By Rob Kall
Anti-war activist Bill Perry, a Viet Nam war veteran, has posted an incredible collection of images to flickr.
Bill writes, “G-20 Finance Ministers have robbed Pension Plans, Looted 401 k’s, Foreclosed Mortgages, Smashed Dreams, and Ruined Lives, yet they get this sort of Police Protection:I know 3 Strike Shop Lifters doing "Life", while these Grand Master Thieves party on OUR dime.”
WHO ARE THE REAL CRIMINALS?
Take pictures. The police use photos and videos to craft false scenarios and lies. The best defense for protesters is to take still images and videos of police– thousands of them. Get their faces, their shifting positions. This is one of the most powerful defenses when protesters are charged.
I spoke to a friend whose son lives in Pittsburgh. The city is locked down tight. He has been instructed to work at home. Stores are closed. One report says that over 12,000 police have been brought in and they are working 12 hour shifts.
Protesters have been given two remote locations to "protest at." I spoke with noted Philadelphia civil defense attorney Paul Hetznecker, on this and he observed that the idea of protest is to be where the people who need to hear the message are. He said that this nation was founded by protesters, that this new approach of blocking and hiding dissent and protest has been continued by the Obama administration.
The protesters in Pittsburgh are heroes, standing up to a government that has thrown out the constitution and embraced a police state. They are the scraggly line that keeps the US from leading the world to become a locked down, massively policed, safe place for corporatists to do as they please.
Every protester who marches without permission, facing arrest is a soldier, without armor, without tear-gas mask, without kevlar vest and knee and elbow pads, like these automaton-like robo-cops who travel from all over the US, probably as volunteers, getting a thrill, playing macho-cop so they can take pictures and Tivo themselves being tough. These out of state cops are neo fascists pissing on the constitution, erasing the freedoms the founders died for. Thomas Jefferson must be rolling in his grave.
@Mel Packer
Yeah? What will you do? Bring more camera-wielding, begging pussy-farts with you to film the people your protesters call \”sir?\”
The only way to thwart tyranny is to be willing to bust some heads and get ones head busted; one must be willing to lay down his very life for freedom. These wimps I saw on the video begged the man to please not harm them. Disgusting!
As one who has been involved in organizing this entire week of opposition to G20 AND as a 40 year resident of Pgh, home-owner, taxpayer,etc let me tell you that I have never, in my 40 years of activism seen a military occupation of a US city like I have witnessed the last 5-6 days. The intent was to intimidate, they finally rioted all over protesters and student onlookers Thurs and Friday nites, and the University that they invaded not only did not voice opposition to the occupation of their campus and bldgs, but has now announced that it will institute disciplinary action against any student arrested (even tho it is likely that most of those will be found to be unconstitutional arrests. Believe me, we are not thru. We are not intimidated, we are not afraid. We will win.
Thanks for your important article. Here’s the email I sent to 7-8 decision makers in PA: “I have just cancelled my 2-week vacation trip to Philadelphia in horror at your violation of Americans’ constitutional rights at the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh. I didn’t think that much mistreatment of the public was allowed in the United States. Now that you have allowed it, and disgraced your state and our country, I wouldn’t set foot in Philadelphia or any other city in Pennsylvania if my life depended on it. Shame on you and shame on America.”
Is the democracy that we claim we are trying to get for Iraq and Afganbistan??? Is this the democracy that our young people are dying for??? Pres Obama was there. Why didn’t he speak up in outrage at this fascist behavior by the PA gov.?? Oh!!! I forgot. He voted yes on F.I.S.A. the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act!!!