The Minneapolis City Council on July 19 unanimously approved six guiding principles to protect free speech and association during the 2008 Republican National Convention.
The principles were developed by the Free Speech Work Group, an initiative of City Council Member Cam Gordon ( Green Party - Ward 2 ) in anticipation of the convention. The group includes the Mayor, city council members, representatives from civil liberties organizations, and others.
"There were some concerns with the Republican National Convention coming that there would be threats to people’s right to assemble and to protest," says Gordon. "We established this working group ahead of time to try to influence the security plan that comes down from the national level."
The group’s vision is to ensure that security measures during the convention are "limited to those that are absolutely necessary to protect public safety" and that measures taken are consistent with the state and national constitutions.
Its six guiding principles include securing the right to constitutional association, speech and petition; taking care to differentiate lawful and protected organizing and speech from "terrorist" security concerns; and ensuring respectful treatment of persons exercising their constitutional rights.
The work in Minneapolis inspired the convention's host city of St. Paul, Gordon says. St. Paul established a similar working group shortly after the Minneapolis measure passed.
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