Pittsburgh is a ghost-town, emptied of workers and the usual pedestrians, but filled to overflowing with over 12,000 swat cops from all over the US.

Friend of OpEdNews, anti-war activist Bill Perry, a Viet Nam war veteran, has posted an incredible collection of images to flickr. A few of the 100 he's posted so far are in this article, with his captions.

I spoke to veteran civil defense attorney Paul Hetznecker about how the police try to block photos from being taken at events-- one way, by segregating protesters to specified, distant areas. My take-away from that conversation: Take pictures. The police use photos and videos to craft false scenarios and lies. The best defense for protesters is to take still images and videos of police-- thousands of them. Get their faces, their shifting positions. This is one of the most powerful defenses when protesters are charged. The police will, otherwise, use photos to place you on the scene, to support charges of criminal conspiracy.

Bill writes,

G-20 Finance Ministers have robbed Pension Plans, Looted 401 k's, Foreclosed Mortgages, Smashed Dreams, and Ruined Lives, yet they get this sort of Police Protection:

I know 3 Strike Shop Lifters doing "Life", while these Grand Master Thieves party on OUR dime.

WHO ARE THE REAL CRIMINALS?

The cops (these are SWAT police from Florida) massed about 250 at each of three possible routes that the young-uns were taking

this pump shotgun had a 5 shell magazine, and a couple "quick load" 5 shell racks of "beanbags"

Donning their gas masks

I spoke to a friend whose son lives in Pittsburgh. The city is locked down tight. He has been instructed to work at home. Stores are closed. One report says that over 12,000 police have been brought in and they are working 12 hour shifts.

tireless, crusading GOLD STAR MOM Icons who will NEVER QUIT (Cindy Sheehan)

and there were peeps wishing they could bust heads (These M-4's (modified AR-15 M-16's) fired .223 cal RUBBER BULLETS (5.56mm))

Protesters have been given two remote locations to "protest at." I spoke with noted Philadelphia civil defense attorney Paul Hetznecker, on this and he observed that the idea of protest is to be where the people who need to hear the message are. He said that this nation was founded by protesters, that this new approach of blocking and hiding dissent and protest has been continued by the Obama administration.

Arsenal Park

The protesters in Pittsburgh are heroes, standing up to a government that has thrown out the constitution and embraced a police state. They are the scraggly line that keeps the US from leading the world to become a locked down, massively policed, safe place for corporatists to do as they please.

Every protester who marches without permission, facing arrest is a soldier, without armor, without tear-gas mask, without kevlar vest and knee and elbow pads, like these automaton-like robo-cops who travel from all over the US, probably as volunteers, getting a thrill, playing macho-cop so they can take pictures and Tivo themselves being tough. These out of state cops are neo fascists pissing on the constitution, erasing the freedoms the founders died for. Thomas Jefferson must be rolling in his grave.

Photographer Bill Perry

Police tear-gas students

Author's Bio:

Rob Kall is executive editor, publisher and site architect of OpEdNews.com, Host of the Rob Kall Bottom Up Radio Show (WNJC 1360 AM), President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is also published regularly on the Huffingtonpost.com

With his experience as architect and founder of a technorati top 200 blog, he is also a new media / social media consultant and trainer for corporations, non-profits, entrepreneurs and authors.

Rob is a frequent Speaker on the bottom up revolution, politics, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump speeches and debates, and optimizing tapping the power of new media. He recently retired as organizer of several conferences, including StoryCon, the Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story and The Winter Brain Meeting on neurofeedback, biofeedback, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology. See more of his articles here and, older ones, here.

To learn more about me and OpEdNews.com, check out this article.

and there are Rob's quotes, here. To Watch me on youtube, having a lively conversation with John Conyers, Chair of the House Judiciary committee, click here Now, wouldn't you like to see me on the political news shows, representing progressives. If so, tell your favorite shows to bring me on and refer them to this youtube video

My radio show, The Rob Kall Bottom Up Radio Show, runs 9-10 PM EST Wednesday evenings, on AM 1360, WNJC and is archived on www.whiterosesociety.org Or listen to it streaming, live at www.wnjc1360.com or download older shows at here.

Or check the archived interviews at: whiterosesociety.org

Follow me on Twitter

A few declarations. -While I'm registered as a Democrat, I consider myself to be a dynamic critic of the Democratic party, just as, well, not quite as much, but almost as much as I am a critic of republicans. -My articles express my personal opinion, not the opinion of this website.

Recent press coverage in the Wall Street Journal: Party's Left Pushes for a Seat at the Table

VIEW VIDEO