Police meet protests with firm hand

By David Lurvey, Photos by Leah Sorensen

To describe the amount of security outside the first day of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul in one word, that word would be: stunning. As thousands of protesters filed down from the capital, hundreds of police officers stood shoulder-to-shoulder to direct them through the route through downtown St. Paul.

Although there were many passionate voices among those protesting, as James Kreitlow, 18, of Minneapolis said security should not be a problem because “we’re here for peace.” However, the St. Paul Police said they arrested 78 people as of 6 p.m. on Monday, 22 of whom were charged with gross misdemeanors and 18 with felonies.

A handful of young protesters chained their arms together to block the off-ramp to 7th Street coming from I-94 going east. They said their main issues ranged from “environmental, social justice, to just plain problems with the electoral system.” One protester was disappointed that Sen. John McCain, the Republicans’ presumptive presidential nominee, and President Bush didn’t come to St. Paul Monday because Hurricane Gustav threatened the Gulf Coast.

“Well, it’s unfortunate, from our perspective but you know, in some ways it’s really ironic that this happened when it did, that the hurricane happened when it did. Hopefully this serves in some way to highlight the problems with the party just as what we’re doing will hopefully highlight it.”

The demonstrators declined to give their names. Some other disturbances included the breaking of the windows of businesses surrounding the Xcel as well as the windows of some police cars.

To keep the protesters from getting out of hand, hundreds of police officers in riot gear lined the streets of the march route. There were also officers on bikes, some even used their bikes as barriers to keep protestors from straying from the designated route. It appeared that all of the officers had tear gas or some kind of chemical deterrent and most carried batons. The Star Tribune’s web site featured a video showing police using these chemicals to deter protesters.

But the majority of the thousands of people out walking Monday were there to do so peacefully and without incident. Zak Forde, 18, a student at the University of Minnesota-Morris, said when asked why he was protesting “to make our voice heard… to stand against some of the principles that the Republican Party stands for… and to peacefully protest that.”