Slog - Comments on The Protests in St. Paul http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul The wicked, liberal media sure has been quiet about all that pepper-sprayin', journalist-arrestin', teenage-whuppin' action at the Republican National Convention a couple of weeks ago. But the New York Times finally picked up the story today: “It was an unprecedented show of police presence and display of force,” said Bruce Nestor, the president of the Minnesota chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, which is defending many of those arrested. “Minnesota has never seen this level of militarization of local police.” Whew. That's a relief. I was staring to worry I'd imagined the whole thing. And please enjoy this price... Copyright 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:13:54 -0800 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:58:26 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Nick Jesus. That second picture is nuts.

]]> Nick http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143630 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143630 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:17:41 -0800 Comment by Lloyd Clydesdale The cultivation of the dependent/independent journalist divide.

]]> Lloyd Clydesdale http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143640 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143640 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:23:38 -0800 Comment by DOUG. Amy Goodman is not an "activist-journalist," she's a journalist.

]]> DOUG. http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143646 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143646 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:29:20 -0800 Comment by Mr. X This is what a police state looks like.

]]> Mr. X http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143654 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143654 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:35:00 -0800 Comment by Sargon Bighorn Once again the children known as "American Citizens" think the country known as "America" is pure and can do no evil to its citizens or others. When oh when Mommy with they grow up and understand that a government, any government, even GASP the American government, DOES NOT have the interests of its citizens first and foremost in it's mind? When you take on the government kids, be prepared to get slammed, HARD. It's totally wrong I know, but it's the ugly truth, deal with it.

]]> Sargon Bighorn http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143664 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143664 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:42:05 -0800 Comment by flamingbanjo I'm sure the only reason the Fox people got mixed up in this is they were trying to get a close-up of the craziest-looking "anarchist" they could point a camera at, as per company policy. In the future they should look into embedding their photographers with the occupying force, er I mean with the peace officers.

]]> flamingbanjo http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143665 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143665 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:44:48 -0800 Comment by Greg This makes me so angry. I don't even know what to do, I'm so angry.

]]> Greg http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143684 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143684 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:12:01 -0800 Comment by FRUITCAKEpuppet Police crushing dissent, banks collapsing, corporations looting public coffers. Is America keeling over or is it just the S.O.S.?

]]> FRUITCAKEpuppet http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143698 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143698 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:29:42 -0800 Comment by Trevor Good points. And they deserve to be made again. But after the WTO, there's no reason to act surprised that this happens. The following illegal activities have been taking place ever since the IMF-World Bank meeting in DC in 2000:

-preemptive arrests to keep protest group leaders off the streets (remember the bail set for david solnit for $1 million to keep him away from both the RNC and DNC conventions?)

-no protest zones

-mass arrests for exercising one's freedom to assemble when instructed not to.

-unnecessary and excessive use of force by police

-violent enforcement of traffic laws, and sometimes even arrests, to harass marches without permits

-violent intimidation of anyone with video cameras or regular cameras, including assault and destruction or seizing of recording equipment of all types

-government surveillance of non-violent protesters, most of whom have no plans to break the law

These are common tactics, used to protect Democratic and Republican events, for the last 8 years. There is almost no public debate over them. And when there is, it is often local, and officials take the side of police unions, who for some reason don't have a beef with being given orders to violate the Constitution.

]]> Trevor http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143750 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143750 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:49:18 -0800 Comment by VivaLaRevolution! @7

What would Paul Revere and friends do?

]]> VivaLaRevolution! http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143770 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143770 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:43:55 -0800 Comment by VivaLaRevolution! @7

What would Paul Revere and friends do?

]]> VivaLaRevolution! http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143772 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143772 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:45:18 -0800 Comment by Michael J Swassing When they open fire with gatling guns, will anybody say that the didn't see it coming?

There is an item of urban legend that keeps surfacing on hate radio, about how the protesters were armed with poop-and-pee-bombs. This has to be confronted like the lies about protesters spitting on war heros, or burning the flag.

]]> Michael J Swassing http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143777 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143777 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:04:34 -0800 Comment by coldwater NOT TRUE: “Minnesota has never seen this level of militarization of local police.”

Actually: In December 1999, 600 police officers descended upon a non-violent protest to save some oak trees in a Minneapolis city park. That was far more militaristic than this event.

]]> coldwater http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143787 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143787 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:28:34 -0800 Comment by Greg I guess the only defense we have left against this outrage is the freedom of information allowed by the internet. Maybe it won't be the Letter from Birmingham Jail, but nonviolent protest and careful documentation of brutality may have the power to slowly pull us back from this abyss. I hope very much that I am right.

]]> Greg http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143793 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143793 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:38:19 -0800 Comment by Amelia The chemistry of the new crowd control tools fascinates me. Read in Brendan Kiley's RNC article tonight that pepper spray is no longer water-soluble (good luck getting that off), and has been banned from use in war by international agreement.

Remember the Pentagon's experiments in crowd control stink bombs and protester dyes? Not to mention the microwave gun that supposedly does no lasting damage.

]]> Amelia http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143812 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143812 2008 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:01:22 -0800 Comment by Wendy R. Right on, B. I hope you ride this story hard all the way to a Pulitzer, because I, for one, think it's that important.

]]> Wendy R. http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143928 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1143928 2008 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:57:52 -0800 Comment by nicole @6 -- so dead on.

]]> nicole http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1144038 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1144038 2008 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:38:16 -0800 Comment by Free Lunch With any luck, this local yocal police department will end up paying out millions due to lawsuits.

Have any been filed yet?

]]> Free Lunch http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1144446 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/09/the_protests_in_st_paul#c1144446 2008 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:58:26 -0800