Anti-Capitalist Bloc Actions and Shepard Road Mass Arrests, 9/1/08: photos

About 3:30pm CST, a tense stand-off with police occured at a perimeter gate at Kellogg and Mulberry where police donned gas masks in anticipation of attacking the bloc, but backed off when the bloc moved on to cross a pedestrian bridge over I-35E and headed towards the Mississippi River on the other side of the Xcel center. Once on Shepard Road, the block moved northeast on sidewalks by the river. As the bloc approached Jackson Street, police, and what appeared to be Minnesota National Guard, began to attack the bloc with tear gas, bean bags, concussion grenades, and colored smoke bombs/clothes markers. Many people were injured as a result of the attack. As the bloc retreated southwest, back down Shepard Street, away from the advancing and attacking cops, another line of cops moved in slowly from the south to kettle the group and prevent any exit. From there, police slowly reinforced the ring around the bloc. Seemingly randomly, or perhaps attempting to release people who appeared to be bystanders to the events unfolding on the waterfront, police released perhaps two thirds of the detainees in batches of 20-30 people and then proceeded to arrest maybe 100 others.

The photos here include the early parts of the Anti-Capitalist Bloc actions, about 2:30pm, as the permitted march was winding down in downtown St. Paul, and photos from about 5:30-6:30pm of the mass arrests after the police attack. Video from the entire action, including the police attack, will be forthcoming...