For G-20, Pittsburgh became a police state Philadelphia Enquirer 9/30

[autorank]

http://tinyurl.com/yz7l32c">Philadelphia Inquirer

Massive force routed cherished constitutional values.
By Steve Hallock

The world economy may or may not have emerged stronger from last week's G-20 summit in Pittsburgh. And the first non-capital city to host the summit enjoyed the public-relations boon of showcasing its Phoenix-like rise from the ashes of the steel industry. But the Constitution took a hit.

Government officials decided a massive, preemptive police presence was necessary to avoid the raucous demonstrations that marred past economic summits. They established a virtual police state that quickly extinguished any spark of dissent, and a federal court ruling gave them free rein to do so.

To begin with, there was an oxymoronic requirement that groups get permits to march and demonstrate during the summit. Requiring citizens to obtain permission to gather, let alone speak, violates the spirit of the First Amendment.

But even demonstrators who had permission faced zealous intimidation. It started during the first demonstrations of the week, before the summit commenced. Police delayed one properly credentialed march and denied another group access to a public bypass.

Link: http://tinyurl.com/yz7l32c

Also see: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6657026

[autorank]

1. Video - "Who do you work for?"

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63635832

[autorank]

2. The G-20 Announces the "New World Order"

http://www.inteldaily.com/news/172/ARTICLE/11999/2009-09-29.html

[Seldona]

3. Figures they would use German Shepards.

How apt.

[autorank]

4. You just prompted this criterion

We'll know they're really serious and don't give a damn when they show up with rottweilers (from
the Omen;)

[Seldona]

5. They have a long history of involvment with warfare.

We even had a German Shepard program in Vietnam. Those dogs are credited with saving a lot of lives, though I am sure the last place you wanted to be was on the business end of that snout. They were for military use.

What's next, Bull Mastiffs? Sheesh!

[wisteria]

6. My daughter attends the University of Pittsburgh and told me she was more afraid of the police

than the protesters who she had been warned about by school officials. Police were shipped in from the Philadelphia area also to provide protection. However, in fairness to the police, they may have over reacted, but they did not want a repeat of Britain's situation.