Police Department’s Show of Force

Monday night I attended the Democratic convention and walked through the protest area to arrive at Staples Center. I was quite shocked at the way thousands of people were caged in, with only, it appeared, two very small exits/entrances. This situation seemed to invite the use of excessive force if any problems arose, because there was no way for law enforcement to get to troublemakers without also harming innocent bystanders. And this is exactly what happened.

The whole atmosphere felt very much like a police state, with protesters cast as criminals instead of as people trying to make their voices heard. A second aspect that I find very troubling is that the substantive issues being raised by the protests are, with a few exceptions, not being discussed in the media; only the violence becomes front-page news.

PATRICIA GREENFIELD

Venice

* Good job, LAPD. A free concert was held. It became an illegal assembly. Most audience members went home. Several hundred people stayed. Several people began an attempt to incite unruliness. The LAPD stepped in. No innocent people were hurt. Everyone is home safely. All business owners kept their stores intact. Hurray!

SCOTT LABUDA

Burbank

* The Aug. 15 photo of the fallen (by a rubber bullet) Ted Hayes lying atop a crumpled American flag only validates the shameful, clearly orchestrated set-up of the LAPD by certain protest groups and the ACLU. The actions of these groups are nearing the level of hate crimes. The ACLU should go home and stop encouraging protesters to create lawsuits for them.

SUSAN NICHOLSON

Los Angeles

* The people in Los Angeles have to decide which way they want it. When the Lakers won the championship and the Los Angeles Police Department was slow on controlling the crowd, there were complaints against the police for not acting fast enough. When LAPD was proactive in controlling the demonstrations during the first night of the Democratic convention, the police were “jumping the gun.” The LAPD doesn’t stand a chance. L.A., it has to be one way or the other.

BONNIE KALAF

Studio City

* Q: How many LAPD riot police does it take to get two anarchists off a fence?

A: Apparently, about 400.

GERHARDT POPWELL

Long Beach

* It’s a shame that a few hot-headed (but nonlethal) LAPD officers had to spoil what was otherwise a perfectly peaceful shredding of the Constitution.

TIMOTHY LINDBERG

Buena Park

* A protester is a person who has nothing productive to do.

PETER R. McGOWAN

Long Beach