St. Paul, MN – Individuals and organizations gathered here for what is likely to the be the first of many community meetings to make plans in response to the Republican National Convention (RNC) which will take place in Saint Paul in Sept. 2008. The event, called “Resisting the RNC: Minnesota Town Hall Organizing Meeting,” was co-hosted by the Protest RNC 2008 Coalition (www.protestrnc2008.org) and the RNC Welcoming Committee. (www.rncwelcomingcommittee.org).

Described as, “A gathering of those who have already started organizing to resist the RNC in 2008 and those looking for a place to start,” the event provided a place for community members to plug in to existing plans and start to make new plans together.

Anh Pham, an Anti-War Committee member and event organizer, said, “This community meeting will give us a chance to hear about all the plans that are under way and build unity among the diverse forces involved. The Republican Convention will be a huge platform for promoting the war in Iraq and along with the rest of the Republican agenda. We have to stand up and speak out. Tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people, will join in protests against the war and on many other issues during the RNC. We are committed to standing together in this, uniting the many diverse voices, issues and tactics that will be used to answer the Republican Convention in 2008.”

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