Is it just me, or cops don't really care when people protest IN FAVOR of the rich?

[Kievan Rus]

I live in Pittsburgh, and the recent rucuss over the G-20 has passed (thank God). But what happened yesterday and today really makes me think:

-if you protest against the rich (such as anti G-20) the fuzz will intimidate and beat the hell out of you just for peaceable demonstration.
-if you protest for the rich (teabaggers or anti-health reform), the police (or even the f*****g Secret Service) do not care if you violently assault other demonstrators, spit on them, steal their signs and rip them up, disrupt democratic town halls held by elected officials, make signs that openly call for violence, and even if you openly brandish firearms near the President of the United States!

In Oakland near the University of Pittsburgh, what occured is nothing short of a police riot that was just a less severe version of the Chicago 1968 police riot. Only a handful of instigators (possibly agent provacateurs) broke windows, yet the police beat up people who were just standing in the middle of the street and fired tear gas at innocent protesters. In other parts of the city during the day, cops broke up completely peaceful demonstrations where no written laws were being violated; the only law being violated was the unwritten law that you don't publicly show disdain for the owners of America and hypercapitalism.

Even worse, information is starting to surface that a good deal of the boorish riot police were not even members of the Pittsburgh Police department; but that somewhat makes sense. Oakland's crowds got far rowdier and did far more damage when the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII in February and some people did get arrested, but we didn't have a total police riot back then. Many were out-of-town cops, some were probably from three-letter agencies, and some may have even been private contracters.

So it's simple it seems when it comes to the riot police: if you dislike the establishment, they'll give you hell basically just for voicing your opinion. If you like the status quo, you're free to threaten people, disrupt government town halls, and beat up people with impunity just because they disagree with you. It's a total double standard and it is wrong.

This is a primary reason why I utterly loathe the super-wealthy (i.e. the owners of America). And this is why I favor far higher Federal taxes on the owners of America. Because of them, we are a nation of the wealthy, by the wealthy, for the wealthy. And the dichotomy between how police reacted to largely peaceful anti-G20 protesters and the townhall disrupting teabaggers shows.

[donco6]

1. The rich own the cops.

It makes perfect sense.

[virgogal]

2. The fuzz,as you call them,are just working stiffs doing what their

bosses tell them to do.

Maybe they just need a paycheck.

[Webster Green]

4. Most of them are sadistic assholes..

"Fuzz" is pretty mild-mannered. I prefer to call them what they are. Fucking Pigs! :thumbsdown:

[EmeraldCityGrl]

3. Cops do not identify with the average citizen. They view themselves

as an extension of the ruling class.

I think they relish situations like the one that just took place in Pittsburgh. We have militarized our police forces, and this past week was a chance for
them to see "a little action," try out the gear, and bash a few heads of the citizen scum.

[Kievan Rus]

5. A cop's response to "nobody is above the law" would be

"I AM the law"

The same goes for their ruling class overlords.

[cabluedem]

9. Most cops think they are Judge Dread these days. nt

[virgogal]

6. Nonsense. eom

[cabluedem]

8. They love cracking some skulls whenever they get the change. nt

[Selatius]

7. The earliest police forces in US history were hired guns employed by powerful capitalists.

The Pinkertons come to mind. These early police officers enforced company regulations on employees. At the time, union activity was not protected by federal law, and these officers earned a reputation among early labor activists as just a band of thugs who enforce institutional inequality that benefits the capitalists who employ them.

[PM Martin]

10. Recall that the earliest police forces were

hired by the wealthy ruling class to protect their interests against the working class mules.

Police serve the status quo.
I do recall during the 1960's, the cops brutally beat down civil rights activists.

[TheKentuckian]

11. The cops work for the wealthy. Anything you get out of one is a happy accident. (nt)

[pipoman]

12. The militarization of police

has, IMHO, emboldened many making them feel like action figures. I have met and been in contact with hundreds of police officers, local, state, county, over te years and have noticed that there seems to be a direct connection in arrogant, tough-guy (or gal) attitude depending on if they are wearing traditional police uniforms or if they are wearing parachute pants, low slung holsters, boots, and tactical vests. I feel that police should only wear 'tacticool' uniforms if they are acting in a tactical operation never for general police work.

All that said, much like the rest of the public, most leos I have been in contact with were, I believe, decent, well meaning people.

With the amount of overall cop hate I see in all of these DU cop treads, I find it fascinating how many here on DU believe cops are the only ones who should be allowed access to guns.