One of my favorite signs, which the demonstrator carrying it showed first the cops and then the crowd read: "gee honey, since you asked, today at work I gassed and pepper sprayed a bunch of non-violent protestors who were defending their right to protest the WTO..."
Ian "Capitalism is a social disease"
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com]On Behalf Of Doug Henwood
> Sent: Sunday, December 05, 1999 7:33 PM
> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Subject: Seattle cops
>
>
> I've been pretty out of touch, so I don't know if this has gotten
> wide coverage. If it has, my apologies. But yesterday's Seattle
> Post-Intelligencer had an interview with a cop who said that Mayor
> Paul Schell was convinced nothing terrible would happen, and wanted
> to carry off the WTO meeting with a minimal police presence. The city
> was grossly understocked with tear gas and pepper spray, and refused
> offers of outside help from other police forces and the governor.
>
> There's something to be said for liberals. Had Rudy Giuliani been
> running the show there would have been nothing: he would have
> surrounded downtown with tens of thousands of cops, denied all parade
> permits, and, on the off chance that something happened, would have
> had heads cracked more quickly and more severely than we saw on
> Tuesday and Wednesday. No doubt other authorities will lean towards
> the Rudy approach after the events of the past week.
>
> Doug
>