Mudflats (the go-to blog for Alaska politics):

Never, have I seen anything like it in my 17 and a half years living in Anchorage. The organizers had someone walk the rally with a counter, and they clicked off well over 1400 people (not including the 90 counter-demonstrators). This was the biggest political rally ever, in the history of the state. I was absolutely stunned. The second most amazing thing is how many people honked and gave the thumbs up as they drove by. And even those that didn’t honk looked wide-eyed and awe-struck at the huge crowd that was growing by the minute. This just doesn’t happen here.

So, if you’ve been doing the math… Yes. The Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was significantly bigger than Palin’s rally that got all the national media coverage! So take heart, sit back, and enjoy...Sarah Palin most definitely does not speak for all Alaskans.

There's a photo gallery (with some great signs) here, and a video of the crowd below.

The Guardian UK:  (h/t uglycasonova)

After police banned them from playing a political rally in Minnesota yesterday, Rage Against the Machine whipped out the loudspeaker and went a cappella.

The band's original plan was to play an impromptu gig at left-wing rally Ripple Effect. Sadly, the police had other ideas, leaving Zack de la Rocha to address some angry fans.

"Rage Against the Machine is a band that has never, ever advocated violence," he, er, rages. "We've always advocated a direct opposition to unjust wars like the one started by John McCain and the Republicans and Bush and all of them."

He continues: "Why the F@#% are these cops so afraid of us? Are they afraid of us?"

I showed this video to our C&L team and BillW could not say enough how much he loved it.  It's terrible to me that the larger story of how the police have acted -- or have been directed to act -- has gone mostly unreported in the traditional media, becaue it really does exemplify the tenuous grasp on basic civil rights that most Republicans seem to possess.

A St. Paul police officer who was dragging an alleged protester down the street was jumped from behind by what I'm assuming is another protester. The officer quickly sprays the surrounding onlookers who are not involved in the incident and is forced to retreat and loses both men in the process.  The angle of the video doesn't show what the alleged protester had done to prompt the officer to drag him down the street.

Note:  In posting this video I am not advocating attacks on police, or violence of any kind. But as I heard someone  say yesterday, the Denver police prepared for protests, the St. Paul police prepared for the Apocalypse.  Glenn Greenwald and Jane Hamsher have been documenting the searches and seizures on peace groups. And the Minnesota Independent documents a 17 year old peace protester and community organizer who was beaten and pepper sprayed by the St. Paul police. 

Glenn Greenwald reports:

Beginning last night, St. Paul was the most militarized I have ever seen an American city be, even more so than Manhattan in the week of 9/11 -- with troops of federal, state and local law enforcement agents marching around with riot gear, machine guns, and tear gas canisters, shouting military chants and marching in military formations. Humvees and law enforcement officers with rifles were posted on various buildings and balconies. Numerous protesters and observers were tear gassed and injured.

... Perhaps most extraordinarily, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now -- the radio and TV broadcaster who has been a working journalist for close to 20 years -- was arrested on the street and charged with "conspiracy to riot." Audio of her arrest, which truly shocked and angered the crowd of observers, is here. I just attended a Press Conference with St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Police Chief John M. Harrington and -- after they boasted of how "restrained" their police actions were -- asked about the journalists and lawyers who had been detained and/or arrested both today and over the weekend. They said they wouldn't give any information about journalists who had been arrested today, though they said they believed that "one journalist" had been, and that she "was a participant in the riots, not simply a non-participant."

Tear gas has also been used.

Do you think maybe that events in St. Paul would have gotten more attention already if we weren't all distracted by the Palin circus show?

Update: Amy has been released, but her two producers, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar, are still being held.

"I was down on the convention floor interviewing delegates when I heard that two of our producers had been arrested," said Goodman. "I ran down to Jackson and 7th Street, where the police had moved in."

Goodman said that when she ran up to find out what was going on, she was also arrested.

"They seriously manhandled me and handcuffed my hands behind my back. The top ID [at the convention] is to get on the floor and the Secret Service ripped that off me. I had my Democracy Now! ID too. I was clearly a reporter."

Goodman, who was released after being charged with a misdemeanor, said that Salazar had been hurt in the face, while Kouddous had been thrown up against a wall and hurt his elbow.

"Nicole told me that as they moved in on three sides, she asked them 'How do I get away from this?' and they jumped on her."

Both Kouddous and Salazar could be held for up to 36 hours.

"One of the police kept shouting at me 'Shut up, shut up," she said. "It was extremely threatening."

Update 2: Democracy Now! reports that both Kouddous and Salazar have now been released too. (H/t Kat)

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Glenn Greenwald:

Protesters here in Minneapolis have been targeted by a series of highly intimidating, sweeping police raids across the city, involving teams of 25-30 officers in riot gear, with semi-automatic weapons drawn, entering homes of those suspected of planning protests, handcuffing and forcing them to lay on the floor, while law enforcement officers searched the homes, seizing computers, journals, and political pamphlets. Last night, members of the St. Paul police department and the Ramsey County sheriff's department handcuffed, photographed and detained dozens of people meeting at a public venue to plan a demonstration, charging them with no crime other than "fire code violations..."

If this wasn't so despicable, unconstitutional, and downright fascist, it would be funny.  Cops circling a place called Seeds of Peace?  Raiding so-called "hippie houses"?   If the cops wanted to know what was going on with RNC protesters, they could have checked the website.   When a guy from the National Lawyers Guild reads the charges, people can't help but laugh:

Videos from Veracifier/Talking Points Memo.  

Firedoglake notes the mainstream media silence....

Twincities Indymedia is following with a live feed of updates.

More updates:  The Dirty Hippies are suing to stop confiscations of cell phones and cameras among protesters... Um, is there a publicity department for the Ramsey County MN Sheriff’s Office?  We think not.  

I'm of two minds about these protesters, but the coverage of them on FOX is hi-damn-larious.   It is to seriously giggle.  They clearly did not expect to see the vitriol towards Pravda, er...FOX News from the "far left" protesters (why are all Democrats "far left" in FNC's eyes?  Do they think that moderates stay home or just don't exist?), or they wouldn't have sent relative newbie Griff Jenkins (gawd, if that doesn't sound like a frat boy, I don't know what does) out amongst the riff-raff to ask them if they believe in freedom (of speech).  Dude, they're protesting.  That IS exercising their freedom of speech.  That they choose not to validate the Republican Party's official propaganda arm isn't exactly ignoring freedom of speech.

Griff is shocked--shocked, I tell you!--that there could actually be people protesting at the Democratic National Convention who might not support Obama (because aren't all Democrats lemmings like the unquestioning party-over-country Republicans?), even though he acknowledges that the protest includes Green Party Presidential Candidate Cynthia McKinney and her supporters.  Critical thinking skills are obviously not a job qualification for a FOX on-air personality.  In fact, it probably helps if you don't have any.

And to be fair--as much as I hate to be--to FOX, I'm not sure how well these protesters come off.  I personally stopped going to anti-war protests because the message seemed to get more and more diluted by those who brought their own agendas (including those who just got off on being anarchists).   As Will Rogers famously said, "I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat!" and there's clearly some truth to that viewing the protests.

Speaking of protests, Howie Klein of DownWithTyranny just told me about a fabulous one:

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BlogSchmog:

How to get deported in three easy steps. First, go to China. Second, take footage of protesters in Tiananmen Square. Third, put footage up on Qik.[..]

Noel Hidalgo-(a.k.a. Noneck) an activist I once met online in 2006 while attending RootsCamp in Second Life-had a camera as he walked through Tiananmen Square and happened upon some people protesting the human rights violations in Tibet. He wound up on a plane back to the States. Fortunately, Noneck twitters:

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Last week I linked to an op-ed by Jon Voight with the caveat that I generally don't really care about the opinions of celebrities.  Today, I want you to meet one of the few exceptions to my rule: Mike Farrell.  I had the honor of meeting Mike at a death penalty protest several years ago and he truly does walk the walk of his values and there's no way to do anything but respect him for that and for the dignity he brings to activism and this important topic.  He and his friend Don McCartin contributed this op-ed, originally in the LA Daily News, but here for you from Truthdig: 

We are an unlikely pair-not "The Odd Couple," but close. Forty-five years ago, one was a successful lawyer practicing in Orange County, the other an aspiring actor living there because his new wife taught at Laguna Beach High School.

The lawyer had lawsuits to handle, papers to be filed, people to be found, summonses and subpoenas to be served.

The actor, unable to count on work in show business, ran an attorney service that took care of the lawyer's business.

Both former Marines, we thus knew each other, if casually, for years.

Two decades later, the lawyer, then a judge of the Superior Court, had sentenced more men to death than any other in his jurisdiction. He was known as "the hanging judge of Orange County."

The actor had gotten lucky, becoming a member of the cast of "M*A*S*H," one of the nation's most beloved TV shows, and was an ardent and outspoken opponent of the death penalty.

Today, while coming at it from vastly different perspectives, the now-retired "hanging judge" and the actor, who chairs Death Penalty Focus, find themselves working together again, this time to close California's death chamber.

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(sorry, I just love that picture)

Reuters:

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Four peace activists were arrested on Friday as they attempted to make a "citizens arrest" of Karl Rove, who was one of President George W. Bush's top aides before leaving the administration last year.

"It should be Karl Rove in that van. War Criminal!" one of a dozen protestors shouted as the four were put into a police van outside a Des Moines country club where Rove spoke at a private state Republican party fundraiser.

Chet Guinn, a retired Methodist Minister, was among those led away.

"To be silent when major crimes are being committed against all humanity makes us accomplices," Gwinn told reporters just before his prearranged arrest, which took place when protestors stepped past a gate.

Such is the life of current and former Bush loyalists responsible for so much damage to our country and the world. Auckland police are warning a students group against their $5000 offer to anyone who can carry out a citizens arrest on Condoleeza Rice and who can forget Donald Rumsfeld's close call in France last October when he abruptly fled to Germany after learning he could be detained by French officials and forced to stand trial on charges he approved torture. 

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Charlotteville Daily Progress: 

While thousands flocked to hear President Bush speak at Monticello on Friday morning, Dana Palmer stood by the side of Route 20 dressed like Lady Liberty to teach her kids a lesson in free speech.

Palmer, her husband and their two children were among more than 100 people to protest Bush's visit to Monticello with homemade signs, costumes, expressive T-shirts and their voices.

Palmer wore bright green robes, a foam crown and had her face painted white to represent "the death of liberty," while her husband, dressed in black, was "Darth Cheney." Palmer, a Charlottesville resident, brought her son and daughter to see the First Amendment in action. "What better thing can I teach them about free speech than bringing them out here to show them free speech?" she said.

Protesters started arriving around 6 a.m. in Quarry Park, a mile from the Monticello Visitor's Center, and their numbers grew through the morning.

The earliest to arrive stood at the entrance to Quarry Road on Route 20, but moved nearer the visitors' center to make their views known to drivers, bus passengers going to the naturalization ceremony and eventually Bush's motorcade.

Most people held up signs of their own creation with messages including, "Healthcare Not Warfare," "Save The Bill of Rights" and "Who Would Jesus Bomb?"[..]

The protesters included members of CODE PINK Women for Peace, the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice, the Charlottesville Democratic Party, and Web sites moveon.org and afterdowningstreet.org.

Sarah Lanzman, an organizer and Center for Peace member, said the protest was about protecting the Constitution from what she described as attacks by Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

"We don't want to hurt the ceremony for the new immigrants," Lanzman said. "We just want to state our constitutional right that someone who has destroyed our Constitution should not be at the home of a president who initiated it. ... That seems very disrespectful to the memory of Thomas Jefferson."

MSNBC was covering John McCain's speech in front of a Latino conference this morning when he was interrupted by two anti-war protesters. (at about the 1:10 mark) MSNBC's Alex Witt, while speaking off the cuff during a live event, mischaracterized the women as "hecklers."

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Protester: "Your silence is consent to war crimes!"

McCain has been met with protest before in this campaign and it won't be last time he hears strong opposition from the American people on his war. He likes to talk about the freedoms our troops provide us, but on the Straight Talk Express, free speech is limited to those who agree with him and President Bush. Also note how McCain states that he didn't learn to love the United States until he went to Viet Nam.

(click to enlarge)

Well, well, well, a Bush protest at Furman University. And he talks about of all things---redemption.

WaPo:

Delivering the final commencement address of his tenure, President Bush told supporters and protesters at Furman University here Saturday that he was far from "a model citizen" when he left college but that "it is never too late to recover and get back on track."

How many jokes could be written about this?

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Although he received a warm welcome, Bush's visit was preceded by controversy as more than 200 faculty and students signed a letter objecting to his policies on the Iraq war, detentions and other issues. A conservative group responded with its own, larger list of signatories, and said the protesters were being disrespectful of the presidency and of graduating seniors.

Several dozen protesters greeted Bush's arrival outside the stadium Saturday, and a group of 14 faculty members stood during Bush's speech while wearing white T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase "WE OBJECT."

Bush made a joking reference to the protests, telling the audience: "I, too, am a strong believer in free speech. And to prove it, I'm about to give you one."...read on

As John McCain was speaking at the Cable Center at the University of Denver, giving a speech on foreign policy issues, including nukes---war protesters shouted, "endless war, endless war," and I believe, "end this war, end this war, "causing him to pause his speech a few times...His supporters then started to yell John McCain...

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McCain: Forty five years ago, President John F Kennedy asked the American people to imagine, what the world would look like if Nuclear weapons spread beyond the few powers that then held them. To the many other nations that sought them. Stop and think for a moment he said, what it would mean to have nuclear weapons in so many hands large and small...

Protester: Endless war, endless war, Endless war, endless war.... end this war, end this war...

Crowd: John McCain, John McCain.

McCain: You know ahhh, it's not too important, but I have town hall meetings all the time, I'll be having one tomorrow where people are allowed to come and state their views and we exchange them and the one thing we don't do is interfere with other people's right to free speech, but that doesn't seem to be the case with these people

Weren't these people exercising their right to free speech, Mr McCain? It happened a total of four times from what I've heard so far... They were removed peacefully. John is proud of the fact that he has town hall meetings and let's people speak---well---he better buckle up. I imagine they'll go to the Bush/Cheney loyalty oath pledges soon enough....McCain actually uses part of a John F. Kennedy speech to try and scare the nation into voting for him...

Wow:

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) made good on its threat to stage a virtual strike on May Day, effectively shutting down all U.S. and Canadian West Coast ports. The one-day “work-stoppage,” said ILWU officials, is to protest the war in Iraq and comes at a time when the union is in the middle of contract talks with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA).

For shippers, however, the event may signal that more trouble lies ahead. “Longshore workers are standing-down on the job and standing up for America,” said ILWU president Bob McEllrath. “We’re supporting the troops and telling politicians in Washington that it’s time to end the war in Iraq.”...read on

There's also a march planned.

On May Day 2008, longshore workers and other trade unionists will join together in a march starting at 10:30 AM at Mason St. & Beach St. and will rally at the Justin Herman Plaza. They will also join with the immigrant rights marchers. At 6:00 PM there will be a potluck at ILWU Local 34 which is located at 2nd St and Embarcadero next to the AT&T ball park.

As the Olympic torch made its way through San Francisco today -- the only US city on the relay schedule -- protests raged as anti- and pro-China demonstrators clashed over Beijing's record on human rights. David Shuster reports for Hardball on all the turmoil, including what some believe to be a veiled threat from President Bush, urging China to start a dialogue with the Dalai Lama.

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