St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman "OK" with Violence

During an interview with Minnesota Public Radio on September 5, 2008, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman was asked whether he was "ok" with police in full riot gear shooting innocent bystanders on the streets with rubber bullets and tear gas. Coleman, with his voice quivering and tone of panic sidestepped the question as he began with a "look" transition, and went on to explain that the protesters were not the peaceful well-to-do youngsters and Iraq War Veterans, but rather a "serious threat" with chains, knives, rocks, and buckets of napalm to be thrown on police in full body armor!!! I have never heard in all my life, such a distortion of the truth, and as St. Paul callers voiced their displeasure with their newly approved police-state, Chris Coleman could only give a few lame excuses about the "public safety", which was all too often repeated during the RNC to justify policy brutality against innocent peaceful bystanders, merely petitioning their government.

Even though Coleman voiced his own personal opposition to the Republican Party and their policies, he went on to state that "whether we agree with him or not, we have to protect John McCain." Protect John McCain!? Isn't John McCain followed by a whole slew of secret service men, equipped with bullet proof SUVs, rifles and constant surveillance??

And to protect McCain from who or what?? As far as I saw the whole weekend, ALL protesters were peaceful and acting in a lawful manner. What about protecting these people from the totalitarian state which videotaped their gatherings, their marching with the veterans, and seized their very bodies and held them without any charges for 36 hours!?

Over 1,000 people were arrested during the RNC in St. Paul. So far, only about 150 charges have been brought.

Chris Coleman's rantings on the violence and despicable nature of these people is offensive. After all, he is talking about the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans who came here to protest the war!

If St. Paul does not want secret police from the BCA (The Executive's Bureau of Criminal Activity) in their town anymore, and a return to the rule of law, it's time to force Coleman to resign.