BEATEN COP, "VIOLENT" PROTESTERS

I did a bit of Googling on the New York cop who was beaten during the RNC protests that I mentioned yesterday, and found that there was some context left out. From the Star-Ledger in New Jersey:

Police arrest 900 across Manhattan

Late last night, authorities made more arrests near the park, sealing off a nearby block to prevent an influx of demonstrators and bathing the street in bright light, provided by portable spotlights. Police managed to clear the park before 11 p.m., sending knots of people into the night.

Among those charged, authorities said, was a 19-year-old East Harlem man who had been captured on videotape Monday as he punched and kicked a police detective on Eighth Avenue. The officer, beaten unconscious in the attack, remained hospitalized in stable condition yesterday.

Click here for more on the mass arrests.

I'm still holding out judgment on whether this act was precipitated by the police, but from the small amount of information available, it sounds like this "19-year-old East Harlem man" may not have even been a protester. Just some thug out to enjoy the festivities. Don't get me wrong; it's awful that this cop was beaten, but I would be very surprised, indeed, if the guy that did it was actually a protester.

Of course, the right wing is taking this as evidence that all the "violent protester" rhetoric being slung around before the convention was on the level. Figures.

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