Protester-Police standoff on John Ierland Blvd over I-94

[CatholicEdHead]

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/conventions/27869459.html

Dozens of police officers in riot gear and on horseback are blocking about 500 people who had gathered for an anti-war protest on the final day of the Republican National Convention from crossing the highway into downtown.

The group earlier rallied at the State Capitol, and started marching after their permit expired at 5 p.m. They attempted to make their way toward the Xcel Energy Center, where delegates were arriving to hear John McCain's acceptance speech.

But the police barricaded 11th and 12th Sts., blocking them from the downtown area,. A standoff developed on John Ireland Boulevard, where the mounted police blocked the demonstrators a block north of the St. Paul Cathedral. Many were standing on the Marion Street Hwy. I-94 overpass.

Traffic on I-94 was not affected.

[kickysnana]

1. Live link

http://qik.com/theuptake

[CatholicEdHead]

2. KSTP also has it live right now on TV

[CatholicEdHead]

3. It seems they are now being pushed back north back towards the Capital

[Bjorn Against]

4. I was there...

I was in the standoff with police for about two hours between two intersections, I left right before they were heading for University. Just minutes after I left I heard some loud bangs, I am assuming they were rubber bullets being fired and a few minutes later I saw many protesters heading back to their cars.

Let me be clear, this was a peaceful protest. The police used intimidation, but all of the protesters were very well behaved. We had a permit to march, yet the police denied us our first amendment rights and we were not going to just give up and go home. Most of the crowd of protesters were still there an hour after it was clear we would not be able to march, and we stayed because we needed to show that we would not just give up our rights, and we would not be intimidated. The police used unnecessary force while the protesters all showed a great deal of restraint.

[annm4peace]

5. shameful

The Mayors, the Chief of Police, the Sheriff. the city councils all owe the citizens an apology !

[pengillian101]

6. police officers in riot gear

I just happened upon a thread that talked about Homeland
Security came in to run the show. No wonder all the riot gear, eh?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3919501