NYPD Claims Protesters May Impersonate Cops & Fake Police Brutality at RNC

Newsday has obtained a copy of a 35-page NYPD report titled "Legal Guidelines For The Republican National Convention" that was published to warn police as to what expect during the conventions.

Part of the report police claims that protesters plan to impersonate cops and stage "police beatings" in order to claim police brutality!

As far as we know there has never been report of protesters dressing like police officers (imagine how hard it would be for a citizen to dress up like a member of the NYPD in riot gear).

One should not forget what happened in Miami during the FTAA protesters when independent journalists repeatedly caught on tape undercover police dressed like members of the Black Bloc beating protesters (in one case shooting a proteter with a tazer gun). The undercover cops were easy to locate -- after carrying out their undercover duties they would cross police lines to join their brothers in arms.

The NYPD also warns that protesters will launch balloons filled with metal shavings "towards electrical power lines" in hopes of causing a blackout. And beware of those frozen water balloons (as well as golf balls and hockey pucks) being thrown off buildings!

Newsday interviewed Eric Laursen of A31 Coalition for comment on the NYPD's report. "It reads like a compilation of urban legends, quite frankly," said Laursen. "It would be funny, but it creates an atmosphere among the rank and file that demonizes us and makes them think that peaceful people are a bunch of wild animals or something."