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Title: Portland police lay down the law at counter-recruitment vigil
Source:
portland.indymedia.org
URL Source: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/05/359124.shtml
Published: May 11, 2007
Author: Rhonda Baseler
Post Date: 2007-05-11 13:59:31 by Ferret Mike
Keywords: None
Views: 140
Comments: 6
Two police officers practice intimidation tactics at counter-recruitment vigil This evening, a handful of protesters had taken their usual stations in front of the recruiting center (1317 NE Broadway), holding signs saying things such as, "Don't Die for Lies," "Killing is Wrong," and "War is Not the Answer." Most stood in a no parking spot. An unmarked police car parked across the street, an officer emerged and began observing and taking photos of the protesters. Soon, a squad car pulled up and two police rushed up and told everyone to get out of the street [parking lane] or they would be arrested. A fairly burly cop earned extra credit in his "intimidation" practicum as he stood with barely an inch between himself and one of the protesters - the smallest of the bunch, a woman several inches shorter than the cop. He talked down at her; she stood her ground holding her sign without a hint of fear. Eventually, she complied got out of the parking lane. The cops stated that they were there to make sure the protesters didn't get out of hand and block the doorway of the recruiting center or impede traffic or block the sidewalk or anything like that - like "those people who come on Fridays" do.(Yeah, SPOG's and supporters!!) The squad car was parked in the driveway of a well-known sandwich franchise shop, blocking most of the sidewalk. The car engine was left running (have a global warming day!) for the 30+ minutes the cops stood cross-armed in front of the recruiting office. The whole episode was a simple exercise in the aggressive, militant, hostile intimidation tactics that Portland Police (and other police departments - like LA on 5/1/07) use. Heavily armed persons making sure unarmed peaceniks stay out of the street. But the protesters tonight got off easy, so to speak. No rubber bullets, no pepper spray, no arrests. And we're all stillalive....unlike some of those murdered by the Portland Police: Deontae J. Keller, Jose Santos Victor Mejia Poot, Kendra James, James Jahar Perez, James Chasse
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#1. To: All, IndieTX, Neil McIver, christine Lodwick, robin, all (#0)
Tuesday Vigil at the Recruitment Center: The Neo-Gestapo Drops By author: D.W. http://portland.ind ymedia.org/en/2007/05/359120.shtml For the past year I have been going to the Broadway military recruitment center every Tuesday. Each week somewhere between a half to a dozen people show up. Today there were seven people at the vigil, holding signs, a banner, and handing out literature. Today an officer named Walker decided he wanted to bully people. Here is what I saw: People had been there for about half an hour out of the usual 1 hour vigil from 5-6pm. So it was about 5:30. Officer Walker (or Thug Walker as I will refer to him since that is how he behaved) came walking up. I am going to take a moment to explain the situation as some context is needed to understand this event and its significance. As is usual each week, there were a few people standing on the side of the street holding signs. People stand in the street (a couple feet off the sidewalk) because otherwise it is hard to see the signs. Cars drive by unhindered. Bicycles ride by unimpeded. Pedestrians walk by, usually saying thanks for being here and people who want to, go in the recruiting center. Nobody is blocked from going about their affairs. This is what has been going on for the past year. Every week at least 1 police car drives by because Broadway is a busy street. Much of the time, they do not even look over anymore. They never stop. So today, for no reason, Thug Walker walks over, starts telling people they have been warned over and over, that they cannot go in the street or block the recruiting center doors. Now as I said, I have been attending this vigil every week for a year. There is a clear understanding in place. People stand in the street and the police drive by and let them be. So as I said, Thug Walker came over and was immediately belligerent. He was physically aggressive with one woman and got right in her face and pushed her with his body and threatened her with arrest. Does he acknowledge the pattern from the past year? No. Does he say I know you have been standing in the street for the past year and there has been a tacit agreement from the police for you to do so, but I would like to ask you to stand on the sidewalk? No. Does he raise some valid point about public safety? No. His only reason to be there was to assert power over others. His bullying of the woman and his domineering attitude were very offensive. What this was became starkly clear to me when another officer drove up in his car and left it partway in the street. The two of them then stood in front of the recruiting center for half an hour while the police car sat partway in the street with its lights on. If there is any substantive reason why the people holding signs should not be in the street, then why leave the car there the whole time? No, what this is, is an assertion of power. We can make you get out of the street, then we can leave our car right there where you were. You have to obey us, and we are above the law, and can act how we want, even irresponsibly. In addition to the police car being partway in the street, it was blocking the driveway to the Subway sandwich shop, so anyone who wanted to go to the Subway could not use their parking lot. The car also managed to mostly block the sidewalk forcing pedestrians to walk around it. And to top it all off, they left the car running, with the air conditioning on, and the windows open for the entire half an hour! Thug Walker and his henchman were not thinking of the public, maintaining public access to the Subway, pedestrian access or any of the things one might expect to be the business of police officers. They were also not thinking of responsible use of resources in these times of global warming and resource depletion. Examined from any side, his behavior was irresponsible and unnecessary. The only problem there was Thug Walker himself, which of course is the nature of egotism.
Thesis: Official 9/11 story is an unproven conspiracy theory. http://911truth.org http://Justicefor911.org http://summeroftruth.org Probable-cause standards have been met for an unlimited investigation of unsolved crimes relating to the events of Sept. 11, including allegations of criminal negligence, cover-up, complicity or commission of the attacks by US officials and assets of intel services.
police state bump
Dear Occifer Walker: What would you do to me if I just THOUGHT you were a son of a bitch? Walker: "Well, duh...I guess nothing if you just thought it." ME: Well occifer WalKer, "I THINK YOU ARE A SON OF A BITCH!" "And ZIEG HEIL!"
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition They just passed a 'no sit' ordinance on Portland. In other words, stop to sit and eat, hold a picket sign, beg some change, or whatever if it doesn't involve a desigated park bench between the hours of 7 AM and 9 PM you get a ticket. They are also good at using horses on demonstrators and will walk them over you if you are sitting or lying down protesting to make you fear a trampling. On another topic, I walked to the top of Skinner's Butte this morning. It is a small hill with the Willamette River one one side and the downtown just directly south of it. It is where Eugene Skinner build his log cabin in 1846 when he founded Eugene City which back then was called, "Skinner's Mudhole." An electrical contractor was working at the only building up by the view area parking lot. I asked him what was happening and he said the city had all kinds of 'Homeland Security' grants to get rid of the old Moterola radio gear, antennas and dishes and was upgrading the facility. He also told me how he had done work on that trippy looking array just installed on the Lame... opps ... I mean Lane County Court House. The new fleet of militaristic police cars with the huge flat screen monitors for the computers need the bandwith this small piece of the 'all seeing eye' they are installing provides. They worry that their increased capacity to build information databases on people complete with pictures and access to video from new street cameras that has been going up will not have the bandwidth to be used by their officers and other people when they are out there on the street. I went up there to reflect on turning 53 Sunday and muse about 35 years in this area. I resent having this bad omen of the rising age of big brother is watching intruding on that. But at least these sort of thing keeps me aware of which way the winds blow. But it makes me worry that by the time it has been 70 years I've been here that things will be far worse the the extreme bad we now experiance in police state America today.
Thesis: Official 9/11 story is an unproven conspiracy theory. http://911truth.org http://Justicefor911.org http://summeroftruth.org Probable-cause standards have been met for an unlimited investigation of unsolved crimes relating to the events of Sept. 11, including allegations of criminal negligence, cover-up, complicity or commission of the attacks by US officials and assets of intel services.
All of that high tech BigBrother Nazi s**t can easily be broken...you know, by weather and projectiles and other debris flung about by tornadic winds and stuff?? ;) I hear there are some big storms in the Pacific Northwest.
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Yeah, and the building they are refubishing with the new install was built in 1921. They laid down gravel because water was pouring in on one side and reinforced the inside with steel beams. It is geting a new high tech fence complete with cameras and other big nrother fetish equipment. Our tax dollars at work, oh boy. Am I impressed or what? (Not.)
Thesis: Official 9/11 story is an unproven conspiracy theory. http://911truth.org http://Justicefor911.org http://summeroftruth.org Probable-cause standards have been met for an unlimited investigation of unsolved crimes relating to the events of Sept. 11, including allegations of criminal negligence, cover-up, complicity or commission of the attacks by US officials and assets of intel services.
#2. To: Ferret Mike (#1)
#3. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
#4. To: IndieTX, Lodwick (#3)
#5. To: Ferret Mike (#4)
#6. To: IndieTX (#5)
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