Oakland Nears Final Payouts for Protesters Hurt by Police

[dogday]

OAKLAND, Calif., March 19 — A clash between the police and antiwar protesters here nearly three years ago will cost the City of Oakland more than $2 million, including dozens of payouts to people injured when officers fired wooden dowels, bean bags and rubber pellets.

Police officers in Oakland, Calif., left, fired "less than lethal" ammunition at antiwar protesters in April 2003, injuring dozens.

Willow Rosenthal and Eric Shaw hugged at a protest this month after talking about their experiences; Ms. Rosenthal was shot in the calf, Mr. Shaw in the back.
The Oakland City Council is scheduled Tuesday to approve the final payments related to the incident, which was the most violent of many protests nationwide in the early weeks of the Iraq war. At least 58 people were injured, including nine longshoremen who were caught in the crossfire on their way to work.

The Oakland Police Department said officers had fired the "less than lethal" rounds to disperse several hundred demonstrators, some of whom the police said had thrown rocks at them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/20/national/20port.html?ex=1300510800&en=21af605ff04aeafb&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

[Tom Joad]

1. I am a veteran of the port demo, in April 2003

I was not hit by the ammo (used in such a way that it could have easily killed Willow and others).
I told the city council the next night that they made Oakland famous, like Nablus or Tienanmen square or chicago in '68.

Mayor Jerry Brown, the day it happened, immediately came to the defense of police tactics. Seems reasonable, since he helped draft them.

[400Years]

2. Yeah, Jerry Brown can go fuck himself.

[High Plains]

3. I remember when Jerry Brown was a progressive.

Oh, the days of yore...