I'd like to think that the G20-inspired protests are over, but I can't say for sure. Last night's events seem to have had a life of their own (from what I've read). Anyway, I'm pretty sure that there will be legal and political repercussions for the city police and some university students.
Basically, it all started when the G20 heads of state gathered for Thursday's dinner at Phipps Conservatory (map), on the edge of the campuses for the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. The road from Pitt was blocked by a fence erected just before a bridge (over Boundry street).
I've pieced together this series of events based on photos, videos, published reports, and second-hand oral reports:
More below the fold. Cross-posted at FreedomDemocrats
The bridge was guarded by a line of cops. A bunch of students and a few others had gathered near the gate. Some were protesting or taunting the cops (or taunting the protesters) but most were just watching. Some people got too close to the cops or were being too aggressive for their comfort so the cops ordered the crowd to disperse. The police line then moved forward into Schenley Plaza, which is a spur of the city park but is surrounded by Pitt on two sides. The crowd gathered on two public buildings on campus, across the street from the police line. For some reason the cops cleared that crowd, which drew the police line near the center of campus. This is a densely developed area with a major road (Forbes of "Forbes Field"), high rise dormitories, bars, and restaurants. Some students believe that the weekend begins on Thursday, so this area can be pretty busy and more than a few beers are served on any Thursday night with mild weather. I think this was around 9 or 10 PM.
As the cops advanced they essentially tried to impose a curfew on the campus with it's 17,000 undergraduates (many are commuters, so probably wouldn't have been in the area). This didn't work, and many students lingered to watch the action (often on balconies or bridges overlooking the events). The cops opened up with smoke/gas canisters and a crowd dispersal siren. They may have used rubber bullets. Some people smashed store windows in the area. Officials estimate $50,000 of damage, of which $20,000 is blamed on a California man whom they arrested. A lot of students were pissed.
Friday, some fliers were distributed calling for a gathering in Schenley Plaza that evening. (I have not seen these fliers). People gathered and so did cops, who broke up the gathering, using crowd control weapons and arresting a bunch of people. Based on the reports I read, the crowd was not doing anything in particular, except making some noise (this is the border between a large park and a college campus at 10 PM). According to one report, the cops claimed that the park was closed, but city parks close at 11 and the cops had started massing by 10.
For more information (including video) see G-infinity (protest site), Pittsburgh Post Gazette (daily news) or ExponentialWeb. I have not seen any video of last night's events.