Don’t Talk To the Police

With the recent outbreak of police violence towards protesters at the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention, I’ve had a hard time deciding what I wanted to say about the whole series of events. I mean - people knew that this was coming. The conventions are not a place for the public to voice their opinions. It is a place for the policy-makers to tell us what our opinions really are.

With the horrendous treatment of Amy Goodman and her crew of Democracy Now, the police are only shooting themselves in the collective boot. With preemptive raid and detaining of political groups before and during the RNC was astounding. The police led sieges and raids on the houses and meeting places of political groups and bloggers in the area, arresting people on charges of “conspiracy to riot”. Yes - people were arrested on the charge of “planning to be in a place during a protest that may or may not turn into a riot”. Justice, indeed.

What is important to note is that many news sources are claiming that this violence has only been directed towards a group of anarchists referred to as a Black Bloc collective. While the videos taped by numerous sources at the conventions tell a completely different story.

Professor James Duane of Regent Law School produced a lecture entitled “Don’t Talk to the Police” which I found insightful and helpful. Perhaps would-be-protesters and political activists should pay attention to what James Duane has to say:

While during the time span of the protests in the US, a Spanish doctor in Madrid has discovered that young men are dying for unknown reasons while in police custody. The doctors are claiming that this is a new symptom “similar to one that kills some wild animals when they are captured”. Apparently, the extreme levels of stress experienced by people undergoing police treatment during detention are enough to trigger the body to shut down.

I’m sure it has nothing to do with the way that the police force in this country are starting to view its citizens - as cattle; meant to be herded around and owned. Just take for instance “The Peacemaker” (shown below), purchased by Richland County, South Carolina sheriff Leon Lott.

The armored personel carrier pictured was purchased for use by their local police force. He “insists that using a caliber of ammunition that even the U.S. military is reluctant to use against human targets (it’s generally reserved for use against armored vehicles) will ’save lives.’”

My favorite comment on that article is this:

Oh, and aiming it? You generally can’t sight down the weapon from a turret, so the SOP in country is to estimate, then walk it in. I’m thrilled to see American law enforcement presumably expect to rely on the same methods. And the bullets go through cars, by the way.

One of the units in my battalion thought they were getting suicide bombed by a bus. A gunner opened fire with a .50 cal, firing three rounds. Two people on the bus died, and six were wounded.

So, perfectly reasonable for a law enforcement weapon. Perfectly reasonable.

Good lord.

So, here are a few videos displaying the awesome job the police are doing to protect the cities of the protests from…uh…its own citizens?
Here are the police treating press members with respect and grace:

And here are the police informing a group of peaceful protesters what their right to peaceful protest is:

And here is an overview of the solidarity the police and protesters showed to each other while trying to keep things peaceful:

We can only be so proud.

© 2008 Pink On Brown.