> On 10/26/2011 12:54 PM, 123hop at comcast.net wrote:
>
>> "The cops in Oakland, CA must be insane or stupid or both. Their response to Occupy Oakland was so over the top it’s staggering. Tear gas, riot gear, flashbombs. Hundreds of armored police descended on the peaceful encampment."
>
> The police do not make these decisons; they are made by higher-ups. The Police carry them out with delight, but they are only carrying out decisions made elsewhere, by civilian authorities.
Carrol is obviously right about the actual decision to crack down, which would be given with at least broad parameters of engagement, but there's a lot of unpredictability in the execution. Even more importantly, though, is that, if I understand correctly, these weren't OPD but guys from Gilroy. And I can't help but think the fact that they brought in out-of-towners would have practically ensured heightened violence: they don't know those streets, so would have been considerably more likely to err on the side of heavy-handedness, I should think.