Police Intimidation at Albuquerque Demonstration

[Cybergata]

Yesterday my husband and I did our civic duty and went to the local peace demonstration at Kirkland Air force base in Albuquerque, NM. It was a small crowd of the die hard protesters I see at every demonstration. The crowd was made of up a high percentage of grey haired grandmothers and grandfathers. There were a few kids and a few college aged folks. We had our contingent of "ragging grannies" who sing at every demonstration, as well as the same folks who come in wheelchairs and gray haired women with walkers. The police were there in force as they always are, but unlike other demonstrations, they were trying very hard to pick a fight with the crowd. A younger crowd would have ended up fighting them, but grannies with walkers use the words of the law to debate.

The very young police periodically pushed through the group of people, always with a couple of armored clad officers on huge (yet beautiful) horses. They singled out one woman who was wearing a middle eastern veil, and harassed her over it, telling her it was illegal to wear masks at demonstrations. She explained that she was wearing it in solidarity with the women of Iraq who had died during the U.S. occupation. We all surrounded the police and woman asking questions about their legality, but they walked her away. After five minutes of questioning her, she came back to the group. They asked younger people to see their ID, something that no one should be required to show.

The only reason I can image for their behavior was for intimidation. It was very similar to the use of police in one of the videos in the "political videos" category here on DU.com. I'm wondering if police all over the country are getting directions to start intimidating the crowd in hopes of keeping the anti-war movement quiet. It won't work. Sorry my photos of the event didn't come out any better.

[fasttense]

1. When my husband and I went to DC

last year, cops were all around the small pro-war groups. Protecting them from the thousands in the anti-war crowd. Some kid started arguing with the pro-war fascists and a cop came up behind him. My husband oblivious to what was going on, went up and asked the cop for directions. When the cop's attention was turned, the pro-war group shut up and backed down. By the time my husband had his directions, the whole pro-war group had faded away.

Sometimes the very presence of cops escalates tensions.

[Cybergata]

2. Police Provocation

Not just their presence, but the police walking through the crowd of people at Kirkland were pushing people aside. At first they had the police on horses pushing people aside, but the guy on the horse seemed almost embarrassed about what he was doing. I kept reminding them that we were all grandmothers and grandfathers here, and is this anyway to treat your grandparents.

[EFerrari]

6. Our SFPD were great yesterday. They just parked at the edge of

the big field and talked to each other. Zero tension or animosity. They got a lot of smiles and waves.

[Cybergata]

8. Parking to the side . . .

is what the APD usually do, but this time they kept walking back and forth through the crowd just looking for a fight. We didn't give them one. My husband mentioned what a beautiful animal the horse was that was a foot from my face, and the cop on it lite up, but suddenly turned away so he wouldn't be tempted to talk to us. He went on the road instead of the side walk after I mentioned we were folks just like his grandfolks, but there was horse poop all over the place where we were protesting.

Dangerous looking Demonstrators, aren't they!!!

[Webster Green]

3. Those pigs look like a bunch of real assholes..

You should sue them for harassment. There is no excuse for their behavior.

[Cybergata]

4. The group that organized the demonstration . . .

are planning to. I'll need to send them the photos. They also ticketed people's cars in areas that were two hour parking zones when people had only been there for one hour.

[EFerrari]

5. I wish you'd submit this to OpEdNews, cybergata.

It's important for people to KNOW what is going on and to be ready to respond effectively to provocation.

Great pictures.

:hug:

[Cybergata]

7. Where is OpEdNews? n/t

[EFerrari]

10. It's easy.

Go to www.opednews.com, register and follow the instructions to submit content.

If you have any problem, pm me. I'll be down for a coupla hours but will be happy to help with any glitch when I'm back up.

[BlooInBloo]

9. There is nothing fucking cops love more than intimidating the public.

[abq e streeter]

11. to Cybergata

why do you want the terrorists to win, and come over here and take away our guns and bibles and force us into homosexual marriages with illegal immigrants? P.S. to DU readers: I can't get the sarcasm emoticon to work; cybergata and I are friends and sometime co-workers; saw her just yesterday and couldn't resist posting this...