*Listen Live to Denver Police, Fire, and EMT.*, page 4

Those of you who said the Denver protesters deserved what they got, or who believed everything you heard on the police scanners - please be careful. I'm not sure if it's possible to get faulty information on the police scanner, but there must be ways for even that source to present a skewed view, courtesy of someone in the chain of command or via emergency calls without basis. We already know that most of the arrests at the RNC were without basis, and many on trumped-up charges. Some even got random felony or misdemeanor riot charges thrown at them in the heat of the action. Peaceful protesters were singled out and disappeared or beaten, one even tortured. Groups of people just sitting on the grass were arrested for no reason. There is good reason to believe there were agent provocateurs around, too.

It has also come out that there is an investigation into a staged confrontation between police and agent provocateurs on the first day of the Denver convention. This could have easily had the effect of inciting more trouble in the later days of the DNC, or else of influencing public opinion regarding the protesters. It always worries me when I see Americans jump to judgement over protests after they hear the slightest bit of news indicating that maybe some of the protesters are out of control. Don't people understand about agent provocateurs and how very much of what goes on is absolutely twisted by the media and the police? I'm not saying nothing violent really happens or tthat everyone is totally innocent there, but what happened this year should worry everyone who feels that we are becoming a police state. I consider these conventions a test run.

Here is the quote from thedenverchannel.com:

A police "Use of Force" report released by the ACLU said, "In order not to be recognized as undercover detectives, some of the detectives put up a struggle with Commander Kroncke." Kroncke's first name wasn't immediately available.

Sheriff's deputies from neighboring Jefferson County were helping Denver police at the scene, and one deputy "thought that Commander Kroncke was being attacked" and sprayed the undercover officers, the report said.

There may be other investigations, but I'm not following these particular stories closely. I just would like to see people not be so quick to feel that righteous anger that every protester deserves what they get. Get more facts, look at the whole story. Better yet - study what happened at each convention this year, compare them, look at the tactics that were used. Maybe then you will be a little slower to react when you see violence against citizens. This is going to become more relevant when martial law hits, so it's vital that we don't turn on our own people when they have been railroaded into jail without cause.

[edit on 19-11-2008 by wintermarches]