Spare me. Fact is, very few anarchists were on the scene when the first arrests occurred at the press conference at Oak and Michigan, since most were with the combined feeder march that was completely stalled on Dearborn and Oak. In retrospect, the presence at Oak and Michigan might have been sustained longer with reinforcements. Maybe not. The police were reinforced in depth, and more arrived every minute. Despite defiant resistance, the crowd at the press conference- including a mom with her beautiful daughter in a stroller - were swept back toward Dearborn and Bughouse Square by a phalanx of riot police armed with batons within minutes after the first arrests. ( Big kudos to all who showed up at Oak and Michigan to support the press conference - despite the police intimidation and the climate of fear described above)

It's also important to note that there were no visable attempts by any of the affinity group at Dearborn/Oak to initiate any form of autonomous direct action to try and break the stalemate and draw off the cops during the hour long standoff. Not one. Not CAN, MU, nobody. Where were the scouts? What were the possiblities and what preparations were in place for a either a lock down, or fast break away south to to probe east for access to State? From what I could see, the only 'autonomous action' at all occurred when PL and the ISO capitulated wholesale and broke off to march compliantly down Clark St, the preferred police route.

That said, a straight on BB charge against police lines reinforced in depth in order to access State St - which is what Liberte seemed to suggest from the Federal Plaza stage - would have been doomed to failure, since the police were clearly prepared for this and had the troops to back it up. Which is why the cops and Mecklenburg were confident enough to tell the negotiators to fuck off about State Street. To try this and fail, would have been demoralizing in the extreme. Liberte apparently missed one of the key lessons of the Intifada - Palestinian kids who face down the IDF with stones also try hard not to get caught or cut off. They are utterly courageous, but are not stupid.

Incidentally, no one broke police lines to access Lake Shore Drive in 2003. There were no police lines on Columbus Drive or at the intersection with LSD to punch through. The drive was taken because protesters outflanked them on Jackson. They were largely concentrated at the intersections of Adams, State and Michigan when protesters on Jackson raced up Columbus and moved east toward the Drive. CPD commanders accquiced to our demands for LSD at that point and waved those assembled on Adams to move forward across Michigan Ave and out onto the Drive. This strategy worked because the cops were caught by surprise. Something they've vowed never to allow to happen again.