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More on police bullying and incompetence in handling RNC demonstrators in this Newsday article. Apparently orange netting is the new tear gas:
Meanwhile, at Ground Zero -- a touchstone symbol in this year's presidential race -- a peaceful march turned sour as police strung orange nets at Vesey and Church streets, corralling 200 people including journalists and onlookers. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly blamed the Ground Zero arrests on march organizers "reneging on an agreement not to block traffic" and "failing to walk on sidewalk instead of street."As Tom Hayden puts it, "The protesters got in Karl Rove's sound bite...there have never been so many people protesting a political convention of the 80 in our history, and there have never been so many people arrested." Damn right about the sound bite. It was a good feeling after marching Sunday to see the protester crowd photo on the New York Post's front page. Especially since the picture of Dick Cheney's Ellis Island convention kickoff speech ran inside. Surely that would have been given bigger play if everyone hadn't turned out in such record numbers?But many detainees told reporters they were not aware of the rules. "They said as long as you observe the red lights, it shouldn't be a problem," said Bob Curley, who was arrested with his son. "Then we walked off the sidewalk and across the street and that was the end."
Good reporting on the continuing demonstrations and shitty police arrest tactics can be found at the Village Voice (Anya Kamenetz's blog). It's hard to read this stuff without getting a knot in your stomach. It sounds like the demonstrators are just doing their thing--demonstrating--and the police are provoking, tricking, manhandling, and otherwise being complete dicks. Perfect palace guards for the Republicans, to keep them feeling safe and secure in their bubble world. Safe and secure from dissent, that is.