DIA, COLORADO- While we shuffled around the International Arrivals reception area trying to abide by the sign restrictions placed on our airport free speech permit, these children brazenly unfurled totally unvetted posters they’d prepared to welcome their daddy’s return from Mexico.
Forty seven water protectors were arrested yesterday as militarized police cleared both Oceti and Rosebud camps along the Cannonball River in Standing Rock. Helicopters flew low, not to support the ground troops conducting tent to tent raids, but to interfere with resistance drones recording the spectacle. Drone operators report their links being jammed and their drones being forced into collisions if they were unable to avoid the Homeland Security choppers. There were many live feeds being broadcast from drones, long distance cameras and on the front lines. Once Oceti camp was cleared, one by one the feeds were interrupted and dropped. When connections resumed, viewers learned that Rosebud camp too was swept and cleared. Rosebud was on reservation land, not disputed treaty land, but BIA officers helped by militarized police evicted everyone.
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO- Water Protectors Jerima King (on left) and Karyna Lemus were arrested inside a downtown bank on Friday while trying to convey a message to Wells Fargo Bank to divest its interest in Energy Transfer’s controversial Dakota Access Pipeline. Protesters were denied entry into the Wells Fargo main location but marched to a nearby branch and entered its lobby before police were called. Several dozen Springs activists participated in coordination with protests at Wells Fargo banks across the country.
The bank doors were locked against the Water Protectors, who’d been asked to act in support of the Standing Rock encampment which is actively trying to block the construction.
CSPD officers emerge to warn protesters that those who remain seated will be arrested. Before the protest had even begun, a CSPD paddy wagon was parked on the sidewalk next to the bank, to intimidate the activists. Earlier police officers circulated to tell everyone that they’d be allowed to enter, and be arrested if they wish. The police said they’d seen Facebook references to the desire to be arrested. They wanted to know specifics of what to expect to ensure that no one would have to be hurt getting arrested.
When the group tried to enter, the same officers blocked our way. They said “you can’t come in.” When I disagreed and pushed past them, they physically ejected me out the door. Then commanded me to rebove my foot from holding the door ajar.
So much for the pre-arrangements touted by those protesters who’d taken their council. Since there was no gameplan to discuss, meaning there was no way to tell the police what to expect, the police were effectively disseminating the warning that being arrested unpredictably would mean getting hurt. And there was never an intention to allow the demonstrators to enter the bank atrium, no matter how peaceful.
The new CSPD warning was conveyed to Karyna and Jerima. But everyone remained, whether seated or standing.
After a brief rally at the front door. The water protectors discussed visiting a Wells Fargo branch four blocks to the south. Over the bullhorn we feigned disbanding, thanking everyone for joining in, then going to our cars. Except we appeared to have left our cars, all of them, in the same direction. CSPD did not take note and we were able to reach the branch location and enter its lobby.
There was not room enough for everyone in the tiny lobby. Note the bullhorn.
Officers arrest the two water protectors who stayed behind after the bank employees locked the doors.
Water Protector Jerima King is led out in handcuffs.
El Paso County Green Party upstart Karyna Lemus is taken in handcuffs.
Arrestees were taken to CSPD HQ in a police van.
DENVER, COLORADO- Thousands streamed into Civic Center Park to spend Saturday afternoon listening to speeches against President Trump’s MUSLIM BAN. Lots of families with kids so I kept my sign on the fringe pointed outward. I don’t usually favor profanity but this slogan was spotted at New York’s JFK airport last Satruday, then replicated across the country the same weekend. I spotted several at the Denver rally AND in Colorado Springs, because I think, NOT TODAY MOTHERFUCKER says it best. Racism, bigotry and wanton abuse of power is obscene.
Just a synonym for “right”. One of the candidates for a high office said putting Ms Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill was “pure political correctness” Woo hoo! Hallelujah! It’s finally been decided that politics should be done Right! and doing right is good politics! As for Jackson, apart from being a slaveholder, he was a real estate tycoon who sold land before the residents of the land were even informed they were being evicted, because of their skin color. A racist thief in other words. And a murderer, let’s not forget that part. He couldn’t do the evictions without a credible threat of killing people if they didn’t give it up. And he had a whole shitload of people killed. American people, in case that makes a lot more difference to Some People than it does to me. It would be really kewl to have a picture of the old racist bastard burning in Hell, but I suspect that establishment doesn’t allow cameras.
MEDIA BLACKOUT ON 400+ ARRESTS AT WASHINGTON DC #DEMOCRACYSPRING –You don’t have to be there to support the work of these activists. You can help by making others aware of their action. Add your voice and share. They are standing up for us. It’s time we stand with them and spread the word of their action.
One highlight of 2015. Special thanks to Wile E. Coyote.
DENVER, COLORADO- Here’s Eric Brandt at the corner of Speer and Parkway IN HIS ELEMENT. Click on the above image for the full scene. You’re only looking at a closeup.
DENVER, COLORADO- It may not have been the motorcycle cop who was overheard at Sunday’s #BlackLivesMatter march -commemorating the one-year anniversary of the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson- telling a fellow officer “they’re upset about a Nigger who was killed”, but one DPD biker photographed had decorated his sidearm with flair one might hope wasn’t standard-issue. Stuck on the handle of his Glock was a variant of a smiley emoticon which mocked the apprehension a subject might feel upon seeing the unholstering of lethal force.
Photo by Patrick Jay
DENVER, COLORADO- A coalition of Colorado activists led by Black Lives Matter 5280 marched through the state capitol on Sunday to mark the one-year anniversary of the killing of Michael Brown by Ferguson police. Over two hundred marchers gathered at Lawson Park and marched to the courthouse where a memorial ceremony was held for all recent victims of police violence.
Photos by David Lee Anderson
DENVER, COLORADO- Spotted downtown. Did you know a police car can be “off-duty”? Can private interests now hire public assets like a rent-a-cruiser with their rent-a-cops?
It’s become so critical to record the US police state. By the time I got my camera phone ready, my photo of an excessive buildup of police cruisers at Civic Center Park was photo-bombed by exactly one too many veterans of police brutality already recording the buildup.
DENVER, COLORADO- Anonymous dedicated May’s Every5th to victims of Denver police violence. For Cinco de Mayo, Anons brought PINATAS in the likeness of the DPD! Many “Every Cinco” attendees were victims of the pepper spray incident of April 29, when DPD riot cops tried to exterminate its infestation of stubborn marchers by fumigating them with cayenne pepper. In response, Anons considered macing the piñatas, but aerosol wasn’t going to bust these piggies open and guests were eager to get to the chocolates and FTP pins inside. Participants took turns whacking the pigs with UMBRELLAS, Occupy Hong Kong’s answer to pepper spray. After an interminable beating the pigsters gave up.
The EVERY CINCO bash on the west steps of the capitol
Three little piggies
Blindfolded Anons
Preparing to spike
Going
Gone
DENVER, COLORADO- It started with a cop falling off his motorcycle, being pushed it’s alleged, by a bicyclist. Paramilitary officers piled on the cyclist while playing Orkin Man to Civic Center Park’s infestation of free speech. Photos from Denver’s April 29 march against police violence reveal that pepper spray was used less to disperse the hundred or so marchers than to repel Youtube bites. Photos by Patrick Jay and Jason Metter.
Although the marchers had already been herded back unto the sidewalk, militarized state troopers laid down a smokescreen of spray to create a no man’s land around their arrestee.
The march was 2% black, but the DPD chose from the 2% minority for the first arrests. Here activist Al Nesby has been pulled from the crowd while tablet-bearing witness David Long records the irony.
An officer assists in Al’s arrest by directing pepper spray at David whose perspective was apparently too up close and personal.
The officer also arcs his spray toward photojournalist Tanner Spendley.
Here officers spray an activist who was only mouthing off.
When the DPD aimed their pepper spray at individuals, it was because they bore cameras. Otherwise the spray seemed intended to fumigate. At no time were police officers under attack or trying to break apart a stubborn crowd. The pepper spray was dispensed like backwoods insect repellent toward an unseen foe whose sting the officers feared.
Wrote activist Jason Metter:
I believe the cops intended to attack us from the moment the march began. The cop who dropped his motorcycle, unprovoked, started a mini cop-riot by pretending to have been pushed. I did not see any protestors take aggressive actions against the cops. It seems the cops pepper sprayed us to prevent us from photographing and filming them and to punish us for not being meekly obedient to their unreasonable orders.
Even as the clouds of cayenne aerosol appear distant in these photos, each debilitated the nearby subjects and required rinsing of clothes, hands and faces.
Production note: all photographers were harmed in the taking of these pictures.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK- Alright, just for laughs, here are two photos of the pepper spray escalation at Flood Wall Street, taken Sept 22. Both are cropped for emphasis but below you can see the full images which show the poor NYPD faces wincing after being hit by their own pepper spray. We’ve all heard about IQ-caps in the popo recruiting process, evidently these cops pass/failed the pissing-in-the-wind test. Hong Kong Occupiers are wielding umbrellas against chemical attacks, if pro-democracy pNGOs really want to help, send them leaf blowers.
This image actually preceded the other: the moment the pepper spray was discharged, aimed with the precision of Fabreze.
This photograph shows how many NYPD officers were struck, some yet too stoic to react, while Officer Pepper Spray threatens the crowd with MORE OF THE SAME!
‘Jorge Gonzalez, executive director of Coffee Strong in Lakewood (South Tacoma, Washington area) , called for a congressional investigation into why Fort Lewis-McChord’s leadership is failing its soldiers. The shop, located near the sewing center, provides counseling and other outreach to Lewis-McChord soldiers. The organization had planned a Monday night vigil for the victims of Sunday’s attacks but canceled it out of concern it would be seen as criticizing the Army and its soldiers.’ See Lewis-McChord soldiers concerned.
Sound’s like Coffee Weak, not strong, does it not? And just what good is a religious pacifist dominated ‘Peace coffee shop’ when it allows itself to be bullied into silence. This group, Coffee Strong, seemingly has much more solidarity with the US killing machine than they do for the victims of it. Sad… since nobody ever respects the message of so-called ‘Peace activism’ when the Peace people seemingly have no back bone, just like these people have shown themselves to really lack.
Yes, support the soldiers when they break away from the killing machine, Coffee Strong, but why support their o’ so sensitve feelings when they still are totally an integral part of The System? I cannot see any reason to support that at all. What makes a group FOR Peace is when they do criticize the Army. So do it then, and criticize the US army’s mission. Those troops who are antiwar completely will support you for having some back bone when you finally can get that.
Thirty year military veteran, Brian Cloughley, writes in the latest online weekend edition of CounterPunch just exactly what he thinks about Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, who continues to head up the U.S. Central Command in Asia. The following is what he has to say in brief…
‘The fact that a psychotic moron like James Mattis is now chief of the US military’s Central Command is a depressing indication that Washington prefers smart-ass murderous dum-dums to intelligent life. Someone who finds it fun to kill people because they “ain’t got no manhood” is seriously disturbed and should not be in command of a pretzel stand. The appalling Mattis, that piece of perambulating filth — whose official photograph bears an uncanny, terrible and probably intentional resemblance to that of the disloyal, dishonorable and disastrous General Douglas MacArthur — is, quite simply, brainless beyond belief.’
He goes on to state that…
‘Moronic Marine Mattis is the typical US General of our times. He is brash, arrogant, conceited, over-promoted and incompetent. He loves killing people. His troops and aircraft killed 24 soldiers of the Pakistan army on November 26 last year in a cross-border attack, and, like his Washington admirers, he offered no apology for the catastrophe.’
Cloughley’s diagnosis about the US command occupying Afghanistan?
‘Commanders of soldiers — real leaders of men — good officers — have no difficulty in maintaining discipline and decency in their troops. It is when the rot comes from the top that vicious filth appears at the bottom.’
So I guess we can look for even more pissy US government/ Pentagon made atrocities ahead in Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. It looks like we will continue to have stormy weather ahead, all thinks to the Democratic Party top leadership and their insistence in fighting old wars and beginning yet new wars of aggression in the ME and Asia. YES, the Bush Cheney crowd has long ago given up being in command of these wars, you know… We know that, don’t we? The US CIC is now Barack Obama, who is head of the Democratic Party.
To links to more of Brian Cloughley's commentaries about military issues
The aircraft carrier is not a defensive weapons system but one meant to start wars within other people’s nations and terrains. In short, it is an assault system, or mobile fort and airfield.
Global Security states that ‘America has nearly twice as many aircraft carriers – 20 – as the rest of humanity combined – 12 – and America’s aircraft carriers are substantially larger than almost all the other’s aircraft carriers. The Navy likes to call the big Nimitz class carriers “4.5 acres of sovereign and mobile American territory” — and all twenty American carriers of all classes add up to nearly 70 acres of deck space. …The rest of the world’s carriers have about 15 acres of deck space, one fifth that of America’s.’ Here is Global Security’s excellent and scaled to size pictorial representation of the world’s offensive fire power as compared to the Pentagon’s. Check it out at… carriers.htm
DENVER- Concert, 1000-strong march, and the customary Broadway sidewalk shenanigans. Here’s a paint-tub drummer, PVC didjeridoo and my vote for best sign: MIND THE GAP. Saturday’s musical festivities in Civic Center Park meshed well with the annual Zombie Crawl, but the day’s highlight came after dark, when Denver’s anarchist community held a march against police brutality in memory of DPD victim Marvin Booker. The unpermitted route began at Denver Zoo and defined “Whose streets? OUR STREETS!” as it took 23rd, York, Colfax, Broadway, around OCCUPY DENVER’s CC park and into the 16th Street Mall where nocturnal Zombies swelled the ranks and found themselves chanting and carrying the banners STOP POLICE TERRORISM and LAW ENFORCEMENT: END YOUR WAR AGAINST THE PEOPLE.
COLORADO COLLEGE- The ultra conservative Young America’s Foundation erected a September 11th memorial on the grounds of Colorado College consisting of little American flags stuck in the grass to commemorate the 2,977 lives lost ten years ago, since avenged 500 fold.
Seen this video? Conspiracy theory mocked in less than five minutes.