Incredible job of covering this. Thank you for these updates, Siun.

Thanks, Siun. Here’s a link to local Fox there that has pictures and video, including a press person pepper sprayed.

The GOP needs to get some good riot action going to blast the newest Palin story off the news. Your move, Rover.

KSTP reports the following:

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Five people were arrested Monday as scattered violence erupted alongside an antiwar march by thousands of people to the site of the Republican National Convention. Police used pepper spray in confrontations with some protesters, several of whom smashed windows, punctured car tires and threw bottles.

Instead of a single coherent march that organizers had hoped for, fringe groups of anarchists and others wrought havoc along the streets between the state Capitol and the Xcel Energy Center where the convention is taking place.

[…]

The arrests occurred in confrontations several blocks from the convention arena. Five people were arrested for lighting a dumpster on fire and pushing it into a police car, St. Paul police spokesman Tom Walsh said.

About 20 anarchists who had started the trash bin fire later tried to block the intersection of St. Peter and Exchange streets. Police quickly dispersed the group, then shot two tear gas canisters at the fleeing anarchists.

Pictures taken by Associated Press photographers showed officers using pepper spray on protesters who appeared to be trying to block streets.

“There are people who are committing violations of law and they’re being arrested,” Walsh said.

About 200 people from a group called Funk the War noisily staged its own separate march. Wearing black clothes, bandanas and gas masks, some of their members smashed windows of cars and stores. They tipped over newspaper boxes, pulled a big trash bin into the street, bent the rear view mirrors on a bus and flipped heavy stone garbage bins on the sidewalks.

[…]

Meanwhile, a group of about 100 anarchists pushed a dumpster filled with trash and threw garbage in the streets and at cars. They also took down orange detour road signs. One of them used a screwdriver to puncture the back tire of a limousine waiting at an intersection and threw a wooden board at the vehicle, denting its side. Another hurled a glass bottle at a charter bus that had stopped at an intersection. The bottle smashed into pieces but didn’t appear to damage the bus.

Closely following the anarchists were teams of riot officers carrying batons, rifles and guns that could be used to shoot tear gas.

[…]

Suin, which twitter addys are you following?

CNN is reporting these so called “riot” events, but their reporters ADMIT they they are not being allowed to eyeball this for themselves. They are getting these reports from law enforcement spokes people

Who’s playing the fun music in the Funk the War video?

oops, I see some you listed. any others?

You know in a city full of camera crews, I find it intersting that we are NOT seeing any footage of these alleged “anarchsts” doing any damage.

Not so much as a YouTube from someone’s cellphone

I just thought that I’d reiterate that this “Real America vs Anarchists (Democrats)” storyline being sold to and via the Passé Press (even right at this very moment on CNN), is the deliberate construct from the bizarro minds of folks like Turdblossom and his acolytes like Turdblossom-protégé Steve Schmidt of the McSame campaign.

The idea is to frame the American Public’s view of reality as Turdblossom fantasizes it:

“Real America (the Repug party) here in the Vaterland is your only hope of standing up against the anarchy and chaos desired by Democrats, Liberals, Gays, Minorities, Abortion-lovers, Flag-burners, etc.”

Some view this as the public face of the police state, but you should be far more cynical than that.

This is black-politics as practiced by Repug strategists like Turdblossom to invent a simulacrum of reality that exists only in their demented minds. This is politically-driven fear-mongering stagecraft with the only real goal of Repugs trying to retain their power.

Might get a provocateur’s face on camera, can’t have that.

http://twitter.com/ColdSnapLegal

Dumpster toppling and burning doesn’t fit with the MO of the dancing group of people in the Funk the War video.

Agreed with LHP on the lack of video evidence - sounds like CNN is getting things straight from the cops without looking themselves: Cross -posted at emptywheel 30 minutes ago……

CNN “breaking news” -

Just watching a telephone report (no pictures) from CNN’s Joe Johns at 3:03 eastern about “anarchists” protesting and breaking windows outside the Republican National Convention, and praising the restrained police response and the bemused response of the “Midwesterners” watching the whole display….. right on cue.

…..updating at 3:21 Eastern - now Soledad O’Brien is taking over, with video, noting that the pictures show a more “peaceful” protest, but that police only estimate 2000 people, and not the 50,000 that were expected (no source given). The video shows people holding signs and engaged in a peaceful demonstration. No pictures of the broken windows or bus benches that were said to have been thrown in the street.

AKA 1968 DNC.

I see on C-Span that RNC attendees have their heads bowed in prayer. You don’t suppose they are praying that security forces will use restraint when confronting peaceful protesters?

KSTP and NPR have been emphasizing that most protesters are peaceful. They haven’t mentioned the snatching of the ColdSnap lawyer.

Here’s an on-the-scene report from a Kossack:

I live less than 1/2 mile away from the convention. I was on my way home when I saw the protesters appear. I followed them and was tear gassed.

They first appeared, to me at least, at Dayton and John Ireland Avenues in front of the St. Paul Cathedral. For a few hours the police and riot cops flanked them and forced them to march in certain directions. I personally witnessed the group blockade a number of streets. There appeared to be somewhere between 100 and 125 of them. They also pushed with them at least two dumpsters full of garbage on two occasions, emptying the contents out on the street as they went and both times overturning the dumpsters in the middle of the street to block police vehicles. They also grabbed trash cans, road signs and sandbags along the way to throw at police and block streets. I also witnessed them break out windows on at least three police vehicles, slash the tires of a limousine, throw a number of empty glass bottles at police officers and police vehicles and throw sandbags and a street sign off of a freeway overpass.

It appeared to me that the police were using excessive force, but to be fair these were not peaceful protesters.

The dumpsters at least are legit, as is the blocking the road report. Haven’t heard on the busting up of squad cars.

Acck. Yes, I have — the Kossack mentioned busted-up squads.

Nothing stirs the blood of the Republican faithful like a good old-fashioned hippie-bashing. Hippies aka non-Republicans.

It’s called straight to MSM. Designed to make legit peaceful protesting/protesters look like the feared & dreaded uberradicals, folks.
Old, old slashn’burn’em tactic going back to Joe Hill days. Ask Southern Dragon, he knows the wobbly history.

Those that are legit on the streets up there, stay safe.

There are, unfortunately, people who think that breaking windows and stetting fire to things is a good way to protest. They aren’t usually groups you want to associate with, though.

We had some anti-globalization protesters take an old car and trash it in LA, a few years back. It wouldn’t have been much of a problem, except it was in midafternoon and right in the middle of an intersection. (I know about it because it was also right outside the building where I work.) They painted slogans all over the street, too. (They like to do these things where there’s a lot of high-rises, as if people inside can see and hear them and will be positively influenced by them. We really can’t see much, and we don’t get much more than drum and whistle noises, so all that effort is a loss.)

Yup.

I happen to know a couple of longtime local activists, people who get arrested at protests on a regular basis. They were scared of some of the anarchist nutters and what they planned to do.

Then again, the cops have claimed that they did their preemptive raids because they’d infiltrated these nutter groups and therefore knew all about their plans. Could it be that they’d, ah, helped them along a little bit?

Unfortunately these types of actions will get far more attention than the 1000s of peaceful protesters.

In Canada the RCMP have been known to use undercovers as provacateurs, even “arresting” them to make it look good.

Correction, not the RCMP, the Quebec Provincial Police.

I was having the same thought about the infiltration. Been done before- “push things along”

No Obama signs or buttons?

PW, what are local new outlets saying or are they just giving the law enforcement version?

And this is the first time I have able to get on FDL all day. Kept getting can’t find the server messages all morning.

Maybe old news, looks like Gustav wasn’t a total washout for Republicans, as both the Bush AND Cheney speeches have been officially canceled. Things must be pretty bad when coaches are afraid to let their team captains play in front of the home crowd.

KSTP and NPR have been emphasizing that the vast majority of protesters are peaceful.

Agents provocateurs

“Anarchist”??? Who the H*** is an anarchist these days? Vad iz dis, “Id’s Brudder Ivanovitz’s turn to trow the bomb” time again (with apologies to whatever folk singer used to do that one — Oscar Brand, was it?).

I guess “anarchist” means “whoever doesn’t agree with the Gestapo”.

For those interested, Jane put up the ustream for the SEIU Take Back Labor Day Concert - Live — at Campaign Silo.

# Billy Bragg (www.billybragg.co.uk) has been a dedicated voice for worker’s rights for more than 30 years. This year he released his first solo album in six years, “Mr. Love and Justice” and his song “There is Power in a Union” has been an inspiration for trade unionists worldwide.
# Mos Def (www.mosdefmusic.com) is a Golden Globe, Emmy and Grammy Award nominated artist whose socially-conscious hip-hop has
# Steve Earle’s (www.steveearle.com), Washington Square Serenade in late 2007 earned him his second Grammy Award. He hosts the Sirius Satellite Radio program Hardcore Troubadour Radio. He was recently featured in the HBO series The Wire.
# Allison Moorer (www.allisonmoorer.com) is an Academy Award and Grammy Award nominated singer songwriter whose 2008 album, Mockingbird, was released to critical acclaim.
# Tom Morello (www.tommorello.net) recently launched The Justice Tour, a nationwide concert tour that dedicated at each stop a rock concert to benefit a local charity. In Chicago, Morello earned the respect and appreciation of working people all over as he spent the day “walking in the shoes” of an SEIU child care provider. He appears with Bruce Springsteen on a new live EP performing “Ghost of Tom Joad.” His solo album, The Fabled City, will be released this September.
# The Pharcyde (myspace.com/thepharcyde) A performance featuring all original members: Imani • Slimkid3 • Bootie Brown • Fatlip. The legendary alternative rap collective.

concert website

All that the GOP requires is just enough violence to make their lies seem true.

Thank you for reporting on this issue. The police seem like they are trying to provoke a situation that will allow their thuggish nature to displace constitutional rights to assembly, and allow them to use their taxpayer-supplied to weapons to maim and potentially kill a bunch of kids.

twitter addys: follow coldspnaplegal

there are tons more as well … but they are most frequent on the scene

jim, keeping an eye on hanna?

Yep, got a guy coming tomorrow to get my generator back up and running. The idiot who was in charge of maintenance (that would be me) failed at his job.

Check out my local find: a sign that reads “Get your guns today the Democrats are coming“

Never used to bother them in the old civil rights days.

I don’t know if anyone has posted this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....#038;fmt=6

This is my state, my city! When one of Minnesota’s great social commentators (Sinclair Lewis) said something to the effect that fascism would come to America wrapped in the flag and carrying a bible, he would have been speaking about this!

Many cops have been raised on violent video games, paintball and The O’Reilly Factor. These guys are itching for a reason to crack some Democrat skulls.

Or no reason at all. They just want to bust some heads.

Won’t Rush and Hannity be manufacturing reasons for them?

True. Now, I wonder if so many people having video/cell phone pics enters into how an infiltrator acts. I don’t know.

That wouldn’t surprise me at all. They’ve done it enough times before, not always successfully. (If I were running a group, or even just in one, and someone joined and was all hot for action - I’d want to get someone to check up on them, because that attitude would have me thinking ‘plant’.)

Must be some scary hippies. Cop out in front with an M-16.

Got news for the heat: scare tactics and force won’t stop us.

Force is the weapon of the weak.

Ironically(?), Cable TV was rebroadcasting “The Sound of Music” last night. If you recall, Act II covers the Nazi Anschluss, and in the movie, there were brief scenes where it became clear that the Nazis have intercepted private communications to the Captain, as part of the overall pressure to manufacture public support for the Anschluss.

It all sounds so sickeningly familiar, what with all the new laws allowing warrantless wiretapping, etc.

Bob in HI

The reichwing has studied the methods and tactics of the Nazis extensively, it appears.

Apologies for the O/T but have y’all seen this one?

Gonzo mishandled classified info

http://www.kentucky.com/676/story/509992.html

COmpletely OT; US planning to attack IRAN within next few weeks
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/S.....2FShowFull

And information is the weapon of the intelligent masses.

I’m sitting on the outskirts of Minneapolis with the mute on the TV as the never ending loop of Hurricane reporting–I’m watching FDL to see where the real story is in my own home town. The irony is palpable.

As someone who has had clearances in past lives, I can state categorically that “I didn’t mean to” was not an excuse that would fly and be considered credible.

Considering the volume of “The Isreal Project” adds I’ve seen on the MSM today, this wouldn’t surprise me much except that I expected it before the elections in 2006.

Roger that.

Just like the Shrub and his neocon handlers to set the entire Middle East on fire in order to win an election.

Right up there with “I don’t remember”.

new post up
Voices from the Streets of St Paul

Well for a GI, it would most likely mean a minimum of an “Article 15″ (non-judicial punishment) or Letter of Reprimand. Depending on the severity it could be a courts martial offense.

Not sure what the punishment level is for a direct civilian employee but most likely at least counseling and a letter in employment files. If done by a civilian contractor, that contractor is most likely looking for new employment so that the employer is not penalized.

OT brought to you by JibJab

http://www.peteyandpetunia.com.....teHere.htm

Can you please say you’re joking? This day has been outrageous. I briefly heard Newt saying today the Sarah is a fantastic choice, will flumox the Dems.etc. The baby story will elicit sympathy from families, etc.

Go to the link fhm posted at 51 from the Jerusalem Post, although I can’t figure out how the Dutch got into areas that are allegedly targeted. The Dutch? The Post is pretty right wing so it could be just another scare tactic the reichwing are so fond of.

The Palin story has gotten so bizarre I’m just gonna sit back and watch, wait until the shootin’ stops and see who’s left standing when the dust clears.

The J-Post does have the note that they can’t confirm anything so it looks to me as an interested observer, of a case of “let’s throw it against the wall and see what sticks”

Here’s an on-the-scene report from a Kossack:

…
It appeared to me that the police were using excessive force, but to be fair these were not peaceful protesters.

Is there any chance these were the same protesters we saw in 2000 when the vote was being recounted?

There’s nothing to be gained from this for Democrats. If they are Democrats they should go home. This election is looking like a landslide for Obama and bad behavior just gets people hurt and it hurts the party.

Go home protesters!

I don’t understand it either. With a sane person in the WH it would require an declaration from congress but with the decider?