September 1, 2008 - A group of attorneys is going to court to prevent police from seizing video and other recording equipment during the Republican National Convention. The National Lawyers Guild filed an emergency motion with a Hennepin County judge after police seized journalists' cameras during raids in St. Paul and Minneapolis over the weekend. The journalists were using the equipment to document police conduct. Geneva Finn is an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild. She says it is critical that First Amendment rights be respected, especially during a week of protests.
September 1, 2008 - Hundreds of protesters broke off the authorized march route and led police on a slow-motion foot chase through downtown St. Paul ahead of the day's biggest march. Several groups of mostly black-clad demonstrators threaded their way thru downtown streets, confronting police who used pepper spray, tear gas and in one case, rubber bullets to disperse the groups.
September 2, 2008 - Several thousand people rallied in Saint Paul today to protest poverty, police brutality and the war.
September 2, 2008 - Court hearings are underway for the nearly 300 anti-war protesters arrested yesterday. Four journalists, including Democracy Now! TV and radio host Amy Goodman, were among those arrested. Goodman said she was arrested while seeking the release of her colleagues.
September 3, 2008 - Some protesters arrested during demonstrations outside the Republican National Convention are alleging police have used unnecessary force. So far, several hundred demonstrators have been arrested this week. But Twin cities trial lawyer Bob Bennett does not expect the number of police brutality claims to be high. Bennett specializes in police misconduct work and says from his vantage point the clashes between police and demonstrators have been much more subdued than in conventions of the past.
September 4, 2008 - While the RNC ends tonight, the convention-related court cases willl wind their way through Minnesota's legal system for months, maybe even years to come. The courts in New York still have cases pending from activities related to the Republican National Convention there four years ago. It's unclear whether those same kinds of suits would be an option here.
September 4, 2008 - Some protesters arrested during demonstrations outside the Republican National Convention are alleging police have used unnecessary force. So far, several hundred demonstrators have been arrested this week. But Twin Cities trial lawyer Bob Bennett does not expect the number of police brutality claims to be high. Bennett specializes in police misconduct work and says from his vantage point the clashes between police and demonstrators have been much more subdued than in conventions of the past.
September 5, 2008 - MPR’s Sea Staura recounts scenes of protest that started on the Minneosta State Capitol lawn and ended with the biggest number of arrests of any day during the Republican National Convention, being hosted at the Xcel Center in St. Paul.
September 5, 2008 - There are calls this afternoon for investigations into whether police used excessive force to maintain control during the Republican National Convention. A human rights organization, two Minneapolis council members, and a protest group have each called for investigations into whether police tactics were too heavy handed. St. Paul's police chief and mayor say law enforcement acted appropriately.
September 5, 2008 - Anti-war protesters claim riot police used excessive force when they stopped an unpermitted march near the state capitol yesterday. Police used tear gas, mace and flash grenades to prevent embers of the protest group "the Anti War Committee" from marching to the Xcel Energy Center, site of the Republican National Convention. The group's Meredith Abby wants the city to look into what happened.