Saw this at BB, and can’t let it pass: Tactics by Police Mute the Protesters, and Their Messages [NYT]:

“The demonstrations, too, have thus far been more restrained than many recent protests elsewhere; five years ago in Seattle, for example, there was widespread arson and window-smashing, none of which has occurred here. Lacking bloody scenes of billy-club-wielding police or billowing clouds of tear gas, the cameras – and the public’s attention – have focused elsewhere.”

(Bold mine.)

Widespread arson?

Well, I suppose so, if ONE DUMPSTER constitutes “widespread.” Here’s an HTML version of the SPD wrap-up report (PDF), in which the word arson occurs once, in conjunction with an arson incident on November 1 at the main GAP store in downtown Seattle, a month before the WTO protests got rolling. I did note anecdotal reporting of “trashcan arsons” as I Googled, but no primary sources, and I sure don’t recall any media coverage of it. I very stongly suspect that the burning dumpster at Pike and Third was the only verifiable incident.

But hey, what to I know? It’s not like I’m being paid to avoid groundless assertions in my writing here (or typos, for that matter).