What I saw at the inauguration

[More Than A Feeling]

I was at the checkpoint at 7th and D street, and about 1:30 or so, a group of anarchists marched down D street towards the crowd to get in. They were throwing snowballs (which I thought at first were rolled up t shirts like at a basketball game) and bamboo sticks. When the cops moved to intercept them, one guy threw a orange security cone at the cops. At that point the pepper spray and nightsticks came out, and police reinforcements drove up in their cop cars. They pushed the protesters down the street and around the corner. Then motorcycle cops rode up and established a security cordon that cut the crowd waiting to get in in half. I ended up on the side closer to the entrance.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. and that is how you avoid a riot

they did what training told them to do... not justifying cops, but the anarchists were probably hoping for more of a reaction

[candy]

2. Sounds like it was handled quite well.

[burn the bush]

3. well that security cone didn't provide much security

I'm all for a little civil disobedience, however throwing crap at cops is almost never a good idea. I would rather that we use our dissident status for better causes. Sounds like they were looking for trouble and found it.

[KT2000]

4. anarchists are such idiots

they made a mess at the Seattle WTO protest and everyone else had to pay the price. Smashed windows and other property damage. They don't even have a point other than to be asses and incite confrontation.

[Red State Rebel]

5. I thought about that whe it happened.

Seattle is a good strong Liberal area, why would they be so stupid as to cause so much damage there?

I have no use for anarchists. It's one thing to stand for something and protest, it's another thing to stand for nothing but being destructive.