TAMPA -- Tampa expected 15,000 protesters for the Republican National Convention. So far, the city has seen no more than "a couple thousand," Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor told reporters this morning.
Those protests have resulted in exactly three arrests, two of whom "showed a desire to get arrested," the police chief said. The other was a protester-on-protester attack in the so-called "Romneyville" encampment, Tampa television station WTSP reports.
"There aren't nearly the number of demonstrators we expected," Castor said. "This isn't over yet. We have some large events that are still scheduled, demonstrations."
One reason could be Hurricane Isaac, which forced some bus companies to cancel planned charters of protesters into Tampa Bay.
"Does it make you worry that it's almost too quiet?" a reporter asked the police chief.
"Yes," she said. "Yes."
With nearly 4,000 police helping from about 50 local, state and federal agencies providing security for the event, police have protesters vastly outnumbered. But Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said he's comfortable with all that police visibility. "I'd rather over-prepare and over-train and over-display a massive show of strength on the streets," than have something go wrong, he said.
Castor also said there are no incidents attributable to hard-partying delegates. "Everyone has behaved themselves at all of the after-parties," she said.
Originally Posted by Gina
