Yes, they've done a lot to raise awareness to their cause, but going beyond that, why would the US have any form of policing that would allow such a violent response to any protest? It looked like the police had lost it. Watching the news, we only see police brutalizing, and not defending. Even if they were defending, it maybe be as a result of backlash from their brutalizing.
Recently, we had a blockade of a bulldozer that was trying to move onto land at the top of our street. They are trying to develop a piece of land which will damage a much larger environment of coastal swamp and heath.
The local government had tried everything to stop them. They had no permission to begin work, but as often happens, a developer is better off to go in and destroy the area that people are trying to protect, and then say there's nothing to protect.
Well, the call went out to the community, abou 200 people arrived. Someone had blocked the road with a car, but police organized to have all the vehicles removed. People just started sitting on the road. This meant they needed to get police reinforcements.
It was a totally non-violent protest making an effort to stop an illegal action by the out of town developer. Well, the police started to become ugly with neck holds, and what have you. A lot of people were arrested, only to just be taken away and put out of police vans on the other side of town. It was clear that police had no plan of stopping an illegal action on the part of the developer, but were happy, even exhuberent to lay into these people.
I was there with my children. I was watching all this and thinking a policeman could do no more to spit on their own organization than to act this way. They were proving to the people that they were a willing enemy, a happy tool to promote causes which go against the community's wishes. By the way, there were 3 elected local officials sitting in that crowd.
So, what we see on TV is an action which shows extreme suppression. It is not very favorable of the US government. You look back on the civil rights protests and think that was terrible how they handle those events. It must be stopped. Well, nothing has changed.
In this case, they are hurting people and taking away rights, and leaving the US continuing to hold the bag as a global bad guy. I don't like it and I should think many people are watching this with horror.
Just my thoughts.
Regards,
Mark |
