A St Paul Employee's Perspective on the RNC Happenings...at least during the work day
Day 3 of the RNC and I must say all-in-all it is fairly calm here in St Paul...at least during the working hours. Many of the streets surrounding the Xcel are blocked off to cars and in some cases people. It is interesting to see police stationed at literally every corner in downtown St Paul.
Yesterday, the most exciting thing was a potential bomb outside of our building. There was a small white package left on our plaza and the police were extremely suspicious of it. They blocked the entire street and made everyone stay away. No one could enter or exit the building. However, we did not need to evacuate the building...I watched it all from above on the 8th floor. Anyways, after a few minutes this guy comes to the "bomb", wearing no protective clothing (or at least it didn't look like any), squats next to it. He gets up after a minute or so and walks back to the police. Then a few minutes later the same man and a guy who appears to be dressed as the UPS man (brown shorts and shirt) went to the package, scooped it up and went on. The police then unblocked the street and let everyone through again. We are guessing the UPS man dropped it when he was delivering packages (?). It was definitely an anticlimactic ending to what could have been quite a story: a bomb found in front of a large soap company.
If you can't tell, I (actually "we" - my coworkers feel the same) are wishing some action or excitement would ensue. No one needs to get hurt or anything like that, but it would be great to have action here in sleepy, old corporate St Paul. :)
There are many people milling around, both today and yesterday. And there are bands playing outside; it has been founds that bands help in subduing potential protesting uprisings.
However, today I did go for a walk today and here are some of the more disturbing things I saw:
1.) Leaving our building we saw at least 6 people dressed in orange jump suits with black hoods completely covering their heads. It was VERY creepy! They were apparently protesting some type of torture and children. They silently protested with their hands out beside their sides. It is hard to describe, but it was a little unnerving since you couldn't see their faces or anything.
2.) This was the most disturbing thing I saw: a large cargo truck with pictures on the sides. The photographs, if that is what they were, were hard to distinguish the image from a distance, but it was pictures of dead babies. The baby in the photo at the back of the truck had to be an almost full-term baby with its head cut-off and covered in blood. You may have guessed, but they were protesting abortion. I couldn't bear to look at the other side (facing where we were) to try to make out the other image. It was extremely disturbing. And here is this truck just strolling around downtown like any other car. I wonder if he covers the sides when he goes on interstates and areas more likely to be visited by young children? I would hate and be very upset if my young children saw those images.
3.) On a less depressing, gross note, there was a lady in the park with a sign that said "Stop Bird Porn." I apologize, but I was unaware that bird porn is a significant issue in the US...or anywhere in the world for that matter. That is all the poster said, so maybe "bird" stands for something of which I am unaware. If it does, she really should try to make things a little more explicit or have supplemental material telling others why "bird porn" should be stopped (if it ever started) because I doubt I am the only one in not understanding.
4.) Finally, on the walk back there were two people dressed in pig costumes. They were protesting a meat tax or something. It was sponsored by PETA, so I am a little confused...I would think they would be protesting the use of meat or animals. I don't understand the purpose of their cause.
Well, that's about all I have seen extremely out of the ordinary here in Good ol' St Paul. I didn't have my camera today or yesterday, but I am going to try to remember to bring it tomorrow in case there are even more interesting, disturbing or weird things going on.
Talk to you all soon!
Yesterday, the most exciting thing was a potential bomb outside of our building. There was a small white package left on our plaza and the police were extremely suspicious of it. They blocked the entire street and made everyone stay away. No one could enter or exit the building. However, we did not need to evacuate the building...I watched it all from above on the 8th floor. Anyways, after a few minutes this guy comes to the "bomb", wearing no protective clothing (or at least it didn't look like any), squats next to it. He gets up after a minute or so and walks back to the police. Then a few minutes later the same man and a guy who appears to be dressed as the UPS man (brown shorts and shirt) went to the package, scooped it up and went on. The police then unblocked the street and let everyone through again. We are guessing the UPS man dropped it when he was delivering packages (?). It was definitely an anticlimactic ending to what could have been quite a story: a bomb found in front of a large soap company.
If you can't tell, I (actually "we" - my coworkers feel the same) are wishing some action or excitement would ensue. No one needs to get hurt or anything like that, but it would be great to have action here in sleepy, old corporate St Paul. :)
There are many people milling around, both today and yesterday. And there are bands playing outside; it has been founds that bands help in subduing potential protesting uprisings.
However, today I did go for a walk today and here are some of the more disturbing things I saw:
1.) Leaving our building we saw at least 6 people dressed in orange jump suits with black hoods completely covering their heads. It was VERY creepy! They were apparently protesting some type of torture and children. They silently protested with their hands out beside their sides. It is hard to describe, but it was a little unnerving since you couldn't see their faces or anything.
2.) This was the most disturbing thing I saw: a large cargo truck with pictures on the sides. The photographs, if that is what they were, were hard to distinguish the image from a distance, but it was pictures of dead babies. The baby in the photo at the back of the truck had to be an almost full-term baby with its head cut-off and covered in blood. You may have guessed, but they were protesting abortion. I couldn't bear to look at the other side (facing where we were) to try to make out the other image. It was extremely disturbing. And here is this truck just strolling around downtown like any other car. I wonder if he covers the sides when he goes on interstates and areas more likely to be visited by young children? I would hate and be very upset if my young children saw those images.
3.) On a less depressing, gross note, there was a lady in the park with a sign that said "Stop Bird Porn." I apologize, but I was unaware that bird porn is a significant issue in the US...or anywhere in the world for that matter. That is all the poster said, so maybe "bird" stands for something of which I am unaware. If it does, she really should try to make things a little more explicit or have supplemental material telling others why "bird porn" should be stopped (if it ever started) because I doubt I am the only one in not understanding.
4.) Finally, on the walk back there were two people dressed in pig costumes. They were protesting a meat tax or something. It was sponsored by PETA, so I am a little confused...I would think they would be protesting the use of meat or animals. I don't understand the purpose of their cause.
Well, that's about all I have seen extremely out of the ordinary here in Good ol' St Paul. I didn't have my camera today or yesterday, but I am going to try to remember to bring it tomorrow in case there are even more interesting, disturbing or weird things going on.
Talk to you all soon!