AP: Nearly 400 arrested in final anti-war march of the Republican National Convention

AP: Nearly 400 arrested in final anti-war march of the Republican National Convention

Nearly 400 arrested in final anti-war march of the Republican National Convention

By RYAN J. FOLEY and MARTIGA LOHN Associated Press Writer

10:49 AM EDT, September 5, 2008

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Percussion grenades, tear gas and nearly 400 arrests marked the final anti-war march during the Republican National Convention. More than 800 arrests were reported during a week of sometimes peaceful, sometimes violent dissent.

Anti-war protesters rallied Thursday at the state Capitol and then planned to march to Xcel Energy Center, where Sen. John McCain was due to accept the GOP presidential nomination. But their permit had expired, and police — in riot gear and using horses, snow plows and dump trucks — blocked their way.

For hours, police let the protesters amble from one blocked intersection to another. But then the arrests began in earnest. At least 19 journalists, including two reporters from The Associated Press, were among those held by police.

Anti-war protesters briefly interrupted McCain as he addressed delegates Thursday night. Three protesters, one with a sign that read "You can't win an occupation" on one side and "McCain votes against vets" on the other, were removed from the hall by security officers. McCain asked that supporters not be "diverted by the crowd noise and the static."

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Read the rest of the article here: Nearly 400 arrested in final anti-war march of the Republican National Convention

Associated Press writers Amy Forliti and Jon Krawczynski contributed to this report.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/sns-ap-cvn-convention-protests,0,681280.story

20080905 AP Nearly 400 arrested in final anti war march of the RNC