Protesters Say Miami Police Overreacted

[Socialist Christian]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=533&ncid=533&e=3&u=/ap/20031121/ap_on_re_us/trade_talks_police_force

<snip>
MIAMI - Police were accused Friday of overreacting and using excessive force in clashes with demonstrators at this week's trade talks.
Police defended their actions, saying

Police defended their actions, saying Miami averted the kind of widespread violence that rocked the World Trade Organization (news - web sites) meeting in Seattle in 1999. Seattle was hit with five days of rioting that caused millions in damage.


"All you have to do is look at the videotapes from Seattle and realize the potential for destruction," Lt. Bill Schwartz said.


On Thursday, as trade ministers from 34 countries drafted a blueprint for free trade in the Western Hemisphere, demonstrators threw water bottles and other objects at officers, set fires in the street and used slingshots against police. Riot police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, batons, concussion grenades and stun guns

[tkulesa]

1. I come from a family that cheers the cops

and hopes that protesters get beaten to a pulp. Unfortunately, they usually have a lot to cheer about.

It's a damned shame that cops can beat peaceful protesters, blame it on non-existent violence and get away with it.

Where's the justice?

[Eochaidh]

2. wear kevlar,

bring a lexan shield, and hope for the best.

[Nlighten1]

5. Welcome to DU

Unfortunately you are right.

[Scott Lee]

6. They're making that illegal

Nice, eh? Soon it will be illegal to defend yourself from the jackboots.

Arbeit macht frei.

[0rganism]

3. There's enough evidence for a class action lawsuit, IMHO

The Miami cops were totally out of line, and shooting the press guys with the cameras and mics is NOT the smartest thing they ever did. Made the Portland police look well behaved, by comparison.

[Mika]

4. I agree

There were some small skirmishes in Miami by comparison. If there were any serious shit kickers at the Miami protests then we would have seen (well.. maybe we wouldn't have seen it on TV) what the Miami/Miami-Dade cops can really do.