Occupy Oakland: 2nd Iraq war veteran injured after police clashes(says police beat him with batons)

[kpete]

Source: Guardian UK

A second Iraq war veteran has suffered serious injuries after clashes between police and Occupy movement protesters in Oakland.

Kayvan Sabehgi, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, is in intensive care with a lacerated spleen. He says he was beaten by police close to the Occupy Oakland camp, but despite suffering agonising pain, did not reach hospital until 18 hours later.

Sabehgi, 32, is the second Iraq war veteran to be hospitalised following involvement in Oakland protests. Another protester, Scott Olsen, suffered a fractured skull on 25 October.

...........................

"There was a group of police in front of me," he told the Guardian from his hospital bed. "They told me to move, but I was like: 'Move to where?' There was nowhere to move.

"Then they lined up in front of me. I was talking to one of them, saying 'Why are you doing this?' when one moved forward and hit me in my arm and legs and back with his baton. Then three or four cops tackled me and arrested me."

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/04/occupy-oakland-second-veteran-injured?CMP=twt_fd

[DURHAM D]

1. This makes me sick to my stomach.

I hope his surgery goes well.

And once again its the foreign press reporting what is going on in our own country.

[kpete]

2. exactly!

peace, kpete

[sakabatou]

5. +1

[Old_Ed_inVN]

46. Expected.

America I weep for you. There is no hope.
From an ex American vet.

[elehhhhna]

53. there is always hope! who suspected that VETS would get the opportunity

to defend our Constitution right here, at home, now?

Unfortunately, there will be a martyr -- they've come damned close twice now, that we know of , and a spleen injury is superdangerous so this new victim isn't in the clear yet.

That will enrage/engage many, many currently passive protesters...

Welcome to DU!

[chowder66]

3. These cops have a serious problem. Other cops need to call these guys out. eom

[Dont call me Shirley]

4. Heal well Kayvan. Thanks for your service abroad and at home.

[madrchsod]

6. i see the us media has`t anything on this.....

[panzerfaust]

45. SF Chronicle has brief mention

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/04/BAQ41LQVMQ.DTL&tsp=1

Yes. I too am struck by the fact that it is mostly only MSM outside of these free United States which are reporting on this.

[SoapBox]

7. The out of control Police Militia, continues their Goon Squad antics...

If you are into Uniform and Power fetishes...then a "police" department is the place for you.

All this, paid for with YOUR, let me repeat, YOUR Tax Dollars!

[Glimmer of Hope]

8. They are out of control! I hope he gets well soon.

[DreamSmoker]

9. Appears no American Media or news sources have posted this story

[valerief]

11. You mean no fascist media has reported it. Same thing as American media. These are our Dark Ages. nt

[RebelOne]

20. Rachael Maddow covered it. n/t

[valerief]

25. Right, and David Shuster did, too. They're a sliver of the Merkan News Noise Machine. nt

[quakerboy]

31. predupe

[quakerboy]

32. Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/05/us-protests-oakland-veteran-idUSTRE7A37A820111105

"He told me he was in the hospital with a lacerated spleen and that the cops had jumped him," Kelly said"


Isn't jumping someone what gangs are supposed to do, and preventing that sort of thing what cops are supposed to do?

[valerief]

10. At least the Guardian is reporting it. Thanks. nt

[unionworks]

12. can the Mayor of Oakland

...be recalled? If so now is the time to start.

[Bjorn Against]

16. Yes, and the process has already started

Recall petitions are being circulated right now.

[rtassi]

18. +1

[Uncle Joe]

59. Good.

:thumbsup:

[DeSwiss]

13. K&R

"The revolution is not going to happen tomorrow -- it's never going to happen.

It's taking place right now.

It is an alternate universe that runs parallel to this one, waiting for you to switch sides."

http://zinelibrary.info/expect-resistance">EXPECT RESISTANCE



~http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hklqkwyISuk">DeSwiss ©™

[DaveJ]

14. Not just goons, but sadistic monsters, for letting a person suffer for 18 hours

I understand why so many with weak souls turn a blind eye to this. It is painful to even acknowledge the tragedy that is reality in this country.

[truth2power]

15. So....as I suspected all along, the "support the troops" meme is a fraud...

It's ok as long as it's politically expedient. But when push comes to shove, not so much.

[rtassi]

19. It be nice to turn some troops on them ...

[midnight]

35. Yep...

[HughBeaumont]

37. + 100.

Of course, it depends on what side the troops are on. I suspect veterans marching with The Gathering of the Kleegles or the TeaHad wouldn't get the same treatment. Pathetic there should even BE sides, but there it is.

[Divernan]

39. Yup! "Tie a yellow ribbon to the old intensive care unit hospital bed!"

I know not all cops are bad guys, but like attracts like, and it appears that the Oakland Police Department attracts sadistic, insecure bullies. As is said, bullies are cowards at heart.

[yardwork]

50. Fascists don't support soldiers who believe in freedom. Never have.

[Plucketeer]

17. Then they fight you........

[coalition_unwilling]

21. K&R. Already emailed my rep (Karen Bass, CA-33rd) to demand

she and the Congress launch an investigation into the assaults on our veterans.

If Sabehgi was arrested, there should be paperwork that identifies his arresting officers. Put those fuckwads under the microscope of the U.S. Dept of Justice and Congressional subpoena.

[red dog 1]

22. OPD Beat Him With Batons, Lacerate His Spleen, Then Leave Him lying on Floor 18 Hours?

[unkachuck]

23. K&R....disgraceful....n/t

[justiceischeap]

24. Police stations need better nurses. nt

[red dog 1]

29. OAKLAND NEEDS A BETTER POLICE CHIEF!!....This "Interim" Asshole Has To Go!!

[red dog 1]

34. Quan has got to go too!.....I hope the recall campaign against her is successful.

[elocs]

26. It's time for a veteran's march on Oakland. The authority in that city has no shame. n/t

[red dog 1]

61. Any Vets Who March on Oakland Should Bring Their VA Hospital Cards, 'Cause OPD Beats Up Vets

[Lint Head]

27. Someone actually responded to me on DU that we do not live in a police state.

I say bull shit! Now all of a sudden it's OK to beat soldiers? There needs to be prosecutions of these damn bullies!:grr:

[avaistheone1]

33. I am appalled - I saw a response like that on DU just a couple of days ago.

I asked the poster how much worse can this get before they would agree that what we have is a police state... I never got a response.

[intaglio]

40. Neither of you actually know what a police state is

You live in a republic with officials elected by ballot. A few of your police forces are out of control or are allowed to brutalise protesters. The vast majority of your governance and policing are under the rule of law.

In a police state:
all the Oakland protesters would already be dead or in work camps;
DU would be shut down;
access to reports from foreign new agencies would be barred or censored;
questioning the actions of the police or the authorities would subject you to arrest and imprisonment;
questioning the actions of police and authorities would render friends and families liable to harassment and imprisonment.

Now stop overdramatising, all you are doing is giving ammunition to your enemies.

[Lochloosa]

41. Well said.

[Old_Ed_inVN]

48. Ah, the freedom thingy

Here in Hanoi VN I understand that I have limits on questioning officials. Though sometimes asking about things that I do not like or understand, I get polite answers. I ask questions about some laws that I believe are wrong. I do not get arrested, instead, within a day or two I get answers. I have watched cops dealing with drunks when they could have hit them, instead tried to get someone to take them home. Perfect here, nah. But they try. Maybe you should consider travelling more than 50 miles from where you were born.
The big question is about who is your enemies. Could it be that we have met the enemy & it is us (Walt Kelly, Pogo)?

[panzerfaust]

49. Settle down. They will know soon enough.

As will all the enemies of God and Country.

[yardwork]

51. As a student of history, I learned how totalitarian police states get started.

Take a closer look at what is happening here in the U.S. and then compare it to how things got started in any other totalitarian state that you care to look up. You will see clear parallels.

[intaglio]

55. As a "student of history"

You should also see that it is over-dramatising the current condition of America.

If you are a student of history you will know that although conditions might deteriorate there is no guarantee that they will do so; here in the UK we have had similar over-reach by the authorities in the pretty much every decade since the Restoration yet we remain a Parliamentary democracy. Equally the US there have been many episodes of the repression of protest movements and, unsurprisingly, you still remain a republic.

If you are going to study history do so, but do not cherry-pick your sources.

[yardwork]

58. It sounds like you have no refutation of my comment so you stoop to personal attacks.

[intaglio]

60. And how did I not refute your comment?

I proposed that the histories of 2 English speaking democracies gave the lie to your foolish assertion that police terrorism automatically leads to a "Police State".

If you wish a specific example then in 1926 a large proportion of the unionised workforce joined the General Strike. It was successful with ports, railways, mining, manufacturing and road transport paralysed. Many Special Constables were recruited to keep order and, although barred from joining the Constabulary, the British Union of Fascists mobilised. Toward the end of the action there was considerable violence inflicted on the strikers by these forces and finally the strike was broken, mainly by the poverty and starvation amongst the strikers. Although the actions taken by the government were extreme and led to restrictions on the rights of workers no "Police State" evolved from that conflict despite other brutalities and blacklisting inflicted on other protesters through the rest of the decade.

In respect of my "insulting" you I can only assume that you regard yourself as an historian, for the term "student of history" is normally solely reserved for those with only slight acquaintance with the subject and a far more intimate relationship with pomposity. My apologies if you are an historian.

[Lint Head]

63. 'You're over dramatizing' could be the last words of someone who was being warned.

I 'am' a student of history and have been on this earth long enough to know exactly what I'm talking about. Rose colored glasses are just that. If you really think police beating unarmed people exercising their Constitutional rights isn't dramatic I'd like to know what is.
The first step to capitulation and submission is to say the person intimidating and beating you is just doing his job and that 's just how it is so lay back and take. In what ever small way I can will not let bullies using uniforms and badges as an excuse to destroy my country. You have the right to do what ever you like. But I think it's a little elitist to insinuate to someone you know nothing about that you know more about history or life than they do.

[intaglio]

64. Another non-reader,

Which bits of history have you studied because it seems to me you are remarkably ignorant of even the recent past. What of the Siege of Sydney Street and other terror attacks in the 1920s? Do you know about the Coal riots in Manchester and Wales or the Brick Lane Riots? Have you heard about the original Notting Hill disturbances? Getting even closer to modern times, what about the Miners Strike which was concurrent with one of the deadliest campaigns of terror in England? In all these examples Government and the Police over-reached and in none of these cases did it lead to a Police State. If you really study history (which I doubt) you will know that the over-reach by the authorities was, during the 1920s and 30s, followed by a liberalisation of the law and voting.

In the USA did the suppression of Vietnam protests lead to a Police State? What about the Union Busting of the 1920s and 30s? Going deeper into the past what of the Molly Mallone Riots? The American Civil War lead to a terrifying increase in Executive power but did that lead to a Police State and if it did what happened to that State?

Similar observations could be made about the Paris "Student" Riots and other discontents in France over the past 60 years.

In modern, well founded, democratic states it seems that discontent may often be violently suppressed but that the concerns of the discontented are often taken on board and brought into the mainstream. I am not saying that protest, disorder and perhaps even violence should not occur, indeed they are probably necessary, but that the unfounded and ignorant fear of a "Police State" is not something that should worry you - yet.

No, you are not a student of history, even if that is your area of study, because you are just parroting the tropes of certain demagogues without engaging even the smallest part of your critical faculties.

[Lint Head]

62. Agree! Big time.

[tama]

38. The 'veteran' fetish

All sympathy to the latest victims of police violence, but it's not a sign of healthy society when it's sorta OK for police to beat hippies and anarchists, and public opinion reacts only when a former soldiers are beaten.

Symbols (of violence and power) matter in America - and DU - more than being human.

[newfie11]

44. Their lying. n/t

[lovuian]

28. Obviously the Brutality of the Oakland police has not stopped

but continues
the Hypocrisy continues and beating our veterans
only infuriates the protesters and those watching
the Brutality

[EFerrari]

57. And that idiot mayor was wagging her finger at OccupyOakland

the next day. She is now dangerous and so is OPD. They need to be secured before they get someone killed. Seriously.

[midnight]

30. K&R

[democrank]

36. Absolutely shameful

[Douglas Carpenter]

42. knr

[tomp]

43. i predict this will backfire.

i expect increasing numbers of really pissed off veterans to start "marching."

[Thav]

47. I hope they realize

that if the police keep this up, it will not end well. It's already looking mighty bad for the police in Oakland.

[bertman]

52. It's so sick and sad that it takes a Veteran getting shot or beaten to bring the outrage

that ANY beating of peaceful demonstrators deserves. But, that's the state of our nation.

The only way to defeat this is MORE people in the streets at these demonstrations and occupations. MORE working folks. MORE senior citizens. MORE middle-class white collar workers. MORE of ALL of US.

The politicians and power mongers think that this is just a passing phase of protest by a bunch of malcontents. We must prove them wrong by reaching out to EVERY segment of our society and encouraging ALL to join us in peaceful protest.

REC.

[avaistheone1]

54. Why do the Oakland police hate vets and our freedom so much?

[tooeyeten]

56. difficult to believe

This is 2011 and protesters are again being attacked by the police, specifically when the police, all civil servants benefit from the issues relevant to OWS.