Spring Break
Republican Convention may require protest permits
The Associated Press
Issue date: 5/5/08 Section: News
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - In anticipation of the 2008 Republican National Convention, this city about 12 miles from the convention site is considering a new requirement that protesters get a city permit before holding a demonstration in March.
"The Republican convention is what inspired it," Sandy Johnson, Bloomington's associate city attorney, told the Star Tribune. "Before, we had no real motivation to forward. We hadn't had any big demonstrations."
Bloomington's distance from the Xcel Energy Center would seem to make it an unlikely target for political demonstrations, but officials are concerned that the city's 7,800 hotel rooms - more than Minneapolis and St. Paul combined - will be a draw for protesters hoping to get the attention of the thousands of delegates, staff and media staying there during the Step. 1-4 convention.
The Mall of America will also play host to some convention events and could also be a tempting target for protesters, Johnson said.
Recently, Bloomington police have fielded calls from people asking if the city requires permits for demonstrators. City officials suspect that groups planning protests might be scouting for locations with the loosest regulations.
The proposed ordinance would require a permit for assemblies on public land involving at least 25 people gathered for a common purpose; for any planned movement of people, animals or vehicles on public streets or walkways that could interfere with traffic or pedestrians; and for certain outdoor gatherings on private property.
Each application for a public assembly would have an $80 base fee.
If a gathering is considered "high intensity relative to its setting," the city also could require a site plan, security plan, neighborhood notification, a deposit to cover police overtime and a security deposit or insurance certificate. Johnson said the city looked to ordinances in St. Paul and elsewhere that have withstood previous legal challenges.
"The Republican convention is what inspired it," Sandy Johnson, Bloomington's associate city attorney, told the Star Tribune. "Before, we had no real motivation to forward. We hadn't had any big demonstrations."
Bloomington's distance from the Xcel Energy Center would seem to make it an unlikely target for political demonstrations, but officials are concerned that the city's 7,800 hotel rooms - more than Minneapolis and St. Paul combined - will be a draw for protesters hoping to get the attention of the thousands of delegates, staff and media staying there during the Step. 1-4 convention.
The Mall of America will also play host to some convention events and could also be a tempting target for protesters, Johnson said.
Recently, Bloomington police have fielded calls from people asking if the city requires permits for demonstrators. City officials suspect that groups planning protests might be scouting for locations with the loosest regulations.
The proposed ordinance would require a permit for assemblies on public land involving at least 25 people gathered for a common purpose; for any planned movement of people, animals or vehicles on public streets or walkways that could interfere with traffic or pedestrians; and for certain outdoor gatherings on private property.
Each application for a public assembly would have an $80 base fee.
If a gathering is considered "high intensity relative to its setting," the city also could require a site plan, security plan, neighborhood notification, a deposit to cover police overtime and a security deposit or insurance certificate. Johnson said the city looked to ordinances in St. Paul and elsewhere that have withstood previous legal challenges.
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