11/13/2007 2:49:48 AM PST by snowrip (Liberal? YOU ARE A SOCIALIST WITH NO RATIONAL ARGUMENT.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
The offspring of the '68 wackos have this "please beat me" mentality where a police baton upside year head bestows instant sainthood. At GOE, I heard them talk about how cool it would be to be smacked by a cop in DC.

In the old anti-war melees on the Mall, you ran like hell from the cops even if you were for the war. :-)
4 posted on 11/13/2007 3:10:13 AM PST by Thrownatbirth (.....when the sidewalks are safe for the little guy.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
“”We’re getting ready. What are you doing?”

Buying lots of ammo and practicing at little anarchist targets quite a bit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LLS

5 posted on 11/13/2007 4:20:17 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (Support America, Kill terrorists, Destroy dims!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Teresa Nelson, legal counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, said the ACLU wants to make sure protesters are close enough to the convention so they can be seen and heard.

Maybe I just haven't had enough caffeine yet, but since when do people have the right to be "seen and heard"? Freedom of speech? Check. Freedom of (lawful) assembly? Check. Freedom to be "seen and heard"?

6 posted on 11/13/2007 4:52:39 AM PST by KJC1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
"We're getting ready. What are you doing?"

"Waiting for you!"

7 posted on 11/13/2007 4:55:01 AM PST by airborne (Proud to be a conservative! Proud to support Duncan Hunter for President!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

What am I doing? Sighting in the .308...


8 posted on 11/13/2007 5:01:23 AM PST by OCCASparky (Steely-Eyed Killer of the Deep)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Where is Tricky Dick Nixon when you need him....


9 posted on 11/13/2007 5:11:07 AM PST by Nat Turner (Proud two term solider in the 2nd Infantry Div 84-85; 91-92)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Homeland Security - are you paying attention? Protest and threats of violence are not the same thing. These people are obviously condoning and preparing for terrorist activities.


10 posted on 11/13/2007 5:13:09 AM PST by TheBattman (Duncan Hunter '08)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

I suppose maybe Seattle could boast wackier anarchists than MSP, but our home-grown loons are certainly world class. A lot of hippies must have stopped in Minnesota on their way back to LA from Woodstock. And they never left.


11 posted on 11/13/2007 5:37:43 AM PST by IronJack (=)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

The anarchists stand no chance against the GOE.


12 posted on 11/13/2007 8:14:58 AM PST by Thunder90
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: airborne
Getting the ammo dusted off...


13 posted on 11/13/2007 8:16:25 AM PST by Thunder90
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Great...the paid brigade will be out in full force.

Foxnews: What are you protesting today?

Paid-activist-idiot: "I don't know, they haven't told me yet."

14 posted on 11/13/2007 10:34:49 AM PST by imd102
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

The RNC meeting should be switched to the dead of winter in Minneapolis. That should be quite enough to curb any protests.


15 posted on 11/13/2007 1:40:14 PM PST by walford (http://the-big-pic.org)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Theoretically, if they are setting up an anarchist free state, anything goes. Thus, it should be possible to give them a taste of anarchy.

Plus, I’ve always wondered. Do things done to anarchists still fall under the law? For, logic would dictate being outside of the law would work both ways. Does it really work like that?

And don’t forget. Every day is punch an anarchist in the face day. After all, that’s anarchy.


16 posted on 11/15/2007 2:27:09 AM PST by Expendable
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Expendable

Well, if they truly want to re-create 1968, then they should expect that all of their protesters will get the h*ll beaten out of them by police with batons and on horses. Hmmmmm, maybe they SHOULD re-create 1968.


17 posted on 11/15/2007 2:42:37 AM PST by flaglady47 (Thinking out loud while grinding teeth in political frustration)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: NavyDude; molette67
The enemy within:

They painted this on the steps of Capital Hill:

They took the brass off the noses of these guys:

And the traitors squirted oil on the Vietnam Wall:

I would say they have made plans and executed plans and this group needs to be taken seriously, Now, Code Pink and ANSWER could be behind some of this vandalism too, because they all have threatened our Memorials, Capital Building, and recruiting offices.

So, they all need to be taken seriously. I call them all traitors. I like it when they tell me that I don't have the right to question their Patriotism. I say, if you have the right to act like a traitor, then I damn sure got the free speech to call you a traitor.

Ain't that right, Molette67:

18 posted on 11/22/2007 8:58:41 AM PST by do the dhue (They've got us surrounded again. The poor bastards. General Creighton Abrams)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: airborne
"Waiting for you!"

The traitors have no clue what is waiting for them:

19 posted on 11/22/2007 9:01:18 AM PST by do the dhue (They've got us surrounded again. The poor bastards. General Creighton Abrams)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: do the dhue

yes you are 100% right those people need to learn some respect like a good old ass whippin. or something to that effect


20 posted on 11/22/2007 1:38:42 PM PST by molette67
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson