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Police abuse

Kelly Thomas’ Father Won’t Stop “Until We Get Justice”

January 15, 2014 Staff, www.latimes.com ,
The father of Kelly Thomas told reporters Tuesday that he viewed a jury's decision to acquit two Fullerton police officers in the beating death of his son as one setback in a "prize fight" in which there are still "several rounds to go." Two former Fullerton police officers were found not guilty Monday in the beating death that was captured on film, and charges against a third officer will be dropped. Ron Thomas, Kelly's father and a former sheriff's deputy, said at a news conference that the verdict was in no way the last word. “I look at this like a prize fight," he said. "It’s not over, we still have several rounds to go.” Thomas appeared at the news conference with attorney Garo Mardirossian, who said a civil case the family was planning to bring would expose another jury to far more testimony.

Meet The Ordinary Americans Who Exposed FBI Spying

January 14, 2014 Bill Boyarsky, www.truthdig.com , , ,
"“A nightmare was unfolding,” said Bonnie Raines, 72, her hair—long in her youth—cut short, her face pretty, clear and determined. “I took what was outrage and horror about what was going on and I realized I had to take it somewhere.” John Raines, handsome at 80, looked at her with love and pride as she spoke. “At one rally, I had one of my children on my back and not only did they take my picture, they took her picture,” she said.John Raines said, “We knew they were systematically trying to squash dissent and dissent is the lifeblood of democracy.”

Mothers In White Demand Justice For Slain Teen, Andy Lopez

January 10, 2014 Shepherd Bliss, www.occupy.com
Mothers in White, a group of women dedicated to halting police violence against innocent youths, have announced plans to converge on the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors meeting todau to demand justice for slain teen Andy Lopez, whose killing October 22 by a sheriff’s deputy has set off unabated protests and united the Anglo and Latino communities like never before in this northern California city. The renewed protests come days after a January 2 fire, lit in the early morning hours, destroyed a large memorial and shrine that had been built in honor of the 13-year-old at the vacant one-acre lot where Lopez was killed. Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire, saying they suspect it was started by a candle. But the candles were located 20 feet from the altar and were contained in glass, and many locals have expressed doubt about the official police line, instead suggesting the fire was a case of possible arson.

Hamburg Activists Resist ‘danger zone,’ Cops Caught Lying

January 8, 2014 Rote Flora, www.revolution-news.com ,
Riot police are continuing their installment of martial law in Hamburg, in a designated area referred to as the “danger zone.” Also, details have emerged that indicate police have fabricated claims of an attack on a police station as an excuse to continue restricting the area, but more on that later. Predictably, oppressive police tactics have backfired as demonstrators have taken to the streets of the Hamburg-occupied territory demanding they free the area. Police have effectively been holding a large part of Hamburg under arrest, by imposing the “danger zone” to intimidate the population for siding with activists defending Rote Flora two weeks ago, and to suppress further demonstrations. The area will remain restricted for an unspecified amount of time, and probably at least until spring.

Bank Of America And Government Joined To Spy On Activists

January 7, 2014 Dell Cameron, www.dailydot.com , , ,
The newly published documents reveal a coordinated effort by Bank of America, the Washington State Patrol (WSP), and federal counterterrorism agencies, to monitor activists as they prepared for a public demonstration in Olympia, Wash. Over 230 people originally signed up to attend the “Million Mask March” event, which was organized by the Anonymous movement and took place on November 5, 2013. Although an official report by the WSP described the event as a “peaceful protest” being organized by activists who had made “no threats of violence,” those involved were still monitored by the department before the event took place. Information gathered about the potential protesters was then shared with Bank of America. Furthermore, Bank of America solicited information about activists from various federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Bringing In The Big Guns

January 7, 2014 Gram Slattery, www.harvardpolitics.com
The flow of weapons between the police and the military started under the Nixon administration, at the beginning of the so-called “war on drugs.” When the military had surplus materiel—and it always did—it would funnel it to federal and local law enforcement agencies. In 1998, what had been an informal policy was formalized, and LESO was founded in Fort Belvoir, Virginia with the sole purpose of streamlining these transactions. According to National Journal, the agency had transferred $727 million of equipment during its first three years, including 253 aircraft, 7,856 M-16 rifles, and, the pièce-de-resistance, 181 grenade launchers (the article is, sadly, unavailable online). By 2011, the agency was bragging in its annual newsletter that it had doled out $500 million worth of equipment in that year alone. As of now, 17,000 law enforcement agencies from all fifty states are among LESO’s grantees.

Disneyland Mobbed By Dancing Families Protest

January 6, 2014 Oceloyotl X, www.therebelpress.com ,
Anaheim’s central venue for its tourism industry, the Disneyland Resort, was mobbed on Tuesday, amongst busy visitors just hours before their “fireworks spectacular.” Families and supporters of recent police killing victims armed themselves with masks and music as they hit the resort’s “downtown” district with a “flash-mob-style” action. Some of the masked “mobbers” carried rolled pieces of paper to hand out to guests, whom seemed supportive of the melodic rally. As some of these scrolled notes were unrolled, however, some happy faces quickly turned blank as they were struck with a bit of reality. One woman was quick to throw her note on the floor, only for a “justice warrior” to pick it up and continue handing them out. The notes listed names of the killed and said :Tonight we dance in honor of all lives lost at the hands of law enforcement. Together we fight to expose the truth that the media won’t share. And we demand that the police stop killing our people!! Who made them judge, jury and executioner?!? Join us before your loved one is killed by an officer!” The action came to an end with resort security “accompanying” the flash-mob participants out the Downtown Disney district.

Take Action To Demilitarize Your Police

January 5, 2014 Staff, www.popularresistance.org ,
We've watched for decades as local police have become more and more militarized. It has led to a culture of police brutality that is encouraged because officers face little if any consequences. It's time for communities to demand that their local police de-escalate and de-militarize. Perhaps you can be the first in the nation to take this issue to your local government and take action to de-militarize your police, whether it's in your town or city or on your campus. Share what you do so that others can do the same. Contact us at info@popularresistance.org if you are working on this so we can share your work.

Using Mirrors To Show Police What They Have Become

January 4, 2014 Staff, www.kyivpost.com
At noon on Dec. 30, protesters in central Kyiv held mirrors in front of police for 30 minutes to commemorate the night of Nov. 30 when riot police used excessive force to breakup a peaceful rally on Independence Square consisting mostly of university students. In a gesture to remind the police of their violent actions that memorable night, EuroMaidan demonstrators lined up with mirrors to show law enforcement personnel their reflections. The civic demonstration took place near walkways and streets that lead to the government building district where police have been stationed. The buildings include the president's headquarters, Cabinet of Ministers and central bank, among others. Protesters also held posters that read, "Who and what are you protecting?" in reference to President Viktor Yanukovych and his appointed government whose ouster they have called.

Cambodian Forces Open Fire Against Minimum Wage Protesters

January 4, 2014 Staff, www.irishtimes.com , ,
Four people have reportedly been killed [later reports say five have died] after Cambodian military police opened fire with assault rifles today against stone-throwing garment factory workers demanding higher pay. Chaos during nationwide strikes erupted for a second day as security forces were deployed to halt a demonstration by thousands of workers, who refused to move and threw bottles, stones and petrol bombs at an industrial zone in Phnom Penh. Military police confronting the protesters fired live ammunition, said, and bullet casings were later seen scattered across the ground at the scene. The clashes took place at Canadia Industrial Park in Phnom Penh, home to dozens of factories that make clothing for western brands that include Adidas, Puma and H&M Hennes & Mauritz. Human rights group LICADHO described the incident as “horrific” and lambasted military police, adding that their own investigation and surveys of hospitals had found four people were killed and 21 wounded.

Protesters At de Blasio Inauguration Slam NYPD, AIDS Policies

January 3, 2014 Greg Butterfield, www.workers.org ,
They slammed de Blasio’s choice of stop-and-frisk advocate and arch racist Bill Bratton to head the New York Police Department and de Blasio’s lack of a plan to fight HIV/AIDS, and reminded the city of the many ambitious promises he made to get the votes of poor and working people. Signs and chants informed the inauguration attendees and onlookers that “Bratton has blood on his hands,” including the deaths of Nicholas Heyward Jr., Anthony Baez, Hilton Vega, Anthony Rosario and dozens of other young people of color killed by police during his first term as New York police commissioner under Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in the 1990s.

Female Protester Charged With Sexual Assault After Kissing Riot Cop

January 3, 2014 Will Potter, www.greenisthenewred.com , ,
A young woman who kissed a riot cop’s helmet during a protest in Italy has been charged with sexual assault. Nina De Chiffre is a 20-year-old student who was protesting a planned railway expansion in Northern Italy. At the demonstration, she kissed the police officer’s helmet. The police union filed a complaint, and she has been charged with “sexual violence” and causing “offence to a public official.” Protesters have a long history of such “crimes” in response to militarized police, of course. In addition to kisses, they’ve sometimes given flowers.

Outgoing Top-Cop Ray Kelly: NYPD A ‘Quasi-Military Organization’

January 3, 2014 Staff, www.rt.com , ,
During the last few hours of a lengthy tenure atop the New York Police Department tainted by both scandal and success, outgoing-NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly echoed soon-to-be-ex-Mayor Michael Bloomberg with big words about the city’s boys in blue. Bloomberg provoked a fair share of criticism from Big Apple residents in late 2011 when he said, "I have my own army in the NYPD . . . the seventh biggest army in the world.” Two years later and new comments from Commissioner Kelly might make the same sort of splash. The New York Times was questioning what they called Kelly’s “tight control of the department” when he reportedly looked “pained” and told them, “You can’t win.” “Obviously, in a quasi-military organization, you need an ultimate decision maker,” he said.

Tragic Slaying By Bay Area Police Remembered 5 Years Later

January 3, 2014 Jaisal Noor, www.therealnews.com ,
In the Oscar Grant case and in several other cases, when you're talking about the issue of police terrorism (that's the phrase that I prefer, as opposed to brutality), you have the police officers' bill of rights, which is a law passed in California which basically shields police officers from public scrutiny. If I'm a journalist and I have a history of writing horrible articles, you can go and look that up. If there is a teacher who's got a history of abusing students, you'll be able to find that out. The same with doctors. But in terms of police officers, if a police officer has a history of abusing people, of shooting, of seeing guns where there are no guns, we can't find that out because of the shield of the police officers' bill of rights. And so organizations such as the California Peace Officers Research Council and these police unions--in Los Angeles, we have the Los Angeles Police Protective League--all of these various organized entities on behalf of law enforcement ensure that there is a shield, based upon law, that protects their officers from public scrutiny. Well, in Oakland and around the country--well, in California in particular, the police officers' bill of rights either needs to be abolished or amended. We need to be able to know who are those officers who consistently violate the human rights of people in various communities. It either needs to be abolished or severely curtailed. Police power in general needs to be severely curtailed.

Journalist At Occupy Wall Street Sues New York Police

January 2, 2014 Staff, www.courthousenews.com ,
Christopher Faraone sued New York City, its Police Department and 10 Doe officers, in Federal Court. He claims police tackled and battered him at about 1:40 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2012, while he stood on a public sidewalk photographing a demonstration at One Chase Manhattan Plaza. John Doe 1 pointed at him and ordered "five or more" other officers "to stop, tackle, batter, search, arrest, detain and imprison him," which they did, Faraone says in the lawsuit. He says there was no reason for any of this, but the five or more officers "violently forced" him to the ground. They arrested and searched him with no probable cause, Faraone says, then maliciously charged him with disorderly conduct, which was dismissed for failure to prosecute.
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