Something's in the air...

[F4lconF16]

Coming back from the May Day protests and "riots", I got on a bus home. I sat down next to a woman and a man who were discussing the protests. After a bit, the guy was getting so much of it wrong I hopped in, and then 3 other people did. Over 8 people eventually joined in on this conversation about protesters and riots. They were really getting into it, to, and were generally very supportive of the protesters. People genuinely care.

We also discussed Kshama Sawant, and people were generally very supportive ove her. Raising the minimum wage made a big difference for how socialism is thought of around here. Rent control is now on everyone's minds.

Things are changing, every day.

[daleanime]

1. Feels good.....

doesn't it?

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. Thanks for your 1st-person updates throughout, F4lcon

Appreciate them.

[kentuck]

3. The times, they are a'changin'...

Bob Dylan

[libdem4life]

4. See, they were right. It's a "slippery slope". Darn sure is.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. It has been for a while

Now time to get ready for yet another day, another march

[F4lconF16]

6. +1

It really only feels this way because I'm just realizing it. Most of these are not new battles.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Movements and tension bulds over time

historians will have fun writing about it

I get to write the first draft in my town though.

[deutsey]

8. I'm thinking this summer is going to be interesting...n/t

[Jack Rabbit]

9. Good story

I am hopeful that one of benefits of Senator Sanders' candidacy, whether or not he is successful, is that socialism will cease to be a dirty word and that socialist solutions to problems can be discussed rationally.

If anyone wants to blame anyone else for that, I suggest blaming the Koch brothers, other right wing billionaires. the Supreme shysters, banksters, oil and coal companies and the Corrections Corporation of America, all of who conspired to build an unsustainable future for their benefit and the detriment of the the rest of us. We are better than they are simply by knowing that that model of the future cannot stand.

We shall prevail.

[2banon]

10. "Demonstrators" decided it would be a great idea to block patients and families in the middle of

Kaiser's complex.... stupid, clueless, ignorant, self absorbed morons. my daughter and countless lives were in jeopardy the other night from their stupid fucking asshole actions. accomplishing absolutely nothing but alienating everyone decent empathetic person from the "cause".. physicians couldn't enter, pharmacists couldn't provide vital medications and this went on for HOURS.

And I'm talking Oakland Ca, one of the most diverse cities in the country. What the fuck.

[LiberalElite]

12. Excuse me,

these are anything but clueless, ignorant, self-absorbed morons. And if you're surprised it happened in Oakland, CA, you dont' know Oakland. Truly empathetic people would understand. I do not include you among them. Your concern is noted though.

[2banon]

13. Oh excuse me. Was the goal, the ultimate objective, to put peoples lives in jeopardy? to block

entrances to hospital facilities that SERVE the COMMUNITY??? Yes I KNOW Oakland. I know what these se;f absorbed morons have done here. TRULY EMPHATIC PEOPLE DON"T DELIBERATELY PUT PEOPLES LIVES IN HARMS WAY.

I don't include YOU among them.

[freshwest]

14. I believe he is reporting on Seattle, not Oakland. He posted pics from Seattle earlier. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Perhaps you should look at some images of poverty in Oakland right now

Oh and yes, Oscar Grant...

You might feel that they are clueless, and perhaps blocking hospitals is not one thing that might be a good idea but don't be surprised if the blocking of hospitals becomes far more than just that.

I tell ya, we spend way too long in the streets, and communities are on edge... not just Oakland.

Also that comment about diversified... would be a good idea if you check the true economic segregation we have in this country, including Oakland.

Like this

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27830698/poverty-rates-near-record-levels-bay-area-despite

And this

https://www.baycitizen.org/news/economy/oakland-child-poverty-skyrockets/

I could give you actual policy papers. Ran into them like this fast, can't swing a dead cat actually. But this is why people are in the streets... one of a panoply of reasons.

[liberal_at_heart]

19. These people's lives are in danger every day because of poverty. People get pissed off

because they get unconvinced because a demonstration creates traffic jams. Who is going to be pissed off and bitch on these people's behalf? and who will simply ignore them?

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. That is always a good point

going over sound. I managed to capture people's steps as the chorus led the short march, for an event locally. which is related to all this mess.

We talk to the community and we know we are one critical incident from something ugly. We also know why.

I did some black and white, and some of the black and white, I swear could be in 1965, which was the reason actually. But when people go over how self absorbed the marchers are... they should sit down and listen... because what they will hear will shock them, guaranteed.

(Oh and the sound. it is for a radio package for local radio station that I will put together tomorrow after I write the paper story... worked hard to get that.)

[2banon]

22. people get pissed off. oh, ok. got it. that's the point, eh?

[2banon]

21. I'm from the poor working class, I'm also a very long, long time activist. I see similar images

daily. my granddaughters are being raised in the heart of Fruitvale. (Yes, that's the place) down in the flats. guns, drugs and gang violence everywhere, every day. Not in their home, but literally all around them.

I don't need lectures as if I were from the sheltered, privileged class, Because I am so not.

I'm talking about demonstrators threatening the lives of doctors, nurses, patients and service workers. My daughter had a life threatening emergency Friday night and we were in the middle of triage when we found ourselves trapped,

For HOURS.

I'm beyond pissed, I'm beyond outraged at the LACK of EMPATHY and concern for other people by people purporting to be calling for justice and human rights.

That's not all that happened that was stupid, dangerous to others and pointless.

There's a BIG PROBLEM with the organizers who thought that was a "good idea".

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. So you should know that at times what organizers intent

does not happen as they intended. I was not there so I can only speculate. But having had a few local marches hijacked and one led to a nice 10 mile hike, tells me that this is quite possible. Yeah the 40 pound pack was a pain by the end of it.

You are there, you are part of the community, from what you are posting. You should be able to find out what are the local dynamics. I know here they are part of the fascination...let's just say dysfunction is part of the game. But also what is starting to look like groups that never talk to each other... shit are talking to each other, and gasp, I know, working together. Trust me, this will be of some interest for the police intel unit.

I also told you it is not precisely a good idea, but I actually get it why some leaders, whether they planned this, or they hijacked it. even see hospitals as a nice target for a demonstration.

I am not lecturing by the way. Just pointing out why people are doing what they are doing. It might not be the most rational thing to do... but civil disobedience is not precisely the most rational thing to do to begin with. You are purposely violating rules and conventions. So blocking freeways, is meant to inconvenience people out of their daily lives and as a shock to the system. Hospitals, under the Geneva Convention should be left alone for a multitude of reasons... not to many folks can start to tell me what those are.

Gasp, if we ever hit the national strike critical mass, I guarantee a level of shock to the system like people have no memory off.

[2banon]

24. I am an adovocate of civil disobedience, but I'm advocate for doing everything possible to avoid

putting other peoples lives at risk or in harms way.

Civil disobedience in my book is about putting your own body and life on the line. not other peoples. i understand disrupting commerce such as ports is an excellence example, but blocking freeways is putting other peoples lives at risk.

Civil disobedience does not (in my book) mean destruction and vandalism of business properties especially small businesses, Completely pointless and counter productive to the extreme.

Again in my book, There's a big difference with a huge distinction between interrupting business as usual and destroying property. Usually small businesses do not own the property, they're leasing from a property owner/developers agency. Target them but not the small businesses that are paying out the nose just to run their shop at a location.

It's a really stupid strategy. The Black Block Anarchists are most likely the culprits and they always, always always, hijack demonstrations.

Finally, there will never be a General Strike in this country. That idea has been tested so many times, and never ever gets any traction here, for a number of reasons. But one thing is absolutely certain, to pull off a General Strike requires unanimity of union and Non-union workers across the nation, including the general public per se in so far as pulling it off.

If the idea of a General Strike has evolved or morphed into wanton vandalism, destruction, brutal assaults etc, then it won't have a chance in hell of gaining any support and unanimity.

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. I would never say never

given what is happening in the streets... when we have crips and bloods working together, and black and brown people who usually do not talk to each other working for a common goal... and speaking from the same sheet of music.

And wrong... the 10 mile hike was not hijacked by the local black bloc folks.. but nice try. I know they are a favorite punching bag around these parts, but nope, it was not them. It has to do with some internal dynamics that I think to a point are unique to this town, or none who is an observer has made a point of them in other places.

Wait. they did, last week in Baltimore. (Nation of Islam, Black Nationalist and other groups)

As to the rest, well, even Gandhi would point to you why blocking roads is part of it, and I will leave it at that. Hell. so would MLK, who DID take over roads. I suspect they would agree on the hospital bit though. (And I have agreed with you every post consistently by calling it all but a good idea.)

I am not an activists, I report on what they do, and I have become very conversant with the many groups in this town. Comparing notes with other reporters, we are observing somewhat the same thing. This is mostly youth, independent of skin color, coming together from different backgrounds. In some ways, it is Occupy all over again. Hell, many of my occupy vets are back in the streets.

You know who is missing? Black Bloc.

Edit, for spelling

[2banon]

27. you make a lot of fair points..

which I won't attempt to dispute, except with regard to Black Bloc hijacking demos such as the big anti-war demos during the invasion of Iraq. I have directly observed what they did in San Francisco time and time again.

I have no idea if that group was involved in the blocking of Kaiser's emergency (and other) entrances on Friday night.

I don't know which town you're conversant with. You said, "this town". which town? Oakland? Do you know who/which group was involved in blocking Kaiser emergency entrances? What has been reported to you as to the point, purpose, ultimate objective? What was accomplished?

you might be impressed, but I sure as hell am not. And I am not alone.

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. Black block was very active in san diego during occupy

They were active all over starting in Seattle in 1998 This time around, due to the groups involved, and a few comparisons with reporters in other areas (including Oakland) we just simply have not spotted them.

We have spotted other groups that lead to tension regardless, locally MS 13... but not black bloc it is, my opinion, again speculating, who is in the streets. The dynamics are also very different from Occupy, though some of the reasons are the same...social and economic justice.

Though the anger is far deeper, and it is somewhat multigenerational some marches, like yesterday, had a 1965 feel.

http://reportingsandiego.com/2015/05/04/criminal-code-192-5-the-community-once-again-comes-together/

and nothing was blocked

[2banon]

29. So,you're talking about San Diego, I'm talking about Oakland

San Diego and Oakland have very different dynamics going on apparently.

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. That is why I asked you if you were involved to

try to find what the dynamics are. Reporters in oakland and streamers from Oakland and the bay area tell me they have yet to spot the black bloc. Actually we all are scratching our heads, where the hell are they? THey were like fixtures all the way to Occupy.

Though the marches have an edgier and more dangerous feel. This has happened a few times here as well. Which did not happen in 2011-12. Though nothing like has happened at other places, and that has to do with some of the local dynamics which are quite dysfunctional at times.

[2banon]

32. What did the Oakland street reporters report to you regarding the actions at Kaiser? n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. That they closed and blocked doors

but they were letting ambulances (mostly) in. The hospital did not feel safe on it though.

One carries a scanner like I do to these things. And he did say that the hospital closed the ER to ambulances. This way people were taken to other places. (Which is exactly what procedure says mostly anywhere, when there is civil unrest... and a demonstration can be considered one.)

They also said there were some confrontations with Oakland's finest. but those do not surprise anybody anymore.

As I said, most are not thinking that was a good idea, but...we just report this crap.

They did not see black block either. (And on the tinfoil department I still remember the conversation with an Occupier claiming they were a government run group meant to get things going and to be informants to the cops... this lack of presence makes me wonder if he had somewhat of a point)

[2banon]

34. Black Bloc or Hokie Pokie Bloc, I don't really give a damn. Blocking Hospital ER's

entrances should be entirely and completely OFF LIMITS for demonstrations, the organizers should KNOW BETTER. who ever thought that up, should be publicly shamed and completely marginalized.

My initial points stands.

1-This kind of egregious direct action discredits the movement, the cause and will most assuredly LOSE what otherwise might have been a ground swell of support across the communities.

2-Just because Crips and Bloods stopped shooting/gang banging each other for a couple of minutes doesn't equate to national support for a real General Strike to be achieved. But that should be obvious.

[nadinbrzezinski]

35. My point stands

Never, ever say never.

And I do not know how many ways to Sunday I have to repeat that blocking hospitals is not a good idea. You are the activist, you live there, get involved in that. I won't change what they do. I just follow, record, take photos and write about it. We do not cross those boundaries. Or at least the old fashioned types don't.

[99th_Monkey]

11. I agree.

The chinks in our Oligarch's armor are widening by the minute, for all to see.

[rhett o rick]

15. I don't think people are going to back down. Once the momentum of the Movement

gets going, it's going to continue to pick up.

[liberal_at_heart]

16. I love Kshama Sawant. I hope they do get rent control passed. They got a $15/hr

minimum wage and not many people thought they would do it. The people of Seattle are tired of the completely out of control rent prices.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. Funny, we were actually talking about this...

people and communities who have not talked to each other in the past... ARE. Times are indeed a changing.

[MannyGoldstein]

26. Thunderclap Newman agrees.

Love Seattle!

[Quayblue]

31. I get really angry nowadays

and my idealism is about gone... but that little bit I see every day keeps me going.

Thank you.