Peace and protest

For all the sturm und drang about the protests during the Republican National Convention, you have to take at least some comfort from scenes like this in downtown St. Paul this afternoon.

protest080701c.JPG

It was a nice, orderly war protest at W. 7th Street and Kellogg Boulevard, right past the Xcel Energy Center. That’s where the Republicans will be gathered starting Sept. 1.

Much like the pro-immigration march this spring, the local constabulary seemed to be amiably handling matters and the marchers got to make their point.

Maybe even too amiably.

The ratio of police to protestors seemed even generous by the look of the march from Kellogg Boulevard. Clearly, it was a fine day to be out getting some practice for keeping the peace, even when it looked pretty well kept already.

It makes you wonder if the marchers might take requests.

(Collins notes: I know they’re real, remarkably trained and all that, but cops on bikes don’t scare me the way the ones in police cars do. Why is that?)