Sorry Sandwich. I am worried sick where I work is going to fall apart over bullshit. I get home and stay worried OWS will fall apart before its even got started over more bullshit.
This potential revolt has to really stick the establishment in the ass hard. I think Mayor Quan just made a very big mistake, because now they are coming for you dear. Ferenc Molnar over on LBO assumes it was a Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) operation. That's sounds about right. Oakland PD while pretty good at killing black kids, doesn't have the operational and tactical background to pull off a coordinated deployment operation by pooling several other county PDs, plus their equipment. In the old days it took awhile to build up to something like last nights action through the mutual aid pack of bay area counties. There are other issues, too. Berkeley PD in the past was reluctant to beat UCB students bloody and they didn't have the manpower to do a good job of it. So the city manager relied on this mutual aid police pack support for the Alameda County Sheriffs, (blue meanies), CHP, and Oakland's finest assholes. >From the videos last night the crowds were new to this business. In the past it was really something to watch an entire four story parking structure fill up with cops and equipment vans, communication links the whole nine yards when I was in Stop the Draft Week. It was like 18thC war, where you could watch your enemy array against you and deploy their block formations... We got there around 5:00a. They hit at 8:00a when the first draftee busses arrived. The cops couldn't use tear gas because they would gas the Induction Center. So they formed flying wedges with longer than normal billy clubs and beat the shit out of whoever got caught. The assholes in the Induction Center were on the roof throwing things down on us. I got a glancing blow from a coke bottle. The problem with minor injuries is they make you really mad. It was only about two and half hours of outright battle. But street battle is exhausting, totally draining, you stagger out worn to the bone and just want sleep from the terror and wild emotional rides. I hope what happens is what happened in the past which was an escalation of force, which quickly gets beyond any pretense of control as thousands start showing up and the city starts shutting down. If you can occupy and or fuck up from Jefferson to Harrison, etc from 16th to 6th, you have pretty much shut down Oakland. It becomes apparent that there is no police force or army big enough if enough people get really pissed. Quan needs to hear the roar of thousands outside her window, RESIGN, RESIGN, RESIGN. City officials need to start coming to work in armored SUVs. The hell with recall. Out Now! I used to think fondly of those other times. But truth is they scared the shit out me. Last night's action reminded me of reality. I would get the dreads if there was a battle on for tomorrow. It's much better remembered than lived. Weird bad dreams at night. And the depression that comes with failure was a terrible thing that lasted for months and then years on end. I watched my future and then my country destroyed. CG
_______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
