Police Extremism

We arrived late for the noon rally and start of the encampment at the St. Bernard Housing Project and were surprised to see a large police presence. We missed the brass band but there was locally and lovingly prepared food and lots of music going on and people were just enjoying the warm day.
Suddenly the motorcycle police and squad cars were moving in and police were arresting people, first a woman who apparently had talked back to one of them, then a community activist then a cameraman. All of it happened rapidly and without seeming cause.

The whole thing was really shocking. There were over a dozen police and military police vehicles there not counting the aggressive motorcycle police. It was as if the agitation for justice on the part of the displaced people had caused some bizarre outburst of over-reaction by law enforcement. It was really disturbing to see the pain compliance neck twisting move I saw them put on the cameraman who did nothing but try to keep his expensive camera from being confiscated...
The crowd moved over to the booking area downtown and so did we but when we left the three hadn't been released. The police also shut down the encampment.
So, are these guys thinking the poor of New Orleans are Al Qaida?