Okay, I couldn't get too close, but it seems like no one can. Local media reported that about 500 protesters crossed the John Ireland bridge, trying to climb down into St. Paul. They were stopped by police and began what the radio called a sit in. I live just a few blocks away...so I hoped on my bike and rode over.
It's like a police state...
There were two groups when I arrived -- one that had done the sit in, and one that had gathered a few blocks away to watch from a distance. I tried to ride down, but was stopped. Not long ago, I was in Korea working on a story, and wound up in the middle of the beef protests -- this is not far from that, and the Koreans had been organizing for five weeks by then. Access to St. Paul from the west side of town is pretty much impossible. Pedestrian bridges are blocked with cement and chain link, and less sturdy fences are manned with riot police, one every ten yards, most looking kind of bored. Just as in Korea, marching band columns of riot police, with meter-long batons, were stationed some ways off from the main confrontation, ready to rush in, it seemed. Helicopters are hovering, lots of guys talking on walkie-talkies...it seemed to be at kind of a stasis. Less a tinder box, probably, than an innocuous box of matches, but it makes you wonder what kind of presidency John McCain wants to have.
In 2004, I was living in Philly. Kerry came to speak at the library -- right on the spot where Rocky climbed the stairs. I went a few hours early, no special ticket or anything, and wound up waiting in line for a couple hours next to this nice Greek woman. When they finally let us no-ticket people in, some of them wound up in the stands right behind Kerry -- for the cameras. I wasn't one of them -- but the Greek woman was. I kept an eye on her. And after Kerry spoke, she was the first one -- not even an American! -- who was able to rush up and shake his hand. This was relatively late in the race.
In St. Paul, the Americans can't even get close to the building where the candidate will be.
It seems to me that's the best way of articulating the choice we have. A police state, or a free state. Take your pick.