[occupy] Firecrackers and Protest Sabotage.

[flamingsword]

I'm having to write this out of order because it's jumbled with too many emotions.

Today I triaged a kid lying on the ground who had been hit in the head by a billy club hard enough that he was nonresponsive for two minutes and disoriented and uncoordinated for several more. I put him in recovery position and stood by him checking his pupil response and trying to get him verbal until enough people yelled at the police to let the ambulance in to the blocked off streets. They brought in a police medical vehicle instead.

Today I shouted "SHAME" at a police officer who set off a firecracker behind the protest lines in an attempt to simulate unlawful protest by the Occupiers. He was ten feet from me. We hadn't been paying him any attention because we weren't expecting sabotage. After that didn't work he joined the officers out in the street. Two minutes later the police started clubbing the people closest to the banks doors. I don't know why.

Today I watched the Dallas Police Department drag a man with blood on his face into a waiting police car. He had been hit repeatedly and thrown to the ground to be cuffed for being off of the sidewalk.

Today I talked at sient police officers who avoided making eye contact about how this was not the job they signed up for. I asked them what happened to the smiling, tolerant faces that first Thursday when we gave them oranges, when they would talk to us, when they could look us in the face. I told them that the Albany PD had violated unlawful orders to harass protesters. One cop walked off to another part of the police line like he had something to say and couldn't, had to remove himself from the possibility of conversation.

We were protesting on the sidewalk outside Bank of America. There was no protester violence. There was a drummer, two people with whistles, and an old guy with a megaphone. There were people chanting and waving signs. There was a tiny hipster girl waving an American flag next to what may have been her grandparents and several Anons. The big banks are using their customer's money to commit crimes against those customers and buy off the consequences. And when you protest that, you can be beaten and arrested.

To my friends who don't know why we're protesting: do any of these things sound like the country you want to live in?

EDIT TO ADD: The shaky video footage makes me ill to sort through but Channel 8 has a report on the<a href="http://www.wfaa.com/news/City-to-probe-Occupy-Dallas-confrontation-at-bank-133334993.html">protesters arrested Saturday afternoon still being in jail Sunday night</a> some whose charges were only released a few hours ago. <a href="http://occupydallas.org/letter-police-0">Occupy Dallas has released a letter to the Dallas Police Department</a> outlining the officer's infractions and the difficulties they present to exercising First Amendment rights.

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Comments

[kijikun.livejournal.com]

Are you okay? Jesus I can't believe this.

[pretty-pyrate.livejournal.com]

Thanks for doing what so many of us can't. I would protest if I could, but no work = no money and I can't afford that or to risk my job sadly.

The worse part is, I work for a company that manages foreclosed houses for banks like BofA. *shakes head*

It's okay.

[flamingsword.livejournal.com]

I work about 30 hours a week, I have time to do this. And I only do it for two or three hours at a time, since I get migraines in sunlight. I work for a non-banking company and have my bosses support for speaking out for the little people with no health insurance which is everyone I work with including management.

You're on our side instead of yelling at us to get a job, you can vote your beliefs in the next voting cycle, and you can move your money to a local bank or credit union. You can signal boost the stuff you think you can get your fence-sitting acquaintances to read. There's stuff you can do other than being physically at a protest, and if you do even a little of it, you're golden.

Re: It's okay.

[raasalhayya.livejournal.com]

Thank you for saying this. I work for a company whose sole purpose is to get tax refunds for corporations. Tax codes are ridiculously complicated; my employer has a political action committee it created in order to lobby for tax codes to benefit the big corporations who are our clients. My coworkers fight to get those refunds, and the states fight back just as hard. I support my coworkers so they can do their jobs better. I am the enemy...I think...

On the other hand, my employer does not outsource jobs. They treat their employees quite well. I am paid well. I have medical, dental and vision insurance at a discounted rate, and my life insurance is free. In recent years, work/life balance has become important to the company; for the most part, I am able to work my own schedule, as long as I get my tasks done on time. I don't even have to be in the office if what I am working on can be done offsite.

I use to money I make to support my values as much as possible. Small businesses, secondhand goods, etc. Not buying into the consumerist lifestyle. I support the message of the Occupy movement. From my husband's experience, I know too well that "get a job" is not that easy. Am I subverting from within?

I have moved my checking account to a small local bank, but I still have a 401k with my employer...they match a certain percentage of the money I allocate. However, all that money is invested in stocks. A few years ago, many of my coworkers lost a large amount of their invested money because of the stock market dive. I wonder if I should discontinue the risky 401k and put that money into a savings account with a small bank...or something. Any thoughts?

Re: It's okay.

[flamingsword.livejournal.com]

I know that savings accounts almost never make more money than the inflationary rate in times of recession, so don't do that now, I guess. I'm new to the study of economics, but your HR people should be able to hook you up with the financial planner for your company, and they may do in-company consults. You might talk to them about what options you have on matching 401(k) as far as who those stock investments are made with. There are places that vet corporate ethics before trading those companies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socially_responsible_investing). There are entire hedge funds that only buy approved stocks (http://www.eiris.org/files/public%20information%20type%20publications/green&ethicalfunddirectory.pdf). Last year they were doing quite well (http://www.bankrate.com/financing/investing/socially-responsible-investing-picks-up-through-recession/).

I want to post this to my G+

[disgruntledgrrl.livejournal.com]

If that's ok

Re: I want to post this to my G+

[flamingsword.livejournal.com]

You may. Also my name is heidi hickman if you want to add me in a circle.

Solidarity

[lord-of-entropy.livejournal.com]

Many people at OccupyHouston are convinced that the cops will never turn on us, or that if they do, it won't be the cops they've been talking to these past weeks.

Bon Courage!

Re: Solidarity

[flamingsword.livejournal.com]

If the police think disobeying will get them fired (and it will unless they all go in on it) the same cops will do bad things to good people. I knew it before, and I knew there would be a breaking point when the administration got nervous, but I can't say that I wasn't holding out hope for a united front with Dallas PD. I can't say that I did not cry, or shake with fury, or ask one of my fellow protestors for a hug to help me keep my cool.

Maybe should all offer hugs to the police, to help them keep their cool.

[rens-sanctuary.livejournal.com]

[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<a [...] night</a>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

<a href="http://www.wfaa.com/news/City-to-probe-Occupy-Dallas-confrontation-at-bank-133334993.html"protesters arrested Saturday afternoon still being in jail Sunday night</a>

You probably want the code to look like this: <a href="http://www.wfaa.com/news/City-to-probe-Occupy-Dallas-confrontation-at-bank-133334993.html"> protesters arrested Saturday afternoon still being in jail Sunday night </a> without the spaces. :)

[flamingsword.livejournal.com]

Code un-borked. Thanks for the tip!