6/25/08 - KARE11.com - Second protest group granted permit to march on RNC

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Second protest group granted permit to march on RNC

A group of anti-poverty activists, which sued the City of Saint Paul for the right to march on the Republican National Convention, has reached a tentative deal with the city clearing the way for the demonstration.

The Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign will be granted a permit to march on September 2nd, if the deal with the Saint Paul City Attorney's office is finalized.

"We are pleased that the City of Saint Paul has recognized our free speech rights without us having to go to court," the group's national organizer Cheri Honkala said in a statement released to the media Wednesday.

"We look forward to being in solidarity with the peace groups and others who are also expecting their free speech rights."

Mayor Chris Coleman's office told KARE that the city hasn't received a formal response to the city's offer, but the peace group withdrew from a court hearing scheduled on the matter. One of the lawyers associated with the action said the lawsuit won't be dropped, but a motion for an injunction will not be pursued.

The Saint Paul Police Department has made an effort to accomodate protests within "sight and sound" of the Xcel Center, where the RNC will be held.

"It took us a little extra time to get to it but I think we came up with a route that accommodates the wishes of the group that wants to have a parade as well as allows to conduct business freely downtown," Assistant Police Chief Matt Bostrom told KARE 11.

The "alternate" permit being offered to the anti-poverty marchers is only slightly different from the route they originally requested, according to city officials.

"It allows them to get into a position where they'll be very close to the Xcel Energy Center where they'll be very close to the Xcel Energy Center at the conclusion of the parade."

The group's permit will allow demonstrators to assemble in Mears Park at 2 p.m. September 2nd for a rally, and then begin marching at 4 p.m. The parade route will cover 39 city blocks and end at 5th Street and 7th Street directly across from the Xcel.

"We're going to get some good exercise because it's a long march and I'm sure it's gonna be a hot day," Honkala told reporters at Mears Park Thursday afternoon, "But these are life and death issues that we're going to talk about, and it's worth that amount of time and it's worth that amount of visibility."

The end of the route is one of several spots the city has designated as a "public viewing area" or PVA, according to Bostrom. Those areas are for those who aren't credentialed to enter the arena, but still want to get close to the action.

"We wanted to reserve some space," Bostrom explained, "Sometimes people want to be a part of an international gathering. They're not even there to protest. They just want to get a photograph."

In its letter to the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, the city argues that 90 percent of Republican delegates will need to pass through that area en route to the arena for security screening, and that it's a media workspace as well.

Peace protester suit still pending

Another protest-related lawsuit, filed by the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War, is still pending. Those peace groups were granted a permit to march on September 1st, but are challenging the routes and times provided by those permits.

"We made it very clear we wanted to march on John Ireland and Kellogg Blvd, down major streets," Jess Sundin of the group March on the RNC told KARE Wednesday, "Instead they have chosen to divert us down a small street, Cedar Avenue through downtown."

The peace groups argue the route is too short to accomodate all the 40,000 - 60,000 protesters expected, and that the key time period between noon and 2 p.m. will not be a peak time for catching the attention of actual Republican delegates.

"It's apparent their goal is to minimize not only our visibility at the site of the convention but the city in general," Sundin remarked.

In a brief filed with the court last week, the Saint Paul City Attorney's office argued there would be "immeasurable risks to public safety and security" if the peace marchers are allowed to completely encircle the Xcel Center, as they've requested.

Bostrom said that, as a rule, parade routes in Saint Paul or linear affairs.

"That makes things quite complicated," he said, "We don't do circular parades in downtown Saint Paul for the winter carnival or Saint Patrick's day, or even the School-Police parade that goes through there."

Organizers of the anti-war march on September 1st are urging the same protester stay in the Twin Cities a second day, and take part in the anti-poverty march September 2nd.