U.S. Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan Return War Medals at NATO Summit

Scott Olsen went out there wearing a bike helmet lol

This is a great read.

“We intentionally chose a different path based on a longer trajectory and rooted in a set of shared experiences that emerged directly from recent struggles. Vague populist slogans about the 99%, savvy use of social networking, shady figures running around in Guy Fawkes masks, none of this played any kind of significant role in bringing us to the forefront of the Occupy movement. In the rebel town of Oakland, we built a camp that was not so much the emergence of a new social movement, but the unprecedented convergence of preexisting local movements and antagonistic tendencies all looking for a fight with capital and the state while learning to take care of each other and our city in the most radical ways possible.”

nefariousnewt:

thepeoplesrecord:

Alan DeWayne Blueford Murdered by Oakland Police Department

At or about midnight, May 6, 2012, Alan and 2 friends were standing on the corner of 90 th and Birch Street waiting for “some girls in a white chevy,” Alan described to his father, Alan Blueford, during a phone call. After the phone call, police officers approached Alan and his friends, with guns drawn. The police officers had been called to respond to another incident, but decided to stop Alan and his friends when they saw them because they “believed the young men had a concealed weapon.”

Alan ran down Birch Street, away from the police officers.

Approximately two blocks down Birch Street on the 9200 Block the officer chasing Alan murdered him by shooting him 3 times. The officer also shot himself.

Although, Alan had his brown wallet with his ID, Oakland Police Department never called to tell his parents he was shot and killed.

Alan’s two friends were detained for over 6 hours. After their release, one of the young men had the traumatic task of calling Alan’s parents and telling them Alan was shot and killed by an Oakland Police Officer.

Initial reports put out by OPD, stated that “a suspect” (Alan) and a police officer exchanged gun fire and the officer was shot in the stomach by the suspect and the suspect was shot by the officer. Both were said to have been rushed to Highland Hospital where Alan died and the police officer was expected to recover. OPD also included in their reports witness statements who said they saw Alan shooting. OPD reported that they retrieved Alan’s firearm at the scene.

Later OPD changed their story to state that the officer was shot in the leg and an investigation was in process to determine whether the officer was wounded by “friendly fire.”

Only one of the officers chased Alan.

What we now know is that Alan Blueford never shot the police officer, at the police officer, or anyone else. OPD changed their story yet again, admitting and confirming that THE OFFICER SHOT HIMSELF.

We also know that Alan was never rushed to Highland Hospital. Only the police officer. Alan’s body lied in the streets for approximately 4 hours.

Alan was shot multiple times by the police officer.

The family has reason to believe that Alan never had a firearm.
The family has reason to believe that Alan never caused the officer to be threatened. Alan’s body can be described as a shorter stature (approximately 5 ft 6 ½ inches) and thin built (140 lbs).

•

When Alan’s family learned of the claimed circumstances surrounding Alan’s death, we all knew that the facts were not true! Additionally, because they never called to confirm his death, we were sadly left with hope that the unnamed “suspect” was not Alan. He was joy to many people. We are suffering from a great loss.

Now OPD claims that the “victim” (no longer suspect) was a convicted felon on probation. His family will simply respond by saying felony probation does not describe Alan’s character. To describe Alan, you have to share that he 1] was a Christian; 2] worked with the disabled children at Skyline, one of whom described “Al” as his “bestfriend”; 3] began his mornings at Skyline High School by praying with his Godmother and Supervisor; 4] passed out candy at his
grandmother’s every Halloween; and 5] was well known by his family and friends as a respectful young man. But even more important is the fact that when the police officers decided not to respond to the call, but rather to bother Alan and his friends, all they knew is that they were 3 African-American young men. That’s why Alan was murdered.

Alan’s family is seeking justice for his death. We are determined to have this “incident” thoroughly investigated and all wrongful parties prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We ask that all of you support us by calling the City Councilman for District 7, Larry Reid, at 510-238-7007.

Via Occupy Oakland

For any of you, out there, who feel you live in a post-racial America, I give you yet another exhibit in the continuing series: The Destruction of Black Male Youth. Black men, especially young black men, are being systematically murdered or incarcerated, usually by law enforcement officials or those allied with them physically or morally.

For every outraged white person who is “tired of being called a racist” because “they are not like that,” I submit that we, as white Americans, are just as culpable as if we held the gun or the jailhouse key in our hand, where we do not speak up, where we do not demand justice, where we do not seek restitution, where we do not attempt to even the badly disjointed scales in our country. Every young, black man who dies increases the stain upon us, that we do not speak up. Sleep easy if you can, for I won’t; too much innocent blood has been spilled defending my privilege, and I want it stopped.

Every white person needs to realize that, being raised with privilege within a racist society, it’s impossible for us not to hold some degree of racism. Racism is like a cancer, and you’re not always going to be aware that it’s inside of you. When you refuse to speak up about racism when it’s right in front of your face, you are allowing that cancer to fester. But more importantly, that silence is a betrayal. You can rant and rave all you want about how “not racist” you are, but if you choose not to speak up when it really counts, your life is a lie. You’re nothing. Your complacence is what kills these kids.

(via stfuconservatives)

enlighteningnews:

 (05-01) 19:30 PDT Oakland —

Oakland police clashed repeatedly with Occupy activists Tuesday, firing tear gas canisters and flash-bang grenades at several hundred protesters near City Hall in brief but volatile skirmishes that escalated as quickly as they dissipated.

Some protesters shoved against police lines with black shields bearing an “A” for anarchy. Some threw objects at officers, surrounded police cars and pounded on them. In one case, a protester dressed in black threatened an officer with a pole.

But many protesters remained peaceful, throwing flowers at the cops’ feet or marching peacefully with children in the Fruitvale District, vowing to avoid the violence downtown.

The daylong series of events on May Day was held throughout parts of Oakland, San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area by a wide range of protest groups, including Occupy, to honor International Workers’ Day and denounce economic inequities.

In Oakland in particular, the mood was tense from the beginning, despite the range of events that went from peaceful rallies to confrontations and vandalism.

“The tempo of the crowd was a lot more assertive, a lot more aggressive” than in past demonstrations involving Occupy groups, Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan said in an afternoon press conference. He said the mood was so volatile that by 9 a.m. he had called for mutual aid from about a half-dozen area law enforcement agencies.

Read the rest…

(via threetabsofmescaline)

(via dismembered-constellations-deac)

occupyonline:

Oakland protests on January 28, 2012

(via lolsheviks)

growfoodraisehell:

reuters:

Occupy Oakland demonstrators shield themselves from an exploding tear gas grenade during a confrontation with the police near the Oakland Museum of California in Oakland, California January 28, 2012.

Police fired tear gas at hundreds of Occupy Oakland protesters who tried to take over a shuttered convention center on Saturday, arresting 19 people in the latest clash between anti-Wall Street activists and authorities in the California city. [REUTERS/Stephen Lam]

Read more: Police fire tear gas at Oakland protesters, 19 arrested

Solidarity from Austin, TX.  Oakland has fucking heart.

(via cosmopolitan-fascist)

solitaryforager:

Raw Video: Occupy Oakland on the March

(via guerrillanetwork)

The wonderful New Left Media has a new video out about the Occupy movement. I was actually kind of wondering what was taking them so long, and now I know. They traveled all across the country, to New York, Oakland, and Cincinnati.

(via guerrillanetwork)

anti-propaganda:

Scott Olsen Interviewed After Release From Hospital (by StaticisStranded2)

‘Scott Olsen, the Iraq War veteran injured at the Occupy Oakland encampment on October 25 has since been released from the hospital and gave his first interview yesterday which was posted this morning (Monday November 28, 2011) on indybay.org by Dave Id.

In the interview Scott talks about the challenges he faces after being hit in the head by a projectile at Occupy Oakland, specifically the traumatic brain injury he sustained and the weeks of therapy it took for him to regain his speech. His skull was fractured in the incident and he suffered some brain damage which affected the speech center of his brain. in the video it is evident that he still struggles a bit with speaking. But Olsen states that he is doing much better than he was.

He also addresses the city of Oakland and the Oakland Police Department who are investigating the incident, stating that he is waiting to see what they are going to say about themselves in their own investigations. Olsen also conveys at end of the interview that the Occupy Movement was intended to be peaceful and should remain that way - that by working together and being open with one another would solve most of the problems that the movement faces with bureaucracy.

The full story can be read by following the enclosed link:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/11/28/18701164.php’

(via eckleburgs-eyes)

Scott Olsen releases first public statement since being injured at Occupy Oakland

I’m feeling a lot better, with a long road in front of me. After my freedom of speech was quite literally taken from me, my speech is coming back but I’ve got a lot of work to do with rehab. Thank you for all your support, it has meant the world to me. You’ll be hearing more from me in the near future and soon enough we’ll see you in our streets!

occupywallstreet:

Former U.S. Marine Scott Olsen, whose injury during clashes between Oakland police and protesters last month galvanized the Anti-Wall Street movement, has been released from the hospital, friends said on Friday.

“He is out of the hospital as of yesterday or today, thank goodness,” Adele Carpenter, 29, told Reuters.

Iraq Veterans Against the War spokeswoman Dottie Guy also confirmed Olsen’s release to Reuters.

Olsen is focused on healing right now, Carpenter told Reuters, but she added that “he is following the Occupy protests closely, as well as the vets march against police brutality today.”

“He sent words of affirmation to friends during the Oakland General Strike and has been excited to hear stories from people who could attend,” she said.

(via truth-has-a-liberal-bias)