US stares down occupying forces (our protesters) a view from out of the US

[ensho]

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/MK03Dj03.html


This past week saw police move forcefully against America's Occupy Wall Street protesters in a number of cities <1>, with considerable police violence in Oakland, California and Denver, Colorado, plus numerous arrests in places like San Diego, Nashville and Atlanta. Video of the Oakland violence recalls a war zone <2>.

Events suggest a coordinated effort to "push back" against Occupy's string of successes, with some police departments seemingly welcoming an opportunity for confrontation with the protesters.

-snip-

The call for the strike has substantive union support, and includes an attempted shutdown of the Port of Oakland, one of America's busiest. News media have widely reported that the city is bracing itself for Wednesday's events, and Oakland's mayor, Jean Quan, circulated a memo to city employees allowing all but police to take Wednesday off.

-long snip-

While "to protect and serve" is the universal US police credo, too many incidents have long raised questions as to whom some officers see themselves as protecting and serving. Police violence against peaceful demonstrators certainly does not seem in any community's interest, at least none in a democratic society.

-snip-
----------------------

[Arctic Dave]

1. K&R

[1Smart_Fellow]

2. 'US stares down occupying forces'...Occupy!

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/MK03Dj03.html

"According to a 2003 story in the San Jose Mercury News, the workers "were standing in one area waiting to go to work, and then the police started firing on the longshoremen", said Henry Graham, the president of ILWU Local 10. "Some were hit in the chest with rubber bullets, and seven of our guys went to the hospital. I don't want to imply that the police deliberately did this, but it doesn't make sense." Police were also accused at the time of aiming directly for the protesters <5> when discharging crowd control weapons.

Tragically, in the current Oakland police violence on Tuesday, Iraq war vet Scott Olsen was reported to have suffered a skull fracture. Particularly disturbing, video of those protesters coming to Olsen's rescue <6> clearly shows a police officer throwing a munition of some kind into the rescue group."

-- long snip --

"In a number of Occupy locales, police have attempted to suggest that the demonstrators are composed of simply "troubled individuals", a suggestion at odds with the facts. However, in New York City, the October 30, New York Daily News reported that such "troubled" types had been actively encouraged by the New York Police Department to join the protesters at their Zuccotti Park encampment."

-- snip --

"It is no small paradox that while Scott Olsen fought in Iraq to supposedly bring freedom and democracy, the only severe wounds he ever received were those sustained while trying to peacefully demonstrate at home."