Forum Post: WSWS: Police attack Occupy protesters in Berkeley
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 11, 2011, 1:02 p.m. EST by SandyEnglish
(60)
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from the World Socialist Web Site today:
Police attack Occupy protesters in Berkeley
Police attacked a demonstration in Berkeley, California on Wednesday, hitting students and youth with batons and arresting nearly 40. One graduate student was sent to the campus health center with serious injuries.
The actions against students in Berkeley, organized by the University of California campus police, are part of a wave of crackdowns nationwide that have led to the arrest of over 3,000 protesters. Last month, police in nearby Oakland violently suppressed protests, using teargas and flash grenades against Occupy demonstrators.
The “Occupy Cal” demonstrations at UC Berkeley began at noon with a rally of over 3,000 students at Sproul Plaza, in the heart of the UC campus. After an hour of speeches the group marched down Telegraph Avenue to a Bank of America a few blocks away, chanting slogans such as “We are the 99 percent” and “No Cuts, No Fees, Education Must Be Free.”
In addition to the social inequality targeted by the Occupy movement as a whole, students are protesting plans to once again increase tuition as a result of cuts implemented by the Democratic Party governor of California, Jerry Brown.
After marching for 30 minutes, the group met back at Sproul Plaza to hold a general assembly. Despite a warning from UC Berkeley’s chancellor prohibiting the setting up of tents, the general assembly of about 500 students passed a motion supporting the Occupy movement and declaring the start of Occupy Cal. Soon after, tens of police moved in to secure the grass space next to Sproul Plaza where the students were about to pitch tents. The crowd quickly reacted and rushed over to claim the area. After some time the initial police force moved out and tents were set up.
Before tents were pitched, UC police officers had suited-up in full riot gear—equipped with batons, helmets, gas masks, teargas guns, etc.—just on the other side of the building. As students put up tents, news came in of police massing to drive them out. Students formed human chains protecting the tents. A battalion of riot police then came in from either side to force the students out. They cleared both protesters and observers away from the steps next to the encampment.
Police violently broke through the human chain. They beat students with batons, pushed and shoved, on several occasions throwing students to the ground. They uprooted tents and threw them into a pile. Shocked students filmed with their cameras as one police officer also took footage, but with different intentions.
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And America keeps billing itself as home of the free. OWS protesters are not being treated well. I am tired of hearing about them stealing tents and possessions. I'm tired of seeing the riot gear. I am impressed with the sheer numbers of people who keep going and show up to support the movement in spite of being blackballed by the corporate media. I've never seen crowds of people like that for the Tea Party. I guess AstroTurfers are too cheap to pay them overtime for their participation!
Or the Tea Party folks have jobs and responsibilities.
http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2011/11/helpful-chart-tea-party-vs-occupy-wall.html
Not evidenced by Tea Party Trolls on this site. Its AstroTurf and a few misguided people. But I do think a lot of people are currently being employed by the Kochs to run around posting on the internet. If you aren't getting paid for it, they are laughing at you behind your back.
That is sooo funny. Just once I would love to see some evidence that someone gets paid to troll. The Tea Party has had an impact on elections, what has OWS done again?
They should have tied them up and let them rot.