Occupy Wall Street and police brutality

Byrnzie

America: Land of the Free!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oc ... enway-park

Occupy Boston protesters accuse police of using excessive force to clear camp

Organisers claim peaceful demonstrators were 'brutally attacked' as more than 120 arrested in downtown Boston park


Karen McVeigh
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 11 October 2011

Boston police have been accused by Occupy Boston organisers of attacking peaceful protesters after an operation to clear an encampment from a downtown park led to 129 arrests.

Protesters were warned on Monday that if they did not abandon the site at Rose Kennedy Greenway by midnight, they would be removed. The park is a block away from Dewey Square, which protesters have been occupying since 30 September.

A little after 1am on Tuesday, hundreds of city and transit police officers, some dressed in riot gear, surrounded the park. Following further warnings, they moved in to arrest protesters and destroy the camp, ripping down tents and clearing the park.

A spokesman for Boston police said the arrests were for unlawful assembly, and that there were no injuries.

But organisers immediately accused police of using heavy-handed tactics against peaceful protesters. Video released on YouTube appears to show police clashing with military veterans holding American flags.


In a statement on a occupyboston.org, the organisers said: "At 1.30 this morning, hundreds of police in full riot gear brutally attacked Occupy Boston, which had peacefully gathered on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The Boston Police Department made no distinction between protesters, medics, or legal observers, arresting legal observer Urszula Masny-Latos, who serves as the executive director for the National Lawyers Guild, as well as four medics attempting to care for the injured."

The statement alleged police had "assaulted protesters" and that member of the group Veterans for Peace had been "pushed to the ground".

Ayesha Kazmi who was at the protest as an observer for hacktivist group Anonymous, said she was thrown to the ground, though was not injured. She said: "I got there about 1.15-1.30 in the morning. Riot cops were just arriving. It was quite scary: they were dressed in black, with helmets. About 60 of them charged into the park and hundreds were lined up outside the park.

"People were thrown to the ground and arrested. I was grabbed a couple of times and thrown to the ground. I told them I was there as an observer."

Boston mayor Thomas Menino defended the arrests. "I understand they have freedom of speech and freedom of expression, but we have a city to manage," he told the Boston Globe. "I'm open to suggestions, but civil disobedience will not be tolerated."

He said he agreed with the protesters' message on issues like "foreclosure and corporate greed" but they couldn't be allowed to "tie up" the city.

dignin

This is what it's like at Occupy wall street
http://gawker.com/5847904/this-is-what- ... all-street

Idris

http://news.antiwar.com/2011/10/11/us-t ... fbi-sting/

Occupy Wall Street movement headed to Bay Street, other Canadian centres

TORONTO - It's a mass protest movement without formal leadership that began on Wall Street, and on Saturday it will coalesce for the first time in Canada.Those involved with Occupy Bay Street and similar demonstrations planned for other Canadian centres are trying to draw attention to a growing divide between haves and have-nots.

dignin

more video of possible police brutality in SF from a couple days ago...I know the protesters sound like dicks, but is it cause for a beatdown?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... yZ0#t=109s

cincybearcat

dignin wrote:

more video of possible police brutality in SF from a couple days ago...I know the protesters sound like dicks, but is it cause for a beatdown?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... yZ0#t=109s

You know, the question I have, is why is it ok for the people to be out in the street? In fact, instead of pushing them back onto the sidewalk, what would everyone think if they just started to arrest anyone that entered the street? No questions, no second chances to get back on the sidewalk?

Also, when we have video of 1 cop using excessive force...why is it "Police Brutality".

Yet when we have videos of protesters breaking the law, or being violent, or being verbally abusive they are always the 1 bad seed or provoked by the cops brutality?

Jason P

cincybearcat wrote:

dignin wrote:

more video of possible police brutality in SF from a couple days ago...I know the protesters sound like dicks, but is it cause for a beatdown?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... yZ0#t=109s

You know, the question I have, is why is it ok for the people to be out in the street? In fact, instead of pushing them back onto the sidewalk, what would everyone think if they just started to arrest anyone that entered the street? No questions, no second chances to get back on the sidewalk?

Also, when we have video of 1 cop using excessive force...why is it "Police Brutality".

Yet when we have videos of protesters breaking the law, or being violent, or being verbally abusive they are always the 1 bad seed or provoked by the cops brutality?

He was verbally abusive, disregarded multiple warnings, and instantly started screaming "Police Brutality, Get him on camera!!!" the second after the cop snapped. Sounds like he accomplished his mission.

**********************************

Once one I was a kid, I was snapping a mousetrap at one of my friend's dog because the noise scared him ... at first. After a few minutes, the dog started barking back at me. Then it started growling. I kept snapping the mousetrap and laughing. And then the dog bit me.

In this case, was a young Jason P attacked by a rabid dog OR did a little shit get what was coming to him? :think:

brianlux

Despite what your favorite "news" media may show you, the fact remains- most of the OWS protest have been peaceful. This is really quite amazing considering how wide spread this movement is. It's easy to get hung up about the exceptional and sensational and forget what it's really all about.

Idris

Canadian cities brace for Occupy Wall Street’s weekend shift across the border

Toronto will be the main focal point of the Canadian effort. Protesters are expected to converge at King and York Streets in the heart of Canada's finance and investment centre Saturday morning.The group OccupyTO's website raises the spectre of a New York-style long-term action rather than a one-day protest.

"OccupyTO is a movement that will start on October 15th, 2011 that intends to show our solidarity with the Occupy Wall St. movement and stand in unity with the rest of the world to seek and work towards drastic changes to economic systems that are destroying our economy, social fiber, and environment," it says in a statement.Toronto police have said little publicly other than they're prepared for the protest.

The city and police service are still dealing with the fallout from the G20 summit protests, where hundreds were corralled and arrested after so-called Black Bloc militants trashed downtown businesses and police cruisers and some officers have been accused of assault.

The Toronto Sun reported "hard-core U.S. protesters" hoping to take part in the Toronto action will be stopped at the border.

"Despite the organizers' best intentions, some are concerned anarchist protesters from the Black Bloc and other groups could co-opt the protest and turn it into yet another G20-style standoff between police and protesters," according to InsideToronto.com.

http://m.yahoo.com/w/news_america/blogs ... lang=en-ca

Idris

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCB8v6Mt ... ata_player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-h-YIj4 ... ata_player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOjGdvju ... ata_player

Few videos from G20,

pandora

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ction.html

geez ... this is getting messy in more ways than one

EdsonNascimento

pandora wrote:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2048754/Occupy-Wall-Street-Bloomberg-backs-dawn-eviction.html

geez ... this is getting messy in more ways than one

It's so funny. These folks should understand this - it's just like their moms (since they still live at home) asking them to lift their feet so she can vacuum. Jesus - you won't even let the city clean up after you? How about Bloomberg gives them each 5 bucks to clean up after themselves? I hate giving in and having these jokers win by getting actual jobs through their laziness. But, heh - it's a win-win in the end. The city gets cheap labor, and they get on the job training.

Monster Rain

What idiots. They'd rather live in filth? I can kind of see their point, though. I mean, if they leave the park, where will they go to get free pizza?

pandora wrote:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2048754/Occupy-Wall-Street-Bloomberg-backs-dawn-eviction.html

geez ... this is getting messy in more ways than one

cincybearcat

EdsonNascimento wrote:

pandora wrote:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2048754/Occupy-Wall-Street-Bloomberg-backs-dawn-eviction.html

geez ... this is getting messy in more ways than one

It's so funny. These folks should understand this - it's just like their moms (since they still live at home) asking them to lift their feet so she can vacuum. Jesus - you won't even let the city clean up after you? How about Bloomberg gives them each 5 bucks to clean up after themselves? I hate giving in and having these jokers win by getting actual jobs through their laziness. But, heh - it's a win-win in the end. The city gets cheap labor, and they get on the job training.

Sounds like government jobs.

Everything is fine, then you create the need for the job, get paid to do it and everything is back exactly the way it was, but the taxpayers are out some $.

pjhawks

Monster Rain wrote:

I agree that there are problems with our economy that need fixing, I just don't agree that the existence of wealthy people is the problem and I don't think most of the protesters have a good idea about any of these issues based on the interviews I've seen and read. I get the impression that a lot of these people are really just there so they can be a part of some sort of "movement" and it reeks of imitating the Arab protests from earlier in the year. There is no clear message being given from the people there. If there was, I might be able to get behind them a little bit but I see and hear a lot of people railing against "greed," "the man," and "the Establishment" like it's Woodstock and I see people complaining that they have student loan debt as if they were forced at gunpoint to sign the paperwork for those loans. I've heard people say they're protesting "all the stuff going on with the Fed" and their "fake money" without explaining what any of that really means and it makes them sound like paranoid conspiracy theorists. Most of all, I hear a lot of talk about "the system" and how it's broken, but I don't see anyone with any solutions. Most importantly, I'm not sure who exactly they're mad at. Is it the government? Is it individual companies? Both? People who utilize the tax breaks that exist? Wall Street isn't an actual entity, so it's not like there's a CEO of Wall Street to come out and placate them. It seems like they're really just mad at people who have a lot of money and assume that they've obtained that money unfairly, but I don't know what they think is unfair. Who do they blame for the lack of jobs?

I actually see your story as one of personal accomplishment that is possible in our system when you work hard, but I see a lot of people protesting who seem to think that life should never be even remotely unpleasant let alone hard and whatever message they want us to take from this is coming across as whining because other people have things they don't and I view that as a childish outlook on life. I think a lot of them haven't really experienced life, and I can safely say that most (not all) of the ones who are college students haven't experienced the real world at all yet and they seem like they're afraid to face it. I get it. The world is a terrifying place, especially when you're finishing school and have loans to pay and it's hard to find a job. I was in that spot at one point, but if you view it as an impossible situation in which to succeed, then that's what it will become for you and that's how a lot of these people come across--"Well that looks hard so I'll just give up and protest so I can blame other people." I understand that there are other people protesting, too, but I'm just talking about this one segment that seems to be the largest group there--young adults who are in their late-teens to early-20s.

I don't want to come across as thinking our economic system is perfect. There's no such thing as a perfect system. There are always things that can be changed as the world changes, but I don't get the feeling that the people in NY are looking for subtle changes.

great post. my sentiments as well. i wonder how many of these protesters understand how hypocritical they are. complanining about big business, banks, and government waste - while forcing cities like Philadelphia to already spend over $100,000 extra for police overtime to help keep the peace at the occupy rally, who use their big business Iphones and Ipads to communicate with each other and run over to the local Wawa (convenience store) and use their ATMs to purchase a $3.00 cup of coffee.

Jeanwah

I'd just like to point out that as long as we see differences in ourselves rather than similarities, we are our own greatest enemy. It's not the fault of gov't, corporations, or the Fed Reserve... it's WE THE PEOPLE screwing ourselves. All of you guys who put the protestors and the movement down? You all contribute to acceptance of the country AS IS, and we all KNOW it's fucked. But because you refuse to see the bigger picture, that we all should be ON THE SAME SIDE, instead of ridiculous bickering what's wrong with every social movement, we are screwing ourselves. :x So keep up the criticism...it's only getting us absolutely nowhere.

brianlux

Jeanwah wrote:

I'd just like to point out that as long as we see differences in ourselves rather than similarities, we are our own greatest enemy. It's not the fault of gov't, corporations, or the Fed Reserve... it's WE THE PEOPLE screwing ourselves. All of you guys who put the protestors and the movement down? You all contribute to acceptance of the country AS IS, and we all KNOW it's fucked. But because you refuse to see the bigger picture, that we all should be ON THE SAME SIDE, instead of ridiculous bickering what's wrong with every social movement, we are screwing ourselves. :x So keep up the criticism...it's only getting us absolutely nowhere.

:thumbup:
I'm editing my thumbs up just a tad. I'm not sure how I to find useful that which I have in common with the very few who hold the power over us very many. But other than that, you are right Jeanwah- it should be about we the people. I doubt any of us here on AMT are corporate heads or powerful politicians so, in that sense, I totally agree with you. My generation for the most part failed at bringing about peace and love and justice and now a new breed of young people are working to create a fair and just world- things we would all benefit from. Change for the better is still possible. Reminds me of a line from an REM song: "Let's put our heads together/ and start a new country up."

I agree with you very much, we should all be on the same side. We would do well to look out for each other, take care of each other, wish each other well, and be compassionate. And really, for the most part, that is what happens here on the PJ forum. The outreach I've seen here (well, on All Encompassing anyway ) always gives me hope. There are a lot of very caring people here. Yes, let's see more of that on AMT.

brandon10

Jeanwah wrote:

I'd just like to point out that as long as we see differences in ourselves rather than similarities, we are our own greatest enemy. It's not the fault of gov't, corporations, or the Fed Reserve... it's WE THE PEOPLE screwing ourselves. All of you guys who put the protestors and the movement down? You all contribute to acceptance of the country AS IS, and we all KNOW it's fucked. But because you refuse to see the bigger picture, that we all should be ON THE SAME SIDE, instead of ridiculous bickering what's wrong with every social movement, we are screwing ourselves. :x So keep up the criticism...it's only getting us absolutely nowhere.

Bingo!!

brianlux

Several reports I've read this morning mention the fact that protesters have done most of the clean up themselves. Can we please stop calling people "idiots" and "jokers" (think about it- you are probably calling some of your fellow posters names like that and I think we all agree that name-calling here is inappropriate) and stick to the issues?

pandora

Occupy...

It's the word Occupy that really is bothering me... not just the word... doing it.

I am all for marches and rallies ... respectful, to the point, get a message across,
have a permit, have millions present, walk with pride. Make a change, perhaps not
immediate but overtime and by being civil.

Occupy....

If people came to my yard... and occupied it cause they hated the color of my house,
it's yellow.. and stayed against my wishes, that would be illegal.
It would also not be respected by anyone and it would tread on my rights.

Occupy sounds like it is bullying, terroristic behavior. It sounds immature, dangerous,
unlawful, and that it impedes the rights of other citizens.

Some have set up tents here in Atlanta, not many. Our Mayor backed down after saying
they must leave by Monday evening after they walk to the mission tomorrow.

I'm sure many affected Governors are in contact with the federal government/homeland
security as to how to proceed. What the policy will be.

I don't know what the President has said but he might want to get on
TV for a real Presidential address to this soon.

Before someone gets hurt.

BinauralJam

pandora wrote:

Occupy...

It's the word Occupy that really is bothering me... not just the word... doing it.

I am all for marches and rallies ... respectful, to the point, get a message across,
have a permit, have millions present, walk with pride. Make a change, perhaps not
immediate but overtime and by being civil.

Occupy....

If people came to my yard... and occupied it cause they hated the color of my house,
it's yellow.. and stayed against my wishes, that would be illegal.
It would also not be respected by anyone and it would tread on my rights.

Occupy sound like it is bullying, terroristic behavior. It sounds immature, dangerous,
unlawful, and that it impedes the rights of other citizens.

Some have set up tents here in Atlanta, not many. Our Mayor backed down after saying
they must leave by Monday evening after they walk to the mission tomorrow.

I'm sure many affected Governors are in contact with the federal government/homeland
security as to how to proceed. What the policy will be.

I don't know what the President has said but he might want to get on
TV for a real Presidential address to this soon.

Before someone gets hurt.

I think this could be a great oppertunity for Obama, but we got see what he makes of it.