The Republican National Convention

The 2004 Republican National Convention was held in New York City to capitalize on the party's post-9/11 achievements. Over a hundred thousand demonstrators marched in protest of what was felt to be exploitation of the memory of 9/11 in a city filled with people who had actually experienced the event. <em>(continued>)</em> The city responded with an aggressive police presence, most notoriously during an approved demonstration at Ground Zero. Under the pretext of <em>blocking a public thoroughfare,</em> several hundred demonstrators were handcuffed, photographed, and then bussed to the abandoned pier 57 building on the Hudson. They were held there for up to 48 hours, most without charges, and then released. As of this writing, a number of class action lawsuits against the city have been upheld by the courts.