Raw Video From RNC Protests

Tear gas is a wonderful thing:

Local police are using a combination of pepper spray, concussion grenades and tear gas on a group of breakaway protesters gathered on Kellogg Boulevard in downtown St. Paul. The group of about 150 protesters, many thought to be with the group “Funk the War,” had been blocking traffic for much of the afternoon.

At least one person — a young man wearing a gas mask, no shirt and a backpack — was taken into custody. He lay down on the street as a group of officers surrounded him and took him away.

Police also escorted a group of 17 mostly black-clad youth across the Robert St. Bridge in an apparent effort to get them out of downtown.

The comments from the Twin Cities.com article are almost 100% in support of the polices’ actions, and full of disgust for the protesters.

Here’s a sample:

Dear Anarchists,
1. Please shower.
2. Go “home” back to the bridge you crawled out of under, we don’t want you here.
3. Read a newspaper once in a while, you might find out that 99.9% of the **** your bitching about isn’t really true after all.
4. Stop attacking innocent people, stop throwing **** and **** on delegates while they are here – not only is it just flat out rude, but it does nothing but legitimize reasons you shouldn’t be taken seriously.
5. Stop trying to make yourselves look like sweet innocent non-violent protesters. We know that guys are all nuts. You don’t represent either political party, you just want to break things.
6. If you’re so supportive of free speech, you should leave those who aren’t supporting your cause alone. Again, it makes you look more stupid than you already are.
7. Take the masks off, show your faces … you guys are so “hard” yet you have to hide behind a cover – kinda like the KKK! You are equally as crazy as they are.
8. Stop complaining that you have to obey barriers. EVERY RNC/DNC has barriers that you can’t pass. Why is that? So people like you nut jobs can’t to get elected officials and REALLY cause harm.
9. Read #2 again. St. Paul doesn’t want you in our city. Losers.