[N8 v2.0]

Rubber Bullets Used Against Protesters

(Reuters) - Oakland police fired rubber bullets and wooden pellets on Monday to disperse hundreds of anti-war protesters in what was believed to be the first such use against U.S. protesters since the American-led war on Iraq began. Demonstrators were seeking to block access to American President Lines, a shipping company they claimed was profiting from the war in Iraq when said they used the pellets and bullets to disperse about 750 protesters.
MORE...

 

[manimal]

"...no blood for oil...no blood for oil.....bush is the devil.....no blood for oil.....no.......ouch! my eye!! aaggghhh...make it stop...make it stop!!!.....i'm gonna die!!!"

at least they have an inkling of an idea what it is to be shot at.


cool.

 

[Tenchiro]

Demonstrators were seeking to block access to American President Lines, a shipping company they claimed was profiting from the war in Iraq

Also on Monday, New York police arrested several dozen people who blocked the entrance to the Manhattan building of the Carlyle Group, a firm which has a stake in the defense industry.

At a seperate demonstation , San Francisco police detained about 20 protesters blocking the Federal Building. Several people also briefly blocked one of the city's main highways.

Can we see a pattern here? These guys make it really hard to feel sorry for them. You would think these idiots would realize that they are only hurting themselves and their cause by acting like assholes.

 

[patconnole]

Originally posted by Tenchiro
Can we see a pattern here? These guys make it really hard to feel sorry for them. You would think these idiots would realize that they are only hurting themselves and their cause by acting like assholes.

What about the first two? Just from what you posted, they seem to make sense.

 

[Tenchiro]

Originally posted by patconnole
What about the first two? Just from what you posted, they seem to make sense.

That's what I mean, if the protesters weren't being asses and blocking enterance to peoples businesses then nothing bad would have befallen them.

 

[Silver]

Originally posted by manimal
"...no blood for oil...no blood for oil.....bush is the devil.....no blood for oil.....no.......ouch! my eye!! aaggghhh...make it stop...make it stop!!!.....i'm gonna die!!!"

at least they have an inkling of an idea what it is to be shot at.


cool.

I can't wait to cackle when they start shooting rubber bullets at people chaining themselves to the doors at Planned Parenthood.

 

[manimal]

Originally posted by Silver
I can't wait to cackle when they start shooting rubber bullets at people chaining themselves to the doors at Planned Parenthood.

ME TOO!!

was that supposed to piss me off? I think all protesters are pointless, regardless of their cause

 

[DRB]

Originally posted by Silver
I can't wait to cackle when they start shooting rubber bullets at people chaining themselves to the doors at Planned Parenthood.

Abortion protesters do seem to get more of a free pass, then anti-war protesters. Can't remember the last time I heard about abortion protesters getting shot, just doing the shooting.

 

[Damn True]

Trying to stop supplies from getting to our troops?


OAKLAND, Calif. — Police opened fire with non-lethal projectiles at an anti-war protest at the Port of Oakland on Monday, injuring at least a dozen demonstrators and six longshoremen standing nearby.

Most of the 500 demonstrators were dispersed peacefully, but police shot the projectiles at two gates when protesters refused to move and some of them allegedly threw rocks and bolts. The longshoremen, pinned against a fence, were caught in the line of fire.

Police spokeswoman Danielle Ashford said officers fired bean-bag rounds and wooden dowels. They also used "sting balls," which send out a spray of BB-sized rubber pellets and a cloud of tear gas and feel like a bee sting when they hit someone.

Demonstrators said they targeted the port because at least one company there is handling war supplies. They said it was the first time they had been fired upon in Bay area protests since the Iraq war began last month.

"Oakland police are being the most aggressive of any department I've seen in the Bay area since the war began," said protester Damien McAnany, a database manager. "The San Francisco Police Department never used any of this stuff against us."

About 200 of the port demonstrators later marched to the federal building in Oakland, blocking a street and chanting: "Out of the office and into the streets! U.S. out of the Middle East!" They were joined by Oakland City Council members Jane Bruner and Jean Quan.

"They should not have been using the wooden bullets," Bruner said. "Given what's happening in the world today, we're going to be seeing more of this. And we should be prepared to handle it."

Oakland Police said at least 31 people were arrested.

"Some people were blocking port property and the port authorities asked us to move them off," said Deputy Police Chief Patrick Haw. "Police moved aggressively against crowds because some people threw rocks and big iron bolts at officers."

Nevertheless, Police Chief Richard Word said the department would evaluate the officers' tactics. The dowels are supposed to be shot at the ground and carom up to strike their target, Word said, but some of the injured complained that officers took direct aim at them.

Mayor Jerry Brown said police were right in trying to keep order. He blamed the melee on a handful of protesters.

"When a guy picks up a bolt and throws it at a policeman, he's setting in motion a chain of events," Brown said.

Six longshoremen were treated by paramedics, some of whom had bloody welts the size of a silver dollar.

"I was standing as far back as I could," said longshoremen Kevin Wilson. "It was very scary. All of that force wasn't necessary."

Steve Stallone, spokesman for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, said most of the dockworkers went back to work after the protesters left. A few were too shaken up to return.

Protests also took place Monday at the federal building in San Francisco and at the Concord Naval Weapons Station. And seven people were arrested when they temporarily blocked an exit ramp off Interstate 280 in San Francisco.

 

[goosemagoo]

check out this pic of a protester in the line of fire

A protestor, who refused to give her name, bears the wounds after she says was hit by Oakland police weapon during a anti-war protest in Oakland, Calif., Monday, Aug. 7, 2003 outside the port area. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

 

[Silver]

Originally posted by manimal
ME TOO!!

was that supposed to piss me off? I think all protesters are pointless, regardless of their cause

Actually no, I was being kinda snarky and pointing out that the only thing missing from your original post was a Beavis or Butt-head laugh track. It bugs me because I know you're a smarter guy than that.

For the record, I wouldn't cackle if an abortion protester got shot with a rubber bullet. Unless it's a rare case, this is probably nothing more than cops getting a little out of hand. We have trespassing laws....if that is what someone is doing, you call in the wagon and arrest him. If his buddies interfere, you arrest them to. There is no need for rubber bullets except in exceptional cases. It's not like this was the second coming of the LA riots.

I wonder what you think of the college kids at Kent State?

 

[Damn True]

From one of the bigest liberals in the state of CA, former Governer and now mayor of Oakland, Jerry Brown.

"Mayor Jerry Brown said police were right in trying to keep order. He blamed the melee on a handful of protesters.

"When a guy picks up a bolt and throws it at a policeman, he's setting in motion a chain of events," Brown said."


I'm sure there was more than a bolt that set the chain in motion. If "Gov. Moonbeam" is behind the actions of the cops I'm pretty sure they were justified.

 

[Silver]

I dunno, when a longshoreman says this:

"I was standing as far back as I could," said longshoremen Kevin Wilson. "It was very scary. All of that force wasn't necessary."

It makes me wonder. The longshoremen I've met haven't been snuggles and kisses.

 

[manimal]

Originally posted by Silver
Actually no, I was being kinda snarky and pointing out that the only thing missing from your original post was a Beavis or Butt-head laugh track. It bugs me because I know you're a smarter guy than that.

For the record, I wouldn't cackle if an abortion protester got shot with a rubber bullet. Unless it's a rare case, this is probably nothing more than cops getting a little out of hand. We have trespassing laws....if that is what someone is doing, you call in the wagon and arrest him. If his buddies interfere, you arrest them to. There is no need for rubber bullets except in exceptional cases. It's not like this was the second coming of the LA riots.

I wonder what you think of the college kids at Kent State?

Sorry, i have no sympathy for these tools. peaceful protests against the government are fine with me but when you start hindering the supply lines to the troops and throwing things at cops.......i'll pull the trigger myself.

that's a heck of a goiter in that pic