In the past 48 hours, the main focal point of the Occupy Movement has moved from Zuccotti Park in New York City to Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, California after what can only be called a senseless act of aggression by the Oakland Police Department. Armed to the teeth, a small army of riot police forcibly pushed out Occupy Oakland protesters from their encampment on Tuesday night using tear gas, flash-bang grenades, and paintball guns.

Naturally, a whole bunch of defenseless protesters were clubbed by batons, wounded by projectile fire, and, generally speaking, got the crap beat out of them by the Oakland Police force. And to put it all into perspective, a two-tour Iraq War veteran who was taking part in the protest got hit in the head by a canister of tear gas and is now in a critical condition with a skull fracture. So much for whatever he was fighting for.

 

 

It goes without saying that the actions of the Oakland Police are going to galvanize support for the Occupy Wall Street movement. When a supposed law enforcement organization instigates violence at an otherwise peaceful political protest, something’s not right. Unless, that is, violence is the law.