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by Union-Tribune Editorial
Sunday, Jul. 01, 2001 at 2:35 PM
San Diego Police hit a home run...
Union-Tribune Editorial
Three cheers
Local law enforcement hits a home run
June 30, 2001
There was much anxiety leading to San Diego's four-day Bio2001 convention.
City officials' worst fear was that the gathering of biotechnology executives, investors, scientists and other interested parties would provide a backdrop for the kind of street violence and property destruction that disrupted a World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle two years ago.
But there was no mayhem, no property damage. The half-dozen local law enforcement agencies assigned to keep order during Bio2001 succeeded beyond expectation. Or to put it in baseball vernacular: They hit a collective home run.
Assistant San Diego Police Chief John Welter was tasked with heading security for the high-profile convention. He began making preparations for an expected 12,000 convention attendees and 5,000 to 8,000 anti-biotech protesters.
As it turns out, the number of protesters fell well short of projections. And the organizers of the protests say local law enforcement is to blame.
"We have been treated for the last few weeks as criminals," one protester lamented. "The police and the biotech industry have waged a campaign of intimidation."
We think not. We think the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, the San Diego Harbor Police, the California Highway Patrol, the FBI field office and other agencies that helped to keep the peace during Bio2001 were just doing their jobs. And they deserve cheers of appreciation from San Diegans.
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by A
Sunday, Jul. 01, 2001 at 5:57 PM
I'm sure the Germans felt the Gestapo was doing a great job too. Fuck those SD pigs!
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by earthvibe
Sunday, Jul. 01, 2001 at 6:31 PM
earthvibe325@aol.com
When things turn "violent" the demonstrators get blamed. When things are "peaceful" the cops are credited.
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by M
Sunday, Jul. 01, 2001 at 6:46 PM
the article says there was no mayhem. Obviously, they do not realize that EVERYTHING the police did was mayhem, that there was "destruction," namely of the potential benefits of the Biojustice movement. If you were among those subjects to the SDPD's BS, please do write to the UT and let people know that this editorial in completely misguided.
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by Justice
Sunday, Jul. 01, 2001 at 6:46 PM
This trash from the capitalist press does not belong on any independent media site. The police are the armed thugs of the capitalist class and simply do what they are told. They were obviously told not to have a police riot, so apparently there was no police riot. The violence is always perpetrated by the police; we know that from having read the stories on the Independent Media sites, from Seattle to Barcelona, if we did not know it before. We do not need reprints of the capitalist press on Independent Media; we want news from, by and for the workingclass.
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by Friend of Justice
Sunday, Jul. 01, 2001 at 7:04 PM
Poor Justice, what's the matter? Does freedom of speech only apply if you are the only one talking? Or freedom of press only apply if you and your views are the only ones allowed to be displayed. Funny, when a newspaper expresses ideas and articles in favor of your views, then it's acceptable. But when the paper and its editorial expresses the general consensus of the citizens of SD, which is contrary to your views, then it's a capitalistic monster which has no business on YOUR website? Or it's an expression of the same mindset that the nazi's had? Wow, get a grip!!! The last time we looked, the press in SD were not puppets of the police!
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by Hamster
Sunday, Jul. 01, 2001 at 7:08 PM
Justice needs to check out the video of the WTO debacle in Seattle 2 years ago. Justice says it was the police who were violent, but I only saw the protestors throwing the firebombs into the stores, didn't see anyone in uniform doing that. But no doubt the police were to blame for all the idiots who were trashing everything in sight!!! And please, Justice, don't call 9-1-1 when your life is in jeopardy, we'd hate to see the police only make matters worse for you.
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by Jenn
Sunday, Jul. 01, 2001 at 7:19 PM
Yes, you hit the nail on the head earthvibe, you are starting to get the picture, thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!
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by john sherman
Sunday, Jul. 01, 2001 at 7:34 PM
john.sherman@wright.edu
The corporate media aired images ad nauseum of protesters breaking windows in Seattle. So it was a real revelation to me when I first saw videos from BIG NOISE FILMS showing police gassing and beating up people that did not appear to be resisting. I encourage you to look at both protester-made video, and corporate-media video, if you have not done so, Mr. Hamster.
But because the vast majority of the public only see what's aired on television, the protest movement is of course destined to lose in the P.R. arena (Indymedia's efforts notwithstanding). A savage repression is about to engulf these people--tis already beginning in Europe.
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by a2k
Sunday, Jul. 01, 2001 at 7:53 PM
it is not relevant to SanDiego to talk of Seattle 2 years ago. The point is that things went well enough in S.D. NO BODY DIED. that's a celebratable fact. And its does no benefit to say- remember Seattle. The S.D. police don't have to justify or make up for deeds on some one elses turf. This is extension of a principle that cuts both ways- autonomous actions. Or perhaps you prefer the concept of a unified, paraniod's delight by lumping THEM.
Does anyone want to focus on what is working, what went right, what we have to work on and from? More politico-masocism instead? Get over it and join the third millenium strugle for humanity- all of it. For the N30 anniversary in Seattle, we set up a hot phone. It's purpose was to call the SPD when you saw police who were being overworked, stressed, etc. They are humans, union workers, perhaps in a position they don't always understand. So make allies. If they are us, who will come to the defense of the truly evil? Or they are beyond "salvation"? I want no part in this view and the places it can go! Please read SunTzu again.
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by Sandino
Monday, Jul. 02, 2001 at 12:25 AM
Dear FOJ, since when does one brief and short-sighted editorial decide what is the consensus of the majority San Diegans? Who might you be to come to such a conclusion? I wonder if you were there to see row after row of police with drawn shotguns pointed randomly at the activists for the duration of the march. Our taxes pay for police protection from CRIMINALS, not from those with whom we disagree. I am flattered that to the SDPD and FBI I have become a threat to the established order just by walking down the street. That just goes to show how complete, yet delicate of an opression we live under.
One thing that has been undersated in my opinion, is that when the march arrived at the fortress of a convention center there were some protesters already there, pro-lifers that is. At first I took them to be counter-demonstrating, however, with their lurid signs of bloody fetuses were there to protest alongside of us.(They must not like the fact that human embryos and umbilical chords are now patented commodities). Possibly the only time we might ever find ourselves allied with these people. And the rest of you John Birchers like FOJ, don't forget who this country belongs to. And the guards at Auschwitz were also "just doing their jobs".
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by Greenfart
Tuesday, Jul. 03, 2001 at 11:52 PM
I agree, the only good drivel is left-wing drivel. This site should be confined to leftist drivel ONLY and anyone with a different opinion can fuck off!
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by Excelsior
Wednesday, Jul. 11, 2001 at 2:54 PM
drivel this, drivel that.... to "friends", dear friend, you do not understand, the paper is not the puppet of the police, the police, unfortunately, are the puppet of the paper.... as is generally the case in a nation where freedom of the press is mainly only realizable if you own a press ( thank you, HL Mencken, soryy about spellin')...
Those newspapers aren't a collective of folks down at the American Legion, the publishers are the richest of the rich, and they singularly have the most influence on how much the police get paid, and the schools which get built.
Indymedia is an example of one of the few manners in which this pyramid of power is becoming inverted. Perhaps together, the cops and all of us, can work for a just world, where maybe a few of the crooked corporate executives will need to cool their heels in one of the burgeoning products of the prison-industrial complex.
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