Experts question shooting of Occupy Oakland filmer

[cory777]

Source: Associated Press

OAKLAND, California (AP) — The mayor renewed her appeal to Occupy Oakland representatives to meet with city officials as dueling video evidence was released by Oakland authorities and by a man who experts say appears to be the victim of excessive police force.

The month-old protest camp in a public plaza downtown has grown to about 180 tents. Mayor Jean Quan on Tuesday echoed concerns of business leaders, saying the tent city is hurting commerce — and, she added, straining an already stretched city budget. Officials say Occupy Oakland-related events through the end of October have cost the city slightly more than $1 million, mostly for police overtime.

Earlier in the day, the Oakland Tribune reported (http://bit.ly/rQfuLG), Scott Campbell said police shot him with a rubber bullet or beanbag while he was videotaping a standoff between authorities and demonstrators following a "general strike" last week. Experts in police use of force say it appears the volley that hit Campbell was unprovoked and inappropriate.

In the video, Campbell, 30, is heard calling, "Is this OK?" to a line of riot gear-clad officers. He told the newspaper that he was asking if his distance from them was adequate because an officer had asked him to step back. A firearm held by an officer then is seen going off, followed by Campbell's yelps of pain.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/experts-shooting-occupy-oakland-filmer-015818133.html

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Activist News http://activistnews.blogspot.com/

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[yardwork]

2. I guess it wasn't ok with the police.

[DaveJ]

3. Are they going to say who shot him?

If they do not, it is yet another clear indication the police are corrupt.

[valerief]

15. I think that horse was let out of the barn a long time ago. nt

[TheMadMonk]

39. They will probably do their damndest to avoid it.

But if Sir Anarchist were to abandon his principles and appeal to The System he does have a way forward.

John Doe civil suit. Then the Judge ORDERS the department to produce their shooter for you.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

41. He wouldn't be "abandon[ing]" his principles if he uses the system ...

... to seek justice. Being an anarchist doesn't require one to be a target without any recourse.

[cui bono]

47. Is he an anarchist? I saw him interviewed and he didn't say he was.

Would an anarchist ask a cop "is this okay?"?

[Fantastic Anarchist]

48. Depends on the situation. In this case, yes, considering the history of the OPD.

Anarchists oppose all authority, but we're not stupid or have death wishes.

[cui bono]

49. Wouldn't he then have not asked them if it was okay to be standing where he was?

The other poster makes an assumption that he's an anarchist that wants to use the system.

I protest and I think I will practice civil disobedience and get arrested when I get back home but I'm not an anarchist.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

50. He may or may not be an anarchist.

I think I remember reading where he said he's a self-described anarchist.

At any rate, it makes no difference what his political/social views are; if I were in front of a line of police in full riot gear with a history of violence toward innocent protesters, and they asked me to move away, I would most certainly ask, "Is this okay?" to be sure I'm complying with their wishes (and I am an anarchist). From the video, everything was calm, and any reasonable person (anarchist or not) would not see any reason to provoke them when there's nothing to be gained. So, it seems to me that he was being calm and smart by asking if he was in compliance with their demands.

If it had been a full scale riot or if the police were already in the process of causing mayhem, I wouldn't be asking. But every anarchist has his/her principles that they follow - so ...

But to me, my point is that his political/social preference is moot.

[cui bono]

51. I agree. I was posting because the other person called him an anarchist

and would have to be abandoning his principles if he wanted to use the system.

I didn't think he was an anarchist and if he does choose to use the system that wouldn't necessarily make him a hypocrite since we don't know if he is an anarchist.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

52. I understand ...

... and he wouldn't be a hypocrite if he was an anarchist, either.

[TheMadMonk]

54. No. I was making a facetious point about the ridiculousness of anarchy...

...as a philosophy.

Civil disobedience and protest are not anarchy.

Anarchy is just libertarianism lacking in discipline.

[jwirr]

4. You know maybe Norquist has a good idea. Maybe Oakland should

have a tax strike. Refuse to pay city taxes until they clean up their police force. I do not like paying taxes for illegal military actions and I would not want to pay for this police force.

[Randomthought]

5. have the police stand down

budget issue resolved

[CreekDog]

25. have the Oakland police do community policing and walk the beats where it's needed

like down near the Coliseum or in West Oakland or in parts of East Oakland.

in a city teeming with murders, gang activity, where on any given night you can hear gunshots, the idea that the city is putting more effort into shooting tear gas at protestors than they ever have at combating the almost nightly murder that goes on in the poorer neighborhoods tells you all you need to know about their priorities.

:rant:

[TheEuclideanOne]

34. Exactly

But the way that it is being reported, the logic is circular. Look at the police lined up because of all of the violence! OMG!!! We heard gunfire and somebody was shot, so you can see just how violent it is!!! Gunfire, beatings in the street, people hospitalized as a result of these protestors. If the protests stop, so does the violence. On top of all of that, it is costing the taxpayers $1Million dollars!

This is just how it is being reported. You won't see anybody on the news and radio pointing out that all of the violence if FROM the police! Yep, you nailed it. Have the police stand down and you eliminate all of the problems spoken about from the politicians that the Kock brothers bought.

[sabrina 1]

6. If the mayor keeps the cops away, the violence problem will

be solved. Has anyone in the PD been arrested for the assault on Scott Olsen yet, anyone stepped forward and admitted to the crime?

How about the mugging by police of the other Iraq/Afghanistan vet and respected small business owner whose spleen was ruptured by her cowardly, thug cops? Has there been an identification of those violent thugs yet?

And how about the unidentified driver of the mercedes who rammed his lethal weapon into a crowd, putting two more people in the hospital and was let go by the police?

Did she mention that tens of thousands of protesters marched all day without any police presence, peacefully, with no violence and that any violence that occurred, happened after almost all of them had gone home?

As for the 'complaints' from the business owners, how about those who joined the strike? Do they not count in Oakland? And how about the complaints from a majority of Americans about the corruption of the money in our government and the devastation to millions of Americans it has caused, with no one held accountable so far?

Her priorities are way off. She has citizens who were hospitalized and nearly killed by her brutal PD who are more of a threat to the public than anyone else in this mess so far. Time for her to start naming the perps. It's been a couple of weeks now and still no accountability.

[blackspade]

7. +1000

[firehorse]

8. +1001

[Auntie Bush]

22. +1002

Good points!

[Sarah Ibarruri]

11. +1000

[truedelphi]

12. You ar e making some very good points. However the only point

that the elected officials and the news media are interested in, seems to be the point about the Occupy movement being bad for business.

[AlbertCat]

17. the Occupy movement being bad for business.

They think this is bad for business.... just wait til nobody has any money to spend on their businesses.

[Kaleko]

14. + 3002

:)

[Uncle Joe]

16. That's an excellent post, sabrina, you make many valid points;

which should probably be a thread of its' own.

:thumbsup:

[sabrina 1]

26. Thank you Uncle Joe

:-)

[Capitalocracy]

21. They always complain about the cost

Maybe it wouldn't cost so damn much if you didn't send an army of cops to beat the crap out of innocent protesters!

[Lasher]

44. No problem, they can simply tax the top 1% to pay for everything.

They have plenty of money.

[pinboy3niner]

23. Perp walk!

That is something I would love to see!

[tomp]

33. not just the violence, but the overtime, too. nt

[pacalo]

35. 1004!

[LiberalFighter]

36. Appears to me that the mayor is corrupt as hell.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

43. I so want to recommend your post.

[dixiegrrrrl]

46. Well stated.

:fistbump:

[blackspade]

9. Love the headline.

:sarcasm:

I can find no reference in the article of 'experts' questioning the shooting.
What I did see was experts questioning why the OPD was using excessive force.

Typical of the AP though.
It is also typical how they try to conflate the shooting with the agent provocateur actions that were totally unrelated.

Also the Oakland Chamber of Commerce can suck it.

[EFerrari]

27. Yep, misleading headline from hell.

The expert made a comment about the police, not about the shooting.

[Lars77]

10. "...concerns of business leaders, saying the tent city is hurting commerce"

In other words.. Its working!

[patrice]

13. This IS discrimination; the occupiers have threatened business clients exactly how? It's just called

a threat for political expediency and the mayor could call that what it likely is, extortion aimed at OccupyOakland.

[formercia]

18. The Army Ranger Vet who was beaten with Police Batons was a local Business Owner.

Perhaps customers are avoiding the area for fear of being beaten by the Police.

[hootinholler]

19. Does anyone have a link to the video released by Oakland?

I've not seen it yet. Yahoo has a link to the protest video, but not to the "dueling video"

[Eric J in MN]

20. No, but it isn't video of the guy who was shot.

"Meanwhile, police released four videos of their own, these showing scores of protesters harassing officers..."

Oakland PD isn't claiming the guy who was shot is in any of these videos. The article's lead is misleading.

[wowimthere]

24. Experts should say Police are acting against their own interests. Since when is it okay to shoot

the unarmed? There shouldn't be a stand off and police are there to serve and protect. Shooting protesters, especially unarmed protesters is a heinous crime. Because you have a badge doesn't give you the right to break the law.

When gun rights activists were waving their guns, you didn't see hide nor hair of a stand off. What gives?

[Admiral Loinpresser]

28. Federalize Oakland!

Obama should bring in the National Guard and protect the citizens of Oakland from the police, which is similar to what Eisenhower did in Little Rock in 1957. But I'm not holding my breath.

[subject]

31. petition

here is the petition telling Jerry Brown to ask in the Guard.

http://www.change.org/petitions/governor-of-california-jerry-brown-mobilize-the-national-guard-to-protect-the-demonstrators-from-the-police?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=friends_wall

[Admiral Loinpresser]

38. Thank you.

I posted it on FB.

[Fire Walk With Me]

53. Thank you for that!

[WillyT]

29. K & R !!!

:kick:

[PatrynXX]

30. up to you mayor if you wanna pay the $1 million in blood money or not

no reason to pay cops who break the law., the reason there is 180 tents there now is you pushed pretty darn hard and obviously pushing someone down and practically killing them is gonna bounce right back and hit you where it hurts. :(

and a Democrat no less

[Downtown Hound]

32. If it's costing the city too much to pay police overtime

then send them home. I guarantee you they will not be missed.

[freshwest]

37. K & R. Needs investigation for attacking a member of the press, so to speak.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

40. Police acting as authoritarian agents for the top 1%.

Police serving as authoritarian agents for the 1%. Business as usual for the fascists.

[myrna minx]

42. K&R n/t

[tavalon]

45. And so it continues

Hold firm, all. We will win.