St. Paul police chief: Closing off downtown was right move

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St. Paul police chief: Closing off downtown was right move

By ANTHONY LONETREE, Star Tribune

Last update: September 5, 2008 - 5:59 PM

St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington said today that the decision to seal off downtown to hundreds of protesters gathered near the state Capitol Thursday night was fueled by evidence many planned to riot near Xcel Energy Center during the final day of the Republican National Convention.

It was a decision that would touch off a cat-and-mouse game that resulted in the arrests of 386 people -- most of them for unlawful assembly, authorities say.

For three days, Harrington said, authorities knew of a plot to use Molotov cocktails to attack the convention center and a nearby viewing area. Police officers would be targeted, too, he said, citing information gleaned from investigations that netted three people for conspiracy to commit arson.

Closing off downtown, he said, was the right move.

"Nothing burned in downtown St. Paul. No one was injured in downtown St. Paul," the chief said. "It was a very successful day."

His comments came during a RNC news briefing today during which Mayor Chris Coleman commended police for reining in people who aimed to disrupt convention activities.

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