Live from DNC: It’s Zombietime! (Day 2)
Radicals rioted, police fought back, and Zombie captured it all! Latest: A Big Mosque in the Center of Denver
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It seems everyone had a camera — there was no clear distinction between rioter, journalist and bystander. (A fact which led to serious problems for me later.)
Someone had gotten into a scuffle with the police and was being arrested. Everyone screamed “Police brutality” and tried to stop the arrest. Reinforcement police formed a protective cordon around the arresting officers.
Here’s the first arrestee, face down on the asphalt, being handcuffed. I didn’t see what he had done.
A substantial number of the cops were policewomen, which surprised me. They seemed just as tough as the men.
By now huge number of reinforcements had shown up (on both sides of the conflict), and police took decisive action to retake the street and keep the crowd contained within Civic Center Park. They waded into the crowd in full riot gear…
And pushed us back into the park.
Some of the anarchists formed a line and began jumping up and down and chanting.
The police formed a riot line that was by now at least ten times as large as their original squad.
Faced with an impenetrable wall, the anarchists en masse suddenly turned and sprinted across the park and out the other side into the streets. It wasn’t the direction that was originally planned, but I think the idea was to loop back around to to fundraisers and delegate parties once we were free of the cordon.
The crowd of people participating in or documenting the riot had also grown considerably, and included many people, such as this young woman (and myself) who were not actual anarchists, but rather just observing what was happening. Little did we know that we were getting ourselves into a pickle.
Because when the crowd reached the end of the next block, a row of well-armed mounted police and riot squad members were waiting for us — as if they had known ahead of time we were going to run in this direction.
I tried to slip past the line of cops, to transition from being an observer within the riot to being on the outside looking in — but no such luck — the police would not let me by, despite my entreaties and insistence that I was not one of the anarchists.
Soon the first sprinters reached the police blockade, and were similarly rebuffed.
Within a few seconds several hundred rioters ran straight into the police wall and were driven back. Behind us, the pursuing police would not let us exit the other direction. We were trapped! No way out, as the city block we were on (I believe it was 15th Street betwen Cleveland and Court) was lined with closed office buildings that were also inaccessible and impenetrable.
Denied their primary targets, the anarchists made do with what they had: some began spraypainting slogans on the walls. This guy was writing “We’re taking St. Paul next!”
This woman, who had been standing near me, got a full blast of pepper spray right in the eyes.
The crowd roiled and seethed, but had nowhere to go.
Little by little, the cops inched forward from both sides, squeezing us in a vise.
They soon had us confined on one side of the street.
No amount of cajoling could convince the cops to let anyone through.
One of my fellow internees had run into some kind of violence (I didn’t see what) and was pouring out blood.
Someone else had gotten teargassed pretty badly, and some anarchist medics were trying to help him with water and eye-wash solutions. He was moaning in pain.
Other people were not in physical pain but instead were having panic attacks and freaking out. The medics tried to calm them down too.
As night fell, some of the rioters tried to convince the police they were harmless by sitting down en masse and flashing peace signs.
An hour or two passed, and by now it was nighttime. The police were not letting anyone out of our human cage. I tried once again to charm my way through the line; my attempt was met with nothing but a stony stare.
Recreate 68 leader Glenn Spagnulo was with us, and took the opportunity to give interviews to some radical media types.
Every time I tried to escape, I was physically driven back. At this stage I was quite sure I was going to be arrested along with everyone else and spend the rest of the convention in jail.
Finally, after who-knows-how long, a cry of joy went up: They were releasing people! We all raised our arms above our heads to show we meant no harm (often accompanied by peace signs), and we slowly moved toward a gap in the riot line.
I had no idea what precipitated this reprieve, but I was as relieved as anyone that we (at least some of us) were being let go scot-free.
Once out in the freedom of downtown Denver, many of the former rioters let out whoops of joy.
But the crisis was far from over. More police were arriving every minute.
I was torn between hanging around to see what more happened, and leaving, in order to file this report.
I opted for the latter.
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55 Comments
1. TJ:Good choice on getting outta there… I hate these thugs trying to tear up my town.
One building management company down near 16th and market is advising tenants/employees there may be a six-hour building lockdown this thursday. I wonder what they know that no one has reported on yet.
Also, I have a co-worker wanting to check out some of the protests… is there any posted schedule of the protest events?
Aug 26, 2008 - 10:56 am 2. Salmon Sam:How is it legal for the police to detain (and confining you to a section of street is detaining) without charging you with anything? I’m no supporter of dim-wit anarchists, but “peaceable assembly” was pretty much what they did. The police response seems aimed at what they INTENDED to do, not what they did. That’s a Minority Report response — we detained you because in the future you were going to break the law.
How is that not a huge violation of our Constitutional rights? As a Conservative, I hate seeing our rights trampled, even if it’s some grubby America-hating liberals who got stoned and drove mommy’s car to a glorified pep rally in Denver who are the ones getting trampled.
Aug 26, 2008 - 11:13 am 3. ic:Nostalgic about the good old days, no? Too bad the Iraq war is over. It’s still time to protest the Russian effort to gobble up Georgia. After all Georgia is till one of our 57 states, and our former president Carter reportedly still has a peanut farm there. Not the same Georgia? Who cares?
Aug 26, 2008 - 11:20 am 4. chicopanther:C’mon, Salmon Sam. You know those “demonstrators” would have liked to have gotten violent. Not to mention the vandals in their midst with cans of spray paint. That’s why those “demonstrators” were so brave as to cover their faces–they didn’t want to be identified when committed their crimes of violence.
I would like to see the cops hose down those punks with collected sludge from porta-potties! Now *that* would be some good video!
Aug 26, 2008 - 11:20 am 5. TJ:“without charging you with anything?”
They were charged. Violations of city ordinances. Denver Police Lt. Ron Saunier said they would be charged with disobeying a lawful order and interference with police. A news release issued by the Joint Information Center also cited obstruction of streets or public passageways.
Aug 26, 2008 - 11:21 am 6. paddy:I wonder how many bought their black sweatshirts and bandanas at Abercrombie and Fitch?
Aug 26, 2008 - 11:23 am 7. bgates:Or course I am just kidding, the Gap is where all self respecting Anarchists shop these days, stupid me.
I’m with Sam in every particular.
Aug 26, 2008 - 11:24 am 8. Thomas:Salmon, I was @ the “Rage Against The Machine” concert in the “Free Speech Area” during the 2000 DNC in L.A.-let’s just say, like the LAPD’s May Day riots, much police activity is unconventional(ha)-& in the “Free Speech Area”, safely out of the media’s camera range/interest. ‘cept for “that guy who hurled the concrete chunk over the fence” at them
Aug 26, 2008 - 11:25 am 9. David H Dennis:Well, there was certainly concrete evidence they were intending to throw urine around, and that alone might be enough to justify a pre-emptive strike.
The notice on the Internet seemed pretty clear about their plans, too.
It is too bad journalists got caught in the middle. Unfortunately, if you exempted journalists, the protesters would just get journalist cards and get away with it all.
D
Aug 26, 2008 - 11:37 am 10. Lank Bodkins:What a bunch of losers, these people couldn’t carry the jockstrap of a ‘68 Chicago rioter….now, those were real anarchists, not like today’s creampuffs.
Aug 26, 2008 - 11:43 am 11. Convention Diary « In Rare Form:[...] 26, 2008 I’m not in Denver. This linked photo essay shows how the convention has attracted all the most fashionable people. I encourage you to check it [...]
Aug 26, 2008 - 11:49 am 12. ZEITGEIST:[...] Good point. Here’s some of that. [...]
Aug 26, 2008 - 11:59 am 13. Yawn:I don’t think we can say they were having their rights trampled on this one. The city ordinances are one aspect, then there is the fact that they were very openly broadcasting their plans to riot and attempt to physically disrupt the convention. I am not sure if that falls under the old “scream fire in a theater” situation, but I think it comes close enough for government work (pardon the pun).
Of course, part of me would like to see them actually attempt it. I can’t take them seriously because for all shouts of “anarchy” and “riot” and “revolution” they seem very tame. I mean really, panic attacks? This was supposed to be a riot and you had people who couldn’t handle being corralled by the cops for a couple hours? How do you take people like that seriously? A protester is being cuffed and the “rioters” surround the police and…
pull out camcorders?
I was never a fan of the 60’s radicals (not even close), but they at least could put on a riot and a protest I could take seriously even if I thought their reasoning was flawed (a vast understatement there). You want headlines and change? And you want to try it violently? Then you need to do better than this. You are going to have to top Kent State and start charging National Guardsmen. Not that I am pushing that, but if you can’t even toss a bag of urine and your response to being trapped by the police on a street is a sit-in flashing peace-signs then you need to drop the anarchy bit. This isn’t even “anarchy-lite”.
Maybe a year in Somolia or a tour in Afghanistan or attending a Pakistani Madras would make them appreciate real anarchy and real violence and real oppression. Or at least give them some new fashions.
Aug 26, 2008 - 12:00 pm 14. Bill:I’m not sure this kind of confrontation is wise strategy on the police’s part. They seem to be giving the trouble-makers exactly what they want.
The best police strategy I ever saw for a national convention was in Philadelphia in 2000. What they did was quietly infilitrate all the protest groups months before the event, and on the first day they quickly arrested all the leaders because they knew exactly who they were. Without leadership, the protest groups were like insects without a queen. The rest of the week was quiet and protest free. They eventually camped outside the jailhouse (MILES from the convention) chanting for the release of their leaders. They had been completely defanged. It was brilliant.
Aug 26, 2008 - 12:00 pm 15. The Anti Jihadist:Even casual examination of these pics show that the cops seem to have learned from the history books–even if the protesters didn’t. Every cop is in nearly identical riot gear–it looks intimidating and that’s the point. Plentiful manpower is on hand (no disrespect intended towards the many women in law enforcement), evidence of good communication, coordination, and planning. Like the cops knew what the rioters were going to do even before the rioters themselves knew. Kudos to the men and women in blue on this one.
Aug 26, 2008 - 12:05 pm 16. mishu:I’m no supporter of dim-wit anarchists, but “peaceable assembly” was pretty much what they did.
That’s because they had no choice Sammy. Otherwise, setting fire to a crowded theater is still pretty much illegal.
P.S. That MTV shirt wearer is a hottie.
Aug 26, 2008 - 12:08 pm 17. Wussies - Jay Currie:[...] What a bunch of losers, these people couldn’t carry the jockstrap of a ‘68 Chicago rioter….now, those were real anarchists, not like today’s creampuffs. comments at zombietime [...]
Aug 26, 2008 - 12:09 pm 18. Daily Pundit » Pics for Grandma:[...] SF Bay fave - and master photojournalist Zombietime has a great photoessay of Denver Scumbag Central up. He had a gas of a time, too! Submit to Stumbled Upon! -Bill Quick [...]
Aug 26, 2008 - 12:19 pm 19. “Peace, Love, Justice”– No, Wait! Kill! « The View from Alexandria:[...] other protest news, Zombie shows us what happens when anarchists to to coordinate a protest. Possibly related posts: [...]
Aug 26, 2008 - 12:20 pm 20. Denver on my mind « Blithe Spirit, the Blog:[...] August 26, 2008 · No Comments Meanwhile, back on the street [...]
Aug 26, 2008 - 12:25 pm 21. Ian Jeffries:Technically, they were in black.
Aug 26, 2008 - 12:38 pm 22. Bugs:Looks to me like a bunch of doodz trying to make some kind of statement about how it sucks to be a teen-aged loser. Seriously, this is about fashion, attitudes, and putting on a little show for all the other losers - not about dealing with real-life political issues. They’ll all be Democrats or Republics by the time they’re 30.
Aug 26, 2008 - 12:45 pm 23. Bugs:P.S. - Why the hell are they wearing masks? Nobody cares who they are.
Aug 26, 2008 - 12:47 pm 24. jay:This protest is putting me to sleep.
“P.S. That MTV shirt wearer is a hottie”
Aug 26, 2008 - 12:50 pm 25. j mccann:agreed
I was at that protest and I bought my outfit at “Anarchists ‘r’ Us.” They have some very hip garb for the modern protestor there.
Kidding, kidding.
Aug 26, 2008 - 1:12 pm 26. Yokes:I was in downtown Denver when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup back in 2001. The police response varied from street to street. On Street A, for example, they were all lined up down the middle of the street having a good time with the revellers out in force. On Street B, one block over, they were lined up on one end of the block in riot gear, marching toward the crowd with pepper spray a-blazin’ to push them into the busy street at the end of the block. After that fun, I saw a policeman spray an innocent bystander in the face with pepper spray for simply waiting in line to enter a bar, and another for trying to cross the street to meet his friends.
I see they’ve chosen course of action B for this event. It should be a very interesting week.
Thanks for the report, Zombie. If I were in town, I’d buy you a Fat Tire or an Avalanche.
Aug 26, 2008 - 1:14 pm 27. Biscuiteater:I would recommend to the brave policewoman mentioned in the above pic, not to hang what looks like a blue mouth guard on the outside of your uniform.
Aug 26, 2008 - 1:26 pm 28. Barticus:These “anarchists” are just whiny crybaby punks that don’t even practice what they preach: They organize to demonstrate! They eat farm food, wear manufactured clothes, get institutional healthcare, etc.
If they had the intelligence, they would see that a true anarchist must give up all use of anything that comes from organization. But then, an intelligent and honest liberal is an oxymoron, with emphasis on the “moron.”
Humans need and crave organization, which is why the idea of an anarchist is just like most ideas from the left…illogical, impractical, and ultimately irrational fantasy-thinking.
Aug 26, 2008 - 2:01 pm 29. Grandpappy:Ugh! what scum…
Golly gee wilikers. Seems like crowd control has advanced since the days when I was a pup.
Doesn’t seem like the lefites have made such advances though….
Aug 26, 2008 - 2:23 pm 30. jvon:“Peaceable assembly” with masks, bags of piss to fling at the police, spray paint, and an announced intent to cause disruption?
Where’s the “peaceable” part of that?
Bravo to the Denver police for keeping this situation under control. These nitwits came looking for trouble and they found it. Glad our illustrious Zombie escaped (mostly) unscathed!
Aug 26, 2008 - 3:08 pm 31. Whitehall:Want a truly masterful handling of rioters?
The 1972 Republican convention was held in Miami. During the month of the convention, the whole state of Florida was absolutely FLOODED with Quaaludes, a quarter each. The chicks REALLY liked ‘ludes and would get very friendly with one down the gullet. Who wanted to riot when better forms of entertainment were at hand?
Or so I heard.
Now that’s the way to do a Dirty Trick.
Aug 26, 2008 - 3:15 pm 32. Biscuiteater:The advances made by the left are not in thought. Ward Churchill is one of their leaders. “recreate 68″ would take this country back about 40 yrs.
Progress may be in the eye of the leftist beholder.
I love the “golly gee wilikers” though, makes when I use “groovy” new age.
Aug 26, 2008 - 3:28 pm 33. AdrianS:I don’t understand why first, Obama gives in to Hillary about the roll call delegate count. And now, Hillary is acquiescing to Obama regarding a decision NOT to have a roll call vote. These characters are the worst. They are BOTH flakes!
They can’t make up their minds. They can’t decide. When they decide they then change their mind. When they change their mind things change again. What fools.
What a circus! We don’t need the Democrats. Everything about BOTH flakes stinks.
Get a back bone Hillary! Go PUMAs. Hope the delegates get a chance to CHANGE their votes to Hillary is they wish.
I’m voting for McCain.
Aug 26, 2008 - 3:46 pm 34. castocreations:Hey!…my hubby has those exact same riot gloves the female cop is wearing. lol He loves riots. And looking intimidating can help preemptively stop a lot of mischief.
If I were observing in that crowd I’d probably get a panic attack too! Then again I wouldn’t be there as a protester.
Aug 26, 2008 - 3:47 pm 35. Fed-up:This is exactly what I pictured would happen down town. If these ‘anarchists’ hate our country so much…THEN GET THE HELL OUT! We don’t have any walls keeping you here! Hell our borders are pretty loose too! LEAVE!
I find it disgustingly ironic how they hate this country yet absolutely love and exploit the rights they have by simply being born here. They don’t mind exploiting our justice system either with frivolous attempts at civil rights violation lawsuits. Funny, they file frivolous lawsuits whining to the same government they detest. Hello?????
And I agree, you can hardly call them anarchists! I happen to have a loved one in blue down town on a riot team and what has been displayed is that these are COWARDLY ’sheeple’. Not that I want to encourage them to escalate the lawlessness they’ve already displayed but my gosh, c’mon!
Running when a skirmish line of officers is relieved by another line of officers behind them is stepping up 2 steps to relieve the front line? Yes, that’s what’s happening folks. These ‘activists’ take off screaming for about 1/2 a block and then realize the officers are not going to do anything except for stand still and keep formation so THEN they come back and scream in their faces some more and taunt them.
Get a backbone, get an educated world view, get truly organized, take it to your representatives and GROW THE HELL UP! Really.
Aug 26, 2008 - 5:08 pm 36. schnargley:It is so heartwarming to see young people taking part in civil discourse and the democratic election process. Sigh. It al speaks well of our wonderful education system with a tip of the hat to reformers like Bill Ayers. Hopefully, we can all look forward to more educated, socially aware, consciencious young people like we are seeing on the streets of Denver, with a Obama administration that will help push for more reform and place brave reformers like Bill Ayers and Ward Churchill in key positions.
Aug 26, 2008 - 5:31 pm 37. JamesT:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpjmPPUHD98
Aug 26, 2008 - 6:16 pm 38. Tactical Buddhist:If you need more liveblogging of the DNC, head over to our blog at votingwhileintoxicated.wordpress.com
Aug 26, 2008 - 6:23 pm 39. Mike:Protestors?, anarchists?, what a buncha momma’s boy pussies. Give me the old days when the Chi cops broke some fuc#in’ heads!! Wannabe, chickenshits.
Aug 26, 2008 - 7:09 pm 40. RebeccaH:Recreate 68, wotta load! Just not as much fun for the new generation of wannabes as they thought it would be.
Aug 26, 2008 - 7:24 pm 41. wader:Nice work Zombie!! The Denver Police’s history in such matters over the last ten years is to be a bit quick on the trigger. Add to that the City’s partisan, political interest in protecting the Circus of the Century, the Socialist Convention, and yeah, I think there’s some preemptive bashing of these anarchists, educators and “culture workers” going on.
To whomever asked, those who hide their faces do so because they’re hoping for good opportunities for an anti-capitalist (i.e. anti-freedom) crime spree, and they know it would be videotaped.
By the way, the “brown note” rumor would seem to have been started to excuse some prominent Leftist’s pooping of his pants during some “direct action.” Anybody know the who, where, and when on that??
Aug 26, 2008 - 8:35 pm 42. Biscuiteater:I think I would ask the RNC to move to move their convention to CO. The MN. police will not be up to it.
Aug 26, 2008 - 10:47 pm 43. seguin:is it me, or does that policewoman look like she might be kinda hot. Then again, it might just be teh uniform and baton.
Aug 26, 2008 - 11:58 pm 44. Sheila:The person who filled up that urine bag needs more fluids in his diet. Yuk.
Aug 27, 2008 - 4:55 am 45. JamesT:I love it.
Aug 27, 2008 - 6:18 am 46. Live from DNC: It’s Zombietime! (Day 2) « The Tizona Group:Fox news just interviewed some of these ‘protesters’, and they could not identify pictures of Dick Cheney and Nancy Pelosi.
Fry and Laurie were right on target.
LOL.
[...] The mentally ill, from Denver. Pajamas Media/Zombie [...]
Aug 27, 2008 - 7:12 am 47. bigjim-ky:Recreate 68 showed up with the express intent of rioting. They are damned lucky more of them didn’t get their heads busted. Those pissant little punks look like they average about 150lbs apiece, they shouldn’t start a fight with men.
Aug 27, 2008 - 8:02 am 48. bigjim-ky:The two pronged police attack was brilliant, hounds to the hunter.
Is the baggie full of piss or gasoline?
Aug 27, 2008 - 8:05 am 49. Gina:Those little turds would prolly do no worse than blow themselves up.
So, now Obama and the DNC want to hold the roll call away from the main hall, and stop the vote partially through … just in case Hillary does well, which might embarrass Obama and the DNC. This is what happens when a candidate and a party manipulate the process, and try to force a candidate down the throats of the constituents. Obama might have trashed the Clintons, and gotten over 90% of the black vote, but in the process America has been thrown under the bus.
Aug 27, 2008 - 8:33 am 50. Daniel in Brookline:Let me just say once again, for the record:
Rioters who hide their faces are cowards. Period.
If you that that your cause is worth fighting for, then you should fight it under your own name, and fight proudly. If you think it’s worth breaking the law for, then do it, and deal with the consequences.
What the masks tell me, more than anything else, is that I don’t NEED to know who these people are. They are faceless, and they deserve to be.
Keep up the good work, Zombie!
respectfully,
Aug 27, 2008 - 1:57 pm 51. "Free Speech For Me, But not For Thee" - Page 3 - FileFront Gaming Forums:Daniel in Brookline
[...] some anarchists managed to march to a park and get stopped by the police from going anywhere: Pajamas Media » Live from DNC: It’s Zombietime! (Day 2) __________________ "Americans love a winner. Americans will not tolerate a loser. Americans [...]
Aug 27, 2008 - 8:14 pm 52. First Feces Flinger Arrested In Denver « Nice Deb:[...] seem to have missed the Urine bomb seen is this Zombietime [...]
Aug 27, 2008 - 10:36 pm 53. Makhno:F*** the police! Go anarchists.
Some of you just don’t understand why we anarchists and anti-capitalists wear masks. We aren’t wearing masks because we “are cowards” (this isn’t some kind fo macho fight), we wear masks to protect our identities from police cameras. This may be news to those of you who watch Fox New constantly, but the U.S. is a police state where people don’t have freedom of speech. The police video and photograph protesters to create files on leftist activists. Almost all of the people who are surveilled by the police never commit any illegal acts, yet the police feel compelled to keep files on any kind of leftist protester.
Masks are our way to keep our rights, however poorly, in a growing police state.
Aug 28, 2008 - 3:39 pm 54. Makhno:“The best police strategy I ever saw for a national convention was in Philadelphia in 2000. What they did was quietly infilitrate all the protest groups months before the event, and on the first day they quickly arrested all the leaders because they knew exactly who they were. Without leadership, the protest groups were like insects without a queen. The rest of the week was quiet and protest free. They eventually camped outside the jailhouse (MILES from the convention) chanting for the release of their leaders. They had been completely defanged. It was brilliant.”
That just isn’t what happened. There were some pretty boisterous protests in Philadephia in 2000.
Your comments also reflect an ignorance about how anarchist and protest groups organize. We organize in a leaderless fashion, relying on small groups called affinity groups. The police will foolishly go and arrest “leaders” and not understand that protests are designed to go forward without any leaders. The “leaders” the police arrest are usually just people who helped faciliate meetings or talked to the media.
The police just aren’t very bright.
Aug 28, 2008 - 3:47 pm 55. Obama Girl:Makhno,
Aug 29, 2008 - 1:53 pmHard to find a phrase more fitting for you than juvenile moron.
So, if I get your drift, you cover your faces so you won’t be on police videos, not that you are the cowards that we all know you and your pathetic group really are. Of course as “anarchists” you hate this country and hate capitalism but unwilling to live in North Korea where your brand of politics would fit in perfectly.
So you say that “almost” all of those who are surveiled do not commit any “illegal acts” but what about those who do? Why should I as a taxpayer or the property owners whose businesses are the target of your juvenile and misplaced wrath have to suffer the economic consequences of those who act out by the brave acts of hooded thugs who spray paint or throw urine bags?
Even if the police take your photo as a protestor (and if the police do this then they are subjected to ACLU inspired law suits) what is the problem? If you are marching peacefully like normal protestors to try and gain some support for your idiotic demands, then what consequences would there be? The police going to come to your home and arrest you for peacefully demonstrating?
Makhno, time to go back to the basement in your mother’s house and read your anarchist manuals and go to meetings with your doped up friends and pretend you make a difference.
Let’s face it: you had a shot at a meaningful life but the drugs fried your brain. No one will hire you and you are always trying to find money to live your anarchistic lifestyle.
Makhno - let me be one of thousands who will brand you as a total loser. Think about those who wrecked Chicago in 1968. What did they really accomolish? Do you not see a lot of them these days in business suits? Or maybe they have died of drug overdoses?
Put your silly masks on and throw the urine bags - nobody listens to you. You are less than marginal.