Chris Matthews Has Heated Run-In With GOP Delegates In Tampa

[csziggy]

44. My sister, who lives in Tampa, talked to me about the demonstrations today

She took part in some of the demonstrations. She said the police chief is a liberal, gay woman. The police, though they showed up in overwhelming numbers and dressed in their riot gear, did not start any confrontations and did not actually arrest anyone for the protests.

Some of the protestors who were discouraged by the number of police near the convention location went thirty miles away to the TECO (Tampa Electric Company) site and chained themselves to a pipe. The police covered the protestors to prevent burns and used either a grinder or a welder to cut the chain (sister was not there and heard about it third hand). None of those protestors were arrested.

My sister thinks maybe the police chief had decided ahead of time to not escalate any situation and to save the city money by not arresting anyone unless it became necessary.

She was really surprised that there were no arrests, having come close to it during the Dubya years when she protested him and his brother anytime they showed up in Tampa.

All this is from a telephone conversation with my sister today so no links.