Sparky speaks Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Just there to protect the NATO war criminals. Nothing to see here. Keep moving... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Well, so far, so good. A few scuffles, perhaps a unwarranted arrest of three potential "terrorists", and a police officer fell of his bike. That's a nice shot, above, I don't think there is a better flag than Chicago's. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky speaks Posted May 19, 2012 Author Share Posted May 19, 2012 Hope you didn't have to go to the bank today... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 http://www.chicagotr...0,7539852.story Now it does appear that they had a search warrant, with regards to my earlier comment about the three arrested. It is interesting that those same three people were ticketed last week and they videoed the event and put it out on YouTube - the officers were not shown in a good light. I live a block away from Obama's house in Chicago, my wife and I were wondering if some of the protest were going to make it down here - so far, not. Emanuel's house was a supposed target (police headquarters and Obama's re-election campaign office were two others) of the three arrested. It may hit 90 today - those police in the above gear are going to get toasty. Actually is the above a current picture - if so, Chase needs a check their temperature sensor. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky speaks Posted May 19, 2012 Author Share Posted May 19, 2012 I think it was from a practice drill from last week. They must have been expecting a run on the bank after losing $5 billion... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Hope you didn't have to go to the bank today... This photo was not taken in Chicago, it's from Portland, OR. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winston Legthigh Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Just there to protect the NATO war criminals. Nothing to see here. Keep moving... The NATO war criminals are actually south of the Loop. This is Michigan Ave, looking north. The cops were preventing protesters from going north into a nice shopping district. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky speaks Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 This photo was not taken in Chicago, it's from Portland, OR. The site I lifted it from said Chicago. My bad. I'm pretty sure this one is from Chicago. But does it really matter? All police states look the same to me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Yes. You're right. Chicago = Pyongyang. Perfect. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sparky speaks Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 Are people's freedoms being limited by the presence of or the threat of a military/police force? If so, it is a police state no matter if it is on the streets of Chicago or North Korea. Restrictions on the constitutional rights of assembly, protest and free movement as well as arbitrary searches and arrests are not expressions of liberty last I looked. I'm sure the intimidation factor is fun to experience as well. Rather than harass protestors and create a siege mentality in the city, why doesn't the media focus on what the protesting is all about? Expose the illegal wars being perpetrated by a global strike force that has killed thousands of civilians in their "humanitarian" attacks around the world. NATO was organized strictly as a defensive alliance to contain the threat of Soviet expansion in Europe. It never fired a shot in the 40 odd years we faced down the dreaded commies. They should have declared victory in 1991, held a parade and disbanded. Have you checked how many times NATO has resorted to the offense in the past 15 years or so? Almost 30,000 civilians have been killed by NATO in Afghanistan alone since 2001. http://en.wikipedia...._(2001–present) In Libya the death toll is somewhere between 13,000 and 17,000 . That was real humanitarian of them. http://en.wikipedia....ibyan_civil_war The real crimes are not what Americans in the streets of Chicago might commit, it's the crimes being committed by the West's global expeditionary force we call NATO. You might enjoy what the United States is turning into, but many folks may differ and many of them are in the streets of Chicago. GLOBAL NATO: A Geostrategic Instrument of Worldwide Military Conquest http://www.globalres...xt=va&aid=30899 Chicago is a Police State http://www.dailykos....-a-Police-State Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 The police limit my freedom every fucking day. It's their fucking job. The limit my freedom to drive drunk, to pop a cap in your ass, to litter, etc. what do you think would happen to prosestors in Pyongyang? They would be fucking killed. Please shut the fuck up trying to equate the 2. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IRememberDBoon Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Sparky do you remember the year 2000 and the year 2004??massive resistance for both dem and repub conventions...............wild in the streets stupid rockers even talked shit about al gore until they got a taste of President Bush. Until then they thought Clinton was a right winger. funny how us citizens can take thing for granted so easy and quick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 This is a photo a friend shared from a neighbor. My friend lives on Mich. Ave. so I assume that's the location. Looks like the police state has done a top notch job of silencing the opposition. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jules Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 How would Sparky prefer the police to handle these people? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Motolov cocktails aren't a real good way to convince people of the righteousness of your opiniions. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncool2pillow Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Here's another good one. This one's an AP photo. I wonder how long that guy thinks he could march peacefully next to a police officer in China, Syria, or North Korea. No Fascism here, move on please. Don't know why the photo doesn't show, but if you're curious, you should be able to copy and paste the URL. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dark Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 the track record of late with these type of protests isnt good ... basically whenever some international group meets, IMF, G8, G20, Occupy, etc....anarchist types use them to go against the "man" with violence and destruction .... so yea the police are necccessary ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Things got a little rougher today, but I think all went well. 50 something arrests. I also don't see an issue with a large amount of police - I think it leads to less arrests, plus I don't want my city tore to pieces, like Seattle, where they only had about 900 police to handle the G-8, compared to 12,000 or so that were on call here in Chicago.It was interesting to see our Superintendent of Police right behind the front lines near the McCormick Place when the fracas really started. If the shit (really) got out of hand the cameras would have had him right in the shot.Speaking of cameras - all the local news had cameras right in the thick of things, which is nice to see. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I was at Grant Park where there were very few police, but the march was a different story. A bit of overkill there. Meanwhile the end of the march was a good opportunity for the Black Bloc to get some press and get in a bit of non-planned skuffling with the cops. It was more of a game than a police state. The rest of the city didn't even really care. No one has been checking us at checkpoints for our "papers" and dragging away ordinary citizens for interrigation and torture. These cops were just doing their jobs and were probably more than a bit pissed off they had to work 12 hour shifts and wear all that crap. Except for way too many boring speeches and not enough music, the event was pretty okay. Interesting small story. I went to the Woody Guthrie Memorial show this weekend and a small ideological spat broke out (unnoticed by even some folks at the show). Tom Morello at the end of the show menioned that there would be Black Bloc altercations tomorrow (yesterday) which was a clear signal that he approved of violent action and five minutes later Holly Near started a song from the civil rights era and was showing her support for non-violent protest. I suppose whatever one wanted yesterday you got. Most of the crowd was peaceful, but the Black Block and those with the V for Vendentta masks on whated whatever they wanted. All if it begs a bunch of ideological and philsophical questions which are as old as all the secterian splinters still roaming the streets trying to sell newspapers. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 This photo was not taken in Chicago, it's from Portland, OR. II'll take your word for that because it ain't Chicago. We don't have those fancy light poles downtown, Nor has it been 41 degrees this week unless that is Celsius in which case I don't think it has been as high as 41 C either. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Way to represent LouieB! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Thanks, but had my buddy Carter who I sell LPs with dragged my lame butt downtown. I had been to the Woody Guthrie show, as mentioned, and Morello made a point of saying we all had to get out and do something so I did something. I must admit I am a bit of a "jaded Idealist" as my bro-in-law so accurately and oxymoronically called me. I have seen this all before many times; tons of groups all with a different ax to grind, some tortureously blaming issues on NATO that don't really apply unless you figure that NATO represents all the evils of the capitalist system. Had the organizers not baited and switched us (the word went out that the rally would be at 10:30 and the march at noon) it would have been better for everyone. In fact it would have been better for everyone had two hours of endless speeches not gone on and we had gotten to march earlier. Like I said, I was beat (not beaten) and didn't march, which is really what i wanted to do and would have done had I not spent three and a half hours waiting in the hot sun. But needless to say it was entertaining enough to watch everyone and it felt good to be there. Ran into some friends and aquaintances. Morello was better the night before and was the only music of any interest. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IRememberDBoon Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 what do you guys think about folks from different organizations being planted in situations like this to start riots and violent situations?? to discredit the movement. i know for sure it happened under the Bush admin but even under President Obama there could be rogue elements in the CIA or whatever that do this type of thing to try and get a Republican back. im the absolute most non conspiracy theory person ever but after the arabb spring and the WTO ant war stuff of the 00s the US is absolute masters of this type of thing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedling Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Sheez Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 There are always agent provocatures, but frankly not all that much has happened here. All day roving bands of protesters when from location to location without too many problem. There are no reports of property damage really and considering everything, there weren't even that many arrests, under 100 at the moment. There was plenty of room for control issues between the police and protesters creating situations where some arrests were going to occur, it had to happen. I mean no Haymarket bomb or anything like that. Just a bunch of pissed off people, mostly young, who want to be heard. This was also very different from 1968 too. Now back to the usual "police state" where there is plenty we can't do on a daily (or Daley) basis. Just don't forget to get your parking permits. That's the worst. As far as "the movement": there isn't A movement, there are lots of movements. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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