Forum Post: must see this VIDEO on protests around the country --- The real image the 1% needs to think long and hard about is the one of POLICE USING TEAR GAS on guy in WHEELCHAIR
Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 26, 2011, 12:42 p.m. EST by therising
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Corporate takeover of our Republic demands an urgency we haven't experienced since WWII. MLK's dream worked because he realized the key is numbers of people with a single minded passion, not a mob like FOX calls us. Stay strong and don't give FOX ammunition.
More media coverage is also needed, but positive coverage creates change, negative creates backlash. If you don't believe me, google "the 53%". It channels the "use your own boot straps" crowd. You have to have boots to have boot straps!
The hyper-rich mind benders have no problem molding the opinions of ignorant far right fanatics. It amazes me that so many low income repubs vote against their own self interest every single election. It is done with buzz words and wedge issues, ie: big gov, abortion, gay marriage, socialism.
Great comment. I totally agree!
We have our right to peaceably assemble. But that does mean peaceful. When we insist on doing something that breaks another persons rights, its not peaceful assembly anymore. Like for example, if we block a road and it keeps other people from using it. Then we are violating their rights and the police can take back their rights for them. If we take a park and keep the kids from playing in it on the swings, then we are violating their rights and the police can take back their rights that we took. when we blockade a port and close it and keep people from earning their paycheck, we are stealing their rights and the state can come in and take back their rights for them that we took. Im all for doing this, Im in a local camp, but don't for one minute think that the state is violating our rights. they are not. They are taking back rights for other people that we took with our occupation. Just to be clear. peaceful assembly does not equal forceful occupation. We are forcefully occupying. so far the cities are being really good about working with us so we can get the message out by occupying. But its real fine line we are walking, and when one too many citizens gets pissed they can't use their park that we took, or they can't drive down a road to visit their mom in the hospital, we're going to have to understand that we started this. Lets be clear, we are breaking the law. Not that we should stop, but we should stop whining about people wont let us break the law. And just do it, just occupy, knowing that we are. Don't rationalize the occupation as lawful. Its not.
Umm... not sure how to say it but there was no "sense of urgency" by the people in WWII. The US government had to provoke an attack by Japan to get public support for going to war. The US cut off their oil supply, and Japan did what was expected and retaliated for that.
I agree with the stay strong and stay peaceful but I think the most important thing about the movement (and one of the most important thing about MLKs dream) is to stay logical. MLK was logically/intellectually correct. Discrimination against people based on their color is wrong. It always has been wrong and always will be wrong, it's just basic humanist values..
Likewise the government has done specific things that are illogical or against humanist values, and sticking to specifics prevents the random/incoherent messages like we see from the teabaggers.
It's illogical (truth be told, insane) to prop up failing and corrupt banks and corporations without first making fundamental changes in the laws to prevent a repeat and second holding the directors accountable for their abject failures. What caused the failure of the savings and loans who needed a taxpayer bailout back in the 80's? Well, pretty much exactly the same things that this most recent bailout. The list of major causes contains many of the same things we've witnessed recently.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savings_and_loan_crisis#Major_causes_according_to_United_States_League_of_Savings_Institutions
Likewise there is no logical justification for either of the wars we're involved in. There are political rationalizations and imperialist appeals and all sorts of excuses, but no logical justification for them.
There is no evidence that cutting taxes will increase jobs. So why do both Democrats and Republicans consistently vote to cut taxes on the rich and tell us that it's "to help the little people?" (Democrats voted heavily in favor of the Bush tax cuts)
http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/04/08/lower-corporate-taxes-wont-create-more-jobs/
You can't be serious about the buzzwords, can you? Those are important issues, it's imperative that we take away the states rights to govern themselves and pass a constitutional amendment that establishes love and marriage as only possible between people with different genitals. Those 100,000 dead civilians in Iraq and the $3T+ we've spent to kill them? That's just fluff compared to the urgent need for federal regulation of genitals.
(my cheek hurts, I should not poke it so hard with my tongue)
I said it before & I'll say it again: If OWS accomplishes nothing else, it has helped us realize we need to reclaim our right to peacefully assemble and petition the govt for redress of grievances.
That, and it is sure bringing the UGLY fascist/authoritarian face of today's America into the sunlight for all to see.
All except the willfully ignorant Fox-fed mass of proletariat, that is.
Well said. Right on.
"petition the govt for redress of grievances"
Except that after a month of "peaceable assembly" OWS has no list of grievances to petition the government for redress of, other than nebulous generalities.
"the UGLY fascist/authoritarian face of today's America"
I equate this to protestors chanting "this is what a police state looks like". The irony of which is lost on those protestors...in a REAL police state they would not be able to stand in the street shouting that.
If you consider the police's kid-glove treatment of the various "occupations" as "fascist/authoritarian", you have absolutely no idea what a fascist/authoritarian government actually looks like.
NYC not fascist, Oakland police, fascist
You call them (Oakland) fascist, simply because you disagree with their clearing the area the protestors were in.
Do you have any idea what an actual fascist police force would have done to those protestors? Whether you agree with the decision to clear the area or not, the police acted with disciplined restraint in the face of a fluid and chaotic event.
Seriously, think about it before you throw out accusations like this. It only weakens any legitimate claims you might have.
Flash bombs, hitting people in the head, tear gas?
Sounds military to me, that's not policing. We have jumped the shark.
"Flash-bang" grenades are simply loud and bright, otherwise non-lethal and merely cause momentary discomfort...same with tear gas.
Hardly "military" and definitely within the scope of lawful police powers against a disorderly group of ~500 individuals who were previously dispersed and CHOSE to return, thereby CHOOSING to ESCALATE the confrontation with the police.
Funny you make no mention of the accusations of the protestors throwing bottles at the police...do you think behavior like that is a legitimate form of protest? What about the safety of the officers, or do they not matter in all of this?
Those that chose to return are responsible for the baton that hit them on the head, the flash-bang that caused them discomfort and the tear gas that made them cry, not the officers responsible for dispersing them.
Try looking at how actual authoritarian governments disperse crowds like those in Oakland last night. Do you think Syria's police would have restrained their use of force as the Oakland police did?
The 1% really blew it on this. Huge mistake to tear gas peaceful U.S. citizens including someone in a wheelchair.
Yes, these actions are DESIGNED to provoke the people to violence.
They are waiting for an excuse to turn us in to Greece.
They will use any tactic they can to incite violence: picking on women, the disabled, etcetera. DON'T take the bait!!!
I agree.100%. We can't take the bait. We have to practice our reactions so we don't get caught up in the moment. Best to get arrested peacefully and let another one of the millions of supporters take your place rather than getting violent. They win if we get violent. This is how we win -- non-violence.
The 1% hope they can make us get violent.
What we really need are two replacements every time one protester goes to jail. So here we go America. Occupy Wall Street. 2.0 . Watch the film Gandhi and real Martin Luther King, Jr. to learn the POWER of non-violence.
Sorry man. You can't take this one back. The 1% ordered a guy in a wheelchair to be tear gassed. It's just a stark naked fact. Ready to stop defending the 1% yet? What if it was your brother or your son in that wheelchair?
"" Police moved into a downtown Atlanta park and arrested around 50 Occupy Wall Street protesters who had been encamped there for about two weeks early Wednesday, while across the country in Oakland, Calif., officers in riot gear stood watch after clashes there with demonstrators overnight.
"""""
Corporate takeover of our Republic demands an urgency we haven't experienced since WWII. MLK's dream worked because he realized the key is numbers of people with a single minded passion, not a mob like FOX calls us. Stay strong and don't give FOX ammunition.
More media coverage is also needed, but positive coverage creates change, negative creates backlash. If you don't believe me, google "the 53%". It channels the "use your own boot straps" crowd. You have to have boots to have boot straps!
The hyper-rich mind benders have no problem molding the opinions of ignorant far right fanatics. It amazes me that so many low income repubs vote against their own self interest every single election. It is done with buzz words and wedge issues, ie: big gov, abortion, gay marriage, socialism.
We must remain active but non-violent. Key. Key. Key.
Perhaps you shouldn't use the handicapped as human shields.
To all of you Occupy Wall St. protesters!
If you truly are upset with the way things are going shouldn’t you be doing something else instead of blocking up all the streets and parks! I noticed a lot of things when watching news clips and images on the internet. Almost all of you help support the top 1% of our country on a daily basis. Look around! What do you see? I’ll tell you what I see:
Starbucks cups everywhere! Smart phones on everyone! Tablet pc’s everywhere Top fashion brands for shoes, and other apparel!
If you truly wanted to Hurt them and make a change you should do the following:
DO NOT PURCHASE ANY CORPORATIONS PRODUCTS. “be careful here you will need to know what these corporations own”! WITHDRAW ALL OF YOUR SAVINGS AND CHECKING ACCOUNTS TO CASH! CASH OUT ALL OF YOUR STOCKS, BONDS, 401K’S, LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES, ETC.. PURCHASE FROM SMALL LOCAL SHOPS THAT HAVE ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS. REFUSE TO EAT AT ANY NATIONAL CHAIN RESTAURANT. SELL YOU CARS! WALK EVERYWHERE YOU NEED TO GO! ETC..
In order to really make any change in the American landscape that has to do with major corporations, and government you will need to prepare yourselves for battle! Hit them where it’s going to hurt. Their wallet!!! Sitting in front of their buildings isn’t going to do anything at all. They will just call the cops and push the buttons of the politicians they have in their back pockets to remove you from the property. If that doesn’t work well you can guess what’s going to happen next. VIOLENCE!
Look at Atlanta and Oakland, CA. This is how we need to fight Blood needs to be shed for anything to be changed in this country. If you are naive enough to think that your vote actually counts you are sadly mistaken!
I think you're falling for several fallacies there, the first one being your assertion that individuals withdrawing money from the system will have any affect on the system. These banks and corporations aren't dependent on individuals living in the USA, they depend on other banks, institutional investors, businesses and governments in other countries for more than half their revenues. They don't need Americans and their pathetically low savings rates when they have people, businesses and governments in Asia and Europe that are willing to take on huge amounts of debt.
I'll mention one other misconception; you say that extremism is the only way to change things, and worse you seem to be assuming that OWS folks are all too stupid to recognize that extremism isn't required.
Case in point: the civil rights movement. People didn't boycott city buses nationwide, they didn't stop eating at restaurants that refused to serve blacks or anything of the sort. They still made a great and lasting change in the world through civil disobedience. They won by simply refusing to play the game by the rules the bigots had established.
It's sort of silly and old fashioned to cling to delusions like "violence and extremism is the only answer" and "if we drop enough bombs we'll have peace", isn't it?
They were warned 3 days in advance to disperse and stop defecating and urinating in the public space.
http://tinypic.com/r/91if5t/5
Ah, yes, and that warning justifies an attack by armed police on peaceful and unarmed demonstrators?
Obviously you didn't live through the 60's and 70's. Try a google for "Kent State shooting" to see what lengths your corporate government will go to in order to suppress peaceful protests.
Maybe the guy in the wheelchair was the one at Kent State who was 300 feet away from the protestors when he was shot in the back and paralyzed for life?
It's your lie. Tell it however you want. Why to you cheer attacks on U.S. citizens??? Puzzling.
aren't we supposed to treat the handi-capable like everyone else?
Yes. By not tear gassing young citizens whether they're in wheelchairs or not.
The real story.....OWS Protesters Use Handicap As Human Shield.
You can wiggle and squirm all you want. You support the 1%. They had a guy in a wheel chair tear gassed. Good luck defending that :)
"They" did, u r right about that. The OWS hippies were using the guy in a wheelchair as a shield. Anyway, if you are gonna protest and make it a peaceful and lawful protest then OWS'ers should obey the Police when the show up. If the Police ask OWS'ers to move or disperse then the OWS'ers should do so....being that they r engaging in a peaceful protest. If they do not obey the Police then they r being confrontational thus resulting in the Police taking action. Bottom line. If you r gonna protest, b a part of a "revolution", stand tall and firm for what you believe all in the face of authority, then don't cry and whine when it gets ugly.
I can't believe you're defending the behavior of police in this particular instance where they shot a MARINE, an Iraq War vet (two tours) , in the head with a tear gas canister fracturing his skull. What is wrong with you? Are you on crack?
So what if a protester cracked the head of a police officer with a rock...would that b ok? Like I said, protesting is fun until it becomes a.....well a real protest....deal with it, quit your crying and protest, b a man and protest and quit whining.....or can you only give it?
The wheelchair was a prop! You're all being hoodwinked by commie propaganda and Hollywood special effects
Sorry man. You can wiggle and dodge as much as you like. The facts remain: You support the 1% and they just tear gassed a disabled man in a wheelchair. Good luck defending that :)
OWS protesters using people in wheelchairs as human shields....that is so wrong!
How dare you assume one of our disabled citizens can't think for themselves. You owe that citizen an apology.
Never said they couldn't think for themselves...they obviously thought protesting was a good idea....until it became a "real" protest. That is the problem with OWS...it's all romantic and fun right now....."let's protest and make a difference".....I guess Oakland found out what a "real" protest is all about. Don't commit to something and then when it turns ugly u cry foul. If you're gonna be a revolutionary then be one and take your lumps otherwise go home and play 'revolution" on your X-box in your parents basement.
Yes, because everyone knows that a peaceful protest deserves a violent response from the government while citizens ripped off for billions of dollars by corruption, fraud and incompetence on the part of Wall Street bankers and the politicians they own, that doesn't even warrant a prosecution let alone a fine.
I was going to reply to that goofball but you OldFart said it way better than I could. Not surprising. Three Forks, Montana has good people. Been there. Loved it.
So do something.....I never said that what they did was right or fair. I'm just saying...if you're in for the long haul then don't whine when it gets ugly.
Throwing rocks and bottles at Police is hardly peaceful. If the rioters want violence, they will get it just like the Kent St students did in 1970. If they are trying to injure police, put them down.
You're just a troll, but I will post a reply anyway because the people who may be reading this need to understand the history of their government.
While internet trolls may be able to fling bottles and rocks an incredible distance, most human beings will have a bit of difficulty throwing either of those objects more than 50 to 100 feet. Now, what does the wikipedia article on those shootings have to say?
Killed (and approximate distance from the National Guard):
Wounded (and approximate distance from the National Guard):
So, thank you little internet troll for a great opportunity for me to remind people that US government troops shot some people who weren't even participating in the demonstration but were merely walking to class, and to point out that it's unlikely that there was any significant threat to armed and helmeted soldiers given that on average there was more than the length of a football field between the protesters and the troops.
As if I didn't know the story so close to my hometown. But thanks for proving my point. If you want to be a part of an angry Mob, don't cry foul when a bullet sinks deep into your empty skull. Throw rocks, eat lead.
So you feel that a student walking on a sidewalk from a classroom in one building to a classroom in another is "throwing stones" and deserving of a bullet in the head?
Remind me again, what color is the sky where you live?
Two were going to class. Yes, those two were innocent casualties caused by the students who would not obey the order to leave and entrapped the guards on the athletic field.
Entrapped the national guard? Really?
http://dept.kent.edu/sociology/lewis/lewihen.htm
"WHAT EVENTS LED DIRECTLY TO THE SHOOTINGS?
Shortly before noon, General Canterbury made the decision to order the demonstrators to disperse. A Kent State police officer standing by the Guard made an announcement using a bullhorn. When this had no effect, the officer was placed in a jeep along with several Guardsmen and driven across the Commons to tell the protestors that the rally was banned and that they must disperse. This was met with angry shouting and rocks, and the jeep retreated. Canterbury then ordered his men to load and lock their weapons, tear gas canisters were fired into the crowd around the Victory Bell, and the Guard began to march across the Commons to disperse the rally. The protestors moved up a steep hill, known as Blanket Hill, and then down the other side of the hill onto the Prentice Hall parking lot as well as an adjoining practice football field. Most of the Guardsmen followed the students directly and soon found themselves somewhat trapped on the practice football field because it was surrounded by a fence. Yelling and rock throwing reached a peak as the Guard remained on the field for about ten minutes. Several Guardsmen could be seen huddling together, and some Guardsmen knelt and pointed their guns, but no weapons were shot at this time. The Guard then began retracing their steps from the practice football field back up Blanket Hill. As they arrived at the top of the hill, twenty-eight of the more than seventy Guardsmen turned suddenly and fired their rifles and pistols. Many guardsmen fired into the air or the ground. However, a small portion fired directly into the crowd. Altogether between 61 and 67 shots were fired in a 13 second period."
"Substantial consensus exists that the active participants in the rally were primarily protesting the presence of the Guard on campus, although a strong anti-war sentiment was also present. Little evidence exists as to who were the leaders of the rally and what activities were planned, but initially the rally was peaceful."
also:
"Sunday, May 3rd was a day filled with contrasts. Nearly 1000 Ohio National Guardsmen occupied the campus, making it appear like a military war zone. The day was warm and sunny, however, and students frequently talked amicably with Guardsmen. Ohio Governor James Rhodes flew to Kent on Sunday morning, and his mood was anything but calm. At a press conference, he issued a provocative statement calling campus protestors the worst type of people in America and stating that every force of law would be used to deal with them. Rhodes also indicated that he would seek a court order declaring a state of emergency. "
Did you even read your own post?
soon found themselves somewhat trapped on the practice football field because it was surrounded by a fence. Yelling and rock throwing reached a peak as the Guard remained on the field for about ten minutes
I did read the whole thing. Did you read it for anything other than what bits you can take out of context?
That's why I provided the link where I got the information from, so that people can read it and decide for themselves.
Let's present the rest of that paragraph you selectively quoted, shall we?
"Most of the Guardsmen followed the students directly and soon found themselves somewhat trapped on the practice football field because it was surrounded by a fence. Yelling and rock throwing reached a peak as the Guard remained on the field for about ten minutes. Several Guardsmen could be seen huddling together, and some Guardsmen knelt and pointed their guns, but no weapons were shot at this time. The Guard then began retracing their steps from the practice football field back up Blanket Hill. As they arrived at the top of the hill, twenty-eight of the more than seventy Guardsmen turned suddenly and fired their rifles and pistols. Many guardsmen fired into the air or the ground. However, a small portion fired directly into the crowd. Altogether between 61 and 67 shots were fired in a 13 second period."
So it wasn't when they were "somewhat trapped" that they fired.
4,000 words worth of images showing how "scary" it was that day.
http://speccoll.library.kent.edu/4may70/box73/73.html http://speccoll.library.kent.edu/4may70/box28/54112.jpg http://speccoll.library.kent.edu/4may70/box28/54211.jpg http://speccoll.library.kent.edu/4may70/box28/54131.jpg
Anyway the real point is that this government can, does and often has used violence and other illegal tactics to suppress perfectly legitimate expressions of political dissatisfaction. These cases of peaceful OWS protesters being subjected to physical violence are not so much news as they are just another brick in the wall.
I like this:
"Two were going to class. Yes, those two were innocent casualties caused by the students who would not obey the order to leave and entrapped the guards on the athletic field."
An excellent portrait that I could never have painted by myself. Well done.
I was going to reply but OldFart below said it way better than I could. Not surprising. Three Forks, Montana is one of my favorite places.
To the Police:
Peaceful protests are fine but we have laws and rules that govern when, where, and how. Regardless of whether Mommy and Daddy made them follow rules, the Police should and will. If they want to cry "Brutality", then give them something to cry about. If you become threatened with violence, put them down. Stay Strong! The real 99% is behind you.
Dear 1%, you just increased support for the movement dramatically. You're not reading your polls. Clear majority of Americans are supportive of Occupy Wall Street movement. Talk all the trash you want. You just totally blew it. Thank you for blowing it and increasing our resolve and our ranks. Every time you go after us, we get stronger.
PS - I notice you didn't have anything to say about the citizen in the wheelchair being tear gassed by police. I'd like to hear your thoughts on that. I'm guessing you're afraid to comment on that one.
The rioter does not get a free pass to disobey police orders
If you think by calling us rioters you can scare away our support from clear majority of Americans, you are wrong. Keep dreaming. The more you attack us, the stronger we get.
Keep it, then. Just don't cry foul when a police bullet enters your skull.
Nice. You're a real piece of work pal. What would your college professors think of you now if they could read this? Your minister? Your brother or sister? Do you hear yourself?
Your a real tool yourself, pal. Keep trying to defend the rioters and their attacks on police with the rocks and bottles. I, on the other hand, choose to support and defend the men and women who put their lives on the line everyday to protect the citizens who obey the law and hold accountable those who don't. They have the right to use deadly force to defend if need be. It's real simple - obey the laws we have. Not the ones you want to have. I am ashamed to call you and your type Americans.
Really? That's funny. Because if you take a look at this, you'll realize you are totally full of shit. If you support the people who protect us, why don't you support the guy at the end of this video? If you have the balls, you'll watch the entire 1 minute and 20 seconds. Do you you? Doubtful. You're a coward at a keyboard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZLyUK0t0vQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player
How the FUCK do you explain that ??????????????????????