US: cops attack peace protestors with wooden bullets / concussion grenades / gas
global solidarity | 08.04.2003 00:20
Oakland police brandishing "non-lethal" artillery attacked anti-war demonstrations this morning at the dockyards in West Oakland. The demonstrators arrived around 7am, where their picket line was successful in provoking the ILWU (http://www.ilwu.org) to send some of its workers home for the day... and then...
US: cops attack peace protestors with wooden bullets / concussion grenades / gas
After approximately 30 minutes, the Oakland Police Department moved in to disperse the demonstrators, attacking them with WOODEN bullets, tear gas, concussion grenades, and beanbags full of metal shot. Several people, including six onlooking dock workers (longshormen), suffered injuries.
From there, some demonstrators apparently tried to block highway entrances before regrouping at the West Oakland BART station and marching downtown to the Oakland Federal Building.
Noon Update: Hundreds of people are around the Federal Building in Oakland, regrouping for more protests. Dockworkers are shutting down the Oakland docks after Oakland police fired at them and anti-war protesters this morning.
3:30 PM: Around one hundred people are gathered at Oakland City Hall. The woman who was featured on the AP wire with an enormous bruise on her face is speaking, along with a handful of National Lawyers Guild representatives. One person said: "This government understands that if it allows freedom of speech and assembly, there will be a tidal wave of opposition to this illegal war and this illegitimate war state. Wooden bullets can make us retreat, but we'll never give up."
Thus far seven arrests have been reported.
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Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
Video: 1
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