Federal judge rules against RNC protesters
by The Associated Press
 
ST. PAUL -- A federal judge in Minnesota has refused to grant a group's request to change the time and route for its protest during the upcoming Republican National Convention.

Judge Joan Ericksen says government officials have security reasons to justify the restrictions on the permit for the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War.

The group plans to march on the first day of the convention September 1st.

They wanted to get closer to the Xcel Energy Center and be able to conduct the protest later in the day, when the convention will be in session.

A city permit keeps marchers at least 84 feet away from the arena's doors and orders them to clear the street by midafternoon.

Ericksen says the restrictions are content-neutral and meet a narrowly tailored restriction that serves significant government interest. She adds that coalition members have ``no constitutional right to physical access to the delegates.''