Photo
May 17, 2012
cognitivedissonance: abokononist: occupyallstreets: NYPD Loses OWS Trail After Video Evidence Proved They Made False Arrests Hundreds have been arrested during the Occupy Wall Street protests, but photographer Alexander Arbuckle’s case was the first to go to trial – and after just two days, the Manhattan Criminal Court found him not guilty. Arbuckle was arrested on New Year’s Day for allegedly blocking traffic during a protest march. He was charged with disorderly conduct, and his arresting officer testified under oath that he, along with the protesters, was standing in the street, despite frequent requests from the police to move to the sidewalk But things got a little embarrassing for the NYPD officer when the defense presented a video recording of the entire event, made by well-known journalist Tim Pool. Pool’s footage clearly shows Arbuckle, along with all the other protesters, standing on the sidewalk. In fact, the only people blocking traffic were the police officers themselves. His lawyers said the video proving that testimony false is what swayed the judge, and the verdict a clear indication that the NYPD was over-policing the protests. Read More Weird. If you’re shocked, you’re not paying attention. First one down!  Let’s keep ‘em coming.

cognitivedissonance:

abokononist:

occupyallstreets:

NYPD Loses OWS Trail After Video Evidence Proved They Made False Arrests

Hundreds have been arrested during the Occupy Wall Street protests, but photographer Alexander Arbuckle’s case was the first to go to trial – and after just two days, the Manhattan Criminal Court found him not guilty.

Arbuckle was arrested on New Year’s Day for allegedly blocking traffic during a protest march. He was charged with disorderly conduct, and his arresting officer testified under oath that he, along with the protesters, was standing in the street, despite frequent requests from the police to move to the sidewalk

But things got a little embarrassing for the NYPD officer when the defense presented a video recording of the entire event, made by well-known journalist Tim Pool.

Pool’s footage clearly shows Arbuckle, along with all the other protesters, standing on the sidewalk. In fact, the only people blocking traffic were the police officers themselves.

His lawyers said the video proving that testimony false is what swayed the judge, and the verdict a clear indication that the NYPD was over-policing the protests.

Read More

Weird.

If you’re shocked, you’re not paying attention.

First one down!  Let’s keep ‘em coming.

(via wilwheaton)

Quote
February 08, 2012
“It is hugely important and worth mentioning that “mistakes” have been done in the beginning of the crises because we did not have a well-organized “police force”. American Psyche can be easily manipulated when they hear that there are “mistakes” done and now we are “fixing it”. Its worth mentioning also what is happening now in Wall Street and the way the demonstrations are been suppressed by police men, police dogs and beatings.”

—

One Per Cent: Anonymous leaks emails from Syrian President’s office

“email, sent from Syrian press attaché Sheherazad Jaafari to Luna Chebel, a former Al Jazeera journalist and current Assad aide, offers advice on how to handle the US media.”

Frankly, that’s what I’d say if I were Assad - “Look, you’re beating the crap out of your own protestors.”  Thanks for feeding them that excuse, guys.

Video
December 07, 2011

sirmitchell:

TED Talk

Richard Wilkinson: How economic inequality harms societies.

Using hard data Richard Wilkinson explains how income inequality causes poorer health, shorter lifespans and a lower amount of trust for your fellow countrymen. What I found most interesting is that it doesn’t just affect the poor and middle class, but everyone from the top down. 

Full disclosure: reblogging this although I haven’t watched it yet…

Quote
November 29, 2011
“

I casually used this product to try to disperse a small band of non-violent campers who had locked their arms together. Although initially it seemed to be effective, it took two applications! The worst part is that the next day they multiplied exponentially!

Now what? One positive outcome, I did receive a paid vacation for my efforts.

”

—

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Defense Technology 56895 MK-9 Stream, 1.3% Red Band/1.3% Blue Band Pepper Spray via doctordisaster

These are great.

Quote
November 21, 2011
“

UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza has been placed on administrative leave pending a review of her officers’ use of pepper spray on unarmed protesters Friday. Two of the involved officers also remain on leave.

“As I have gathered more information about the events that took place on our Quad on Friday, it has become clear to me that this is a necessary step toward restoring trust on our campus,” Chancellor Linda Katehi said in a news release issued early this morning.

“I take full responsibility for the events on Friday and am extremely saddened by what occurred,” Katehi added. “I eagerly await the results of the review, and intend to act quickly to implement reforms that will safeguard the rights of our students, faculty and staff to engage in nonviolent protest.”

”

—

UCD police chief placed on administrative leave | Davis Enterprise

Update from the UCD paper.

Quote
November 21, 2011
“

three years ago there was a very similar occupation of the quad at Columbia University in New York City by students protesting the way the expansion of the university was displacing residents in the neighborhood. There was a core group of twenty or thirty students there around the clock. At the high points there were 200-300. The administration met with the students and held serious discussions about their concerns. And after a couple of weeks the protest had run its course and the students took the tents down. The most severe action that was even contemplated on the part of the university was to expel students who were hunger striking, under a rule that allows the school to expel students who are considered a threat to themselves. But no one was actually expelled.

Remember when universities used to expel students instead of spray them with chemical agents?

”

— Militarization of Campus Police by Bob Ostertag, U.C. Davis professor

Photo
November 16, 2011
thedailywhat: Instantly Iconic Photo of the Day: 84-year-old former school teacher Dorli Rainey is helped away from the scene of an Occupy Seattle protest at Westlake Park after being doused with pepper spray. Rainey was among dozens of protesters hit with the “less-than-lethal agent” after refusing to move from the intersection of 5th Avenue and Pine Street following a march of solidarity with Occupy Wall Street. Rainey, a longtime presence in local politics, wrote The Stranger an email afterward, saying she stopped by the protest on her way to a public meeting on a transportation issue. “Knowing that the problems of New York would certainly precipitate action by Occupy Seattle, I thought I better check it out,” she wrote, “especially since only yesterday the City Government made a grandiose gesture to protect free speech.” Her email continues: Well free speech does have its limits as I found out as the cops shoved their bicycles into the crowd and simultaneously pepper sprayed the so captured protesters. She credits an Iraq vet with saving her from being trampled. “In the women’s movement,” she concludes, “there were signs which said: ‘Screw us and we multiply.” Video of the incident below: [seattlepi / slog.] It goes without saying that this lady’s a badass.  ‘Screw us and we multiply’!  Love it.

thedailywhat:

Instantly Iconic Photo of the Day: 84-year-old former school teacher Dorli Rainey is helped away from the scene of an Occupy Seattle protest at Westlake Park after being doused with pepper spray.

Rainey was among dozens of protesters hit with the “less-than-lethal agent” after refusing to move from the intersection of 5th Avenue and Pine Street following a march of solidarity with Occupy Wall Street.

Rainey, a longtime presence in local politics, wrote The Stranger an email afterward, saying she stopped by the protest on her way to a public meeting on a transportation issue.

“Knowing that the problems of New York would certainly precipitate action by Occupy Seattle, I thought I better check it out,” she wrote, “especially since only yesterday the City Government made a grandiose gesture to protect free speech.”

Her email continues:

Well free speech does have its limits as I found out as the cops shoved their bicycles into the crowd and simultaneously pepper sprayed the so captured protesters.

She credits an Iraq vet with saving her from being trampled. “In the women’s movement,” she concludes, “there were signs which said: ‘Screw us and we multiply.”

Video of the incident below:

[seattlepi / slog.]

It goes without saying that this lady’s a badass.  ‘Screw us and we multiply’!  Love it.

(Source: thedailywhat, via huffingtonpost)