Pointless

Another news story you haven't heard.

A Philadelphia police officer died as a result of a melee that occurred Tuesday.

Four men and a woman were charged yesterday in the melee between demonstrators and police Tuesday in Center City that left a veteran Philadelphia police officer dead of a heart attack.
District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham said the most serious offenses were lodged against Guillaume Beaulieu, 23, of Canada, who was charged with aggravated assault against Officer Paris Williams, 52, the Civil Affairs Unit member who died at Hahnemann University Hospital Tuesday afternoon.

An autopsy yesterday revealed that Williams suffered from heart disease. Jeff Moran, a city Health Department spokesman, said the cause of death was listed as hypertensive cardiomyopathy. Beaulieu also was charged with aggravated assault on another officer, Edward Braceland, 45, and resisting arrest, conspiracy and disorderly conduct.

At a late-afternoon news conference at Police Headquarters, Abraham said the melee in the 1200 block of Arch Street early Tuesday afternoon began when Beaulieu threw water on Braceland. She said Braceland chased Beaulieu and a scuffle broke out between police and protesters. Williams was one of the officers involved. Williams, a 17-year veteran, was trying with other officers to prevent protesters from nearing the entrance of the Convention Center where the BIO 2005 conference was under way.

Abraham said four others were charged with resisting arrest, conspiracy and disorderly conduct. She identified them as Caroline Colesworthy, 25, of Newport Beach, Calif.; Brenton Hall, 21, of Bangor, Maine; Mark Garcia, 19, of San Antonio, Texas; and Charles M. Sherrouse, 46, of the 1400 block of Elbridge Street in Northeast Philadelphia.

...Abraham said investigators believe that Williams was struck - either kicked or hit with a fist - during the struggle. She added, however, that the autopsy showed no evidence of physical injury. Abraham said investigators did not have evidence at this point to justify a murder charge.

What were they protesting? BIO 2005 is a national biotechnology conference. The protestors? Well, look here. Basically - they were protesting biotechnology itself. Nothing specific - all of it.

Luddites would be an appropriate term to use here.

So a policeman loses his life, all because it wasn't enough to march up and down the street waving their signs. No, they needed to make a bigger statement.

The 1960s are over, people. You missed it. Move on.

Quick question: if a protestor had died instead of a policeman, do you think you would have heard about this story before now?

Hat tip: Glenn Beck.