This morning at 5am over 500 police in riot gear from cities all over central California brutally attacked the Occupy Oakland encampment at 14th & Broadway. The police attacked the peaceful protest with flash grenades, tear gas, and rubber bullets after moving in with armored vehicles. Apparently the media was not allowed in to document this repression, and the police established barricades as far apart as 11th and 17th. Over 70 people were arrested and the camp gear was destroyed and/or stolen by the riot police.
Contact the mayor and tell her what you think of her actions.
Reconvene today at 4pm at the Oakland Library on 14th & Madison. Occupy Oakland is not finished, it has only begun.
1320
Stop buying,,most everything…see what happens..
Stop buying..itll make this movement a whole lot easier…
All that would do is make the movement look like criminals. What you have to do is use your phones to record the situation as it develops, including long continuous shots to show that the people getting tear gassed were NOT throwing anything or even yelling anything incendiary in the entire period leading up to where they got gassed. Seeing peaceful defenseless people get attacked is very powerful at turning public opinion against the attackers, MUCH more so than seeing well-defended people getting attacked.
I’m aware of the potential for planted instigators in the crowd using violence to create an excuse for a police crackdown, but even that can be countered by spreading the message “anyone throwing things or using violent rhetoric is hurting the movement. At worst, they may be a plant. At best they are using counter-productive tactics. If you see someone doing that, politely ask them not to, explain why, and have someone record the conversation.”
You keep coming back, and persist in your peacefulness, and in any society with a modicum of desire for legitimacy and the inability to suppress communication, the oppressors lose their stomach for being so transparently the bad guys.
You hit the nail on the head brother. Here’s a link: http://tinyurl.com/65mwmbd
Public property is the only place that is protected by the first amendment when it comes to the right to assemble. The government is technically violating the constitution when they throw people who are peacefully assembling off public property. Public property belongs to the public and it exists for just this kind of protected use. With private property, the people assembling are trespassing.
The loophole that government’s use to clear protesters is violence. The moment someone throws a bottle at a cop it is no longer a peaceful protest. Therefore, the crowd no longer has it’s right to assemble and the cops are within their rights to use their police powers.
The injustice here is that it allows the actions of a tiny amount of people to count as the whole crowd. There are plenty of documented cases of deliberate trouble makers, government agents or undercover cops inciting the very violence that the police need to brutally clear a crowd.
This use of a small minority to violate the rights of the majority in peaceful assembly MUST face a legal challenge if it hasn’t already. If there isn’t a Supreme Court precedent by now then someone needs to get busy creating one.
Great ideas, Aaron!
Another thing the rally organizers should do is get everyone to make a firm commitment to not throw ANYTHING, not even a cotton ball or a potato chip. It just gives the right-wing media the opportunity to distort the truth by reporting that “the protestors were throwing objects at police”, and besides that it contributes to litter, which isn’t cool. There is a sense in which trashing the public space is violence against the commons.
Remember the lessons of Ghandi. You win against police states not by fighting back, but by being steadfast in both your goals and in the overwhelming peacefulness of your methods, thereby revealing the hypocrisy of the oppressors and gaining the moral support of the masses whom you are working to free.
I agree…this Police Brutality CANNOT continue. The following equipment is NECESSARY for continued occupation and cost less than $20 each: Full-Face Gas Masks [ http://tinyurl.com/65mwmbd ] (anti-tear gas & anti-pepper spray) and Wooden shields [ http://tinyurl.com/3cfboht ](anti-rubber-bullets,anti-bean-bags & anti-clubs. Also wooden shields >$20 can form an impenetrable perimeter). POLICE BRUTALITY HAS TO STOP SOMEHOW, SOMEWHERE. Let’s make it now. More info on twitter @projectjulio
P.S. I don’t make or sell any of this equipment. I am just trying to provide access to cheap and effective counter-measures to fight the police-state
Gas Masks work. Onions…there’s no reliable evidence to show that it does.
watching this and realizing that Obama was schmoozing it up with the money-money crowd is demoralizing, but we must push on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8x1_q9wg58&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Thanks!
If I thought I might be exposed to tear gas, I’d sniff an onion first, taking this tip from Palestinians in disputed territory. Haven’t had a chance to try it yet but it makes a certain kind of sense: http://homeojo.blogspot.com/2011/09/tear-gas-onions-homeopathy-and-mark.html
Hi,
Try 94607. That ought to do it. I left our fearless Mayor Quan a nice message today. How convenient for her she was out of town during the melee!
At least we know we’re not living in a pseudo democracy anymore. Welcome to the police state folks. For the corporation, by the corporation. Now, we know who’s calling the shots with the politicians. We’re gonna have to be in this for the long haul if we want real change in this country. We need to take hope from Egypt and Tunisia. They waited it out and the creeps finally showed their true colors. Now, it’s our turn, and we’re getting to them. They’re scared. That’s why they’ve got their cronies in the police force coming out after us… Let’s keep it up.
why not purchase cheap gas masks (10 bucks on amazon) and keep them in backpacks. probably against the law to wear masks but in that circumstance your rights are being violated.
I think a great way to bridge the gap would be to offer to augment public services for the city.
Start cleaning up public spaces better than the city is capable of. Instead of marching in the name of a cause. March with brooms down a street and clean it. Make downtown cleaner than its ever been. Make the claims of “unsanitary conditions” look absurd AND let the city know that the occupation is happy to provide the public services they are unable to.
Costing the city money? Right. That’s the same unsupportable BS that you hear around every one of these evictions, and yet it is the act of eviction that actually costs the city money. It is really unfortunate because the interests that the police are defending are those that are pushing for the economic restructuring that is starving the city budget in the first place. Ultimately the City will see that we are on their side and we will win them over.
Please remember the Occupiers who are in 2 Alameda county jails! I am at the Santa Rita facility and would like to see some support out here. Jail staff rumors state some may be cited out tonight between 9 and 11 pm
I live in Menlo Park, and am currently involved with the Occupy Portland Movement (I go to school in Portland, OR). I just wanted you all to know that you have our support and our love, and that I will be back in the Bay Area shortly and can’t wait to Occupy Oakland with all of you beautiful people. Stay strong and never forget the power of a group of dedicated citizens to change the world. Violence and oppression will not end the movement they will only make it stronger. WHOSE STREETS? OUR STREETS!
OR you could copy and paste my message into their comment form for me. That would save any unnecessary sharing of zip codes. Here it is:
This is a message from a citizen of Ireland. Do you really think you can hold back this wave of change by the people of our global society? Think again. We will not be stopped. We have united and we will prevail. You CANNOT stop peaceful protest because while you are trying to stop it, it will become peaceful Change. You will not know what has hit you. Respectably I say, get a new job Mayor Quan, if you want to protect your future.
Deepest regards to you and your family,
Jacqui
Can some kind person give me a valid zip code for california as I am an Irish Citizen and would like to leave your Mayor Quan a message in solidarity with #OccupyOakland
Thanks, peace and love to all 🙂
Love from DALLAS TEXAS
Wanted to let you know – We ARE watching and We are NOT SILENT ! Hang tough, guys !!!
Like Quan or not, the fact is that having the occupation on city land was costing the city every day. The cost argument doesn’t fly. Stay on track; this is not about a small-city mayor, it’s about financial institutions and the very wealthy and powerful!
Alameda Labor Council Decries Eviction of Occupy Oakland Demonstrators
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/92510/archives/2011/10/25/alameda-labor-council-decries-eviction-of-occupy-oakland-demonstrators
I think you’re making some good points. In my opinion, bridging the gap between the protesters and the local politicians, while still maintaining the integrity of the passion and grievances that started these movements in the first place, is the first step towards gaining true legitimacy. SF just managed to get a camping license, could Oakland do the same?
And if you ask me, the “fuck the pigs” rhetoric should be toned down or if possible eliminated. It just makes responses by the police that much more likely to be drastic, and it gives them a reason to demonize Occupy Oakland in the mainstream press. Inclusivity has to be the name of the game, and the great thing about Occupy is it has a message that so many people from all walks of life can get behind. Us Vs. Them is not going to work here.
Isn’t it interesting that Bernie Madoff, he who directly inflicted harm on hundreds of people is permitted to stay in his multi-million dollar penthouse until such time as he is found guilty and sent to “prison,” and yet people in Oakland are not permitted to express their First Amendment rights? Recall Jean Quan!
This was Mayor Quan’s decision. Oakland is deep in dept, yet Mayor Quan spent god knows how much money today paying police officers overtime and bringing in law enforcement from at least 10 agencies. Occupiers should take a page out of the union protestor’s book and occupy the area around Quan’s house. No curfew in a residential neighborhood and you’ll get the tax paying neighbors involved.
The public library is a poor choice of location. It Operates on a shoestring budget by and for the 99%. This is not a location from which to draw strength and community support!
The occupation of public land only costs the people. Focus your efforts on institutional representatives of the 1% – like banks – or you’re doomed to fail, and take a worthy cause with you.
California Nurses Condemn Mayor Quan’s Raid on Occupy Oakland
http://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/entry/california-nurses-condemn-mayor-quans-raid-on-occupy-oakland/
No, demands legitimize the 1% and the status quo. That undermines the movement. Assertion of power and action is what matters.
I think the next step is to work out a solution with local government agencies. They are just as threatened by economic restructuring as the rest of us are and yet have the stress of being required to provide a great deal of services. I think that is why Jean Quan spoke out in support of the movement. Contacting her and other members of the board is a good step. As is building bridges with the police. All members of the 99% need to work together.
Unfortunately the police are often used (criminally) by the wealthy to maintain their power. Its a tough nut to crack – getting the police on our side – but I think it can be done. Perhaps getting some of the elder statesmen on our side will be helpful – such as the surviving members of the black panthers.
Anyway… those are my thoughts so far.
http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/lobok/oakland_police_use_rubber_bullets_flash_grenades/
Our story (covered by think progress) is the top listed link on Reddit’s r/politics.
Log in to reddit and comment, share your stories, people need to hear it from the folks who where there, not the police.
I heard the helicopters this morning and realized what was happening. More power to you, who were on the front line. We support you.
From Irvine Cali, I really wish you guys the best. Stay strong and get stronger.
Is Oakland making its own Demands List like the one i’ve seen @ Wall Street?
I think OWS has a tough list of laws to make. What you guys think?
We are together as one. Solidarity from your Brothers and Sisters out Baltimore and D.C.
The police plan on evicting Us in Baltimore tomorrow. We will Resist.
We will NOT lie down as they try to extinguish this fire. LOVE AND SUPPORT from your friends at Occupy Vancouver. Keep fighting, the world needs yoU!!