"Professional" is the operative word. Nowadays, the vast majority of the people that create the major symbolic visuals for the media are paid for what they do. We have an army of "paid volunteers" (oxymoron?) in the U.S. Not only do they receive checks from ACORN, but ACORN gets its money from the taxpayer. In essence, if these professional agitators aren't paid by George Soros and MoveOn.org, they are paid by those of us left who still pay our taxes.

Sorry but this is NOT a truly "populist" or even remotely "spontaneous" event.

It's organized by professional political activists, almost all of whom are of the Leftist (and often nihilist) persuasion, none of whom give a rat's ass about "regular" folks.

Why doesn't the press start asking where the organizers of this event get their money? And then ask the funders in turn how it is they've come to support this flimfammery?

Yea, breaking windows of a building and throwing and bottles at police sure seems like a positive and legitimate way of developing 'real' change! And to top it off, these scumbags scavenge off the taxpayers of the country while whinging about the lack of funds for social services and unemployment benefit. Pathetic.

It does seem like there's more media there than protestors. A made for YouTube event, it would seem. Nevertheless, if you look at some of the outrage against capitalism in some pockets, and then take a look at old news reel footage of Depression-era Germany, you may notice some spooky parallels.

Also, take a look at Russia circa 1917. Same thing.

When people feel economically oppressed and decide to rise up, two things can happen. One is that they can get a much improved government (no examples of this is modern history), or more likely, will buy into a dictatorial regime that sells itself on populist appeal and has all the answers. Kind of like, "We're all against the Man, but leave it all to me. I'll take care of it."

Then when the people turn their collective trust over to Mr. Charisma (Hitler, Stalin, Castro, Chavez), the only people who actually benefit are the leaders, their families and their close circle. Everyone else gets oppressed by the tyrant. My fear here is that this economy could lead the masses to put their trust in an individual or two who will do the same.