Copwatch

[Bakica]

wow, some people actually support this ? on anarhist forum ?

[Carlos]

Please spare me your macho bullshit, one shot to the knee would not only have stopped him dead in his tracks he would still be alive, why don't you go cheerlead for the fuckin pigs somewhere else..

Also notice they had a trained dog with them....now why wasn't the dog used? If keeping the man alive was even going through their minds they would have released the dog, I'm sure it would have taken care of this incident without life loss.

[PunkRockAnarchy_666]

SATURDAY evening the occupy Oakland protestors protested police brutality in oakland, california

[Anarcho4Life]

That's good and all and I do support it but at the same time.... who is going to listen to them? What pisses me off is that the media will cover it but they will skew it to fit what they want it to sound like. I tell people all the time what is happening in the world and who is doing what, but I usually get the rolled eyes or the "I don't care" speech in return. I don't want to sound pessimistic but I have almost given up on humanity. Like in Occupy Wallstreet, the people had good views and reasons for being there, but thanks to the likes of Fux News and CNN the voice of the people was diluted and made to look ignorant. Of course it didn't help that MOST, not all, of the people they interviewed for TV were idiots to begin with. Fuck police brutality. Because they carry a badge they can get away with mostly anything and even if the people are peaceful they will use force. To know who wants to start the violence you have to look at the ones who are dressed for it. Here's a video I made using DOOM's song Police Brutality. It's not the best I will admit, but I tried.

[Indigent]

wow. look at him just keep spraying those helpless kids like he's enjoying it. Fuck these oppressors! Police bastards. This is just a terrible situation. My hats off to these young men and women who are currently fighting for what they believe in. Keep fighting the authoritarian nature of the government!

[butcher]

Man tasered to death in Sydney after running from the cops for, according to 'The Project' (Channel 10 here), stealing biscuits.

'Help me': witness tells of last words of Taser victim

The last words of a man who died after being Tasered by police were "help me", as he was shot with the stun gun up to four times, tackled to the ground and kicked by an officer in central Sydney, a witness says.

CCTV footage shows six police officers chasing the man in Pitt Street, and one of the officers can be seen pointing the Taser at the man.

[butcher]

I'm a bit suss about the statistical methodology but:

More Than Half of Police Officers Voted For Neo-nazi Party

More than half of all police officers in Greece voted for pro-Nazi party Golden Dawn in the elections of May 6. This is the disconcerting result of an analysis carried out by authoritative newspaper To Vima in several constituencies in Athens, where 5,000 police officers in service in the Greek capital also cast their ballot.

At some polling stations, Golden Dawn obtained 19 to 24% of votes.

Others, like Agios Panteleimonas and Kypseli, traditional strongholds of the party, reached 15 to 18%. According to the newspaper, at the 11 polling stations (from 806 to 816) located near the police station (Ellas), Golden Dawn received most votes, reaching 18.64% at station 813 and 23.67% at number 816.

Other polling stations situated at a short distance from the ones mentioned before, where police officers do not vote, recorded 12-14% of votes for the Golden Dawn party.

The four polling stations located near the riot police station (MAT), used by the police, recorded percentages between 13 and 19 for Golden Dawn.

These figures, To Vima underlines, are impressive, considering the fact that other polling stations close to the riot police station reached 7-10% of votes for the pro-Nazi party. Based on the electoral lists, 550 to 700 people have voted at each of these voting stations, of which 20 to 30% police officers. The newspaper worked out that 45 to 59% of police officers voted for Golden Dawn.

[punkmar77]

I don't know about you Butcher but I feel like Greece is replaying the same movie Spain went through in the 20's leading up to the revolution....I can just feel it coming.

[JesusCrust]

I'm a bit suss about the statistical methodology but:

More Than Half of Police Officers Voted For Neo-nazi Party

More than half of all police officers in Greece voted for pro-Nazi party Golden Dawn in the elections of May 6. This is the disconcerting result of an analysis carried out by authoritative newspaper To Vima in several constituencies in Athens, where 5,000 police officers in service in the Greek capital also cast their ballot.

At some polling stations, Golden Dawn obtained 19 to 24% of votes.

Others, like Agios Panteleimonas and Kypseli, traditional strongholds of the party, reached 15 to 18%. According to the newspaper, at the 11 polling stations (from 806 to 816) located near the police station (Ellas), Golden Dawn received most votes, reaching 18.64% at station 813 and 23.67% at number 816.

Other polling stations situated at a short distance from the ones mentioned before, where police officers do not vote, recorded 12-14% of votes for the Golden Dawn party.

The four polling stations located near the riot police station (MAT), used by the police, recorded percentages between 13 and 19 for Golden Dawn.

These figures, To Vima underlines, are impressive, considering the fact that other polling stations close to the riot police station reached 7-10% of votes for the pro-Nazi party. Based on the electoral lists, 550 to 700 people have voted at each of these voting stations, of which 20 to 30% police officers. The newspaper worked out that 45 to 59% of police officers voted for Golden Dawn.

All that I see this means is that it just makes the fight easier. I mean, if the police were solely there for cash, and then you had the nazis as a separate entity, it'd be a little harder then how it apparently is, I mean, in one sole molotov, they're nailing both a cop and a nutzi.

[punkmar77]

check-a-pig

Cop Watch Los Angeles

CHECK-A-PIG | KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

TYPES OF STOPS:
It is very important that you understand why an officer is stopping someone and what their rights are when they are stopped. Determine exactly what kind of stop the officer is making.

Consensual Stop
This is when the cop approaches and begins talking to you. The cop may even ask to see your ID. You don’t have to show it. Ask the cop “Am I free to go?” or “Am I being detained?” You don’t have to talk to the cop or even remain in the area unless the cop says “No, you can’t go” and has a reasonable suspicion to detain you. However, the cop doesn’t have to tell you why you are being detained.
Detention
The police are allowed to detain you if they have a “reasonable suspicion” to believe that you have committed or are about to commit a crime. The officer must have some reason for stopping you. They can’t just say that you don’t look like you live in the neighborhood or that they “had a hunch”. The detention should be limited in its purpose and scope. They can conduct a pat search of the outside of your clothing in order to check for weapons, but you DO NOT HAVE TO CONSENT TO A SEARCH of your pockets or bags. You do not have to answer any questions except to identify yourself and give your address.
Arrest
This means that you are in police custody and you are being charged with a crime. You will be thoroughly searched as part of the booking process. You have a right to know why you are being arrested. Penal Code section 841 says that “The person making the arrest must, on the request of the person he or she is arresting, inform the latter of the offense for which he or she is being arrested”. Even though police often won’t tell you, you have the right to remain silent and the right to a lawyer. Don’t give up these rights.

TYPES OF VIOLATIONS:

Infractions
These are minor offenses such as jaywalking, illegal parking, open container of alcohol in public, being in certain parks after curfew, being a minor in possession of spray paint or large marking pens, etc. When an officer sees this kind of activity, s/he can ask to see ID. If you have ID and you do not have any outstanding warrants, the cop should just write you a ticket and be done with it. If you don’t have ID on you, the cop HAS THE OPTION OF TAKING YOU TO THE STATION TO VERIFY YOUR IDENTITY OR SIMPLY WRITING YOU A TICKET AND LETTING YOU GO. This is up to the officer. You aren’t supposed to have to go to jail for in- fractions in and of themselves. You would not expect to be searched during this kind of stop.
Misdemeanors
These are crimes punishable by up to a year in jail such as shoplifting, trespassing, resisting, delaying or interfering with an officer in the course of his/her duty. Expect that you will be searched, arrested and taken to jail until you are arraigned, bailed out or released on your own recognizance. There are certain misdemeanors where the officer has the discretion to write you a citation or to take you into custody. Remember-don’t talk to the officer about your case and do not discuss it with folks you meet in jail. Sometimes people in jail can be used to get information about your case (informants).
Felonies
These are major crimes punishable by a year or more in prison. Murder, rape, robbery and many drug related crimes are considered to be felonies. Expect that you will be searched thoroughly and will be in custody at least until you are taken before a judge and allowed to enter a plea (this is arraignment).

LEGAL INFORMATION:

Answering Questions Legally
when a person is arrested or detained by a police officer, he or she does not have to answer any questions to the officer other than to provide a name and address. You have the right to remain silent, but DO NOT lie to a cop. That is a crime. Resisting or Obstructing an Officer Penal Code Section 148.a states that “every person who willfully resists, delays, or obstructs (any police officer) in the discharge or attempt to discharge” of his or her duty, is punishable by fine or imprisonment. The police will often threaten COPWATCHers with this charge, but remember you do have the right to observe as long as you are not attempting to interfere with the officer.

Use of Force to Effect Arrest
Section 835.a of the Penal Code explains that the only “legal” use of force by an officer is that used in order to attain an arrest. “Any peace officer who has reasonable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a public offense may use reasonable force to effect the arrest, to prevent escape or to overcome resistance.”

Assault by an Officer
Police brutality is defined in the Penal Code as, “Police breaches of due process guaranteed by the physical abuse of citizens without legitimate cause.” Section 149 of the Penal Code makes it illegal for a cop to assault or beat any person “without lawful necessity.”

Police Search Powers
Police may detain someone if they have “reasonable suspicion” that specific facts connect that person to a specific crime. In this case, the cops can also pat someone down to feel for a weapon, and if they feel something that feels like a weapon, they can go into that person’s clothing to look for it. Otherwise the cops can only search someone’s pockets, back pack, or belongings if that person: • Has been arrested for a specific crime, • Has a search clause as a condition of probation, or • Gives the police permission, which nobody is obliged to do.

Police Seizure Powers
Police may not confiscate someone’s belongings unless they are illegal or that person has been arrested for a crime. If possessions are confiscated, the California Penal Code entitles the owner to a receipt (1535) and a return of the possessions after the resolution of the case (1537). Any evidence obtained through the seizure may be suppressed from being used in court if the seizure was illegal. (1538.5)

Gang Profiling
Sometimes cops use petty laws to stop people in order to take their pictures. These photos are often used to create files on people and to portray people as “gang members”. Detaining people to take photos merely because they are suspected gang members is impermissible. (People vs. Rodriguez (1993) 21 Cal.App.4th 232.)

RESPONDING TO AN OFFICER:

It is important in these cases that your response is loud enough for the video camera to pick up so it can be used as evidence.

1. They refuse to give you their name and badge number
Reply: California State Penal Code Section 830.10 states that all employed peace officers in the jurisdiction of the State of California must give proper identification by either their name or badge number to any California citizen inquiring. Reference: 830.10. Any uniformed peace officer shall wear a badge, nameplate, or other device which bears clearly on its face the identification number or name of the officer.

2. They question your right to observe
Reply: Our right to watch from a reasonable distance and record your activity as a public officer is protected under the U.S. Constitution and federal law under the citizen’s right to “freedom of assembly”.

3. “You’re resisting arrest.”
Reply: No, we’re not. No one here is using or threatening to use physical force against any officer here, nor are we creating any substantial risk of causing you physical injury. Reference: 835a. Any peace officer who has reasonable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a public offense may use reasonable force to effect the arrest, to prevent escape or to overcome resistance.

4. “This is an unlawful assembly.”
Reply: No, it’s not. We are not starting a riot. We are not recklessly using physical force or violence or threatening to use force or violence. Reference: 407. Whenever two or more persons assemble together to do an unlawful act, or do a lawful act in a violent, boisterous, or tumultuous manner, such assembly is an unlawful assembly. Note: According to CA Penal Code Section 726 and 727, officers must give a warning to “disperse” before actually arresting people who are “unlawfully assembled.” 726. Where any number of persons, whether armed or not, are unlawfully or riotously assembled, the sheriff of the county and his or her deputies, the officials governing the town or city, or any of them, must go among the persons assembled, or as near to them as possible, and command them, in the name of the people of the state, immediately to disperse.

5. “You’re committing disorderly conduct.”
Reply: No, we’re not. We are not refusing any order to disperse. We are stepping away as you requested, we’re not in your way, and we’re not obstructing public safety. We are standing a safe distance away.

6. “You’re obstructing a public thoroughfare (street, sidewalk, etc).”
Reply: No, we’re not. We are not willfully and maliciously obstructing the free movement of any person on any street, sidewalk, or other public place. We are not creating a public hazard or an inconvenience. We are performing a public service. Reference: 647c. Every person who willfully and maliciously obstructs the free movement of any person on any street, sidewalk, or other public place or on or in any place open to the public is guilty of a misdemeanor. Nothing in this section affects the power of a county or a city to regulate conduct upon a street, sidewalk, or other public place or on or in a place open to the public.

7. “You’re interfering with a police officer.”
Reply: No, we’re not. We are not obstructing, resisting, or delaying you. We are not threatening any officer’s safety. All we are doing is legally observing you and recording your actions. Reference: 148. (a) (1) Every person who willfully resists, delays, or obstructs any public officer, peace officer, or an emergency medical technician, as defined in Division 2.5 (commencing with Section 1797) of the Health and Safety Code, in the discharge or attempt to discharge any duty of his or her office or employment, when no other punishment is prescribed, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

IN CASE OF ARREST:

If you are arrested, the police must tell you why you are being arrested. You will want to get the badge number of the officer who is arresting you and remember- you have the right to remain silent. Don’t talk about your case to anyone except your lawyer- there are lots of video cameras and informants in jail! The court must provide you with a lawyer if you can’t afford one. You have the right to speak to a lawyer before arraignment. If you are arrested, you will be searched with or without your permission. As soon as possible, and in no case later than three hours after booking, you have the right to three phone calls: to a friend or relative, to a lawyer and to a bail bondsman.


Cop Watch Los Angeles
1 (877) 8 NO COPS
http://WWW.COPWATCHLA.ORG

copwatchla@riseup.net

http://www.myspace.com/copwatchla

[Utopian]

wow this is so sweet,thanks

[butcher]

I don't know about you Butcher but I feel like Greece is replaying the same movie Spain went through in the 20's leading up to the revolution....I can just feel it coming.

yr not fair wrong methinks.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/ju ... olden-dawn

[butcher]

Kinda related.

Trots are nearly as angry as when an anarchist defaced a rather large Police Association billboard located on the side of Trades Hall.

LETTER TO TRADES HALL re: cancellation of our room booking.

We are writing to object in the strongest terms to the arbitrary cancellation of our room booking for a public meeting on the issue of “racism and police violence” on Thursday 21 June.

You cite “concerns” of an affiliate, without saying who this affiliate is, or explaining what their concerns might be. We can only assume the complaint comes from the Police Association. What concerns they might have you leave it to us to speculate about.

Do the Police Association deny that issues of racism and unjustified violence by Victoria Police are a legitimate topic of discussion in Melbourne? Do they deny – having recently sacked Police members for sending emails that were self-evidently highly racist – that racism is an issue the Victoria Police need to deal with? Do they deny that excessive force has ever been used by members of the Victoria Police, or that the issue of how state sanctioned violence is used against citizens is a legitimate political discussion?

We say, in the strongest possible terms, that Trades Hall should review and reverse its position, and not give in to pressure from a group that has, to say the least, been less than enthusiastic in its support for the aims of the labour movement in recent history.

We do not want to go over the issues that were to be discussed in the meeting here. But the actions of the Police Association force us to raise a few points. This meeting has been called in response to a series of widely documented recent abuses of police power:

The tragic death of Michael Atakelt, a young Ethiopian man whose body was discovered in the Maribyrnong river last year, has raised a series of questions about police brutalisation of that community. An Age article detailing Atakelt’s death revealed serious and ongoing concerns about police behaviour. According to The Age:

“Over 250 people attended a public meeting in July 2011, the week after Michael Atakelt's body was found. Among the speakers that day were many young men who complained of constant harassment by the police. Atakelt's friends said that he had been questioned 10 times in the month before his disappearance, but that no charges had been laid and that he did not know why he was stopped so often.”

The legal representative of the Atakelt family, Tamar Hopkins, will be speaking at this meeting.

In their report ‘Interventions into Policing of Racialised Communities in Melbourne’, Fitzroy Legal Service and Monash Springvale Legal Centre describe deteriorating relationships between youth of colour and the police. To quote the report: “African young people are over-policed in the regions of the study. This over-policing is racialised. Despite generally having a good understanding of their formal rights, for the most part young people cannot assert these rights — in fact asserting them often results in police hostility and aggression.”

Furthermore in May of this year, The Age reported on confidential settlements between the police force and four African-born men and one Afghan who claimed they were beaten, falsely imprisoned and/or racially abused by officers in northern and western suburbs.

Unfortunately migrant youth are not the only ones experiencing police harassment. Aboriginal communities have long been on the receiving end of unwarranted police attention. The meeting is designed to give a further public voice to this aboriginal experience. Long term aboriginal activist Robbie Thorpe will be speaking on the anti-koori racism scandals that engulfed the force last year. Here, the Herald Sun reported that even the Koori advisors to the Victorian Police complained of discrimination.

Gerry Georgeatos, a researcher into deaths in custody, will report at the meeting on the racialised nature of this phenomena.

Even the previous Victorian Police Chief Simon Overland recognised that there were racists in the ranks of the Victoria Police.

As far as we are concerned we have breached no condition that applies to meetings at Trades Hall – indeed we contest that this meeting is in the best traditions of the Trades Hall Council and the Victorian labour movement, which has long been a defender, not a suppressor, of public debate. We urge you to continue that tradition.

Yours in Solidarity

Vashti Kenway and Corey Oakley
Socialist Alternative

Briefly, inre: the death of Michael Atakelt, from my understanding, he was last seen taken into custody for 'drunkenness' in Footscray, he was then reportedly released at 8am the next morning and then was not seen again until his body was found 11 days later in the Maribyrnong River

[butcher]

apparently teh trots saids

and ran their meeting IN TRADES HALL ANYWAYZ!!!!!!!!!!!111111!!!!!!
and the cleaner let them in to the usual room or something.
I don't know, my interwebz is playing funny buggers and wont let me view their report atm:
http://sa.org.au/index.php?option=com_k ... Itemid=393
Victory for the proletariat!

[punkmar77]

Miami-Dade Police Drone Spotted Over Memorial Day Weekend Partiers



After perfecting them overseas in military situations, it was only a matter of time before the government and law enforcement would start using aerial drones for monitoring US citizens back home. And that time is now, as partygoers in Miami recently discovered.

Back in January of 2011 Miami's police force acknowledged that they'd be the first in the country to employ camera-equipped drones to keep tabs on the city. So while its appearance isn't a complete surprise, this clip from YouTube user 'miamiearl' showing one of the drones monitoring partygoers at a recent Memorial Day weekend celebration, is still a little unsettling.

Of course, police departments all over the country have used camera-equipped helicopters to watch over their jurisdictions for years now. But these remote drones are able to fly a lot closer to the ground, which has citizens worried that the privacy they've enjoyed for years, or at least the feeling of privacy, is in jeopardy.

And it's not like this drone seen in Miami is just going to be a one-off occurrence. New FAA rules have given clearance for more drones to fill civilian skies over the coming years. So in the future, during your Fourth of July celebrations, you should probably get used to the idea of the skies being filled with drones, not just fireworks. [YouTube via Dave Winer via Dprogram.net via Prison Planet]

http://gizmodo.com/5920746/miami+dade-p ... d-partiers

[JesusCrust]

The fuck. That thing is like straight out of a dystopian movie. If I ever see one of those that close, I'm attempting to take it out.

[anarchoskin69]

Yo, fuck dat shit. I see one of those motherfucking drones in MY neighborhood, and we're bringing that motherfucker down....

Anyways, you all should check out http://www.raisethefist.com/copwatch/

They have a Copwatch Mobile Alert Action Network. You can sign up to submit alerts and receive alerts via text message for within 7 miles of your city for all things copwatch related.

That was posted on anarchistnews.org a week or less ago. I just remembered how behind-the-ball APN is on news stuff though and decided to post it. Enjoi.

[JesusCrust]

Thank you anarchoskin. I'm going to refer to you now as 69 if you don't mind in order to differentiate between you and anarcho-skinhooligan. I'll totally get in to that. APN is super behind. I feel though, maybe it's wishful thinking, that people don't post stuff right away because everyone already knows, or they think people do. If I were to post every relative political thing I read, I'd take up all of the "New Topics" side bar for days at a time.

[anarchoskin69]

Thank you anarchoskin. I'm going to refer to you now as 69 if you don't mind in order to differentiate between you and anarcho-skinhooligan. I'll totally get in to that. APN is super behind. I feel though, maybe it's wishful thinking, that people don't post stuff right away because everyone already knows, or they think people do. If I were to post every relative political thing I read, I'd take up all of the "New Topics" side bar for days at a time.

Yeah, that's the reason I hardly posted stuff before, because I figure people already know about most relative political things. But I figure, what's the harm of posting the better stuff here, again?

[THEBLACKNOVA]

We're Still Here, We Never Left! May Day L.A. 2007 A Documentary

This is a documentary created by members of Revolutionary Autonomous Communities and community members of Westlake/Pico Union. This is a people account of what really happen May 1st 2007 on MacArthur Park, when the LAPD's Metro unit attacked a peaceful march and rally of community members, activist, labor organizers, the corporate media, ETC.

No profits were made on this film and all the footage and Music belongs to it's original owners. So please post and share this film for the world to see, because we will never let this be swept under the rug.

With Music by Rebels To The Grain and many other L.A. based musicians.

For more into check out: http://iliveidieiorganize.blogspot.com