MnIndy video: RNC police brutality press conference from Chris Steller on Vimeo.

Although I do suspect we’re getting pretty one-sided accounts from some of the subjects, it’s pretty clear that the police swept up far too many people during their RNC actions. I find it frustrating that there seems to be no accountability for police when their clear goal is to suppress First-Amendment rights in the favor of paying customers like the RNC. Yes, there are civil-rights lawsuits after the fact, but municipalities often take out insurance policies covering any litigation damages during events like the RNC, so there is no incentive for police to treat activists fairly and respectfully.