RE: Police Attack Calif. Anti-War Protesters (AP)

["Steven" <mailinglist@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Can someone please explain to me what Mayor Jerry Brown would have been
thinking to do authorize this kind of response?  I don't see any way the
Oakland gov't can gain from such a police action.

Steven

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:owner-marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jim Farmelant
Sent: Monday, April 07, 2003 9:51 AM
To: marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Police Attack Calif. Anti-War Protesters (AP)


Police Attack Calif. Anti-War Protesters
19 minutes ago   AP to My Yahoo!
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=519&ncid=519&e=2&u=/ap/
2
0030407/ap_on_re_us/war_protests_shootings_6


By MARTHA MENDOZA, AP National Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. - Police opened fire with non-lethal
bullets at an anti-war protest at the Port of Oakland
Monday morning, injuring several longshoremen standing
nearby.

Police were trying to clear protesters from an entrance
to the docks when they opened fire and the longshoremen
apparently were caught in the line of fire.

Six longshoremen were treated by paramedics and at least
one was expected to be taken to a hospital. It was unclear
 if any of the protesters was injured.

"I was standing as far back as I could," said longshoreman
Kevin Wilson. "It was very scary. All of that force
wasn't necessary."

Last week, a San Francisco-based peace group, Direct
Action to Stop the War, had announced that it would stage
a series of protests Monday involving new acts of
civil disobedience.

The Port of Oakland was among the targets, organizers had
said, because at least one shipping company is
handling war supplies.

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."

Police used non-lethal bullets, sandbags and concussion
grenades to try to break up about 500 protesters, who
split into groups in front of different terminals.

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." He could not confirm that anyone was hit by the bullets.

Protests also took place at the federal building in
San Francisco and at the Concord Naval Weapons Station.
Seven people were arrested when they temporarily
blocked an exit ramp off Interstate 280.

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