Quote:
Originally Posted by Miss Tick
Occupy Oakland: Officials shift into damage control
OAKLAND -- Oakland Mayor Jean Quan shifted into damage control Thursday, asking hospitalized protester Scott Olsen and other Occupy Oakland demonstrators to cooperate with police investigating Olsen's head injury.
Quan visited Olsen, a former Marine and Iraq War veteran, on Thursday morning at Highland Hospital. She shook his hand, and apologized for what happened to him. She also encouraged him and fellow demonstrators to speak with police, a hospital spokesman said. Olsen was knocked down -- apparently by a tear-gas canister or other police projectile -- Tuesday night as authorities tried to keep protesters away from Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, in front of Oakland City Hall.
The protest group had been dislodged from their tents on the plaza by police earlier in the day.
Oakland police have promised a thorough investigation of the incident, which left Olsen with a brain injury that has impeded his speech. Alameda County prosecutors and federal investigators also planned to look into the violent clash.
The city has tried this week to recover from the confrontation, which attracted an avalanche of criticism from pundits, politicians and protesters. Television host Keith Olbermann called for Quan's resignation, and White House press secretary Jay Carney called on U.S. cities to preserve "a long and noble tradition in the United States of free expression and free speech."
Protesters started rebuilding their tent city Thursday, with at least a dozen tents erected on the plaza lawn by the evening. Quan had planned to speak to a large crowd that had gathered in front of City Hall on Thursday night, but she left without speaking because she would have had to wait in line, said her attorney, Dan Siegel.
She would have had to wait in line? I wonder what that implies.
For the whole article:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_19205555
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Also, the rest of the council members are speaking out about the mayor not bringing the coucil together to discuss approaches to the demonstrations. Frankly, I agree with these members as this could have been avoided with looking at more ideas and safety concerns. One member said she would never have backed any kind of police action in which unarmed citizens of Oakland would be subjected to "riot squad" mentality.
After a fair amount of time in which it was clear not only in Oakland, but all across the US, that people are going to continue airing their complaints about these issues (that affect every part of their lives), city governments should have sat down with appointed reps from the protests and worked out how to have a safe and peaceful way for our rights to assemble and take our dissent to our public officials. There have been many, many supporters with the means offering financial help for things like porta-potties, food and food distribution as well as park cleaning and sanitation in order to take the financial burden of of city budgets that have been cut to shreads.
What bothers me the most about this is that this has become just another layer of the blockade the 99% feel is at the core of why our complaints are not heard. And there are solutions out there that can stop these kinds of things from happening.
News I have heard today about Olsen is that the surgery (for the brain swelling) planned has been postponed for today and he still is unable to speak. He is stable and his family is here from WS. There was a candle light vigil last night and more planned. he has support from other vets that stand up against war and want our troops out of Afghanistan.
Let's all throw out a "best wishes" for his full recovery from all corners of the Planet.
There is a lot of passing of the buck going on with Mayor Qwan that is just discusting. She needs to take responsibility, especially since she acted quite unilaterally- which to me, puts another layer of discust concerning the fact that we send troops off to wars under the guise of fighting for freedom and democratic (action bt consensus) ideals.
Sorr- not spell checking or getting typos- tired today.