Reply #38: Allegations dont = proof

[TryingToWarnYou]

From the U.N. Report

476. On 6 November 2003, the Special Representative received information concerning the alleged injuries of Erik Shaw and Willow Rosenthal, members of Direct Action to Stop the War (DASW), a network of anti-war organizations. According to the information received, on 7April 2003, the Oakland Police Department allegedly fired rubber bullets directly at peaceful demonstrators reportedly protesting against corporate interests in the war against Iraq at the Port of Oakland, California. This alleged incident was the subject of a letter of allegation by the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression on 10 September 2003. The police allegedly also used "wooden pellets", "sting ball grenades", "shot-filled bean bags" and tear gas against demonstrators, allegedly injuring around 40 of them. While the police reportedly claimed that demonstrators initially began throwing rocks, concrete and steel bolts at them, according to the information received by the Special Representative, the police opened fire without any violent provocation from the demonstrators and only 30 seconds after ordering demonstrators to disperse. According to the information received, Willow Rosenthal was allegedly injured in the back of her calf. It is reported that she went to the emergency room of the Kaiser Hospital, Oakland, for treatment, where she reportedly also filed a complaint against the Oakland Police Department. She has allegedly received no copy of this complaint, despite b]reportedly having requested one. She was later reportedly diagnosed with a blood clot and underwent surgery on 30 April 2003 and a skin graft on 5 May 2003. Erik Shaw was allegedly seriously injured on his right calf with a wooden pellet. Concern was expressed that excessive force may have been used against persons exercising their right to protest human rights concerns.

477. The Special Representative also received information regarding the alleged surveillance of Erik Shaw during his functions as a liaison person between law enforcement agencies and protesters during demonstrations in San Ramon, California, on 14 April 2003 and in Sacramento, California, from 20 to 25 June 2003. According to the information received, on 14 April 2003, Erik Shaw was allegedly photographed several times, during a video interview with a local
journalist, by three men in plainclothes at a demonstration outside a Texaco station in San Ramon, California. One of the three men allegedly photographed the notepad of the journalist, which reportedly contained Erik Shaw’s contact information. Erik Shaw reportedly asked the men whether they were employed by a government agency, stating that they looked like federal officers. One of the men allegedly responded that Erik Shaw had “good intuition”. On 22 June 2003, Erik Shaw reportedly saw six Sacramento police officers disembark from a passenger van and begin searching through the contents of his driver’s flatbed truck. He reportedly asked the officers if they possessed a search warrant. They allegedly replied that the bed of the truck was in plain view and did not require any warrant. He reportedly stated that the officers needed to obtain the necessary judicial authorization, and the officers allegedly returned to their vehicle and drove away.

Ok, lets break it down now.

In your first post you wrote:

the Oakland police attacked protesters and dock workers
with guns shooting wooded plugs.

Attacked? Thats not what the report says.

If you believe what the protesters are saying (alleged, reportedly etc.) then you have to give the same amount of consideration to the other side when:

"police reportedly claimed that demonstrators initially began throwing rocks, concrete and steel bolts at them, according to the information received by the Special Representative, the police opened fire without any violent provocation from the demonstrators and only 30 seconds after ordering demonstrators to disperse."

Odd, I seriously doubt the police, under the eyes of God and everyone, would just arbitrarily attack peaceful demonstrators.

The guns were intended to be fired into the ground
and bounce into the crowd.

Hence the lower extremity injuries inflicted by those devices. Both persons cited in this report received lower leg wounds.

They fired directly at head level on film and were show
plain as day on the 5 o'clock news.

Nowhere does either your activist site or the U.N. say this. Consequently, if this was true, there wouldnt have been wounded protesters, there would have been dead protesters. Those devices, while "less than lethal" are very lethal if used inappropriately, such as on a head. Any force directed at the head is considered deadly force and can only be administered if the life of the officer or another person is at immediate risk.

Apologists for police violence are so predictable.

Yes, and Im certain that all the cops were wrong and some of the protesters werent doing anything wrong at all. Why I bet they all were sitting around with their signs and not throwing rocks, steel bolts and concrete.