St Paul, MN – The first lawsuit resulting from police violence at the Republican National Convention was announced at a press conference in front of Saint Paul City Hall, Sept. 26. Notice has been served on the cities of Saint Paul, Bloomington and Minneapolis, along with Ramsey County, that lawyers representing Mick Kelly will seek $250,000 in damages. Kelly was shot at close range and injured by police with a high velocity marking projectile at a demonstration organized by the Anti-War Committee on the fourth day of the RNC, Sept. 4.

Crowd repeatedly tear gassed, 396 arrested as police pull out all stops to prevent anti-war march from reaching Xcel Center

St. Paul, MN – On the final day of the Republican National Convention, Sept. 4, over 1000 protesters took to the streets to deliver a strong anti-war message while John McCain was speaking. The march was initiated by the Twin Cities-based Anti-War Committee, with the theme, “No peace for the war-makers.”

Cedarburg, WI – One day after the protests against the Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Sept. 5, members of the Progressive Students of Milwaukee caught wind that Republican presidential and vice-presidential candidates John McCain and Sarah Palin, were headed to Cedarburg, Wisconsin, a Republican stronghold town of 11,000, for a rally.

St. Paul, MN – On September 4, the final day of the RNC, 2,000 protesters took to the streets here to deliver a militant anti-war message. The march was organized by the Twin Cities-based Anti-War Committee, with the theme “No Peace for the Warmakers.”

Lake Forest, CA – Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain stood together in Orange County at the SaddleBack mega-church, Aug. 16, home of evangelical pastor Rick Warren, to engage in a ‘civil forum.’

St Paul, MN – The St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, has voted to endorse the Labor Day mass anti-war march planned for the opening day of the Republican National Convention. The event will begin at the State Capitol at 11 am on Monday, September 1.

St. Paul, MN – Standing in front of the Xcel Center, the Twin Cities-based Anti-War Committee held a press conference July 23 announcing plans for a massive demonstration on Sept. 4, the final day of the Republican National Convention. Plans for Sept. 4 include a rally at the State Capitol at 4:00 pm followed by a march to the Xcel Center. Individuals and groups will then demonstrate their opposition to the war in Iraq and the wars at home on immigrants, workers, low-income families, people of color and the queer community. Demonstrators will utilize creative and diverse tactics to resist war and injustice under a banner of, “No peace for the war-makers.”

Minneapolis, MN – On July 16, Federal Judge Joan Ericksen, a Republican appointee, denied a motion for a preliminary injunction that would have ordered the city of Saint Paul to grant the permit originally requested by the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War for a national demonstration on Sept. 1. Her ruling made no modifications to a permit issued by the city that would restrict demonstrators to a route along Cedar Street and require them to end the demonstration before the Republican National Convention begins.

Minneapolis, MN – The Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War celebrated their new offices with an open house, June 20. The group is planning a massive anti-war protest for the first day of the Republican National Convention in Saint Paul in September.

Sami Rasouli in Chicago

Chicago, IL – Sami Rasouli is an Iraqi American. “When the U.S. invaded, I felt like I was attacking myself. I was the oppressed and the oppressor.” Rasouli emigrated from Iraq to the U.S. in 1976 and became a U.S. citizen in 2001. He moved back to his home in Najaf, Iraq in 2004 to help counter the U.S. occupation. Since then he has returned the U.S. each year to speak, explaining the disastrous impact of the occupation on the Iraqi people and to seek support for his efforts. Rasouli is in the U.S. now; he travels back to Iraq in July, but will be back in Saint Paul, Minnesota by Sept. 1 to join the protests at the Republican National Convention.