Comments on: The Truth About Violence at the RNC and DNC Protests

By: greentangle

greentangle — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:57:16 +0000

I think a large number of people will always support the cops no matter what because they hate protesters of any kind, anyone who isn’t a mainstream christian gung-ho flag-waving republican. (even mainstream democrats, feeble as I think they are, are starting to become terrorists and antichrists now) I most recently base that opinion on reading comments on the local Minnesota newspaper’s website in the weeks after the latest convention, but it was just as true after the 1968 convention which I was reminded of by the pigs photo (the Yippies ran one for president at the time).

What’s ironic is that many of these people are the same ones who get all worked up about their right to bear arms to protect themselves against the government, while at the same time going on about property destruction. You just know they would have been opposed to throwing tea in the harbor.

By: Forager

Forager — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:38:51 +0000

It never fails to never reach the question of the system in general and the violence that it perpetuates. It’s not surprising but it does reach a point where to me, I’d think that eventually more people would start to understand it all and not just blindly follow the lines that this culture enforces upon us-but then again, I guess that’s the point, we’ve been so indoctrinated to believe the myths it perpetuates that most can’t break free of that. It is as Derrick Jensen says, violence can only flow down the hierarchy. Those who resist the terrorists (or police for whatever ways we can distinguish them) and their oppressive actions are not to be accepted.
Regardless of the thoughts on “violence” and “non-violence” that are out there, self-defense is human nature, and those who sit there and let the police beat the shit out of them and just accept it are flat out insane.
“So what happens when you get a bunch of cops hyped up on information about evil protesters and armed to the teeth?”
I have no idea the truth that may exist within this or not as it is an editorial but according to an Infoshop News editorial police were told that anarchists killed several police officers during the 1999 anti-WTO protests in Seattle, those types of lies only served to encourage their violence towards those there.
I also wanted to add that it’s interesting how they always say that the protests were interrupted by just a small minority of people, small group of people wearing black. If it was just a small minority then how the hell can they justify arresting the hundreds of people that were arrested. 800 people (which is what it was if I remember right) is not a small group of people. Nothing shocking, but still interesting that they would continue to propagate the idea that it was a small group when they arrested so many.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:09:55 +0000

“21 heavy packages that a postman says he delivered “contained weapons to be used during the RNC.”
Turns out, attorneys say the boxes were full of vegan literature”

Knowledge is a weapon against oppression, so they are technically right, but talking from an indefensible position.

By: Will Potter

Will Potter — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:16:10 +0000

Thanks Kathy. Did you see that Pogan's dad is on the Joint Terrorism Task Force (or was) and said something incredibly articulate like "I support my son, you gotta do what you gotta do to get an arrest." Love it. On the upside, Pogan did make the "Worst People" list on MSNBC.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:38:11 +0000

I read the linked article–nice. Impressive performance by the cops. Better safe than sorry, I guess–that crowd could be chock full of vegans and you know how violent they are!! I think most people DO make the assumption that the cops are in the right and the protesters in the wrong, for some reason. You’d think we’d have learned by now that wearing a uniform doesn’t necessarily make you the good guy. Let’s not forget Patrick Pogan….. wondered what ever happened to him, btw?

By: Will Potter

Will Potter — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:21:38 +0000

Also, it just struck me that I should probably say something about my own experiences in situations like this. In the interest of full disclosure, I was beaten while wearing Congressional press credentials at a large antiwar protest.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:14:49 +0000

LOL–Love the comment about the riot cops being the ones dressed in black from out of state bent on causing destruction. Very true………