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Police Clash with Demonstrators, Make Arrests at RNC
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ShareSeptember 04, 2008 11:17 PM
ABC News' Jennifer Duck and Lindsey Ellerson Report: Police arrested hundreds of anti-war protesters outside of the Republican convention hall Thursday night in St. Paul. Over 1,000 demonstrators marched from the State Capitol to the Xcel Energy Center, where tens of the thousands of Republican delegates and party elite gathered to hear Sen. John McCain's acceptance speech.
Police in riot gear swarmed the area outside the convention center, deploying tear gas and distraction devices known as "flash bangs" in an attempt to disperse the crowd.
Approximately three-hundred protesters were held on the bridge for nearly an hour over Interstate 94 in St. Paul. After hours of people protesting, police instructed demonstrators to file onto the bridge and then announced everyone would be arrested, refusing to allow anyone off the overpass. Law enforcement barricading the bridge fired pepper spray, instructing protesters to put their hands behind their heads.
ABC News' Jennifer Duck was trapped with the marchers on the bridge and observed many young children scared and crying. She spoke to several marchers who said they wanted to go home, but the police refused to allow any movement. Members of the media, and many trying to follow police direction were being pepper sprayed in the face.
One policeman told ABC News that a firearm was confiscated from a protester on the bridge and that people were throwing rocks.
The RNC's Joint Information Center told ABC News that 88 arrests have been made on Thursday thus far, but more than 200 demonstrators are on their way now to Ramsey County Jail to be detained.
At least some of the protesters were part of the Anti-War Committee, who organized an afternoon rally on the capitol, followed by a march to the Xcel Energy Center, where the RNC is being held. At 5pm central, the protesters' permit expired, but demonstrators refused to leave. The crowd of nearly 700 stood at a standstill with the police as they tried to march from the capitol to the Xcel Center without success. The protesters, chanting, "Let us march!" and "No blood for oil, U.S. off Iraqi soil!" were non-violent in their actions. At one point, approximately 100 people sat down in the middle of the street, in front of more than two-dozen officers on horses, making the peace sign with their hands and singing the star spangled banner.
"Protesters felt that tonight was an important night to demonstrate in St. Paul. The eyes of the world are on John McCain tonight," said Meredith Aby of the Anti-War Committee in a statement to the press. "We felt it was imperative that his message of war did not go unchallenged. The police and the city of St. Paul decided to make downtown a Republican speech zone, but our demonstration challenged their decision."
Since the Republican National Convention began, there have been several riots in St. Paul and Minneapolis, protesting the Iraq war and the Bush administration's policies. The most disruptive protest took place on Monday, when violence broke out at a rally organized by the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War. It was estimated that 8,000-10,000 people were present and more than 280 demonstrators were arrested.
September 4, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (157)
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Peter
while you are reading, how about going to factcheck.org and see how many lies she spewed last night
Posted by: Omentum | Sep 4, 2008 11:38:31 PM
And there you have it people.
An end to a week of the history channel.
Posted by: Omentum | Sep 4, 2008 11:40:21 PM
Arrest????? DUH
This is the party of Bush.
Posted by: Omentum | Sep 4, 2008 11:41:29 PM
McCain says he will work with Dems to solve problems yet all of his policies are Republican ideas. None are of the Dems or are shared by the Dems.
Posted by: Vanessa | Sep 4, 2008 11:45:11 PM
John McCain have been in Washington for CLOSE TO 30 years, he has been what wrong with Washinton; and now he pretty much stole obama slogan and now coining the phrase ~CHANGE~.
He is not fooling anyone , what happen in doing something before now, he has been there like i said for 30 years.
nice try .
BTW.. ZERO ISSUES DISCUSS,the ones we heard those are BUSH POLICIES RECYCLE.
Posted by: spd | Sep 4, 2008 11:55:50 PM
Go protesters....no more stupid bankrupting wars. No violence please.
Posted by: Ben Straub | Sep 4, 2008 11:56:13 PM
Peter - do you care that Gov Palin made several false statements during her speech? Do some real research.
There was on demonstrator that interrupted McCain's speech. The person appeared to be dressed like a man, but pulled off a jacket and the person appeared to be a woman. There was considerable shouting. Not sure how many people were involved.
Posted by: Julie | Sep 5, 2008 12:01:07 AM
thank god someone is opposing this NWO and fascist pigs like mccain.
go protesters!
Posted by: ryan | Sep 5, 2008 12:01:21 AM
It's about time somebody stood up. By the way, spread the word about www.slackeruprising.com. It could change the election.
Posted by: Atheist 1 | Sep 5, 2008 12:02:02 AM
Were there right wingnuts who disrupted the Democrats in Denver? And if so, did the networks put them on TV?
Posted by: Rich | Sep 5, 2008 12:03:01 AM
People would take them more seriously if they bathed once in a while.
Posted by: Mack | Sep 5, 2008 12:04:04 AM
"It's about time somebody stood up. By the way, spread the word about www.slackeruprising.com. It could change the election."
Leave. You people couldn't even run a french fryer let alone a Government.
Posted by: Mack | Sep 5, 2008 12:06:17 AM
If the police conducted themselves like this in any other country there would be howls of protest. This is the only country where this sort of blatant brutality can take place under the color of authority. It's also the only country in the world where a cop can shoot you dead just for reaching for your wallet and be back to work the next day. The police in this country are the single biggest argument for lenient gun laws and an extremely well armed populace. Self defense doesn't just include defense against criminals. These thugs might want to remember that when visiting the State of Maine.
Christopher M. Doyon
Candidate For Maine Legislature
Representative - District 55
---------------------
DOYON '08 Campaign
www.DoyonForLegislature.info
Posted by: Christopher Doyon | Sep 5, 2008 12:07:59 AM
This just came across the news wire...The French found out this evening that Palin was booking a flight to Europe next week and they immediately surrendered.....now that is one tough broad!!!
Posted by: gary | Sep 5, 2008 12:11:38 AM
Geesh! Most of the protesters look like they aren't even 15 years old! Can they even vote? Oh well.... it is a school night.
Posted by: JoJo | Sep 5, 2008 12:13:46 AM
"If the police conducted themselves like this in any other country there would be howls of protest."
Try living in China or Iran. You protest there and they kill you no questions asked.
Posted by: Mack | Sep 5, 2008 12:14:13 AM
"Try living in China or Iran. You protest there and they kill you no questions asked."
Correct, and then the rest of the world including us howls in protest. My point was that when WE do it here it's just another day of police brutality in America, oh well.
Christopher M. Doyon
Candidate For Maine Legislature
Representative - District 55
---------------------
DOYON '08 Campaign
www.DoyonForLegislature.info
Posted by: Christopher Doyon | Sep 5, 2008 12:18:11 AM
Try living in China or Iran. You protest there and they kill you no questions asked.
Posted by: Mack | Sep 5, 2008 12:14:13 AM
_______________________________________
WOW!! So now we using iran and China as a barometer for our freedom ;
Where and what happen to my country? does anyone know.
Posted by: united of north korea | Sep 5, 2008 12:21:48 AM
You people are so unbelievably blind. Most of the protestors at the RNC who were arrested were VIOLENT. Did you happen to see the thugs attacking the delegates? Throwing bricks through windows? They really did a wonderful job expressing themselves. Right-wings nuts? I saw a bunch of liberal looneys. Why would the liberal media, led by the disgusting K. Olbermann, not show right-wing nuts? They would revel in it. Go worship at the throne of Obama and Ayers, it will be over soon enough.
Posted by: katehill | Sep 5, 2008 12:24:11 AM
"Where and what happen to my country? does anyone know."
No fear United, we will win it back for you in November.
"WOW!! So now we using iran and China as a barometer for our freedom."
Exactly. And for the record the police in this country kill an average of 50 to 60 COMPLETELY INNOCENT people a year. Grandmothers, kids, and yes - many times just people reaching for their ID. And in almost any SANE country in the world cops would go to jail for that. Not one cop was convicted of shooting and innocent person in this country in the last five years ! Not One ! Yet they blithely gunned down a couple of hundred innocents in that time frame ??? Where else in the world can that happen and the international community just says oh well ?? Only in America folks, where if a cop even FEELS scared he can shoot you and it's legal. If he (or she) just THINKS they saw a gun, BANG your dead. And if the cops get the wrong address and kick down YOUR door instead, and you react as anyone would at your door crashing in and reach for your pistol BANG your dead. That's just flippin' lunacy man.
Christopher M. Doyon
Candidate For Maine Legislature
Representative - District 55
---------------------
DOYON '08 Campaign
www.DoyonForLegislature.info
Posted by: Christopher Doyon | Sep 5, 2008 12:33:43 AM
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