An incredibly brave woman was brutalized by police for standing up to Republicans. Must see video.

Leah Lane has just become a new hero of mine. I don't use the word hero lightly, but on the night of September 4th Leah proved that she is an incredibly courageous woman. She was out protesting against the Republican National Convention in St. Paul when she was brutalized by the police. She was standing in the streets singing “All You Need is Love” in a cloud of tear gas when the police closed in on her. They sprayed her with mace as she sang, and she immediately put her hands up to surrender. She not attempt to resist arrest in any way, and yet the police continued to attack her as she was trying to surrender. They doused her with mace while her hands were in the air, and they hit her repeatedly with their bikes. The police then threw her to the ground and one officer held her head down with his foot so that she couldn't breathe. All of this brutality for the “crime” of singing in the street.

Leah Lane showed tremendous bravery and restraint while the police brutally attacked her, and a local journalist captured it all on tape. Trish Van Pilsum of Fox 9 News in the Twin Cities filmed the entire incident, and she also showed incredible bravery. As she filmed a police officer sprayed mace at her feet to try to intimidate her. They threatened her, but she would not go away. She stood up for her right to freedom of the press by insisting to the officers that she needed to observe the arrest. Her report on Leah's arrest is one of the greatest pieces of journalism that I have ever seen, I strongly encourage everyone to go watch this incredible story at this link. Everyone who has talked with me about television news knows that I am a very tough critic, not too many television journalists have won praise from me. Trish Van Pilsum has earned my highest praise for this story though, this is what journalism is supposed to look like.

This story holds a special place in my heart though, because I was marching with Leah Lane the night that this happened. No, I have never spoken with Leah and I did not personally witness her arrest, in fact I did not even hear about Leah until tonight more than a week after the events. I did write about my own experiences that night however, and you can read about them here.

Please watch Leah's story, and then tell your friends to watch it. Her story needs to be seen by as many people as possible, and I hope she is an inspiration to everyone who watches her video.

liver gets hit with these chemicals.

Thanks for posting and for the links. How quickly the protestor abuse stopped with the antics of Republican McCain and his VP nom.

Unfortunately I can't answer any questions about Leah specifically aside from what you see in the video, I marched with her but aside from that we have had no communication whatsoever. I wish I knew how to get a hold of her to thank her.

It sounded from the video like she was sick for a few days afterward, but is doing better now. Hopefully there are no long term effects though, she was obviously exposed to a large amount of the stuff.

Indicate that she is okay now. She suffered headaches and her skin felt that it was burning. Doesn't mention the effects on the liver. She's young and I suspect as long as she avoids having this happen in the future she probably is okay.

And lots of $$$.

I was a bit perplexed that once again a LOCAL FOX channel did a great job.

As an anti-pesticide nut case, I am always pleased with the LOCAL FOX news - they will bash to bits the notion that the aerial spray "Checkmate" against this light brown apple moth is safe.

Meanwhile the other LOCAL stations interview the most miserable looking anti-pesticide activist you can find, the one going, "Uh-h, I don't know if there's any science proof it's not good, but it can't be good," and then they will interview the most together Corporate scientist they can find.

But the FOX reporter (on the local level) will find the LEGITIMATE scientist with the whole scoop on the issue, and they let him or her have the mike until they make a scientific case against it.

Rupert. Seriously, that reporter should be thanked - a lot for her position.

but she stood her ground. They are just bullies.

I don't understand what is so hard about expecting police to help protect society from the truly bad people who actually seek to do harm instead of brutalizing an 18 yr old girl for the great sin of refusing to comply. Somewhere in Minneapolis there was bound to be some sort of break in, or rape or murder, or rich guy behind a computer bilking someone out of their life savings. Had to be better things to do than brutalizing Leah.

It's not just Minneapolis and it's not just at protests where police are totally out of control. Where I live, they like to stop the rare driver that is out in the car in the middle of the night, accuse them of some minor traffic infraction and then have a little fun. Such as call in other police to rip the car apart supposedly looking for drugs, 30 minutes of hassling to see how far they can push you and hopefully get an arrest out of it, write up 4 or 5 tickets with no basis at all in reality - if tazing, pepper/macing, or beating can be a part of it, all the more fun. The odd thing is, I live in a very stable "bedroom community". We have our problems but these officers should know the difference between a waitress going home from closing up the restaurant and a gang drive by (which hits the news once or twice a year).

What happened to Leah is inexcusable.

Trish Van Pilsum was very brave to keep filming this even as the police threatened her, and we need to let FOX 9 know that we appreciate her reporting. Remember this is a local FOX affiliate, it is not the same as the FOX cable network. We need more journalists who are willing to take on this type of story, and when we do get stories like this we need to thank them for it. It is not very often I ask you to thank the corporate media, but Van Pilsum needs to get some recognition for this story.

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/ContactUs?pageId=5.11

police all over the place. This is truly more than just disturbing, it is criminal behavior.

I hope a lot of people see this video so they recognize how criminal it is. I don't know how anyone could justify the level of brutality the cops used against a person who was doing nothing more than singing in the streets. She clearly did not resist, and there was very clear police brutality. I hope that the police are sued for this big time.

It would have been an untold act of bravery, and we would never know about what really happened. That is why I am encouraging people to write to FOX 9 to thank them for running this story, Trish Van Pilsum gave us a great piece of journalism and now hopefully people will notice and the police will be held accountable.

Remember the people here that defended the police actions and called them justified? It's amazing to me that there are so many Americans that think a police state is a natural consequence to citizen protest.

How would those officers feel is that same behavior was applied to one of their family members?

we are in a very dangerous place now, where the Constitution means nothing to these people who inflict pain on others.

Thanks for providing this story of a very brave young woman and an intrepid reporter.

Recommended.

men who have been given permission to act like that by the courts in this country. The climate of law and order at any expense even when it tramples the constitutional rights of citizens allows this to happen. Those officers would have thousands of like minded citizens rallying behind them, calling her everything but a child of god and probably calling her home and leaving death threats, in a heartbeat were she to file an abuse of power lawsuit against them.

This is why Obama must become president so that the constitution is restored in its full weight to the American people.

during the convention. It showed her from her right side, holding her arms up in a surrender position. The cops were hosing her w/the spray over and over again. Whoever was taking the video was much further away.

Does any else remember this?

Why not just arrest her? She didn't try to run away or do anything to harm them.

This is infuriating in so many ways it's hard to describe. Who was the asshole cop who yelled "Mace her"? Was it a supervisor? Fire his fascist ass. Would he do that to his daughter if she were peacefully protesting?

How about the dickheads who were spraying her point-blank in the face with the mace? You'd think she was a 280lb bodybuilder trying to resist arrest the way they treated her. Our law enforcement system is in very very bad shape when stuff like this happens and there are no repercussions against those cops.

I am normally one who defends police officers when they sometimes overreact in a tense and deadly situation, but this is beyond the pale.

That, and they KNOW they are wrong in the way they are conducting themselves which makes them even more aggressive to cover their ass.

It is intended as institutionalized intimidation. It doesn't matter whether you are cooperative or belligerent; unless you do exactly as they say, they will mace or taze you, as a warning to the rest of the populace to obey.

And, yes, it is (or should be) criminal.

...who I had the same conversation with over a similar incident (and he didn't condone those actions either, merely explained them) when the police line up and move forward like that it's called a "control formation", and you are fucked if you don't do exactly as ordered, no matter how non-aggressive you are.

I commend Leah for her charitable attitude toward the police who brutalized her, but I don't feel the same. Over-the-top responses to protesters have been trending upward for decades, much of it sanctioned by the same agencies that plant provocateurs in the crowds to stir trouble up in the first place. This is how the government turns public opinion against protesters and their message, and it works very well.

She is indeed an inspiration...
And you are inspiring us to aspire...

peace~

Sorry if this may offend but although the police may have been a bit harsh I would not call what was done police brutality. She was parading around in the street alone like a jackass and actually said "are you ready to get arrested" which suggests that was her intention. She got what she wanted in my opinion. Her actions suggest that she was looking for trouble and probably attention. The protest was over, the police were trying to clear the streets to reopen and go home to their families just like everyone else.

And you also believe that while they are surrendering they should be hit with bikes and thrown to the ground and having boot in their face. That is brutality, it is a criminal act by the police. You can not possibly justify that amount of force being used against someone who is not resisting arrest. Do you think this should be done to people who are pulled over for speeding? You are supporting fascism and brutality, there are no other words to describe it. I hope you enjoy the police state.

I said my opinion was going to be unpopular.

Most likely she was not responding to their request for her to lie down which is why they maced her and bumped her with their bikes. She was standing up to the police by doing what she was doing. If she were interested in peace she would have gotten out of the road and gone home like everyone else did after the protest ended instead of getting right up next to the police line and forcing them to act. What are the police supposed to do with someone like that? Sit there and do nothing until she decides on her own to leave, meanwhile the road stays closed and inconveniences everyone. She purposefully put herself in a position to be arrested and treated like a criminal by the police. I feel absolutely no sympathy for her because all that would do is justify her stupidity and quest for attention.

I know you have seen acts of real police brutality, multiple police beating and tasering someone handcuffed on the ground. Why you would waste your time trying to make a case for it in this instance I do not know.

where there's fixed duration.

I suspect you might not understand the concept of "rights" either.

Watch the video, she was not violent in any way and yet she was doused with mace, hit with bikes, thrown to the ground, hit with a baton, and had a boot on her head so she could not breathe. And this is OK with you? It sickens me that anyone could defend this.

I watched it the first time without sound so all I saw was the video. After watching again with sound I have to admit I was incorrect in my assumptions. The police did overstep their bounds here and should have handled it much differently.

without knowing all the facts.

Macing someone from all directions, hitting them with bicycles, stepping on her head when she was already down on the ground. I didn't NEED THE SOUND to see that this was police overstepping their bounds. My feeling is that you probably already formed an opinion before you watched the video...

what an asshat!!



Also, this is another instance of the militarization of the municipal police force. And it's happening everywhere!

Un-American, un-human, unreasonable, and clearly intended to provoke. Seig heil pnutbutr.

Are you implying that deserved a beatdown for being annoying?

beatdown not found:

Repeated macing (minimum: three) at close range (three feet) seems for all intents and purposes, a beat down-- unless of course one so narrowly define "beat-down" to better serve one's own preconceptions...

Thanks,
Jelly

...a mace shower, then, as she is standing, back turned and hands up, they knock her to the pavement, and (according to the report) step on her neck. Not exactly Rodney King, but I'm sure you'd have a different perception were it you. Oh, but I know, it wouldn't be you, right? Hey, if you're not doing anything wrong, then you have nothing to worry about!

be walking by myself in the middle of the street singing love is all you need and saying "are you ready to get arrested".

Attend protest, say what you have to say, go home.

Just admit that's what you're saying and we're done.

that was legitimate police brutality. I hope you can see the difference between that and what happened with this girl.

and that was clearly abuse.

i dont justify or validate. and as long as we have people justifying and validating this behavior police will never know where the line is. they NEED that line and we fail as a society to THEM if we do not clearly show them the line.

you are part of the problem

killing a man for fender bender, as an off duty cop and then not being taken or charged to police station fails ALL police

tasering a man laying on ground 19 times and then excusing it fails the police

tasering a 70 yr old handicapped woman and ignoring fails our police

i am more pro police than you

they took it to abuse, and abuse was not necessary. it really is simple

wow, never knew there was such a thing..

:shrug:

is that something like legitimate torture?

don't be it.

I was saying that it was police brutality.

I do not appreciate you implying that I frequent fascist websites or that I am one myself.

for me.

who supports police state, fascism..

:shrug:

:

the hell are you talking about? :wtf:

You're still supporting what is called "a police state." As someone who has been arrested for protesting (sitting and chanting actually) by very polite, very orderly, and very human police who showed their faces laughed with us and loosened our cuffs when they hurt our wrists, I guarantee you that hosing an 18 year old peacenik girl directly in the mouth/nose/eyes with chemicals until her hair is dripping, knocking her down, and stepping on her face...this is not necessary.

that you're simply an idiot. Oh wait, yes I am

We the People have the right to peaceable assembly. The protests there were peaceable. Frankly, any laws keeping protestors to "free speech zones" (how 1984 is that?!) or requiring anyone trying to protest anything, even police brutality, to get permits from the police are unconstitutional.

So, you were okay with the Chinese sending in the tanks to Tianamen Square? Running down that one guy who stood there in peaceful protest to try to stop the tanks? How is what happened there any different?

They ran over a dude with a tank.

I have admitted that I didn't watch with sound so I didn't get the whole picture of what had happened. I have admitted that I was incorrect in my original assumption and that the police did act inappropriately considering the situation.

Thank you for clarifying your position, but I just get so darn tired of people saying that protestors get what they deserve, all the time forgetting that those people had the Constitutional right to be there. Those protests were awful--reporters got arrested, police started mobs running away so they could chase them and use the tear gas and pepperspray, and people were even held without charges. Those protests weren't much different than Tianamen, really. Sure, the Chinese soldiers used real bullets and all, but the protests were for the same thing (Democracy, freedom, and holding political leaders accountable), and our police acted pretty similarly in rounding people up, holding them without charges, and chasing protestors down so they could hogtie them and throw them in jail. Now they're even charging some with terrorism charges under the Patriot Act. That's a whole lot more like the Chinese government than the US of A I grew up in.

they didn't run the famously televised hero down with the tank, After a few minutes he left, but he was seen by the world as standing up to the oppression. I believe he was later arrested and "reeducated".

Either way, he paid for his bravery and courage to stand up to oppression. He's a true hero.

I finally found the link
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tankman/etc/transcript.html
an interview including how the pictures were saved.
Tremendous interview!

After eight years of Bush, Cheney, the lies, Homeland Security etc, we re so willing ot believe that we need permission for this and permission for that.

Read the Constitution, PEOPLE

Wake up.

We should be DEMANDING that there are NO free speech zones. No police in riot gear.

But the fact is that protests scare the crap out of them. In Seattle, during the World Trade Organization events, the protesters there managed to create such chaos the scheduled meetings that would have imprisoned the European nations into eating the genetically modified crap that we are forced to eat - those meetings did not take place and Europe has a healthier populace as a result.

Thus the Powers that Be have to keep a lid on our protests, or else We the People will take our power back.

Otherwise 3/4 of the country would be in jail

she was asking for it AND the police were brutally excessive in their force.

Just my two cents...

You fucking Fascist.

What if that were your daughter? Wife? Mother?

Go troll somewhere else.

Included in that is a theory called the force continuum. It is a theory and policy in which the amount of force applied to get citizens or suspected criminals to comply is only 1 step up from the amount of force the citizen is using to resist. For example, if a bike gang member is resisting arrest by swinging a chain an officer is authorized to use either mace or a tazer, and eventually a firearm if there is a clear possibility of harm to the officer or the public.

The thing to notice here is that the officers are trained to use voice commands first and failing that then only enough physical moves to cease the resistance of the citizen. I didn't see that here. They went from voice to mace. There are many steps that they are REQUIRED to try before going to mace. Anything else is usually not authorized .

Here is a link about the force continuum. Take a look at it and make your own mind up. For me, they were wrong in their actions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use_of_force_continuum#Example_model

Cheers

The mace and pushes with their bikes are ridiculous.

Here's hoping her millions. She seems like a hero to me!

that were arrested during the time of the RNC convention, I hope they come out and tell their stories about being assaulted so unfairly.

In just the one march shown in this video alone nearly 400 were arrested. I was at an ACLU training last weekend and they said they have received literally hundreds of complaints about the police actions and they are working on following up on all those complaints. After the ACLU has had more time to investigate so they can get a clearer picture of everything that happened they will decide what legal actions they will take.

this action is just unspeakable by these police, and again the Constitution is not taken seriously by these police officers. It is truly disgusting what is happening in the country. We have every right to protest peacefully, they just do not get it.

was charged with felonies and that there are many people still in jail. These are college educated young women in their early twenties and I can't imagine these particular kids doing much more than chanting and "being there" (non-violent types.)

What kind of protest induces a charge of a felony? Oh, yeah, Domestic Terrorism!!

What drives that kind of behavior?

The twin cities media focused on the "raging anarchist," breaking windows, setting fires, so the noble cops had to take these crazy lefties on--macing women, hitting journalists, teargassing innocents bystanders. Focus on the crazy left has added to the McCain bounce in Minnesota, possibly.

"oh, if these people represent the Obama side, then I am voting for McCain." you know, that kind of idiocy. Bill O'Reilly must be proud.

I would suggest you watch this story because I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how well FOX 9 covered this incident. On most of the coverage of the protests I would agree with you that the media was horrible, but this story is an exception. This is one of the best pieces of journalism that I have ever seen on our local news in fact.

How are they on reporting Al Franken? He needs help..lol

ttt

With daily doses of seeing "f*ck 'em" & "f*ck that sh*t", it was a breath of fresh air to hear a victim actually think & articulate her feelings in an intelligent manner that needed no expletives to get her lucid point across.

stepped up, pivoted her arms behind her back and cuffed her? I was trained, as a parole officer, in unarmed self defense and in restraint procedures. I'm not a big guy, but I restrained several parolees over five years on the job.

Did they think they would be putting themselves at serious risk by physically restraining her? Or, did they want to make an example out of her.

I think these guys were gung-ho to use their mace cannons and new "bicycle defense techniques". Many police officers love toys and they love putting their training into action.

Seeing this makes me happy with my decision to get out. Those were not policemen; they were common bullies.

This is the police state. A bunch of bullies attack one lone young woman singing "all you need is love".

I'll bet Sarah Palin would go orgasmic over it.

Home from the war and your job is gone, can take orders and kick butt? I got a job for you.

Get this video to K.O

The entire world has changed ever since this year's campaign.McCain's so-called dementia,issues with Sarah Palin,and the Obama campaign. this entire thing is extremely pissing me off.We need to get it over with!:grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

those assholes should pay

it's going to come to that. people will DIE and then maybe the idiots will put down the remote and start thinking.

They need to be drug tested.

for sharing that story. very moving.

The "good ones" seem to be a tiny minority. The vast majority are just pigs. I don't trust a single one of them, unless and until they give a damn good reason to trust them.

Both Leah and the JOURNALIST should get a medal. Maybe the Medal of Freedom from a DEMOCRATIC President.

Bake