RNC 2008: Anarchists Were "True To Their Vow" At Poor People's March

Photo By John Hoff, September 2

Police were making their presence known as the Poor People's March approached the gated enclosure. Right before the gate...

The protest leader halted the march and--incredibly--made everybody in earshot raise their hands and swear an oath! Those who could hear enough to raise their hand, to repeat all or most of the words, swore to refrain from doing "any stupid (expletive)" because there were "old people, and little bitty babies" at the front of the march.

This video I shot captures some of the tense scenes with police as marchers headed downtown, and part of the "oath swearing." (Click here)

From what I could see, individuals in the crowd who were determined to confront police were "true to their vow." After members of the Poor People's March (pretty much) retreated with their metaphorical tail between their legs from the steel barricade, unable to get any closer to XCel Energy Center, the march wound its way back toward Mickey's Diner. A contingent of individuals broke off and stayed in front of Mickey's, chanting (among many other things) "Free Mickey's Diner." (You can just barely see a dark figure in the photo above...that's a police officer in riot gear sitting in front of the neon sign. Seeing it live was...surreal)

The nexus of the Poor People's March--with its older folks, kids in strollers, etc.--was several blocks away from Mickey's when the rest of the protesters allegedly did whatever it was that set off the police--danced too hard, let slip a few cutting anti-authoritarian remarks, whatever--and police let loose with tear gas, smoke bombs, flash bang grenades.

Here's video I shot, though it mostly shows my running feet.

Here is a much better video which really captures the mayhem and the fact the police tear gassed protesters who were in full retreat.