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Either to take advantage of the strong patriotic sentiment for September 11th or for shear stupidity, the Republicans descended on New York City for their presidential convention. The police prepared for an all out war with so called anarchists and radical elements, not to mention Al Qaida and the usually heavy preparations for presidential visits. Police arrested over 1500 protestors through the course of six days, far less than the 1000 per day they estimated. Still protestors were unhappy with what they felt was excessively rough treatment and long detentions by the NYPD.

Half a million people marched peaceably on the site of the RNC a day before it began. More determined protestors staged acts of civil disobedience around the city for the duration of the convention, playing a cat and mouse game with the police.

On the final night, while the president addressed the nation, around 1000 angry protestors marched on the RNC site in defiance of police orders. Police used barricades and a wall of riot geared officers to stop them three blocks before the convention site. The protestors taunted the police with singing and dancing but the police waited them out. By 1am, two hours after the president departed, only a handful of protestors remained and tired police crews began the long clean up.