In this image taken from video, a police officer uses pepper spray as he walks down a line of Occupy demonstrators sitting on the ground at the University of California, Davis on Friday, Nov. 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Thomas K. Fowler)
And here's the video of Police brutality sanctioned by the state and the Obama administration. Obama should not be given a "free pass" on the numerous situations in which police actions were criminal and which contravene the US Constitution and its amendments and Supreme Court rulings on said Amendments.
To Prove to The Governments and The Elites that The Occupy Movement Will Continue!!!
If for no other reason people should take part in the MayDay celebrations and protest to prove that the elites and the government and the quislings who do their bidding have not beaten the #OWS/ Occupy Movement
#OWS Prepare For Mayday Protests While Obama Tacitly Approves Police Violence In USA And Bahrain
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. U.S. Constitution - Amendment 1
''The right of the people peaceably to assemble for the purpose of petitioning Congress for a redress of grievances, or for anything else connected with the powers or the duties of the National Government, is an attribute of national citizenship, and, as such, under the protection of, and guaranteed by, the United States. The very idea of a government, republican in form, implies a right on the part of its citizens to meet peaceably for consultation in respect to public affairs and to petition for a redress of grievances." United States v. Cruikshank 1876
''The privilege of a citizen of the United States to use the streets and parks for communication of views on national questions may be regulated in the interest of all; it is not absolute, but relative, and must be exercised in subordination to the general comfort and convenience, and in consonance with peace and good order; but it must not, in the guise of regulation, be abridged or denied.'' Hague v. CIO SCOTUS
Above quotes from:RIGHTS OF ASSEMBLY AND PETITION
The Argument and my thesis:
Obama given his power as President of the United States by ignoring the evidence of police brutality in dealing with #OWS protesters from October 2011 to the present by his silence and lack of action President Obama has given his tacit approval of the police to use whatever tactics they wish to Crack-down on #OWS protesters. .
In Essence President Obama in the case of #OWS protesters he has suspended the freedom of speech, the freedom of assembly, freedom of the press and the freedom to petition the government for alleged grievances.
We cannot be too surprised that President Obama refuses to without qualification to condemn the authorities in Bahrain for brutally cracking down and terrorizing all those who dare criticize those in authority when Obama said nothing while Police in New York and Portland and in other municipalities used overwhelming unnecessary brute force against their own fellow citizens.
The Citizens in the USA used to have the right to assembly without fear of being beaten and arrested- this is no longer the case. Instead municipalities make all gatherings by those who criticize the governments and the elites. In Canada, Briton,Australia and other countries peaceful protesters are gassed , beaten arrested kept in indefinite detention for hours or days or longer.
Then when some protesters defend themselves the police us this as an excuse to use even greater force.
Eventually the US and other countries will look more like Bahrain or Greece or France etc.
Obama's speeches about protecting the rights of citizens in America or elsewhere is just a lot of flowery insipid rhetoric wich is just meant as a PR stunt to pacify and hopefully he thinks to undermine the movement.
Because if Obama and others in positions of authority can at least appear to be reasonable and even sympathetic with some of the movements goals then the media and many citizens then draw the erroneous conclusion that those in power are willing to discuss the issues and so why they ask are the protesters still protesting.
We must not take Obama or others at their word because in the end the politicians, the elites, the media are all self-serving entities whose only goal is survival in the next election or getting more money and promises from Lobbyists and for the media it is all about advertising revenue and ratings.
The majority of those mentioned above are not real friends of the Occupy Movement .
Some opportunists may court the movement to possibly get a few extra votes or just for the publicity.
But we must reach out to those few who do sympathize but fear retribution at the polls come November.
Other than that we must fill the streets and eventually the jails.
MLK and Gandhi both knew that such struggles against the status quo may take a longer period of time to accomplish anything substantial and not mere window dressing .
In such a struggle if the authorities are willing to use brute force knowing they can do so with impunity the response should not be violence but more protests and acts of Civil Disobedience and Peaceful Non-Cooperation. That means when the police threaten arrests everybody sits and refuses to move and forces the police to physically carry each person who is willing to be arrested to the waiting police vehicles.
My own view is that swearing, calling the police Pigs or whatever is not helpful.
This was one that Civil Rights leaders would get people to chant non-violent slogans or to sing as a way to maintain discipline among participants .
This is also why in various protests people linked arms as a form of solidarity and to encourage people to try to remain calm as possible.
Just think of that Iconic moment when the students at Berkeley sat on the ground linked arms and as best they could resisted fighting back while they were dosed with Mace/Pepper Spray at close range and then was repeated - that was a form of real courage which otherwise is hard to come by.
Bahrain: Shouting in the dark - - Al Jazeera English 2/4
The people of Bahrain want reform. They want the Parliament to be truly representative of all the people of Bahrain not just the 1% Elite. The Elite in Bahrain as in the USA believe that they are entitled to the greater part of the wealth of the nation.
They believe that their position is sanctioned by God or by natural law or the hidden hand of market forces.
The elite see any criticisms or questioning of the elites entitlement as akin to heresy. The heretics are those who question rapacious unfettered deregulated Capitalistic system. The elites in America or Briton or Bahrain or Saudi Arabia or whatever nation they are in characterize their belief in Capitalism and the market place as an ideology which is the only ideology which can be dominant in society.
Those who dare to object are characterized as Heretics and as fifth columnists out to destroy the USA and the free unfettered system of capitalism which leaves millions without much financial stability without a promising future.
Those who labor in America are regarded as expendable and replaceable.
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