Welcome to Gaia! ::


Snuggly Buddy

29,150 Points
  • Conversationalist 100
  • Mark Twain 100
  • Conventioneer 300
Nothing says, "I want to convince you to adopt my point of view" like busting windows and throwing paint bombs.
Apparently the intent of the protests was to protest immigration policy and for the occupy movement. Most were peaceful but a smaller subset did a lot of damage.

The text below is from here:
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Seattle-police-arrest-6-in-May-Day-protests-3525961.php
For a more detailed blog of the day including more pictures try here:
http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/05/01/may-day-protest-coverage

SEATTLE (AP) — May Day demonstrators who marched through Seattle turned violent Tuesday, with black-clad protesters using sticks and bats to smash stores and automobile windows.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn made an emergency declaration allowing police to confiscate any items that could be used as weapons. Officers made at least six arrests by Tuesday evening — including a 23-year-old man for vandalism and a 19-year-old man with a knife — after hundreds of people marched through downtown. Police also reported recovering homemade incendiary devices made out of toilet paper rolls and fruit juice boxes.

The large crowd disrupted traffic and Metro and school bus service through downtown, with delays of up to 90 minutes reported.

McGinn said dozens of black-clad protesters were using long sticks, which looked like flagpoles, as weapons. He said his order would enable police to take those and other items away from people before they are used to cause damage. McGinn said his action would help protect public safety as protests continued into Tuesday evening.
Ads by Google

Sleep-Comfort™ SaleSave $500 on Adjustable Beds, Ends 4/30. Free Delivery Now & Set Up! www.Sleep-Comfort.com/Bed-Sale
Best Rated Memory FoamRated #1 on Viewpoints for memory foam. New! Compare & Save Money $ bedinabox.com/Compare-Tempurpedic
VA Home Loan for VeteransGet a Quote in 2 Minutes! VA Loans now Up to $729,000 with $0 Down. www.VAMortgageCenter.com
Best DistributionSoftware2012 Top Distribution Software Get Vendor Research by Top Analyst Business-Software.com/Distribution

While much smaller in scale, the mayhem was reminiscent of the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle that caused widespread damage to stores and forced the cancellation of some WTO events.

"We appreciate that the vast majority of people out there are peaceful participants," McGinn said at a City Hall news conference. "What we know from WTO previously is you get a group of people committed to cause damage...My direction to police is I expect them to respond to law breaking swiftly and aggressively."

McGinn said many of the most violent protesters — those who had caused damage with rocks, hammers and tire irons — tried to hide in the larger crowd early Tuesday afternoon by shedding their all-black clothes.

At the federal appeals court building, an FBI evidence team arrived after protesters shattered glass doors with rocks and threw or shot a smoke bomb toward the lobby. The device hit the only door that didn't break, spun off into some nearby bushes and started a small blaze that quickly burned itself out.

The entrance to the Niketown store was completely smashed in, with chunks of broken glass littering the sidewalk. Vandals splattered paint across the store and a neighboring business. Police on bicycles moved in and dispersed people, and the entrances were soon closed off with police tape.

Charlone Mayfield, a retired medical industry worker from Seattle, was inside a Verizon cellphone store when she saw the crowd approach. One of the protesters broke off from the group and struck the window as she watched.

"He started hitting the window with his baseball bat...I was here when WTO happened, this is really scary," Mayfield said.

Traditionally, May Day honors labor and workers' rights. In Seattle, it drew hundreds of demonstrators for immigration rights and from the Occupy movement, with many converging on a park near downtown for rallies and music.

At the American Apparel store next to Niketown, assistant manager Mia Harrison was folding sweaters when she heard the commotion.

"I decided to go out on the sidewalk, and I saw all the people in black masks running to Niketown and our store. They started to throw smoke bombs and canisters," she said.

The vandals shattered a door and cracked two windows. No one was hurt. "It's pretty sad, almost like someone broke into my house," Harrison said.

Green Smoker

User Image

Yeah, because we were all with the anarchists. rolleyes

Combative Fairy

18,025 Points
  • Partygoer 500
  • Perfect Attendance 400
  • Conventioneer 300
There's always a few that gotta ******** it up for everybody.

No Sweetheart

31,400 Points
  • Fan Before It Was Cool 500
  • Waffles! 25
  • Partygoer 500
How shameful , there are tons of better ways to get your point across. damaging property just turns people away.

There always has to be someone who ruins the fun for everyone else by doing something like this. And those who did the damage are those people, hope they’re ashamed of their actions.

Green Smoker

Tsuki_Kirkland
How shameful , there are tons of better ways to get your point across. damaging property just turns people away.

There always has to be someone who ruins the fun for everyone else by doing something like this. And those who did the damage are those people, hope they’re ashamed of their actions.
User Image

It's not fun they ruined, all the news broadcasts are lumping us together in one big group.

No Sweetheart

31,400 Points
  • Fan Before It Was Cool 500
  • Waffles! 25
  • Partygoer 500
Kinny Fear
Tsuki_Kirkland
How shameful , there are tons of better ways to get your point across. damaging property just turns people away.

There always has to be someone who ruins the fun for everyone else by doing something like this. And those who did the damage are those people, hope they’re ashamed of their actions.
User Image

It's not fun they ruined, all the news broadcasts are lumping us together in one big group.



That is a shame , it is not the entire group’s fault that one faction misbehaved and destroyed. The news is doing a great dis service to those who are innocent , and they should really stop doing that

Green Smoker

Tsuki_Kirkland
That is a shame , it is not the entire group’s fault that one faction misbehaved and destroyed. The news is doing a great dis service to those who are innocent , and they should really stop doing that
User Image

A lot of different things happened today, too, but the news is only focusing on what happened at noon.
There was a small altercation near the sign making station; some man came in and started fighting randomly. At the same time, a guy (hopefully he was rolling on E) was making out with a tree- if I were the news I'd ******** cover that.

Later in front of Pike Place Market, the police were seizing flags and protest signs- they "could be used as weapons." *shrugs* But someone resisted (tugged his flag right back) and police starting fighting him (I didn't see, I'm only 5 feet tall- however I asked several different people what they saw). It escalated a little bit before we regrouped there and were able to keep some hot-headed folks from acting out- although I almost got bowled over by an officer with a large wooden stick (thick as a bat- again, 5 feet tall). After a few minutes we noticed that the police were slowly moving to surround us, so we tried to stick together and move back toward Westlake. Some people started sitting down, but they got up shortly after we started linking arms- good thing too. It took us maybe 20 minutes to actually re-form the march, because we were trying to stick together, and that meant choosing the group moving forward, or being with the group with the police. Some girl had a pretty bad asthma attack shortly after, and we needed to call for a medic- that caused some rubber-necking and speculating. Finally we got back to Westlake.
There, we tried to re-form to join the immigration protesters; someone in a bright yellow jumpsuit interrupted the announcer (using not a bullhorn, but the human microphone) and started yelling at us. At the same time police started to form a line to move up off the street. Yellow Jumpsuit Guy was waving around what appeared to be a bible (I didn't catch the title, but it certainly wasn't a bible) and getting in our individual faces. This angered some people and they started to verbally retaliate. A man grabbed the "bible" away and Jumpsuit started after him; I forced myself in between them and told the man to give the book back- he did and Jumpsuit shortly moved on. (Five feet tall, hah!)

I left shortly after that, because it was getting cold, but that's what I observed.



No Sweetheart

31,400 Points
  • Fan Before It Was Cool 500
  • Waffles! 25
  • Partygoer 500
Kinny Fear
Tsuki_Kirkland
That is a shame , it is not the entire group’s fault that one faction misbehaved and destroyed. The news is doing a great dis service to those who are innocent , and they should really stop doing that
User Image

A lot of different things happened today, too, but the news is only focusing on what happened at noon.
There was a small altercation near the sign making station; some man came in and started fighting randomly. At the same time, a guy (hopefully he was rolling on E) was making out with a tree- if I were the news I'd ******** cover that.

Later in front of Pike Place Market, the police were seizing flags and protest signs- they "could be used as weapons." *shrugs* But someone resisted (tugged his flag right back) and police starting fighting him (I didn't see, I'm only 5 feet tall- however I asked several different people what they saw). It escalated a little bit before we regrouped there and were able to keep some hot-headed folks from acting out- although I almost got bowled over by an officer with a large wooden stick (thick as a bat- again, 5 feet tall). After a few minutes we noticed that the police were slowly moving to surround us, so we tried to stick together and move back toward Westlake. Some people started sitting down, but they got up shortly after we started linking arms- good thing too. It took us maybe 20 minutes to actually re-form the march, because we were trying to stick together, and that meant choosing the group moving forward, or being with the group with the police. Some girl had a pretty bad asthma attack shortly after, and we needed to call for a medic- that caused some rubber-necking and speculating. Finally we got back to Westlake.
There, we tried to re-form to join the immigration protesters; someone in a bright yellow jumpsuit interrupted the announcer (using not a bullhorn, but the human microphone) and started yelling at us. At the same time police started to form a line to move up off the street. Yellow Jumpsuit Guy was waving around what appeared to be a bible (I didn't catch the title, but it certainly wasn't a bible) and getting in our individual faces. This angered some people and they started to verbally retaliate. A man grabbed the "bible" away and Jumpsuit started after him; I forced myself in between them and told the man to give the book back- he did and Jumpsuit shortly moved on. (Five feet tall, hah!)

I left shortly after that, because it was getting cold, but that's what I observed.






wow a lot was going on..

Snuggly Buddy

29,150 Points
  • Conversationalist 100
  • Mark Twain 100
  • Conventioneer 300
I wonder if they even really cared about the issues or maybe just wanted an excuse to break stuff.
This sounds very much like what happened in Seattle at the WTO protests a few years ago.
You know they will be reviewing various security and traffic cameras very closely. Possibly also trying to get DNA from some of the discarded black clothing or if someone happened to cut themselves while breaking a window. I hope they catch a few of them and give them the max penalty. And that could be pretty serious - a lot more than just vandalism - since they were attacking banks and federal buildings.

Green Smoker

David2074
I wonder if they even really cared about the issues or maybe just wanted an excuse to break stuff.
This sounds very much like what happened in Seattle at the WTO protests a few years ago.
You know they will be reviewing various security and traffic cameras very closely. Possibly also trying to get DNA from some of the discarded black clothing or if someone happened to cut themselves while breaking a window. I hope they catch a few of them and give them the max penalty. And that could be pretty serious - a lot more than just vandalism - since they were attacking banks and federal buildings.
User Image

It could be both, actually. But some use different means for the same ends, at least that's how they'd explain it. Unfortunately, while our goals are the same as theirs, their goals aren't ours.

I'm just pissed they trashed American Apparel. stare

Kinny Fear
David2074
I wonder if they even really cared about the issues or maybe just wanted an excuse to break stuff.
This sounds very much like what happened in Seattle at the WTO protests a few years ago.
You know they will be reviewing various security and traffic cameras very closely. Possibly also trying to get DNA from some of the discarded black clothing or if someone happened to cut themselves while breaking a window. I hope they catch a few of them and give them the max penalty. And that could be pretty serious - a lot more than just vandalism - since they were attacking banks and federal buildings.
User Image

It could be both, actually. But some use different means for the same ends, at least that's how they'd explain it. Unfortunately, while our goals are the same as theirs, their goals aren't ours.

I'm just pissed they trashed American Apparel. stare


I lol'd.

Snuggly Buddy

29,150 Points
  • Conversationalist 100
  • Mark Twain 100
  • Conventioneer 300
Kinny Fear
David2074
I wonder if they even really cared about the issues or maybe just wanted an excuse to break stuff.
This sounds very much like what happened in Seattle at the WTO protests a few years ago.
You know they will be reviewing various security and traffic cameras very closely. Possibly also trying to get DNA from some of the discarded black clothing or if someone happened to cut themselves while breaking a window. I hope they catch a few of them and give them the max penalty. And that could be pretty serious - a lot more than just vandalism - since they were attacking banks and federal buildings.
User Image

It could be both, actually. But some use different means for the same ends, at least that's how they'd explain it. Unfortunately, while our goals are the same as theirs, their goals aren't ours.

I'm just pissed they trashed American Apparel. stare


Thanks for the info in the other post.
What's sort of sad is for all the effort you guys went to, as an outsider all I got out of it was,
"A bunch of occupy people and/or some folks upset about current immigration laws marched downtown and broke a bunch of s**t".

I don't even know if I agree or disagree with you because I don't know which specific things you are upset about and how you would propose to change them. I'm not saying you personally but the group as a whole. The situation drew attention but probably the wrong kind of attention and in kind of a 'general / murky / blurry' kind of way. I recognize the need for large protests so it doesn't come across as just 'some guy has an opinion' but it's unfortunate the event came off as more of an 'angry mob' than a bunch of thoughtful people presenting unified ideas. On the whole it pushed my opinion of the whole occupy thing more towards the negative even though I recognize probably most or all of the damage was done by less than 1% of the protesters.

Apocalyptic Cutesmasher

25,215 Points
  • Luminary Melee Champion 200
  • Waffles! 25
  • Attending the Ball 25
It really bothers me that the news media focused on the few people who weren't there to protest, just to loot and riot. And it bothers me even more that that's what people watch the news for: the entertainment. The majority wanted to speak out on an important issue but ended up ignored.

Snuggly Buddy

29,150 Points
  • Conversationalist 100
  • Mark Twain 100
  • Conventioneer 300
Vampirate Kitsune
It really bothers me that the news media focused on the few people who weren't there to protest, just to loot and riot. And it bothers me even more that that's what people watch the news for: the entertainment. The majority wanted to speak out on an important issue but ended up ignored.


Well, the media sensationalizes because people find visual and unusual stuff more interesting than stated opinions. Even in print media there is usually a picture to go with the story even if the picture has nothing to do with the story. Write a story about the war in Iraq - show a stock photo of some GIs next to a tank or sand bags. Write a story about a political figure and show a stock photo of Obama or Hillary or who ever. Or, in the case of the dental story I think it was you who posted about the ex girlfriend who pulled out her ex's teeth - show a stock photo of a dentist with a disclaimer saying that dentist had absolutely nothing to do with the situation.

When I had cable I used to watch CSPAN part of the time. Same for a local version of it that was our state capital in Olympia. I didn't watch it all the time but at times they were quite interesting because you got to hear the actual debates, view court procedures and how they are done and such. For important issues you got to hear the whole debate, not four seconds of sound bite.

As a nation though we've been trained to accept the condensed version and eye candy.
Evening news is shown after most folks have had a long day at work and just put food in their bellies. The news of the world is condensed into a half hour, sometimes hour, including commercials. Most folks get their news by TV (if at all) so there has to be something interesting on screen much of the time so we get crap like "live" reporting from some parking lot or street where earlier in the day or the day before something interesting happened. Most stories have to fit into a crunched time slot before the next commercial break. Big news stories (Iraq, Twin Towers) have the most 'exciting' footage shown over and over again. On the whole it makes me want to say, "Mooooo" and switch the channel.

One of the problems I've read in more than one story about the occupy movement is the movement itself seems to have trouble articulating exactly what it represents or the changes it proposes. It's a lot of people with a general dislike for the current system but a wide range of ideas about how to fix it. That and a lot of annoying or flat out illegal tactics adds to the 'angry mob' impression even when they are not breaking bank windows. IMO there are better ways they could have promoted their cause over the past year or two but I'm not an expert activist, just some guy seeing how it all comes across in the news.

Quick Reply

Submit
Manage Your Items
Other Stuff
Get GCash
Offers
Get Items
More Items
Where Everyone Hangs Out
Other Community Areas
Virtual Spaces
Fun Stuff
Gaia's Games
Mini-Games
Play with GCash
Play with Platinum