The True Cost of U.S. Military Equipment
And then there are the true costs of war.
I’ll be around there later today. Perhaps they will rebuild. The encampment was branching off into Market Street again as of last weekend, so I’ll keep an eye out on this. I doubt they’ll be deterred for long.
This alarms me, and it would be wise to take note. Don’t let private interests control your politics, America.
Among troubled times in the world, there are always still glimmers of hope. I hope more money and resources go toward medical research.
I’m now set up on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook.
The NegroTwitter: http://twitter.com/#!/NegroTerrorist
The NegroBook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/NegroTerrorist/274235075931005
And let’s not forget the NegroTube: http://www.youtube.com/negroterrorist
I’ve been a bit quiet lately, America, but I’m certainly not gone. You’ll hear more from me soon.
An important note about OWS.
First and foremost, OWS is not a violent movement, and any violence incited is often done so by groups who are not with OWS. Especially when large scale police action begins, the rabble rousers will come out and make their statements as well.
The news will spin this truth, however, as it has often done. Some of you may have heard on the news about protesters vandalizing banking institutions and other buildings, but what the news often doesn’t say is the people committing these particular acts are often from groups not involved with that movement, and those people are taking advantage of the cover from a larger situation.
Chaotic situations will arise, even in the event of peaceful protests. People will take advantage of these situations. My ultimate point is this: Some groups will take advantage of occupy’s goals to incite their own mayhem. There are even quite possibly quite a few ‘bad seeds’, passing themselves off as people who stands behind what the movement is. These people, however, are not truly with the movement.
Remember that when you watch the news.
Secondly, regarding Oakland. Let’s talk about fire, specifically. Last night, in Oakland, controlled fires were set. The news likes to spin these as random acts of mob violence, but, when tear gas is used, a controlled fire can neutralize the immediate effects the substance. This is why you sometimes hear about protesters setting up a shielded barricade (to protect themselves from rubber bullets and similar projectiles) and starting a small fire. Obviously, not every fire lit is for this purpose, but, it must be made known why at least some of these controlled burns are set.
Remember, when things go sour, as they have in Oakland in the last couple of weeks, unarmed and unarmored protesters are essentially pit against armed, armored, reinforced, and trained riot police. What’s worse, is once the clash is over, no matter what the circumstances that started the conflict, the protesters will more likely be the ones painted in bad light.
A final note, to the protesters, the people who have stood toe to toe will police lines, and those who know they will be doing so, peacefully, in the near future— Expect rubber bullets. Expect tear gas. Expect the possibility of arrest. Remain Peaceful. You do nothing wrong by researching the dangers, and counters of crowd control measures.
Be safe out there.
BREAKING NEWS: (11-02) 22:21 PDT OAKLAND — A car struck two Occupy Oakland protesters tonight as they marched with a crowd along Broadway, and an angry mob surrounded the car as emergency workers tended to the injured.
The driver, who was not identified, sat in his silver Mercedes-Benz sedan after the 7:30 p.m. incident while hundreds of people screamed at him through his closed windows.
Police arrived, questioned the driver and several witnesses, then let the driver leave the scene at 11th and Broadway in his car. Most of the officers on scene were BART police.
The two people who were injured, a man and a woman, appeared to be conscious and were taken to Highland Hospital. A spokesman there would not discuss their conditions.
As the driver left, many in the crowd yelled at him and at police, saying he should have stayed at the scene or been arrested.
“I don’t know why he was allowed to leave,” interim Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan said later.
The incident happened when the driver was heading south on 11th and was blocked by streams of marchers walking along Broadway, witnesses said. He had a green light, but could not get through.
The driver “got frustrated and hit the gas,” said Nick Lucas, 25, of Berkeley. “He was getting pissed.”
E-mail the writers at mkuruvila@sfchronicle.com and kfagan@sfchronicle.com.
