Police say Californian did most of damage at G-20

[Bravo Zulu]

Police have charged a 21-year-old California man with doing most of the damage that was done during the two-day G-20 summit in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper tonight said David Japenga was taken into custody shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday after police witnessed him breaking businesses' windows during a protest along Forbes Avenue in Oakland.

Chief Harper said Mr. Japenga, who at first refused to give his name, then gave the false name of Eric Blair, broke more than 20 storefront windows and glass doors, including $20,000 worth of windows at Citizens Bank on Craig Street in Oakland. He was single-handedly responsible, Chief Harper said, for most of the $50,000 in damage done during summit protests.

Mr. Japenga was charged with felony criminal mischief, instruments of a crime, and providing false identification. Chief Harper said Mr. Japenga was not living in Pittsburgh and had come into the city for the summit.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09268/1000965-100.stm#ixzz0SB53x0B6

[Skink]

1. Then he said now let's go for Jenga the Challnge edition.

[Tashca]

2. Eric A. Blair?

As in George Orwell??

I wonder if any of the cops caught that??

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. No, most likely not

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. That was my first thought--George Orwell's real name

Hmm, one person responsible for all the damage. An agent provocateur, perhaps? I wonder if all charges will be mysteriously dropped.

[PA Democrat]

3. Good. I'm glad the guy has been arrested.

I'm not surprised that one guy is believed to be responsible for most of the damage during the entire G-20 summit.

Now we need to get answers as to why the police were using such heavy-handed tactics against other non-violent protesters as well as innocent bystanders.

[Kievan Rus]

5. Heavy-handed tactics on the others: because they protested against the rich

None of them gave a damn when pro-rich agitators disrupted government town halls.

[Selatius]

4. Fuckwipes like him help authorities to discredit left wing protesters

His methods do not work at all, and he should rightly be condemned along with police officers who have abused their powers during these protests.

[xchrom]

11. i've got a great deal on some bridges and swamp land to sell you.

you're gonna get SO rich -- you wouldn't believe...

[Cha]

6. So, if this is true ..he could do all that destruction

but couldn't own up to it?

[annm4peace]

7. from videos looks like the riot cops did most of the damage

ohhhhh but maybe some people just look at property damage and the damage to the people.

[Ian David]

9. Maybe...

[Webster Green]

8. So the fucking fascist pigs respond by attacking everyone in sight?

One of these days we are going to have to fight back. :mad:

[progressivebydesign]

12. what an asshole. How is causing harm to local businesses helping things?

Some people just like to break things and be jerks. Who does he think pays for that?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. Or he's a provocateur

I've seen them at demonstrations, committing illegal acts and trying to egg other people on into joining them.

[CanSocDem]

25. "the lone gunman"....(eom)

[anigbrowl]

13. By way of Florida, perhaps?

http://www.tampabay.com/features/consumer/article451134.ece

[PA Democrat]

14. Great find.

[Hannah Bell]

16. & Michigan, too. The kid moves a lot. "on whims". Wonder how he funds the moves?

"Japenga and his roommates moved to Tampa from Romeo, Mich., on a whim in August."

[anigbrowl]

20. Job? saw another article mentioning he works as a bike courier

Moving on a whim isn't such a big deal if you don't have a lot of possessions. I've done it a few times. Assuming it's the same guy of course, but the unusual name, age, and general non-capitalist attitude matches suggest so.

[Hannah Bell]

23. hard to earn much job $ if you're moving all the time. hard to get jobs in this economy too,

esp. if you move a lot.

[anigbrowl]

27. nah, not really

if your expenses are low (eg via dumpster diving and apartment sharing) and you don't spend all your money, even $1-200 buck saved per month adds up. Moving can be as cheap as going halves on a rental car or buying an amtrak/greyhound ticket, and I've known quite a few bike couriers that supplement their income with a little weed delivery. You can really live very cheaply if you don't want/need many possessions - particularly not owning a car, given that just keeping one on the road costs a few thousand a year.

Obviously this is more suitable to a single person, but I've lived this way for several years at a time, except for the dumpster-diving bit. I have minimum hygiene standards.

[Renew Deal]

18. "instruments of a crime"

What's that? Weapons possesion? Or he had a hammer to break windows? :shrug:

[PA Democrat]

19. Several Pittsburgh residents saw him using a hammer to break windows.

[anigbrowl]

21. electric guitar...it's like System of a Down

[flamingdem]

22. He's an anarchist fer crisssakes, that's what they do!

I don't find it unbelievable having known a few in my life.

They usually have a source of anger that they funnel that is not
about politics (mother issues?) but they are also usually very
smart but a bit .. unbalanced.

[Vinnie From Indy]

24. I have always found anarchists a bit amusing

I have never had a conversation with a self-professed anarchist that did not quickly reveal that they really have no idea what they believe. I completely disagree with many of the actions that are attributed to them. Wanton property destruction is counter-productive and it puts many innocent people in danger.

[Robb]

26. No, no, it's clearly a set-up

Cheney's involved somehow. Check his bank records!!11elevens :rofl: