Protests Heat Up Republican Convention

While Republican Party leaders and elected officials deliver addresses each night to excited delegates and guests at the Republican National Convention, there has been a lot of action outside the perimeter of the Xcel Center as well.

Thousands of RNC protesters have been active since Sunday, voicing their opinions on a number of issues including the war and the economy. Recently, however, the focus has shifted from the issues to the interaction between the police and the protesters.

The St. Paul police department issued reports of some protesters slashing tires, breaking windows and attacking members of the Connecticut delegation. Meanwhile, YouTube users have been uploading footage of riot police unleashing tear gas and pepper spray on throngs of protesters, and making mass arrests.

Journalists have been among those arrested, the most notable case being liberal talk show host Amy Goodman. This YouTube video documenting Goodman's arrest has garnered close to 500,000 views thus far and has set off a number of user responses. CitizenTube caught up with Goodman in St. Paul for her thoughts on what happened to her:



Despite arrests, a number of citizen journalists are continuing to follow the protest activity and uploading their footage to YouTube, so check back for up-to-the-minute accounts of what's happening in St. Paul, both inside and outside the convention hall.