Rather see the above links in your inbox or feed reader?
Subscribe to our Links for hand-picked items from around the web
non-lethal oppression · by Rafi Kam
On May 1 in Los Angeles, cops in full riot gear broke up a peaceful protest for immigration reform and pushed protesters back into the streets of Los Angeles shooting rubber ammo at them all the while. Video via Ryan Shaw.
“in many ways with the police standing there looking intimidating it’s set up for failure”
“we got a right to be on the street. fuck this running shit.”
“one day this shit isn’t gonna be people running, one day people are gonna come prepared for the police to come to fuck with them”
“you feel like you don’t wanna leave… it’s a natural reaction to want to stand off with them – you don’t want to give in – and they create that. they create that dynamic.”
“the working class people pitted against the working class cops… it’s a system of oppression.”
Ryan frames the post by talking about the lip service the Web 2.0 faithful give to empowering people. He also points out the ridiculousness of all the web coverage the “Digg user revolt” got this week in comparison to a story of real oppression.
The video is well worth your 10 minutes.
I believe what Steinski said last week:
One reason you don’t see more protests is because you don’t see the protests that do happen
Did you know protesters got into a senate office building and laid out two enormous banners condemning the senate and calling for Bush’s impeachment?
The “mainstream” news has shown itself to be willfully muffling the echoes of dissent in this nation. It’s up to those of us who hear it to amplify that sound.
Comments for "non-lethal oppression"
Ok, the Digg/HD DVD story was complete bullshit despite it being hilarious.
No one has HD-DVD players or HD-DVDs and the files they produce are way to big for people to rip and save with any frequency.
How many 7 GB files can you really save?
E-rebellion is a fucking joke.
Meanwhile the LAPD, inspired by last week’s episode of the Shield, march like the SS and start shooting protesters.
— Start Snitching May 6, 06:36 PM
The entire LAPD and US Administration need to be lynched.
But what needs to be noted here is that fact that the citizens of the US vote for these wankers, if you’re black, live in the US and don’t vote you should be ashamed. If you’re white and you voted for Bush, you need a slap.
— EnglandRepresent May 7, 03:59 AM
Well I’m certainly not going to re-elect those cops!
— rafi May 7, 04:03 AM
I have to disagree. Being a black man in the USA, when the police say move I move. Being ‘basically out the park’ and being ‘out the park’ are two distinctly different things. At the beginning of the shootings people were running towards the police? WTF was that?
— Just Will May 7, 05:49 AM
when they move you move, just like that?
i could have sworn the constitution has something in it about the people’s right to free speech and assembly.
— rafi May 7, 10:08 AM
I’m not saying it was all good, but it wasn’t all on the police either. It might have been a ‘setup for failure’ but it didn’t have to be a failure. That’s all I’m saying. It could have just been bad, it didn’t have to get worse.
— Just Will May 7, 12:01 PM
I pretty much agree with Will. It’s foul that the police were the way they were, but that’s how they are. It’s no surprise and if the jakes say get the fuck out of the way, I’m moving. The constitution don’t mean shit where I’m from. I’ve never seen anyone abide by it. It’s the person with the gun who weilds the power and people are stupid so that’s all that they understand.
— Life's a bitch May 7, 12:31 PM
Why was the reporter/citizen journalist dressed like Mario?! Corporations took the shirt off his back?
— Luigi May 8, 08:58 PM