Police detain protesters outside Republican convention arena

Minutes before the protest, a religious group that had been spotted around Cleveland earlier in the week said it could burn a gay pride flag instead of the American flag.

Around 3:30p, a man carrying a flag was quickly surrounded by police and firefighters, which caused a scrum of media and looky-loos to follow, but no burning took place and the man left the scene without incident.

Several protests Tuesday erupted into skirmishes and marchers tried to push their way into blocked off downtown streets.

In all, 17 people have been arrested on the third day of the convention, bringing the total number of arrests during the RNC to 22.

“You’re on fire! You’re on fire, stupid!” a Cleveland officer shouted at a protester while firing the extinguishing spray.

But the Ohio Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild tells newsnet5.com that 20 legal observers working in the area did not see the protester light anyone on fire and did not hear an order to disperse.

His arrest was confirmed by Cleveland defense attorney Terry Gilbert and Revolution Books of Cleveland, a group issued permits for protests during the convention.

Not long after things had settled down, a protest group arrived along with Gregory Lee “Joey” Johnson – a man who made history after being arrested for burning a flag outside the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas in protest of the policies of the Reagan Administration. But police said Wednesday night that what people perceived as a cloud of pepper spray was actually the fumes of a fire extinguisher.

Unfortunately, what today showed was that the current police strategy being used in Cleveland would result in reporters, convention goers, and curious citizens being locked into crowds with anarchist protesters.

At least one group of protesters was with the Revolutionary Communist Party.

Dix says he was not surprised by the quick and violent police response, but insists that was not the act’s intent.

The protester tried to keep the burning flag away from the officer, and in doing so, lit two other demonstrators on fire, as well.

“Sometimes, people have some pretty extraordinary ways in which they express their First Amendment right”, he said.

The scene was further compounded by delegates and other Republicans who began singing “America the Beautiful” and waving American flags as the howling protesters were detained.

After the flag was burned the entrance to the convention center temporarily closed and an unruly mass of leftwing activists, journalists, and the occasional Clevelander were trapped at the T shaped intersection.