Ever seen video of protestors dragged off by police?  It may not be what you think – at least not in Berkeley, California.

When I read the item in the Wall Street Journal, I wondered whether it was a satire.  Nope.  You can check it out for yourself at the Event Planning Checklist provided by the Berkeley Police Department for groups planning protests.

First the checklist instructs the organizers to file event forms at the Recreation Department.  (Did you know protests are recreation?)  Next comes a section asking them to provide the Police Department with information about such things as the purpose of the protest, the route of the march, what the organizers will be wearing, and so forth.  The provide-this-information section closes with the following questions:

•  Do you want symbolic arrests?

•  If so, where and when?