Common Dreams – by Nadia Prupis
Hundreds of people gathered in California on Friday to protest Urban Shield, the annual expo showcasing police and military weapons and offering SWAT training in the Bay Area.
At least 23 people were arrested as protesters from a wide swath of civil and human rights organizations locked themselves to the entrance of the Alameda County Fairgrounds, where the convention is taking place from September 8-12.
Critics say the event promotes violence and police militarization, particularly in minority and low-income communities.
“The same repressive international forces backed by the U.S. to oppress people across the world are coming together to train with police forces in our local neighborhoods. Urban Shield is literally spreading war on our communities both here and in our homelands,” said Nora Abedelal of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, one of the organizations behind the protest. “We are here today to stand with all communities against the militarization of police, and to demand an end to Urban Shield.”
At the time of publication, the gates at the fairgrounds were still being blocked. Elsewhere, activists marched through the streets, carrying signs and banners that read, “End the Militarization of Our Communities” and “End State Repression.”
Here in solidarity with #StopUrbanShield activists from around CA@StopUrbanShield pic.twitter.com/0jHX77gDtr
— SURJ Bay Area (@surjbayarea) September 9, 2016
#StopUrbanShield : Protestors shutting off the front entrance of the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Photo by Brooke A. pic.twitter.com/XXUVKMEfm2
— Ella Baker Center (@ellabakercenter) September 9, 2016
Asians for Black Lives shuts down entrance to Urban Shield this morning.#StopUrbanShield pic.twitter.com/ToDB3c7w1i
— It’s Going Down (@IGD_News) September 9, 2016
A petition to stop Urban Shield states, “These weapons and surveillance tools get integrated into the violence of everyday policing targeting Black, Brown, and poor communities. For instance, Black people are up to 40 times more likely to be impacted by SWAT raids than whites, clearly demonstrating the racism inherent in militarization and policing.”
On Twitter, the actions are being updated with the hashtag #StopUrbanShield.
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/09/09/protest-targets-expo-spreading-war-our-communities
No accountability, being beholden to no one creates crime in the police, political and civilian classes – not weaponization.
“Tyranny is defined as that which is legal for the government but illegal for the citizenry.”
-Thomas Jefferson
“We are here today to stand with all communities against the militarization of police, and to demand an end to Urban Shield.”
Seriously? DEMAND???
Got guns?
The king’s men are disinclined to acquiesce to DEMANDS, otherwise.
One of the biggest problems in this country right now is the nature of the “left-right” paradigm.
One the one hand, most of those who understand the true nature of the pigs and the police state think the problem will go away if they yell loudly enough, bang on drums, march with signs, etc.
Then you have citizens who own firepower (often formidable) and know how to use it. They almost always CLAIM to believe in freedom, the Second Amendment, etc. Unfortunately, most of them suck up to the pigs, the military, and “authority” in general. They pride themselves on being “law abiding,” i.e., obedient slaves of lobbyists and their pet politicians.
“Unfortunately, most of them suck up to the pigs,…”
And unfortunately, we won’t be there (other than by sheer luck) for their ‘Kodak moment’, when the truth finally dawns on them (PRICELESS!).
The communists have a tried & true (and permanent) solution for stupidity.
The pigs love the idea of being in a war on a population that won’t shoot back. It’s all fun and excitement, right? Just like a video game.
What they fail to understand is that some folks will gladly die tomorrow rather than be subjugated for the rest of their lives. When a man’s fear of death is overcome by the fear of slavery and dishonor, and extreme hatred for those who seek to impose these, then that man becomes the most dangerous weapon in the world.
The pigs don’t want to die. They’re motivated only by their pay and the artificial ego boost and power trip they get from their membership in the Blue Mafia — nothing more noble than that. Eventually, when they cross that invisible line and citizens start shooting back in significant numbers, the pigs will run and hide like the bitches they are, leaving the National Guard to fight on their behalf.
As long as the people still play the race card for everything rather than stand as one nation as a whole, there will never be change. Especially when you stand up to cops without any guns and expect them to take you kindly.
Have people learned nothing about the Bundy incident? (For lack of a better current event) Stand up as an armed population and you win. Stand up as an unarmed population and you lose. It’s that simple.