Call the Riot Squad: Cops Tune Up for Republican National Convention

Minneapolis -- The 2008 Republican National Convention is going to be pure hell on the Twin Cities. It is going to disrupt life, polarize people, and leave scars. Nothing good will come of it, and the trouble is already starting.

Case in point: On August 31st, Minneapolis police and law enforcement types from a number of other agencies waded into a monthly bicycle rally/ demonstration and arrested 19 people -- including three minors -- one a 16-year-old honors student ("All A's for three years -- except 2 A-minuses") at an inner-city Minneapolis high school. Let's call her Annie.

The monthly demonstration is sponsored by Critical Mass Minnesota -- a loose local chapter of a national group of bicyclists who are out for a bigger share of the political transportation agenda -- and of the road.

Viewed from the Internet, Critical Mass looks pretty benign. There are chapters in hundreds of American cities. Each seems to establish its own level of militancy, ranging from "aging hippie" to Bay Area anarchist (the national site offers tactics for tying up traffic and being a complete pain in the ass for cops dispatched to get things moving again).

As local chapters go, Critical Mass Minnesota looks a bit post prime. Their website is defunct. They're down to a Yahoo message board, some graffiti-like sidewalk stencils, and the rally itself, which is held during rush hour on the last Friday of every month and winds through downtown Minneapolis, and other neighborhoods.

Nothing in the recent history of the rally would lead you to believe the police would have encountered a problem on the 31st. But a number of radicals from other parts of the country were in town that weekend. The occasion was something called "pReNC," sponsored by a local group calling itself "The RNC Welcoming Committee."

pReNC was a chance for the radicals to meet, scout the Twin Cities, and plan for protests at the 2008 Republican National Convention. For some reason, some of them joined the Critical Mass rally.

It started out all right. Critical Mass began to do what they always do -- block a few lanes of traffic, run red lights en masse. That sort of thing. Push inevitably came to shove, though, and eventually, somebody in the crowd provoked the cops enough to get arrested. When others started to object, the cops put out an "officer needs help" call.

"Thumping Practice" for the Republican National Convention was on. Again from newspaper reports, 48 officers from six law enforcement agencies responded within minutes. Les bon temps, complete with pepper spray, the aforementioned 19 arrests, and a few minor injuries, roulezed.

Six Minnesota law enforcement agencies were able to field 48 officers at the drop of a hat on a Friday afternoon in summer -- a time when most of those guys would rather be home with the kids. Or up at the lake fishing. Or on a bar stool with a beer. Or maybe trolling for "not gay" senators in a men's room at the airport. Go figure.

A convenient drill? A tune-up fight for a heavyweight title match with all those protesters coming to town next September?

Probably. The cops knew a radical element was in town. Here was an opportunity for different agencies to practice working together in real world conditions; an opportunity to develop strategies for hassling protesters who were developing strategies for hassling next fall's Republican National Convention.

Which brings us back to Annie. The only child of a single mom, she lives in a diverse inner-city neighborhood, and is building the kind of academic, extracurricular, and college entry test record I've seen rich suburbanites try to buy for their kids.

She admits she went to the rally/demonstration knowing "anarchists" would be riding along. But she says when the cops went to work, she tried to do what they told her to do -- "Get moving."

But she couldn't get out of their way fast enough, and found herself cuffed and in the back of a hot squad car, windows rolled up, riot at hand, waiting to see what would happen next.

There was a trip to a holding area at the nearby Minneapolis Convention Center. Convenient the way that holding area happened to appear. Bet Minnesota law enforcement has a big one in Saint Paul next fall.

There was more time in the back of the squad car while the arresting officers searched what (to Annie) looked like Google for something to charge her with.

There was time in a slow-moving line with the cops who had arrested her -- and with other arrestees and their cops. There was a woman who, together with Annie's' cops, was unable to determine a charge beyond "probable cause." The woman assigned her a case number anyhow.

There were photos (her and the cops who had arrested her) -- and, almost, a trip to jail in a paddy wagon before somebody realized she was a juvenile and took her to the Juvenile Center. There, after mug shots, fingerprints, and more questioning, ("Do you use drugs? Are you a runaway?") she was finally allowed to call her mother and go home.

She has not been charged with anything. Yet. The matter is somewhere in the legal system -- hanging there as "PC_____." Probable cause -- blank.

The blank will be filled in later -- or not. If there's any common sense in the City Attorney's office, the entire matter will be dropped.

"The whole thing certainly radicalized me," she says as she sits at the kitchen table. "They wanted to scare people away. But more people will come from out of town now."

"I wish it (the Republican National Convention) wasn't coming," adds her mother. "It's going to be icky. It's going to get ugly. But you have to protest. It's the Republicans. They started the war in Iraq."

The Republican National Convention is coming. It's going to be pure hell on the Twin Cities. It is going to disrupt life, polarize people, and leave scars. Nothing good will come of it, and the trouble is already starting.

What about the Critical Mass rally coming up at the end of this month? Will Annie take part?

"It's Homecoming at school. There's the dance and I'm in student government..." Annie smiles. "But I have to get to that demonstration somehow."

Comments

[TekBoss]

Why don't the Republicans do everyone a favor and have their convention "offshore". They can "outsource" the whole damn thing to Dubai and we won't have to listen to or deal with them.

[Nofoolhere]

This is scary. Those who know history can recall the standard operating procedures of the Nazis in 1930s Germany. The communists were their prime enemy, so they would send thugs into peaceful communist gatherings to foment violence which would justify the brown shirt "thumping corps" to move and create a full scale riot.

This incident is simply one example of the right wing's basic training for what is to come. I hope the media is up to tracking this development IN ADVANCE of implementation and at the time of public violence, can point out the who and where of the real instigators of any public violence during the next 15 months.

But probably not. The MSM is more likely to promote their own violence in order to create incidents that they can cover and blame the progressives.
Get ready. The right wing goon squads are coming out of their holes.

[Qbear]

There's no need for violence in Minneapolis, that train will be in NYC...it's the Democrats and the anti-war movement having a pas de deux DEUX. 1968 on STEROIDS.
Minneapolis is for confounding, infuriating, ridiculing, and laughing our a$$es off at Repigs. They don't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning ANY election for 20 yrs.

[Listen2me]

Sorry, Qbear, but if you haven't noticed, when the Thugs "don't have a snowball's chance" of winning, they don't concede.

They steal. They don't politely stand aside for the peoples' choice---they lie, cheat, and steal in order to hang on to power.

So, as Boss Tweed taunted his critics: "As long as I count the votes, what are you going to do about it?"

Furthermore, the Democratic leadership is so feckless and craven, it's not clear how the Thugs would suffer even if they "lost" elections for 20 years. They got trounced in 2006, but they still are calling the shots in Congress, aren't they? The Republicans as a minority are sure showing up the Democratic leadership! When Dems were the minority, they claimed they were powerless to do anything. On the other hand, Republicans as a minority are somehow still in control!

Democrats claimed they were powerless when they were in the minority. Now they are in the majority and still claim to be powerless.

That doesn't add up! Don't buy it! They're gutless not powerless.

The Omaha incident with the Nazis is instructive. Such a display of police force to PROTECT the right of speech and assembly is always--and only--given to the Nazis among us.

(The only exception I can think of would be when LBJ used federal power to protect the Montgomery March in 1965---an action taken only after two murders plus a televised police stomping of women and children.)

But Nazis and the Klan always benefit from massive police protection. It's as if the cops are satirizing the whole notion of free speech.
Of course, a lot of cops are Klan sympathizers, both north and south, so maybe it isn't that strange.

Which suggests the obvious tactic---stage a white supremacy rally during the Thug convention, then invite everyone to it and plaster the event with official Thug signs and posters. . . no, not really. That would be too much of a Republican type of scheme. Besides, a "white power" rally probably would HELP Giuliani's campaign.

[Andydp]

Frankly, like one poster said, this was a great way to check coordination and response time. Was it overboard ? Probably. I doubt there was imminent danger to anyone but you know how those mad spandex clad bikers can get.
So, based on some of the talk here, the police and other law abiding elements should have let the bikers disrupt MSP traffic, cause response problems for emergency vehicles and the like just so they can gripe about biking downtown. Personally I think the police have to be prepared for any eventuality, even if its a bunch of bikers augmented by some "outside elements" who probably had no interest in bike rights, but every interest to see how the Police will repond to trouble.
I doubt Ms Annie will get anything more than a dropped case. This sort of talk goes on every time there's a convention. Go ahead and replay 1968; a sure fire way to get the country to go with the GOP. ("Those lawless Democratic scum !! Who wants them in charge of the country ?") Remember: that's how we got Nixon folks !!

[rmreddicks]

We got Nixon not because of a police riot in Chicago, but because the Hump wouldn't dump Johnson's war. When Johnson announced the (temporary) bombing halt on Oct. 31, 1968 it came damn near to getting the Hump over the hump. It's true that Nixon used fear of crime, fear of the counterculture and racism to sustain his advertising campaign and the Wallace factor can't be ignored, but it was the continuation of the war that was the primary focus of the electorate. Neither candidate put forth any ideas for bringing it to a halt. Nixon had a "secret plan" and Humphrey had the albatross of LBJ who, with the bombing halt, almost secured him the election.

Outside of not allowing republican criminal elements to cement their hold on the Executive branch I don't know that if the results of the election had been different anything else would have been different.

[LITU]

Someone please show me the caveat to the right to assemble?! Cuz, according to the Constitution, it takes 75% of the states to ratify an amendment to the Constitution.

America has always had elements of the police state, from the suffragettes, labor unions, Vietnam protests, to the modern RNC. Only now, it's here to stay.

[dutch1949]

"It is going to disrupt life, polarize people"
Sorry, but the people have been polarized for many years - nothing new here.

"But a number of radicals from other parts of the country were in town that weekend."
radicals, anarchists, whatever you want to call people that want others to succumb to their view of things - nothing new here.

"Critical Mass began to do what they always do -- block a few lanes of traffic, run red lights en masse. That sort of thing. Push inevitably came to shove, though, and eventually, somebody in the crowd provoked the cops enough to get arrested. When others started to object, the cops put out an "officer needs help" call."
Try being a cop during a rush hour demonstration - put yourself in their shoes.

ditto Legendmn.

[kbrown528]

Critical Mass does not advocate tying up traffic or being confrontational with motorists.

I was just thirteen when four young people were shot at a place called Kent State.
http://kent.state.tripod.com/
An innocent child sits down to read a magazine at her Grandmother's house and comes away with images she will never forget.

People are frightened and quick to react including police. We're all at the end of our rope and we don't need any more name calling, lies, and spin. All the while our own government keeps banging the drum louder and louder for violent solutions.

As for me I'll be in Washington this Saturday the 15th for A.N.S.W.E.R.'s Mass March. It's not just the pictures I won't forget. Whatever your age, whatever you decide to do, if anything, think of everyone around you and careful.

[Listen2me]

The more difficult thing would be to discover an original method or manner of protest . . . a notch above pie-throwing or property-trashing.

Something indubitably nonviolent, which successfully frames the contest on our terms, not the fascists'.

I have some ideas, none of which will be posted here. I once read a biography of Woodrow Wilson which described Wilson's unnerving visit to Seattle, on his final speaking tour before he had the stroke. Anyone else remember that scene?

[backhandpath]

Remember '68!
We can do it again and again and again.
This RN Convention if definitely shaping up for a for a good old fashion
Pie Throwing Contest.
Wha'dya say folks?

[backhandpath]

I mean, what else do we have to loose?

[protagonia]

backhandpath,

Are you asking protesters to be violent? Why would you do such a thing, if you aren't a troll? You know the results.

Hmmm.

Clever, clever troll.

[sugarmoes]

i feel for minneapolis.

the bathroom stalls are gonna be worn out after the gop (gang of perverts) gets done with 'em.

will they reimburse the city for all the damage?

time will tell.

[Plowboy]

There is more respectability at a Mafia meeting.

[fact finder]

Can we say POLICE STATE. Contrary to popular belief the job of the police,read the police charter google it, is to protect the state from it's citizens.

[drblack]

I am sure people know this but. protests need to have MANY designated camera wielding people who stay on the sidelines.
Also the cops often sneak one of their own into a group and have them incite violence so the cops can bust everyone else.
It is a sad fact but the Cops are NOT the friends of the common man...they protect and serve their masters, politicians and the wealthy.

[GoodDay]

Couldn't the neo-Nazi Republican Party have picked somewhere else for their convention ?

[VOTER]

THANKS FOR REMINDING US OF THE GOP HOT SPOT

FOR NEXT YEAR!

BANNERS FOR "THIS WAY TO THE CRAIG'S ROOM"

ARE BEING PRINTED NOW.

And Annie, you are terrific! Keep us posted! And Good
Luck!