WM: The history of Minneapolis is rife with "police" brutality from the land rush forward. Though not called the police or organized into a department, organized thugs in the pay of wealthier men did brutalize and run off poorer settlers who had squatted on the land that is now downtown Mpls. ahead of the Land Rush to be ready for the announcement from the Territorial "congress." Those who wanted to claim reparian rights to the waters of the Mississippi at St. Anthony Falls had plans for those falls.[TB] Having seen nothing that suggests the protesters were doing nothing more than maybe walking down the street and standing around en mass in front of the Federal Courthouse, why were all of the cops there? Were they trying to incite something? Our Police Department seems to have a habit of over reacting to the possibility that something might happen, witness the 10 foot barriers they put up for the ISAG convention a couple of years ago and the streets and skyways they closed for the Police Chiefs convention last year. Can't say that I heard any reports of anyone mugging a cop who came to the convention. Hey, our cops were prepared just in case.
In the thirties, during the cartage haulers strike--the Teamsters--organized or organizable thugs were in the employ of the wealthier men of the city to make trouble. Some died, some were severely injured. Books by Maridel LaSoeur give an interesting perspective.
During the Vietnam War it was the custom of the FBI and police to infiltrate anti-war events and start trouble.
I'm not accusing the Minneapolis police of doing any such thing, but they do know that it's happened before. There is a long history of agents' provocateur in Western history at least. The polices could make the argument that, being aware of that history, they were prepared to squelch whoever started any shenanigans. There are also nut cakes who are drawn to demonstrations in Mpls. and they're a dangerous bunch. Ask the TV camera guys, they keep very careful track of some of them.
WM: This idea got it's full measure of research and a thorough vetting during the Witch Burning Times. It was a "legal" way to strip accused and actual witches of their goods, land, etc. (Not all of Europe was willing to accept Christianity.)Now we have a Governor who essentially wants to bill people for being arrested because the senior management of the Police Department decides to send a bunch of cops to a non-event.
WizardMarks, Central
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