DNC Drama, Caught on Tape
Everyone is watching, talking and reading about the DNC. It is, obviously, quite historical. However, somehow, among all the excitement and drama, we are still missing certain headlines. For example, how come I only found two mentions of this incident? Here is a brief recap, for those who aren’t in the know…
On Tuesday, a demonstration took place in which arrests were made. In an effort to document the arrests, a young CODEPINK woman (Alicia) was photographing the police and their aggressive behaviors. Apparently one of the local sheriffs wasn’t too pleased:
The sheriffs were NOT appreciative of Alicia’s attempt to photograph the incident. Thus, in an over-the-top, some might even say unprofessional response to Alicia’s citizen journalism, the Denver sheriff (shown in the video), apparently bashed the diminutive young woman with his baton, knocked her to the ground, and left her sprawled across the pavement in pain.
After being helped to her feet by witnesses who were shocked at the officer’s seemingly unprovoked aggression, Alicia was approached by on-site media who asked what precipitated the altercation with the sheriff. When Alicia began to tell the media what happened, the sheriff, in still another questionable act, grabbed her, collared her gruffly, whisked her off the premises, and arrested her.
This whole incident was caught on video, though some of the relevant footage is missing. When I first watched it, I was in shock. I had to review it multiple times to fully digest what happened. To be honest, I’m not sure if it was just people getting carried away (no pun intended) at a protest. However, I’m unclear what the grounds are for arrest in a situation like this one.
The question remains, how do we miss this stuff? Why isn’t this making the cover of The New York Times? Isn’t it just as important as other DNC events? Or are we already living in a “police state?” Has apathy regarding such footage become second nature?
9 responses so far
What the hell?!
I’ve read some random posts, but I tend to read those kind of blogs and my friend Emily lives in Denver so I had some clips from Denver papers. I also posted a link to a great blog photographically covering all the outside goings( fear and loathing)(http://drunkatdnc.blogspot.com/) on some great pictures and some vids of some of the protests.
It appears the arrests were based on prior testament of the Mayor that if people were told they were in the way and didn’t move, permits or not, they would be physically moved or arrested. Something like that.
The major media is only interested in making drama of a rather dull convention.
That’s absolutely ridiculous. I had to watch the video a few times too, just to get the full understanding that yes he did just throw her to the ground. What an absolutely shameful display.
The behavior? Totally not acceptable. But … living in a large city, pretty much all the coverage of my local news is about shootings, killings, robberies and other inhumane acts. And I’m caught asking on a daily basis, isn’t there other news that’s more important than this? So, to be honest, I’m happy not to hear about individual events. Let me emphasize individual here. In this case, the behavior was absolutely in the wrong, But, it wasn’t representative of the whole police force. It wasn’t a memo from the top exposing support of that kind of behavior. Instead, it was one bully cop. And I’d hate for the actions of one person to be sensationalized by our media and lead to mass hysteria over the (non) state of our union.
Holy crap.
I was similarly manhandled once, in Britain of all places, by a bobby (just typed “booby,” ar ar) who thought I was protesting against veal trucks in Dover. When actually it was a rag-hitch to Paris for charity (a weird thing UK uni students do)…he saw but did not read my little cardboard sign and shoved me into a ditch. Really sent me flying.
I can’t even tell you how outraged I was, just sputtering impotently with fury. It was hilarious in retrospect because for various horrifying colonial reasons the first thing that came into my mind to say, which I immediately said, was, and I quote: YOU CAN’T DO THAT TO ME, I’M AN AMERICAN!
And then I fell over and died of shame.
So ANYway…yeah, coppers all over the world have some problems with being punchy. My personal belief is that only mothers over the age of forty should be allowed to train as police officers.
But no one cares what I think. Or whether I’m an American.
What did *you* think about Obama’s speech last night?
I don’t know if you’ve been to a mass protest in DC but this doesn’t surprise knowing many people that have. When friends of mine went to protest Bush’s election as President or the Iraq war, they were beat up by police, and had tear gas thrown at them when all they were doing is peacefully exercising their constitutional rights. It’s sad that it’s come to this but we live in such fear monger volatile times that this is acceptable behavior and the media does nothing to call it out.
Cooper — Yes, I book-marked that link and didn’t check it out until I saw your comment here, last night. I was, firstly, really impressed with the photography. I also appreciate the fact that someone is looking beneath the corporate media and providing something else to the people. Thank you for sharing that site.
Nilsa — You are so right re: And I’d hate for the actions of one person to be sensationalized by our media and lead to mass hysteria over the (non) state of our union. It’s a good point that I hadn’t considered.
UnNarrator — Ah, my dear. You are full of crazy stories from past lives that I can never quite believe. As for your question, what did *I* think about Obama’s speech last night…I first read some of it on the NYTimes and then watched it on t.v. (Yes, backwards, I know. I’m in LA visiting my dad. He Tivo’d it, or whatever fancy shmancy mechanism he has). Although I am entirely aware of its historical significance, I have to say I believe I’ve heard better from Obama. It was a good speech, but not great. In fact, and I’m sure many will disagree with me, I wasn’t that impressed with his statements. However, I certainly respect the comments he made regarding, and to, his opponent, as well as to President Bush himself. I didn’t walk away thinking, YES WE CAN! But I do hope we can.
Rachel Eden — I appreciate you pointing this out. It remains astonishing, to me, that United States police continue to beat people up at protests or throw tear gas. I completely agree with you regarding the media and the fact that issues like these are essentially avoided. That is exactly the point I wanted to make with this post.
On the one hand, I second Nilsa. These incidents don’t stem from marching orders by the police chief. This is the Democratic National Convention, (what we’d like to believe as) a relative bastion of free speech and open ideas.
On the other hand Kent State, Emmit Till (sp?), Birmingham, Abu Gharib. A culture creates these terrible events. They are incidents crystallized in our minds because we know that the powerful became so frightened of the weak or the many that they turned to violence to silence what was too loud for their ears, too bright for their eyes.
This culture needs to be changed. I don’t condone what the cop did, but to believe he is acting on direct orders from a Gestapo is naive. Naive and less overt, but perhaps more insidious.
I’m talking about things like CIA rendition tactics and abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo. A culture of fear creates these things.
Police brutality is a product of this culture, albeit a lesser one. To call this state a Police State is a misnomer. It is a culture that allows brutal acts of violence to go on unseen.
The government has learned from KState. The revolution may not be televised, but neither will the violence. The violence that goes on in our name, to ostensibly protect us.
So, yes, we should get mad about cop beatings. I’ve worked on a few cases at a certain agency (begins with A, ends with LU) involving them. But, we should also not keep our eyes off the ball.
These things are going on and we’re paying attention to the small fry.
//rant over//
Ouaisouais me too, absolutely! meaning I was also less than overwhelmed by his speech. Frankly, I wasn’t even really whelmed. But I said all this already, all over Anatomy of Dress.
Then I went to have coffee with the graduate student president (a PhD student in rhet/comp) and in between gossiping about departmental sexual liaisons we bashed on the Dems SO HARD. Because it is bitter and because it is my heart.