A blow-by-blow account of the "police movement" (Major Burden's description) through Downtown between 3:45 and 5 p.m. Thursday. Plus some comments to place the overall situation in context.
An early Thursday morning assault on non-violent protestors was the first of several ominous signs that Miami officials would be aggressive in « cracking down » during protests against the Free Trade Area of the Americas. While there had been a heavy police presence all week, incidents of police misconduct had been relatively minor.
Another bad sign: officials had closed off public transit to downtown, shutting down the People Mover system and all bus traffic, limiting ways in and out of the area..
But after a peaceful, uneventful parade by the AFL-CIO through central Miami, things seemed to calm down. Police moved their cordon back two full blocks to First Street and Biscayne and much of Biscayne Avenue near Bayfront Park had a carnival atmosphere, with people talking in small groups. It was to prove the calm before the storm.
At 3:44 p.m, a group of approximately 200 activists, mostly students, started marching towards the police line at 1st Street. They were led by several young men with large drums. The marchers were were quickly followed by several dozen journalists.
Once marchers reached the police line, they drummed and chanted for approximately five minutes before a police official gave a warning, stating « As long as the demonstration is peaceful, you will be allowed to demonstrate. If there is violence, the demonstration will end immediately. » After a few more minutes, the protest appeared to be winding down, as most activists recognized police were growing increasingly tense. But before they had an opportunity to leave, police suddenly moved forward in an aggressive fashion. Several young people were pepper-sprayed, and all those in front of the police line scattered rapidly north on Biscayne Avenue. Police stopped after a few hundred feet, as the crowd waited roughly a block north. After a few minutes, police began firing tear gas canisters and rubber bullets. It was the first of several volleys along Biscayne Avenue that had crowds fleeing each time the police moved forward. At that point, I saw Milwaukee labor activist Gerald Gunderson. He had been hit by rubber bullets several times as he helped someone who had been knocked to the ground in the panic and confusion.
Despite the name, « rubber bullets » are about the size of a quarter and as thick as a hockey puck.
Right before police reached the corner of Third and Biscayne, a lone woman in a red dress carrying a sign reading « Fear Totalitarianism. Another Administration » marched bravely before a huge line of officers. The police started to march down Third Street at 4:25 p.m., in the same move-stay advance technique. By 4:30, they were at the intersection of Third Street and NE Second Avenue, just east of Dade County Community College. At that point, a police officer directly threatened the crowd of reporters covering police actions, shouting « You're done! Either get out or get in the mix! »
As dozens of officers occupied the corner, Third Street turned into a virtual police shooting gallery, with crowds screaming and running in absolute terror amidst choking clouds of tear gas. It is by sheer luck that I was not wounded.
When they reached Miami Avenue, the police turned north and were under the College North people mover station by 4:45. By that point, the remaining crowd consisted primarily of members of the press, legal observers and medics. Police instructed people to leave the area, but left only one exit exit open - north on Miami Avenue.
As we reached Seventh and Miami, an African-American homeless man shouted « The white people are running! » - apparently a clear sign that things were out of control. At the next corner, police blocked all exits, forcing crowds down Eighth Street.
In the block between First and Second, officers marched in two-by-two formation down the middle of the street. The only protestors present were Gunderson and fellow Milwaukeean Kelly Lundeen. At the corner near the Miami Arena, police barricades blocked traffic. I had a photographer from the Miami Herald take a picture of me with the police line in the background. The next picture of me was taken by Broward County Sheriff's Deputies. Gunderson, Lundeen and I were arrested as we were attempted to leave the area.
Numerous signs indicate this surging black wave of chaotic violence was not simply overzealous police who over-reacted, but an organized strategy to crack down on dissent. Police carefully herded demonstrators to areas they wanted them to go, and once they were isolated, arrested them. The clearest sign that Thursday's repression was planned was Miami's hiring of John Timoney as Police Chief. Timoney had become infamous in Philadelphia for his brutal repression of protestors during the 2000 Republican Convention. Miami was selected as the site of the FTAA ministerial during a conference in Quito in November, 2002; Timoney was hired in December. Shortly afterwards, Miami purchased a large liability policy for the police force.
They will need it. The National Lawyers Guild and American Civil Liberties Union have begun steps to file a class-action lawsuit against Florida authorities.