"Don't Vote" Billboards Put up in Minority Neighborhoods in Minneapolis

Clear Channel Billboards raise concern of voter suppression
A series of billboards around the Twin Cities that brazenly declare "DON'T VOTE" have angered civil rights activists. Fifteen of the billboards have sprung up in Minneapolis, St. Paul and its suburbs in the last few days. Several are in areas with large minority populations, including the Phillips neighborhood in Minneapolis, leading the NAACP and other groups to criticize even the suggestion that citizens shouldn't exercise the right to vote. "This is a highly sensitive election season, and to put it in areas like the Phillips neighborhood, that's a minority community that's been disenfranchised enough," Brett Buckner, NAACP branch president in Minneapolis, said Friday. "I don't care what kind of campaign this is, that community's been through enough." The billboards are owned by Clear Channel Communications Inc. Lee Ann Muller, the company's general manager for outdoor advertising in Minnesota, wouldn't say who is paying for the billboards, but said it's a "teaser" campaign and its full meaning would become clear soon. She said the provocative message does not involve a political party nor is it a candidate's new slogan. "You can speculate all you want," she said coyly. "It's meant to draw attention, and it has. That's about all I can say." She said all will be revealed Oct. 11. [more