DNC Protests

Protestors yell at police during a march outside the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, September 4, 2012 in Charlotte, NC.

In addition to my PR duties at the DNC, I came across a couple of protests, three of them over the five days I was in Charlotte. 

Things were peaceful and chill, yet that was at least three more major protests than I saw in Tampa.

That one was the Wednesday protest, purportedly in Support of Army PFC Bradley Manning (no relation). I made photos for 15 minutes after I saw riot cops scream down the street while I was out at lunch.  Essentially, they blocked traffic and yelled at the cops who surrounded the protestors and let them have their say.  Another photojournalist told me that the protestors had negotiated with the cops before the protest about exactly what was going to go down, which isn't surprising.

However it was odd to see people chanting to "Free Manning" when in fact I was quite free and making photos.  Guess its like when the University of Tennessee wouldn't let me in the locker room with my name on it....

Apparently I missed a Wednesday night protest where the protestors did their best to provoke the police. Allegedly.  I wasn't there, I was watching Clinton.

Flash forward to Thursday when a six protestors decided to protest Duke Energy's policies by closing the street directly out front of my work location.  They were quickly arrested after they were asked to leave.  

Flash forward to that evening.  I'm editing photos on a couch at the HuffPost Oasis with the handful of staff that is still left while waiting for the hotel shuttle. I am one very very very tired PR/advertising/editorial/journalist photographer. Allegedly, One of the protestors comes by and gives our head of security a heads up that they might try and make a run on the Duke Energy building.

Twenty minutes later, a reaction squad of Police stop by on a social call.... sorta.  Theyre doing a quick sweep of the building and seeing who is actually there.  We try to unload the rest of the bottled water and show them the bathroom.  I finish editing and decide to go find my shuttle, only to find the street filled with riot police.  The protestors really are marching on the building. I really had no desire to photograph any of it, as it was either going to be completely out of control or absolutely boring.  Theres no middle ground. I grab my stuff and make way towards a different shuttle pickup.... which is quickly blocked by more police.  I make contact with the driver, get down to near him before even more police set up a line.  I ask and am granted permission to cross the line, throw my bags in the car and realize we're blocked, so I pull out the 50/1.8 and make a few frames before finding out way out.

No award winning photos, no giant riots.  Everyone had their say and there were very few arrests. Nothing major happened. Gotta hand it to the police, they truly did their best to neither provoke an altercation nor allow themselves to be provoked into one.  Freedom of speech ruled the day and I got out unscathed.