Thursday, November 29, 2007

Purported bin Laden message to Olympia: Quit whining

Purported bin Laden message to Olympia: Quit whining


In possible response to the Response and Support Meeting that was held last night, the 'most wanted' man on earth released an audio message to the Olympia Port Protesters today with a clear message, "Stop whining".


Obviously, who ever did this was very insensitive to the fragile emotional state of those who got pepper sprayed or even saw someone get pepper sprayed during those turbulent November days.


Off to sensitivity training.

Crock of Shit - Response and Support Meeting

More than two weeks later and the therapy has just begun.

For anyone who had their feelings hurt at the Oly Port Protest of '07, a Response and Support Meeting has been organized so you can all get together and whine.

I would suggest you try to read some of the comments to this post on Olyblog and you will see the frustation and anger by good old fashion tax paying citizens towards the stupid and unproductive approach that this meeting encourages.

Post by and defended by in the comments, Robert Whitlock.

Enjoy.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Police in action

Breaking news -

Police capture fugitive


Now real quick...

What if these police were dealing with protesters today?


What if protesters had been blocking the road, thinking they were making some grand statement about keeping military equiptment from going thru the Port of Olympia and the police were unable to get to where they needed to be to stop the 'bad guys'?


What if, What if...

Know Your Rights

Yes indeed.

Know your rights.

I encourage you all.

But remember, once you start breaking the law, be it pedestrian interference, resisting arrest, or sedition, those rights change a bit.



Organized by The People's Legal Defense Fund.


On December 6th, PLDF will be hosting a Know Your Rights workshop at Traditions Cafe in downtown Olympia. Topics will include your rights while interacting with police on the street, as well as at protests. Also discussed will be your rights in the legal system. After the speakers, Larry Hildes, a lawyer who commonly represents activists and serves as a legal observer at protests, and Karen Hildes, will be available to speak with people who were arrested at the Port of Olympia, or feel their rights have been violated by the police.


Looking forward to seeing you there for an informational and community building evening.


Rob Richards and Mark Wedeven,
People's Legal Defense Fund

Monday, November 26, 2007

10 times as many

The daily O reports that 'Holiday tree-lighting and parade draw thousands'


4000 is what someone estimated, making it more than 10 times as many people as the anti-war ralley a couple weekends ago.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Sedition

Insurgents

'Insurgent' has become a naughty word.
I used it on the first Go OPD poster just for that reason

Seems I'm not the only one who understands the power of getting under peoples skin to make a point.

Protesters break the law, get what they deserve by the police, get called insurgents and get upset.
If you were to call the pro-war folks Imperialist, they would say "thank you".

We need a strong anti-war movement. Not whining at City Hall.

The Anti-War rally last Saturday seemed promising. It is too bad so many people had been already turned off by the tactics, violence, and poor behavior of the protesters of the previous 10 days.

350 people marched when there could have been 10 times that many.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Enough

Enough is enough.

In the face of calls to suspend the Oly Police Chief and the continued drudging up of claims of assault and misconduct by the OPD in response to protesters who were warned then forcefully removed from blocking the Port of Olympia...
I left Olyblog a little gift

I had been playing nice, not commenting, watching, reading, and being patient with kid gloves on.

But it’s Monday morning and I'm wondering when the madness will end.
I will be preparing my letter to the Olympia Police Department thanking them for doing their jobs this morning and publishing it on this blog later.

If you support the OPD, I would ask you to do the same.
olympiapolice@ci.olympia.wa.us

The OPD did not throw concrete, dumpsters and garbage in the road, the OPD did not block an onramp to the I-5, the OPD did not create this situation. They reacted in a manner that is consistent with what we pay them to do... keep the people and property of Olympia safe.

Serve and Protect.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Friday, November 16, 2007

Yawn

Posted today on http://olyblog.net/dont-hide-violence-iraq-or-olympia
"Regional March and Rally
Saturday, Nov. 17th
1pm
Percival Landing at 4th & Water St. March to City Hall on to the Port Plaza.
Organized by Olympia Port Militarization Resistance
Since November 5th, our port has been occupied by the war machines from Iraq. The anti-war community came out to nonviolently protest demanding an end to the revolving door of war through Olympia; they were met with pepper spray, pepper balls, batons, tear gas, bean bag rounds, and concussion grenades. We are marching to end a cycle of violence now reinforced by police. This is the beginning of community accountability of the police. With a mass community movement we can cut off the war through our ports. We allow what goes in and out of our port. Civilian cargo yes, military no. For more info email olypmr@riseup.net"

What a crock of shit
"occupied"?
"nonviolently"?
maybe you meant different words there

we are not occupied
maybe we can ask the Palestinians if we are occupied

nonviolently
maybe the original intent was nonviolent, but i have seen enough video of dumpster being pushed in the road, concrete being thrown, people resisting arrest and removal when they are clearing in violation of the law, and protesters rushing police to know that those protests were not nonviolent

the OMPR continues to not take responsibility for their actions and the whining discredits the anti-war movement

WTF

wtf

Thursday, November 15, 2007

"They have broken the law and further divided this community. They must be held accountable for their abhorrent behavior."

http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/272072.html

my favorite paragraphs

"Whining protesters

Sunday night, Olympia Councilman TJ Johnson added fuel to the fire when he held a community meeting at City Hall where protesters whined about their treatment at the hands of police.

What did they expect?

Surely protesters understand that when they put themselves in harm's way they put themselves at risk. They cannot expect to be treated gently by police. Videos from the scene show armed police officers repeatedly warning protesters to clear the streets and stop blocking traffic or face arrests. Protesters didn't budge until doused with pepper spray, pushed back on the sidewalks with batons, or arrested and carried away to a police vehicle.

But they asked for it. Police are literally and figuratively caught in the middle between the port and the fort. Police have a job to do and that's to ensure that laws aren't broken. Blocking streets and interfering with the rights of others are acts against the law and police responded accordingly. This isn't a case of police run amok like we saw during the Vietnam protests of the 1960s."

Endorement of Olympia Counter Insurgency Movement

Check out
http://groups.myspace.com/ocim
The Olympia Counter Insurgency Movement

Comments

A comment posted on
http://picasaweb.google.com/go.olypd/GoOPD/photo#5132785957033618082

"PMR advocates the use of strictly nonviolent tactics. PMR activists are nonviolent and are working to create a better society. But for some reaon, it seems that the protests have ruffled a few feathers.It's about time that things got stirred up. We need some action in order to make the world a better place.Support PMR and the work to protect our soldiers, ourselves, and the Iraqi People from harm and injury related to the improper and unjust war of occupation in Iraq." - rob

Olympia Port Militarization Resistance Code/Statement of Non-Violence

Robert Whitlock posted a link to this on the Olyblog.net website

http://www.omjp.org/PMRNonViolenceFeb07.txt

Port Militarization Resistance Code/Statement of Non-Violence
(approved February 18, 2007)
We, the members of Port Militarization Resistance (PMR), believe that non-violent
social change is a means for people to discover their own power through the peaceful
resolution of conflicts, the creation of democratic structures, and the realization
of justice – not mere victory. While working in this group we commit ourselves to
the following principles:
1) We seek to win over our opposition by changing their minds rather than through
degradation and humiliation.
2) We are willing to make personal sacrifices in order ensure freedom and justice
for all people – even our opponents.
3) We shall refrain from physical assaults, verbal harassment, and malicious sabotage.
4) We remember the need for forgiveness and humility, and always seek to understand
each other’s actions, and the actions of our opposition.
5) We shall ensure that all our events and meetings are transparent, inclusive, and
democratic.

I call bullshit.
Thats awful nice of them to refrain assaults, harassment and sabotage, but that is exactly what is going on.

Names of those arrested

Found on the Olympian.com site
The Olympia Police Department on Wednesday released the names of the 58 people who have been arrested during the recent protests at the Port of Olympia. They are:


Nov. 8
•Shyam Khanna, 19, address unknown
•Evan A. Rohar, 21, Tacoma
•Johnathan Steiner, 20, Olympia


Saturday
•Elizabeth W. Amory, 23, Olympia
•Christopher Grande, 18, Olympia
•Kathleen K. Hutchison, 23, Olympia
•Joji W. Kohjima, 20, Seattle
•Kyle M. Liedowitc, 18, Olympia
•Joseph J. Mills, 24, Olympia
•Davi Y. Rios, 21, Olympia
•Gabrielle K. Sloane, 24, Olympia
•James M. Steele, 18, Olympia
•Peter E. Vachon, 18, Olympia


Sunday
•Joshua A. Eliott, 26, Olympia
•Luke E. Noble, 23, Olympia


Tuesday
•Amanda N. Askea, 22, Olympia
•Amory E. Ballantine, 23, Olympia
•Rachel A. Beckman, 18, Olympia
•Alexa Borken, 18, address unknown
•Erin E. Brigy, 18, Olympia
•Holly A. Carter, 26, Rochester
•Kimberly Y. Chaplin, 35, Olympia
•Emily P. Cox, 23, Olympia
•Jaime M. Crawford, 18, Olympia
•Sierra C. Daley, 20, Olympia
•Jennifer N. Delp, 25, Olympia
•Janis A. Duddles, 56, Olympia
•Rachel L. Erickson, 19, Othello
•Elizabeth Q. Evans, 19, Olympia
•Michelle L. Fleming, 20, Olympia
•Anna C. Gherard, 19, Olympia
•Samuel F. Green, 20, Olympia
•Valery E. Hagel, 21, Olympia
•William W. Hamilton, 60, Olympia
•Gabriel A. Hoffman, 20, Olympia
•Patricia G. Imani, 45, Olympia
•Madison S. Johnson, 20, Olympia
•Cristen Love, 26, Olympia
•Nicole M. Miller, 25, Rochester
•Daisy J. Montague, 24, Olympia
•Jarrett D. Olsen, 18, Olympia
•Michella C. Onnis, 18, Olympia
•Vita T. O'Shea, 25, Olympia
•Julianne E. Panagacose, 19, Olympia
•Emily A. Pieper, 21, Olympia
•Molly R. Porter, 23, Olympia
•Robin Rice, 18, Bellevue
•Jennifer N. Richards, 18, Olympia
•Andrea M. Robbins, 20, Olympia
•Fabiola Romero, 23, Olympia
•Kate C. Schiffman, 20, Olympia
•Gabrielle K. Sloane, 24, Olympia
•Stephanie N. Snyder, 24, Olympia
•Allison Van Nostran, 18, Olympia
•Katherine M. Waldeck, 20, Olympia
•Sarah L. Warren, 20, Olympia
•Robert F. Whitlock, 29, Olympia
•Shizuno M. Wynkoop, 26, Olympia

Source www.theolympian.com

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Welcome to Go.OPD

My frustration with the Olympia port protests have driven me to this
creating a brand new gmail account (go.olypd@gmail.com), uploading my lovely "Go OPD" graphic, doing some google searchs on some of the people involved and just trying to add my two cents while the pepper spray and rubber bullets fly.

To be really clear, I am not a supporter of this bullshit Iraq War.

The current Administration had an agenda and created evidence to support their reasons for invading Iraq. Congress voted and agreed, we sent our troops, we toppled the Saddam's Government and put our own hand picked people in charge. 4 years later, still early in the nation building process, its a mess.

Should the US Military pull out? Yes. Is protesting at the Port of Olympia going to lead to that? Maybe, over a long enough timeline, people will take notice, contact their Representatives, stop voting for the same people who promised to do something and have done nothing.
But a protest and protest movement needs to bring people together. Peaceably assemble. Make a stand. Send a message.

The current Port protest is doing none of these things.