McCain Gets Taste of What to Expect at the RNC

At 4:30 pm on June 19th, the Anti-War Committee of Minnesota led a demonstration outside the Hilton Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, the site of a thousand-dollar-a-plate fundraiser for the presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain. Approximately 100 anti-war and trade union groups demonstrated outside demanding a US withdraw from Iraq and more resources for healthcare, education and infrastructure here at home. Inside McCain's campaign asked his supporters to pay as much as $50,000 a person to have a private reception with the Republican presidential nominee.

McCain later attended a town hall meeting of some 200 hand-picked 'undecided voters' who asked him challenging questions such as what he would do to challenge the 'misinformation' that he was seeking a continuation of the Bush Administration's war on the Iraq and how he would demonstrate to voters his history of 'bipartisanship'. McCain took the opportunity to declare that the surge was working and that the US was winning in Iraq while raising the specter of Iranian 'influence in the region'.

This demonstration is the latest in a series of demonstrations planned throughout the summer, culminating with a massive march on the Xcel Center planned for September 1st (marchonrnc.org). The Anti-War Committee is also a part of the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War. They are planning an upcoming demonstration on July 1, a march to begin at 11:00 am on the steps of the State Capitol in St. Paul. The City of St. Paul has thus far refused to issue a permit that allows sufficient time and space for the estimated 50,000 anti-war protesters who plan to march on the RNC. According to the AWC the July 1 demonstration will build momentum for the anti-war march and strengthen the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War's legal claim to the permit need for the September 1 demonstration. The Coalition urges everyone who can to attend the July 1 demonstration and to make plans to take to the streets in September.

The Coalition is currently seeking a federal injunction to force the City of St. Paul to grant permission fo the anti-war march. That hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, July 9 at the Federal Court Building (300 S 4th St, Mpls). The Coalition encourages all those who hope to bring an end to the war and those who support the Constitutional right to assemble and speak to join them for a rally at 1pm and the press conference at 2pm.