Protesters: 1 for 3 on billboards

The Jumbotron with the anti-war message that blazed through the gray day at the corner of Kellogg Blvd. and John Ireland Blvd. in St. Paul Tuesday was one of three battles over political advertisements that ended in victory for those protesting the RNC.
On Friday, court action by Ramsey County Judge Kathleen Gearin meant that True Blue Minnesota, a St. Paul-based group opposed to the war in Iraq, could put up its giant video billboard. Previously, the Capitol Area Architectural Planning Board had denied a variance to the group, with Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau casting the deciding vote.
Molnau cited traffic safety concerns about the sign. Guerin didn't rule in favor of True Blue, but took the issue under advisement. The result was that True Blue could put up the rented 22-foot by 30-foot billboard as Guerin reviewed the records.
Other groups protesting the RNC haven't fared as well. The Union of Concerned Scientists lost its bid to have an anti-nuclear weapons sign at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport to greet just-arrived Republican officials and delegates.
Last week, a New York photographer who had planned to display soldier portraits on five billboards around the Twin Cities had her contract canceled by CBS Outdoor, according to the New York Times. The portraits were part of the Soldier Billboard Project; one billboard went on display during the Democratic National Convention in Denver.