Second Iraq War Vet Injured by Police at #OccupyOakland Protest
Countdown's David Shuster talked to The Guardian's Adam Gabbatt who broke this story of yet another Iraq War veteran being the victim of police brutality at the Occupy Oakland protests -- Occupy Oakland: second Iraq war veteran injured after police clashes:
Kayvan Sabehgi in intensive care with a lacerated spleen after protests in Oakland, a week after Scott Olsen was hurt. He says police beat him with batons
A second Iraq war veteran has suffered serious injuries after clashes between police and Occupy movement protesters in Oakland.
Kayvan Sabehgi, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, is in intensive care with a lacerated spleen. He says he was beaten by police close to the Occupy Oakland camp, but despite suffering agonising pain, did not reach hospital until 18 hours later.
Sabehgi, 32, is the second Iraq war veteran to be hospitalised following involvement in Oakland protests. Another protester, Scott Olsen, suffered a fractured skull on 25 October.
On Wednesday night, police used teargas and non-lethal projectiles to drive back protesters following an attempt by the Occupy supporters to shut down the city of Oakland.
Sabehgi told the Guardian from hospital he was walking alone along 14th Street in central Oakland – away from the main area of clashes – when he was injured.
C&L's Occupy America has decided to start raising money to help pay for costs and other treatments Scott Olsen might need to aid in his recovery with Occupy America's Scott Olsen Solidarity Fund. As Michael Moore proclaimed the other day up in Oakland: "We are all Scott Olsen!"
"There was a group of police in front of me," he told the Guardian from his hospital bed. "They told me to move, but I was like: 'Move to where?' There was nowhere to move.
"Then they lined up in front of me. I was talking to one of them, saying 'Why are you doing this?' when one moved forward and hit me in my arm and legs and back with his baton. Then three or four cops tackled me and arrested me."
Sabeghi, who left the army in 2007 and now part-owns a small bar-restaurant in El Cerrito, about 10 miles north of Oakland, said he was handcuffed and placed in a police van for three hours before being taken to jail. By the time he got there he was in "unbelievable pain".
He said: "My stomach was really hurting, and it got worse to the point where I couldn't stand up.
"I was on my hands and knees and crawled over the cell door to call for help."
A nurse was called and recommended Sabehgi take a suppository, but he said he "didn't want to take it".
He was allowed to "crawl" to another cell to use the toilet, but said it was clogged.
"I was vomiting and had diarrhoea," Sabehgi said. "I just lay there in pain for hours."
Sabehgi's bail was posted in the mid-afternoon, but he said he was unable to leave his cell because of the pain. The cell door was closed, and he remained on the floor until 6pm, when an ambulance was called.
He was taken to Highland hospital – the same hospital where Olsen was originally taken after being hit in the head by a projectile apparently fired by police. Read on...
C&L's Occupy America has decided to start raising money to help pay for costs and other treatments Scott Olsen might need to aid in his recovery with Occupy America's Scott Olsen Solidarity Fund. As Michael Moore proclaimed the other day up in Oakland: "We are all Scott Olsen!"
You've been so generous thus far when it comes to the OWS movement that I'm hoping you can donate any amount of money that you can because it all adds up quickly. We'll collect all the money and then bring a check up to the Bay Area and present it as a token of our solidarity with Scott and his family and friends. I'm sure they will appreciate all the help we can give.
We cannot permit mayors, politicians and cities across this country to brutalize peaceful protesters. Let's send another message of our unity to those One Percenters who believe there should be no middle class in our country whatsoever and who have no problem unleashing violence against protesters. Thanks in advance for your help. (I've set up a separate code for the Scott Olsen Funder so I can track the donations easily.)
You can also snail mail a check to our address. Please write "Scott Olsen" in the notes section.:
CrooksandLiars.com
PO BOX 66310
Los Angeles, CA 90066
so we can beat 'em over here.
:(
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
Fight 'em over there so they can beat us up over here?
Their homeworld was a place called Earth, located in an uninteresting part of the galaxy. They had an expression: pride goeth before a fall. Their pride was their undoing. I know. I was there....They did not listen, of course. Arrogant men never do.
Beat us over here, and leave us in a cell to die. Notice it was only the fact that someone bailed him out that he made it to a hospital before he died. We probably need to demand an independent investigation.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
the veterans finally decide that they've had enough police violence, they'll be hell to pay, and I won't be one whit sorry for the cops.
I used to be one, and I'm ashamed of what my profession has become.
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing." -- Robert E. Howard
The Corporate Occupation of the United States
Our corporate controlled government (through corporate lobbying and election funding ) is out of the peoples control. People want government control back. Makes sense to me... I feel US corporate capitalism (corporatism) is a type of economic fascism: To have a corporate being where the chain of command eventually muddles all responsibility to any human being. These corporate beings are running your life and controlling your government. (Enough to really make an individual mad and protest.) The corporate being does not exist, and when it comes to face it's corporate responsibility, it is a piece of paper. That is plain and simply wrong. Restore capitalism to individual responsible chains of command, or this struggle will be lost. (This also includes corporate lobbying and corporate election funding, being outlawed; and a new form closer to individual control is established.)
Please Sign the petition to amend the Constitution for revoking corporate personhood at:
movetoamend.org
January 20, 2012 – Move to Amend Occupies the Courts!
Move To Amend is planning bold action to mark this
notorious date — Occupy the Courts — a one day occupation
on Friday January 20, 2012, of the Federal Courts, including
the Supreme Court of the United States and as many of the
89 U.S. District Court Buildings as we can. Inspired by Dr. Cornell
West, who was arrested on the steps of the Supreme Court last
month, Move to Amend will lead the charge on the judiciary which
created — and continues to expand — corporate personhood rights.
http://open.salon.com/blog/kennspace/2011/10/...
Excellent informative interview:
Hartmann: Corporate personhood...Next up Missoula, MT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD7AivD0W78
Only PEOPLE (not corporations) are people!
And only SPEECH (not money) is speech!
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
To disperse the crowd occupying the disused Travelers Aid building, OPD called in police from several other jurisdictions. In the videos you can see some police with "POLICE" on their armored vests, some with "SHERIFF" (probably Alameda County Sheriff Dept).
Although Shuster attributes the attack to Oakland Police, the Guardian article, quoting Sabeghi, simply says "police".
And in all likelihood they taped over their name tags - as they did in 69-70 when called in to bash heads.
[EDIT:
My point - it's very unlikely the actual individuals responsible for this attack will be identified.How wrong I am. I was thinking of the NYPD officers identified in brutality incidents from video, name and badge numbers visible. But because Sabeghi was arrested there's a record of the arresting officer, his commanding officer, the other officers in his unit at that time, the transporting officer, the officer who signed him into the jail, the nurse, the guards, the person who didn't release him for hours though his bail was paid.]
But it's got to stop. The insanely violent police reactions to the Occupations are way over the top. Here a man was leaving the area - precisely what the police reasonably would have wanted him to do. Yes, the protestors who built fires in the streets were "over the top" and possibly merited some harsh treatment (but not a beating) to force them to disperse .. but not Sabeghi.
Excellent oped from the Guardian:
Occupy and the militarisation of policing protest
Why, when protesters are peaceably exercising first amendment rights,
is the machinery of counter-terrorism being mobilised?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifam...
And Naomi Wolf (with Olbermann) is spot-on in her remarks too:
Naomi Wolf Explains Our Constitutional RIGHT To Peacefully Assemble (10-21-11)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCuax-3DeBc
Why is Homeland Security involved? Are they coordinating the attacks on peaceful protestors?
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
SOP at larger facilities. Usually you have to be "de-looped"-- backed out the same way you were taken in. Often, large facilities only release people at a specific time as well, often 12:01AM (so the facility can bill for the full day of incarceration), or 2:01AM (after the bars close).
Only once have I ever been bailed out in short order. It was at the small, cozy La Crescenta sheriff's station, where my bondsman waited through the whole procedure and even gave me a ride home.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
It's time to petition the Oakland City Council with a Grievance:
The City of Oakland is Violating the Peoples' Right to Assemble Peacably - and it MUST STOP NOW.
From the City of Oakland website:
http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/CityC...
Tuesday the 8th is the 2nd Tuesday of November - time to meet with the Public Safety Committee.
The following Tuesday - the 15th - is the 3rd Tuesday - time to meet with the City Council.
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
2nd vet hurt at Occupy Oakland event
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/20...
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
What brutality. The guy went through hell. He might have died. [I hope he recovers]
He needs to be compensated for this injustice.
Once he has been compensated by the city of Oakland, we have to solve this problem with policing. We have to prevent these things from happening.
Who are the officers that committed this?
Was it the result of incompetence, criminal negligence, or maliciousness?
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
Well, fuck me.
I'm simpatico with the protestors. I'm one myself. I've rallied, and just this week opened a credit union account. More to the point, I opened it before I heard about the righteous "bail big banks" declared day.
But I'm also simpatico with the Oakland cops/Oakland back-up cops called in to deal with these assemblies. They are not an enemy.
you just took the American art of trying to have it both ways to a whole new height.
*slow clap*
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
"Art of having it both ways"? I'm not sure what that means.
But it sounds accusatory.
Will you elaborate? Unless you do, I'm inclined to say to, "fuck off".
I've got an hour or so to kill. Let's tangle. I'll stay tuned.
if you "support" the assemblies, then why exactly does the Oakland PD have to "deal" with those assemblies?
Sure, you can tell me to "fuck off" but that makes you look even more full of shit, FYI.
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
Thanks for the response.
Why do the cops have to deal with assemblies?
That is a great question. It gets close to the root of the matter.
I guess it boils down to property owners in the neighborhoods-- i.e. small business owners, residential property owners-- fearing their investments being in jeopardy. And theirs is not an unreasonable fear. They are small fry, caught up in the middle of something that came out of left field. Granted, a dynamic then comes into play beyond that of property owners fears. Authority vs. Assembly being a highly combustible mix.
Speaking of the small fry, I include the cops. Their reactions have little and/or nothing to do with the stakes that have prompted people to assemble. The cops, like the assemblers, and like the mideast last summer, have been caught flat footed by these protests. Moreover, in the Bay Area, I'd venture to say that 100% of them are union members.
Finally, and respectfully, re-read what I wrote. I did not tell you to fuck off. I stated that were you disinclined to reply, that would be my response. You did reply, and I just answered.
Yours in haste.....
The strike, which is what I assume is what prompted your concern, was a response in part to the violent action by the Oakland PD earlier. The majority of the violence has been carried by the cops thus far.
It seems to me, you're trying really really hard to make a false equivalence. There is nothing that warranted the police's violence against people exercising their right to free assembly and expression of dissenting opinions, regardless of the unionization of the policemen cracking the skulls.
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
Either your idea of "simpatico" and mine are not the same, or your idea of "enemy" and mine are not the same.
Humpty Dumpty was pushed.
I doubt that. The language, that is, the meanings of the words, are pretty clear.
Your just looking to argue. Bring it on, I'm in the mood, and I'm standing by.
I know what you're saying Tooth, but these 'cops' attacked this Vet in a quiet street, away from cameras, and apparently without provocation. We need to know their names, and we need to have an independent investigation.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
My prayers and best wishes to the brave Veteran, for goodness sakes. This must never happen again.
Occupiers for Peace
Page dedicated to supporters of the Occupy Movement who condemn violence and support PEACEFUL demonstrations!!!
https://www.facebook.com/OccupiersforPeace
Oh, but it will...
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
""
Their homeworld was a place called Earth, located in an uninteresting part of the galaxy. They had an expression: pride goeth before a fall. Their pride was their undoing. I know. I was there....They did not listen, of course. Arrogant men never do.
This is the most likely reason that police action was taken. Walking While Brown (or Black.)
"Courtesy is owed. Respect is earned. Love is given." --Unknown author, found in Guide to Texas Etiquette by Kinky Friedman
While our system means that these victims will be responsible for paying their own medical costs, I am just outraged that the city of Oakland isn't picking up the whole bill. If that twit mayor they've got were serious about wanting to dialogue with the protestors and reach some sort of an accord, she needs to show her sincerity and announce that the city will pick up the whole bill and take it out of the police department appropriations.
How about taking it out of THOSE COPS' SALARIES? That would be justice, in my opinion. Let it be a warning to all these thugs that there are PERSONAL consequences for their viciousness. They're violating people's constitutional rights. Let them pay for it THEMSELVES.
There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits
This man is another American Veteran tossed out with the trash and only made convenient only when he agreed to not question the status quote. I am the chaplin for DAV Chapter 11 in Chicopee Massachusetts. I am not endorsing an ideology but i will protect my bothers and any protester in my great country!
Matt 850-516-3861 :)
Mattyroc
I am not entirely surprised that the other vets haven't mobilized over this. Remember they have been force fed Jabba Limpballs the whole time they were deployed. He can kill a lot of high order brain cells and rearrange the surviving ones pretty well. Especially when there is not access to competing opinions.
A lot of recent vets are going to be convinced that they are loyal to the US only of they serve the 1%. That is what they are trained to do, follow orders. It is necessary to function in combat. Unfortunately, that is why Jabba wants access to their minds while they are under extreme stress. He taps into the anger that is a natural effect of life and death situations. (And gets carried on by PTSD).
I say this in 100% support of our Vets, they have been through stuff I can only imagine.
there is no such thing as a "non-lethal projectile". a projectile, by definition, is potentially lethal. it may not be intended to be lethal (rubber bullets, etc.), but the fact that it is a projectile gives it potential lethality. the closer you are to it, the higher the probability of its being lethal. that is just basic physics. a taser isn't non-lethal either, in spite of the manufacturer's claims to the contrary. anytime you shoot darts in someone, then shoot high voltage electricity into that person (see: chair, electric) through those darts, you risk lethal. to suggest otherwise is to lie.
They are one of the departments that gave the name "pigs" to police in general. The only time the City of Oakland ever controls them is when it's sick of paying out legal setlements.
I was there in 69-70 during the anti-war demonstrations.
It's not just OPD itself. It's also the fact that they depend on some police from as many as 15-18 adjacent jurisdictions who have no connection with the city of Oakland. And that includes the (particularly heinous and brutal) Alameda County Sheriff Dept.
So when Oakland has trouble they call in riot-clad thugs who do not live in Oakland, and do not have to face their fellow citizens the next day, even in ordinary uniform on the street.
Reform is LONG overdue.
It should be Grievance Number One on Occupy Oakland's Grievance List.
I suspect it is.
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
More here -
Second Iraq veteran wounded during Occupy Oakland protests recovering from spleen surgery
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_1...
KTVU has some video of the arrest of Sabeghi. It clearly shows the officers were from the heinous and brutal Alameda County Sheriff Dept:
Oakland General Strike Police Beat 2nd Iraq War Veteran with Baton Violently,Veteran Hospitalized
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qszQ4RmwdZM
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
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