Republican National Convention

St. Paul -- 01 September 2008 -- Thousands of people rallied outside the Republican Party national convention on Monday, protesting the war in Iraq and the policies of the Bush administration. The march was mostly peaceful, but some small groups of protesters created disturbances and confronted police, and several people were arrested.

Protesters marched from the capitol building in downtown St. Paul to the arena where the Republican Party national convention opened Monday in an abbreviated session.

Young and old, and parents with children participated in the march. They carried signs with slogans such as "Say No to War," "U.S. Out of Iraq" and "Support the Troops, End the War." Police in riot gear stood watch as demonstrators made their way through the streets.    » read more »

August 22, 2008 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designates certain major events - including the national conventions and the presidential inauguration - as National Special Security Events (NSSEs). The U.S. Secret Service is designated as the lead agency with unified command representation from participating federal, state, and local agencies with NSSE responsibilities.

Federal resources are deployed to an NSSE to maintain the level of security needed for the event and area. A number of factors are taken into consideration when designating an event as an NSSE, including anticipated attendance by dignitaries and the size and significance of the event.    » read more »

August 21, 2008 -- NEW YORK - Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation's first and largest nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, will attend the upcoming Democratic National Convention.

IAVA will meet with delegates and convention guests, raising awareness about the most critical issues facing the 1.7 million Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and highlighting our historic fight for the new GI Bill. IAVA spokespeople, including Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff, will be available throughout next week to respond to media requests.    » read more »