[GPSCC-chat] Fwd: Last night in Oakland

[Gerry Gras]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Last night in Oakland
Date: 	Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:26:35 -0700
From: 	Justin Ruben, MoveOn.org Civic Action <moveon-help at list.moveon.org>
To: 	Gerry Gras <gerrygras at earthlink.net>



Dear MoveOn member,

Last night, Scott Olsen, a Marine who served two tours in Iraq, was
struck in the head by a "nonlethal" projectile fired by the Oakland
police. *The round fractured his skull, leaving him in critical
condition.*^1

Olsen had joined with other members of Occupy Oakland to peacefully
protest the group's eviction that morning. *When a group gathered to
help Olsen after he was hit, a police officer threw a flash bang grenade
into the group* from a few feet away.

Deeply disturbing video
<http://www.moveon.org/r?r=266174&id=32341-824573-BDpBRWx&t=1> of the
incident was captured by a local news crew and provides the clearest
evidence yet of the lengths that authorities will go to to stop Occupy
protesters from voicing uncomfortable truths about our economy.

Yesterday's eviction in the predawn hours^2 and last night's violence
against protesters are only the latest attempts to silence the voices of
those who are speaking up for the 99%. *But members of Occupy Oakland,
who faced the most brutal crackdown yet, refuse to be intimidated.*
They've called for another peaceful gathering tonight to stand up for
their First Amendment rights.^3

To help defend their rights, *we're scrambling to put together a rapid
response ad* to run in Oakland urging Mayor Quan and the police to end
their brutal tactics and respect the protesters' rights. We want to make
sure everyone in Oakland sees the footage of the crackdown for
themselves. Every dollar we raise will go to pay for the ad, and if
there's anything left over, we'll donate it to a group doing good work
helping our veterans as they come home from war.

*Click here to chip in.
<https://civ.moveon.org/donatec4/policecrackdown.html?id=32341-824573-BDpBRWx&t=2>*

We're also supporting a petition by Causa Justa :: Just Cause to
Oakland's mayor to stop the police repression of Occupy Oakland.

*Click here to sign CJJC's petition to Mayor Quan.
<http://www.moveon.org/r?r=266185&id=32341-824573-BDpBRWx&t=3>*

Many MoveOn members experienced the police crackdown firsthand last
night. Here's what some of them said:

     The police were intimidating and I have been to many protests in my
     life, but nothing quite like this. I have never seen such a police
     presence with such force, especially for a calm crowd. The tear gas
     was pretty brutal, it is still on my clothes and skin this morning.
     Anywhere in downtown Oakland had the smell and sting of the gas all
     night. —Gina W.


     We talked to the police across the barricades about how we were also
     fighting for them, for their children's shot to education without
     lifelong debt, for the preservation of their collective bargaining
     rights. We expressed this solidarity knowing that they might not be
     listening, but we also know that the reasons for not listening are
     deeply personal.... —Julie K.


     As a retired military man, I wanted to reiterate what [I heard] the
     Marine Sgt espousing to the police: There is NO honor in brutalizing
     your own people. The tear gas stung but I have been exposed to
     worse, including Agent Orange. What I saw at Ogawa Plaza made me
     extremely proud of those brave souls that were passionate about
     their causes. As we say in the Marine Corp and Navy...BRAVO
     ZULU.—Pete H.


Thanks for all you do.

–Justin, Marika, Anna, Laura, and the rest of the team

P.S. If you want to show your support in person, members of Occupy
Oakland are gathering peacefully again at 6 p.m. tonight at 14th and
Broadway.

Sources:

1. "Occupy Oakland protests—live coverage," /The Guardian/, October 26,
2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=266171&id=32341-824573-BDpBRWx&t=4
<http://www.moveon.org/r?r=266171&id=32341-824573-BDpBRWx&t=4>

2. "Police tear gas Occupy Oakland protesters," /San Francisco
Chronicle/, October 26, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=266172&id=32341-824573-BDpBRWx&t=5
<http://www.moveon.org/r?r=266172&id=32341-824573-BDpBRWx&t=5>

3. "Occupy Oakland," accessed October 26, 2011
http://www.occupyoakland.org/
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