Downtown

The police shouted again, unintelligibly, from the megaphone. Something about we had to leave or we would be arrested….

I wasn’t particularly interested in getting arrested. I started to walk toward the side…

“You are all under arrest,” said the megaphone, more clearly this time. “Sit down with your hands on your head.”

“Really?” I said. “Aw, man. This sucks MORE »

More than 300 people were arrested Thursday, according to a booking officer in St. Paul. The arrests came after security forces closed bridges over Interstate 94 to prevent protesters who had assembled at the Capitol at 4 p.m. from marching to the Xcel at 5 p.m. MORE »

Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan expressed relief at the lack of violence associated with last night’s Rage Against the Machine concert. Despite more than 100 arrests, Dolan said the situation had the potential to be explosive given the intersection of delegates and protesters. “We were very, very nervous about that,” he said at a press conference this morning. “We had a recipe there for a perfect storm. I’m thankful to be here today to say that things went as well as I could have ever expected.” MORE »

The heavy police presence promised at the RNC in St. Paul this week was like honey to a bee for a few angry troublemakers and thrill seekers. (I won’t call them anarchists, because not all anarchists are vandals and troublemakers.) MORE »