Occupy Oakland is target of protest

[brooklynite]

San Francisco Chronicle:

OAKLAND -- A tense face-off between Occupy Oakland activists and members of a new group formed to protest their tactics erupted this afternoon in front of Oakland City Hall, with both sides accusing each other of missing the point of the Occupy movement.

About 40 people calling themselves members of Stand for Oakland gathered at Frank Ogawa Plaza around noon to denounce what they said was violence and vandalism by Occupy Oakland protesters in recent weeks.

They said they sympathized with Occupy Oakland's focus on economic disparity, but maintained that destruction during clashes with police was giving the overall Occupy movement a bad name. They cited in particular activists' trashing of parts of City Hall after their failed attempt Jan. 28 to take over the long-empty Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.

Several of the 150 Occupy Oakland protesters who gathered alongside the new group said any violence and destruction during their actions was in reaction to heavy-handedness by Oakland police.

Anyone know who organized them?

[gopiscrap]

1. Just speculating but probably some right wing business fucks!

[Mojorabbit]

2. I's be interested to know the answer to that myself.

Hopefully someone here from the area will know more about the new group.

[lunatica]

3. Does the violence really surprise anyone?

When the police dress up from head to toe with riot gear and hit veterans with gas canisters and liberally spray potent pepper spray into the eyes of peaceful protesters and arrest hundreds and destroy private property in the name of saving public property there is already violence.

When the only alternative is to shut up and disappear so humanity can comfortably go back to sleep, well then the true believers - whatever % of the 99% who get it must stand their ground.

From the beginning I knew there would be violence. Most of it on the 'authority's' side. Last I heard Americans have the right to protect themselves from police assault and the right to protect their property.

The Civil rights movement was as violent as it could get. The Black Panthers were as instrumental in bringing about the Civil Rights Act as MLK Jr. was. Revolutions are a messy business. But they change things.