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Police were separating journalists from protesters after detaining a group of about 200 corralled on the Marion St. bridge over Interstate 94.
Others were arrested in confrontations with police elsewhere in St. Paul, as protesters tried to make their way to the Xcel Energy Center on the fourth and final night of the Republican National Convention
FOX web producers, 12 other journalists among detainees
Among the detained journalists were KDFW we producer Alice Kalthoff and MyFOX national editor John P. Wise, covering the convention and supplementing content featured on MyFOX9.com
Kalthoff said by phone they were among a group corralled and detained, as officers moved through the group, cuffing individuals and sorting journalists from protesters.
She said about a dozen other journalists were among the detainees.
Protesters didn't start march away from the Capitol until just before their permit expired at 5 p.m.
Advancing toward the convention, they were blocked by police a first time on the John Ireland Blvd. bridge over Interstate 94 shortly after 5:00.
Police and splinter groups of protesters had several confrontations around the Capitol, with tear gas and smoke bombs fogging city streets.
Meanwhile, an officer manages to capture a moment for his own memory
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said the St. Paul police department and its Chief John Harrington decided members of the media would be issued citations and released.
Fletcher said he expected most of the charges would be for unlawful assembly.
"Whoever got arrested was whoever didn't disperse and was still on the bridge," Fletcher said. "The tactic of blocking people on the bridge could very well have prevented a lot of activity later tonight. Clearly there were a number of people with no intention of being law-abiding tonight."
The confrontation resulted in at least 200 arrests, Fletcher said.
During long standstills, some protesters took time to play games, while others sat down and chanted "Whose streets? Our streets!" which has been heard all week on streets near the RNC.
Police tactics scatter crowds
About three hours into the standoff, about 300 protesters sat down on University Avenue. That prompted police to close the street. Officers then set off smoke bombs and fired seven percussion grenades, causing protesters to scatter.
A group of protesters entered a residential area north of the Capitol. Later, at least three smoke bombs were discharged in the area of apartments and houses.
The hundreds who didn't call it a night moved toward downtown St. Paul, where they were blocked again by police at 12th and Cedar.
102 arrested after Rage show in Mpls
Across the river in Minneapolis, Rage Against the Machine fans and RNC protesters faced-off with police on 1st Avenue, resulting in 102 arrests.
After Wednesday night's arrests, a total of 422 people have been arrested since Saturday in raids and at protests in the Twin Cities during the convention.
8 anarchists charged in larger plot
Eight members of the RNC Welcoming Committee anarchist group were charged Wednesday with conspiracy to riot, conspiracy to commit civil disorder and conspiracy to damage property. A second count of conspiracy to commit riot - second degree furtherance of terrorism was also added.