Jeff Severns Guntzel, in St. Paul, calls in with this report of a clash between police and protesters. We’ll update as events change. Scroll to the end for latest posts.

At 4:00 with music playing at the rally at the Capitol a team of one to two dozen bike-mounted police officers swept in from clear across the capitol lawn directly up to two young people, a man and a woman, who were lounging in the grass, formed a circle around them and arrested them. According to Sgt. John Lazoya of the St. Paul Police Department, the young man was a suspect in the shattering of the Macy’s store window. Lazoya said police officers had been given information with details about the young man on fliers before the concert. When they circled the suspects, the crowd gathered to hear the music surrounded the officers chanting “Let them go” and, as the pair were taken away in plastic handcuffs, “This is what a police state looks like.”

Lazoya said he didn’t have information on the woman who was with the man.

About ten minutes later, there was another situation behind the stage near the capitol building. One person, dressed as an activist medics — the informal medics who tend to protesters who are injured — were dragged away. Witnesses said two of the medics gave themselves up, and rumors were circulating that both were undercover police. When asked about this, Lazoya said it was the first he heard of the arrest, even though they happened a mere five minutes earlier nearby. [MPR reports the same.]

At 4:52, Lazoya approached in a vehicle with a PA system, announcing, “Your parade permit will expire at 5 pm… If you continue with your parade, you will be in violation of city ordinance CH366A.” As he pulled away, people were heard yelling, “They can’t hear you.”

Immediately the march began filing out as riot police took positions along the edge of the capitol building. The crowd chants, “What do we want? Troops out. When do we want it? Now!”

At 4:57, police are running to new positions as the march appears to be taking an unsanctioned route — directly down the capitol lawn. Police in riot gear are at the ready.

5:05: With the Cathedral in the background, marchers have made their way toward John Ireland Boulevard. Two city buses filled with passengers are trapped along with protesters by mounted police. Officers with rifles that shoot impact rounds are standing by.

5:08: City buses are being let go. Marchers shout, “This is what democracy looks like.”

5:10: Protester with megaphone: “There’s no reason for horses and riot gear. Does this look like a riot to you?” Crowd: “No!” The smell of vinegar permeates the air; protesters soak bandannas in it to protect against tear gas.

5:12: Reporters are putting on gas masks, followed by police who are doing the same. Chants: “Whose streets? Our streets!” Riot police are marching up behind the line of police as reinforcements. Twenty horse-mounted police make up the front line.

5:15: The UpTake is on-site. Uncertain if they’re broadcasting live. Two lines of riot police have advanced in front of the line of mounties. Crowd is on the I-94 overpass; bridge is lined entirely with journalists and others with cameras and camcorders.

5:17: State capitol on one side, cathedral on the other. Guntzel: “Usually, it’d be quite beautiful.” Protester on megaphone notes that there are many media present, urges them to report accurately. “We have the power. We have the upper hand.” Crowd chants: “The whole world is watching!”

5:19: Crowd: “You’re sexy, you’re cute! Take off your riot suit!” Guntzel says a blogger from The Daily Show is busily typing away on his Blackberry.

5:20: Police have still not addressed the crowd.

5:21: Minneapolis police officer front and center of the police front line has a chest-strap wrapped around his body filled with impact rounds. An elderly man in a veterans hat with a daisy in it walks silently through the crowd with a sign: “Welcome to the police state.” Someone behind the police line holds a Ron Paul sign.

5:38: Motorcycle police just arrived. Officers on either end of the line of riot police have hopped up on the fence of John Ireland overpass with impact-round rifles. Protesters: “This peaceful protest is under attack. What do we do? Fight back.”

5:50: The police called forward a member of the MN Peace Team. He’s walking along the front line telling protesters police want them to move back. First communication — and officially, the police’s first warning — from police in 50 minutes. Three protesters have kneeled down on the ground.

5:54: A protester with a bullhorn thanks the crowd for being nonviolent.

5:59: Police communicating with protesters a second time. Protester with bullhorn is claiming law enforcement switched their permit time. Lindsey Beyerstein at Firedoglake says she called the Joint Information Center and was told the permit expired at 7, not 5, as police told the crowd one hour ago.

6:03: Between 300 and 400 people are on the John Ireland bridge and another 300-400 are off the bridge. Crowd on bridge is marching away from the police line. Police are holding their line.

6:05: Horse-mounted police are marching up behind the protesters and forming a line. Two snowplow dumptrucks have blocked access to Rice Street, so marchers are heading back onto the capitol lawn. Two riot cops are riding on the front hoods of each truck.

6:12: The crowd is moving quickly toward intersection of 12th and Cedar, trying to beat police there. Police win the race.

6:16: A long line of traffic on 12th has been blocked on Rice. Riot cops are moving in on an African-American protester who has just sat down. His legs and arms are crossed and officers are training rifles on him. He’s been pulled through the police line. Crowd shouts, “Let him go!”

6:18: Bike cops rushing to put on gask masks.

6:21: Protester who was pulled through police line is now being walked out with his hands either tied or cuffed.

6:23: Police have torn down the lead banner of the march. A horse-mounted police officer has told a protester who holds a flag to move the flag out of his line of sight. He’s drawn a club, but the officer next to him has restrained him. Reinforcements have arrived: a dozen or so black-clad riot cops.

6:28: Police using a megaphone announce that the assembly is unlawful and if protesters don’t clear Cedar and 12th intersection, they’ll be subject to police action, which could include chemical agents. Five-minute warning.

6:30: Police: “You must go to the left.” Protester: “Your left or ours?”

6:33: Another warning.

6:35: Horses trying to circle people in. Some are scurrying over shrubs to get away. Cops are holding up their bikes, using them as tools to push people back.

6:38: A few journalists and protesters are trapped within a circle of horse-mounted cops. People in circle are sitting down. A few hold peace signs.

6:44: Two people in a tree are having rifles trained on him. One is coming down. Protesters shout: “He’s coming down, idiots! Put your guns down!” An older woman in a jean jacket just walked into the line of fire and glared at the officer. He ignores her, but lowers his rifle. She remains standing with arms outstretched. Steve Perry, also on site, says she blocked traffic at 12th and Cedar earlier in the day. She looks to be in her 60s.

7:29: Police have removed their gas masks, having arrested some of the protesters within the circle of horses. Riot police are still holding a line against 150 people or so. A protest organizer has taken the bullhorn to announce that demonstrators intend to stay all night, if need be. City Pages web editor Jeff Shaw was manhandled and intern Andy Mannix was maced. [Shaw tweets: "They always mace the alt weekly guys... Nobody ever maces the Inside Edition people."] The UpTake’s CJ Suzanne is taken away in a paddy wagon.

7:31: Riot police have charged the crowd, scattering the crowd, tackling one person. People tripping. Crowd chanting, “Let them go!”

7:35: Overheard by an onlooker: “I’ve been a St. Paul guy forever. This is TIME Magazine shit!”

7:42: Marchers are now on the move again, heading towards John Ireland, but east of the site of the original standoff.

7:43: Marching down the median on John Ireland, the automatic sprinklers just turned on, startling everyone. (Sprinkler hiss sounds a lot like pepperspray being sprayed… Also, it’s wet.) Marchers skipping through the sprinklers. No cops nearby.

7:47: Bike police buzzing past to head off march line overshot as marchers turn. Protesters are going down the I-94 onramp. Bike police in pursuit, blowing whistles. Crowd ran but gave up trying to beat police. Various scattered groups seem to have reunited in one larger group.

7:51: Riot police showing up in ATVs and vans. Riot police “pouring out of minivans.” Aim of march: to end up at Xcel by the time McCain takes the podium.

7:52: March takes a right turn on Marion, toward Sears. Police look confused, but haven’t yet made an attempt to block the turn.

7:53: Guntzel says that for the first time this week, protesters seem organized and in control, even as they improvise. Cops seem confused and are hustling to catch up.

7:56: Crowd singing “We all live in a fascist police state” to the tune of “We all live in a yellow submarine.”

7:57: Lone SPPD squad car driving the opposite direction of traffic on the other side of the median — the only police presence ahead of the marchers.

7:59: Crowd reaches University and Marion, crosses University, heads toward capitol. Police unable to stop the march.

8:00: Bike police are forming a line on University at Rice, right outside of Greyhound Station.

8:01: Green and blue smoke everywhere. Smoke cannisters being thrown. Tear gas cannisters exploding. Riot police have arrived. Guntzel and five other journalists engulfed in smoke.

8:02: Protesters scattered. Only a few people remain, but police are trying to scare them off with smoke bombs.

8:05: Six riot police are firing rifles, likely at protesters who are down an alley. Guntzel says he just passed an officer with an M-16.

8:07: Police are throwing another batch of bombs. “It’s completely confused,” Guntzel says. “I don’t know if the police or the protesters know what to do here.”

8:10: Corner of University and Marion: Police in Sears parking lot, in University Bank lot and down University. Protesters are congregated in the McDonald’s parking lot.

8:16: In Sears parking lot, police are chasing then macing people one person after another. Some who’ve come to Sears for non-protest reasons are told to keep their hands in the air.

8:19: Back on John Ireland bridge, dozens of people are seated. It’s too dark to see if they’re cuffed or seated in protest. There are no police around, which would suggest the latter. To the left, not on the bridge, are people with their hands on their heads.

8:20: MnIndy’s Paul Demko is seated on the Marion Street bridge, surrounded by “hundreds” of riot cops, possibly 400. The crowd was chased there by police. He says an officer with a megaphone directed them to sit and said, “If you’re on this bridge you’re under arrest.”

8:24: Arrest teams are being sent onto the Marion bridge. Seated protesters are being told they’ll be met with force if they resist.

9:14: Journalists detained by police in St. Paul tonight are now being released. Sheriff Bob Fletcher is there as their plastic cuffs are snipped.

10:31: Paul Demko, several other journalists and detained legal observers were released late this evening, although an unknown number of others are still in custody.