"Advice" from a cop who saw the mayday protests(USA)

[jookyle]

This was posted by a cop on the politics section of the website reddit.com. I thought you guys would be interested in seeing what the cops are putting into the activist rings as "constructive criticism" I post the link here, not enough posts yet



I’ve had that opportunity to speak with dozens of protesters this past year from Occupy and similar movements. I’ve also spoken with many more store owners, residents and people working in the area. I keep hearing these two things from the public:
I agree with the protesters but they are acting juvenile.
What specifically do they want?
Now I understand the majority of the time it isn’t the protesters causing the violence and crime; however, the protesters are being used as cover and human shields. We the Police can’t safely move through crowds to arrest these few trouble makers and have to address the entire group.
ADVICE Appearance:
Sunday best. It’s what worked for the union movements, Woman’s Suffrage and the Civil Rights Movement.
Refuse to be cover for those who would sully the message of your cause.
Get a permit! It is easy and get’s the public/Police on your side.
Message: The rest of the public seems to think the Occupy movement lacks specific goals/demands. Here are a few I think would be popular:
Federal bill stating a maximum 4% interest rate on student loans
A bill legalizing Marijuana with a 20% federal tax in addition to state taxes
A bill stating “Corporations are not people. Money is not speech.”
End super pacs
These are just my thoughts and aren’t meant to be insulting or condescending.

[GhostOfTheHaymarket]

meh, sounds like more reformist stuff to me. It's not a surprise that someone like a cop would say this but the Women's Suffrage and Civil Rights movements didn't have radical views like eliminating capitalism and replacing it with direct democracy and socialism, which is probably why so many people supported it. Once you talk of "eliminating capitalism" people's imagination conjures up images of Stalin and bomb-throwing insurrectionists- That and most people are pretty apathetic about the current state of things.

When you say Communism people instantly think of Stalin leading the Red Army in a glorious march through US suburbs slaughtering every "dirty capitalist".

When you say anarchism, people either think "Somalia hurr durr derp" or roving gangs of marauding looters.

[The Douche]

Oh, cops trying to divide social movements, what else is new?

[NewLeft]

By the public, he means the media.

He's pretty much regurgitating the media's criticism of how the movement has no demands..etc. It's much more easier to discredit Occupy if they got demands.

Like cmoney said, he wants us to separate from the 'trouble makers,' but why? If we followed his demands, then the protests would lose coverage in the media. The media was never on our side in the first place.

[Left Leanings]

Well now, what a terribly nice chap, offering his "advice" to the protestors.

I'm sure it's all in a days "community policing".

Thanks very much, officer - but please do fuck off.

[KurtFF8]

While her/his attitude certainly takes the movement more seriously than most cops that I've overheard talking about OWS, this is certainly no advice for revolutionaries

[jookyle]

This what I wrote in response when I had first seen it. More for the other redditers than for him, since so many seemed to like his ideas ಠ_ಠ


thoughts on your advice.

1.Wearing all black and identical clothing allows for your identity to be unknown to law officials in case things go down. So unless your apprehended during the crime, it'd be hard to find, arrest, and press charges.

2.duh. but just because someone acts with violence in the name of the cause doesn't necessarily mean their sullying it. It all depends on who's on the other end and how the act is carried out.

3.it depends on the nature of the protest and group organizing it. Not everyone would see support of the police as a positive asset to their movement.

Revolutions aren't polite.

As far as the vagueness of the occupy movement. Two thoughts:

1.It's not as vague as some people let on, the idea is quite clear to anyone who pays attention.

2.by keeping a certain level vagueness at this point is a purposeful tactic. Until the movement has a majority of the population on it's side, by giving specifics, it makes it much harder for people to use situational/propaganda against the group.

[bcbm]

the woman's suffrage and civil rights movement were violent...

[The Jay]

What are all you talking about? Socialists and "rabble rousers" had nothing to do with the Civil Rights or Women's Suffrage movements. It's not like the USSR had women voting in the first quarter of the twentieth century or anything. (end of sarcasm)

Seriously, people should read something other than school-board approved history.

[Rafiq]

Watch all the petite Bourgeois occupy Liberals take this seriously

"Oh yeah, I agree, what a nice guy!"

Really, fuck this.

[bcbm]

cops are 99%!

[Ele'ill]

all smart people know to listen to the state when the state has an idea on how to smash itself

[Veovis]

Sunday best. It’s what worked for the union movements, Woman’s Suffrage and the Civil Rights Movement.Fuck you, pig. I'll wear what I like.


Refuse to be cover for those who would sully the message of your cause.Fuck you, pig. Solidarity!


Get a permit! It is easy and get’s the public/Police on your side.Permits are expensive, plus the right to assemble is written down in your own bourgeois constitution, so fuck you, pig.


Message: The rest of the public seems to think the Occupy movement lacks specific goals/demands. Here are a few I think would be popular:
Federal bill stating a maximum 4% interest rate on student loansFuck you, pig. How about no student loans and free education for all?


A bill legalizing Marijuana with a 20% federal tax in addition to state taxesFuck you, pig. How about simply leaving people alone?


A bill stating “Corporations are not people. Money is not speech.”Citizens United was decided by the Supreme Court, so a Congressional bill won't cut it. Also, fuck you.


End super pacsEnd capitalism!


These are just my thoughts and aren’t meant to be insulting or condescending.Psh. Yeah right. Fuck you.

I'd like to offer my own advice:
Fire a cop, hire two teachers. (http://www.portlandoccupier.org/2012/05/03/fire-a-cop-hire-two-teachers/)

[Lobotomy]

Saw this on reddit the other day. the amount of bootlicking and masturbation over "approved" protests in the comments was disgusting.

[Geiseric]

Not just towards cops (who I hate as well and almost 100% of the time are complete mongoloid alpha male douchebags) I've seen communists shun reformist members of the proletariat who haven't reached revolutionary conclusions. We have to aid in that process as much as we can and not just tell people to fuck off.