Assistant St Paul Police Chief Matt Bostrom promised that St Paul would absolutely NOT be a repeat of Seattle 1999. He said that we would not be following the brutal and repressive "Miami model" from the 2003 FTAA protests, but that there would be a warm and welcoming "St Paul model" for all to see. He said that what got him out of bed in the morning was his abiding concern for civil liberties.
Bostrom promised that there absolutely nobody would be arrested unless they committed a specific crime, that there would not been any general sweeps. (Fact: There were actually three mass arrests for "being in the wrong place at the wrong time," on Shepard Road September 1, after the Rage-Against-the-Machine concert in Minneapolis on September 3, and on the Marion Street bridge on September 4.)
Bostrom promised the police officers would be readily identifiable and wearing regular police uniforms, not tactical gear. (Fact: Nearly all "security" personnel were clad in black "ninja turtle" suits, with no unit or personal identification visible, and even covered up so much that it was usually impossible to determine gender.)
Bostrom promised there might be some changes in traffic patterns, but there would be absolutely no restrictions in foot traffic. (Fact: Nearly every bridge near St Paul was closed at one point or another, and major parts of the downtown area were blockaded on each day of the convention.)
Bostrom promised that all "security" would be under the supervision of the St Paul Police Department and that any other jurisdictions cooperating with the event would be "partnered" with St Paul officers and under the direct control of the St Paul Police Department. (No contradicting "facts" here, but I have yet to meet a single person who concluded that St Paul Police controlled security of the convention. Most would speculate that Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher was in immediate control, but that the general direction was determined by some anonymous federal agency.)
Matt Bostrom declared there would be absolutely no restrictions on free speech and that, in fact, the entire city of St Paul would be a "free speech zone." (Fact: You couldn't even get to the "public expression" zone most evenings of the convention, because the streets were blocked by menacing lines of black-clad storm troopers.)
Bostrom said that there would be permits granted in advance, but that officers on the scene would also be able to grant permits "on the fly." (Fact: The Thursday march permit was actually revoked "on the fly" and nearly 400 people were later arrested as they attempted to march to the Xcel Center.)
Bostrom promised that St Paul police would not let federal agents "go after people." (This might be technically true, if all those preventative arrests were at the initiative of Bob Fletcher and not merely Fletcher acting on behalf of some federal agency.)
Bostrom promised that protesters would be able to confront the Republicans within "sight and sound" in accordance with previous court rulings. (Fact: Thursday's march was specifically prohibited from going crossing Interstate 94 or going anywhere near the Xcel Center.)
Bostrom promised that there would be no massive holding pens or arrest quotas of 3,000 people. (Fact: False on the holding pens, but technically correct on the quota number, since only about 800 were actually arrested. It should be mentioned, however, that many more were tased and especially pepper-sprayed than any previous similar event.)
Bostrom said that there were "no plans" to infiltrate any groups. (Fact: Recent court records relating to search warrants indicated that infiltration had actually started at least the month before, probably under the supervision of the Ramsey County Sheriff's office.)
Bostrom indicated that no private security would be hired. (Both Pioneer Press and Star Tribune reported that a million dollars was approved by the St Paul City Council for private security.)
I have saved the most interesting promise for last. Professor Gerald Schlabach of the St Thomas Justice and Peace Department asked Chief Matt Bostrom a very serious question toward the end of the evening. Schlabach wondered how Bostrom would react if St Paul lost control of the convention security to a different agency and if all of the promises were broken. Gerald Schlabach asked Chief Bostrom if Bostrom would resign.
Matt Bostrom thought quietly for a good long moment. He didn't answer in a way that seemed impulsive or off-the-cuff. Bostrom seemed to really consider the question quite seriously before answering. Then Bostrom answered quite simply that he would resign. (Fact: Bostrom is still employed as Assistant Chief of the St Paul Police Department. Like the other promises, this one was broken.)
Someone made a video recording that evening, but I can't locate it. It would be interesting to hear all those promises directly now, remembering that time a year ago, when some people actually believed the St Paul Police.
This commentary was one of the submissions to the RNC Public Safety Review Commission.
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