ad info
     CNN AllPolitics.com and TIME Top Stories
graphic graphic

Philadelphia police on standby for last-day convention protests

Police commissioner says feds should investigate protest organizers

PHILADELPHIA -- With more than 200 activists still cooling their heels in jail, Philadelphia police said Thursday they were ready for any further possible disruptions from protesters on the last day of the Republican National Convention.

protesters
Protesters outside the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia on Wednesday  

"We don't anticipate anything, but we're going to remain vigilant," said officer David Yarnell, a spokesman for the Philadelphia Police Department.

However, Police Commissioner John Timoney said federal authorities should investigate some of the protest organizers. He said the groups that organized the Seattle protests and demonstrations outside the World Bank in Washington last April were responsible for sporadic scenes of violence in Philadelphia.

"Somebody's got to look into these groups," Timoney said. "I don't think you should have people out there who are going to hang around and plan to come into a different city time after time to assault police officers, engage in serious property damage and destruction. That ain't cricket."

In Tuesday's clash, 15 officers were injured in scuffles with protesters. More than 20 police cruisers were vandalized by suspects who also overturned Dumpsters and sprayed graffiti on downtown buildings.

Bail and civil rights

Since the convention started, police have made 300 arrests: 19 for felonies, 271 for misdemeanor offenses and 10 for summary offenses, which are similar to citations.

As of early Thursday afternoon, Yarnell said that only 29 people had been fully processed through the courts and had been released. Many of the protesters are not cooperative with authorities, refusing to give their names, he said.

  GALLERY
Click here for scenes from protests in downtown Philadelphia during the Republican National Convention
 

Defense attorneys for hundreds of jailed protesters said the city was keeping their clients behind bars illegally by setting bail at exorbitant levels for relatively minor charges.

"What we are seeing in Philadelphia is a civil rights catastrophe of the first order," said New York-based civil rights attorney Ron McGuire.

He said the city was imposing bail of more than $15,000 in cases that would ordinarily merit only a couple hundred dollars, in an apparent bid to keep protesters in jail until after the Republican convention had ended.

"I cannot imagine a reason for these levels other than deliberate and unconstitutional detention," McGuire said.

Police confirmed bail had been set at $50,000 for one suspect charged with misdemeanor offenses.

Most of the arrests occurred Tuesday, when some protests turned violent with what police describe as "anarchists" throwing bottles, damaging cars and blocking traffic in the city's business district.

Yarnell said that roughly 75 demonstrators were marching outside police headquarters, but he said there were no disruptions.

"They're peaceful," he said. "There's no problems."

Reuters contributed to this report.


© 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.