From the Palm Beach Post:
(snip) Two AFL-CIO executives said they were pepper-sprayed and shot with rubber bullets as they did nothing more than try to help senior citizens onto a bus on Biscayne Boulevard.
Thea Lee, the AFL-CIO's chief international economist, said she and Marilyn Sneiderman, the AFL-CIO's field operations director, were caught between two lines of advancing police in black riot gear. Lee was sprayed with pepper spray, while Sneiderman said she was hit twice in the arm with rubber bullets.
"It was just a terrifying experience," Lee said. "There was nobody in the crowd who was in any way defying the police."
The situation was tense from the outset on Thursday, when police squared off with demonstrators at 6:30 a.m. during an unauthorized march at the entrance to the downtown area.
SWAT teams in riot gear detained about 100 of the demonstrators for about 90 minutes in front of Miami police headquarters after promising them they could proceed.
"Get out the Tasers!" ordered one officer as dozens of police, some carrying 3-foot wooden bats, surrounded the group.
"Are you crazy? Are you insane?" a protester yelled back at the officer who made the order before other demonstrators pulled him back. (snip/...)
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/friday/news_f3db890fd6c151eb001d.html~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Miami clash a lesson for city, GOP (Originally published on November 27, 2003)
You probably haven't heard much about the violence that erupted in Miami last week.
However, labor and civil rights leaders already are calling the Miami events a dangerous turning point in government repression of legitimate dissent.
And New Yorkers should be paying attention, especially Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
Our city will host the Republican National Convention next Aug. 30-Sept. 2, and the gathering is sure to attract throngs of protesters.
City leaders should start examining what happened in Miami to make sure it's not repeated here - because something definitely went wrong down there. (snip/...)
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/140555p-124697c.html