"Bay Area police protests are going HARD (and winning?)"
There's been intense protests sparked by the non-indictments in Michael Brown and Eric Garner's cases EVERY DAY in the Bay (between SF, Oakland and Berkeley).
Between different reports, the protests are costing the city more than $100,000 daily, and that's not including any damage that's done (broken windows, protester medical bills, etc). Many hundreds have been arrested (at least 450, but probably more). Cops have shot tear gas, rubber bullets, flashbang grenades, and are bringing in cops from agencies around the region for support (Oakland cops now working 13 hour days every day, with no days off). Cops are arresting young people of color and charging them with heinous shit only to have charges not filed at arraignment (ex: 4 felonies including assault on an officer and assault w/ deadly weapon, etc). Last night, an undercover cop who was wearing a mask during the protest was outed, and pulled a gun on protesters. At least a dozen, maybe a couple dozen businesses have been mildly looted. Freeways have been stopped about a dozen times. The subway system (BART) has had multiple station closures every day. The community college cancelled classes last night... it goes on and on and...
Meanwhile cops have been involved in the deaths of two people in Oakland in the past week.
Crazy times we live in.
Peace to Oscar Grant and his family. to Gary King and his family. to Raheim Brown and his family. to Andrew Moppin and his family. to Deedee Jones and his family. to Alan Blueford and his family.
its pretty clear where the antagonism is coming from and people really arent seeing/understanding that police are under cover in the midst
its a damn set up
dammnit my paranoid is acting up again ~~~~ When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries. ~~~~ You cannot hate people for their own good.
3. "DEF not all those folks are cops..." In response to Reply # 2
it may be happening, but there's a lot of righteous rage and anger being expressed, perhaps without specificity in targets, but it's sending the message that folks won't stand for it anymore. And it's not pushing people away from the protests either...
lemme read now ~~~~ When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries. ~~~~ You cannot hate people for their own good.
click that link for more background history of these kinds of struggles in response to killings by police and some strategy (that I and others worked on).
There's also this transcript of testimony from family members of folks who've been killed by cops (and more): The transcript was submitted to the UN's committee on racism as well as the Oakland City Council (neither did anything with it, but it's important documentation). --> Here is the link to the transcript (which I'd recommend reading through the index and only reading the parts your interested in, particularly Cathy King's voice): http://peopleshearing.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/full-transcription/ --> Here is the link to the video from that event. http://peopleshearing.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/video/