So anything OWS does is right and everything police do is wrong

[Zorra]

96. Yeah. I really don't know exactly what happened there re

the mild aggressions allegedly committed by Occupy Oakland.

Given the hypocritical, corrupt, and malevolent actions repeatedly perpetrated by the RWers and RW interests that have traditionally supported the tyranny of the banksters/1%, as plainly evidenced so very many times, it would actually surprise me if they had not planted agitators in the crowd.

And also, having been the victim of completely unwarranted police violence several times in the past, I totally understand how someone might react out of a sense of outrage and injustice in the heat of the moment. I've had to make intense focused preparations, mentally and emotionally when "going into battle", so that I could maintain total calm and self-control when police tear gas us or surround us or hit me in the back with their billy clubs.

I do very firmly believe that engaging in aggressive or violent acts against persons is not the way that Occupy will achieve our goals.

In my experience, this is generally understood by most every Occupier, and instruction in non-violent direct action and resistance is generally offered by most Occupy groups as approved by consensus in General Assemblies.

IMO, the police should simply defer to the needs of the 99%, and go about their business of preventing real crime, and allow Occupy to go about the business of the 99%.

Historically, police everywhere have almost always supported the needs of those in control, be they long established tyrannies or occupational governments set up by foreign invaders. Indigenous national police acts of repression in service of the current masters against their own native population/neighbors in various countries occupied by the Germans in WWII are clearly illustrative of this phenomenon. The Germans has assumed the position of power, control, and authority. Therefore, that's who the cops served.

They're "just doing their job" is the ancient and universally repeated meme of police everywhere, and in every age, when they are using force in service of tyrants in order to crush the righteous struggles of People's seeking to be free from tyranny.

It could be argued that they are ignorant, and/or that they are just following orders, and doing their duty the best they know how, but:

"The fact that a person acted pursuant to order of his Government or of a superior does not relieve him from responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible to him."
Nuremberg Principle V

The good ones, the honest ones, will always refuse to commit acts of violence and aggression against the people in the face of justified non-violent direct actions undertaken by their fellow citizens struggling against tyranny. Finding another source of employment is the avenue that a decent person would take rather than injure or take aggressive/violent actions to imprison fellow citizens engaged in non-violent struggle against established tyrants.

They do have a choice. Decency, ethics, and morality, or money and illusory security.

The really good ones, the ones that choose the former, will walk away from committing acts of aggression and violence against us, and never look back.

The good cops will refuse to serve the tyrants, and will support/join us long before we achieve our goals.

These cops will be on the right side of history.