Judge denies injunction to RNC protesters

This is a First Amendment disaster and a planning disaster as well.

By granting a permit for anti-war protesters for only BEFORE the Republican conventioneers have arrived at the Xcel Center, the permit deprives protesters the freedom of speech to confront the war issue “within sight and sound” while the convention is actually in session. This is not only unconstitutional, but it clearly violates a series of court decisions regarding similar protests. After all, what sense is “sight and sound” proximity if you are not allowed there at the same time? I mean, why not grant the permit for 2009, so the convention won’t be inconvenienced during the same calendar year. This is absurd!

Even worse than the amazingly narrow timeframe for the march, the route granted is physically impossible to turn around in. This is beyond a constitutional problem; this is a set-up for disaster. Trying to get 30,000 or 50,000 (or 100,000) people to turn around in such a small space is a physical impossibility. What will happen is that people are going to get stuck by the thousands. Then the police will order the area cleared, since the permit time is over. Then they will begin arresting people in huge numbers. Which is why they need huge holding facilities and 24-hour-per-day judges.

Why is the city of St. Paul doing this? Even when peace protesters have engaged in civil disobedience, there has been a long history of mutual respect between protesters and the local police. Even when protesters chose to get arrested, they understood that the police were only doing their jobs. Even when the police needed to arrest protesters, the police understood that protesters had a right to their opinions. People on opposite sides of the transaction typically called each other “sir” and “ma’am,” even in the most heated moments.

I fear that this convention will permanently rupture the previously civil relationships that we have had between police and protesters. I am sorry that this damned convention ever decided to darken our cities. To me, it looks like we are currently preparing for resentments that will continue into the foreseeable future, and it makes me sad.

This is a First Amendment disaster and a planning disaster as well.

By granting a permit for anti-war protesters for only BEFORE the Republican conventioneers have arrived at the Xcel Center, the permit deprives protesters the freedom of speech to confront the war issue “within sight and sound” while the convention is actually in session. This is not only unconstitutional, but it clearly violates a series of court decisions regarding similar protests. After all, what sense is “sight and sound” proximity if you are not allowed there at the same time? I mean, why not grant the permit for 2009, so the convention won't be inconvenienced during the same calendar year. This is absurd!

Even worse than the amazingly narrow timeframe for the march, the route granted is physically impossible to turn around in. This is beyond a constitutional problem; this is a set-up for disaster. Trying to get 30,000 or 50,000 (or 100,000) people to turn around in such a small space is a physical impossibility. What will happen is that people are going to get stuck by the thousands. Then the police will order the area cleared, since the permit time is over. Then they will begin arresting people in huge numbers. Which is why they need huge holding facilities and 24-hour-per-day judges.

Why is the city of St. Paul doing this? Even when peace protesters have engaged in civil disobedience, there has been a long history of mutual respect between protesters and the local police. Even when protesters chose to get arrested, they understood that the police were only doing their jobs. Even when the police needed to arrest protesters, the police understood that protesters had a right to their opinions. People on opposite sides of the transaction typically called each other “sir” and “ma'am,” even in the most heated moments.

I fear that this convention will permanently rupture the previously civil relationships that we have had between police and protesters. I am sorry that this damned convention ever decided to darken our cities. To me, it looks like we are currently preparing for resentments that will continue into the foreseeable future, and it makes me sad.