Port of Tacoma Protest 3/5/07 Arrests of Peaceful Protesters

[jugclown]

oh well fta am ex vet this war is bullshit fighting a winless war another vietnam everyone should be allowed to protest and if your punk ass is against the protesters and never served in army or core eat shit only true military you dont know what it is to give up all your freedom

[magira66]

Alright Majority enough said. God Bless America, our troops, and the hippies.

[themajority1]

"Peaceful Protesters," huh? Is that like Peaceful Terrorists?" The end result is always the same...skew the message with acts of disturbance and violence. Rubber pellet them all and flick the parents' heads who bring their children to these things!

[magira66]

Majority it has already been established that you are not here to discuss anything but instead to spew nonsense. Peaceful terrorists. Probably the few people on the world that America has not pissed off yet. They will be violent terrorists by Friday.

[themajority1]

Yah, your right about this PARTICULAR video. Sorry to others for bringing in nonsense to this one. So, the fact remains. Peaceful protesters need to unite and throw the disorderly ones out to the police for clean up. The bad protesters will only hide behind you after THEY cause the police to respond. AND..AND!! magira66, I'm talking about Tacoma Port protesters AND WTO Seattle. This is what happened and you know it. Stop your rheteric.

[magira66]

In Seattle you see masked men smashing windows and threatening people. Here you have some old hippies and some young hippies. I fail to see the black bloc anarchists you speak of here in Tacoma. I failed to see anyone at all being particularly violent. And in Seattle the police let the black bloc smash things and did nothing to stop them. They did however mace alot of peaceful protesters instead.

[themajority1]

Guess you have me there. We both arm-chairing this. Nothing I say, you say, will change our positions. God Bless America, our troops, and the police. Bye...poof

[jrdubeau]

Protesters are f'ing annoying. I don't blame the cops for taking them out like that. What the f are they protesting in the first place??? They act like it's all about non-violence but deep down they want to cause a scene, and they want the cops to brutalize them so they have a great story that goes down in history. THEY WANT IT< TRUE

[Briannathegreat]

by the way, just in case you didnt know. reproductive organs are NOT in the stomach.

so punching somebody in the stomach would not make them unable to reproduce.

let me know if you would like to borrow a beginners book on reproduction.

[Briannathegreat]

name calling doesn't make you right.

ill take you on. so will the troops, who are on our side.

Check out the appeal for redress signed by over 1200 current military service men who are asking congress to withdraw from Iraq.

[Briannathegreat]

You dont scare me.

[brainphreak]

your a coward...there wouldnt even be womens right to vote and veitnam would never have ended if not for protesters.. so no, FUCK YOU, you fuckin coward. Go suck the dick of some neocon halfwit, drive your SUV and drink a beer and watch more tv you tool.

[Cakbug]

Look, I would like to maintain this as an open forum for discussion. If you don't want to have a discussion and would prefer to vent your frustrations and hateful messages, please do so elsewhere. Honestly, I don't care if you respect me, what I care about is respect for the necessity of having discourse on the war, for and against. Since you have thus far refused to contribute anything of substance, I don't feel as if you have any of that respect.

[Cakbug]

Your attacks are not valuable discourse.

[Cakbug]

Please stop making PERSONAL and SEXIST attacks on this video.

[Briannathegreat]

Geneva conventions actually does apply, if you read it TOO ALL CASES OF ANY ARMED CONFLICT EVEN IF THE SATE OF WAR IS NOT RECOGNIZED BY ONE OF THEM

So even if you think geneva doesnt apply to terrorists or that we are not fighting a war,doesnt matter because it still does.

All you can do is swear and name call instead of actually addressing the content of the politics.

Just because you call me a dumb shit doesnt make what I am saying untrue.

[Briannathegreat]

No they are not just an internet cult.

you are incorrect.

They are recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize and have been respected by the United Nations and world for decades.

And no I dont think Cindy Sheehan is stupid cunt because I believe women deserved to be treated with respect and dignity.

[queny2]

Look at the disgusting, blatantly criminal misogynistic and threatening comments from x918 below. Has someone contacted the police, or are they cool with all that?

[Briannathegreat]

yeah it was pretty misogynistic, but I'm not afraid of him. hes weak.

[queny2]

I got the sense you wouldn't be scared having read your posts BTG. Just couldn't let comments like X918s sit there unchallenged. Surely even some of the anti-protest people or any female PD officers reading must have been equally disgusted.

[queny2]

Time to wake up America. What do they remaining war supporters sound like? "I should disobey them and kill one of you fuckers".."you are a stupid cunt.I want to punch you in the stomach so you cant reproduce."Thats right people. Criminal sickos. Where do you stand?

[Briannathegreat]

They did not have the right to shoot protestors. The majority of the U.S. taxpayers want the war to stop. Nobel Peace Prize winning group, Human Rights watch also acknowledges this.

[SKITTZ0]

Based off the comments to the video if from the US, just shows how deeply divided this country truly is. There are so many ignorant of the law of the land, which is the United States Constitution.

[Briannathegreat]

this is incorrect. First of all, Wwe arent fighting terrorists in Iraq, we are fighting a war in Iraq. Any military service man will tell you that.

"In addition to the provisions which shall be implemented in peace time, the present Convention shall apply to all cases of declared war or of any other armed conflict which may arise between two or more of the High Contracting Parties, even if the state of war is not recognized by one of them."

[deathwatchsucka]

Yeah Human Rights Watch is a just a branch of these idiots. The real police brutality happens in many 3rd world countries, but those who complain are killed, that is the difference. Human Rights Watch is a branch of these loons.

[queny2]

Gosh if someone called "deathwatchsucka" calls you an idiot, then hey , you surely surely must be. Pal, you can tell people the cops didn't overreact, but they watch the video, and they decide for themselves. They can google "Human Rights Watch" too.

[Briannathegreat]

They are not just an internet site with a fancy name.

And actually they are very reputable, Human Rights Watch is a non-profit, international organization, supported by contributions from private individuals and foundations worldwide. Their partner organizations in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines won the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. they arent loons.

[queny2]

Yes, its OK to blow up towns in foreign countries you have invaded and occupied with Phosphorous bombs so long as you warn everyone to leave. Even the lame will walk...out. Anyone who opposes the war is a hippie to be ignored, as America is a democracy where people have er freedom. Like the unburnt Iraqis do now. So happy.

[Briannathegreat]

No, its not ok. Its a war crime and in violation of International law, the Geneva Convention. A pact we made with the world, to prevent another Adolph Hitler.

[Briannathegreat]

we didnt use an act of agression that intending to cause injury.

which is why most people were freed by the end of the night.

[Briannathegreat]

your arguments are not based on any form of reality.

[Briannathegreat]

I am not a dumbshit. I am very intelligent. Take your hateful rhetoric somewhere else. You must really be frightned of homosexuals and minorities.

[Briannathegreat]

Yup, Everybody knows that the major reason why the democrats won in the last election, was because they are against this war and against this president.

A poll on msnbc showed 85% of people believe that Bush should be impeached on the basis of war crimes.

[BootPatrol]

I couldn't agree more, Briannathegreat. This war is, to me, evil, and it is my belief that Bush should be brought up for impeachment on this as a high crime.

[ResistantGrim]

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

So piss off idiot. You can't kill people for this.

[Briannathegreat]

You are a homophobic facist.

[Hilltoppooh]

what's the sense of submitting video that's so shakey that you can't see anything...

[Mafia0000]

Ok first off the protesters are yelling and screaming, thats violent to me, not only that they were moving barracades set up and throwing them around. Pathetic

[Cakbug]

No one was throwing barricades, rocks or whatever else the police have claimed. How is their language used violent?

[Mafia0000]

Hey Cakbug, you video skills suck. Or are you doing it on purpose so no body can see what is really going on? I think so. No one is that bad at filming. You filming the sky most the time and its always out of focus. Your manipulating peoples minds. Your a pathetic wanna be hippie.

[Briannathegreat]

Well people were getting attacked from the police, when you are running and getting shot at it can be a little difficult to film.

Nobody's minds is being manipulated.

[Cakbug]

I do apologize for the shakey-ness, honestly, it was the first time I'd filmed something unscripted in years. I'd like to hear you're definition of a hippie, but by mine, I'd hate to be one.

[voiyour]

I'm all for you guys protesting. And I think the war is the biggest mistake the US has ever made. But, your own video shows multiple protestors throwing things at the cops.

[Cakbug]

Where?

[voiyour]

Look at

Port of Tacoma Police Riot -- camera #2

after about 3:15 you see several protestors throwing something at the cops

[Cakbug]

If you're referring to the tear gas canisters that had been shot at the protesters, yes those were thrown, but not at police. Even after a canister is shot off it can still explode, hence the fires seen in several of the videos. In order to protect yourself, from well, catching on fire you have to get the canisters as far away as possible. Also, there were folks who had gotten stuck in the cloud of tear gas, and the only way to find them is to get the gas to clear off.

[magira66]

Oh please you are switching over to their logic. People throw back the cannisters because CS stinks and lingers so let them suffer some of it too. After all they are dressed for it. Let them go home stinking of tear gas as well.

[brainphreak]

was this before or after they were assaulted?

[possum425]

First of all, the protesters had a right to be there, the protesters where not out of control, now I know few of you would be happy in a country where there is no protest and people are complaining about unjust wars and treat the police all the time with respect.

I would sudjest you try North Korea because a few of you do not seem to believe in American civil rights

[forREALpeaceandorder]

The only "war" I see you drawing any attention to is one of a bunch of ignorant and hateful people with too much time on their hands, against our police officers. I can't believe what those police officers have had to endure, and they do it so honorably. It's sad. Where is the "peace" in your protest? All I see is rage, hate and ignorance. Next time you are in serious trouble or danger, please don't call 911 and ask those officers to come help you. What do you want.. a lawless society?

[Briannathegreat]

They do not protect us. In its July 1998 report, Shielded from Justice: Police Brutality and Accountability in the United States, Human Rights Watch documents police misconduct in fourteen cities: . Human Rights Watch found that all the cities share a lack of effective public accountability and transparency, a persistent failure to investigate and punish officers who commit human rights violations, and a variety of obstacles to achieving justice.

[Bracus72]

The whole world is watching...

[ramblini]

Nobody was sitting in the street on March 5 when this video was taken. And if you think any of this is fake you should come some night and see for yourself.

[deathwatchsucka]

You cannot sit in the middle of the street. Once you did that...you broke the law. All that phony screaming is fake. How many of where seriously wounded...none I bet.

[Cakbug]

But does non-violently breaking the law justify the very violent actions of the police?

[boohoohoo25]

Yes it does. The police need to disperse the crowd. The protesters had to know that actions from the police were coming. Tear gas is not violent. If you think that is violence you should really get out in the world and see a little bit. Until than, these whiny people need to re-evaluate some things and get over themselves.

[Briannathegreat]

How the hell is tear gas non violent?

Get over themselves?

Protesting an illegal war that defies international law, protesting a troop surge when over 655,000 Iraqi Civilians are dead?

[boohoohoo25]

YOu must never have been exposed to tear gas. It is effective in that it surprises people and disperses crowds, but there are no lasting effects once it is washed out. "Violence" would injure people, not make them uncomfortable.

[Briannathegreat]

oh is that what violence is? Yes I actually have experienced tear gas, one boy had to go to the hospital because he had contact lenses in that tore up in his eye once they sprayed the gas.

Definition of violence Violence is any act of aggression and abuse that causes or intends to cause injury to persons

[Cakbug]

As someone who has been exposed to a fair amount of tear gas it's a pretty terrible experience, especially when you're scared. Also there are long lasting effects, it's a poison gas and it can cause a large array of chronic problems. I know two people in particular who when in areas that have a lot pollution or low oxygen cannot breath at all. This has been diagnosed.

[boohoohoo25]

And I'm not arguing about the war, I'm arguing about the "police brutality" that everyone is wailing about. Making them uncomfortable with tear gas, pepper spray, and some rubber bullets because they are not complying with police is not violent. True police brutality would have left injuries. There were none.

[Briannathegreat]

One girl was shot 18 times and has massive bruises and swelling.

Others have back pain, trouble breathing and neck injuries.

So in reality, there were injuries left.

[deathwatchsucka]

You are right. This is phony. They wanted to do this so they could put it on youtube. They broke the law by sitting in the street. They cry about tear gass/rubber bullets. True police brutality, they would've used real bullets. They didn't.

[forREALpeaceandorder]

Very violent?? Please. You clearly have never truly experienced violence. Those officers show incredible control and restraint..unlike you all. You don't helping anyone.

[VS24AT]

how many MILLIONS did the police THUGS of Tacoma kill that night?

11, 12 maybe 13 million I would guess by the video coverage that would rival Tianamin Square ( many of you weren't born then so that protest comparison is beyond your comprehension )

[possum425]

Excessive force used by police is against the law.

and I did not hear a whole lot of trash talk thrown at the police (except for 1 person who was being attacked by a cop with a bike) I heard mostly people chanting none violence and you dont have to go.

my guess is that most of the negative comments here are from foul mouthed trash that are prowar

[supportusa]

What do you want the police to do- throw flowers and blow kisses to the protesters who are breaking the law? Some force needs to be used to subdue someone breaking the law. I seriously doubt that excessive force is being used. And don't be fooled, these people have done nothing but scream extremely foul, disgusting things at these officers every night for a week straight- these officers should be given medals for what they have had to endure this week.

[asuburbanprincess]

Haven't you read the first amendment?

[Briannathegreat]

we werent breaking the law, they actually were.

It was public property and by using baricades to block off public propert, they are breaking the law.

Move to germany you nazi.

[ghoss69]

non violent protesters shouldn't be using any foul language and should just stick in one spot and protest. there is no need for them to run infront of moving vehicles or shouting foul languages at the cops who are just doing their jobs. these protesters should just suck my cock and lick my asshole so i can live my life happily ever after.

[Cakbug]

There has been an effort within the group to limit the amount of angry language directed towards the police. With that said, it is very scary and very enraging to watch your friends get injured for no reason. Every individual needs to make their own decisions about their stance on the war. All of us are dedicated to non-violent resistance to ending the war, and there is no reason for the cops to respond with violence.

[boohoohoo25]

"There has been an effort within the group to limit the amount of angry language directed towards the police." Yeah, it sure sounds that way. What kind of effort? The ones who talk like I'm hearing in these videos sure makes all of the real peace activists look bad.

[Cakbug]

It's pretty hard to restrain raising ones voice when you're watching your friends getting hurt by an out of control group of police.

[boohoohoo25]

There was plenty of swearing, trash talking, and harassment towards the police long before anything else started. Of course you don't have a video of that.

[Hilltoppooh]

Peaceful protests...yes, disobeying the law...yes, the title should say "Arrests of unlawful protesters", if the police tell them to stay behind the line and they cross it, they SHOULD BE ARRESTED! So, if the police let them run out in front of a moving vehicle and they get run over, what would the headline say then?

[Cakbug]

My question is though, is disobeying the law violent? It certainly can be, but no one at any of these actions has shown any sign of or interest in violence.

[boohoohoo25]

Disobeying the law may not be violent, but it is illegal. They should be arrested. And if they are resisting arrest than the police need to get them under control. They are use force to do that to protect themselves and get an arrestee under control as quickly as possible. If the activists didn't want to get arrested, they shouldn't have crossed the line.

[Cakbug]

One of the activists did not cross the line, the other two did expect to get arrested, but the level of violence used seems uncalled for. None of them were resisting arrest, but they were hurt anyway.

[boohoohoo25]

Regardless of my feelings on the war, these protesters are not doing anything to convince people that the war is illegal, wrong, or unjust. If anything, they are making idiots of themselves and harming the cause. The harassment of the police and bad language of a few bad protesters makes any peaceful activists who might call attention to their cause look bad too.

[Cakbug]

At least myself, I am there for the troops to see me. We've had an incredible amount of support from Iraq veterans and those currently enlisted. We've had a lot of soldiers in the strykers give us a thumbs up or wave a peace sign. I think the media response has been varied, but the response from the soldiers has been incredibly positive. I'm sick of our soldiers dying and being ordered to kill innocent Iraqis.

[ghoss69]

soldiers are never ordered to kill innocent iraqis. where did you get that idea from? innocent people get killed because terrorist attack where there are innocent people. us soldiers kill civilians on their own will due to being stupid and ignoring the rules of engagement, but are never given orders to attack innocent people.

[Briannathegreat]

Yes they sure are, 655,000 Iraq civilians have been killed from US occupation. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

Military attacked civilian town of fallujah.

"I heard myself the order of watching out because white phosphorus was being used on Fallujah. In the military slang is called Willy Pete. The phosphorus butns the bodies, it even melts them."I have seen women and children burnt bodies"- testimony of Jeff Englehart, Iraq qar veteran

[MrsMKP]

The citizens of Fallujah were given notice to move out of Fallujah before the attacks began. So if they stayed there, they knew that fights were going to start. The ppl that the US Military faught against in Fallujah were the terrorists, not the Iraqi Civilians. Those civilians that got killed, were in killed in the way of friendly and enemy fire.

You won't hear a thank you from my husband, he hates those liberal Dems kissing hippies.

[Briannathegreat]

Article 6(b) of the 1945 Nuremberg Charter defines a Nuremberg War Crime in relevant part as the ". . . wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages. . ." According to this definitive definition, the Bush Jr. administration's destruction of Fallujah constitutes a war crime for which Nazis were tried and executed.

and I am not a democrat or a liberal.

This is a reality.

Water, electricity and medical supplies were also cut off from this town, which is also a war crime.

[queny2]

Thing is Brian, you and I already know-Nazis don't care, and the media won't cover the issue for ordinary folks who might, unless its filmed privately and already put on Youtube. Next the cameras get confiscated and/or the crackdown gets harder. Are the protesters ready for that?

[Briannathegreat]

hell yeah.

There have been many times in history when people who had right on there side fought against tremendous odds and were victorious.

[Cakbug]

The citizens of New Orleans before Katrina were also told to leave, but it's a high task to move out of your town in an emergency. Especially when there is no assistance of transport given, or the danger the barreling down on you regardless.

[Briannathegreat]

This is not true. The majority of people who are against this war have thanked us many times over. We are not making ourselves look bad. Which is why every time we came out, our number multiplied.

[nikkiandrews8]

who ever submitted this is a an complete idiot. what a bunch of insticators. and they are saying "non-violent" but yet they are not obeying the police (who by the way help us live safely)this is so ridiculous

[Cakbug]

Non-violent resistance can contain civil disobedience, which can result in arrest, but should not result in police brutality. It is a danger to the existence of free speech to allow this to go unchallenged.

[Briannathegreat]

During the civil rights movement, white students sat with black students to demand integration. The police shot them, gassed them and killed some of them. They also arrested Rosa parks for "breaking the law"

You dont obey the police when they are incorrect.

[MrsMKP]

Free the Troops from what? They are not captured are they? As for the dude that said he was over there, and that said your SGT. is a douchebag, OMG, what a disrespect. This is Childlike behavior, good grief. These are mainly those that protested a few wars ago, during Nam, same clothing style.

They might be nonviolent but they disobey the rules, they cross lines they were told not too, and yes, they get arrested,...bunch of hippies.

[Briannathegreat]

Actually the majority of people there on this night were youth.

So actually we werent around during Nam.

And there were young Iraq Veterans there as well.

[ghoss69]

lol@you...you are one dumb fuck!!! msnbc is rated one of the worst news cuz they report shitty stuff. thats the fox poles...and as far as civilians in fallujah getting killed, they were in the crossfires...not intentional. in addition, terrorists use them as shields...wise up fool!

[Briannathegreat]

(Protocol II as amended on 3 May 1996), when the United States is a party to such Protocol, willfully kills or causes serious injury to civilians. Doesnt matter what reason civilians were getting killed, they were still killed.

This is in standard to U.S. law.