The RNC came to town

Before reading this, check the update to the last post.

So the RNC has finally started in my home city of St. Paul, MN. Oh joy, I get to witness our Police State first hand. The night before the Convention started, I went down to the Xcel Energy Center (well, as close as I could get) to see the cop convention. I was not disappointed.







Those pictures are from the day before the convention. On the last day of the convention I decided to check out the "unauthorized protest". The city decided to not let any of the marchers into downtown or anywhere near the Xcel Energy Center. I imagine this is due to the few troublemakers from earlier in the week. It seems the actions of a few troublemakers ruined it for the many later down the line. The march started at the Capitol. Between the Capitol and "The X" is I-94. All the bridges were blocked off by riot police and snow plows.









The cops kept these people who weren't causing any trouble (they rounded up most of the bad ones earlier in the week and some before the convention even started) from walking the streets in protest, and then when the people kept marching anyway into the night, they flash-banged, teargassed, pepper sprayed and later corraled onto a bridge where they were subsequently arrested for (get this) "illegal assembly".

So much for the right to peaceably assemble on the streets we pay for. But the State has this trick, they'll let you speak as loud as you want to, but they get to choose where and for how long. Then their defense is always "Well, we DID let you speak". Too bad that they shield the people who should be hearing it from doing so.

Here are some video highlights from this past week, for they tell the story much better than I could ever hope to.









You can see local news coverage of this here, here, here, here, (listen for the cop to ask about "illegal propaganda") here, here, here, and here.

I end with this:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.