Peaceful Protests Erupt Into Violence Near Republican National Convention

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'I've never seen such a large group of police in my life descend on one man,' said Claire McDonnell, referring to a man who tried to escape from the barricades, just as she had moments before.

'They were pushing us with billy clubs into barricades and knocking us over, yelling 'Get Out, Get Out!'' said Mariah Holding, who marched with a sign yesterday proclaiming, My Mom earns $5.15 an hour. My dad's job was outsourced. We have no health care. 'It was very scary, and I am so disappointed with my police department after things went so well on Sunday.'

Meanwhile, amidst the confusion, Mark, an organizer with the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign yelled into his microphone asking people to disperse. He viewed the march as a success because 'we were able to march without a permit from the U.N. to 29th street.' Yet many, it seemed, had no idea that the march wouldn't be allowed to continue by Madison Square Garden.

'I asked a policeman why this was happening after two days of peaceful protests, and even though he agreed with me, he told me that our march was illegal,' said Megan Petersen.

Above all, confusion reigned. Stephen Foreback, a secret service agent, claimed witness reports indicated that the fight had started between an activist on the left and an activist on the right, and that the police simply came in to stop the confrontation. 'You couldn't find a more professional force than NYPD,' he said afterwards. 'They acted with restraint throughout these protests.'

Last night's events all but shattered a tense, but peaceful coexistence between protestors and the NYPD, built on the strength of a successful and civil march by Madison Square Garden on Sunday which was attended by half a million activists.

Once the police locked their barricades in place and a shaky calm was restored, a young woman named Leah Alonzo was arrested for chalking the words FREEDOM OF SPEECH on the corner where the fight unfolded. Further up 8th Street a group of demonstrators lay down on the pavement to spell out PEACE for the view of the helicopters hovering overhead.

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