As fellow law professor sent me this video of Oakland police shooting a photographer. The video raises serious questions of the unjustified use of force.
In the video, the police appear to be standing without challenge when, around the 33 second mark, an officer suddenly shoot a photographer who is a good distance from the police line.
I cannot imagine the claim of justification in this case when the use of rubber bullets present significant potential harm to citizens, as shown below.
Kudos: Professor Alberto Bernabe (John Marshall Law School)
Source: Lowering Bar
Elaine:
yes one does wonder why the the real evil isnt exposed. I know I do.
Gene,
Some people have lots of derogatory comments to make about the OWS protesters–but little to say about the banksters of Wall Street who are responsible for the financial meltdown of our country–as well as a number of other countries. One has to wonder why these people choose to remain silent about the real evil that lurks among us.
All the best propaganda, like all lies, contains half a truth but the tactics displayed are undeniable in their parallelism. Using public health as an excuse to stifle dissent or attempt to marginalize a population is nothing new. Take that you ‘filthy’ protesters.
Gene H:
people who live in close proximity with poor sanitation facilities spread disease as well.
One of the reasons civil engineering was developed was to prevent disease in big cities with high populations and poor sanitation facilities.
It has nothing to do with Nazis it has to do with the human condition – poor sanitary facilities and large numbers of people in close proximity spread disease.
If this goes on much longer you may even see typhus and dysentery. Especially if you have people from other countries come and stay who havent been vaccinated.
11-11-11 1b – Occupy Vets Day, with Jose Vasquez – Countdown with Keith Olbermann
Members of British far-right group arrested over threats to Occupiers
this in no way proves that OWS is growing and expanding to other countries..oh wait yes it does
rafflaw,
I wonder if the right-wingnuts are going to attempt to smear all the veterans who support OWS–as they tried to do to Scott Olsen.
Great link Elaine.
War veterans marching in support of OWS
forgot the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDbrSQidWTg&feature=youtu.be
And 30% of Veterans are homeless right now in America. Support the troops, take your magnetic stickers off your giant SUV and donate to your local homeless shelters and food banks.
http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/11/12/367040/harvard-law-professor-criticizes-homeland-security-feel-of-overreaction-to-occupy-harvard/
I liked the statement by one doctor on one of the blogs. “brimcmike MD” said, “If things don’t change economically we may begin having obligatory, more or less permanent Hoovervilles, not temporary, protest sites.”
An astute observation.
And more than likely true. We have not fixed anything in this economic system. All the toxic securities are still out there, being held by the FED or held off the books at our too big to fail banks. Bof A just transfered its most toxic securities to FDIC sections of their bank. Economists say Bof A has been known to be insolvent for a year or so now.
Bdaman, re medical blogs: I assume you know how to use “Teh Google” to find stuff on the intertubes. Try keywords like medical blog and OWS.
You ask what do they say. As far as claims of disease at the occupy encampments, they are silent. As in they say nothing at all. You can bet that if disease was rampant they would say something–a lot of somethings, actually. The only thing I can find is an occasional comment that it would be a good place to make sure everyone has a flu shot. And that given the upcoming cold and flu season, when you have a lot of people that close together the usual precautions need to be heeded. In case you don’t know what those precautions are, the biggies are hand-washing and covering your mouth when you sneeze and cough.
An awful lot of doctors and nurses are supportive, and many are taking part in the various OWS camps as time permits. Most doctors do not have a lot of free time.
I liked the statement by one doctor on one of the blogs. “brimcmike MD” said, “If things don’t change economically we may begin having obligatory, more or less permanent Hoovervilles, not temporary, protest sites.”
An astute observation.
Homeless Veterans, By The Numbers
By Pat Garofalo on Nov 11, 2011
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/11/11/366801/homeless-veterans-by-the-numbers/
Excerpt:
Today is Veterans Day, a day to honor the men and women serving in the U.S. armed forces. Sadly, this year’s Veterans Day falls on the same week as the release of a new study showing that veterans not only make up a disproportionate percentage of the homeless population, but also stay homeless for longer. In fact, “on average, veterans were homeless for 5.7 years while others reported that they were homeless for 3.9 years.”
The Center for American Progress has put together this list showing the unfortunate facts behind veterans’ homelessness, illustrating the struggle that the men and women of the armed forces face when they return home:
50 percent: Rate at which veterans are more likely than other Americans to become homeless. The Obama administration has set a goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015.
About 75,000: Number of veterans who are homeless on any given night, according to estimates from the Veterans Administration.
About 20,000: Number of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who were homeless in the past five years according to the Veterans Administration.
5.5 percent: Percentage of homeless vets who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan in the overall homeless population, according to the Veterans Administration.
Bdaman, you really need to get out more and do your own fact checking. Don’t depend on Karl Rove’s minions or Rush Limburger to do it for you. I know you are smart, your have shown us that. But I am puzzled as to why you keep drinking the Kool Aid.
The Right’s Failed Protest Smear
by Michelle Goldberg
Oct 25, 2011
Right-wing figures like Bill Kristol are pushing the idea that Occupy Wall Street is anti-Semitic to scare Jews and embarrass politicians like Obama, but the tactic is not gaining traction.
The Daily Beast
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/10/25/occupy-wall-street-falsely-accused-of-anti-semitism-by-right-wingers.html
Excerpt:
When your cries of anti-Semitism fail to rile the Anti-Defamation League, you might be on the wrong track.
That, however, has not stopped various right-wing figures from pushing the idea that Occupy Wall Street is a hotbed of Jew hatred. A group called the Emergency Committee for Israel, co-founded by Bill Kristol, is running television ads designed to scare Jews about the movement and embarrass politicians who’ve been sympathetic to the protesters. They feature footage of three men saying hateful things about Jews, before a voiceover asks: “Why are our leaders turning a blind eye to anti-Semitic, anti-Israel attacks? Tell President Obama and Leader Pelosi to stand up to the mob.” Since then, other conservatives have ceaselessly amplified the message, while complaining that the rest of the media is ignoring rampant bigotry on the left.
But the Anti-Defamation League, which no one can accuse of ignoring anti-Semitism, has been less than alarmed. In a statement, ADL head Abraham H. Foxman expressed concern about a few anti-Semites who’ve showed up at the protests, but said, “There is no evidence that these anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are representative of the larger movement or that they are gaining traction with other participants.” Indeed, when Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen went to the demonstrations searching for bigots, he failed to find any. “This was my second visit to the Occupy Wall Street site and the second time my keen reporter’s eye has failed to detect even a hint of the anti-Semitism that had been trumpeted by certain right-wing websites and bloggers, most prominently Bill Kristol,” he wrote.
Jewish-American Leaders Denounce Right-Wing Attempts To Smear 99 Percent Movement As Anti-Semitic
By Ali Gharib on Nov 1, 2011
http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/11/01/358442/jewish-leaders-anti-semitism-99-percent/
Excerpt:
99 Percenters shun rare instances of anti-Semitism
On the same day that the right-wing Weekly Standard produced yet another post intimating that the whole of the 99 Percent movement is anti-Semitic, a group of Jewish-American leaders denounced smears against the movement.
In the Standard post, a dark video shows a handful of protesters apparently in Lower Manhattan at the site of Occupy Wall Street spouting 9/11 truther conspiracy theories and, in two cases, expressing anti-Semitic sentiments. The post was promoted by the hedge-fund bankrolled, Bill Kristol-led Emergency Committee for Israel (ECI). It was ECI that initially set off a feeding frenzy of right-wing blogs with an ad released on the Internet showing three people expressing anti-Semitism but suggesting the sentiment was pervasive at 99 Percent protests. Absurd accusations followed, like one blog’s contention that the Twitter “hashtag” symbol was a stand-in for a Swastika.
Now, though, a group of eminent Jewish-Americans are pushing back against the smears. In a release today, 15 leaders from the community are putting their foot down against the likes of Kristol and his lackeys at ECI and the Standard:
We are publicly engaged American Jews who support both Israel and the ideas behind Occupy Wall Street and who also strongly oppose right-wing attempts to smear that movement with false charges of anti-Semitism.
It’s an old, discredited tactic: find a couple of unrepresentative people in a large movement and then conflate the oddity with the cause. One black swan means that all swans are black…
All of us irrespective of party or position should expose and denounce anti-Semitism where ever it occurs, but not tar hundreds of thousands of protestors nationwide because a handful of hateful people show up with offensive signs that can’t be taken down in a public park open to all.
Five Reasons Why Veterans Are Part Of The 99 Percent
By Lee Fang on Nov 11, 2011
ThinkProgress
http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/11/11/352299/veterans-occupy-wall-street/
Excerpt:
The 99 Percent Movement has attracted students, labor unions, unemployed workers, teachers, artists, singers, writers, former real estate brokers, political activists, people who have given up on the traditional political system, and thousands more. But a growing contingent seen at Occupy Wall Street solidarity protests all across the country are veterans.
The signs of a veterans movement are everywhere, from new groups dedicated to supporting veterans in the occupy movement, to thousands of veterans showing up at street actions. And despite condescending rhetoric from the right-wing media, veterans have every reason to be there:
1.) Veterans Deserve Economic Justice: Thousands of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are finding a grim job market. Veterans who served since 9/11 experience a 12.1% unemployment rate, which is higher than the national average, while one in three male veterans are jobless. Recent reports have showed that the number of homeless veterans is surging, while there are insufficient job placement programs.
2.) Veterans Embrace Occupy Wall Street Out Of Love For Country: A growing number of veterans groups are enthusiastically embracing the movement. Although some are demonstrating against a terrible economic conditions, many are doing so out of simple patriotism. Thousands have marched near Zuccotti Park and at other occupy encampments with a message about taking their country back from the grip of lobbyists and predatory financial institutions. One iconic sign, held by a veteran at Occupy Wall Street, summed up the sentiment: “Second time I’ve fought for my country. First time I’ve known my enemy.”
3.) The Banks Are Preying On Veterans: Big banks have found ways to rip off and ruin the men and women who placed their lives on the line for this country. According to a recent whistleblower lawsuit, some of the nation’s biggest banks, including Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and J.P. Morgan Chase, “defrauded veterans and taxpayers out of hundreds of millions of dollars by disguising illegal fees in veterans’ home refinancing loans.” Fly-by-night scam for-profit universities, many of which are owned by Wall Street investment banks, heavily target veterans with fraudulent educational programs. While military families struggle to get by all over the country, defense contractor CEO’s earn as much as $19 million a year.
4.) K Street Domination Of Government Means Defense Money Goes To War Profiteering Corporations Over Veterans: America spends more on the military than most of our rival nations combined. Yet much of that money, because of the influence of defense contractors and other private military interests, is spent on expensive weapons we never use instead of on rank and file soldiers. Revolving door lobbyists, who go from the Pentagon to K Street firms, have secured over a trillion in wasteful spending to companies like Lockheed Martin.
5.) During The Economic Downturn, Veterans Programs Are Being Cut And Privatized As Well: As Republicans and their allies have succeeded so far in pushing an austerity agenda of massive government cuts, veterans have also been targeted. According to a recent analysis by Military.com of a CBO study outlining suggested cuts, Congress is debating proposals to cap military basic pay and limiting veterans health benefits. Notably, the Defense Business Board is also considering a move to privatize the military pension program, swapping it out with a 401k system. If there is another crisis on Wall Street, veterans could lose see their retirement benefits wiped out if such a system is put in place.
Thats funny you bring in the jewish people because Occupy has been very anti semitic.