By many accounts, the Republican National Convention in Tampa may seem like it was a huge success, but a new legal review says that's not the case.
The National Lawyers Guild is weighing in on the security during the big event last year. According to Bay News 9's partner paper, the Tampa Bay Times, the group said keeping the peace meant trampling First Amendment rights.
The advocacy group, which sent 45 legal observers to the RNC, blames the threat of police aggression for leading to smaller groups of demonstrations than in years past. They also accused law enforcers of overkill, saying police outnumbered protesters 4-to-1, and of demonizing protesters as "anarchist extremists" and misrepresenting protests at previous years.
Tampa officials disagree with the report, saying the city had prepared for the worst. Mayor Bob Buckhorn said the city's designated protest areas were larger than those for the 2008 GOP convention, and that the city also gave water and boxed guides to protesters.