This was an unfortunate sight to see, NOT a fan of demonstrations turning into circuses, especially where law enforcement lives are put at risk. This would not be free speech.Then there is this video of something nefarious...
some more perspective:
Police misconduct, detention and seizures:
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6 comments:
I'm not necessarily somebody who cares for law enforcement lives.
Plus, you oversimplified the free speech analysis doing injustice to both the readers as well as those who have expended blood/sweat/tears for the sake of free speech rights.
no throwing rocks and bottles and harming other peoples property and live is not free speech.
And such a crass response deserves very little respect. For one to say that you don't care of law enforcement lives is quite pathetic.
freedom of speech should never be expressed through violence to law enforcement, unless it is in an act of self-defense. From what I can see here, the crowd had no right to treat law enforcement like that. Free speech should never degenerate to a mindless mob mentality, it's an insult to the very concept of free speech itself.
Hey Affad, did you edit this blog post-original publication?
yes and no, some "anonymous" started commenting on it while i was finalizing the videos and had posted just the picture, caption and link to the NYT article. I still cant figure out who the anonymous was...any guesses?
"Take Action: Send a Letter Demanding the St. Paul Govt. Release All Protesters!
The police have engaged in a widespread riot against social justice organizations, resulting in the arrest of around 300 protesters. Most of the arrested are still in jail, and at least one person with a serious medical condition has been refused care.
Even before the Convention began, protesters had the organizing centers raided. Armed groups of police in the Twin Cities have raided more than half-a-dozen locations since Friday night in a series of “preemptive raids." The raids and detentions have targeted activists planning to protest the convention, including journalists and videographers from I-Witness Video and the Glass Bead Collective. These media organizations were targeted because of the instrumental role they played in documenting police abuses the 2004 RNC Convention. Their comprehensive video coverage helped more than 400 wrongfully arrested people get their charges thrown out.
Democracy Now! producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar--who clearly identified themselves as members of the media--were arrested, and could face suspicion of rioting charges, a felony. When Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now! went to the scene to inquire with a police commander about the arrest of her producers, she too was arrested. A CodePink march and several breakaway marches were also met with police repression. Tear gas and concussion grenades have been used to disperse crowds.
There is an undeniable pattern of police repression at these conventions. In 2004, 1,500 protesters were arrested at the RNC. Subsequent litigation on behalf of the protesters revealed that national and local enforcement conspired to deny protesters their civil liberties and civil rights. Protesters were held in miserable conditions, and only mass pressure forced the police to release them."
Folks interested in sending letter should visit: www.answer.pephost.org
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