Yes, a woman peacefully holding a flower, getting pepper sprayed. (thanks to BFP for the video)
(more below the jump)
Amy Goodman, world-reknown and widely respected journalist broadcaster of the show Democracy Now!, being arrested for ASKING the police why they were doing what they were doing.
Just two examples of the violent protesters being nicely moved away by our police state. If this doesn't infuriate you then I don't know how you can believe in a free America.
- - - - -
As the DNC and RNC created "Free Speech Zones" far from the actual conventions, and as police are now pulling out tasers, concussion grenades, and tear gas at peaceful protesters at the RNC in Twin Cities Minnesota, and as police horses are stampeding protesters, and as cameras and cellphones are being seized without reason, and as police in the twin cities in Minnesota are jailing some without reason and threatening others, and as a friend of mine is involved in the Northstar Collective (a group of medics and others who have been preparing for months to provide medical and psychological support for victims of the police during the RNC), and as I'm hearing about victims of tear gas streaming into the Northstar makeshift clinics, I don't know what to think.
Protests SHOULD matter, but increasingly they don't, and people are criminalized and made out to be america-hating anarchists for it. Folks around America should be enraged, but it's a bit hard to when the media isn't covering it (and the media who IS is being arrested for it) and when the convergence of Palin/McCain and RNC media and Hurricane Gustav are all occurring at the same time.
In any case, I'm really proud of the folks who are tirelessly covering it.
The ColdSnapLegal collective is live-twittering (short live-blog posts) about up to date arrests and civil rights violations occurring at the RNC protests. Check out their messages here. And check out their website here. Thank you so much ColdSnapLegal.
Here are some of their latest twitter posts:
Cops threatening to arrest everybody @ river walk - 300+ ppl inc. medics, legal observers, journalists, concertgoers, kids. Tear gas used.
Mass arrests on Jackson & 9th, including Democracy Now! journalists Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddou, Nicole Salazar.
Ramsey Cty jail on lockdown - no lawyers allowed inside. St. Joseph hospital also on lockdown, denying people water.
Steady stream of folks with pepper spray injuries at the Northstar clinic; medic headed to jail with supplies soon.
2 medics arrested at 6th & Wall
7th & Jackson arrests at 30-40. Democracy Now! journalists among those arrested at Temperance. Lots of police brutality among these arrests.
Anti-capitalist bloc being tear gassed on Jackson by river.
Pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets, concussion grenades being used in more locations than we can write in one tweet right now.
Person tackled by 5 SPPD in riot gear for refusing a search. Media was present for this.
~300 people being stampeded by police horses on 2nd & Kellogg
Cops are getting ready to gas funk the war blockade at kellogg and wabasha. Legal observers needed there now.
Others reporting on this (because the mainstream media is late to it):
Firedoglake (with videos and up to date reports)
The Uptake
Amazing to see so many folks using YouTube, Qik video (upload from phone), Twitter, and other social networking means for the dissemination of this much-needed information.
Last I checked, I thought we were living in the free world, not Beijing...
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD AS OTHER DKOS FOLKS ARE DOING. WE NEED TO COMBAT THE MEDIA's PRESENTATION of the POLICE CRACKDOWN AS FRIENDLY POLICE VS VIOLENT ANARCHISTS.
[cross-posted at Cure This and Los Anjalis]