Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Occupy Chicago and media

So far as we have been able to determine, nowhere in the corporate media has the story of Occupy Chicago been told.  We did publish a warning about the Chicago Police Department a few months back, but did hope that we might be proven wrong.  That was foolish.

Mayor Dick Daley who had elected JKF to the presidency, and not even Nixon could prove otherwise, nor has anyone else and lived to tell of it, set the tone in 1968 when he unleashed what Otto Kerner called a “Police Riot”.  At the time of the riot, Daley famously defended his police by saying “The police are not there to create disorder.  The police are there to preserve disorder.”  In Daley’s defense it should be said that by that time he was senile and given to believe what he said, as we have discussed earlier.

However, Rahm Israel Emanuel does not have that some excuse.  Under his guidance, the police destroyer reporters’ equipment, beat demonstrators, and arrested several of them on terrorism charges.  Other than on Democracy Now, there was little or no coverage of this or of the actions of veterans (see transcripts below).   

Meanwhile, there have been a few other things that have reached to corporate media.  There was mention of the death of a “Disco-Era Giant,” a phrase that is, quite frankly, a bit frightening.

Some have bemoaned missing the solar eclipse as there will not be another one until 2017.  That is fine.  It will be at least 2024 before we leave Afghanistan – although France will leave very soon now.  By 2048, all fish will have become extinct by several estimates. 

One final thought might help:  media has been calling thugs “Anarchists.”  Anarchy really is the belief that all institutions should be required to defend their existence.  It has nothing to do with blowing up department stores.

Now, here is some of what really happened in Chicago:

Monday, May 21, 2012

Chicago Police Face Accusations of Entrapment, Brutality in Crackdown on NATO Protesters

Dozens of anti-NATO protesters have been arrested in Chicago over the past several days, including five men who were jailed on domestic terrorism charges. Three of the men were accused of plotting to attack President Barack Obama’s campaign headquarters, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s home and other targets. Their lawyers say they were entrapped by government informants. The Chicago police have also been criticized by activist groups for using violent force to break up protests and accused of targeting independent media activists who have been streaming the protests live over the internet. On Saturday night, three helping to livestream video of the protests were detained at gunpoint. [includes rush transcript]
Filed under  Police
Guests:
Michael Deutsch, attorney with the National Lawyers Guild.
Luke Rudkowski, videographer and member of WeAreChange.org.

Related

Rush Transcript
This transcript is available free of charge. However, donations help us provide closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing on our TV broadcast. Thank you for your generous contribution.Donate >

Transcript

AMY GOODMAN: Dozens of protesters have also been arrested over the past several days, including five men who were jailed on domestic terrorism charges. Three of the men were accused of plotting to attack President Obama’s campaign headquarters, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s home and other targets. The arrests of the men dominated the news coverage here in Chicago leading up to Sunday’s march. Lawyers for the men say they were entrapped by government informants. Michael Deutsch is an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild.
MICHAEL DEUTSCH: Obviously, we don’t have access to all the information that the state has. But what we do know is, is that there were police—undercover police officers that ingratiated themselves with people who come from out of town. And from our information, these so-called incendiary devices and the plans to attack police stations, attack the mayor’s office, is all coming from the mind of the police informants and are not coming from our clients, who are nonviolent protesters. They are not anarchists. They don’t belong to a Black Bloc organization. They’re involved with nonviolent protest. And what we believe is, is that this is a way to stir up prejudice against the people who are exercising their First Amendment rights.
AMY GOODMAN: The Chicago Police have also been criticized by activist groups for using violent force to break up protests. On Saturday, a police van was videotaped nearly running over a protester. Mark Provost of Occupy Boston and Occupy New Hampshire witnessed the incident.
MARK PROVOST: I witnessed a young woman hit by a police van, and then he subsequently attempted to run over a protester for approximately 40 yards down a hill, going 10 to 12 miles an hour, not staggered, but fully 10 to 12 miles an hour. I’ve never witnessed such violence in my life.
AMY GOODMAN: What happened to these protesters?
MARK PROVOST: The woman was hospitalized. And the man only escaped unscathed thanks to the fact that he was six-foot-seven.
AMY GOODMAN: So you saw the police van run into this protester. Describe exactly what you saw happen?
MARK PROVOST: What I saw happen was—I was texting as usual, and I basically heard a lot of screaming. I looked up, and 15 feet in front of me, without anybody in between, I saw a van heading right towards me with a man in front of it. Half of his body, his torso and his arms were on the hood, and he was scrambling with his feet. And from what I could tell, the van was going so fast that he couldn’t go to the side, or the wheels would have ran him over.
AMY GOODMAN: On Sunday, police beat back protesters who attempted to march toward McCormick Place, the heavily fortified site of the NATO summit. I talked to one protester who had just lost parts of both of his front teeth after he was hit by a police officer.
PROTESTER: We were pushing that way, and they started knocking people back. A girl fell down, and they continued to beat her on her legs and her body. And they kept saying, "Get back. Get back." And she was like, "I can’t. I can’t get up." A man tried to go and pick her up. They hit him on the back of the head. He fell down. He started bleeding. And then I was trying to pick her up. I kind of fell on my knees, and they took a billy club, and they just rammed it right into my teeth.
AMY GOODMAN: What are you going to do about your teeth?
PROTESTER: I don’t have health insurance. I’m going to—there’s a Dearborn clinic that the medics told me about. They gave me a piece of paper. I’m going there and see what can happen. Hopefully, there will be a lawsuit, and I’ll get a bunch of money.
AMY GOODMAN: So were you able to find the pieces of your teeth?
PROTESTER: Yeah, they were in my mouth. I spit them out. They’re in a bottle of water in my backpack now.
AMY GOODMAN: The Chicago police have also been accused of targeting independent media activists who have been streaming the protests live over the internet. On Saturday night, police detained three livestreamers at gunpoint. Luke Rudkowksi of WeAreChange.org described what happened.
LUKE RUDKOWSKI: A large number of police vehicles, undercover vehicles, CPD vehicles, three white-shirt lieutenants pulled up right in front of us, guns were drawn, screaming at us to get our hands up.
POLICE OFFICERS: Keep your hands [inaudible]! Hands up! Hands! [expletive] hands!
LUKE RUDKOWSKI: We’re being raided right now, for those that are watching. We are being raided by the CPD, as we speak.
LUKE RUDKOWSKI: I immediately took my hands out, but with a cell phone in one hand. I was recording the whole thing on Ustream, with officers coming up to us with guns pointed. And they were screaming, "It’s just a cell phone. Don’t shoot!" They repeated that about five times. They took my cell phone, threw it on the roof, took us out of the car, put us in handcuffs, asked them some—asked us some questions, took down all of our information, started banging our hard drives, our camera equipment, our batteries. I think one of our hard drives may be destroyed from the banging that the officers did to it. I was talking to one of the lieutenants, and he said, "We’re just looking for a vehicle that’s similar to this." We drive a '99 Lexus with New Mexico plates. I don't think there’s many New Mexico license plates here in Chicago, especially matching that description of that vehicle. And when he said that, he looked down, when I was making eye contact, and started laughing.
MIKE BURKE: But why do you think the police are so threatened by what you do?
LUKE RUDKOWSKI: I have no idea. I mean, what we do is provide a service to the people. We stream live, raw, unedited, for everybody to see and make up their own mind. We’re not—we’re here to document.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s Luke Rudkowski of WeAreChange.org. This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. We’re in Chicago. Back in a minute.
Creative Commons LicenseThe original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us.

Chicago Activists Denounce Massive Security Apparatus at NATO Summit Amid Cuts to Social Services

Hundreds of protesters marched to the home of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s former chief of staff, on Saturday to oppose Emanuel’s cutting of social services while funding a massive security operation during the NATO summit. The day earlier, a group of nurses led a march in downtown Chicago to protest austerity cuts. "They say cut back, we say fight back," the protesters chanted. "We need to come together," says retired nurse Kay McVay. "When you cut, you bleed blood. Not gold. Blood." [includes rush transcript]
Guest:
Kay McVay & Zakiyyah Muhammad, protesting security spending and cuts to social services in Chicago.
Rush Transcript
This transcript is available free of charge. However, donations help us provide closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing on our TV broadcast. Thank you for your generous contribution.Donate >

Transcript

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. Protesters are heading to the headquarters of Boeing today here in Chicago, capping off a week of protests against the NATO summit. On Friday, the National Nurses United held a march in downtown Chicago. Kay McVay, a retired nurse, condemned austerity cuts.
KAY McVAY: We do have to come together. I don’t care what the color of skin or what language they talk. When you cut, you bleed blood. Not gold. Blood.
AMY GOODMAN: On Saturday, hundreds of protesters marched to the home of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s former chief of staff. Activists criticized Emanuel for cutting funding for social services while funding a massive security operation during the NATO summit.
PROTESTERS: We’re gonna beat back the Rahm attack! We’re gonna beat, beat back the Rahm attack! We’re gonna beat back the Rahm attack! We’re gonna beat, beat back the Rahm attack!
ZAKIYYAH S. MUHAMMAD: My name is Zakiyyah S. Muhammad, and I am a community activist here in Chicago and wherever else that I’m needed. I am standing with the healthcare advocates today, because Rahm Emanuel has cut the clinics, taken away service. And I am for those that are against cuts.
PROTESTERS: They say cut back! We say fight back! They say cut back! We say fight back! They say cut back! We say fight back!
ZAKIYYAH S. MUHAMMAD: He is about to cut the job title that I’m in, home care providers. They’re trying to cut home care providers, those of us that provide services to disabled and seniors that would normally be in a senior building—out of a senior building into a nursing home. We’re trying to keep them in senior buildings so they won’t have to go to nursing homes. They are cutting child care providers. Right now, child care providers have not gotten paid in six months, because Rahm Emanuel and the governor has taken the money to put in the street for construction, so other people can have jobs that don’t look like us. So I am against all cuts all over this city, all over this world. Mental health is a human right, and there should be mental health clinics in all of our communities.
Creative Commons LicenseThe original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us.

"No NATO, No War": U.S. Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan Return War Medals at NATO Summit

We broadcast from Chicago, site of the largest NATO summit in the organization’s six-decade history. On Sunday, veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, as well as members of Afghans for Peace, led a peace march of thousands of people. Iraq Veterans Against the War held a ceremony where nearly 50 veterans discarded their war medals by hurling them down the street in the direction of the NATO summit. We hear the soldiers’ voices as they return their medals one by one from the stage. "I’m here to return my Global War on Terror Service Medal in solidarity with the people of Iraq and the people of Afghanistan," said Jason Hurd, a former combat medic who spent 10 years in the U.S. Army. "I am deeply sorry for the destruction that we have caused in those countries and around the globe." [includes rush transcript]
Filed under  Veterans, Afghanistan
Guest:
Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, returning their medals outside the NATO summit in Chicago.

Related

Links

Rush Transcript
This transcript is available free of charge. However, donations help us provide closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing on our TV broadcast. Thank you for your generous contribution.Donate >

Transcript

AMY GOODMAN: We’re broadcasting from Chicago, site of the largest NATO summit in the organization’s 63-year history. While delegates from 60 nations are meeting in the heavily secured McCormick Place convention center, thousands of antiwar protesters have been in the streets.
On Sunday, protesters marched from Grant Park to near the NATO summit. The march marked the largest protest in a week-long series of actions against the NATO summit. The march was led by veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as well as members of Afghans for Peace. At the end of the march, Iraq Veterans Against the War held a ceremony where more than 40 veterans discarded their war medals by hurling them in the direction of the NATO summit. Vietnam Veterans staged a similar protest outside the U.S. Capitol in 1971.
On Sunday—former U.S. Army Sergeant Alejandro Villatoro served during the Iraq 2003 invasion and in Afghanistan in 2011.
ASH WOOLSON: No NATO, no war!
VETERANS: No NATO, no war!
ASH WOOLSON: We don’t work for you no more!
VETERANS: We don’t work for you no more!
ASH WOOLSON: N-A-T-O!
VETERANS: N-A-T-O!
ASH WOOLSON: We don’t kill for you no more!
VETERANS: We don’t kill for you no more!
ALEJANDRO VILLATORO: At this time, one by one, veterans of the wars of NATO will walk up on stage. They will tell us why they chose to return their medals to NATO. I urge you to honor them by listening to their stories. Nowhere else will you hear from so many who fought these wars about their journey from fighting a war to demanding peace. Some of us killed innocents. Some of us helped in continuing these wars from home. Some of us watched our friends die. Some of us are not here, because we took our own lives. We did not get the care promised to us by our government. All of us watched failed policies turn into bloodshed. Listen to us, hear us, and think: was any of this worth it?
CROWD: No!
ALEJANDRO VILLATORO: Do these medals thank us for a job well done?
CROWD: No!
ALEJANDRO VILLATORO: Do they mask lies, corruption, and abuse of young men and women who swore to defend their country?
CROWD: Yes!
ALEJANDRO VILLATORO: We tear off this mask. Hear us.
IRIS FELICIANO: My name is Iris Feliciano. I served in the Marine Corps. And in January of 2002, I deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. And I want to tell the folks behind us, in these enclosed walls, where they build more policies based on lies and fear, that we no longer stand for them. We no longer stand for their lies, their failed policies and these unjust wars. Bring our troops home and end the war now. They can have these back.
GREG MILLER: My name is Greg Miller. I’m a veteran of the United States Army infantry with service in Iraq 2009. The military hands out cheap tokens like this to soldiers, servicemembers, in an attempt to fill the void where their conscience used to be once they indoctrinate it out of you. But that didn’t work on me, so I’m here to return my Global War on Terrorism Medal and my National Defense Medal, because they’re both lies.
SCOTT KIMBALL: My name is Scott Kimball. I’m an Iraq war vet. And I’m turning in these medals today for the people of Pakistan, Iraq, Palestine, and all victims of occupation across the world. And also, for all the servicemembers and veterans who are against these wars, you are not alone!
CHRISTOPHER MAY: My name is Christopher May. I left the Army as a conscientious objector. We were told that these medals represented, you know, democracy and justice and hope and change for the world. These medals represent a failure on behalf of the leaders of NATO to accurately represent the will of their own people. It represents a failure on the leaders of NATO to do what’s right by the disenfranchised people of this world. Instead of helping them, they take advantage of them, and they’re making things worse. I will not be a part of that anymore. These medals don’t mean anything to me, and they can have them back.
ASH WOOLSON: My name is Ash Woolson. I was a sergeant. I was in Iraq in '03, and what I saw there crushed me. I don't want us to suffer this again, and I don’t want our children to suffer this again, and so I’m giving these back!
MAGGIE MARTIN: My name is Maggie Martin. I was a sergeant in the Army. I did two tours in Iraq. No amount of medals, ribbons or flags can cover the amount of human suffering caused by these wars. We don’t want this garbage. We want our human rights. We want our right to heal.
JACOB CRAWFORD: I’m Jacob Crawford. I went to Iraq and Afghanistan. And when they gave me these medals, I knew they were meaningless. I only regret not starting to speak up about how silly the war is sooner. I’m giving these back. Free Bradley Manning!
JASON HURD: My name is Jason Hurd. I spent 10 years in the United States Army as a combat medic. I deployed to Baghdad in 2004. I’m here to return my Global War on Terrorism Service Medal in solidarity with the people of Iraq and the people of Afghanistan. I am deeply sorry for the destruction that we have caused in those countries and around the globe. I am proud to stand on this stage with my fellow veterans and my Afghan sisters. These were lies. I’m giving them back.
STEVEN LUNN: My name is Steven Lunn [phon.]. I’m a two-time Iraq combat veteran. This medal I’m dedicating to the children of Iraq that no longer have fathers and mothers.
SHAWNA FOSTER: My name is Shawna, and I was a nuclear biological chemical specialist for a war that didn’t have any weapons of mass destruction. So I deserted. I’m one of 40,000 people that left the United States Armed Forces because this is a lie!
STEVE ACHESON: My name is Steve Acheson. I’m from Campbellsport, Wisconsin. I was a forward observer in the United States Army for just under five years. I deployed to Sadr City, Iraq, in 2005. And I’m giving back my medals for the children of Iraq and Afghanistan. May they be able to forgive us for what we’ve done to them. May we begin to heal, and may we live in peace from here until eternity.
MICHAEL THURMAN: Hello. My name is Michael Thurman. I was a conscientious objector from the United States Air Force. I’m returning my Global War on Terrorism Medal and my military coins on behalf of Private First Class Bradley Manning, who sacrificed everything to show us the truth about these wars.
MATT HOWARD: My name is Matt Howard. I served in the United States Marine Corps from 2001 to 2006 and in Iraq twice. I’m turning in my campaign service—Iraq Campaign Service Medal and Global War on Terror Service and Expeditionary Medals for all my brothers and sisters affected with traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder.
ZACH LAPORTE: My name is Zach LaPorte, and I’m an Iraq war veteran from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Thank you. I’m giving back my medals today because I feel like I was duped into an illegal war that was sold to me on the guise that I was going to be liberating the Iraqi people, when instead of liberating the people, I was liberating their oil fields.
SCOTT OLSEN: My name is Scott Olsen. I have with me today—today I have with me my Global War on Terror Medal, Operation Iraqi Freedom Medal, National Defense Medal and Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal. These medals, once upon a time, made me feel good about what I was doing. They made me feel like I was doing the right thing. And I came back to reality, and I don’t want these anymore.
TODD DENNIS: My name is Todd Dennis. I served in the United States Navy. I have PTSD. I’m returning my Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal because it was given to me, according to my letter, because of hard work and dedication and setting the example. I was a hard worker because I buried my PTSD and overworked myself in the military. And I’m throwing this back and invoking my right to heal.
MICHAEL APPLEGATE: My name is Michael Applegate. I was in the United States Navy from 1998 to 2006. And I’m returning my medal today because I want to live by my conscience rather than being a prisoner of it.
DAVE: My name’s Dave. I served in the U.S. Navy from ’99 to 2003 and participated in the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. I was wrong to sign myself up for that. I apologize to the Iraqi and Afghani people for destroying your countries.
BROCK McINTOSH: My name is Brock McIntosh. I was in the Army National Guard and served in Afghanistan from November '08 to August ’09. Two months ago, I visited the monument at Ground Zero for my first time with two Afghans. A tragic monument. I'm going to toss this medal today for the 33,000 civilians who have died in Afghanistan that won’t have a monument built for them. And this is for the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers.
VINCE EMANUELE: My name is Vince Emanuele, and I served with the United States Marine Corps. First and foremost, this is for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. Second of all, this is for our real forefathers. I’m talking about the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. I’m talking about the Black Panthers. I’m talking about the civil rights movement. I’m talking about unions. I’m talking about our socialist brothers and sisters, our communist brothers and sisters, our anarchist brothers and sisters, and our ecology brothers and sisters. That’s who our real forefathers are. And lastly—and lastly and most importantly, our enemies are not 7,000 miles from home. They sit in boardrooms. They are CEOs. They are bankers. They are hedge fund managers. They do not live 7,000 miles from home. Our enemies are right here, and we look at them every day. They are not the men and women who are standing on this police line. They are the millionaires and billionaires who control this planet, and we’ve had enough of it. So they can take their medals back.
CHUCK WINANT: My name is Chuck Winant. I’m here on behalf of six good Americans who really wanted to be here but they couldn’t be. They couldn’t be, because when they came to the U.S. border, they’d be immediately arrested. And the crime they’d be arrested for was refusing to continue to participate in the crimes against the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. And these good Americans, who are exiled now from this country, who deserve amnesty, are Private Christian Kjar of the U.S. Marine Corps; Private Kim Rivera, Army, Combat Action Badge, refused redeployment to Iraq; Corporal Jeremy Brockway, U.S. Marine Corps, Combat Action Badge, refused redeployment to Iraq; Specialist Jules Tindungan, Combat Infantry Badge, paratrooper, refused redeployment to Afghanistan; Sergeant Corey Glass, Army, refused redeployment to Iraq; and Sergeant Chris Vassey, paratrooper, CIB, refused redeployment to Afghanistan. I have their awards in my pocket, and I’m throwing them back, mad as hell!
AARON HUGHES: My name is Aaron Hughes. I served in the Illinois Army National Guard from 2000 and 2006. This medal right here is for Anthony Wagner. He died last year. This medal right here is for the one-third of the women in the military that are sexually assaulted by their peers. We talk about standing up for our sisters—we talk about standing up for our sisters in Afghanistan, and we can’t even take care of our sisters here. And this medal right here is because I’m sorry. I’m sorry to all of you. I’m sorry.
AMY GOODMAN: Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War throwing away their war medals outside the NATO summit here in Chicago. This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. Back in a minute.
Creative Commons LicenseThe original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us.
Posted by Unknown at 12:14 PM

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

For most up-to-date information you have to visit the web
and on world-wide-web I found this web page as a
most excellent site for most up-to-date updates.
Feel free to visit my web blog : Toe Shoes

5:07 AM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)