St. Paul Refuses GOP Convention Protesters' Appeal

The St. Paul City Council won't grant a new route for a protest march during the Republican National Convention in September. The 6-1 vote was taken with virtually no debate. Under a route granted by the city last week, the September 1 march is slated to begin at noon at the state Capitol and run through downtown St. Paul to the Xcel Energy Center, the main site for the convention, which runs through September 4.Protesters sought a different route and a later time frame for the march. An attorney for the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War says the groups hope to continue negotiating with the city and are still weighing possible court action. The coalition expects the march to draw 50,000 people.