Incredible Documentary Footage of Mass Arrest in St. Paul

It is absolutely horrible that all those people were arrested and I'm glad we can all speak openly about this subject on ATS. It is crazy and as someone said earlier it's things like this that force a violent protest because that will be thing only thing we are left to if we are not allowed to peacefully protest. I hope they know that.



[edit on 22-9-2008 by Boogley]

[edit on 22-9-2008 by Boogley]

reply to post by corusso


Yes, hit the ignore button. Remain ignorant. I like how most of you don't argue the facts, pick and chose the facts you do acknowledge, and you go onto personal attacks on me that include assuming my ubringing. Not to mention, how I was brought up is way off topic. This is why 'you people' aren't taken seriously. You have nothing relevant to say, and when faced with logic you change the subject.

Also, I bet you're glad you can speak openly about it here. Because you can't anywhere else? Mind you, because I talk about things that you don't agree with, I get ignored and insulted. Great way to keep open minds folks. You're the closed minded ones, hardly willing to change your point of view no matter what facts and logic are put down.

Good job showing yourselves as what you really are. Hypocrits that bash the police in these cases, then call them when something is actually affecting you. Not to mention how hateful you are to the other side. This only shows intollerance. What if I was to start beating up protesters? Who would you look to? Who would you cry to? And guess what would happen? I would be arrested. BY the people you spit at when they try to keep some order.

Also, I'd like you to look at this video. The part that you people chose to omit.

abcnews.go.com...


How do you explain this? Does this really look peaceful to you? Or do you think we should just let people run around breaking and ruining other peoples belongings?

This video is my case in point. How dare you say that they were arrested and innocent when obviously crimes are being comitted worth being taken into custody for. Not to mention the man speaking, dressed like hes about to rob a store, and saying how these 'peaceful' protesters are treated wrongly. Seems to me this is entrapment on their part. Doing what they know will get them arrested, the claiming innoocence. When they clearly are not. Acting like children get your treated like children.

[edit on 22-9-2008 by Mad Binxx]

[edit on 22-9-2008 by Mad Binxx]

reply to post by DancedWithWolves


I know of a secret society of attorneys ( finally, a "secret society" for the public good !) who are right now, as you read this, are preparing a Federal Constitutional lawsuit that will be asking for $500 Million dollars in damages for the violation of these persons First and Fourth Amendment Rights. This will be filed against local, state, and federal authorities, including the arresting officers. Don't dispair. CNN will have to report this. P.S. Also, as a side note, there is MAJOR money behind this effort by someone you've probably read about if you're familiar with international banking and finance. As Kris Kristofferson sings, "Don't let the bastards get you down."

Originally posted by Mad Binxx

First I'd like to point out the use of the words 'Unlawful Assembly'. Just because theres 800 lawbreakers doesn't mean they should be free to continue breaking the law. I'm sure, with careful editing of the video, the part about them being told to leave was biasly left out.

Do we know what large mobs do? They riot. Especially the liberal masses who have no respect for the 'other side' or anyone who doesn't think like they do.

And does this mean that me and my friends should have shown up at the DNC, just to cause unrest? Just to whine about getting arrested when we're there unlawfully? Ignorance of the law doesn't mean you're exempt from it.

Anywhere else and they would have been locked up as political prisoners, and in extreme cases, those some ought 800 misdemeanor charges would be some ought 800 public executions. These people need to learn that being outspoken and noisy wont get them what they want.

I didn't see any indication of "unlawful assembly" in the video in the OP. If there were any people that were in fact breaking the law, then they are the only ones that should have been arrested. If indeed there was a point when the police force told the people to leave, they had every right to ignore those orders. We have a first amendment that guarantees us the right to peacefully assembly, and as long as the assembly remains peaceful the police force has no right to order people to leave. If they order people to leave a peaceful assembly they are violating their constitutional rights, and they should be the ones arrested and charged, especially since they took an oath to uphold and protect the constitution.


I saw no rioting, or even an indication of the possibility of a riot in that footage, they looked like a very peaceful group of people to me. Not all large groups of people riot, and if people start to become violent that is when the police force should break up the assembly, not beforehand. Our constitutional rights can not be infringed upon because of the possibility of something happening. That's funny it seems more like you're the one that has no respect for those that do not think like you do.


You and your friends have the right to show up any place that you want to, as long as you do it peacefully.

Ignorance of our constitutional rights and their oath to uphold them does not excuse the police from blatantly violating them.


And here lies a major contributer to the problems that this country is facing today.The mentality that it is worse in other countries, so don't complain about this one. This is not another country, this is The United States of America and we have a law of the land that guarantees us our right to assemble peacefully. The minute that we give up that right without a fight we will then be no better off than those countries that you speak of.

reply to post by Mad Binxx


The video that you posted has nothing to do with this thread. This thread is about a large group of people that were arrested on labor day, 09-01-08 who were doing absolutely nothing wrong. The people that were arrested in the video in the OP were innocent, they were commiting no crimes.

The video that you posted is from 09-02-08 and it does show some people that were breaking the law and those that were should have been arrested. The ones that remained peaceful should have been left to go about their peaceful protest.

If you were to beat up protesters then you would be commiting a crime and should be arrested. And there would be nothing wrong with them calling the police to help, it is after all their job to keep the peace, it is not however their job to violate people's constitutional rights, which is what they did in the OP's video.

Arresting these people could only have one implication. They were all processed right? Which means that their prints were taken, photos, information ect. ect. That's what it was all about, getting those folks information. I didn't see any of them committing crimes in the video, but doesn't mean they weren't edited out either. I think it's OK to be skeptical of such claims, but the way things are these days lends them credence as well. You never know, things can be spun either way, but those people didn't look too crazy to me, they look just like the people I hang out with, talk with, joke with, and party with. I doubt that even 10% of the 800 arrested were actually violent. Agent provocateurs have been present at these types of events before, Battle for Seattle anyone?

reply to post by Mad Binxx


Yes I am glad that I can speak about it openly here. As someone stated earlier the video you posted was the next day. The people in the Ops video showing no signs of doing things like that. I don't think rioting groups would sit and keep their hands on their head (all what, 284 of them?) and allow themselves to be arrested.

Not saying that people in the video you posted shouldn't be arrested, I don't think violent acts are what any movement needs for real progress. But if they do not rethink their strategy about how they handle peaceful protesters who they know they can just push aside because they are the new "hippies," then the rest of everyone is either left to try to protest peacefully and possibly get arrested, which is illegal. Do not protest at all and just accept and be OK with the rights we as citizens lose, accept that we are powerless to try. Or say freak it and protest violently.

I expect police to be enforcers of the law. What they are doing here is an extreme abuse of power. If you disagree and believe that all protesters should be arrested because they can possibly become violent then that is your opinion, but that is not what America was founded upon.

I cant say; Christ! F*&#ing Americans!!, that is just wrong. You do not choose the country in which you are born. But it pains me to see how the government is treating 'you' its citizens.

All i can say is wake up!

[edit on 23-9-2008 by Sfen Senterra]

I suggest anyone that goes to these protests go to an army surplus and pick yourself up a gas mask and some rubber kitchen gloves. They work great for throwing the gas back at em'! Get it behind them (that's where the higher-up pigs hide) to create all kinds of fun confusion too!!

I'm surprised not more people pick up on to the scent of something deeper.

The arrested journalists had their cellphones checked.

I'd be véry interested in hearing the storys they bring, 'cause if they go to this extreme to find out who their informer was, odds are he's talking sensitive stuff folks..

biblical prophecy is started. theres nothing you can do about it. at least when government fails and no police anymore the sex offenders wont have to register anymore. my son was railroaded and his family pays for something he didnt do. i wish it all on the people and thier evil ways and judgements.

You know, I hear alot of complaining on here about how military, police, and even politicians don't uphold their Constitutional Oaths. Well, what about the average American Citizen? What about our Constitutional Obligations? We, as directed by the United States Constitution, are obligated to uphold our Democracy by abolishing a Government when it becomes an enemy to our freedom.
Government should fear the people, not the other way around.
I say it's time to fly the Gadsden.

Let's face the facts: The New World Order is being run by a few thousand very tiny lawn insects and they don't like being sat on. Had the crowd just moved over a couple hundred feet.....

I'm a "green" person, but if we could use some of that spray stuff just one last time....

reply to post by Illusionsaregrander


they have been brain washing the general public for ever with the news and the rest ...we see what they want us to see

I never saw footage of this or 1 report from any national news sources have you?

You know, it says just as much bout America that this has had such a little response on these forums compared to "OMG!!1 Massive EQ destroy us all!!!!11!one" threads.

This is direct evidence of a Police State in America. This is clear and unequivocal proof that the Police/National Guard will follow orders against fellow Americans even though they know that those orders are not right.

And we still have people here blindly screaming in defense of the military saying they WONT fight the American people.
Of course they will!
Because their orders state that YOU are the enemy, YOU are a protester and potential rioter, which makes YOU an enemy combatant.

Do people really think that the Police and National Guard will act like this but the military are somehow "better"? The punishment for not following orders is far greater for a marine than a cop, right?
And what's the pay comparison?

You can guarantee that those people arrested are now on at least one list.

And the fact that the media are not reporting any of this is just as worrying.
You people don't know what is happening in your own country!

What would I do now?
I'd start by asking every major network why they ignored this. Then I'd start getting the word out and seek a few groups willing to focus on this as a matter of urgency.

You need a network willing to show the truth to the masses, and then you need to make sure that as many Americans see it as possible and know where to look to stay informed.

reply to post by Mad Binxx


While your language is good, you're describing the ideals of a dictatorship.

Whether a protest achieves a goal or not, is completely irrelevant. The simple fact that you have the right to protest is what is discussed here, not the value of that protest.

You suggest that people shouldn't protest, that they should silently allow their government to control and manipulate the masses to their own ends.
And, that's the "American Way" now, isn't it? Your government has slowly eroded away your rights as free people in so many ways over the last eight years, they give billions of your money to already wealthy businessmen, and then give themselves a pay rise.
And the American people sit back and do nothing.

I'll tell you what protesting does do, it shows people like me, far away in another country, that you are not all being blindly led and that some are willing to question their government and demand a responsible leadership.

If protesting does nothing, they wouldn't be so scared of it. They know the people actually have the power here, you elect them, you pay them, they just don't want you to be reminded of this fact.

Originally posted by Mad Binxx

How do you explain this? Does this really look peaceful to you? Or do you think we should just let people run around breaking and ruining other peoples belongings?

This video is my case in point. How dare you say that they were arrested and innocent when obviously crimes are being comitted worth being taken into custody for. Not to mention the man speaking, dressed like hes about to rob a store, and saying how these 'peaceful' protesters are treated wrongly. Seems to me this is entrapment on their part. Doing what they know will get them arrested, the claiming innoocence. When they clearly are not. Acting like children get your treated like children.

As said, that is a completely different protest.

And you are ignoring another blatant question that this video you've posted raises...

Why do people feel they have to act this way? To bring attention to something so dramatically insane.

You have a country that on its face is all "freedom and liberty" when in reality, you are all prisoners of a developing police state.
Why was the camera targeted? Because they knew that the "facts" would be manipulated to suit those in power and those wealthy elite controlling the media.

Why was property damaged? Because the youth are being butt f£$%^d and have no other way to make their voices heard.

Those are just some plausible explanations.
The other main reason is that people are simply angry that your country is falling into a dictatorship, and people like you follow it blindly under the false BS of "protecting the public".
Those people are the public, whether you agree with their actions or not.

Perhaps if you didn't simply accept everything your government and media tells you, you'd have a better understating of the situation. You'd see that people have the RIGHT to group and protest, without being arrested, detained and details added to a database of "likely insurgents" in any coming civil war.

Your country is doing exactly what every other nation in history has done just prior to becoming a dictatorship, and you are simply putting your fingers in your ears, burying your head in the sand and pretending everything is rosy. Hey, at least in that position it'll be easier for them to butt f£$%k you, and they might not even have to restrain you first.

Real good thread here, Keyhole!

I've been witnessing this type of abuse of power since the sixties, and
the only thing that's changed is how well equipped the police have become.

Got arrested many times myself, simply for trying to stand up for my rights!

Peaceful protest is something I'm re-defining for myself; such as dis-connecting my satellite TV long ago; cutting back on consumption; becoming a difficult negotiator in financial matters; getting more friendly with neighbors; relying less on utilities by heating my house with a wood-burning stove; staying prepared for blackouts with plenty of oil lamps & candles; . . .you-know, things that won't get me arrested, but demonstrate a certain amount of resistance to establishment.

Extremely sick, how the largest terrorist organization on the planet (U.S. gov) declares everyone ELSE a terrorist...

Perhaps people who are interested in preparing for the bleak future ahead, should read up on our own gov's counterinsurgency tactics, survival manuals, home anarchist cookbook, and of course, if deciding on this type of direction, be prepared to die for what you believe in, rather than being captured...

Just a suggestion.