Bloomington ordinance lays out rules for protests during GOP
convention
The city worked with the ACLU to come up with a plan to
balance the rights of free speech with keeping order.
By HERÓN MÁRQUEZ ESTRADA, Star Tribune
Last update: May 20, 2008 - 10:06 PM
Bloomington has passed an ordinance outlining when and where
legal protests will be allowed within the city during the
upcoming Republican National Convention.
The City Council, after negotiating with the American Civil
Liberties Union of Minnesota, approved the ordinance 6-1
Monday night but with significant changes.
"We wanted to remove all impediments to working this
out," said Sandy Johnson, Bloomington's associate city
attorney.
Among the revisions to the original ordinance is the
elimination of insurance and security deposit requirements the
ACLU believed would limit the number and size of protests.
"After hearing our objections, they did make substantial
changes," said ACLU legal counsel Teresa Nelson.
"This version of the ordinance is much improved."
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