http://www.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/08/15/convention.protests.02/index.html, has a story about monday night and many of the issues related to the protests, worth reading and then sighing in disbelief, another similar story at http://www.wtvf.com/news/election_2000/diary/aug_15.html

check it out nowwwww

STEVE IRVIN'S CONVENTION DIARY

SURREAL À LA L.A.P.D.

Tuesday, August 15, 2000

Maybe it was the threat of riots, or the Rage Against The Machine concert which had let out an hour earlier, but Monday night the well-heeled delegates and honored guests were treated to one of the more surreal scenes I've ever witnessed.

As delegates let out of the Staples Center Monday night, shortly after President Clinton's speech, they gathered on a street corner, searching for cabs and shuttle buses. Perhaps 50 police officers in riot gear suddenly appeared as well, grasping batons and barking orders over the bullhorn for the crowd to disperse.

Keep in mind, these are not the anarchists wearing face-masks who've been making their way to the designated protest area each day. They're conventioneers, lost in a strange city, looking for a cab.

Suddenly we were being pushed back by a group of officers who seemed anxious to throw their weight around for no particular reason.

What made this particularly strange were the faces in the crowd. First, I noticed actor Martin Sheen, wandering down the middle of Olympic Avenue, surrounded by people, some who just want to take a picture. Yet Sheen was looking remarkably disheveled, a bit dazed and confused. Just around the corner, there was Peter Jennings, surrounded by producers and technical people. After a short conservation, everyone left, and Jennings, a multimillion dollar anchor man, was last seen walking up the middle of the street.

Add to all of this the oppressive heat, circling helicopters and spotlights illuminating the night sky, and it was a bizarre and scary scene. No one hurt, no one arrested, but with the escalating scale of the protester equation these days, police violence has to be on the minds of a few delegates.

Convention Notes:

~Our producer, Brian Bates suffered from near heat exhaustion this week when he felt ill and had to sit down at a protest rally. A little water and some ordered rest from one of the protesters medics, and Brian felt fine. The L.A. heat can creep up on you, and Brian's living proof.

~Ed Bradley could be seen wandering around the CBS compound about lunchtime. Each day it's catered and quite tasty. We've also spotted Bob Schieffer, and Manuel Gallegus.

~Karenna Gore has an unbelievable ability to blend into the crowd. Same goes for her secret service agents. The 26-year-old eldest daughter of Al and Tipper was spotted in the lobby of the Biltmore Hotel. We're still trying to interview her before her speech. She politely declined Monday night.

~The Staples center is a maze of plywood and fiberboard. Construction workers spent the last month building something that will be torn down after the convention. Skyboxes have been torn out and turned into workspaces with all the charm of a garage with half the room.