Status of First Amendment in Minnesota

THOUGHT SOME OUT THERE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LATEST UPDATE HAPPENINGS HERE IN MINNESOTA, SITE OF NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR MEDIA REFORM (JUNE 6-8,08) VETS FOR PEACE NATIONAL CONVENTION ( AUG 27-30, 08) A N D REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION (SEPT 1-4, 08). THIS FORWARD COMES THROUGH COLEEN ROWLEY (FELLOW FREEWAY BLOGER, FBI WHISTLE BLOWER)....CERTAIN SHE WANTS IT SPREAD. CLICK BELOW FOR WINTER MARCH/PROTEST MINNESOTA STYLE.

BRUCE BERRY, MINNEAPOLIS

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Our meeting today with three commanders of the Minnesota Highway Patrol facilitated by ACLU Attorney Teresa Nelson went just great! The three commanders acknowledged our rights under Minnesota law to display banners from pedestrian overpasses as long as we do not block pedestrian traffic; affix the banners to the fencing; or drop any item off into the traffic below from an overpass. We advised we do none of these things and that it has been our policy to accommodate public safety by canceling the bannering when driving conditions are not good (i.e. when it snows).

Even better, the Highway Patrol is going to ensure that all their officers and dispatchers are reminded of this policy allowing us to exercise our first amendment rights without any further harassment. And best of all, the four banners that were confiscated from Ann Galloway and myself by an errant trooper back in early November are going to be returned!

Guess what that means?! We’ll have the full spectrum of red, blue, orange and yellow messages (see photo below) to use this coming weekend. We hope to reach at least another 25,000 motorists. So if weather permits, from about 10:15 to noon on Saturday Jan 5th, we’ll be on the 40th Street pedestrian overpass over 35W’s eight lanes of traffic and if we get enough help, perhaps also on ones over 494 and/or 94. We’re planning same thing from 9:30 a.m. to 10:40 am on Sunday Jan 6th. Call Ross Rowley (952 465-2866) if you can help! (A little rain won’t stop us but remember if it’s sleeting or icy, it’s automatically cancelled.)

Also if you didn’t see this week’s peace march in St. Paul, click here: http://www.wcco.com/video/?id=35040@wcco.dayport.com

Thanks everyone who braved the below zero temps! Three more are planned on March 1, May 1 and July 1 so we can really build momentum before the final one on Sept. 1, 2008, the first day of the RNC.

Coleen R.