Organizers for this summer's Democratic and Republican National Conventions are studying how police and protesters handled the 2004 RNC here in New York, as well as the DNC convention in Boston.

In extensive litigation with civil liberties groups, the hosting cities - Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul - have committed to permitting demonstrators to both be seen and heard by convention delegates.

But officials for both cities refused to describe in advance how they will deal with protesters.

At the 2004 RNC, the arrest and detention of 1,800 protesters and bystanders ultimately lead to dozens of court cases that are still pending.

The city, so far, has had to pay out $1.5 million in claims to people who were caught up in the controversial mass arrests, but whose charges were dismissed.

For WNYC, I'm Bob Hennelly.