Port of Oakland: Shock and Awe

yes - shit. I was just looking at KRON because I was planning to go at noon, and I have to be here at work this morning. The reporter didn't seem flabbergasted exactly, but he said that bullets had been fired, and that some people were still by the APL port, and most had dispersed down the road. Those things can take out people's eyes. Shoot, I don't know if I should even go at noon. Please give updates on what people decided to do.

The cops did seem to overreact, but the good thing is the union arbitrator came out and dismissed the 7am shift of Longshore Workers. They all went home!

still here 'working' - I looked at msnbc, and the news narrator who is probably in another state was giving what looked like a totally biased report. He said 8 longshoremen were hurt, but the implication was that protesters were at fault, but how would protesters hurt them - flying bullets would be a far more likely source. This MSNBC person was saying that the police are being patient, as though he would have the evidence to say this from where he's located.

sfgate now says that longshoremen standing nearby to the protest were indeed hit by police bullets. They're not going to stand for that.

An acquaintance of mine is a journalist who was writing a column coming out this week about the dearth of military bases in the bay area that would be good sites for protest. Speaking with the ILWU spokesman, he got the impression that the union doesn't want to give the idea that they are 'easy', and totally willing to shut down work at the drop of a hat for any cause, but as long as at least 200 protester showed up and gave the impression of having some backbone, they would cite 'safety risk' under their contract and leave that particular terminal for the day.

Don't let 'em scare you...
That's what the cops were trying to do.
They think that they can stop further protest by using Shock and Awe tactics.
It's only going to make the protests larger.
And now the long shore workers will be on our side for sure.
Keep protesting - I'm going to.
Wear eye protection.

Right now today Iraqis are burning alive and you want to know if we should go confront some stupid rubber bullets? Of course get down there if you were planning on it!!!!!!!!! Fuck Oakland Police and Fuck the WAR!!!!!!!!

Word from the scene is that a mini-spokes meeting is being held to decide what may be planned for the rest of the day in Oakland. Folks who were planning to participate later in the day should probably stay tuned.

Word from docks/West Oakland is that folks are now moving from West Oakland BART to downtown. They will be visiting the Oakland federal building and then City Hall. All who were planning to visit the docks midday should head over to "12th Street BART" and join the group expressing their outrage with today's response to nonviolent protest.

Clearly these tactics are used because you are having a real effect. I am proud of all the brave folks out there and hope you will not be deterred. I know I will not be deterred from participating in actions in my own local area later this week...

Keep up the excellent work.

Very proud of you.

--Peacemonger

Those who were protesting were far from peaceful. They brought weapons, threw rocks and metal rods at the police and infringed on the rights of others. Certainly a person has the right to assemble peacefully with others in a public place to protest and express themselves under the First Admenment of the U.S. Constitution. People also have the right to carry on their activities and business.

The police get involved as necessary and reasonable in the interests of public safety, public order; and the protection of the rights and freedoms of other persons.

Violate the law, and expect the police to take action. What they did was right and reasonable.

"The [protestors] brought weapons, threw rocks and metal rods at the police."

And your proof is? A police statement?

That's what is known in the trade as "a big fat lie".

"Violate the law, and expect the police to take action"

the police have no reason to use this level of violence - if someone had died, would you support that murder in the name of business as usual? No doubt you also support murdering children who throw rocks at tanks in Palestine - c'omon, fess up to the zionist police state lover that you are.

"The [protestors] brought weapons, threw rocks and metal rods at the police."

And your proof is? A police statement?

That's what is known in the trade as "a big fat lie".
"

Why is the idea that the "protesters" would throw anyhting at the cops soooo unbelievable? There's no way you would ever bvelieve that right. All the reports of this happening are all part of a GRAND CONSPIRACY right? Maybe, just maybe your side is getting a bit desperate since nothing you've been complaining about happening is even remotely coming true. The war is going along perfectly. Civilian casualties are negligable (less than ONE PERCENT of the 600,000 you all quoted the UN as claiming would be inflicted), AND the Iraqis are starting to LITERALLY DANCE IN THE STREET.
Face it. You all couldn't have been for fundamentally and categorically wrong about EVERYTHING. You are fools.
When is the Apology march?

they are not dancing in the street, liar. Not any more than people in the South have all given up on their eternal commitment to keep using the confederate flag over resentment for the civil war 140 years ago

In response to "Peacepro":

These people were doing nothing illegal. The rights to assemble peaceably and to freedom of speech are legally protected above the right of commerce, and people have the right to picket. They are within their legal rights to do so on port property, which is public land and legally considered a "public forum" in which First Amendment rights are protected, according to court rulings on the matter.

Furthermore, the rules that should have been observed are a part of the longshore workers' contract. The workers have the right to stand by until an arbitrator decides on whether the picket line in question is legitimate. The company or the Port officials (or both), in calling the police to intervene in what was essentially a matter to be determined under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, have illegally circumvented the legally-binding labor contract with the ILWU by going outside of the remedies it affords to both workers and companies, and that is illegal.

The police also acted illegally in this situation, as I am sure we will all find out shortly, when this thing gets sorted out in court. Ejecting people who were carrying out a peaceful exercise of their First Amendment rights by force is a violation of the Constitution, not to mention U.S. and California labor law.

Jerry Brown also will soon find that labor will desert him and not give him any political support.

Yes, people have a right to carry out their legitimate business. But war profiteering is not legitimate business in a war that violates the U.S. Constitution and the U.N. Charter.

I don't know what kind of a Peace Pro you are, in defending the violent actions of the police, but you are obviously not a legal beagle. Brushing up on the Bill of Rights might help. Then you might meditate as well on the fact that while, speech and assembly are protected in that document, the "right" to make a profit is not even mentioned.

This is how we know the protestors weren't throwing rocks:

Because whenever the most extreme, bandana-wearing members of the peace movement do a little damage some pround member can't wait to post it here. "Hey man we knocked over newspapers" or "Hey man we sprayed the INS building." However, I've yet to see a "hey man we threw rocks at the pigs" post, so that leaves me to conclude it either didn't happen, or there was a sudden and unlikely conversion of discretion.

Anyway, show me the cop injuries and then we'll talk.