Forum Post: I fully support this OccUpy Movement but am wondering if the Oakland Protesters were PEACEFULLY protesting?
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 28, 2011, 3:20 a.m. EST by stefbranc
(6)
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I heard that the Occupiers in Oakland were throwing glass, paint and debris at the police before the gassing and shooting took place. I am not supporting the use of violence by the police in anyway and my heart and support goes out to Scott Olsen. However, the rally in Oakland from the footage I've seen looked a bit hostile. There is even footage of protesters trying to enter the park by kicking down fences and other protesters telling them they must react peacefully.
I live in NYC and I haven't seen the Occupy Wall Street protesters deface property or fight the police with violence. To my surprise, it has always seemed that the protesters have always taken the more educated and higher road of peaceful civil disobedience. There seems to be people leading this mentality and actually guiding the protests. By doing this the protesters kept their solidarity to the movement at large exposing the injustice without resorting to violence.
I guess I'm wondering if a "How To Respond with Civil Disobedience Guide" were published or a" What Not To Do Guide" were posted, it might help keep this world movement peaceful. I guess seeing the destruction in Rome and the brutality in Oakland with reports of violent protesters has got me thinking. Any thoughts...
Yes, this would be helpful. I don't discount the idea that some of the protesters there did engage in the stated activities because I wasn't there, but I do know also that as this movenmet goes forward there will be both infiltraters into the movement providing pretexts for police violence, and staged events that are disciminated through the media to discredit the movement.
I was watching a youtube video a friend posted on facebook. I then watched related videos that popped up. It seems that the Oakland protesters are a bit more rowdy than their NY counterparts. I tried to track down the video of the protesters arguing and tearing down the fencing but to no avail. I bet if you look on youtube you can track it down. Again, not condoning police brutality but I believe the only way this thing can keep gaining momentum is to be peaceful.
You have to remeber that the police turned up to evict the protestors WEARING gas masks.Also you will have undercover agents who will try and incite or start violence.If protestors start acting violently before the police do and are a small minority then I feel it is the duty of the remaining protestors to surround and remove the trouble makers who undermine the whole peacfull movement.Civil arrests.My 2 cents worth
Who/What is your source?
Well there's also the fact that even if some of the protestors were being unruly, the police shouldn't have acted the way they did. They should have had more control. Handcuff people, putting those orange net things up. The problem with rubber bullets and tear gas...the people who are just sitting down or standing by peaceably get hit too. At the end of the day, two wrongs don't make a right.
Unfortunately vandalism forces police to act. One guy or 5 take down a fence, then the whole crowd gets gassed to stop further lawlessness. Want to keep occupy's message clear! Not muddy it with rioting, vandalism, violent threats. Police aren't enemy, just reacting to the few going too far and breaking laws but it gets all of us in a crowd. Tea party got noticed and made real changes (for them) by voting, and they were pretty much against the same things ows is. Stay civil, keep repeating the message and more people will listen. With violence, we'll lose support.
Violence is not the answer, not yet, but who knows how bad it will get down the road. Not all changes have come about violently. One of the things effective nonviolent protests have in common is eliminating what is referred to as the pillars of resistance to change. In other words, the things that make change difficult or impossible. In most countries the two strongest pillars of resistance are law enforcement and the military. As long as a country has those two "pillars" aligned against change, chances are the change will be a failure. Bear in mind, what's meant by eliminating these pillars is not eliminating them literally, i.e. by force. That would be impossible. What is meant is the need to get these two elements on our side. Although that may sound like an impossible feat, quite the contrary. In fact, we have two potential allies from the military already. I have a link that, although a bit long, gives much insight into the tactics used by nonviolent resistance movements in recent years by a group know as Optor, who gained a lot of their inspiration from an American. It's worth a read if you have the time. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/02/16/revolution_u?page=full
The French revolution also started peacefully. All of the Arab Spring protest also started peacefully. The 1% will never capitulate to the demands of the people. Why should they? They hold all the powers, the money, and owns everything. They will order their hirelings they had placed in the government to crush us when they start to feel threatened. The people will have no choice but to defend themselves. They will never loosen their grips on this nation until we pry it from their dead hands. The majority of historical revolution always ended in violence.
Do you have links to videos that might support this?
Oakland cops are widely and rightly hated by the people of that city. Why is that?