Occupy Vancouver turns nasty; protesters bite two police officers

[Electric Monk]

Source: Vancouver Sun

VANCOUVER -- Vancouver police chief Jim Chu said today that the Occupy Vancouver tent city has been "infiltrated by a violent element" and that it is time for the protesters to leave the encampment peacefully.

"We have seen the black masks and others who are intent on violence," Chu told reporters.

The VPD chief constable said that two police officers were sent to the hospital Monday night with "human bite wounds" after they attempted to stop protesters from pushing and shoving firefighters who were trying to extinguish a burning fire in a barrel.

"Our officers received the full wrath of the protesters, who punched, kicked and bit them. In the scuffle one officer has his ammunition clip stolen."

There were no arrests made.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Occupy+Vancouver+turns+nasty+protesters+bite+police+officers/5677408/story.html

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Much more detail, including a 20 minute video of the incident, at the link.

[Politicalboi]

1. Could they be influenced by

The Walking Dead. LOL!

[Crowman1979]

2. That violent element is called the police.

[Fire Walk With Me]

9. Ding. They did it in Oakland.

[Supply Side Jesus]

10. so it's jusitfied when we do it

of course....

[frazzled]

3. Sheesh, I could only watch the first 7 or 8 minutes

But as soon as I realized that fire was blazing right in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery, in the dead center of the city, I could understand why they couldn't allow open fires to burn there. The firefighters looked like they were showing a lot of restraint in the beginning. None of this is going to end well.

This movement really needs to get its act together.

[quakerboy]

11. Are you kidding me?

You mean the fire contained in a barrel, not "blazing" but apparently smouldering, in the middle of a wide open space something like 30 feet from even an Occupy tent, much less the Art Gallery buildings even further away?

[frazzled]

15. No, I'm not. Are you?

The supposed Native ritual fire is of much less significance to the First Nations than the thousands of pieces of indigenous art contained in that museum.

There are fire regulations everywhere. People can't burn leaves outside in their own yards in most municipalities. Obey the rules or pay the consequences.

This is not the way to win hearts and minds.

[quakerboy]

17. Whether it was "sacred fire"

or not (seems odd to have such in a barrel, but I freely admit its a topic I know nothing about), there was no danger to any structure, much less artwork contained therein. The closest tent or temporary structure was a good 20 feet away, and buildings far further. Barring the barrel being made of bottle rockets made of magnesium there was no danger to anything else in the area.

I don't see any reason for anyone to need to bite anyone. I confess that seems rather random and not terribly polite. But to suggest that a small fire a long distance from anything flammable is a danger to artwork is disingenuous, verging on dishonest.

[snooper2]

19. These "protesters" look like a bunch of asses and idiots in this video

I would have busted out a firehose at 130PSI

[quakerboy]

20. They weren't the only ones.

The whole thing appeared senseless and inane. On both sides. A needless, pointless confrontation designed only to prop up "power". I am glad you were not there. Such an interaction would have only served to prove you either a bully or unwilling to actually stand to your stated blustering comments, without any positive alteration in the events either way.

[firehorse]

16. there's a fire pit in the dead center of NYC... next to the NY Public library in Bryant Park

It's the same set up as burning logs in a garbage can. The pit is a metal drum temporarily set up and filled with burning logs. There are trees above and its next to the NY Public library. The only difference is this fire pit, you can order a beer and sit in comfy chairs.

Those protestors are trying to keep warm. When yuppies have their fire pit, they are allowed to kick back and order a beer. When protestors have a fire its a hazard.

Kudos for them taking the ammo.

[provis99]

4. well, the anarchists have managed to finish off Occupy Vancouver.

they're worse than the police.

[Occulus]

21. In some cases, they ARE the police.

I have no doubt of this.

[Bozita]

24. Yup, remember the G20 in Toronto?

Some of the ones in black masks who were cornered by the protestors and unmasked were ALL wearing official Toronto PD shoes!

[EC]

5. Then why aren't they arresting the guys in the

"black masks" since they know they are the violent ones? :sarcasm:

[Amonester]

6. "black masks"

[valerief]

8. Hmm, it's a mystery, isn't it? nt

[Nihil]

13. Yeah, you'd have thought that'd be the obvious answer really ...

> Then why aren't they arresting the guys in the
> "black masks" since they know they are the violent ones?

Obviously some 11 dimensional chess game going on over there too ...

:shrug:

[plumbob]

22. Yes, thanks.

My first thought.

[No Elephants]

7. I have only two words for the occupiers in any city.

Thank you.

I also have two words for those judgmental of the occupiers. The second word for them is also "you," but "thank" is not the first word.

[quakerboy]

12. Dontcha just love the people

in such a hurry to jump on any reported flaw in an Occupy grouping, and herald the end of the movement? Even if it means ignoring any semblance of reality to throw their monkey shit in haste?

[plumbob]

23. I'll join in that sentiment.

Thanks.

[VWolf]

14. Canuck fans? n/t

[Luminous Animal]

18. In other news, the city of Vancouver has been infiltrated by a violent element. It is time for ALL

residents to move.

Today police chief Jim Chu told reporters that there are violent criminals living in the neighborhoods of law abiding citizens and because police work is just too hard he suggested that it is time for all the residents to leave the city peacefully.

[suffragette]

25. Black masks, no arrests. Sounds like Montebello in 2007

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2007/08/23/police-montebello.html
Police came under fire Tuesday, when a video surfaced on YouTube that appeared to show three plainclothes police officers at the protest with bandanas across their faces. One of the men was carrying a rock.

In the video, protest organizers in suits order the men to put the rock down, call them police instigators and try unsuccessfully to unmask them.

Police-issued boots identified fake protesters
Protest organizers on Wednesday played the video for the media at a news conference in Ottawa. One of the organizers, union leader Dave Coles, explained that one reason protesters knew the men's true identities was because they were wearing the same boots as other police officers.


A YouTube video shows Dave Coles, president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, ordering three masked men back from a line of riot police.


From one of the threads about it on DU at the time
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2962268&mesg_id=2962596