Frontline Fear in Oakland.. Next
I’ve read the headlines from all over the USA and the World.
And I DON’T CARE who did what, or who said what!!!
Oakland police officer Lawless stands covered in paint after a confrontation with Occupy Oakland protesters on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011, in Oakland, Calif. Protesters threw paint, vinegar and water at officers while marching through downtown.
I DO NOT GIVE A DAMN !!!
It does not matter who acted first.
None of what caused this mess is worth this.
None of it!!!!!!!
One child hurt by our hubris is too many!
Here are some of the headlines:
“Police used tear gas to disperse an Occupy Oakland march overnight, with reports of injuries from rubber bullets or baton rounds. “
“Riot police arrest “Occupy Oakland” protesters”
“Tear gas and mayhem at Occupy Oakland: help or hindrance to the cause?”
Reuters reported that police and protesters scuffled in the streets of Oakland on Tuesday as more than 1,000 people marched on city hall to voice anger over scores of arrests at an “Occupy Wall Street” camp. (Scuffeled?)
Photo: Noah Berger / Special to The San Francisco Chronicle
Oakland’s interim police chief, Howard Jordon justified his department’s use of tear gas.
“We were in a position where we had to deploy gas in order to stop the crowd and people from pelting us with bottles and rocks,” he said.
Paint? Yes.. paint. (Photo: Noah Berger)
Protesters had also thrown paint “and other agents” at officers, he added.
Paint?
“Other Agents?”
Bottles and Rocks?
An excessive force of police and law enforcement officials from various agencies and counties that do not work together – coming in full urban-battle-riot-gear with tear gas and rubber bullets and flash grenades to overwhelm a large group of citizens armed with paint, bottles, rocks, and “other agents”…. What country are we talking about?
It was reported that Oakland spent Millions in the Wednesday morning attack on Occupy Protesters, and then closed 5 schools the next day. Budget cuts?
According to various on-the-ground reports from OO the following happened:
Police fire tear gas into a crowd of protesters at Broadway and 14th Street after they failed to clear the area.
By Tuesday Oct. 25th at 5pm Occupy Oakland protestors gathered at the foot of the Oakland Library on 14th Avenue before setting off on a march past the jail and onward to Frank Ogawa Plaza. The peaceful gathering swelled as it marched through downtown, growing upwards of 1,000 people strong. Along their route were police from 17 jurisdictions in California, decked out in riot gear and weaponry.
Just before 8pm the police began throwing concussion grenades and tear gas directly into the crowd, injuring several nonviolent protesters. Weapons were aimed and fired at people as they attempted to help the injured and bring them to safety. The crowd reconvened a block away and
continued to peacefully occupy the streets outside the plaza. For several hours this scenario was repeated as citizens tried to gain entrance to the plaza while the police held their line using “non-lethal” rifles, tear gas, and barricades.
People of faith, people of goodwill, people of reason …
What should we do?
HannahRoberts and Mark Duell and the Guardian UK reported:
Scott Olsen suffered a skull fracture and brain swelling after being (shot) (Photo by Noah Berger)
A U.S. Marine veteran is still in a critical condition in hospital after being injured by a police gas
canister during the Wed. morning Occupy Oakland protests.
Scott Olsen, 24, of Daly City, California, an Iraq veteran and member of Veterans for Peace, suffered a skull fracture and brain swelling after being (shot) in the head during the riots. Officers had cleared the site of demonstrators around 12 hours earlier in a dawn raid where at least 85 people were arrested.
Police gave repeated warnings to demonstrators to disperse from the entrance to Frank Ogawa
Plaza in the Californian city before firing tear gas canisters into the crowd at 7:45pm on Tuesday
evening. There were reports from officers that some protesters had been throwing rocks.
‘It’s terrible to go over to Iraq twice and come back injured, and then get injured by the police that are supposed to be protecting us,’ Mr. Olsen’s roommate Keith Shannon told The Guardian, adding that he served in Iraq in 2006 and 2007 before leaving the military last year.
If this is not okay with me or if this is not okay with you then we must do something.
Scott on facebook .. Remember
I am the father of four adult children.
The young people in these “occupations” are my children.
They are America’s children.
Violence against them is unacceptable to God.
The authorities – and those who write their paychecks and those who profit from the suffering of the poor and those who become wealthier by the militarization over the weak and those who poison our planet with the obnoxious effluvia of our carbon addictions be aware of what you have wrought.
These children will rise up and conquer your greed and your world will someday soon cease to exist.
Praise be to God.
Peace to You..
Michael
