Search
Advertisement
| Digg | Facebook | Stumble It! | Delicious del.icio.us | Fark
E-mail | Print
Aug 12, 2008 10:54 pm US/Central

Are Police Ready For Anarchy During The RNC?

Reporting
Frank Vascellaro
ST. PAUL (WCCO) ― Controlling a crowd during a massive legal protest brings special challenges for police.
The New York Police Department learned that lesson when it the Republican National Convention took place there in 2004. But a group bent on destruction, like the protesters at the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle, presents an entirely different security concern.

 WCCO-TV has obtained several internal police documents documenting the possible tactics of the more radical groups that may try to disrupt the convention in St. Paul.

 Police estimate anywhere from 700 to 1200 anarchist or anti-authoritarian protesters may be in the Twin Cities for the convention. Two people concealing their identities, using fake names and claiming to be part of an anarchist group, recently appeared on a Twin Cities program called Our World in Depth, a program that airs on a Web site.

 During the program the host asked, "So are anarchists revolutionary, do they believe in a revolution?"

 The answer was, "I hope so. To some extent, I hope every anarchist has a goal of revolution."

 The Internet is the clearinghouse for information. The RNC Welcoming Committee and Unconventional Action are the prominent anti-authoritarian sites. One claims its goal is "to organize militant direct action that manifests opposition to both the Democratic and Republican Parties."

 According to the internal police reports, blockading the Xcel Energy Center will be the primary strategy of local anarchists.

 Another police document shows how the anarchists may divide St. Paul in sectors around the Xcel Energy Center with each group responsible for shutting down a specific area. Photos show some of the bridges and highways that are potential choke points for buses bringing delegates into St. Paul.

 One document police obtained says '"few conventions have presented such clear transportation vulnerabilities and we would be foolish to pass up the opportunities those vulnerabilities present. The 2008 RNC is begging to be blockaded."

 However, just last week police said they're prepared to get delegates in and out of the Xcel Energy Center.

 "We already have a transportation plan that has sworn law enforcement officers, has department of corrections staff that will be staffing any critical positions along the transportation route," said St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington.

 There will be about 3,500 officers available for security. Some in law enforcement, like Dave Titus, President of the St. Paul Police Federation, want more.

 "Personally, we would have liked to have seen 6,000 cops. That's a number that we know that we can take on anything that is thrown at us but we'll see how it goes," he said.

 The Ramsey County Sheriffs Office says it was no accident their office was not represented at a press conference in St. Paul last week. They don't share the view that all is well.

 "I think Chief Harrington has underestimated the ability of anarchists to cause mayhem," said Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher.

 In Anoka last month, it took police and fire personnel hours to remove just a few protesters locked together.

 According to Titus, "the problem is going to be how many troublemakers come and it doesn't take many to cause a large scale problem."

 And troublemakers could try to spread the police thin. According the intelligence reports from the St. Paul Police, possible anarchist targets include Alliant technologies, Ecolab, UnitedHealthcare surrounding hotels. And even the desire to "cause a total media blackout" or possibly overtake a news crew or camera.

 Police said they'll respond with a specially trained mobile field force of 1200 officers that can go wherever they may be needed.

 "If there is illegal behavior, if there is civil disturbance it has to be responded to quickly," said Tom Walsh, a spokesman for the St. Paul Police.

 Between police intelligence and open statements from the anarchists, there isn't a lot mystery about what could happen.

 The self-described anarchists on the Our World in Depth show said, "Well, something that came out of the first pReRnC was that we were going to try and blockade the streets and try to prevent the delegates from reaching the Xcel Energy Center and in the RNC Welcoming Committees words, 'crash the convention.'"

The question may be can the St. Paul Police stop it?

"Cops always prepare for the worst. That's the nature of who and what they are. So, I think that our people are prepared to respond if people behave badly," Walsh said.

 

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

From Our Partners

You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

Republican National Convention

Top News Stories

Advertisement

© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.