DNC Protest Pics & Dispatch: While Dems Were Masturbating One Another Last Night...

While Democrats were masturbating one another last night, pretending that America is not at war and that the current administration is a friend to all immigrants, about 100 wet and wild protesters hit the concrete despite rain by the bucketload and a tough day in the streets. By Tuesday evening, more than a dozen activists had been arrested outside of the convention, including some immigrants' rights picketers who caused a scene as delegates filed inside.

As was the case in Tampa, the number of activists in Charlotte is dismal. They also seem to be disappearing; while a Sunday night march drew nearly 1000 heads, actions yesterday turned out a mere fraction of that. They're still making noise – especially with sporadic backup from the likes of Vermin Supreme's satirical campaign team – but the echo is much quieter than was even expected a few evenings ago, when it seemed that the DNC might ultimately lure thousands of dissenters.

Making matters much worse is the massive police presence, which I suspect is the most intense for any political convention – and perhaps any type of event period – in American history. If that sounds ridiculous, just consider the $50 million in congressionally approved security funds, and the fact that cops are here from all around the country. Last night's march was trolled by officers from as far away as Fort Worth, Texas, where I can only assume there's no crime happening.

All things considered, I'm happy to say that marches haven't spiraled into pandemonium. Other than a few childish staring matches between gigantic mustachioed cops and Occupiers – a recurring theme down here – there wasn't even all that much friction. Authorities had enough bike cops and foot soldiers to seal every parking lot and alleyway for blocks, and protesters – no matter how riled – weren't dumb enough to rush in. If they had, in the least they'd have been pummeled by crush of paintballs.

The saddest thing about yesterday's protests, however, was not necessarily how countless tax dollars were wasted curbing free speech. Nor was it the sad showing. It's that the message of last night's march in particular – that the brand of pay-to-play capitalism endorsed by Democrats as well as Republicans – is reprehensible. I've spoken with dozens of so-called liberals who are here to cheer on Obama, and nearly every one of them has an excuse for why it's okay for this fiesta to go down in a banking epicenter.

Like some of the less radical protesters, I don't completely hate the Democrats. I think that somewhere underneath the bullshit, passive-aggressive war-mongering, and play-it-safe politics, there's actually a bit of humanity in some of them. At the very least, they're not Republicans, who these days have the collective morality of Mickey and Mallory. But watching Dems harass protesters, and seeing the lot of them ignore the nefarious special interests that control their party, it's hard to take a word of their mesmerizing speechifying seriously.