"Show me what a police state looks like!"

I got back from Pittsburgh, and it has sobered my ideas of American Democracy.

On this permitted "PEACE MARCH" there were officers in riot gear carrying batons and tear gas lining the entire (over 5 mile) route. There were children on this march who now understand that the police are not our friends.

Officers came from as far as Alabama to take part and tried to provoke the marchers, but we would not be provoked. Even the militant anarchists agreed to behave themselves, and did.

We were there to protest the direction the participants in the G-20 summit were taking the world. Some were there to protest capitalism, others were anti-war, while others advocated for environmental sustainability, but no one was in the mood to "start something." This wasn't the time.

The police didn't like that. Under the auspices of a free concert, the police rounded up over 100 potential attendees, and arrested them, many are still unaccounted for.

I read in the local paper that authorities expected protests to be as far as Pittsburgh Airport. The airport is very far. IF they had bothered to ask the people planning the protest, they would have known no one was interested in that.

We simply want to exercise our first amendments rights and apparently the authorities don't like that.

Visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/40256030@N08/ for more photos.

Update on G-20

Today there was a non-permited march.

PITTSBURGH - Police threw canisters of pepper spray and smoke at anarchists protesting the Group of 20 summit Thursday after the marchers responded to calls to disperse by rolling trash bins and throwing rocks.

The march turned chaotic at just about the same time that President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle arrived for a meeting with leaders of the world's major economies
Read it all...

G-20

For those of you who don't know, the G-20 (Group of 20) Summit is taking place this weekend in Pittsburgh, PA. This is a group of the world's 20 largest economies getting together to discuss economic issues. There was a "People's Summit" in Pittsburgh last weekend and people have been gathering all week to draw attention to the summit and to show to the leaders that we have been paying attention, and we know capitalism doesn't work!

While I'm sure that very little media will be paying attention to these actions and demonstrations, you can keep up to date on a variety of sources, including:
http://resistg20.org/
http://www.guardian.co.uk
www.g20pittsburghsummit.org/
www.huffingtonpost.com/
http://www.organizepittsburgh.org/ (not advocating their stance)

There will be a variety of other outlets as well I am sure.

I'm back

I have a job, I have an apartment. My life is very different, but I think it's returning to life.

I'm still settling in, but I should be back in action.