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What the hell country is this, again?
Apr. 7th, 2003 03:17 pmRubber Bullets Used on War Protesters in Oakland (Reuters)
Police Attack California Anti-War Protesters (Associated Press) (recently updated article)
The AP article focuses on the longshoremen who were hit by mistake, mainly ignoring injuries to protestors. The Reuters article focuses on the protestors, and mentions that non-protestors were hit, too.
Projectiles used by the police on this occasion included: rubber and wooden bullets, sandbags, concussion grenades, bean-bag rounds, and wooden dowels. They also used "sting balls," which send out a spray of BB-sized rubber pellets and a cloud of tear gas.
According to the AP (but not Reuters), police are now claiming that a couple of the protestors threw rocks or large bolts, hence the shooting gallery. I did think it interesting that none of the early reports had any such statements, including early statements from officers at the scene, so I'm a bit wary as to the veracity of the claim. (I don't deny that there are a few nuts in every group, who may very well have chucked objects at the police. But normally that comes out very early in the initial reports, and in this case it wasn't added until several hours later.)
Comments from the Reuters article:
"I have been to many protests over the years, and I have never seen police resort to shooting people because they didn't like where they were standing," said Scott Fleming, 29, a lawyer hit several times in the back. They had loaded guns and started charging."
"This was not professional, to say the least," said Joel Tena, a constituent liaison for Oakland's vice mayor. "I was afraid for the safety of the protesters and concerned that a nonviolent protest had turned violent at the hands of police."
Susan Quinlan was hit with pellets twice in the back. "I never heard any warning to disperse. They pursued us and shot us as we walked away," she said.
From the AP article:
"I was standing as far back as I could," said longshoreman Kevin Wilson. "It was very scary. All of that force wasn't necessary."
Trent Willis, a business agent for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, said angrily that dockworkers were leaving the docks after the incident. "They shot my guys. We're not going to work today," Willis said. "The cops had no reason to open up on them."
Oakland Police officer James Carroll said police set up a "skirmish line" and ordered the protesters to disperse. "It escalated pretty quick," he said. "Usually you go to these protests and you wait around for three to four hours. Today, all of a sudden, people were being taken into custody."
(emphasis mine)
Police Attack California Anti-War Protesters (Associated Press) (recently updated article)
 | "Berkeley resident Clay Hinson (R), who was shot once in the chest and twice in the back during an anti-war protest, shows his wounds to an Oakland Police sergeant (L) who takes his statement at the West Oakland train station, April 7, 2003. Oakland police fired rubber bullets and wooden pellets on Monday to disperse hundreds of anti-war protesters" |
The AP article focuses on the longshoremen who were hit by mistake, mainly ignoring injuries to protestors. The Reuters article focuses on the protestors, and mentions that non-protestors were hit, too.
Projectiles used by the police on this occasion included: rubber and wooden bullets, sandbags, concussion grenades, bean-bag rounds, and wooden dowels. They also used "sting balls," which send out a spray of BB-sized rubber pellets and a cloud of tear gas.
According to the AP (but not Reuters), police are now claiming that a couple of the protestors threw rocks or large bolts, hence the shooting gallery. I did think it interesting that none of the early reports had any such statements, including early statements from officers at the scene, so I'm a bit wary as to the veracity of the claim. (I don't deny that there are a few nuts in every group, who may very well have chucked objects at the police. But normally that comes out very early in the initial reports, and in this case it wasn't added until several hours later.)
Comments from the Reuters article:
"I have been to many protests over the years, and I have never seen police resort to shooting people because they didn't like where they were standing," said Scott Fleming, 29, a lawyer hit several times in the back. They had loaded guns and started charging."
"This was not professional, to say the least," said Joel Tena, a constituent liaison for Oakland's vice mayor. "I was afraid for the safety of the protesters and concerned that a nonviolent protest had turned violent at the hands of police."
Susan Quinlan was hit with pellets twice in the back. "I never heard any warning to disperse. They pursued us and shot us as we walked away," she said.
From the AP article:
"I was standing as far back as I could," said longshoreman Kevin Wilson. "It was very scary. All of that force wasn't necessary."
Trent Willis, a business agent for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, said angrily that dockworkers were leaving the docks after the incident. "They shot my guys. We're not going to work today," Willis said. "The cops had no reason to open up on them."
Oakland Police officer James Carroll said police set up a "skirmish line" and ordered the protesters to disperse. "It escalated pretty quick," he said. "Usually you go to these protests and you wait around for three to four hours. Today, all of a sudden, people were being taken into custody."
(emphasis mine)
