Berkeley: I Don't Like The Police Tactic of Clearing of Observers [View all]

[daredtowork]

It's after midnight, so of course the anarchists, looters, vandals, random opportunists, possible agent provocateurs, etc. have come out of the woodwork to blaze various trails of anti-capitalist destruction between Oakland and Berkeley. And the police are closing in with the riot gear, tear gas, etc.

Here's what bugs me: the police seem overly focused on getting rid of observers. Instead of concentrating on the guys breaking windows and stealing stuff, the police are beating up the guy in the van with the camera. Before kettling groups of rowdy protesters, the police sweep around to make sure no one is documenting the incident.

From a tweet:

The targeting of photojournalist @timhussin and Stephen Lam + livestreamer @TruthCastersTV by police is a dangerous trend

I believe Stephen Lam was hit with a baton? It seems the Truth Casters guy was actually violently thrown from his van, and his phone wrenched away from him. He claims to have been beaten.

This is not cool.

Attention Police Dudes: when you act to get rid of observers, it just makes it look like you're trying to cover something up.

After being so careful to be "hands off" of the protest all night, do you really want your rep messed up by people *imagining* what you might be doing? Think CIA Torture Report!

Just leave the live-streamers alone and behave yourselves as you make orderly, lawful arrests of malefactors.

Please remember that perception of an expanding police state just invites escalation to the protests. All these confrontations are ABOUT documenting misbehavior by the police. The only way to respond to that is to be the best police officers you can be and earn the trust of your community.