In a growing national trend spotlighting the aggression, inequality, injustice and ruling class oppression over The People, the University of California Police Department, Berkeley showed up on campus this past Wednesday in riot gear and began without provocation, assaulting unarmed students - who remained peaceful and unmoved - for having the audacity to engage in assembly and speech.
In an effort to protest in solidarity with the Occupy Movement - specifically taking on the issue of the enormous costs of higher learning - students at Berkeley setup occupation-style tents on campus. Shortly thereafter, riot police moved in to exert force on the college kids. Armed with riot batons, beanbag guns, shielded helmets, a tacky amount of body armor, and an apparent total lack of moral code whatsoever - these cowards of men and woman who wear the UCPD, Berkeley Police shield began brutally assaulting America's children. Their souls, traded for the cheap and arbitrary effort of removing and destroying the tents that the students had set up.
The video (below) shows a total absence of any provocation for, or justification of, the violence that police indiscriminately distributed against the crowd of student protesters. The police simply, all of the sudden, begin beating protesters with their batons - hitting them in the ribs, the arms, the legs, the breasts, the hands, and even some in the head.
One brave, sandal-wearing, Peaceful Resister at the front of the line is seen gesturing repeatedly to the police that they are being watched. He stands his ground. He takes their beatings. He shows them the damage that they have inflicted to his hand. He tries to help protect another protester (who is obviously already injured) from the police baton that is relentlessly swinging towards his head. Instead, he draws more clubs in his own direction. This student is courage. These police cannot recognize it.
Eventually, the unified chant of "Stop beating students!" seemed to have it's intended effect. The police, who CHOSE to brutalize a crowd of college kids, could not move them. This is the bravest generation. Though their objective of removing the tents was complete, the police could not intimidate the crowd into dispersing. They could only retreat. Within 2 minutes of the police line moving back, students floated in new tents. And celebrated their momentary victory.
The police continued to pursue their tyrannical objectives by way of human rights violations into the night. This is a testament to the resolve and fortitude of the hearts of these brave students. This young generation who knows their rights and will not be separated from them. This young generation who knows what's right and will not settle for less. This young generation, that may have once been mistaken by it's predecessors for a socially awkward and technologically subdued, bunch of doomed slackers, has turned out to be a socially networked and technologically advanced bunch of true brave-hearts.
The video can be hard to watch. At a certain point, the brutality of some of the cops on the line in particular, seem clearly to stem from deep rooted sadism. Others, it seems clear, are not as comfortable with carrying out their orders to attack unarmed civilians. This is a testament to the human spirit being greater than the mind alone. Whether or not any of these such officers will step forward to denounce their department and beg the forgiveness of The People for carrying out such atrocious orders - orders that were clearly illegal, but more remarkably immoral - has yet to be seen. We are hopeful.
The University of California Police Department, Berkeley's facebook page has been getting quite a bit of attention lately. One political science student left a comment stating quite reasonably, "You beat me with a baton. I'd appreciate it if you didn't do that again." This kind of firm holding to reason and rational behavior is another testament to this new brand of freedom fighters. Their peaceful resistance stands firm, even in the face of violent oppressors exerting brute force over peaceful people, like grade school bullies on the playground searching for prey to assert their aggression on, as supposed evidence of their authority; desperately seeking a way to violently define themselves as worthy of respecting; angrily wanting for a way to feel a little less afraid of their entire world.
You can beat us down, but you cannot keep us down.
We know our rights.
We are here to claim them.
We are all Berkeley - and we are not afraid of you.
Sincerely,
The Occupy Movement
