Police murdered an innocent man 42 years ago in Berkeley - not much has changed

[robdogbucky]

during protests to have People's Park established:



People's Park


"People's Park in Berkeley, California, USA, is a park off Telegraph Avenue, bounded by Haste and Bowditch streets and Dwight Way, near the University of California, Berkeley. The park was created during the radical political activism of the late 1960s.

Today, People's Park is a free public park. Although open to all, it is mainly a daytime sanctuary for Berkeley's large homeless population who, along with others, receive meals from East Bay Food Not Bombs. Public toilets are available, and the park offers innovative demonstration gardens, including organic community gardening beds and areas landscaped with California native plants, all of which were created by volunteer gardeners. Students use the basketball courts. A wider audience is attracted by occasional rallies, concerts, and hip-hop events conducted at the People's Stage, a wooden bandstand designed and built on the western end of the park by volunteers organized by the People's Park Council. Nearby residents, and those who try to use the park for recreation, sometimes experience conflict with the more aggressive homeless people in People's Park.

The mythology of the park is an important part of local culture. The local South Campus neighborhood was the scene of a major confrontation between student protesters and police in May 1969. A mural near the park, painted by Berkeley artist O'Brien Thiele and lawyer/artist Osha Neumann, depicts the shooting of James Rector, a student who died from shotgun wounds inflicted by the police on May 15, 1969..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Park

[robdogbucky]

1. Last night

POLICE CRITICALLY INJURE IRAQ WAR VET DURING OCCUPY MARCH

WASHINGTON -- The Oakland Police Department fired tear gas on Occupy Oakland demonstrators Tuesday night as they marched through downtown, determined to reclaim the camp that officers destroyed that morning. As the marchers zigged and zagged in search of safe ground, authorities bombarded and barricaded the activists into a drawn-out stalemate that resulted in further arrests.

The local police's use of force seriously injured an Occupy activist and Iraq War veteran.

Scott Olsen, 24, remains sedated on a respirator, in stable but critical condition at Oakland’s Highland Hospital after being hit in the head with a police projectile.

Olsen's roommate, Keith Shannon, 24, told The Huffington Post that Olsen is still in the emergency room. "Right now, he's under sedation," Shannon said. "He walked into the hospital." But soon after his arrival, Shannon said, doctors found that there was swelling in Olsen's brain and put him under. He did not get a chance to talk to his friend. "They are waiting for a neurosurgeon to examine him to see if he needs surgery or not," Shannon said. If he doesn't need an operation, he'll be moved to the intensive care unit...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/26/iraq-vet-oakland-police-tear-gas_n_1033159.html

[RKP5637]

2. Same old shit, different names, different times, but the SOS continues. A repressive

democracy feigning to be a democracy.

[robdogbucky]

3. Oakland Policeman Throws Flash Grenade Into Crowd Trying To Help Injured Protester

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OZLyUK0t0vQ



...Dottie Guy, a veteran of the Iraq War and a friend of Olsen, found out about her friend's injury through Twitter and Facebook. She has maintained an overnight vigil at the hospital. "He always had a smile on his face," she said. "He's really into the movement."

YouTube video of the incident shows Olsen, wearing his Marine jacket without his nametape, being carted through a cloud of tear-gas smoke to the sounds of shrieking activists. In a close up, his forehead appears bruised and bloodied. He stares up at his ad-hoc triage in a daze. When asked, “What's your name?” he can’t answer. Someone screams, "Medic!"

Shannon first got to know Olsen serving in Iraq from August 2006 to May 2007, when the two worked tactical communications as part of the Marines' 3rd Battalion. Olsen subsequently served a second tour. "We both came out against the war," Shannon said.

Olsen was never injured during his two tours in Iraq.

UPDATE: 4:20 p.m. -- New video posted to YouTube suggests that Olsen was hit at close range with a tear-gas canister. After demonstrators rush to Olsen's aid, an Oakland cop waits a few beats before lobbing a second tear-gas canister at the crowd. They are attending to Olsen when the canister explodes, sending smoke everywhere.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/26/iraq-vet-oakland-police-tear-gas_n_1033159.html

[robdogbucky]

4. Protester Brings Occupy Wall Sreet To Super Committee (VIDEO)

Protester Brings Occupy Wall Sreet To Super Committee (VIDEO)


WASHINGTON -- A protester brought the message of Occupy Wall Street to the deficit-slashing super committee on Wednesday, even as Democrats on the committee sounded like they want to ring up even bigger cuts than required by law.

With Democrats and Republicans sparring over the underlying issue of whether the committee should hike taxes, and whether various parts of the nation's spending are out of whack compared to historic trends, a woman dressed in black interrupted to try to make it simple.

"The American people want to tax the rich and end the wars," said a woman who stepped forward as committee member Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) wound down. "That's how we fix the deficit. And all this obfuscation with percentages of GDP, this is just trying to confuse the issue."

"We would have enough money for housing and health care and everything that we want if we stopped spending our money military machine," she added before Capitol police escorted her away. "It's very obvious. I speak for the 99 percent: End the wars and tax the rich..."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/26/occupy-wall-street-super-committee_n_1033093.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. It was the guard

Yes it makes a difference.

[robdogbucky]

6. Huh?

What was the guard?

Please put your comment in context, Nadin, I don't know what you are talking about.


Regards,
rdb

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Kent state was done by National Guard troops not cops

They were poorly trained and not even the most basic of mp training. The better analogy is Chicago '68, a police riot.

[robdogbucky]

12. Why did you post about Kent St. here? This thread is about Bay Area

?

[robdogbucky]

13. I'm not making analogies

I am making a direct connection of Alameda County Police forces killing an innocent non-violent protestor in Berkeley 42 years ago and the critical, near-death Iraq vet that was fired upon last night in Oakland. By Alameda County Police forces. Both crimes happened here, and both were by Alameda County Police forces.

Did you read my post and/or my links?



Try to pay attention if you're going to chime into a thread you didn't start, eh?




Thanks a bunch.

Now, back to the fascist police state, wherever it may be.

[redqueen]

9. The National Guard, I presume. (nt)

[robdogbucky]

8. Are you referring to the murder of Rector in Berkeley in '69?

And do you mean to say it was the Nat. Guard that killed him?

You are wrong. I was there.


Here ya go:



Alameda County Sheriff Frank Madigan

"...During the People's Park protests, sometimes referred to as "Bloody Thursday", Madigan authorized use of buckshot, rather than birdshot, against demonstrators and one innocent bystander, James Rector, was killed. In May 1970, after Kent State he ordered tear gas dropped from helicopters on the University of California at Berkeley. His authority came from Governor Ronald Reagan..."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Madigan







Was that what you meant?

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. No kent state

And still this is closer to this police riot, Chicago '68



And your op referred to these guys at kent state

[robdogbucky]

14. Um, Nadin, this thread is/was not about Kent St.

"And your op referred to these guys at kent state"

I'm afraid not.

Put the bottle down and back away from your keyboard, Nadin, you've either been up too long or you are ingesting items that affect your judgment. I love your stuff, but please butt out of this thread, okay? You are so wrong it's laughable.



I repeat, this thread addresses two crimes, nothing else.


Not Kent St., not the National Guard, not you.

This thread addresses a crime that took place last night here, in the Bay Area, with police injuring, perhaps fatally, an unarmed, non-vionet protestor. My link to the past on this, if you care to read it, cites a similar murder by the same police entities that did the crime last night in BERKELEY IN 1969.

Can you hear me now?



sheesh

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. My apologies

[redqueen]

10. K&R

We still have a long way to go.