Former governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty officially throws his hat in the ring on May 23rd as the 2012 Republican presidential hopeful. Pawlenty is described as laid back and low key, but beware this Minnesota native is ready to squash first amendment rights.

Months leading up to the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN, peace advocates and artists were coordinating efforts to host a nationwide community interested in demonstrating against the convention. But local organizers had undergone surveillance and experienced preemptive raids.

Activists with the women’s peace group CODEPINK had reserved a studio in a famous Minneapolis puppet theater for the summer of 2008 to build cardboard doves, sew costumes, paint and hold community meetings, but at one such meeting a couple of plain clothes officers randomly showed up, wanting to set up a time to speak, and leaving a business card for follow up. On more than one occasion the women had been followed by local police and randomly pulled over. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was immediately contacted.

Just days before the convention, a few homes were preemptively raided, eight young activists were arrested and taken into custody, each charged with “conspiracy to riot in furtherance of terrorism” under the Minnesota version of the USA PATRIOT ACT. Sources were paid by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to gather information on the activists. After a couple of years of drawn out legal work, the activists were either assigned community service, charged with a fine, and/or served a short jail sentence.

While Pawlenty was inside the Republican National Convention energizing the delegates for “Country First” Sen. John McCain to speak, a different scene was taking place outside the convention halls. Activists who had traveled from all across the country were met with baton waving riot police who restricted their movement through the city streets, bludgeoned and wrongfully arrested them. This holds true for members of the press.

Producers and host Amy Goodman with the independent news program Democracy Now! were forcibly arrested by police, since then Amy Goodman has now become a plaintiff suing local Minnesota law enforcement and Secret Service. Overall there were 46 journalists arrested and detained during the convention.

Pawlenty applauds and defends the aggressive handling of protesters and press by law enforcement. During his time in office, FBI house raids continued to happen against human right advocates and activists.

Former governor Pawlenty will swing through the country for the 2012 election, but don’t let his laid back demeanor fool you because he is no friend of peaceful dissent.

It’s spread like wildfire, through dozens of media reports (on everything from The New York Times to Comedy Central’s “Indecision 2008″) and our own friends and family, who have bragged to anyone who will listen about their connection to us.  Suddenly, a whole new segment of the population seems not only aware of CODEPINK but sympathetic to our cause. Dare I say, inspired for change! As November creeps up, we need all the peace-makers we can get…

ST. PAUL — Two activists of the women’s peace group CODEPINK disrupted John McCain’s speech Thursday night at the Republican National Convention, immediately following another activist of the anti-war veterans group, Iraq Veterans Against War.

At the start of McCain’s speech, veteran Adam Kokesh of Washington, D.C. emerged from the crowd near the stage inside the Xcel Center here carrying a sign and shouting messages to stop the war. About four minutes into the speech, CODEPINK activist Elizabeth Hourican, 38,  a McCain constituent of Phoenix, AZ and longtime protester of McCain’s support for war, approached the stairs of the center toward the stage wearing a pink slip that said, “McCain = more war” with a banner that said “McCain = war.” Hourican, shouting phrases including “Women say no to war!” and “We want a peace president!”, raised her hands in a peace sign before being carried out. A few minutes later, San Francisco native Nancy Mancias, 38, did the same.

They were both released within an hour with no charges.

They were given their tickets to the speech by Republicans who decided not to attend, based on their displeasure with McCain’s position on war, oil drilling and other issues.

Their disruption follows a similar disruption Wednesday by CODEPINK co-founders Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans during Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s speech at the RNC. They approached the stage where Palin was speaking, adjusted their clothes to reveal pink slips that read “Palin is not a woman’s choice,” stood there at the side of the stage for about a minute and yelled “Women say no to war!” and “Women need a vice-president for peace!” They also removed banners that read “Women need a peace vice-president.” After another moment, security then grabbed Benjamin and Evans and escorted them one at a time out of the St. Paul Xcel Center, where they were held until the end of the Palin’s speech and told they would be arrested if they tried to reenter. They were told they’d committed an arrestable offense but they were not charged.(See footage of the event here).

“Sarah Palin is not a woman’s choice,” said Jodie Evans, co-founder, moments after being released. “That’s it.”

CODEPINK is a nonpartisan women’s peace group. They vehemently oppose McCain’s pro-war, anti-environment, anti-choice positions. More details to come. For questions, please call Nancy Mancias at 415-342-6409.

ST. PAUL — Two activists of the women’s peace group CODEPINK disrupted Sarah Palin’s speech tonight at the Republican National Convention when they approached the stage where Palin was speaking, adjusted their clothes to reveal pink slips that read “Palin is not a woman’s choice,” stood there at the side of the stage for about a minute and yelled “Women say no to war!” and “Women need a vice-president for peace!” They also removed banners that read “Women need a peace vice-president.”

Co-founders Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans, who were given their tickets to the speech by a Republican delegate who was frustrated with the Republican party and Sarah Palin, caught the attention of Palin with their banners and shouting about 15 minutes into her speech. Palin stopped talking for a moment to turn to look at them. (Read a Washington Post description of the incident here: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/03/inside_the_convention_hall.html).

After another moment, security then grabbed Benjamin and Evans and escorted them one at a time out of the St. Paul Xcel Center, where they were held until the end of the Palin’s speech and told they would be arrested if they tried to reenter. They were told they’d committed an arrestable offense but they were not charged.

“Sarah Palin is not a woman’s choice,” said Jodie Evans, co-founder, moments after being released. “That’s it.”

CODEPINK is a nonpartisan women’s peace group. They vehemently oppose Palin’s pro-war, anti-environment, anti-choice positions. More details to come. For questions, please call Jodie Evans at 310-913-4821.