This Minnesota police action is terrifying.

[undeterred]

I had thought about going up there to protest the war since there was a bus going up, but I decided against it. Usually the media people with credentials don't have any problem. Now we're talking about 300 people being arrested, many of them being physically assaulted by police. Some said police demanded entrance into homes where they were staying, with no probable cause. Laptops and cameras are being confiscated, and you know people are unlikely to get them back. What are they trying to do? Intmidate us?

[katandmoon]

1. I can hardly stand to read the news about it, it's so terrifying

I can't even imagine what it must be like to be victimized by these thugs.

[undeterred]

3. I have been to plenty of peaceful protests

and I have friends who risk arrest. But they are in control of it. They know when they are breaking the law and there is a police warning. In general the police do not want to arrest them and it is the choice of the protester.

But this is a totally different situation. These people are not provoking arrest. They are simply there to document the convention- some of them had not even begun to do that yet and they were physically assaulted by police. Its sickening.

[katandmoon]

5. That's what gets to me. The protestors have done NOTHING WRONG and they're being treated like

Dangerous criminals.

[MoeHayNow]

2. Typical jackbooted thugs

After 8 years of shrubbery, we shouldn't be surprised at ANYTHING the Repugs do.

[Warpy]

4. It's meant to be terrifying and they are trying to intimidate us

What good is militarizing local police forces if you are prevented from using them against law abiding citizens exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights to assemble and speak freely?

This is now a totalitarian country. People are now officially stripped of any right to control government. Rights belong only to the artificial "persons" we call corporations, cartels of rich men.

[tjwash]

6. Don't act like it's just the RNC and the St. Paul cops.

Denver police throwing a code pink lady to the ground and screaming "BITCH" at her while arresting her was pretty fucked as well. Not to mention how some of our fellow DU'ers started threads that basically cheered as the fucking thugs beat, pepper sprayed and arrested anti-war protesters like recreate68 outside the DNC.

I think that there is plenty of shame on both sides of the fence to go around on this one.

[undeterred]

11. I saw that video

and that was totally uncalled for as far as I could see. But I didn't hear of the police going after credentialled media or going into homes in Denver like they did in Minneapolis.

[norepubsin08]

7. FUCKING PIGS

They're all like that. Every single storm trooper I have ever come in contact is like that!!!

[Truth4Justice]

16. It gets worse as each year passes. These evil creatures are liitle more then Nazi Stormtroopers now.

[Cid_B]

22. We love you too... n/t

...

[backscatter712]

25. I HOPE THEY GET SHOT!!!

As far as I'm concerned, when someone acts like that, I no longer consider them to be a human being.

They're nothing but fascist, subhuman, authoritarian, savage, vicious animals!

They're like well-equipped orcs.

And yes, I do literally hope they get shot.

Fucking pigs. I'll hate them as long as I live.

[lostnfound]

8. I think they've been treating anti-globalization activists like this for years

and the RNC has simply been expanding the use of those tactics against more mainstream protests over the last several years.

[Leftist Agitator]

9. Where are all of the gun-grabbers now?

It's funny how you never see the militant anti-2nd-Amendment crowd in threads like this one...

[Truth4Justice]

17. Nope. They are hiding out in the Gun forum hoping they dont have thier guns siezed. Morons.

[kcdoug1]

10. seems like

The St. Paul police are more interested in inciting a riot, than law and order. Thank G*d that alot of this shit is being caught on camera.

[dorkulon]

12. Looks like they've succeeded.

Are we not intimidated? I, too, thought about going, but read an article about how they were going to arrest people who were filming and take their cameras. My camera was $2,600, and I am not getting that thing stolen by the cops.

This society has been morphing into a police state since Bush took office, and nobody seems to really notice or care.

[depakid]

13. It's turning into a real blemish on the state of Minnesota

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

14. The WH is behind this. Everything is being directed from

DC. The local cops are just the catspaws.

[EFerrari]

18. Amy Goodman was told that the ununiformed person who took

her convention pass away from her was Secret Service. He refused to identify himself or give her a receipt but the jail people told her he was SS.

[undeterred]

19. So they knew who she was.

[EFerrari]

23. It looks like it, doesn't it? n/t

[datasuspect]

15. they're not just doing it to minorities anymore

kinda weird to see suburban whites getting manhandled by the law.

[Odin2005]

20. I don't understand this crap, I really don't.

I know a couple of cops and neither are jack-booted thug types, which is why this stuff mystifies me. Which police officers are usually assigned "riot police" duty? Same cops that do the regular patrol duty or different people? because if the riot police folks are different people from the typical cops working the daily beat on the street I could see the former position attracting more ass-hole freeper types that get their kicks off of beating up "leftists."

[bdamomma]

21. even peaceful protesters are threats to these thugs.

These officers are out of control, and I hope the ACLU is on this. Trying to silence us will only stir the pot more. These pigs have got their orders from higher officials and they need to be held accountable for their violent acts against peaceful protesters.

[Greyhound]

24. While we've been napping for 40 years, they've continued to develop

and refine their techniques for controlling masses through violence and fear.

I think the difference between Denver and the Twin Cities is the level of organization of the protesters, the people in MN made preparations for this and were more of a threat to them. The inevitable escalation of violence was carried out by the cops and the infiltrators.

If they can create enough violence, the sheeple will line up behind the thugs and demand that their own rights are taken away.

[EFerrari]

26. They had three moles in the RNC Welcoming Committee.

That means, they knew for a fact that these protests were going to be peaceful.

There's a nice little criminal conspiracy right there. The problem is, the inJustice Department is part of it. We're screwn.

[Greyhound]

27. Seems so.

It will be pushed, by the parasite class, to the point of open revolt. They will not give ground, they will not compromise, it is not in their nature and they have no reason to do so.

Once this becomes apparent, things get really interesting.

Yes, many of us are screwn.

[undeterred]

28. I honestly would think twice about doing a peaceful protest after this.

I hate to say that. I feel like I am forfeiting my rights. And I have friends who risk arrest and they get arrested for peaceful protests every few months. However, they have careers in non-profit where that sort of thing is not a problem.

If you are applying for any sort of job in the private sector, that kind of arrest IS a problem. Even if its for something totally innocuous. Are you really a danger to the government for being against the Iraq war and carrying a sign? No. But they will make you into a monster for exercising free speech.

[flvegan]

29. And it makes the black masks and gasoline group grow

unfortunately.

[marshall]

30. The photos look like something out of War of the Worlds

The people look absolutely terrified--their lives flashing before their eyes.