Hundreds of police (and dozens of media personnel) greeted concert-goers as they left the Rage Against the Machine concert at the Target Center in Minneapolis. No violence or property damage was observed, but 102 people were arrested for “blocking traffic.”

Police blocked vehicle traffic on 1st Avenue in front of the Target Center and many Rage fans simply sat on the curb waiting for something, anything, to happen. It would be half an hour before police ordered people to disperse or be arrested, and police on horseback had assembled a line on 6th Street.

The order to disperse on threat of arrest triggered a round of chanting: “Who’s Streets? Our Streets!” — a familiar chant the last three days. Four people with makeshift American flags marched toward the police line on 6th Street, then doubled back, taking a crowd of about 50 people with them up 1st Avenue.

Police in riot gear lined up on all sides of the 50 or so marchers making a turn onto 7th Street past the First Avenue music venue and shoved another 100 observers up the street, including me. After 20 minutes of holding the 50 marchers (and after several waves of mace), the police line allowed them through and the marchers emerged. I was able to rejoin the protesters.

The march moved down 7th Street, where the tail end was cut off by a 4-wheel tear gas vehicle and several dozen police on bicycles. About 20 people, myself included, were ordered to cower in a doorway under the threat of being maced. And they meant it.

One woman, who was swept up in the mass on her way home, asked if she could walk around the corner. She was denied: “Step back ma’am or you are going to be maced,” said an officer wielding a large spray can. Another young man demanded to return to his bike and head home. When he was refused, he went anyway and got a face full of mace.

I lost track of the marchers as they headed up 7th while I was detained, and as riot police shut off each intersection between them and me. Once we were released, riot police formed a line behind us.

Police maintained blockades on 7th Street and Marquette Avenue for another half an hour. By the time I was able to get near the scene, most of the activity was gone.