Police don't throw firecrackers. If anything they throw flashbangs. Why would they use firecrackers when flashbangs do a better job?
I read tonight that they mostly use high caliber firecrackers, because they achieve the same light and sound effect without the concussive force. Didn't come from an authoritative source, but it makes sense... and I would expect flashbangs to be more powerful than what I'm seeing in these videos.
Just for reference,
I'm assuming this is a real flashbang.Police have claimed they aren't using rubber bullets.
Supposed proof that they're lying.Watch the last 20 seconds of this. Girl gets knocked unconscious by the initial barrage of exploding gas canisters. About a dozen people from the fleeing crowd turn around to help her. The line of cops serve and protect by standing there watching, and one throws another exploding canister right next to her unconscious body. Classy.
My opinion of cops has actually been changing recently, since I've seen mostly good behavior from them across the country and even some motions of sympathy for the movement. I've been told for years that the bad ones are the minority, and only the bad stories get spread around. The police at occupy indy have been great by all accounts, and it's actually been swaying me. They're all tools of the state by definition, but I've really been trying to internalize the notion that this doesn't mean they're ill-intentioned.
But now I'm watching this and wondering... where are the good ones in Oakland right now?... How can so many just stand there and watch people get seriously injured and do nothing?... or even continue to attack someone completely defenseless?