Troubling Videos From G-20
G20 Riot Police Trap U of Pittsburgh Students on a Staircase and Tear Gas/Pepper Spray Them -- police attack students in UPitt complex from all sides.
Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) used in Pittsburgh.
The first thing that came to my mind when watching that was “when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
Likely because of the leftist “anarchist” (really marxist) protesters that Vinture Sciarretti spoke of, the police went into full bore “riot control” mode and then lumped everyone into the same bucket, treating them all the same. And that is where the problem is.
I don’t have all the details, but what I saw there, as to those particular protesters in the video, looks to me like a violation of the right of we the people to peaceably assemble and to petition our government for a redress of grievances. Rock throwing, window bashing kids in black are not peaceably assembled, but the people in this video sure as hell were.
So, yes, unless there are facts not evident from the video, the police on that street were violating the free speech of the people on that street, and in my book, violating their oaths.
How, exactly, was that an unlawful assembly? And if it violated some obscure city ordinance, then the next question is whether that ordinance is even constitutional, and thus worthy of being considered law (since all laws in violation of the Constitution are null and void, as if never enacted). They did not appear to be violent or other than peaceable. So what was it? Were they impeding traffic? No permit? And if not impeding traffic, why would they need a permit? And if they were impeding traffic, did the police tell them to stick to the sidewalk?
It doesn’t look like there was any discussion, instruction, or dialogue other than the command to disperse. All I saw were commands and then stomping boots and riot batons being smacked against shields -- where was the officer in charge simply speaking to the protesters? If anyone knows of other information, please share it.
And most disturbing of all is the way it was done, with that Orwellian sound weapon being threatened, atop that massive armored vehicle. Talk about overkill!
The proper solution would have been for the commander on the ground to step out and see what was going on, perhaps speaking to the protesters, and then make the call that these protesters were lawfully assembled, not part of the trouble makers on the next block, and the order likely issued in response to the rock chuckers did not apply to these people. Police need to have and use that kind of discretion, discernment, and flexibility or they will end up overstepping and violating the rights of fellow citizens, and thus violating their oaths.
It is improper, and a violation of the First Amendment, to forceably disperse peaceful people using their right of free speech and assembly, just because other protesters are not being peaceable. That is just not a valid response. Otherwise, all the left would have to do at the next huge Tea Party rally is to insert some rock throwing agent provocateurs, even on the next block over, and thus wipe out the free speech of all the rest in attendance. That’s not how it is supposed to work. And if that happened, the Tea Party folks would be justifiably outraged.
Without the right of free speech, assembly, and petition, we are left with what recourse?
This is not a good sign at all. Yes, the Oath Keepers message is sorely needed.
Stewart
Please donate and support Oath Keepers mission, every little bit helps!
October 15th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Couldn’t agree with you more. As long as police and military allow themselves to be indoctrinated that average US citizens who understand the constitution are the enemy, it’s going to be hell on earth. Again, I compliment the patriotic and legal dissent Oathkeepers is all about.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Americans wake up! We need to unite and VOTE everyone out of office, ask the questions of your candidates, know what they read, whom the associate with who are their role models, ect. We can turn this sinking ship around VOTE. It starts at the grass root level. I fear for all our freedoms, the video’s show a violation of the oath that we took, I take this oath very seriously. To protect and defend the Constitution, so help me God! I still believe in our freedoms. Chief of Police Judee Stand up and fight for freedoms VOTE!
October 18th, 2009 at 8:27 am
I agree the g-20 thing was heavy handed but the college kids are naive wimps…. a scratch on the neck and the girl is going to call mom. The boy has his rights infringed…… wahhhh.
the world is much harsher than these little babies can imagine
October 19th, 2009 at 8:12 am
Watched the so called “riots”, the introduction of the “sound cannon”. Waiting for the microwave weapon to be used, shortly.
I understand PA has some of the most draconian, un Constitutional laws of any State in the Union… is this true? Was the area under martial “law” at the time?
I do remember driving through Pa a couple months ago, and hearing about some of their judges imprisoning the children of the area for kickbacks from a private prison contractor…
I don’t know what to make of PA. It was in my history books as being one of the Founding States of a free Country… looking a little “Third World” these days.
October 19th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
I saw this video and immediately signed up with Oath Keepers! If we dont take a stand now against the tyrannical behavior of run away government and wreckless law enforcement agencies, it wont be long before the masked uniformed “officers” that stomp over your constitutional rights do so with foreign accents with orders originating from a schmuck from the UN! Way to go Oath Keepers!
October 20th, 2009 at 10:00 am
I used and maintained an L.R.A.D. in Fallujah, in 2004, during Operation Phantom Fury against enemy combatants. Seeing this “non lethal” weapon being used on American soil on American citizens was a realization to me that our republic is currently in true danger. I cried as I watched these videos the day they occurred.
Even more disturbing to me was the protester who was tackled and tossed into a unmarked vehicle by two men in cammy uniform, and then speedily driven behind the riot security line. Only thing missing from that scene was a black bag over his head.
Weapons of war have been deployed against our own citizens, there were no Oathkeepers there that day. There was no defiance, only the sound of liberty dying.
October 20th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
@ #6, Basic Rifleman: You wrote: “Even more disturbing to me was the protester who was tackled and tossed into a unmarked vehicle by two men in cammy uniform, and then speedily driven behind the riot security line. Only thing missing from that scene was a black bag over his head.”
That particular incident was a PsyOp, I think. This was a staged event designed to test the public’s willingness to accept these types of military/LE abductions, and to instill fear of government. Why do I think that?
1)experienced military personnel do NOT shove unrestrained individuals into cars still wearing their backpacks!! Special Forces personnel are trained in close-quarters hand-to-hand combat (i.e. fighting in cars, guard shacks, small rooms, etc.). Supposedly they don’t know who this guy is; he could be a highly trained killer with a concealed bomb in his backpack! So, in real life, they would not take all those unnecessary risks. They would have done a quick search of the individual – especially his backpack – and then restrained him before bundling him into the vehicle.
2) The 2nd guy who was with the “kidnap victim” was left completely unsecured for some time…just going by the video, he would have had plenty of time to remote-detonate his companion’s bomb – killing everyone in the vehicle – and then his own, which could have killed or wounded many bystanders…IF these military/LE thought they were a real terrorist team that man would have been properly secured as well.
3) Smoke/teargas, sirens whaling, a car roaring through the crowd, …all very dramatic indeed! Almost like it was made-for-tv, which it was! When asked, the Pittsburgh police dept. said that the guy was arrested for vandalizing a local business and that the reason he was put into a car a driven away was because the crowd was hostile and they were afraid for their safety. If they were afraid for their safety why didn’t the heavily armed and armored cops, who were standing right there, make the arrest? And, if they were so afraid of the crowd, why weren’t the cammo-LE guys armed?
I’m confident that incident was a PsyOp. So, on the assumption that it’s a PsyOp, what does it tell us? It tells me that the public is fully ready to accept LE kidnappings, right off the streets, in broad daylight, as a part of life in a “post 9/11 world”!
“Weapons of war have been deployed against our own citizens, there were no Oathkeepers there that day.” Right you are, brother. Oath Keepers is NOT the solution we’re looking for. It’s a great idea, but it falls far short of what we need to take our country back.
October 20th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Wow, things are really getting scary. I never used to be afraid of the police, but when they all started wearing black and the vehicles all look military it concerns me. It looks like some communities are going with PRIVATE police (mercenaries). If I didn’t know better I would think I was living in Russia or something.
Thank you, Oath Keepers for being here and I sure hope we don’t lose our country. I think it was Kissinger that said “You can hire half the country to kill the other half” I sure hope he’s wrong.
October 20th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Response to #7
The incident to which you are referring was not a “PsyOp”. The officers wearing camo are part of the PA State Police SERT Team and Pittsburgh PD SWAT. They were arresting a young man who had just committed more than $20K in property damage to local businesses including a BMW dealership. The method of grabbing him up and throwing him into a car was used to get out of the area where he could be safely arrested without more anarchists surrounding the police. I am new to this website and strongly agree with the priciples of the Oath Keepers. Be careful saying that all of the police involved at the G20 are willfully stomping on the Constitution. Most men and women in law enforcement that I know are on the side of the Oath Keepers at heart.
October 20th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Thank you for being Oathkeepers! America needs you!
You have the media talking about you because they fear what you are doing – supporting the Constitution and our rights.
People like Chris Matthews are treasonous criminals.