SHUT DOWN! – Funk the War II: Revenge of the Funk
by Adriano Contreras | Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

Rochester Students for a Democratic Society’s “Funk the War 2: Revenge of the Funk” was shutdown by Rochester Police today as people gathered for the protest/dance party against the occupation of Afghanistan.

More information is forthcoming but initial reports on the ground is that about 20 police officers charged protestors, punched certain people in the face, and many heads met the ground. Various individuals have been arrested while others have made their way to the emergency room.

Rochester SDS’s first Funk the War in March garnered the support of over 100 people in a march through the streets of downtown, taking over main roads and peacefully making their voices heard against the war in Iraq. Funk the War 2, held on the 8th anniversary of the occupation of Afghanistan, was to shed light on the ongoing and increasingly unpopular war.

More details coming soon…

UPDATES:

60 demonstrators in total. The police used canisters of pepper spray and riot gear in an unprovoked attack.

Protestors are gathering at the Public Safety building in downtown Rochester to protest police actions.

All those arrested were released with various charges, except one. Police dispersed the crowd on the grounds of “illegal assembly”.

Tags: Funk The War, police brutality, Rochester, Students for a Democratic Society

7:04 pm. Activism.