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Ear to the Ground

Occupy Boston Protesters Hauled Off in Greenway Standoff

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Posted on Oct 11, 2011
Flickr / pweiskel08 (CC-BY)

Police lead away one of dozens of Occupy Boston protesters arrested early Tuesday morning.

Some 100 people—around 65 men and 35 women—taking part in an Occupy Boston protest were arrested in the wee hours of Tuesday morning after they refused to leave a newly groomed section of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway near Dewey Square, according to the BBC’s coverage of the action from across the Atlantic.

From a closer vantage point, the Occupy Boston website posted video, requests for bail money and an official statement about Tuesday’s arrests, which movement representatives characterized as a disproportionately forceful attack involving police in riot gear bearing down not just on protesters but also street medics and at least one legal observer. “Today’s reprehensible attack by the Boston Police Department against a movement that enjoys the broad support of the American people represents a sad and disturbing shift away from dialogue and towards violent repression,” Occupy Boston said.

Meanwhile, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino did a good job of taking both sides, claiming that he sympathized with the fledgling movement within certain limits: “I agree with them on the issues,” he told Boston.com later Tuesday. “Foreclosure. Corporate greed. These are issues I’ve been working on my entire career. But you can’t tie up a city.”

Video of the confrontation between demonstrators and Boston police follows the excerpt below.  —KA

BBC:

Boston police say they had warned around 1,000 protesters to stay in Dewey Square and a small, nearby strip of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway a few hours after they occupied the main Greenway area.

In response to the warning, Occupy Boston released a statement calling for “any and all people to join the occupation as soon as possible.”

They said: “Occupiers have worked tirelessly to maintain a positive working relationship with city officials. Today’s threats by the Boston Police Department represent a sudden shift away from that dialogue.”

Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll told reporters the warning had been issued because the greenway had recently undergone an expensive renovation project.

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Leefeller's avatar

By Leefeller, October 12, 2011 at 6:33 am Link to this comment

This could be a trial testing for the police state to come? Or is it just that Boston is chock full of conservatives, look at the pictures of the police, they looked ready and chomping at the bit, like swat cops, obviously this was anticipated.

From what I understand they took down the tents in San Francisco but I did not hear they busted folks?

In LA the city supports the protesters?

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By 2MOOGEE, October 12, 2011 at 2:34 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

“. . .the greenway had recently undergone an expensive renovation project.” 

Again, placing a vlaue over human needs.  Is not this the heart of the issue?  And, who paid for this renovation?  Corporate dollar or tax money?

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By rumblingspire, October 11, 2011 at 8:31 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

if a crowd pounce on a purse snatcher, the consensus would be that the crowd acted justly. 

but if a crowd pounce on the crook in suit and tie, they are judged criminal.

the revolution has every right to demand detention of these criminals of finance and of war.

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By socalcde, October 11, 2011 at 5:46 pm Link to this comment

History is not going to view these police people in a positive light, but what’s it going to take for them to see the truth of this situation and refuse to do this to peaceful protesters who are fighting for them?  Here in the OC we have gangs of cops that kill people, but I still want to believe that not all cops are thugs.

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Robespierre115's avatar

By Robespierre115, October 11, 2011 at 4:23 pm Link to this comment

@gerard, I’m not talking about actual violence, but the formation of serious, revolutionary movements ready to mobilize and kick out the bastards, through the ballot box if possible as has been done all over South America with radical, moderate but always progressive and leftist parties, this is not to say the popular movement should be dissolved, on the contrary, look at Bolivia where a revolutionary president was voted in but the movement remains in the street ready to apply pressure when necessary.

And what are you babbling about with your worries about “cracked heads”? Did you read this piece? IT’S ALREADY HAPPENING.

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By gerard, October 11, 2011 at 3:22 pm Link to this comment

Unfortunately, Robespierre115 is into “smashing” things, which generally ends up with a lot of over-heated propaganda, irrational behavior, cracked heads and worse.  Then it’s back to Square One and the “revolution” is dead on arrival.  Hopefully, the same stupid mistakes won’t be made even one more time.  “Been there, done that” is the appropriate cliche. The present and the future demand more than repeating the past.  It’s a learning process.

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Robespierre115's avatar

By Robespierre115, October 11, 2011 at 2:37 pm Link to this comment

Veterans, VETERANS were attacked here by the state. If the movement had serious, militant leadership a general strike would be called for and organized with demands for the immediate resignation of top police and city officials.

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By Listening, October 11, 2011 at 12:53 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I don’t know much abt what happened early this am in Boston.  I was upset to hear the BPD were so aggressive and arresting the protesters.
I wonder if the group cld have waited until morning to find a 2nd place.  Are there infilitrators doing rash things to cause trouble. And the police could have left them alone until morning also.
I will be glad to hear more from witnesses.

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By darkcycle, October 11, 2011 at 11:10 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

“Foreclosure. Corporate greed. These are issues I’ve been working on my entire career.”
Interesting… if you’d been effective we wouldn’t be out here.
“But you can’t tie up a city.”
This was an unoccupied Green Way. No disruption of commerce or City business involved.
Continue in your repressive actions and “tie up the City” may be in the cards. If there’s any confusion as to what that means, please review the video of the G7 conference that (didn’t) happen in Seattle, November 1999.

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Robespierre115's avatar

By Robespierre115, October 11, 2011 at 10:04 am Link to this comment

This is the capitalist state. Either you smash it, or it will brush you aside.

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