KTVU Dutifully Reports Police Spin

Here is the page with two quickfilms showing KRON's footage. You might recognize the reporter who was nervously chattering into a cellular phone and pacing around when we were boxed-in on Market Street.
He says that it was 'ritualized' and 'by the book', and I'd like a clarification of that.

http://www.kron.com/Global/story.asp?S=1134130&nav=5D7iE1k3

Also, we were being led by two members of 'brokenpoetspoken'? I didn't know that. Perhaps this is true, but I didn't notice them. There are, in fact, some leaderish people, who have bullhorns and so forth but frequently the crowd will completely refuse to follow the suggestion of a loud person.

"All horses and vehicles were ordered off Market because authorities feared they would become more of a target for the demonstrators."
this is fucking ridiculous. the cars, sure, but i'm guessing the horses were more in danger of catching a rogue hit from a cop than they were of being hurt by the kids who were trying to peacefully walk through them.

Truth Hurts

POSTED: 3:00 p.m. PST February 16, 2003
UPDATED: 10:28 a.m. PST February 17, 2003

SAN FRANCISCO --

San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown on Monday praised police for their response to a splinter group of approximately 1,000 unruly demonstrators who caused 'thousands of dollars' in damage on Market Street and near Union Square following Sunday's anti-war march.

The group marred what had been several hours of peaceful dissent by a crowd of about 200,000 who oppose U.S. military action in Iraq.

"We don't know exactly (if the demonstrators were members of the Black Bloc)," said Brown on Mornings On 2. "We understand they are (members of) one or two splinter groups who always try to embarrass the real protesters by doing all kinds of crazy things including attacking personal property."

"It has handled fairly smoothly, fairly swiftly."

Brown placed the pricetag of the damaaged caused by the group at "thousands of dollars."

After the vast majority of protesters had dispersed, the group -- some wearing bandanas to cover their faces -- fought a hit-and-run battle with police.

There were reports of bottles and rocks being thrown and flags were burned. Riot-geared and mounted police battled to keep the unruly mob away from the stores that line the Square. Most of the action took place on Market Street.

More than an hour later, police surrounded the demonstrators, boxing them in. But the mob did not go quietly, many charged mount officers, scaring their horses at Ninth and Market.

All horses and vehicles were ordered off Market because authorities feared they would become more of a target for the demonstrators.

Police in riot gear formed a barrier while the crowd, many still carrying anti-war signs, chanted "stay, stay, stay" toward the alleged "Black Bloc" protesters a block away.

Humboldt State student Roxanne Hunnicutt was one of the peace marchers watching the action.

"This is really interesting," she said. "You truly see that we're at war here in our own country."

But police -- who closed in to the main body of demostrators and made about 40 arrests -- disagreed.

"I don't think this was about freedom of speech," said San Francisco Deputy Chief Greg Suhr. "It was about destruction. That's it"

The splinter group, assumed to be using Black Bloc protest tactics, began the secondary march away from the Civic Center Plaza after the vast majority of the some 150,000 demonstrators had peacefully dispersed for the day.

The demonstrators hit the streets Sunday to join voices heard around the world this weekend protesting a U.S. invasion of Iraq.

A steady stream of chanting, sign waving protesters filled 12 large city blocks stretching from the waterfront to city hall.

Police made their crowd estimate of 100,000 at about 1:30 p.m., but it appeared the total attendance would increase as the crowd near the waterfront continued to swell into the afternoon. The final count put the number at closer to 200,000.

Deborah Hoffmann, 55, of Oakland, was part of a group of Arab and Israeli women who attended the protest. She seemed relieved to find a healthy turnout for the event.

"Finally it seems there is a worldwide movement saying this is obviously a catastrophic path we're on," Hoffmann said. "And now everybody is out in the streets."

"It is so clearly really on the edge of madness what Bush is doing so you have to be out on the streets," Hoffmann said as she held aloft a sign which read "Jewish Women For Peace."

Protesters, who included celebrities like the actor Danny Glover and the writer Alice Walker, tied the San Francisco event to a worldwide series of demonstrations Saturday.

"We know that we have not been shown enough evidence for a preemptive strike," said singer Bonnie Raitt. "There are a million people around the globe who have shown they feel the same way."

Hoffman, part of a group of Arab and Israeli women who attended the demonstration together, held a sign reading, "Jewish Women For Peace."

"It is so clearly really on the edge of madness what Bush is doing so you have to be out on the streets," she said.

Korean war veteran Don Prell, 73, of San Francisco, decried the looming military conflict as a ploy for big business.

"I think it's stupid. I've already gone through (war) and I could see that it was a war for the rich people then, and this is one now," Prell said. "It's the same thing and it's ridiculous."

The United States and Britain continue to accuse Iraq of concealing weapons of mass destruction prohibited under U.N. resolutions adopted at the end of the 1991 Gulf War. They say they will disarm Iraq by force if necessary.

Still, many at San Francisco's mass rally said the U.S. hasn't proved its case.

The city's diversity is rarely absent from such events, as was evident by the sign carried by Michael Dehart, 32, of San Francisco, as he waded through the throng of protesters on Market Street.

Dehart's sign read: "Another Gay Mathematician for Peace."

"I think everybody needs to be represented here today," Dehart said.

Copyright 2003 by KTVU.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

You wrote:
"All horses and vehicles were ordered off Market because authorities feared they would become more of a target for the demonstrators."

this is fucking ridiculous. the cars, sure, but i'm guessing the horses were more in danger of catching a rogue hit from a cop than they were of being hurt by the kids who were trying to peacefully walk through them.
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fact is, a few people did throw rocks/garbage at the mounted cops, some of which sprayed the horses, as well as the people who were standing closer to the cops than those who threw safely from further back in the crowd. not very brave or peaceful of them, now is it?

one person set off firecrackers near the horses.
this is when the cops started actively pushing us back.

at least one person just around the corner on Larkin threw a glass bottle that shattered at the feet of one of the horses.

and shortly after that is when the head horse cop pulled them out of there. i am glad that he seemed concerned about the horses.

c'mon, tell me all about how this was cool, how throwing objects at horses and humans (alot of cops are dicks but they are humans) and putting others at risk of being trampled and breaking a few windows is going to inspire growing legions around the country to join in, to overthrow the system. don't be using "peace" as a cover word for what those few in the breakaway group were after there on market street - some of them couldn't wait to instigate a confrontation, they came prepared for it! that was when it got exciting! yeah, what a rush! who gives a shit about trying to influence the politicians to stay out of Iraq? who cares about polarizing the mainstream majority, many of whom are on the fence unsure of whether to regretfully support the white house or not? that's not what it's about, is it? that's too boring. it's about getting out there and ripping it up! it's about having some fun in the streets! it's not about people who will die here and around the world if we go to war, it's about us! today! having fun!

Well, the march wasn't about vandelism or trying to instigate. Some few members of the breakaway may have been there for that, but a large number of them were there to take back the streets for a day.
We're currently fighting against a war which is being perpeptuated without our permission. We decided to take back the streets without the governments permission.
I agree that some of the property damage was uncalled for (including watching some dick tag a persons car with anarchy symbols. And individual is *not* a valid target), but the main gist of the march was to take back the streets for a day. On that, we did succeed, and I believe if the war does come to pass, that we will also have to take action to shut the city down for a day in protest.
I prefer the days when just vocal protests and letter writing alone would actually effect change. But, it's seeming that things are different in the 21st century, I'm not advocating vandelism, but I think taking our streets back, fighting in the ways we can against the system which makes globalism a method of control, and doing something to make a difference and wake people up is healthy. In the 1800's, the Boston Tea Party would be what we would call, a "direct action".

NBC at 6pm had a brief clip from someone at Bound Together books. Channels 4 and 7 both had a police commander calling the black bloc terrorists. plus they had some protesters who following behind putting out a fire and tidying up glass and so forth.