I WAS THERE: The protest march on the RNC in Saint Paul 9-2-08: FULL REPORT, page 4

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reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 11:13 AM by amazed

Originally posted by dragonridr

Heres a link of the protests Will say the cops seemed nicer then the ones at the dnc convention they just beat the crap out of them in this video there giving directions. I guess police are smarted than they are in denver.

usatoday.feedroom.com...

I have been watching these videos from both DNC and RNC, and I keep seeing the same things, as I sit here watching these I am crying as I feel the loss of something very important to this country. Why are others not seeing this and why are they supporting the government and police for their actions? At least they have not brought out the "ray gun" yet, which I have been very surprised about, I expected the government to use this years conventions as an excuse.

Hay, personally I do what I can in my own area. I am nowhere near the DNC or RNC and cannot afford to go to them, as well as I have children to consider when choosing what I do. Tears ie: crying, for something that feels horrific is not a sign of doing nothing. It is a sign of caring, heart, compassion and concern. Maybe if more people had "heart" things would not be so bad.

[edit on 3-9-2008 by amazed]

[edit on 3-9-2008 by amazed]

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 11:16 AM by Dronetek

Why don't you all rise up with Ron Paul and Jesse "Sexual Tyrannosaurus" Ventura and start a revolution? If you really beleive this crap, than you should stop crying about it and do something! I'm sure it will turn out great!

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 11:32 AM by LoneGunMan

reply to post by LordBaskettIV

The time to uprise is coming soon. The PTB are making us poor and soon too many people will not have housing or food. They are doing this so we will accept slave wages just to eat.

We .need to take the country back and words are not enough anymore.

Its almost time...a few more years and we WILL take it back by force. I am facing foreclosure myself and will soon have nothing. I will also have nothing to lose. Is this the way I am payed back for being a Firefighter...and a person that has always done the right thing? I have never missed a mortgage payment in my life or any other payment. I am ow in a position that I can barely survive anymore. Well I have a very large pair of balls and will do what it takes. Goodbye to the yellow brick road. WE will not be fighting each other.

I have had enough

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 11:46 AM by LLoyd45

If these protesters want to fight, they should sign up for a tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. It won't be a bunch of old blue-haired ladies and old men though they'll be going up against.. I'll bet that'll get rid of some of the excess energy they apparently have.

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 12:17 PM by LoneGunMan

Originally posted by LLoyd45
If these protesters want to fight, they should sign up for a tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. It won't be a bunch of old blue-haired ladies and old men though they'll be going up against.. I'll bet that'll get rid of some of the excess energy they apparently have.

Thy don't want to fight for the sake of fighting Mr. evangelical. They want to change the course of our country. You crazy right wing evangelical Christians have been hijacked and they are using the abortion issue to get you to be evil.

Remember what YOUR bible says....the devil is a trickster and all of you have been had.

[edit on 3-9-2008 by LoneGunMan]

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 12:19 PM by Dronetek

reply to post by LoneGunMan

I am facing foreclosure myself and will soon have nothing

95% of people are paying their bills. Why cant you? Especially since you're in a steady job?

I will also have nothing to lose. Is this the way I am payed back for being a Firefighter...and a person that has always done the right thing? I have never missed a mortgage payment in my life or any other payment. I am ow in a position that I can barely survive anymore. Well I have a very large pair of balls and will do what it takes. Goodbye to the yellow brick road. WE will not be fighting each other.

I have had enough

We aren't going to just sit back and let you take over the country. You'll have to fight for it!

[edit on 3-9-2008 by Dronetek]

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 12:22 PM by DJMessiah

Here's a video showing what happened to the protestors:

*Warning, strong language*

YouTube Link

[edit on 3-9-2008 by DJMessiah]

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 12:22 PM by LLoyd45

Originally posted by LoneGunMan

Thy don't want to fight for the sake of fighting Mr. evangelical. They want to change the course of our country. You crazy right wing evangelical Christians have been hijacked and they are using the abortion issue to get you to be evil.

Remember what YOUR bible says....the devil is a trickster and all of you have been had.

[edit on 3-9-2008 by LoneGunMan]

They're just a bunch of wannabe hippies, that lack the courage to resist the police, but bully elderly people, and throw bleach in their eyes.

The cops should have used a lot more than tear gas on them in my opinion. They need to get a job, and stop trying to suppress others people's rights to free speech and assembly..

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 12:46 PM by Tomme73

reply to post by AllSeeingI

All the security at the RNC was necessary because of the protesters who started getting unruly. It always happens. LIBS can't control themselves aound Conservatives. You didn't see as much security at the DNC because there was no need to protest. Obama will be the cause of his own demise.

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 12:53 PM by Dronetek

reply to post by Tomme73

Again, there was tons of security in Denver and there were riot police beating down hippies. Do any of you actually watch the news?

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 01:08 PM by ColoradoJens

reply to post by AllSeeingI

Hey man, great post and, imo, what an interesting look at what is happening first hand - in one sense you are lucky to have seen what you have seen. In another sense, now your eyes have been opened...I was at the RNC in Manhattan and as you said, the news underreported the numbers of protestors - in this case by the tens of thousands. Also, as in your case, the cops/feds/who knows had a coordinated plan to infiltrate protest groups, incite violence and generally try to make things bad for people who were lawfully protesting. Sad state of affairs - I was in Denver for the most recent DNC and I have to tell you, other than the expected few breaches of constitutional rights, it was TAME. And, it was ideological, something the Republibusiness can't claim. Good post and well written.

ColoradoJens

[edit on 3-9-2008 by ColoradoJens]

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 01:10 PM by passenger

I won’t take issue here with the politics or motives of the protestors. It is what it is.
I do take issue with the comments of the sort that express the opinion that this sort of thing is unprecedented in our Country’s history or that it’s a new and scary development which surely proves the coming of Big Brother. Ominous hints of oncoming oppression are not conclusively proven here. Bear in mind that I am not saying that isn’t happening; just that these events, in and of themselves, are not that significant.

Look at history. This country has had riots and rebellions from it’s very inception: the Whiskey Rebellion, the Draft Riots of 1864, the Bonus Army incidents, etc., etc.
These recent events are nothing new. Violent protest and violent reaction by the authorities is as American as apple pie and arrogance. They are not unprecedented and the reaction of the authorities is not novel. This was just one more minor incident in history. That doesn’t mean we can’t discuss and debate it. Let’s just not blow it out of proportion either.

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 01:14 PM by scientist

reply to post by AllSeeingI

outstanding post, thank you very much for the detailed account. Can't say it put me into a better mood though

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 01:29 PM by ColoradoJens

reply to post by passenger

I agree with the tenor of your post. In this case, it is unprecedented in the sheer number of law enforcement recruited from across the country, and I think it is safe to say that yes, they do infiltrate and yes they often are instigators. Why? Why not let a lawful assemly gather protest and leave? If someone breaks the law, arrest them. In NY, for the first of many protests against the War in Iraq, there were over a million peaceful protestors literally penned in the whole march - media reported it at something like 200,000 (NY POST @30k - HA!) - Repsonse from police must be appropriate to the crime commmited. If I were doing nothing wrong other than walking down a street singing a protest song and a ding a ling smashes a window two blocks ahead of me, there is no reason I should be run over by a police horse. The general demeanor of civil protest has gone from one of message to being hijacked by both sides - idiot youth anarchists or just plain idiots, and the overhanded nature and response of the thugs in the jackboots. In these types of situations, your rights are suspended the moment you set foot on your march.

ColoradoJens

[edit on 3-9-2008 by ColoradoJens]

[edit on 3-9-2008 by ColoradoJens]

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 01:32 PM by marinesniper

reply to post by ppskylight

and if there are as many hippies as you say there are then how you know what is happening on the other sides of the group...maybe a number of the 4-6k you claim are inciting a riot...no...? How can you know what is happening in a group that large...?

The last time I checked the only abuse of power and arrest was with regard to the NBC or CBS reporter...no...?

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 01:34 PM by marinesniper

reply to post by LLoyd45

haha i agree with you...kinda reminds me of the old saying regarding the BRITS beating up old people after soccer (football) games...

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 01:35 PM by Ketzer22

Too bad Rage didn't start passing out ak-47s to the crowd and you guys could've showed those Nazis (riot police) what was up.

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 01:35 PM by tallcool1

So, when there are anarchists - I mean peaceful protestors

- who's goal is to prevent people from their constitutional right to gather by throwing bleach and being violent, you get upset that the law comes in to help allow the RNC to happen? Do you even see the hypocricy here? You are basically complaining that you were not allowed your "right" to gather and prevent another groups right to gather. No one in this country has the "right" to prevent someone from doing something they are legally allowed to do. Sit there and protest and sing hare krishna all you want, but don't get in the way of someone doing something they are legally allowed to do.

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 01:47 PM by sos37

reply to post by AllSeeingI

Okay, first, tell me why I should feel sorry for you or any of the other protesters again? Did you or did you not put yourself in that position in the first place?

Yes, the first amendment guarantees you the right to free speech. You can go out on a public street corner and yell out anything you want as long as it's not hate speech or doesn't slander anyone. That being said, you are going to be heckled, provoked and challenged. THAT IS THE NATURE OF PROTESTING.

Seriously, if you don't understand that by now, you shouldn't be out there whining about how the "iron boot" comes stomping down on the protesters that actually cause trouble.

Here's another tip for you, genius, real change is said and done with your votes, not with a mass riot.

reply posted on 3-9-2008 @ 01:47 PM by dariousg

Originally posted by ppskylight
reply to post by AllSeeingI

You assume the drunken man looking to start a fight was a government/police hired inciter. You have absolutely no evidence to back that up, but you seem to run with it. If a crowd begins to riot the police have to do something about it, situations like that get out of control rapidly; thus the heavy security presence. What the hell else can you do in response to a thousand raging stoner hippy liberals?

I'm sorry my friend but he has a legit argument for this being the case. Our government (many different agencies including the police) have used this tactic MANY MANY MANY times throughout our short history to incite riots in order to bring down 'their LAW'. When I was in the service we discussed this as being a valid option for dispersing any potential protestors of our bases during the first Gulf War. It's MUCH more common than you obviously know.

And I'm not saying that it is only the republicans that pull this BS tactic. All sides do it. They will go to any means they can think of to bring down the opposition.

So don't immediately discredit the thought that this isn't what happened. I have witnessed it and have even been in on the planning. I begrudgingly admit (almost 18 years ago now) that I really enjoyed this planning. It was the way I was programmed back then. I was excited about the idea of causing a riot within the 'liberal nutjob' left wing protestors. Problem is, most of the protestors were simply 'AMERICANS' trying to make their voices heard.