“I heard somebody saying, ‘They’re coming, they’re coming!’ And feet pounding on the back stairs, pounding on the door saying they had a search warrant. They busted through the door. They’ve got their guns cocked at people.” Sammy Schutz held tightly to five-year-old Gabe, who had been watching a video with his mother and father and about 20 other people when the police stormed into 827 Smith Avenue in St. Paul, ordering everyone down on the floor.

“All I could feel was Mama Bear—do whatever you want to do to me, but I need to get my son out safe. He was watching his dad get handcuffed. And he’s saying, ‘Mommy, mommy, why did they crash through the door?’”

via R.N.C. Diary and http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20072927723

Saturday

Peavey Plaza

5-5:30 pm
WELCOME AND MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA

5:45-6:15
VOCALESSENCE

6:30-7:00 pm
HISTORY THEATRE

7:15-7:45
MINNESOTA OPERA

8-8:30 pm
FUEGO FLAMENCO

8:45-9:15 pm
ZENON DANCE COMPANY

9:30-10 pm
ORDWAY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

10 PM-2 AM
spark24 travels to over 60 venues downtown MINNEAPOLIS FEATURING LIVE, LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT. SEE THE VENUES PAGE FOR A LIST OF PARTICIPATING VENUES AND VISIT THEIR WEBSITES FOR DETAILS ON FEATURED ENTERTAINMENT.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 31

ORCHESTRA HALL

2 AM-6:30 AM

2-2:30 am
THE ALARMISTS

2:45-3:30 am
CLOUD CULT

3:45-4:15
CHRIS KOZA

4:30-5
WHITE LIGHT RIOT

5:15-5:45
LUCY MICHELL & THE VELVET LAPELLES

6–6:30
THE NEW CONGRESS

PEAVEY PLAZA

6AM-9AM

***You are invited to enjoy a complimentary sunrise breakfast beginning at 6 AM on Peavey Plaza, compliments of Caribou Coffee, Malt-O-Meal, and Kemp’s. Quantities may be limited.

6-6:30 am
JAMES GREAR & COMPANY

6:45-7:15 am
TEN65

7:30-8 am
ONE VOICE MIXED CHORUS

8:15-8:45 am
TWIN CITIES GAY MEN’S CHORUS

9-9:30 am
THE CHILDREN’S THEATRE COMPANY

9:45-10:15
BRAVE NEW WORKSHOP

10:30-11 am
JAZZ IS NOW!

11:15-11:45 am
TROUPE AMERICA’S CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES

12-12:30 pm
MU DAIKU

12:45-1:15 pm
ARENA DANCES

1:30-2 pm
BALLET MINNESOTA

2:15-2:45 pm
CHANHASSEN DINNER THEATRES

3-3:30 pm
BUFFALO GAL’S LEGENDARY LADIES

3:45 - 4:15 pm
ILLUSION THEATER

4:30-5 pm
UNL DANCE & DRILL TEAM

Suzanne Opton’s Soldier Billboard project was to be presented by Forecast Public Art during the RNC as part of the UnConvention.

According to the New York Times today,

“Ms. Opton’s photographs, part of a series called the Soldier Billboard Project, have been displayed on billboards in Syracuse, and one was on a billboard in Denver during the Democratic National Convention. But the company that owns the Minneapolis-St. Paul billboards, CBS Outdoor, part of the larger media conglomerate, canceled her contract last week, having decided that the pictures sent a confusing and inappropriate message.”

The article also discusses the denial of a permit for True North to have a video billboard during the RNC.

via Susan Saulny, Battles Over Billboard Space Precede G.O.P. Gathering
NYT, Published: August 29, 2008.