Friday, August 18th 12:17pm PST - Reports received that law enforcement agencies are on the L.A. freeways stopping cars whose occupants look "radical" and subjecting them to various levels of harrassment. 12:17am PST - Police are violently chasing people out of the 7th Street Metro Station with batons. Numerous baton injuries have been reported. One videographer was arrested for taping, dragged away by her hair, her camera confiscated. Another woman has an injured leg and is awaiting medical attention. 11:33pm PST - On the blue light rail line, a man was arrested for holding a door open for others to get on the train. Now people are holding open the doors on the train at the 7th street station in solidarity. 11:24pm PST - Reports are coming in that the cops shot at a citizen inside the "protest area" around 8:00 PM through the fence for hanging a sign that the cops did not find appropriate. There have been three incidents where the cops have fired upon non-violent citizens protesting the DNC. 11:17pm PST - Most of the march has dispersed, although there is a large crowd at the Union train station. Amtrak has halted all trains into the station.
Thursday, August 17th 10:49pm PST - Police have negotiated with demonstrators to march them from Twin Towers jail back to the Staples center. The March is progressing peacefully. 10:04pm PST - The march has arrived at Twin Towers. No report of any problems. 9:54pm PST - March has gotten to Alameda, everything's OK there. Police presence has increased at IMC headquarters. 9:37pm PST - March is at Figueroa and Cesar Chavez, still thousands strong. 9:09pm PST - Correction: The crowd has NOT diminished, as previously reported. It is currently estimated to be at least 3,000 strong. 9:02pm PST - The march is now at 4th and Figueroa and has diminished significantly. 8:57pm PST - Riot cops are now lined up in front of Patriotic Hall, the IMC headquarters. They claim that "window-breaking anarchists" are heading in this direction. We have multiple confirmations that the entire march is going in the opposite direction and that the march is entirely peaceful. 8:45pm PST - The march is at Wilshire and Figueroa. 8:40pm PST - Marchers are at 6th-7th and Figueroa and going north. 8:33pm PST - The Black Block has dispersed and is leaving the protest pit. Most of the people are marching arm in arm north on Figueroa. The concert has ended. Police have given people 20 min. to leave the pit and threatened to arrest anyone who remains after that time. 8:24pm PST - The Black Block is dispersing. Many protesters are leaving to march to the prison. 8:18pm PST - All exits out of the Staples Center are blocked except north on Figueroa. 8:08pm PST - The candlelight vigil has started. Riot cops are surrounding the protest pit. There are about 3-4000 people there. 8:01pm PST - Videographers too numerous to count are surrounding the Black Block. 7:58pm PST - Ted Hays and crew are now arriving at the protest pit and are situating themselves near the Black Block. Some people are leaving. 7:55pm PST - Lots of cops w/ rubber-bullet guns are on 11th at the same place that the trouble happened Monday night. 7:51pm PST - Over 300 riot cops are at Olympic and Figueroa. Situation looks tense. 7:41pm PST - About 120 cops are arriving at the protest pit. Activists are giving speeches on various issues. Gore is accepting his nomination inside the DNC... The Black Block are now singing "Lullabye" to the cops. Spearhead has taken the stage. More cops are entering the protest pit. 7:23pm PST - Gore is now giving his acceptance speech. A police helicopter is flying extremely low over the crowd inside the protest area, making it impossible to hear anything. The Vieques march has arrived. 6:49pm PST - Riot cops have intersection of Olympic and Figueroa blocked off. They are armed with batons and tear gas. Entry into the "official" protest area is still possible. 6:36pm PST - The Vieques march is at 4th and Broadway. Stay tuned for updates. 6:29pm PST - The intersection at Olympic and Figueroa has been cleared. 6:27pm PST - Police and monitors are asking people at Olympic and Figueroa to move out of the intersection and into the protest area. Riot cops are now moving into the intersection. Almost all the participants have left the intersection. 6:24pm PST - Everything still okay at the Immigrants' Rally. Some of the cops are leaving. 6:18pm PST - Riot cops are forcing people off the sidewalk at Olympic and Figueroa. No arrests yet. 6:13pm PST - Crowd monitors are trying to force the crowd onto the sidewalk by making a flying wedge. It doesn't seem to be working very well. 6:09pm PST - Marchers are ignoring organizers' request to move to the sidewalk and are staying in the street. Possible police action at Olympic and Figueroa. There are about 2500 protesters present. 5:56pm PST - Situation at front of Immigrants' March calm. Band is playing at Olympic and Figueroa. 5:52pm PST - About 100 riot cops at the rear of the Immigrants' March, which is going to Olympic and Figueroa. 5:49pm PST - Immigrants' March in a moment of silence at 7th and Figueroa. 30 or 40 riot cops at rear of march. No incidents yet. 5:44pm PST - Nothing new from the Vieques March. 5:42pm PST - Immigrants' March at 7th and Figueroa. 5:36pm PST - Immigrants' March at 7th and Flower. Police presence escalating. 5:35pm PST - Immigrants' March at 7th and Hope. 5:32pm PST - Immigrants' March at 7th and Spring. 5:29pm PST - Lots of cop cars going down Hope St. towards the Pershing Square area. 5:22pm PST - Immigrants' March at 7th and Spring. Large, but non-threatening(?) police presence. 5:14pm PST - Immigrants' March about 2000(!) strong. 5:10pm PST - The Immigrants' March is going north on L.A. St. off 8th Ave. 5:05pm PST - The Immigrants' March is starting to west on 8th Ave. 4:51pm PST - Nothing new to report at this time. 4:37pm PST - The Vieques march is proceeding without incident so far. 4:22pm PST - The Vieques march is starting south on Los Angeles St. 4:20pm PST - The Immigrants' Rights rally is starting, there are about 2 dozen bike cops present, riot cops are there, helicopters are flying overhead, speeches are being made. 4:15pm PST - All is well so far with the Vieques march. 4:11pm PST - There's about 100 people at the Fed. Bldg. for the Vieques march. 4:06pm PST - The crowd at the Immigrants' Rights March (8th and Santee) is about 500-800, there's a helicopter circling overhead, the police presence is getting larger, and the march is about to begin. 4:02pm PST - The 2 people at 7th and Maple are not being arrested, but they are being detained, handcuffed, and searched, apparently for wearing a spiked leather bracelet. 3:49pm PST - 2 protesters being arrested at 7th and Maple. 3:47pm PST - The Shundahai van has been detained for about an hour by police at Hope and Olympic on the pretext of its trailer being too wide (!). 3:38pm PST - About 300 people are at 8th and Santee for the Immigration Rights Rally/March starting at 4 PM. 3:18pm PST - Both detainees at Pershing Square have been released. 3:15pm PST - One detainee has been released. 3:13pm PST - The 2 people at Pershing Square were not arrested, just detained. They will (hopefully) be released soon. 3:06pm PST - 2 demonstrators arrested at Pershing Square (Olive and 5th). So much for fabulous community relations. 3:02pm PST - Vieques march schedule: Rally at the Federal Building (300 N. Los Angeles St.) from 4-6 PM this afternoon, followed by a march to the Staples Center. 2:57pm PST - A "fabulous community dialogue" is happening between police and demonstrators at Pershing Square. 2:54pm PST - About 200 people in Pershing Square. 2:48pm PST - This just in! Contrary to rumor, the Vieques march at the Federal Building (300 N. Los Angeles St.) doesn't start till 4 this afternoon! 2:42pm PST - Less than 10 people for the Vieques march at the Federal Building. 2:23pm PST - 50 to 75 at Pershing Square. 11:35am PST - Thursday: 150 people gathering in Pershing Square and there's a large police presence.
Joe R. Golowka JoeG at ieee.org
"The decisive means for politics is violence... Anyone who fails to see this is, indeed, a political infant." - Max Weber