Why the pro-Mehserle "demonstration" got tons of coverage

A pro-Mehserle rally, attended by a few hundred people at best, pro and con, received a virtual ton of coverage around the Bay Area media circles.

Why all the fuss for such a non-event? For one, it took place in demo-friendly, suburban white people haven in the 925 known as Walnut Creek.

This is the tony little town where a slew of Nordstroms, Macys, Tiffany stores are intertwined with glitzy restaurants and well-heeled people live, thus the prospect of assorted anarchists and looters, lunatics, and even legitimate pro-Mehserle counter-demonstrators was too good to pass up. Hell, even the NYTimes gave it attention.

Only one problem: nothing happened outside a lot of shouting and screaming and yelling.

If this had happened in Berkeley, even the East Bay Express would have passed on it.