Civil Liberties Under Attack At RNC, St. Paul Police And City Council Disrespect First Amendment

Today is the last day of the RNC and hopefully the brutality shown by St. Paul's police force will end before McCain's last lying remark of the night. Ever since last week, a police state has enveloped the Twin Cities and threatened the rights of Americans to protest their government and those that wish to tear it asunder. Now it seems that local City Council wants to get involved in the process, for better or for worse.

From The Pioneer Press:

The St. Paul City Council issued a joint statement today condemning "an organized group of self-proclaimed 'anarchists' who have come to St. Paul with disruption of our city as its stated goal."

The council also said, "we regret that some peaceful demonstrators got caught in the middle of criminal actions and law enforcement activity trying to stop this activity."

Council members Pat Harris and Dan Bostrom, whose son is in charge of RNC security for the St. Paul Police Department, did not sign the statement.

The council will ask police for an explanation of recent clashes between law enforcement and protesters that have roiled the first two days of the Republican National Convention.

City Council President Kathy Lantry said she will request that St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington address the council, likely sometime this month. Lantry said the topics could include everything from intelligence that led to raids on several Twin Cities home prior to the start of the convention to crowd-control tactics used by police.

Actual anarchists are one thing, but those that wish to assemble and protest must be free to express that right. The Council is right to demand an investigation into the thuggish brutality that their police department has shown those that do not possess RNC credentials. The notable arrest of Amy Goodman made some headlines, but for the most part the media has ignored the problem of abusive police tactics.

Instead of reporting what goes on outside the hall, the traditional media has played off the "terrorism" charges that have been levied at groups that have organized protests and marches. That isn't keeping the peace, it is the use of fear and intimidation, just as the Republicans inside the hall speak out for night after night at the Xcel Center, since the campaign season started and years before that as well. If it weren't for independent reporters, bloggers and YouTube, none of this information would make it past the police barricade line.