St. Paul, MN – Anti-war, low-income, labor and student activists have mounted a new legal challenge to Saint Paul’s policy of curtailing protests at the Republican National Convention. The lawsuit, filed in Ramsey County District Court by attorney Bruce Nestor of the National Lawyers Guild, seeks to open up additional areas for protest at the Republican National Convention.

“While we are marching against the war on Sept. 1, we also want to open up more space to protest the Republican war on the poor at home and abroad throughout the four days of the RNC. More than 95% of the space around the Xcel center has been set aside for Republicans and the corporate media. We can not accept that,” states Angel Buechner of the Welfare Rights Committee. Buechner is an organizer of the Poor People’s Contingent that will march in the Sept. 1 anti-war protest.

The plaintiffs in this lawsuit are:

• Welfare Rights Committee, a grassroots group of low-income families, current and former welfare recipients and working poor that is fighting for economic justice.
• Twin Cities Peace Campaign – Focus on Iraq, a committee that opposes military intervention in Iraq through educational programs, speaking events, vigils and protests.
• Tracy Molm, resident of Hennepin County, student organizer and member of Students for a Democratic Society
• Cherrene Horazuk, resident of Hennepin County, Chief Steward of AFSCME 3800 and organizer around labor issues.
• Mick Kelly, resident of Hennepin County, wrongfully arrested in Saint Paul for leafleting at the Obama rally in June.

Bruce Nestor of the National Lawyers Guild states, “The plaintiffs have the constitutional right to use the streets and sidewalks of the city of Saint Paul to speak out against the war and economic injustice at the RNC. This lawsuit seeks to protect those rights and allow for an anti-war, social justice message to be heard by the Republican delegates and the people of this country.”

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