Liveblogging today's riots in St Paul

From the Minnesota Independent:

7:31: Riot police have charged the crowd, scattering the crowd, tackling one person. People tripping. Crowd chanting, “Let them go!”

7:35: Overheard by an onlooker: “I’ve been a St. Paul guy forever. This is TIME Magazine shit!”

7:42: Marchers are now on the move again, heading towards John Ireland, but east of the site of the original standoff.

7:43: Marching down the median on John Ireland, the automatic sprinklers just turned on, startling everyone. (Sprinkler hiss sounds a lot like pepperspray being sprayed… Also, it’s wet.) Marchers skipping through the sprinklers. No cops nearby.

7:47: Bike police buzzing past to head off march line overshot as marchers turn. Protesters are going down the I-94 onramp. Bike police in pursuit, blowing whistles. Crowd ran but gave up trying to beat police. Various scattered groups seem to have reunited in one larger group.

7:51: Riot police showing up in ATVs and vans. Riot police “pouring out of minivans.” Aim of march: to end up at Xcel by the time McCain takes the podium.

7:52: Right turn on Marion, toward Sears. Police look confused, but haven’t yet made an attempt to block the turn.

7:53: Guntzel says that for the first time this week, protesters seem organized and in control, even as they improvise. Cops seem confused and are hustling to catch up.

7:56: Crowd singing “We all live in a fascist police state” to the tune of “We all live in a yellow submarine.”

7:57: Lone SPPD squad car driving the opposite direction of traffic on the other side of the median — the only police presence ahead of the marchers.

7:59: Crowd reaches University and Marion, crosses University, heads toward capitol. Police unable to stop the march.

8:00: Bike police are forming a line on University at Rice, right outside of Greyhound Station.

8:01: Green and blue smoke everywhere. Smoke cannisters being thrown. Tear gas cannisters being exploded. Riot police are here. Guntzel and five other journalists engulfed in smoke.

8:02: Protesters scattered. Only a few people remain, but police are trying to scare them off with smoke bombs.

8:05: Six riot police are firing rifles, likely at protesters who are down an alley. Guntzel just passed an officer with an M-16.

The "riot" is still going on, check it out at the Minnesota Independent

Please note: the only violence is from the police.

Despite some vandalism during the last few days, absolutely the only violence against people in St Paul has been by the Officers of the Law.