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by Jeff Lowe
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 at 6:15 AM
Headlines of news about last night's brutality in downtown Los Angeles are either non-existant or completely distorted. If you see any more distorted headlines and news, please add to comments.
The corporate media, despite reports by the ACLU and thousands of eyewitnesses, demonize protestors. CNN's HEADLINE: Protesters pelt police with bricks, and bottles at Democratic convention http://sacco.indymedia.org/publish.php3#form ABC NEWS HEADLINE: Protesters Rage Hundreds Clash with Police Outside Convention http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/DEMCVN_rage000815.html Hmm. Judging from the IMC's coverage, it seems as though there's some major holes in the corporate media spin.
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by dfd
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 at 7:12 AM
dfdf dfdf dfdf
CAN SOMEONE TELL US WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT???!!!
dfdf
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by Matt
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 at 7:48 AM
ecolonsmak@hotmail.com
Every corporate run "news" web site, (CNN, ABCNEWS, MSNBC, ect...) features a picture, often on the front page, of protestors burning American flags. What the fuck? These images are exactly the justification that the average ignorant citizen requires whenever police start beating peaceful protestors. If any legitimate and meaningful issue based discourse is going to occur in the wake of the DNC2000 convention political activists should take steps to insure that these images of burning American flags are not associated with their causes and organization. That only fuels public perception that these peaceful concerned activists are actually violent criminals whose only goal is that of property destruction.
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by Matt
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 at 7:49 AM
ecolonsmak@hotmail.com
Every corporate run "news" web site, (CNN, ABCNEWS, MSNBC, ect...) features a picture, often on the front page, of protestors burning American flags. What the fuck? These images are exactly the justification that the average ignorant citizen requires whenever police start beating peaceful protestors. If any legitimate and meaningful issue based discourse is going to occur in the wake of the DNC2000 convention political activists should take steps to insure that these images of burning American flags are not associated with their causes and organizations. That only fuels public perception that these peaceful concerned activists are actually violent criminals whose only goal is that of property destruction.
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by Matt
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 at 7:49 AM
ecolonsmak@hotmail.com
Every corporate run "news" web site, (CNN, ABCNEWS, MSNBC, ect...) features a picture, often on the front page, of protestors burning American flags. What the fuck? These images are exactly the justification that the average ignorant citizen requires whenever police start beating peaceful protestors. If any legitimate and meaningful issue based discourse is going to occur in the wake of the DNC2000 convention political activists should take steps to insure that these images of burning American flags are not associated with their causes and organizations. That only fuels public perception that these peaceful concerned activists are actually violent criminals whose only goal is that of property destruction.
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by Janet Staiger
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 at 8:42 AM
I would like to know what happened too. I live in Washington State and the TV media coverage on the protests last night was very scant. What I heard is that a small group of protesters got violent with police at the Rage Against the Machine concert last night. That resulted in the police clearing approximately 8,000 concert attendees from the Staples Center area in about 5 minutes. The footage I saw showed some protesters throwing bottles and other items over a chain link fence at the police. When a few protesters tried to climb the fence, the police moved in. The footage also included clips of the police moving the crowd with batons, horses, rubbers bullets, tear gas. Most of the protest coverage came from C-Span and some from PBS. I tuned into the major network morning shows today and Good Morning America and Today Show had a little coverage. Any additional news that IMC can provide would be greatly appreciated. Also, have IMC post main steam media web sites with unbiased coverage (if available). Thank you.
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by Silly Rabbit - Snohomish
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 at 8:46 AM
So were people throwing rocks, brick and bottles at police? I hope not. I'd appreciatie if someone would clear this up for me. I'm interested to know wether this is happening or not.
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by CMK
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 at 8:47 AM
cmkoehler@ucdavis.edu
Unfortunately I couldn't be at the protests in L.A. this week, but good luck and strength to all those who are there. Just a comment on the news coverage here in Northern California...every news broadcast has defended the police brutality that occured, stating that police were "forced into action" after protesters agitated by launching projectiles, etc... One even went so far as to blame the outbreak of violence on Rage Against the Machine. I haven't been happy with any of the coverage up here, and have yet to see an unbiased, truthful news story, both in print or on television.
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by Andy Cox
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 at 8:49 AM
andycox@TWCDC.com
LA Daily News headline: "Melee follows Rage Concert". The events of last night are described as if they were simply the result of rowdiness after Rage Against the Machine's concert, completely emptying them of any political significance. The huge march to Staples, in which I took part, is reported as consisting of 2000 people. There must have been many more people than that - I was estimating about 50,000. Any other estimates out there?
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by Lionel Hutz
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 at 9:11 AM
lionel_hutz_atty_at_law@yahoo.com
"These images are exactly the justification that the average ignorant citizen requires whenever police start beating peaceful protestors."
Wake up! This backwards reasoning distorts the truth. When police attack peaceful assemblies and suppress Free Speech, THEY DENIGRATE THE FLAG far more than any person burning one. Any citizen who truly supports Free Speech and the Bill of Rights would uphold the right to burn a simple symbol: the flag. When such rights and freedoms exist only on paper and not in practice, the flag is equally worthless.
The phrase "average ignorant citizen" should be given more weight here. This is the average citizen who doesn't even know the meaning of the flag flown upside down. The reason the Republicrats are the only party in town is that they dumb everything down to this level.
Thanks to Indymedia for providing an alternative to the dumbed-down Corporate News coverage of CNN, ABCNEWS, MSNBC, ect...
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by Andy Cox
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 at 9:43 AM
andycox@TWCDC.com 415-370-9245
For people who are asking what happened last night... I was outside the Staples Center in the parking lot. The huge procession from Pershing Square had been good natured but the police were very edgy creating an unnecessary aura of fear with their ridiculous military style outflanking procedures: "hut! hut! hut!", cried the crowd.
This is the view I had from about 100 feet from the stage: After Rage played, another group took the stage (I can't remember their name, but they were great and created a really good vibe). After two songs the set was interrupted by an event organizer saying that the police would cut the power if three people did not get off the fence. It seemed like a real minor incident to me that should heve been dealt with by the police in isolation from the main gathering. Half way through the next song, with a couple of guys still on the fence, the power was cut. Then some police cheif addressed us through the PA from the top of some scaffolding. It seemed so fascist and surreal I couldn't believe how the good vibe was suddenly shattered by this guy. He ordered us all to leave the area and cited some legal codes. Anyone left in the area after 15 minutes would be arrested. No reason was given for the order. There's no doubt in my mind that the minor fence climbing incident was used by the police to shut the event down and stamp their authority early in the week.
Most people started moving towards the exits and up Figueroa Street: a spontaneous march/retreat. I was calling in a report to IMC on my cell phone when panic broke out in the crowd and people started running, scared. There was a lot of screaming and the sound of tear gas going off behind us. The police were herding us aggressively. They ran into the crowd grabbing at people. I couldn't believe what was going on. The crowd was peacefully leaving as far as I could tell. I have been insenced to see how this has been covered in the media as if we were thugs enraged by Rage. This is complete bullshit: we were a peaceful group of people intimidated and brutalized by the police. Every time I get caught up in something like this the inhumanity of the police sickens me.
It was cat and mouse all the way back to Pershing Square, with the crowd stopping at intersections crying: "Whose streets! Our Streets!", and rushes by the police causing panicked escapes from the crowd. I got to Pershing Square Subway just at about the time the police started blocking the entrance. We were luckily allowed down to catch a train away from all the madness and sadness.
www.TWCDC.com
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by "Brother Magon"
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 at 9:39 PM
The corporate press has not only not covered both sides of the story of the police riot last night, but have deliberately gone all out on a media war against protestors. From CNN, to CNBC, MSNBC, Fox news coverage, protestors were described as "getting what they deserved" and police were glorified by "showing constraint". Nothing could be further from the truth. On Fox News commentators said that the cause for Mumia Abu Jamal is senseless because it is obvious he's a "cop killer". CNN said the protestors don't know what they are fighting for or what they are talking about, and finally, MSNBC commentators were laughing over the protests as if they were completely illegitimate. Little does the "free press" know or care that the movement that is upsurging is the grass roots third party movement in this country that will ultimately reshape the elitist cynicism and absolute power of our capitalist political system. Nunca dejen de batallar!!!! (never stop struggling!).
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