Gothamist: New York Videographers Accuse Minneapolis Police of Illegal Search and Seizure

deseeded

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:10 -0500

Sinister, From calls, nothing more than bag searches and releases. Just trying to intimidate. I have heard of police bullying, but no arrests on non-violent protesters. It's typical. Every group carries a bag of idiots that get arrested for doing thing like throwing fecal matter....compare it to Yankees fans getting arrested for being drunk and disorderly. I expect nothing less at the RNC.

nik13

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:56:09 -0500

Interesting...Denver passed a law banning possession of human feces just before DNC clowns descended upon it. Minneapolis didn't. Different crowd, different entertainment, I guess.

Pull My Finger

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:55:58 -0500

Leftist Nazi bastards http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Conventions/story?id=5668622&page=1

eyekantspel

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:03:10 -0500

The RNC negotiates with a city for their RIGHT to host the conference. Don't both groups do that? As someone who's not invested in either party, it seems to me that activists and protest groups are predominantly liberal causes. On the liberal side, there are environmental groups, anti-war, womens' rights, gay rights, abortion rights, animal rights, bicycle rights, union rights, no-nukes, free Tibet, free Darfur, etc. etc. Conservatives just don't engage in this behavior as much. The only conservative activists I can think of are the ones who picket outside of abortion clinics. Therefore, it stands to reason that liberal activists would be arrested -- rightly or wrongly --in larger numbers than whatever conservative activists there are. I'm not sure if cops are predominantly republican or not; I'd be surprised if that were the case since I'd expect that would be something reported on. Cops are certainly predominantly law and order types, and law and order types are probably going to clash with people who question their authority, meaning activists.

sinisterteashop

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:36:10 -0500

Deseeded, Again, have you heard anything similar happening to the many activists currently at the DNC? Any pre-emptive strikes... I mean arrests?

deseeded

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:28:48 -0500

Sinisterteashop, http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Conventions/story?id=5668622&page=1 An ABC reporter was arrested trying to photograph Democratic senators and big money donors as they came out of a private meeting at a hotel. The police officer told the reporter the sidewalk was owned by the hotel and private (a lie) and then pushed him in to the traffic forcing the guy to go to the other side of the street where he was arrested by another cop. I'd say it's not Republican or Democrat...but rather the results of letting ourselves become too reliant on federal govt and forgetting our basic rights. The last thing we need is a larger more socialized govt. No one I know wants to get arrested for a thoughtcrime.

handsomedevil

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:37:41 -0500

I'm arguing that it's probably not RNC negotiating for specific tactics, but rather that cops tend to be emotionally invested in the republican party and thus are willing to harrass and abuse protesters and activists (and, as we saw in New York, even random bystanders) during RNC.

sinisterteashop

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:49:25 -0500

The implication here is that the RNC is responsible for aggressive policing, but I'm not sure how the RNC would have control over what the police do. There are protesters at the DNC right at this moment. Have you heard anything similar happening to them?

rarelement

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:43:13 -0500

The RNC negotiates with a city for their RIGHT to host the conference. Part of those negotiations include security and this episode is just a taste of what anyone who wants to SEE what the RNC protest will look like. Just like their negotiations with the city, the RNC negotiates with local and national network news for coverage of the convention and gives the choicest dibs to those outlets that "promise" favorable broadcasting of the proceedings. THAT's why the RNC has control over what the police do and what we ultimately see on the "news."

eyekantspel

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:30:10 -0500

The implication here is that the RNC is responsible for aggressive policing, but I'm not sure how the RNC would have control over what the police do. It seems more likely to me that the RNC is a bigger target for protestors and activists, which in turn leads to more clashes with police and complaints about police tactics. Seriously, it seems like there are ALWAYs protestors when the RNC comes to town; do Republicans turn out to protest at big Democratic gatherings? I really haven't heard about any, but if they do, it's probably a much smaller number. Maybe some conservative evangelicals passing out anti-abortion leaflets?

handsomedevil

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:19:13 -0500

As we've seen in NY, sometimes cops take this stuff way too personally and completely overstep their bounds. We need leaders in this country (and city) who understand what the appropriate response is to public protest. While I'm personally not a protest type and may never end up in a large public gathering, I think Bloomberg's handling of RNC protests here was the biggest blot on his record.

edEx

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:00:09 -0500

Call Powderly, he'll make a laser protest for you.

TheKlaus

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:58:19 -0500

It's insanity that law enforcement treats items such as cameras and other recording equipment as lethal weapons depending on the context of where they're being used. I've never been one to cry 'police state!', but, jesus, if our politics are so corrupt and questionable that they cannot risk being recorded I don't know why the hell I pay my taxes

lil426

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:56:36 -0500

I can't believe this!! I am from MN and all the preparationis nuts in the twin cities! but this is so crazy!! I can't believe that the Minneapolis Cops would give themselves such a bad name.

JacqueMehoff

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:53:31 -0500

yep, it's the RNC all over again. that orange netting supplier must be making mint. why didn't they return the guy's license? now that's something the red chinese, chicom, laundry lee, spanish basketball team and one staffer here would have done.

holla

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:47:28 -0500

Oh I'm sorry, at first I thought I was reading about videographers being detained in China. Silly me! This happened in America...christ

noneck

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:45:21 -0500

the uptake, a citizen journalism group based in St. Paul, has video from the press conference http://the-uptake.groups.theuptake.org/en/videogalleryView/id/539/

interlard

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:44:58 -0500

Having anything to do with Republicans is like playing with fire. Good luck to these people, but I, for one, am staying away from The Great Satan.

Politburo

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:36:23 -0500

"Twin Cities reports that police were seeking a warrant to search the items for evidence of trespassing in a railroad yard" The link doesn't say any of this.