Lawrence O'Donnell on Police Brutality at Occupy Wall Street

I know its best to protest peacefully but I think a sergeant getting his jaw broke from a well connected sucker punch would give them more of a reason to think twice about unprovoked attacks then a camera would. Hed have a fun time thinking about his actions for 6 weeks while he eats through a straw, and under the right circumstance a jury might let you go.

Originally posted by A-Dub
I know its best to protest peacefully but I think a sergeant getting his jaw broke from a well connected sucker punch would give them more of a reason to think twice about unprovoked attacks then a camera would. Hed have a fun time thinking about his actions for 6 weeks while he eats through a straw, and under the right circumstance a jury might let you go.

Do that and you would give them exactly what they want.

Make no mistake, they want you to get violent and to fight back, that gives them justification to use excessive force, and even lethal force to protect themselves... From there it all gets really crazy.

Do you really want to go there?

Originally posted by godWhisperer
does anybody think these cops are trying to get the crowd to react violently? like an agent provocateur, they are needlessly attacking the people.

i think they are trying to make the crowd violent and then this story will make it to MSM tv. they'll take that opportunity to demonize the protestors.

Exactly what I've been thinking. The cops act like high school bullies. Pick,pick,pick and when they get the protesters to fight back, an act of self preservation, that gives them the excuse to crack skulls and arrest those 'violent' protesters. I think cops use situations like this to vent their own frustrations. It must be tough going through every day knowing that just about every one you see hates and despises you.[Let's all shed a tear] Every video you see is a case of overkill. 10 cops with batons, beating on 1 person, hitting them many more times and with much too much force for the situation. They are so insecure that every case turns into a "Don't defy my authority!" Whack!! Years ago i had some respect for officers, now I just lump them all together. If the good ones don't turn in the bad ones, find a way to cleanse the ranks, they don't deserve it.

reply to post by Fractured.Facade


is there any other choice at this point in history?
dont say peaceful protest, the video shows what you get for that. and it isnt the first to show it and it wont be the last.
cant go the legal route as that is already bought and paid for.
i know it is scary, it was for our ancestors before us also. but dont we do them an injustice by not fighting for what they fought and died for. for us.
so i am asking.
what other choice is there at this point?

What's sad and concerning is these brutal police don't have any moral convictions and concern for their fellow man. They blindly take orders without thinking about their actions. It reminds me of German Nazis who blindly carried out their orders on unarmed and peaceful citizens.

To think that our own police force could have restraint when their orders go against the constitutional rights of the people who they are supposed to defend. I believe our military and police force in this country are no better than countries who's forces use shoot to kill to stop public unrest. When ANY government feels there's a threat by their own citizens, the wolf will rear its ugly head and bite back.

The U.S. is no better than China when they allow this brutality to continue. I'm sure president Obama and our elected officials have seen these videos, where is their outrage? Our "supposedly open media" has shown its true colors when they are purposely ignoring and not covering this protest. People should be e-mailing these media organizations in droves demanding them to stop censoring issues like this that are defending Americans constitutional rights. I myself have already e-mail CNN and lodged my complaint on the lack of coverage.

Folks I truly believe we no longer live in a country who defends its constitution. Our freedoms are systematically being hijacked by our supposed "democratically elected government" and our own neighbors and friends who are employed by the state and federal government. Our media no longer defends the rights of its people. We have ATS members within our mist who continue to defend politicians and political parties who value the controlling political and corporate elite in this country!

WAKE UP!!!!

reply to post by letscit


If you think you've seen brutality here, you ain't seen nothing yet.

If even small numbers in these crowds rebel and get "violent" ... Then you'll see what these "law enforcers" are truly capable of.

Trust me, no one should want to see that happen.... Choice?

There aren't enough to confront them, but enough to be crushed like roaches and swept into history if they choose the path of violence.

Your best choice is to NOT give them what they want... Don't go there, if you do, it will all be over rather quickly, a lot of people seriously hurt, and maybe even some killed... For what?

Most people do not have the fortitude to stay around and fight together, those who do will likely be abandoned by their friends... and Quickly made examples of by police.

Really, trust me when I say... You don't want to go there.

Originally posted by OldCorp
I'm glad to see this covered finally.

The sad part is, he could fill up his show every single day with new videos of police brutality.

This comment is so true, when will people relize that the police are not there to protect us here is just one piece the evidence that shows this.

Imagine we all wore similar clothes had constant communication with each other used weapons and gas aswell as violence to supress indaviduls who have opisite views to our own would we not be called terrorists.

One look at a police officers uniform would strike fear into anyone in there path, and this is what it has been designed for they are nothing more than the front line of human supression by the crooked goverments and if these guys fail next step up is army,

It makes me sad to say this but untill we posses the orginization and lack of morals these guys have we will never see change.

I saw this on TV a couple days ago when it aired.

It made me proud that there are some television personalities out there that will speak their mind. At least someone mentioned it. Most people don't even know it happened. Because it happens all the time. And they don't hear about it. Or, if they do happen to .... most think the police department must be right if those in charge have already determined that the officers acted accordingly.

reply to post by letscit



Simple do the protest from your very own home,

Lets say for instance we could create a movement that would simple have as the main form of action non action, if we all had a coordinated day, then week , then month of collective non action the system would fail.

Anyone and everyone could manage there assets and prepare all the supplys that they would require for the durration of the event.

But our goverments would react simply by turning power and gas off, could people cope in my opinion no groups would form and a divide would cause people to turn against there fellow citizen.

The mafia or any other organized crime group would do it in a very different way, they would identify the players and movers in the game and then they would target said members and blackmail them with cash, drugs and sex and if they failed with those they would simply put give them an offer they couldnt refuse.

Less effort the criminals way if you ask me and there model works with civilian deaths at a low, imagine what us normal folk could do if we turned big bro on the elite.

Originally posted by A-Dub
I know its best to protest peacefully but I think a sergeant getting his jaw broke from a well connected sucker punch would give them more of a reason to think twice about unprovoked attacks then a camera would. Hed have a fun time thinking about his actions for 6 weeks while he eats through a straw, and under the right circumstance a jury might let you go.

So that gives them the right to attack multiple people

Originally posted by letscit
what other choice is there at this point?

Drop out. Don't support the master. Then you won't be the slave.

The police, the media, and the government/corporations/bankers conspire against us. They have support from many citizens who either defend them or look away. The citizen army is heavily indoctrinated into commercialism and team USA. This mindset is as difficult to leave as a cult/religion.

reply to post by Domo1


What's wrong with you? Why don't we just take away every other right we have to. Freedom of speech is huge man. Protesting scum??? Yeah they are protesting the scum of the earth that's true. I have no idea what's going on in your head these people are just chillin on the street protesting this government money machine BS and getting maced and whacked with batons, I hope these cops get their A$$'s kicked.

Unfortunately those cops are all within their legal right. It isn't considered violent to mace or taze someone and cops are allowed to do it with out reason. The cops are trying to provoke violence. You have to remember they've also been standing there for hours getting yelled at, probably cussed at, they're probably pumped full of adrenaline and just waiting to have a reason to bash some "hippie" heads in with their night sticks. Never become violent. That is their reason. Let them do whatever they want as long as you remain peaceful. The second one of those protesters becomes violent is the second that those protesters lose ALL support from the public.

Originally posted by GreatScot

Originally posted by OldCorp
I'm glad to see this covered finally.

The sad part is, he could fill up his show every single day with new videos of police brutality.

This comment is so true, when will people relize that the police are not there to protect us here is just one piece the evidence that shows this.

The police don't have to help us. They just choose to sometimes. Source.

Its only a matter of time before people set an ambush on these violent police. Some kids are going to provoke the cops (its not like they need a provocation obviously) but they'll provoke them. Meanwhile the large part of the mob will descend on the police. Honestly, if the laws cant protect us. If the politicians cant protect us. If the courts cant protect us. If the good cops cant protect us from the scumbag cops. Who is going to protect us? Answer: each other.

Seriously, there is no way to protest anymore. There is no way to make our voices heard. Its only a matter of time before people start to defend themselves using the same excuses these violent police us. Self preservation. Being provoked into violence.

If this kind of protesting gets larger and larger we are headed for a absolute violent disaster and maybe WW3,with all the other crazy stuff going on in the world.

Police brutality...in America?

My, who would have thought that our lovely Law Enforcement Officers would do such a thing? Has anyone ever heard of such a thing?









Surely, this must just not really take place in a free and open society...right?

People need to remember that this behavior is pushed and sometimes encouraged (though under the table) by the higher ranks going all the way to commissioner (and Mayor to an extent). Most street beat officers do in fact keep the peace, but are directed to herd the public, or remove protesters from restricted zones etc.

They are also directed to have a certain amount of tickets and summonses, a quota and stop and frisk mandate that targets latino and black communities. This started with Guilliani and has been pushed further by Mayor Bloombucks. Not trying to defend cops here, but it seems that the lower ranks always get the flack while the upper ranks escape criticism.

reply to post by Domo1


Why go out there and stand up for what you believe in? Why would you actually let your voice be heard, when you can be washing your underwear and chatting online?

I would love to believe that you were being sarcastic, but after just a little research of your past posts, I don't believe you have the intelligence to use sarcasm. There is no excuse for what those cops did. Those women didn't deserve to be maced. Someone should mace you for your ignorant comments. Now that would be well deserved.

reply to post by OldCorp


It's really just local. Different communities define it differently. I haven't really yet seen something that can be called definite police brutality. I've seen crowed dispersal tactics, which are fine by me as a New Yorker.

Show me some real abuse and maybe I'll say something different. All I've seen are people crying because they got maced.