As someone who commutes to and from New York City every day, I would be willing to bet you any amount of money that my bus will be searched (as they are already being stopped) before it goes into the Lincoln Tunnel at least once during the convention. Why should protestors' bags be exempt from the rigorous security we'll all be subject to that week?

From NY1:

Judge Gives Police More Leeway To Search Protestors
JULY 28TH, 2004

A federal judge reversed himself Wednesday and ruled police can search protestors’ bags at the Republican National Convention if there is probable cause to believe they pose a threat.

Last week, the judge, Robert Sweet, had ruled officers couldn’t conduct blanket searches without a specific threat.

The NYPD says it needs discretion to conduct such searches since there is credible information that Al Qaeda is planning an attack sometime before the election.

The rulings stem from a lawsuit filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union in connection with clashes at an anti-war protest last year. Last week’s ruling also limited the use of metal pens to control demonstrators.

City attorneys, the NYPD and the NYCLU have not yet commented on the latest decision.

Meanwhile, the NYPD is reportedly planning to hire doctors to be deployed outside Madison Square Garden during the Republican National Convention.

The Daily News reports this unprecedented move is prompted by fear that overzealous protesters might overwhelm city emergency rooms.

The doctors will assist Fire Department medics in performing evaluations as to whether prisoners really need medical attention or are faking it.

The corps will consist of 30 full-time police surgeons and more than 100 doctors.

Searching bags at RNC: Why is this such an issue?