A Tough Week: Mayor Chris Coleman on the RNC

[MichaelCavlan]

Mayor Coleman, Mayor RT Ryback in Minneapolis and the entire "progressive" members of the St Paul and Minneapolis City Councils ALL gave the police the ability to do this.

However, those who know this were kept out of this.

This event is just as scripted, with no dissenting voices allowed, as a George Bush Rally.

Coleman, RT Ryback and the other elected officials are guilty, complicit collaborators in the police brutality.

[Mild816]

We can beat you with less-lethal St. Paul weapons

[Silberdachs]

Republicans - beyond hypocrisy, beneath contempt.

[GarrettDoyle]

He speaks like a robot.. But yeah it was like the 1960's again it was disrespectful of the cops

[wizann39]

I too, believe the bible thumping, right wing conversatives spit in the face of God and St. Paul himself, by orchestrating such a HATEFUL RNC. My stepfather has always spoken so highly of St Paul Minnesota... he died in May 2008 and I'm certain he shed a tear with you and me when the RNC ripped the veil off of their party in your city. I feel your pain.

[GretchenDawntreader]

this guy is justifying it all by saying "well there were some troublemakers" but there are videos on YT of people who were attacked and teargassed without provocation, or at least without enough to justify full on violent suppressive action. Plus, they arrested people and groups coming to the city to protest or organize, before anything even happened.

So this guy can say "we were responding to violence" but that's crap. Government was on the offensive before the convention even started.

[keithwhitmer]

People were angry. Gee I wonder why?

[moreaudan]

Preventative strike is the Bush doctrine.

Preventing terror by creating it.

[chaplinfan48]

cops dressed as protestors....prove it. (And not with some internet rumor you heard)

[JOTTjakoff]

Do be too quick to brush that off, when I marched in Denver I certainly felt that under cover presence, and its not all that hard to believe. Cops do it everyday in undercover cars and uniforms, why not during protest. Also how would you prove such an experience when they are holding all the cards?

[aphexmandelbrot]

You wait for someone to notice that the anarchists are, for some reason, wearing St. Paul Police riot-gear boots.

That's what it took at G8.

[chaplinfan48]

MOST of the protestors were intelligent enough to know that violence accomplishes nothing.The stupid "anarchists" using violence are no better than shrub and Mcinsane using violence. Not that the cops weren't heavy handed, because they WERE, but if people don't start trouble, trouble usually won't come your way.

[EmelinaChaCha]

He let fear of the unknown dictate how his police squads will act. It's wrong and he should admit being wrong instead of promising a lengthy investigation. He allowed his city to turn into a police state for a few days. I hope this man is voted out of office to show the next mayor what is not acceptable in America.

[2tsaybow]

I doubt that Amy Goodman was causing violence. I doubt that you are telling the truth.

[jsfumato]

The powers that be DO NOT hear peaceful protest !fuck peaceful protest! the only thing that they understand ,the only language they speak is violence....the only way to make a difference is to burn this mutha fucker down.and start over.

The system is eating its self

[entoncesminnesota]

As a resident of St Paul, I don't think I can support his reelection. He was too quick to go along with the display and use of superforce riot cops. He doesn't seem very concerned about the civil rights that were pretty much suspended that week.

[snarkwaupaca]

Why didn't it happen at the DNC. Because the RNC loves beating the heads of "hippies". Ask Rush.

[sevadaj]

How about Investigating the reasons why the cops were going to people's houses who were going to protest and arresting them. Can you say fascist police?

[EmelinaChaCha]

ya, I have to agree that the pre-arrests are outrageous.

[medhue]

What a joke. F...ing politicians. Photo op. I wonder how many people were not allowed in that building that he spoke, so not to interupt his speech. And yes the cops were the 1's dressed as protester inciting riots. Its happening everywhere. In Canada, 3 cops were pointed out by lawyers in a protest. They had the riot cops take them away. Then later the city admitted they were cops only there to help,lol. They wore masks and were holding rocks when they were caught.

[rataMacue22]

Ya know, maybe if the politicians would LISTEN to what the protesters have to say instead of hiding their faces, maybe then people wouldn't resort to violence. Maybe if people knew their voices were being HEARD and RECOGNIZED they wouldn't feel like there is no other means than violence.

Fuck the politicians - They care not about the people they serve.

[nasanction]

Wasn't it in St. Paul that the police were found disguised as protesters trying to insight a riot? I wonder how many times this has happened, that we are not aware of...

[Clockworkforest]

Bush doctrine: preemptive strike on protesters who MIGHT be violent.

[sachaput]

It's never the police or elected officials. It's always mysterious 'anarchists', but it seems to be peaceful protesters and reporters/journalists who get arrested and beaten. Curious!

[ho2cultcha]

coleman is going to have his hands full in restoring our faith in st paul. i wish he would denounce what happened more demonstrably. my faith in the twin cities was shattered that day. those bastards did take it from us, and what they did was so much worse than any of the demonstrators. this needs to be said UNEQUIVOCALLY!

[BayerLexan]

Wow, they where surprised people would be upset, after enduring a dictatorship for 8 long grueling years? Usually when people are victimized by their government they tend to rebel against those in it.

[gamoonbat]

The SWAT teams and Riot Police were out from Day 1 and earlier. This is a load of crap!

[Visfen]

Yeah, even I know that... watching it from Sweden. This is bullshit, authoritarian pigs. Fuck 'em

[JohnRaytheon]

another useless TPM video on youtube ...zzz