St. Paul City Council holds community hearing on RNC

Flags
Local businesses tried to attract RNC revelers with a patriotic look. St. Paul residents, activists, journalists and business owners are expected to pack the council chambers.
MPR Photo/Nikki Tundel

The public is invited to weigh in on the impacts of the Republican National Convention this evening before members of the St. Paul City Council.

A community hearing will get under way at 5:30 p.m. tonight at City Hall.

St. Paul residents, activists, journalists and business owners are expected to pack the council chambers. The event was originally billed as a "community conversation," but it has morphed into a three-hour hearing with an agenda featuring more than 30 speakers.

The convention has raised a lot of questions in recent weeks, especially in response to the amount of force the St. Paul police used to quell protesters.

City Council member Dave Thune says the purpose of the forum is to assess what worked, what didn't, and to draw lessons that can be applied to future big events.

If there is not enough time to hear everyone's comments, Thune says he will call another hearing in the coming weeks.

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