NY Activists Mobilize for GOP Convention

[Khephra]

NEW YORK -- Adding the Internet and e-mail to traditional organizing techniques, protest groups say they are getting an early start in attracting tens of thousands of demonstrators to New York for next year's Republican convention.

Opponents of the Iraq war, welfare reform -- even those angered by the selection of New York City -- say they will seek protest permits and arrange travel for the four-day convention that begins Aug. 30, 2004.

Protests are an expected sideshow to any political convention, but Steve Ault, a veteran activist helping organize a massive anti-war demonstration, said the events taking shape for next year are unprecedented.

"There's a rather profound and unique opposition to (President) Bush developing, and we see that in the early interest in these actions," said Ault, who helped plan a 1982 nuclear disarmament rally in Central Park that drew 750,000 people. "We haven't seen anything like this."

Large-scale protests are certain to come up against what arguably will be the tightest security ever for a political convention, which is taking place in the city struck by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001.

more.............

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-republicans-2004,0,4345198.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[bluestateguy]

1. Karl Rove is setting up to blame any problems on the Left

If the city is shut down by protestors he and his spinners in the media will piss and moan some jibberish about the firefighters and police officers. It's all fine and good to organize a lot of people to protest, but they also better have a good media strategy, or they'll get blindsided by the RoveRushFoxClearChannel media machine.