Occupy Oakland, HUGE Reversal of Mayors Policy {Scots Condition UPGRADE to Fair}

[kpete]

THU OCT 27, 2011 AT 08:34 AM PDT
Occupy Oakland, HUGE Reversal of Mayors Policy {Scots Condition UPGRADE to Fair}

Quan, Under Attack, Changes Course on Occupy Oakland

Mayor reopens plaza to protesters, promises dialogue and "minimum police presence" if demonstrations stay peaceful
http://www.baycitizen.org/occupy-movement/story/quan-shunned-reverses-occupy-ban/

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

Now, facing anger from across the world, Quan is backing down on her aggressive language and even says that she supports the goals of the movement. She is committing to minimize police presence in the plaza and “build a community effort to improve communications and dialogue with the demonstrators.” View her full statement: follow for her statement>>>
thinkprogress.org/special/2011/10/27/355003/jean-quan-minimize-police-statement/

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

Good News on Scott Just Coming In!!

War vet hurt in Oakland occupy protest improving

October 27, 2011 - An Iraq war veteran who was injured during the raucous Occupy Oakland protest on Tuesday night has been upgraded this morning to fair condition at Highland Hospital in Oakland, a nursing supervisor said.

Scott Olsen, 24, of Daly City, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, was among the hundreds of protesters who filled the streets of downtown Oakland to protest the police dismantling of the encampment at Frank Ogawa Plaza outside City Hall. read more>>>
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/27/BAD61LN3LM.DTL

MORE:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/27/1030595/-Occupy-Oakland,-HUGE-Reversal-of-Mayors-Policy-%7BScots-Condition-UPGRADE-to-Fair%7D?via=siderec

[polichick]

1. Bless Scott Olsen! I have a feeling his face will come to represent the movement...

...to some extent. Interesting that both individuals who have become widely recognizable are vets.

[Raven]

2. Vets are one of the groups hardest hit by this economic system.

Think about it...they are paid shit wages, they don't have the safety equipment they need, they've been ignored medically and there are no jobs for them when they get home.

[1776Forever]

5. For sure - My oldest son just got back and his employer just told him he is going to lay him off in

30 days! My son says he is going to fight it but he doesn't think it will do much good. He is a college grad and has experience in Air Conditioning and Heating and also has a degree in Fire Inspection Control so we are hopeful that he can find a good job soon in Ohio but still it will probably be months for him after he is laid off before that happens.

[robdogbucky]

10. Not to mention most living with either PTSD or depression n/t

[AsahinaKimi]

3. I would certainly give him

a purple heart even if I had to make it from cardboard paper!

[SusanaMontana41]

26. He's earned it. Let's all send him one. Seriously. nt

[Dover]

4. BRAVO OCCUPY OAKLAND!!!

You've already begun the process of bringing real change to your community. And kudos to the mayor for having the humility and good sense to admit mistakes and implement the changes.

[Dover]

29. As regards the mayor, perhaps I spoke too soon...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2196780

[mod mom]

6. Great news! Wishing Scott a FULL recovery and a MUCH DESERVED large settlement

We need to teach police forces that their aggression will cost their forces a lot not only in public opinion but also in civil fines.

[Atman]

7. Interesting read...the police are upset with her for not being tougher.

According to the article, the police think she never should have allowed Occupy into the park in the first, and that they think they should have acted sooner. Just how fucking out of touch are these people? They're like a military force in a third world country. I bet they considered lobbing teargas and concussion grenades and busting a few heads was the most fun they've had in years.

[bigmonkey]

13. Well, is it the case that the police told her what to do, and she refused?

Are we then to expect next that she'll be arrested, or beaten, or shot? In line with the authoritarian perspective on the police you too often read here? After all, if the police feel threatened, aren't they allowed to do anything they want?

[newspeak]

19. well, maybe they should clean their own house

OWS is fighting for their jobs, their pensions. Or maybe they'd all like to be a bunch of uncontrolled mercenaries fighting against their fellow citizens. Then the corporations can pay them a slave salary instead of being paid by american taxpayers.

some law enforcement agencies around the country think they are in the military, just don't have to follow that damn constitution. They wear military fatigues, military gear--that's to fight "them". Those people who aren't "us." They are the enemy, which would be us. See, we are the new damn terrorist furriners!!!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. It IS OPD

This is a dept. in the real shits over civil rights violations with the Feds and federal oversight...yes, that matters.

[Matariki]

8. "We’ve been placating these people so long that they don’t take us seriously"

They are under the impression that the Occupy movement is happening only by their leave? They seriously need to read some history.

[1776Forever]

9. The footage then appears to show an officer tossing another canister toward the group helping him.

While he lay wounded in the street, other protesters came to his aid. The footage then appears to show an officer tossing another canister toward the group helping him.

One protester can be heard screaming "What the f- " at police while a demonstrator angrily bangs his sign on the street.

The group dragged Olsen away. He appeared to be conscious after the incident and pressed his hand to his head while looking at his cell phone.

Olsen, a software engineer for a San Francisco tech company, had spent most nights over the last few weeks at the Occupy SF camp, Shannon said.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/27/BAD61LN3LM.DTL#ixzz1c0GbvVyI

[robdogbucky]

11. Unbelievable, isn't it?

And it all happened while Fierce Advocate was in town raising more millions with a closed audience of sycophants, er pharisees, er, donors, er, enablers......

He has thus far just fiddled while the flames leap higher.

[1776Forever]

14. Had not heard about that - hmm. Wonder who gives him the advice not to say anything about this?

It would be hard to keep quiet if I was in his position but that is just me - some little old lady.

[PufPuf23]

33. Obama White House's restrictions on media access to its fundraising events

The Obama White House's restrictions on media access to its fundraising events makes a mockery of its claim to be the most transparent administration in history.


If anything, there is almost a Nixonian quality to the level of control, paranoia - and lack of credibility - this White House has demonstrated on the issue of media access to President Obama's fundraisers.

Bay Area reporters will not be allowed inside the W Hotel today when the president meets with hundreds of contributors paying $7,500 or more to attend. Only Washington-based journalists were allowed in the pool - continuing a disturbing trend by this White House to severely limit access to fundraisers. Even former President George W. Bush, hardly a champion of transparency, allowed local reporters to cover his fundraising events.

Fundraisers are not private events in this post-Watergate era. Contributions are a matter of public record, and the public has a right to know what is being said to and by the president. Local journalists are better positioned than their Beltway brethren to recognize who is there - and why.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/24/ED9E1LLJHG.DTL#ixzz1c18H1TrM

[Tatiana]

21. Lord. This just makes me angry all over again.

That police department needs to be cleaned up. Clearly a significant number of those officers (including the interim police chief) need to find a new career. It was obvious they came to do serious harm to the protestors, no matter what.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. What was thrown was a flashbang

[1776Forever]

27. OK - thanks. n/t

[GodlessBiker]

12. She's fucked. Now her police department is going to despise her for turning on them.

She should just resign.

[CreekDog]

16. do you think the police were right?

:shrug:

[GodlessBiker]

18. Of course not. They should be sued by those injured. And she signed off on the plan.

But now she's going back on it, and the police are left hanging. She's an idiot.

[Aerows]

15. In other words

She'll say anything to preserve her political career. First she told them to do what was "safe" (yeah, that looked REAL "safe"), then she didn't know about it, and now she supports it.

Which of the three do you really mean, Mayor Quan, because all three of those versions conflict with each other. At least two of them have to be lies.

[Cal33]

30. I'd reduce it to two. She either really regrets what she had done, or she's

back down because of the public criticism of her actions from so many different sources,
Maybe both.

Some of the OWS members seem to think that having her on their side will have its benefits.
They don't reject the idea at all, in fact, they are welcoming it as something positive
for the movement.

[Aerows]

32. She's said all three things in the space of a day

It's not very encouraging when a public official changes their story every few hours.

[graywarrior]

17. So happy he is recovering.

[Fire Walk With Me]

20. Good news!

[GrantDem]

23. "if demonstrations stay peaceful"

When were they not???

[Marrah_G]

25. I am so relieved to see he is doing better

This whole incident makes me so sad and angry.

[county worker]

28. Little by little we will occupy every city in America and the world. Occupy Together!

[Cal33]

31. By now the count is 2,300 cities and communities -- all within 41 days. This

worldwide movement will just keep growing. I don't think anyone or anything can stop it.