Documentary report by The Real News team arrested along with 818 people during the RNC
818 people were arrested in St. Paul, Minnesota in the days leading up to and during the Republican National Convention last week, several dozens were members of the media, covering the various protests.
While presidential hopeful John McCain was preparing his final speech to the Republican National Convention last Thursday, hundreds gathered on the steps of Capitol building preparing to March for Peace, an end to the war in Iraq and to call for impeachment of President Bush. Many were also there to protest the arrest of demonstrators earlier in the week.
Geraldine Cahill and Ania Smolenskaia of The Real News Network were there recording the Anti-War, Anti-Republican protest rally. The plan was to walk to the Security perimeter surrounding the Xcel Energy center where the RNC was taking place.
On their way to the arena, lines of policemen blocked the intersection and warned the protesters that if they did not go back to The State Capitol building, they would be forced to do so. Tensions rose when a group of protesters that had earlier separated from the main pack, returned. The resulting chaos ended with the arrest of upwards of 300 people. Many members of the media covering the protest were also arrested and fined.
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