The protests in this country will grow increasingly violent. The establishment has already shown they will use brutal tactics in supressing dissent. The protestors know what to expect. They will begin to arm themselves. There will be blood. Producing molotov cocktails may be the new growth business. It doesn’t matter whether you agree or don’t agree with violence. It is going to happen. The scenes from Greece, Egypt and Syria will play out in our cities over the next few years. This is what happens when none of the Wall Street criminals are prosecuted and the corrupt politicians in Washington DC do nothing to address the issues affecting the average American.
http://www.ustream.tv/occupyoakland
Occupy Oakland: Police Teargas Protestors, Use Flash Grenades
OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland police used tear gas and “flash” grenades Saturday to break up hundreds of Occupy protesters after some demonstrators started throwing rocks and flares at officers and tearing down fencing.
Three officers were hurt and 19 people were arrested, the Oakland Police Department said in a release. No details on the officers’ injuries were released.
Police said the group started assembling at a downtown plaza Saturday morning, with demonstrators threatening to take over the vacant Henry Kaiser Convention Center. The group then marched through the streets, disrupting traffic.
The crowd grew as the day wore on, with afternoon estimates ranging from about 1,000 to 2,000 people.
The protesters walked to the vacant convention center, where some started tearing down perimeter fencing and “destroying construction equipment” shortly before 3 p.m., the release said.
Police said they issued a dispersal order and used smoke and tear gas after some protesters pelted them with bottles, rocks, burning flares and other objects.
Most of the arrests were made when protesters ignored orders to leave and assaulted officers, the release said. By 4 p.m., the bulk of the crowd had left the convention center and headed back downtown.
The demonstration comes after Occupy protesters said earlier this week that they planned to move into a vacant building and turn it into a social center and political hub. They also threatened to try to shut down the port, occupy the airport and take over City Hall.
In a statement Friday, Oakland City Administrator Deanna Santana said the city would not be “bullied by threats of violence or illegal activity.”
Interim police Chief Howard Jordan also warned that officers would arrest those carrying out illegal actions.
Oakland officials said Friday that since the Occupy Oakland encampment was first established in late October, police have arrested about 300 people.
The national Occupy Wall Street movement, which denounces corporate excess and economic inequality, began in New York City in the fall but has been largely dormant lately.
Oakland, New York and Los Angeles were among the cities with the largest and most vocal Occupy protests early on. The demonstrations ebbed after those cities used force to move out hundreds of demonstrators who had set up tent cities.
In Oakland, the police department received heavy criticism for using force to break up earlier protests. Among the critics was the mayor, who said she wasn’t briefed on the department’s plans. Earlier this month, a court-appointed monitor submitted a report to a federal judge that included “serious concerns” about the department’s handling of the Occupy protests.
Gutless cowards=TPTB
Oh the knuckle heads in washington will do something for the average citzen. They will borrow more money to defeat what is left of the liberty fighters.
I am gratified to see Occupy Oakland still active. I agree, the resistance to the police will increase. Not that I advocate any violence, but hypothetically speaking, what do you suppose would happen if the cops with mace were neutralized?
Dear Chatham Police,
It only took you 20 fucking posts till you spelled “Chatham” correctly. Congrats!
Respectfully,
Stucky
Could be a different member of the Chatham division.
Oh me oh my. Drove past them on Broadway today, marching toward Oagawa… almost got swarmed… going to drop my homey off at work.
I must say there were indeed rowdies…. so the article doesn’t suprise me.
I must also say that there were swarms of folk keeping people from blocking our lane… some protesters made a wall and made sure we could drive through it.
Looks like we avoided the real fun by a few minutes.
We turned onto Broadway and were like “HOLY SHIT!” As the smob rounded a corner…
Interesting day.
I watched the live stream of this most of this evening. We are watching the evolution of Occupy activists. These are not the core of the movement, but the vanguard. These are the ones pushing the envelop. These are the ones testing the waters of what the elite will do. By their brave actions, the rest of us will learn how to survive. What we saw today was how these elite monsters will utilize ketteling. Just like they did in London to great effect. The elite are the same all over the globe. Overwhelming force is the only tactic they know. Their kitbag will become pretty empty in short order. They have little capacity for adaptation to any given situation. They are rigid and stuck in place, following orders from above, following strategies developed for another time and place. But the people rising will not only survive, but thrive. We will adapt and learn. We will find their vulnerabilities. Most on the front lines are young, vigorous, and fighting for their survival and their own collective futures. In due time, they will prevail. And we the old, will be there on the front lines with them. You can dis us Boomers all you want. But many of us never gave up the fight. We may have failed in many ways, but we are and will be here for our grand children. We will fight for their future. Many of us will be on the front lines. At some point the elite will wish like hell that they had left the occupy encampments in place. At least they knew where we were and what we were up to. Now that we are physically dispersed, we can pop up anywhere in unexpected ways. Gawd, I love these kids. And anyone on the globe that fights for true freedom. I won’t live to see the day, but I know in my heart that we will overcome. That Mother earth, and all living things will prevail.
@Rebel Farmer:
So what youa re saying is that by destroying property and challenging the police thus invoking a violent response is a GOOD tactic??
You could not be more wrong.
The American people will not get behind a movement that destroys property and endangers lives. They will, and have, cheer on TPTB as the Occupy vanguard is flash bombed and beaten. It has already happened.
I stand by my original advice: Occupy needs to recruit a vast number of clean and sober people to protest PEACEFULLY. The image of thousands of peaceful people being crushed by a cops in military gear is far more effective than these tattooed and grean-haired freaks “twinkling” at each other as they shout idiotic childish slogans at each other.
Which image moves you more?
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or
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rats, that was supposed to be
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HZK
Nice choice of words. What moves you more?
Here’s a better question. What good did standing in front of those tanks do for the Chinese people? Zip. Nada. Nothing.
Any change that takes place in this country will REQUIRE violence. Peaceful change is impossible. That is just the way it is.
@Admin: I think you are wrong about the fall out from T-square. Part of T-Square has led to a burgeoning freedom movement in China. It is very difficult and slow but it has forced the ChiComs to start to open up their economy and press. Not much by our standards but way more than was permitted in 1989.
It is all about “mass” and “momentum”. The real power is in the “mass” of the citizens. There are far more of them than there are of the government. Their behaviour is the “momentum” that causes societal change.
Modelling and influencing the behaviour of the cizitens has been recognized as absolutely KEY to maintaining control. You recently posted a reference to Edward Bernays, Goebbels, et all. In the pre-internet era, you can see how easily citizen’s were “guided”, sometimes to their own destruction.
Why do you think there has been such attempts to control the internet with SOPA, a kill switch, etc??? Why do you think we have a Department of Education?? Why do you think we have 6 corporations controlling most of teevee and cable?? The goal has been to dumb down the masses and provide them with mind numbing “bread and circuses”. TPTB recognize that the internet is the sunlight which will bring their crimes to light, and destroy so them.
A free and independent internet is absolutely antithetical to the aims of TPTB. It is the last bastion of freedom. It is the ONLY way to start to motivate the masses to wake up and take back the reins of power.
A violent approach now will only evoke a crushing response from TPTB. If the people aren’t ready or willing to be weaned from the Matrix, they will join with TPTB in crushing any dissent. As they are already.
I estimate that we have a very narrow window of opportunity here before we slide forever into tyranny, but that is just me.
HZK
I think it is a stretch to describe China as freer today than it was in 1989. They have the internet locked down. They squelch dissent wherever and whenever it appears. Their economy is state run and controlled. Human rights do not exist. Where do you think that kid who stood in front of the tank is today? He’s dead.
Americans over the age 50 are too far gone. Their brains have been transformed by decades of Bernays inspired propaganda. They will overwhelmingly support TPTB. You can write them off.
It is those under the age of 30 that will create the change in this country. There are millions of Millenials under the age of 18. As they enter their 20’s in overwhelming numbers, this revolution will gain power.
TPTB will use violence at the drop of a turd on a police car. As Rebel Farmer described, the Occupy Movement will learn from the tactics used by the Mercenary thugs. They will adapt. They will use hit and run tactics just as George Washington used at Trenton against the Hessians. TPTB are slow and plodding. Violence will increase as the economy goes off the cliff in 2012. As the pain intensifies, average Americans will begin to join the young revolutionaries. Average Americans have lots and lots of guns.
Well, Oak Town stepped up patrols in the murderous flats… “The troublesome 100 blocks” they said. Now there are straight up marches swarming down town…
Failed city, folks. Their resources will have to choose.
So what will it be? Relatively benign gatherings or the serious gangstas gunning down innocents in their turf wars?
I bet on the latter…. Holding “green zones” downtown, which includes busting heads at Ogawa while classifying the ghetto as a red zone. That city’s in a pickle.
That’s fo sho, fo sho.
I wonder if they let us through because we were bobbin’ our heads and bassin’ to “Ridin’ Dirty”…
This is the story behind the building they were trying to occupy.
Hey Hope:
Video link for you! It’s Freedom Rock, man! Turn it Up!!!!
“Why don’t you ask the kids at Tiannemen Square…. was fashion the reason why they were there?”
-System of a Down, “Hypnotize”
this is mainly for colma. the description of richmond cracked me up the most.
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and a completely random image, i have to put somewhere, why not here?
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That opening lyric for the link above asks a great question…
Were they there to gain more sweatshops so Americans could dress fashionably?
China isn’t free. They’re literally held at a gun-barrel to make us rubber dog shit. Give it a little time, and we shall see…
Is the Dragon the people of China or their overlords? We shall see… but I guaranty that we aren’t being told a fraction of their domestic issues…
Howard: I wish I could see… I made out “Meth….” . Enough to crack me up.
I’m in “Car dealers” and “Surfers”
My bad Howard…. we were just looking and the Truck Stops and Meth Labs is Vallejo.
Richmond is “More Oakland”
That map has us rolling here. Found my new wallpaper!
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Did you see “Jail” and “Tourist Jail”?
While you folks are cracking jokes and going to other realms of reality, people are suffering all over the world because of US corporate empire. Profits over people. Quinn, I appreciate your perspective, and I think you are right on many levels. But I have to take exception to your statement “Americans over the age 50 are too far gone. Their brains have been transformed by decades of Bernays inspired propaganda. They will overwhelmingly support TPTB. You can write them off.”.
Such blanket statements about millions of people is arrogant at best, divisive at worst. I happen to be one of those “over 50”. You have no knowledge of what the demographics are of hundreds of occupy are doing around this country. But I do know. I spend ALL of my free time supporting my local occupy and connecting to a huge number of small town occupies around my State (Oregon) and the Pacific Northwest. Most do not have tent cities. Many have movable tents that travel from one small town to another. Organizing, educating, and bringing people to the movement. People of all ages.
Yes, the young are on the front lines doing direct action and getting their asses beat up and arrested. But those young people know that us oldsters have their back. While they are doing the hard lifting by putting their bodies on the line, there are millions of us getting ballot measures on the November ballot, getting laws written and passed that take our communities back for the people and away from the grip of the federal government and the elite corporations. The thing is, that those of us who are working behind the scenes and support these youngsters and this movement, know that we have many years ahead of us before we cut off just a few of the tentacles of TPTB. We know that we will probably die of old age or in this fight before our time. But we do it because it is our children and grandchildren that will suffer if we don’t fight now. Anything, and do mean anything, that tries to divide this movement, fragment us, or divide us is the enemy. We are all in this together. It may sound trite to you, but united we stand, divided we fall. So some group screws up. Burns a flag. Confronts some cops. Yells profanities in the face of violence. Is poor, old, young, homeless, drug addicted, mentally handicapped. Such is life. We are just human beings trying to make for a better world. Some do it in more acceptable ways than others. So what. All we can do is try to keep everybody moving in the same direction. Hopefully with nonviolence and dignity. Will we fail at times? Yes. Will we learn from our mistakes? Yes. Will we succeed? Who knows. All I know is that a whole lot of people in my generation are willing to give it our best shot. And the kids are all right. I love ’em for doing what I didn’t at their age. They have my respect and my support. What more do you want from me?
Rebel
I said they will overwhelmingly support TPTB. That is a true statement. I didn’t say they will all support TPTB. Big difference. There will be people supporting Occupy of all ages, but don’t count on the Boomers to lead the charge.
I haven’t paid much attention to the OWS movement what with the bowl games, NFL playoffs, and start of the PGA tour. But, with a mostly open sports week this week and having some time away from the tv, I took a look at Jim’s Oakland post and its comments.
Know what I think? I think the Man has got these street hooligans covered and will keep the lid on everywhere. Don’t worry. Military cooperating with local police, SWAT teams, crowd control technology, tanks on the move in the US, relocation camps, the abolition of habeas corpus, and a population who’ll wink at strong arm tactics as long as they and their families are protected, is a strong mix for a safe America. Don’t worry, be happy.
rebel: excellent comments. The boomers down south and out west are certainly different from the ones in the northeast. Although we have our share of worthless, establishment boomers outside the Wash to Ny corridor, the numbers are nowhere near those in the NE.
The flag burner screwed the pooch.