Protesters to Greet Cheney in Riverside

Local protesters are revving up for a demonstration outside Vice President Dick Cheney’s fundraising dinner in Riverside on Tuesday, but authorities are not expecting a major disruption.

Cheney is scheduled to speak at a $1,000-per-plate dinner for Republican senatorial candidate Bill Jones at the Mission Inn.

The vice president is also scheduled to address the troops at a Camp Pendleton rally Tuesday morning as part of a West Coast swing to drum up support for President Bush during the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

Members of the Riverside Area Peace & Justice Action organization said they hope to re-create the commotion that 350 to 500 demonstrators made when President Bush spoke at the Riverside Convention Center in October.

Organizer Dick Morris said that the antiwar group has seen more cooperation from other organizations, including local Democrats and Latino groups and is confident of drawing larger crowds. However, he said that with hot weather forecasted, planners are unsure how many to expect.

Riverside Police Department officials said they don’t expect major problems during Cheney’s visit. Security for the event will be provided by the Secret Service while local authorities keep the city in order.

Police spokeswoman Michele Jackson said additional police would not be on duty. However, SWAT teams and mobile units will be on call, and streets in the immediate area will be blocked off.