fascinating but scary that residents have two completely different views of the OPD actions that night.

but as your video reports, there are residents who feel the cops are just another gang or an occupying army.

thought we'd gotten past that paranoia here, but apparently not.

curious if any of those interviewees expanded their analyisis into who runs the evil cop army? is it dellums or a powerful cabal of white business people who pull the strings behind the uncle tom black officials?

or has OPD terrorized the elected officials into submission? yeah, probably that's what's really happening. And this new chief Batts, is just window dressing to hide the true reality of naked racist power in this town.

In the video, you announced that there was no looting or violence occurring, and therefore no basis  or cops declaring an unlawful assembly.

Was there and would you have known if there was such occurring in other sections of town at that time?

At what point should police disperse protest demonstrations? never, after the 4th rock is thrown, or ?

This is an excellent video.  The very articulate woman who speaks at the end of the video really puts the whole event into perspective:

"We have an occupying army, we do not have a peacekeeping force."  

Oriana Bolden is most definitely a talented and brave woman.  

Len Rapahael said:

"In the video, you announced that there was no looting or violence occurring, and therefore no basis  for cops declaring an unlawful assembly.

Was there and would you have known if there was such occurring in other sections of town at that time ?"

Here is a big part of the problem. Looting or violence in one part of town is no excuse to start coralling people in another part of even the same block. Yet they do this routinely. You can bet they line up for the easy overtime that demonstations represent. Often they outnumber demonstrators.

And there is no time that the police have the right to disburse people who are peacefully making their views known.

You can say all you want about a police state, which we DO have, but at some point the people are the ultimate judge, jury and executioners;, we are the only ones who can stand up for our rights - own our rights. If we trade liberty for security, we will have neither.

they were an occupying army, just not an excessively violent during this protest & mini riot, in my somewhat informed opinion on the subject...

great video! excellent...I need a better camera!

Everytime someone starts spouting this kind of hyper politicized anti-cop rhetoric, I just think to myself "Grow the fuck up.". The woman at the end does make some points that I find intruiging, though, despite her tired 'radical' analysis. For instance I think it's a really good to ask "Could the cops have done it differntly?".

Perhaps, they could have. It kind of seemed like overkill, but let's acknowledge the cops did a pretty good job. If people are blocking the intersection and start throwing shit, it really is time to  disperse.

if you belive that the cops are an occupying army, suggesting improvements to their tactics is just aiding the enemy.

if you believe that the cops are public servants controlled by Chief Batts, and overseen by Dellumsn, Quan, Kaplan, Nadel, Brooks, Brunner, Reid, and IDLF, and PK criticizing cops is useful in improving their protection of the job providing businesses in dto and the safety of non violent people who will always get caught in tail end of a peaceful demo when it turns nasty.

Since I'm in the later camp, that gal's question re baton tactics is a valid one. Would also want to know if the cops communications system were working properly between different depts. ie. bart, sherriffs, berkeley, san leandro.

One of the ironic complaints expressed was "where is the opd helicopter when we need it in East Oakland?"  answer: it was mothballed by the city council to save money.  Proper use of the helicopter with good communications should have minimized trapping peaceful demonstrators.

-len raphael

temescal

The Panthers had it right +30 years ago: riots are counterproductive.

I would say they are exercises in self righteous self indulgance that at best result in a few ineffectual job traing programs, or anti violence patronage jobs.

At worst they substitute for political organization and destroy job opportunites when businesses leave or don't come to Oakland, and kids get police records.

-len raphael

Thanks for all the comments. I think Oriana's piece was spot on in showing us a side of the night few saw so clearly, form the cops herding people to the very articulate residents she spoke with. Right on.