LONG BEACH CA: POLICE STATE USA


Long Beach is no place to get busted. You call your friend, you say, 'Hey, I got busted. Come bail me out.' They say, 'Where you at, man?' You say, 'Long Beach, bro.' They say, 'You shit out of luck, man. No way I'm coming down there to bail you out.'--Richard Pryor, "Live in Concert," 1979.

Long Beach has grown some since Richard Pryor uttered those words to cheers, laughter and applause on a performance stage in the city 23 years ago. The laughter stopped a long time ago, but little else has changed. The city of under a half-million, fifth largest in California, is still plagued by a police department notorious for its racism and repression. More than one-sixth of its residents live in poverty, and among children that percentage rises to nearly 30%. It is a city divided on racial and class lines, with a majority of people of color who are disproportionately among the ranks of the poor and powerless.
The city's strategic plan for the next decade calls for an increased emphasis on what they call 'community oriented policing' and 'gang abatement among young people.' But in real world terms, this has meant what it has always meant in Long Beach. The city where NBC TV cameras caught two cops throwing an off-duty Black police officer on a sting operation through a plate glass window; the city where Black, Mexicano and Asian residents fed up with police abuse had a rebellion of their own after the acquittal of the LA cops who beat Rodney King; is the same city where the police in past few months have killed two Black women, shooting one and choking the other to death. And Long Beach is the city where key organizers of the fight back against police abuse have been targeted for police harassment, repression, and frame-ups.
In the wake of September 11, a police department which already reveled in its repressive powers is now the model for Police State USA. On April 20, Matthew Gordon Lamont, an anarchist activist in CopWATCH and Food Not Bombs, who has also worked with independent truckers in the Harbor area trying to unionize, was arrested in La Habra CA with the connivance of the Long Beach cops. He is now facing a string of charges. Jeff Hendricks, another anarchist involved in those projects, whose elbow was broken by the LB cops on May Day 2001, was arrested at a hearing for Lamont and is facing other charges, also with the instigation of Long Beach cops, as well as an attempt to end his probation from May Day. Long Beach police played a role in the harassment and imprisonment by local law enforcement and the INS, of Hasan Hasan, an Arab activist and (now ex-)professor at nearby Cerritos College. As defendants come to trial on the May Day charges, such as street medic Sarah Roberts, the courts are throwing the books at them. Repression in Long Beach is a microcosm of what is going on around the country, and it is vital that it be met by a strengthened unity and resistance.

Since May Day 2001, the now infamous police riot in the streets of Long Beach, the LBPD has been on a mission to destroy the growing anarchist movement in Southern California. On that date, the cops attacked a peaceful reclaim the streets march, declared it an illegal assembly, and swept up nearly 100 protesters, beating, injuring and even shooting several with rubber bullets. On the Fourth of July 2001, the police came out in force to intimidate and try to break up a peaceful "energy independence" rally. Undercover officers were seen posing as members of the Black Bloc. When these tactics resulted in greater resistance, including the opening of an anti-authoritarian community center and a Copwatch project, the police stepped up surveillance and harassment. Lamont was targeted because he was instrumental in organizing a large demonstration against the killing by the LBPD of Marcella Byrd, a mentally-disturbed Black woman. The day of the rally, a second Black woman who had been in a coma died as a result of choking by the LBPD. Lamont had reached out to the homeless as well through Food Not Bombs, documenting extensive police sweeps to clear the streets for tourists in time for the Long Beach Grand Prix. ("Trade, tourism and technology" are the city's professed selling points, and anarchists apparently threatened all three, in the minds of the city's leadership, particularly as they built relations with the homeless, with so-called gang youth, with the African American community outraged over LBPD killings of Black women, and with Mexicano and Central American truckers.) As soon as CopWatch began, police stepped up surveillance of the info-shop where it met, on one occasion shining bright lights in to prevent members from videotaping the police harassment. The police goal is to jail a few of the most outspoken anarchists in order to intimidate the rest of the movement.

On April 20, Lamont and a juvenile, a Food Not Bombs activist, were pulled over in the city of La Habra in Orange County, after being followed from the Long Beach info shop by 2 Long Beach detectives far out of their jurisdiction. The car was searched without valid cause or permission, and detectives found a container of gasoline, arrested the two men and took them into custody. The juvenile was taken to the Orange County Juvenile Detention Center in Orange, CA. He was charged with transportation of a destructive device, and pled out. Matthew Lamont is being held on high bail in Orange, CA. and was originally charged with several felony counts of possession of a destructive device, transporting of a destructive device, the use of a destructive device, and the possession of materials/instructions to make a destructive device. Claiming Lamont was intending to attack a nazi music show, the DA added a "hate crime" to the charges. Matt's bail was placed at 100,000 dollars.
An Anarchist Defense Committee has been formed to focus on his case and that of Jeff Hendricks, and a larger united-front Long Beach Justice Coalition has also come together. Lamont is representing himself, with the assistance of counsel, including James Simmons of the National Congress of Black Lawyers. Lamont presented two in pro per motions demurring against the hate crime and use of an explosive device charges. The DA was forced to drop those. But Matt is still being held on prohibitively high bail.
Tuesday May 14th, 2002, Lamont had a scheduled court date in Santa Ana's Central Court for his extended arraignment. A small demonstration had previously been called for in front of the courthouse. However, when the demonstrators arrived they were greeted by at least 100 cops in full riot gear, undercover cops, sheriff's deputies, police horses, etc. The first group of demonstrators who arrived - unmasked, unarmed, unthreatening in every way - decided to go inside to view court proceedings. They proceeded to walk up to the court and waited for a few others to show up before proceeding inside. The demonstrators were told that Matthew Lamont's hearing was held first thing in the morning before his scheduled appearance. THIS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. It's an obvious attempt to lower his morale by making it difficult for supporters to appear in court and show support.The demonstrators then decided to wait out in front for more people to show up. Several sheriff deputies then confronted the demonstrators and said, "OK, people! I need to see your I.D's!". Only one person co-operated with them and the rest refused to show identification. The sheriffs then backed off when they realized they wouldn't be able to get any more information. Just moments later, the police started forming a line in front of the court door and strapped on their riot helmets and gear. They then surrounded the demonstrators up against a wall, and one officer read a dispersal order saying that if the group didn't disperse immediately they will all be arrested. Disappointed, the small group had no choice but to leave. As the small group proceeded to leave, two demonstrators were searched by police as they arrived to their car. When the rest arrived at the parking lot, the parking attendant told them that the police ordered him to let them into the lot to investigate for bombs. Just as the small group of demonstrators were forced to leave, another group of 8 had arrived. They stood across the street with a banner that read, "FIGHT POLITICAL REPRESSION! FREE MATT & MAX!". Police, and undercover officers proceeded to surveil the peaceful demonstrators with video cameras. Similar harassment and intimidation took place at a press conference held to announce the formation of the Anarchist Defense Committee. Sheila and Geoffrey of the committee detailed police harassment of anarchists, and disputed the charges against Matthew, pointing out that he had been charged with using an explosive device, when there was no explosion, possession of a destructive device when there was no device, and a hate crime for attacking a nazi show when there was no nazi show. Simultaneously, police stopped and harassed a carload of supporters arriving for the press conference, and cited another for spitting, requiring 2 marked and 2 unmarked police cars and more than a half-dozen officers to issue the ticket. When participants marched to the local courthouse, police sealed off two major streets in downtown Long Beach to prevent cars or pedestrians from witnessing the protest.

HASAN EL HASAN, THE LBPD AND THE INS
On April 23 at 11:30 Long Beach resident Hasan el Hasan, an Arab immigrant on a work visa, is in his classroom in Cerritos College teaching mathematics. The following account is based on his own report of what happened to him at the hands of the LBPD and the INS. The dean intrudes in his classroom and asks Hasan to see him after class, 12:30 pm. After hemming and hawing, the dean says, "Hasan, I don't know how to put it for you. I am just a messenger. You are one of the best instructors I have. You have done all the paperwork I have asked you to do. I received no complaint whatsoever about you and I know how much students love you, but I received an order from the college vice-president to relieve you from duty. I am very sorry and I need you to turn the keys right now and to leave."

Outside the door of the dean's office, two cops from Cerritos College are waiting to escort him immediately off campus. They walk toward the exit of the division building. There are two cops from the Long Beach PD waiting. The cop says, " Put your hand behind your ass and spread your legs." They handcuff Hasan in a parking lot. After an hour's wait in the hot sun, two women INS agents arrive and inform Hasan he is under arrest for being an illegal immigrant. "But I have a work visa valid to December of this year," he protests. "You were working until an hour ago, but now you are not," the INS woman says, "so you are violating the permit." Under the pretext of obtaining the students' grades for the college, the INS agents and the two LBPD cops take Hasan home and conduct an intensive search through his belongings. They question his possession of Christian religious materials and a donation he made to a Jewish group, since he is adviser to a Muslim student group on campus.The INS agent says, "As an advisor of a Muslim club, you must teach them to hate Jews and Christians." Hasan denies these absurd insinuations. Then he is told he is a suspect in a Long Beach serial rapist case and must give a DNA sample. Eventually, he is taken to Long Beach city jail, then moved to LA County Jail, then Lancaster jail and an INS detention center.

In Lancaster he is placed in the highest security suite. It is called the "Jackals'" (Arabs) section. He discovers that eighty percent of the prisoners, however, are not Arabs but Armenian. The jailers are unable to distinguish between the two groups with different languages and religions. Kamilian is an Armenian in his early twenties. He and his sister wanted to surprise their parents, who had emigrated to Glendale years before by coming to visit them without a previous notice. They were arrested at LAX and taken to Lancaster. All their belongings including the papers containing their parents' address, were deposited to the property department. They have been here for three months... no way to contact their parents... no way to contact each other...One of many such horror stories. After a month in detention, Hasan is able to obtain a release and a court date.
At this point, the story is taken up his friend Russell. "Today both Hasan and I were arrested by LBPD from Hasan's 7th street apartment. As I was riding my bike to work, I went past his place and noticed a squad car and an unmarked car in front of Hasan's building. I hung around the front door to see if anyone would open it. Soon his manager appeared and she informed me that Hasan was in the process of being arrested. I went upstairs to check the matter out and came upon a plain clothes officer who was just hanging on the periphery. He immediately started to interrogate [me]. We had a short argument which was ended by him lunging at me and cuffing me, dragging me down the hallway and slamming me on the ground with the help of another officer who placed his full weight on my head with his knee. Hasan, at this time, was being interrogated, still undressed from sleeping. One of the officers let it slip that someone had called and complained about Hasan making threats. We were both taken downtown and booked -- I was sent to the misdemeanor side, allegedly for obstructing a peace officer and resisting arrest, and Hasan was sent to the felony side for charges I haven't had chance to verify."

JEFF HENDRICKS
At Matthew's first arraignment, Tuesday April 23rd, one if his supporters, Jeff Hendricks, yelled out in support as he was being led back out of the courtroom by the bailiff. The Judge pressed the emergency button and the bailiff immediately arrested Jeff on two misdemeanor charges: contempt of court and communication with a prisoner. Jeff was held on $15,000 bail until his arraignment on April 25 when bail was lowered to $7,500. When he made bail, a deputy ran into the release room of the jail with a hold: A new warrant from the Long Beach police department for remaining at the scene of a riot (on May Day 2001). Jeff was placed back into custody and transported to an L.A county facility. He had been put in high security after being arrested, had his picture taken by the FBI, and was continuously questioned by authorities. His car was impounded and searched. Jeff is currently out on bail and is facing his two misdemeanor charges as well as a probation violation. The probation stems from his plead of no contest to failure to disperse after his arrest in the Long Beach May Day 2001 police riot. Jeff now faces up to 2 years in jail.

MAY DAY 2001
Two minutes into the peaceful May Day demonstration for workers' rights, police began swinging their batons. The police opened fire with rubber bullets, forcing half of the march to disperse down a drive-way where they were beaten to the ground. The other half dispersed up against a building where they were trapped after police unloaded several hundred rounds of rubber bullets on them. With guns still drawn, one-by-one, police arrested everyone. Demonstrators suffered fractured arms due to baton swings, and penetrating wounds from scatter-shot projectiles fired from 12-Gauge shot guns. Bail was set as high as $25,000 for some arrestees. Many were being charged with 6 different misdemeanor charges. Despite the enormous repression, many of those arrested still decided to take their cases to trial. After September 11th occurred, the prosecutor and judge decided to include 3 years maximum jail time if convicted, along with a new plea offer which consisted of 30 days minimum in jail time if the previous plea bargain (1 year probation) wasn't taken immediately. After this, the majority of arrestees decided to plea in fear of serving heavy jail time. This was an obvious threat which demonstrated a clear act of prejudice directed towards the arrestees because of their political beliefs.

ROBERT 'RUCKUS' MIDDAUGH
On November 15th Robert "Ruckus" Middaugh, who was one of those arrested on May Day, was scheduled to begin his trial. Robert had been in Jail since May 1, and was charged with Felony assault against a peace officer, Felony riot, Felony conspiracy, Felony resisting arrest, and misdemeanor failure to disperse. At the time of his arrest on May 1, Ruckus was on formal probation stemming from pleading guilty to assault against a police officer at the Democratic National Convention. When supporters of Ruckus appeared in court the morning of November 15th there were 4 police sitting in the courtroom in the jury chairs. Ruckus' supporters soon learned that these police were there to testify against him in a parole violation hearing. The prosecution put the 'deal' of offering Ruckus 3 years in State Prison and 3 years formal probation upon release. In order to coerce Ruckus into taking the plea the judge informed Ruckus that he would be facing 4 years just for his probation violation not to mention a possible 13 more if found guilty of the other charges. Ruckus was threatened with 17 years in prison. After taking the plea for 3 years in state prison, Ruckus found himself possibly facing a 3rd strike on a new charge from an earlier protest against an anti-immigrant group that could give him another 20 years to life.
For more info or to send donations contact:
The Anarchist Black Cross Federation of Los Angeles
PO Box 3671
Anaheim CA 92803-3671
(310) 608-4106
la_abcf_bg@hotmail.com

SHERMAN AUSTIN & RAISETHEFIST.COM
On Feburary 24th, another mayday arrestee, Sherman Austin, was raided by 25 heavily armed FBI and Secret Service agents for running a Los Angeles based anarchist web site, Raisethefist.com. Raisethefist.com was an alternative media site covering a diversity of subjects including anarchism, activism, and current events not reported by mainstream media or even what passes as alternative media. Heavily armed with shot guns and machine guns, the FBI, Secret Service, LAPD and LASD surrounded Sherman in his home before pulling him outside and storming his house. FBI agents confiscated his computer equipment, along with his political literature and shut down the site along with the newly opened, laanrchists.org (Los Angeles Anarchist Collective) site that he also recently created. Despite the raid, Sherman still decided to protest the World Economic Forum in New York that month. After being targeted by authorities, he was then arrested by New York police, interrogated by the FBI and Secret Service for several hours, released, and then re-arrested minutes later by 6 FBI agents on charges from the new "Patriot Act". Sherman was called a terrorist in the court room and was denied bail as the judge rendered him a "threat to the community". After spending nearly 2 weeks in Maximum Security Federal Prison on 2 bogus felony counts that served a maximum 30 years jail sentence, Sherman's charges wereabruptly dropped and he was released "pending further investigation". The FBI to this day still remains in possession his computer equipment and political literature.

SARAH ROBERTS
A year has gone by since May Day 2001, and in the first verdicts to come out of the violent police riot which erupted from a would-be peaceful march, Jurors on Tuesday, May 21st acquitted two people of failure to disperse and convicted a third of unlawful assembly and wearing a mask with the "intent to commit a crime".Sarah Roberts, 26, the only one convicted, was handcuffed and taken into sheriff's custody after the verdicts were read. Roberts had been on the scene as a street medic. The only mask she had worn was a surgical mask related to her medic duties. She had pleaded innocent and demanded a trial confident that she would be exonerating and refusing to plead guilty to a crime she had not committed. Over the strong objection of her attorney, Roberts was also ordered held on $100,000 bail until her sentencing. At Roberts' sentencing on May 23rd, she was sentenced to 6 months in LA County and given $1,000.00 fine. After a vigil and campaign over her incarceration conditions (she is a vegan and could not eat prison food) Roberts was released from the Twin Towers to house arrest.
for more info contact freesarah@yahoogroups.com

For more info you may contact the Justice Coalition of Long Beach
lblegaldefense@yahoo.com or call 562 434 6934

Professor Hasan Hasan could not commit any of these crimes. He is a very caring teacher who is willing to help his students before or after class. He gives to charities, and has told his class "he loves all people" he is very kind and i DO NOT believe he would even consider doing any of these crimes. And for the Long Beach police department to interregate him by throwing him to the ground...How dare you! It's a good thing to know our tax dollars are working well when we have cops who are commiting crimes at the expense of the american people.

Bullshit! LBPD is just that out of control if not more so. Talk to some of the drug associated citizens and hear how they are being harrassed, framed, threatened, children taken, beaten and even murdered! It's all too true that the cops can do whatever they want to behind the badge and we are powerless to stop it or at the very least invoke some constitutional rights.

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW. HASAN ACTS LIKE HE IS INNOCENT. HOWEVER HE IS NOT ONLY A PERSON WHO COMES FROM IRAQ WITH A FALSE I.D BUT ALSO AN ANTI-AMERICAN PRO-ACTIVE PERSON. DURING HIS EARLY DAYS IN LONG BEACH AND WHEN HE STARTED TEACHING AT CERRITOS, ONLY A FEW KNOW THAT HE IS A MAN WITH 7 PASSPORTS OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. HIS NAMES ARE HASAN, GONZALED, HASAN HASAN AND ON AND ON. IF THE COPS SERIOUSLY SEARCH HIM HE HAS LOTS OF STOLEN MONEY NOT IN BANKS BUT IN HIS APT OR NETWORK LIKE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH TRAVELLERS CHECQUES. AND U THINK HE IS INNOCENT. HE SHOWS THAT HE IS A KUWATI CITIZEN FOR POLOTICAL ASULYM BUT HE IS FROM IRAQ. ASK ANYONE. HE IS UPTO SOMETHING. WATCH OUT.

What a shock that anarchists clash with police.

I was witness to one of your lame-ass anti-war demonstrations, which consisted of 100 or so 15-year-old dupes in black shirts and 2 aged shit-disturbing hippies. You were nothing more than pawns.

The "peaceful march" moved onto private property and that's when and why YOU GOT SERVED.

Cops are tards, but anarchy has never worked. You're the last group that should be haranguing anyone--especially cops--about not following rules, ha ha ha.

America is a Police State. Cops lie and steal every day . Because cops lie, you can be

arrested at any time for any reason. Americas police state is only to protect the wealthy

power elite. Why do they become cops? It has been stated in numerous papers that it is a

control issue with the cops in general. That they can not control their own lives, so they

want to control yours. It is a power trip for them, plain and simple! And you hear from the

cops that they wish to serve the public! Please! These people have no form of formal real

intelligence. If they did, why would they want to be radio dispatched to complete strangers

and for 28 to 32 K a year. Cops are the D students you went to high school with, most where

bullies or where bullied. Then you have the problem that the cops lie each and every day to

make it seem their job is worse than it really is! Ever been charged with any thing? Cops

know most citizens fear and hate them. They love the fear they cause. It is also a fact

that 80% of all Police Officers have homosexual tendencies they compensate for. You almost

most feel sorry for them. As long as we have weak minded people with feelings of

inadequacy, we will have plenty of cops.

Trained by the military to kill. He obviously couldn't stop.

the blood of innocents.

You leave and the rest of us will celebrate.
-hint- use a spell check. It's 'upon' not apon, stupid. Find someone who can show you how to get out of cap lock.
Then you can blow me, asshole. You fuckhole, dickhead, scum sucking nazis are a disease.

Indymedia has been used to incite violence and hatred against the police, the government, and the American people for as long as it's been around. What a sad history. But in that time, many American hating "activists" have bitten the dust, and what has indymedia accomplished? Not a damned thing. This website is useless, except to drive by and laugh at the resident turds barking about "kiss mah ass you America lover pieces-o-shit" and banter banter banter.

Fry Andy.

'Indymedia has been used to incite violence and hatred against the police, the government, and the American people for as long as it's been around.'
Right, blame it on the messenger.
You wish perhaps for me to bow to your lovely burgeoning police state and quietly go into the new dark age?

No. What I wish is for you to grow the fuck up.

Didn't want to get you all personal about it.

reasoning with these law and order vermin makes no sense, They need a through drubbing with a police trenchon and pepper spray in the eyes. Then he'll never do that again.

in the Dope Show.......

More like document police beating up on activists.

I've seen cops beat on activists doing nothing for a bit more than a decade. I've seen angry people provoke cops for just as long too. Indymedia has nothing to do with that.

If anything, I think it's made the situation a little more orderly, because cops aren't so quick to beat folks up. Besides, I think the cops had the camcorders recording the people first.

I suppose cops just get some sort of pleasure from beating "activists". Oh, and black people are naturally criminals. And Jews are naturally stingy and selfish people. And Chinese men have small penises.

Notice you didn't have anything to say about Andrew McRae. Can't find anyone on IMC that cares to discuss the likes of him. And, oh no, certainly IMC didn't have anything to do with that deranged idiot stepping off the edge and going out and whacking a cop.

You're anger towards the police is misplaced. If it were not for freaks, killers (like Andy), and thieves, there'd be no reason for cops.

I said he was a product of a system that trained him and nurtured him if he wasn't a MK Ultra type ringer for the Action-reaction strategy of tension. I wouldn't put it past the home land Gestapo to have rigged it. Wait for the discovery phase and we'll see what the circumstances, history and associations of this popped kernel of corn are. The military did have this individual for awhile and we don't know much else except that he posted on quite a few IMC sites. Just right for providing contrived heat on this open board. Like provacation to shut it down or 'regulate' it, huh? The incident smells like a government meatloaf.

You and I both know that's bullshit. You and I were both trained by that very system. We're both products of it. We have three honorable discharges between us to prove it. And neither of us are Manchurian candidates.

Andy stepped off the ledge. He went off the reservation. He checked out of the hotel. And crap like this malevolence posted here in this thread against those that are just trying to contribute something worthwhile to society through socially acceptable means, and at the same time trying to feed their families, such malice is misaligned and is treachery against the very fabric of society.

Yes, we'll see how Andy's case turns out. And I'll be here to keep you updated on it, Sheepdog. I know that Indymedia would rather let the tale of Andrew Mickel wash into the oblivion of yester-year. But I bet ole Andy gets the chair. And his martyrdom should serve as a shining beacon to all indymedia nutsos that are trying to decide if they should cross that line.

Aside from the Cointell and frothing types that post here on both sides of the ideological spectrum, you are simply wrong asigning the blame of this incident to the concept of an open media.
I will wait and see. There are more than just a few Andys around and some of them hold official office. I'm not against justice, that's for sure.

I too have never been beaten by a cop. I did however date a female police officer and on occasion I would get a well deserved bare-bottomed spanking....( I was rather NAUGHTY !! )

Oh, it's not the concept of open media that I blame. It's the loonies that contribute and the "editors" that condone and allow it. It's hardly better than graffiti scribbled on the subway walls. And when one of these whackos steps over the line, these "activists" disavow knowledge and claim it was all a COINTELPRO operation.

It wasn't a COINTELPRO operation. It was just a whacko that filled up on a bit too much hate talk on the internet.

I will wait and see. It's happened before. Unless you're in on it, you don't know either. Chill- and by all means, keep us in on it.

Given a choice between commercial media, or corporate leftist media, I choose independent. It's like democracy ( kinda) messy, but inclusive. In an ordered world where an 'accepted ' and 'taboo' realm exists, I think life would cease and existence under the yoke of conformady, prevail.
Also, there are real situations going on where discussion is essential to understanding in allowing all sides to state their case, no matter the subjective view of each reader. Why does this seem like a threat unless the issues exposed and discussed are relevant and border upon heresy to the order? Are you in denial that this current trend in national and international affairs spells terror and death for a growing victim population? Including the American people, if we wish to be typically self absorbed.
Problems and solutions should always be open to allow public interests to find a voice.

Sheep, you're trying to rationalize the irrational behaviours of a few nitwit cop-haters and state-smashers. I don't know any Americans that admit to desiring censoring debate or curtailing discussion. What turns my stomach is all the hate hate hate hate hate on indymedia 24/7. American society is out of control, and our government and our constabulary are a direct result of this frenetic social order. And there are a few loose cannons running around out there that are only holding on to sanity by a loose thread. When they fill up on enough of this hate, hate for the WTO, NAFTA, the World Bank, the Republicrats, the Democans, the cops or whomever the demon of the week is, they're more likely to pull an Andy Mickel, and that should be unacceptable to us all.

Free speech is a grand thing, and speech independent of the state or the corporations is a beautiful concept. Now make it work.

Not rationalizing. Don't think so...
Okay, Eric let's talk about Andy for a sec just to put this on official hold.
Not withstanding Andy's penchant for posting all over IMC, I want to, for instance, know where he got his income, his work history ( particularly military ) and affiliations.
Some people need to die but this policeman wasn't one of them, which seems senseless.
Did you know that Charles Manson had a credit card to buy guns, buggies and blast around on a ranch no one tried to evict him from until he came on the media scene?
All curious.
Even your analysis pointed towards co conspirators.
Let's wait and hope for your reports. I also agree that more cohesive editing is in order for the OTHER loonys.

How often do you, yourself, read this indymedia malevolence and get hot under the collar? Not the cop bashing or the flag burning, but the stuff that our leaders do that appear to make no sense -- granted, there's lots of it and lots of questions that need to be asked -- Indymedia has even made me ask a few questions and shift a few paradigms, as radical and reactionary as I am. So if you or I can get angry at the stuff that deserves righteous indignation, and not take to the guns even though we reserve that option for the proper time, don't you think there are lessers among us that are not in strict control of their faculties and could be put over by all this muck?

I do. I think Andy was among those. The guy's rant really intrigued me when I read it. His thoughts were crystalline hate. Not a syllable of dementia. Perfectly sane banter steeped in nothing but anger. It's all about causality. Anger is a powerful prime mover. And there's far too much of it and far too few solutions offered by those that contribute to indymedia.

All this conspiracy junk is, for lack of a better word, cartoonish. If the world revolves on a steady diet of conspiracy then I'd have to wonder how I've gotten as far as I have in life off hard work, goal setting, and planning. My life is far to busy to spend my days chasing shadows and spooks. Ignorance is bliss, and I'd rather be happy. But you're right, we should wait and see how Andy's case turns out. I think pursuing his story could do more to vindicate indymedia that pretending it never happened. Why doesn't one of these "journalist" take up that crusade?

Most cops don't get off on beating on activists. In fact, I have met a few who actually support a lot of different demonstrations, strikes, pickets, etc.

That said, riot squad duty is voluntary. That group of cops with the shields -- they all volunteered to be there, knowing who'd they'd be beating. Add it up.

Also, the whole LBPD situation just seems to be "more of the same." A cop who turned into a copwatcher went into LB in the early 90s to see what would happen to him, as a Black guy. I think he was being a little provacative, to see how far they'd go. Well, they beat the hell out of him, out of proportion to the required amount of force.

Also, "on the streets", the LBPD has a bad rep. They have had it for years.

I went to one of their community outreach meetings once. They coddled one person who complained about not having enough crosswalks in the downtown. (OK, a legit gripe, but not really a police issue. It's more of a planning issue.) Then, they blew off the complaints of someone from a poor neighborhood who had to deal with drug dealers threatening to kill her dog, and selling drugs in the alley. She'd apparantley complained for years.

So, crosswalks for paranoids count... but stopping gangsters who sell drugs in your alley doesn't?

What is it? Can't the LBPD handle real crime?

They had enough cops to track every fuckin anarchist event. There were always a few identifiable cars at the little events here and there. AND NOTHING EVER HAPPENED at these events.

So, the LBPD can harrass a bunch of young adults who are a little anti-social, but they are afraid to address the real issue of armed, organized crime?

This is precisely why anarchist and vigilante groups keep arising in Long Beach. It's also why gangs have power there. Confidence in the cops is probably justifiably low.

Anarchists, activists, (and vigilantes) help improve the hood. The gangs don't, but they prevent other gangs from coming in.

If the cops could focus on stopping real crime more effectively instead of harrassing activists, the activists would be able to focus on other things, like dealing with homelessness, poverty, and so forth.

That guy is a cipher to me. I'd forgotten about him, so went to do a little re-reading. That guy isn't like most IMC cop-haters and critics of police.

Eric, I want to let you in on this: McCrae was probably more a product of right wing propaganda than left wing propaganda.

He was more like a "patriot" and pretty nationalistic. He served in the military. He use the term "American" in his messages, which is pretty unusual for a leftist.

You can't blame Indymedia for the anti-cop material causing McCrae to kill. I've read right-wing anti-government lit, and that material is often advocating about killing government employees and, sometimes, cops. It's generally more violent than the bulk of literature on the Left. All the right wing paranoids I know or have met have guns, and many have been trained to kill. The lefty ones, some have been trained to use guns, but not to kill. Generally, they are shifting towards pacifism in their lives.

That's the easiest way to figure out a radical's politics -- just ask if they have guns. Some folks will just go on and on about them, and then, you can get them talking about how they feel about the feds... LOL. Then you've pegged them. These "patriots" are worse than useless. A lot of talk with no action, and greedy to boot.

Anyway, I've digressed as usual.

Hey, notice how McCrae rhymes with McVeigh? Weird huh?

That's passing the buck. This guy didn't advocate radicals using Free Republic to communicate. He advocated using Indymedia for that purpose.

I don't exonerate the wingnuts either. Their whackos wreak as much havoc on society as the leftists nutjobs.

Let's depend on Eric to keep us updated. It's useless to speculate even as Eric likes to imply an association between open media and the high profile killing of an apparently good cop.

"Eric, I want to let you in on this: McCrae was probably more a product of right wing propaganda than left wing propaganda."

I'd love to see "more rational" justify this inane comment.

-"If the world revolves on a steady diet of conspiracy"-
uh, earth to Eric.
The courts are filled with cases involving conspiracy. The news is filled with crimes of conspiracy. Conspiracy is the single most prosecuted offense on the books.
Please.

From a paranoid delusional mental case like you sheepdong.

with your empty, meaningless retorts.
As always, I can wait for this episode of yours to pass. I've dealt with manic depressives ( who call others paranoids and drunks) before. You just wait for the bouts of Tourettes Syndrome and mechanical jabberings about those awful 'leftists' and such to pass.

What ties in together your point-of-view with my two most notable bad experiences with them is that they have extremely flawed value judgements. (Everybody who's sharp enough, decent enough, & street-educated enough knows that. It's been well-established with cases of homeless, mentally ill people getting shot numerous times because the paranoid cops 'thought' they had a 'gun' when further examination of the bled-out body at the crime scene they created had nothing more than a pencil or other generally harmless thing.)
But, I'm finished with old hat for you non-locals who might not know that there's actually a basis for complaints.
In my first incident I was walking across the street at Sixth-Long Beach Blvd. when a black mother was being verbally abusive to her little son who obviously was very hurt. (Well, it dredged up my own childhood with a verebally & physically abusive mother. I lived in fear of her growing up.) So, since I could feel for the child I spoke up & told her what she was doing was detrimental to the child & wrong. (All Liberals would support my view with research on children & the best way to raise them.) She got an attitude with me & so I called her the B-word & then she got in my face & proceeded to beat me up. Her friends got her off of me. (That to me made it clear that she was probably a gangster from Watts shopping out of town. I'm sure you're all aware of the fact that there are female gangsters with their own gangs. That was further proof that she wasn't morally & psycho-socially qualified to raise that poor child.) I guess I was naive to think that anyone could actually beat you up over correcting them. And the LBPD thinks I have an anger management issue!
The LBPD were driving right past just after it stopped & acted like they couldn't care less. I had to literally run out in the street between cars to flag them down. Then the gangster B lied & said that I was the instigator (?) & so I got mad & said she was lying. They have such a corrupt complex over their authority that they said, "Okay, you're not cooperating, so all I'm going to do is jot down a few notes & not file a report or take her in."
See how ridiculously unreasonable they are?!
In my second incident I was naive enough to help a guy who went to the Church for food when he was homeless by taking him in. He turned out to be a pervert, criminal with quite a diversified short-list record, & was a manipulating liar . (Who was I to think that just because I had been homeless due to BS job market problems that really had little to do with me that I could statistically expect to run into my better kind whom everyone who knows me would say I was none-of-the-above?) I kicked him out with the help of another male to bully him who was sympathetic because my own attempts to get him out didn't work. His lack of character with the above created problems for me in that he disrespected my good values, views & lifestyle. (That's rude & you should know your place when someone is nice enough to take you in. They used to believe that in this country at one time in our better past.)
After that he proceeded to harass me unrelentingly on the street in public just trying to make me mad by saying bad things about me that weren't true, breaking & entering when I wasn't home to steal money, destroy property, & trying to slander my name around town & get strangers calling me trying to tell me how wrong I was & how I should run my life. (They realized when I responded that he gave a twisted picture that made him look good, editing out anything in reality about him that would make him look bad, & doing the reverse in total with me. More lies than truth.)
So, I tried to get a restraining order but failed because I couldn't prove all of what he was doing because I wasn't there when it happened, no matter the line of reason that would say this happened & it had to be him because it could be no one else. What are we supposed to do, be victimized by slick criminals who are slick so they won't get caught & have an incompetent, I-really-don't-care-about-justice-I'm selective-because-some-people-are-lucky-&-I-don't-have-to-think half A's? Justice is justice if it only works for so many people? No! Can it blame then those who resort to other means to get justice? Certainly not.
In the end, they busted me for defending myself against him physically to get him to stop verbally harassing me. It was some idiot do-gooder who was in the neighborhood watch program who didn't see the whole incident on the street as it unfolded. Is that justice when you are so stupid you take everything out of context & call it justice for you to look at so-called bad behavior that's isolated & call it therefore a crime? I think not. Both the legal system & her are guilty of the same.
He's the kind of person that pushes people knowingly to their limit, as he himself deliberately said that he says things that aren't true just to get a negative reaction out of me. He set me up for that. That's blatantly criminal & the legal system shouldn't have been such idiots they fell for it. I'm so proud I don't want him to make me look bad when I try hard to regularly look otherwise. If that's my crime I say that's insane.
The bottom line here is that they LBPD actually at times unwittingly aids & abets different kinds of criminals so that they can have the injustice done to their victims by them stand. That should never be. As citizens we cannot respect our own LBPD. That is something beyond sad.

The ties that bind

You are correct bad experiences and unfortunate situations requiring police involvement can sometimes be frustrating or upsetting. You seem to be a sharp decent young lady with good intentions but I also sense you get riled up easily. It’s difficult to control your mouth and actions when it’s personal. I know exactly how you feel; I’m trying my hardest to be polite. Your nasty comments about the LBPD are personally offensive and hurtful. You make several references to your good values and lifestyle which I have no doubt is true but have you considered for a moment the dedication and honor it takes a police officer everyday to protect and serve. Trust me, the last thing a police officer wants to do is enforce the law. Unfortunately, there are bad people in this world breaking the law, your street-educated enough to realize that. Think about it, seriously. Your intentions were great regarding the little boy but you let the situation get the best of you and it filtered over to the officers and they made the best decision, to be neutral. What if you were a crazy lady making a false report or a pissed off relative and so on. Put your self in the officer’s position, the realm of possibilities is endless. Police officers are put in a difficult situations everyday because they have to analyze your side, the other’s side, different sides and the unknown side. That’s an enormous amount of responsibility. You don’t go to jail for singing loud in church! I think the” beyond sad” part of our society is the lack of respect for others which only fuels the flame. You don’t have to like everyone but if you always use your manners then it leaves little room for questioning. I do have a suggestion for those who feel the LBPD is screwed up, send them a certified letter/return receipt give your full name and address and declare your 5th Amendment rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; therefore you will no longer require or accept any emergency services.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks to all the outstanding men and women of the LBPD who protect and serve.
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Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Daniel 12:3

The problem exists in all of the lethal arms of the state.
Law vs. Enforcement.
To ignore the obvious selectivity of this enforcement through training and
the chain of command political involvement, to say the police are there 'to protect us from the bad guys' is questionable.
Admitably, I have seen very professional and even inspired police work.
I have also seen its reckless, unprofessional and needlessly sadistic side.
To my observations we have a drift into a situation that puts the normal operations of police work like 'walking the beat to keep the peace' into a military force that deals with problems of social conditions to an increasingly stressed population. Don't the signs point to a deteriorating infrastructure and growing levels of poverty? Diminishing prospects of sustainability? Law enforcement must decide to work in concert with the community by reasserting the "serve and protect" clause in reference to humans rather than property.
I have a question for you.
Where would you stand if the military came in under martial law?
With us, your fellow citizens or them, the federal forces? Would 'you' assist in maintaining check points etc? Just wondering.

The cop says, " Put your hand behind your ass and spread your legs."

OMG!!! how horrifying. You want to dicuss the Long Beach riots as well? I was there watching hundreds of illegal aliens from Mexico and Central America looting the thifty store on Anaheim. The womewn and the children waiting on the other side of the street while the men and boys took everything they could get their hands on...Justice? They don't recoginize the word.

The police are there to protect us from the bad guys and sometimes they have to protect us from ourselves. Good people make mistakes too. The police officers role has changed but so have we. Yes, the signs point to a deteriorating infrastructure. The whole poverty and sustainability is questionable in my opinion. I’m not trying to offend anyone but I’m sick of hearing people whine about what they don’t have, poor living conditions blah blah blah! Manage your freaking money responsibly and be in control of your life. I have a son who is eating me out of house and home. When I go to the grocery store, with limited funds (cash), it never fails; a mother with 3 overweight kids has a grocery basket full of the best meat, sodas, name brand everything and candy paid for with food stamps. Diminishing prospects? Of what? Public assistance? Life is challenging and sometimes unfair but not hopeless. As a “community” we do need to be more involved. We need to encourage others, be proactive and show appreciation to everyone at every opportunity. When I’m out and about with my children and we see someone in uniform my children are required to go and say thank you for serving our country and shake their hand. It’s the right thing to do. If you have issues with people in uniform, find another deserving person. A waiter, store clerk or your garbage man. We all need to feel appreciated even if the brief moment is shared with a stranger. A simple smile can make a difference.

My answer is I would stand with you and with “them”. They are my fellow citizens also. If we were a community in crisis under martial law I’d do whatever was necessary to support each side equally for the greater good. Tragedy doesn’t discriminate. Now if I choose to stand with you against “them” would you require me to use deadly force if “they” disobeyed my orders? Or would it be ok if I didn’t protect us and shoot them?


Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 4:29

So it sounds like a middle of the road response.
Like a yellow stripe.
And I heard the Limo- food stamp myth before.
Thanks for clearing that up.