Slideshow: Getting ready for the main march on the RNC

These shots were taken on the Capitol grounds and in downtown St. Paul shortly after noon today, as protesters and a very visible police contingent prepared for the 1 pm march to Xcel Energy Center organized by the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War.

Official estimates of the crowd size were around 5,000, though several veterans of past marches and rallies estimated the crowd at 6,000-10,000.