Early Tuesday morning, police detained three visiting activist journalists in town to videotape cops during RNC protests as the three walked in northeast Minneapolis. The officers confiscated their belongings, which included computers, cameras, cash, and personal effects.

Yesterday, the cops gave it all back.

In between, the wronged parties, who belong to the Glass Bead Collective, managed to kick up a bit of a media storm, with everyone from the Strib to Newsday reporting on the incident.

Hopefully St. Paul Police will be shown this video as an example of "What not to do" next week. This tough guy cop brutally cross-checks a CodePink protester with his baton:

Three activist journalists in town to videotape the RNC protests were stopped, questioned, and searched by police officers early this morning and had their cameras, a computer, and personal effects seized, one of the three, Vlad Teichberg, told City Pages this afternoon.