What difference 12hrs can be. Went to bed, things were cosmic. Got up, flames and riot cops. Too bad. Both sides of the barricades have divisions. The occupiers, as they're signs kinda show, are a diverse bunch. The vast majority are trying to pull off a peaceful, horizontally organised, leaderless revolution. A few though, like it was in the first Vancouver Olympic protests and others, show up mostly to smash windows and light bonfires.
The Cops have got their own issues. Their Union issued an open letter: Open Letter to the Citizens of Oakland From the Oakland Police Officers Association; Interview w/ Union which says in part: "We represent the 645 police officers who work hard every day to protect the citizens of Oakland. We, too, are the 99% fighting for better working conditions, fair treatment and the ability to provide a living for our children and families. Then, after a peaceful historic day where they too were looking like heroes, over react. Each individual cop is caught in the middle, they've got jobs/careers to protect but are definately a part of the 99%."
#Occupy Oakland didn't riot, a small group did, but the relative morality of different tactics is on a gradient scale, some how the occupiers must horizontally deciede the way foward. Remembering, hopefully, the experience of the G20 in Toronto which suggests that the more likely scenario is that elites will plant distruptive police provacteures. Maybe it was spy vs. spy, cops vs. cops in the pictures last night.
The cops, OPD and beyond, hopefuly again, will be informed by the Nuremberg Trials where it was decieded each person has the duty to disobey an immoral order, to follow their conscience. Their oath says 'serve and protect', nothing about being the army of the 1%. Like the veterans who's oath includes to protect again enemies both foreign and domestic and who now are occupiers because they now see the corporate power as abdomestic enemy,, the police have to deciede who's interests they are serving and protecting and follow their conscience.
A group, estimated by local media outlets as large as 20,000, marched from Oakland's central intersection to the city's port and successfully shut down the Port of Oaklsand.
"#Occupy Oakland's only demand is an invitation - Join Us! - We are reclaiming public space to use as a forum for the people to come together, meet one another, listen to each other, and build power for ourselves. Our struggle won’t fit in a 15 second soundbite.This occupation is a beginning, and we have a long way to go. And while we have much in common, we believe the people are stronger united behind many banners, rather than a single one." - Occupy Oakland Blog
Police Move in on Oakland Occupiers - Shortly after 1:30 a.m. police were ready to move in on the Occupy Oakland camp at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza and announced that arrests would be made. At least 100 tents are housing hundreds of people there.
Dozens of arrests at Occupy Oakland
