So this is a story that might have gotten a little more attention if Hurricaine Gustav didn’t turn out to be kind of a pansy and Sarah Palin’s daughter didn’t turn out to be kind of a ho. There were some intense events transpiring on the first day of the Republican National Convention, and no I’m not talking about Laura Bush and Ice Barbie teaming up to reassure us that their husbands had big, bad Gustav under control.

Because it wouldn’t be a political event without them, a large group of protestors battled their way to within a hundred yards of the Xcel Energy Center where the convention is being held. An orderly demonstration soon turned violent, however, when a group of “college-age males” (man, they always blame college-age males for everything don’t they?) started tearing up the streets of St. Paul like Michigan State had just won (or lost) a sporting event. They broke store windows, vandalized police cruisers and some protestors even chained themselves to cars in order to block traffic.

Of course the riot police were having none of that, so a bath of tear gas and pepper spray dispersed the angry crowd after a few minutes. The older protestors were reportedly disappointed with the violent turn the demonstration took, yelling things like “Is this really a protest?” at the spirited youth. Oh old people, don’t you know? Violence solves everything! Just ask the 284 people that were arrested.
 

Photos: NYtimes and AP