Occupy Oakland at the crossroads

[Starry Messenger]

http://peoplesworld.org/occupy-oakland-at-the-crossroad/

In the confrontation between Occupy Oakland protesters and police, charges and countercharges have been flying in the media over whether the cops used excessive force or the protesters resorted to other than non-violent means to repel the city's evacuation of the encampment on the morning of Oct. 25 and in subsequent encounters.

Meanwhile, getting lost is the goal of the burgeoning Occupy Wall Street movement, which is to make the banks accountable to the people and pay for the mess they created.

<snip>

These are all victims of the capitalist social system, today being ruled by speculators and their firms reaping outrageous profits in the casino-like financial market, producing not one single tangible object.

It is this fictitious economic order - buttressed by the military industrial complex, the energy monopolies, insurance companies and other reactionary sections of capital - that is driving our nation and the world to ruin. And it is precisely these class and social forces that the Occupiers are challenging.

[rhett o rick]

1. We must support Occupy Oakland. nm

[Starry Messenger]

5. The protesters have just removed the barricades to the Plaza.

Reports on Twitter say that 3000 people are in force, with Marines joining spontaneously in support of their fallen brother. The Occupy Oakland workers have raised their banner: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ari/6284586221/ Go Oakland!

[in_cog_ni_to]

17. WooHoo! Go Oakland! n/t

[socialist_n_TN]

2. Kick........

Everybody's tying it together now. The economics, the politics and the power. It will soon filter down to the average non-political person.

Sometimes years go by and nothing much happens and sometimes years go by in months. I think that years are going by in months.

[MedleyMisty]

10. Did you see that they're proposing a general strike?

http://twitter.com/#!/occupyoakland

A general strike is being proposed at the general assembly for Nov 5 #occcupyoakland

I like the date.

Remember, remember, the fifth of November

[Bjorn Against]

3. There is lots of video of police violence...

I have yet to see any video of protester violence. There were lots of cameras in the streets if there were any evidence of protesters acting violently you can guarantee hey would be running it nonstop, the lack of evidence of protesters being violent suggest to me that the police are lying about violence by protesters to cover their own asses.

[Starry Messenger]

6. I haven't seen any protester violence either.

I saw exactly two photos that showed police still in daylight yesterday evening with some paint on them, but I seriously doubt it was really from protester action. I suspect provocateurs.

They are also lying about the condition of the camp. I saw it on October 15th and it looked like a smaller Burning Man type encampment. Very tidy, with palettes for walkways to protect the grass.

[coalition_unwilling]

7. NBC4 in Los Angeles has been particularly shameless. Last

night they showed a 5-second clip of a bandanna-clad man stomping up and down on a street sign that lay in a street. (This during the portion of the broadcast when they implied that protesters deserved what they got b/c they were violent.) There was absolutely no way a viewer could no whether they were seeing a scene of Oakland, nor any way to know whether you were seeing a protester from any Occupy camp at all. Just a video smear. Unacceptable. Guess I will not be watching "The Office" again. Sigh :)

I reamed them out on their FaceBook page, those fucking douches.

[Starry Messenger]

9. Wow, that's worse than the kitten/cop picture from the WaPo.

Thank you for telling them off!

[Odin2005]

4. WE ARE ALL SCOTT OLSEN!

[Starry Messenger]

11. +1

[white_wolf]

13. I just got home a couple hours ago, but I keep hearing someone got shot in the face.

Please tell me it was a rubber bullet and not a real one? If they actually killed someone, well, I don't know what to say. Either way I've never been so disgusted with this country and its government.

[Starry Messenger]

15. They're just calling it a projectile for now.

There were rubber bullets and also stun grenades being fired last night. It's an awful injury, ww. :( Here is the best article I've seen so far:

http://www.bluecheddar.net/2011/10/27/iraq-veteran-critically-injured-at-occupy-oakland-is-from-onalaska-wisconsin/

Late last night, Scott Olsen, a former Marine, two-time Iraq war veteran, and member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, sustained a skull fracture after being shot in the head with a police projectile while peacefully participating in an Occupy Oakland march. The march began at a downtown library and headed towards City Hall in an effort to reclaim a site—recently cleared by police—that had previously served as an encampment for members of the 99% movement.

Scott joined the Marines in 2006, served two-tours in Iraq, and was discharged in 2010. Scott moved to California from Wisconsin and currently works as a systems network administrator in Daly, California.

Scott is one of an increasing number of war veterans who are participating in America’s growing Occupy movement. Said Keith Shannon, who deployed with Scott to Iraq, “Scott was marching with the 99% because he felt corporations and banks had too much control over our government, and that they weren’t being held accountable for their role in the economic downturn, which caused so many people to lose their jobs and their homes.”

Scott is currently sedated at a local hospital awaiting examination by a neurosurgeon. Iraq Veterans Against the Wars sends their deepest condolences to Scott, his family, and his friends. IVAW also sends their thanks to the brave folks who risked bodily harm to provide care to Scott immediately following the incident.

Only 24 years old, it makes me ill.

[unkachuck]

8. K&R....n/t

[Fire Walk With Me]

12. Excellent point. These police actions are also weapons of mass distraction!

[CreekDog]

14. K&R

and especially for the posters here that think these protests aren't about anything. :grr:

[Starry Messenger]

16. I think I have every single one on ignore.

My DU is pro-Occupy and 100% 99%. :)

[CreekDog]

18. don't forget the 1 percenter apologists!

:eyes: :rofl:

[Starry Messenger]

19. Those poor poor wealthy people.

I cry at night thinking of Larry Ellison's tiny yacht.

[CreekDog]

20. i feel even worse for the non wealthy that defend him!

:rofl:

[Starry Messenger]

21. Well you never know!

He could breathe on them and they could turn into gold. Or something! lol

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Starry Messenger]

23. kick.