The police declare war on Occupy Oakland.I was disturbed to read of the 'demolition job' the riot people did on Occupy Oakland (California) on Tuesday.
The attack came at 4.30 am on Tuesday morning and involved a reported 600 riot police.
It was a full-on assault by the police who used flash-bang grenades, rubber bullets, and tear gas to get into the Occupy Oakland camp.
There were a reported eighty arrests and multiple, but thankfully, minor injuries.
The police attack has received little coverage in the American mainstream media.
According to an eye witness report: 'The camp looks like a tornado went through it. Everything is destroyed, and it is currently occupied by hundreds of police.'
This is happening in a country whose 'leaders' are boasting about the restoration of 'democracy' in Libya.
The reaction of Occupy Oakland has, naturally enough, been one of anger. But I'm of the view that the Occupy movement must translate its anger into an uncompromising determination and must continue to ask what kind of a society renders such police violence impossible.
The only conclusion that can be drawn is that there are no ameliorative solutions to the capitalist crisis and the violence of capital.
Dissent will not be tolerated. Scary. And yet no doubt a good number of the watching 'public' would applaud, because as Padma says in Star Wars "so this is how democracy (or could have been freedom) dies ... to applause'.
ReplyDeleteYes, tough times and thank goodness we've got the union movement to stand up for us. Vis:
ReplyDeleteThe Council of Trade Unions says that the savings policy announced by the Labour Party is bold and establishes clear points of difference with the National Party.
Peter Conway, CTU Secretary, said that “The increase in the qualifying age for NZ Super will be a challenging issue for unions to work through. We recognise that we must face up to serious savings issues and that we have an ageing population. But there will also be concerns, particularly among manual workers”.
Peter Conway said that the long phase in period, promise of consultation, transitional payments for those that need it from age 65 years and the ramping up of workplace savings via KiwiSaver will satisfy the concerns of many.
“But we will need to discuss this policy in considerable detail with workers and employers”.