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[SalmonGod]

Looks like Albuquerque is next.  There has also been major police action in Atlanta, but I haven't heard as much about it.

Also, doesn't Oakland have this rap of being a pretty violent place in general? Not sure how much of it is from unfounded or just plain popular rumors, though.

I've been noticing lots of nastiness in the Oakland area ever since the Oscar Grant shooting.  Even so, I'm still pretty shocked at the treatment of protesters there.

[Aqizzar]

They recently cut Oakland's PD by a good 100+. But honestly, those guys have to deal with bad shit. I don't envy their jobs.

When you say "recently", how recently do you mean?  I'd like to hear about this.


I know a couple dozen people have been arrested in Dallas lately, but that was for making a nuisance of themselves in places they shouldn't.  (Bad place to hold an anti-police rally?  On a main street, in front of the county jail.)  On the other hand, there is now an OccupyPolice - how numerous or legit they are is an open question, but the Dallas PD helping the crowd at city hall carry their supplies around made their portal.

[SalmonGod]

Supposedly the guy who got shot in the face was a veteran.  That's quite the compounding of bad PR.

[KaelGotDwarves]

They recently cut Oakland's PD by a good 100+. But honestly, those guys have to deal with bad shit. I don't envy their jobs.

When you say "recently", how recently do you mean?  I'd like to hear about this.

I had to look it up again, talks were up to let go of 150 officers last year.

However, negotiations brought down the amount off officers laid off to 80, in a town that... needless to say... needs a lot more police officers. Good officers.
http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-07-14/news/21982318_1_union-s-attorney-officer-layoffs-union-leaders

During the Oscar Grant riots following the "involuntary manslaughter" verdict of the white officer that shot in the back and killed the black, restrained and innocent Oscar Grant- Oakland shipped in riot police and regular officers from all over the bay. A lot of out-of-town white people looking to riot made up a large amount of rioter/looters as well. Strange situation.

[SalmonGod]

Well-edited video showing exactly which officer threw that explosive at the unconscious person, and that it was quite intentional.

[Lagslayer]

Well-edited video showing exactly which officer threw that explosive at the unconscious person, and that it was quite intentional.

I'm willing to give the police the benefit of a doubt, but it seemed quite harsh. Maybe he felt that group needed to be dispersed, maybe he didn't see the person who was already knocked down, maybe he was an asshole and the other cops chewed him out for it afterwords, maybe they are on edge because the protesters kept deliberately pushing them (difficult to tell because pretty much any perspective is labeled as super biased).

[RedKing]

I will say that from my past experience, the DC police were a good bunch. When I was marching there in 2002-03, they were highly professional. Raleigh PD is a pretty good group as well.

When you have cities that decide to do a crackdown, like NYPD or Oakland or Chicago...you have to wonder how much politics and/or corporate money is involved in "pushing" the police to use force. LAPD used to be the ones with the bad reputation for beating people (Rodney King ring a bell?) and their behavior in this has been exemplary from what I've heard.

[ChairmanPoo]

Well-edited video showing exactly which officer threw that explosive at the unconscious person, and that it was quite intentional.

I'm willing to give the police the benefit of a doubt, but it seemed quite harsh. Maybe he felt that group needed to be dispersed, maybe he didn't see the person who was already knocked down, maybe he was an asshole and the other cops chewed him out for it afterwords, maybe they are on edge because the protesters kept deliberately pushing them (difficult to tell because pretty much any perspective is labeled as super biased).

Or maybe they're a bunch of thugs carrying out inexcusable actions. Just saying

[mainiac]

Well-edited video showing exactly which officer threw that explosive at the unconscious person, and that it was quite intentional.

I'm willing to give the police the benefit of a doubt, but it seemed quite harsh. Maybe he felt that group needed to be dispersed, maybe he didn't see the person who was already knocked down, maybe he was an asshole and the other cops chewed him out for it afterwords, maybe they are on edge because the protesters kept deliberately pushing them (difficult to tell because pretty much any perspective is labeled as super biased).

That's a whole lotta maybe in response to a whole lotta documented truth.

[Lagslayer]

Well it is the age of conspiracies. Pretty much everyone can agree that things involving the government/coorporations/media can't always be taken at face value (except their own opinions, or course). Is there any denying that the protesters would benefit from the police looking like the bad guys, or vice versa? Is it possible that the government is pulling strings to get the police to do what they want, or stuff like the unions pulling strings with a lot of the protesters? Is it possible that just a few bad cops are making them all look bad, or just a few bad protesters making all of the others look bad?

Besides, we already discussed that personal bias comes into peoples' decision making.

[Vector]

Was it appropriate to the situation?

No.  It is immoral behavior.  There you go, end of argument.

[RedKing]

Fascinating idea.

As long as I understand them correctly and they're just printing ON dollar bills instead of trying to print dollar bills. Cause, y'know...counterfeiting and all. Which I'm sure is what FOX will accuse them of.

[mainiac]

Besides, we already discussed that personal bias comes into peoples' decision making.

Yes they might have the motive in the broadest possible terms but they don't have anything resembling the means or the opportunity to come up with an elaborate conspiracy to make it look like the police attacked them.

Furthermore you are ignoring the fact that most people won't resort to extreme measures to promote their cause.  These people resorted to the measure of sitting around and being a slight nuisance.  You think that proves they are ruthless enough to engage in a massive conspiracy?

All in all it requires a very convoluted explanation whereas "who ever is running the oakland police is a jackass" is pretty darn simple.

[RedKing]

Perhaps they attacked those rubber bullets by throwing their bodies at them at a high rate of speed.

[Bdthemag]

Perhaps they attacked those rubber bullets by throwing their bodies at them at a high rate of speed.

Innocent Rubber Bullets were harmed by violent protesters, think of families of those Rubber Bullets!