I love the smell of fascism in the morning

By Michael Fraase

Saturday, 30 August 2008 08:23PM CST

Section: Politics

FascismA total of five people have been arrested after three homes and a “convergence space” were raided by authorities with automatic weapons drawn. So begins the Labor Day weekend preceding the Republican National Convention in the Twin Cities.

At about 9PM last night, a search warrant was executed by the Ramsey County sheriff’s office at 627 Smith Avenue in Saint Paul. The building, a former theater, is currently being rented by the RNC Welcoming Committee. While more than 50 people were detained (all, including a five-year-old child were handcuffed and photographed), no arrests were made at this location, but property was seized. The building was boarded up under an order from a Saint Paul inspector after fire code violations were found during the raid. The building was reopened this afternoon after Saint Paul City Council Member Dave Thune asked for an explanation of why the building was boarded up.

“This is all about free speech,” Thune told the Pioneer Press. “It’s what my father fought in the war for. To me, this smacks of preemptive strike against free speech.” Thune, apparently the only voice of reason in either city told Twin Cities Daily Planet, “this isn’t the way we do things in Saint Paul. I don’t want the city to get sucked into something that the sheriff’s office is concocting. Normally we only board up buildings that are vacant and ramshackle. The fire inspector has no idea what’s going on. He hadn’t been called. The person who is on 24/7 call was not called. I talked to him trying to find out who did issue that order and why.”

The RNC Welcoming Committee, in a media statement, insists the convergence center is “simply a gathering place and is not used for illegal actions—it is a place for workshops and trainings. Tonight we were watching films and sharing food.”

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