Obama Administration Advised Police To Not Arrest Occupy Protesters

[freshwest]

Last edited Fri Aug 17, 2012, 02:11 PM - Edit history (1)

Obama Administration Advised Police To Not Arrest Occupy Protesters

August 14, 2012 By Nathaniel Downes


EDIT: X'd photo article makes it load too slow.

JudicialWatch.org recently gained the response they wanted on their November 11, 2011 Freedom of Information Request. They found themselves handed pages upon pages of documentation from the White House on their responses to the Occupy movement, which began last year. The emails show that the Obama administration was against the crackdowns on the movement. With Romney being on record as being against the Occupy movement itself, these letters give insight into the mind of the administration in Washington.

The information found in the emails was focused on a handful of Occupy protests, such as the Occupy Portland protest which was particularly ugly with the potential for more releases in the future. In the mails you see the intelligence agencies focusing more on violence control and the efforts of the hacktivist group Anonymous. You also can find clear condemnation of the arrests performed by the Portland Police Department. An email from Robert Peck, Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service department of the US General Services Administration says, in part:

The arrests last week were carried out despite our request that protesters be allowed to remain and to camp overnight

As well as:

We are trying to be flexible, cognizant at the same time of first amendment rights to petition and our need to protect Federal property and access to Federal buildings

Other interesting pieces are that rather than attempt to shut down criticism against the administration, you will find emails discussing outreach, and a general wish to explain the administration’s position. This comes as a refreshing difference from previous administrations which attempted to quell dissenting voices. Of course those running for office today seem to want to return to violating the Constitution and to prevent the redress of grievances...

Interesting, but not on MSM, like almost all news about Occupy. More at the link, including actions of members of Congress, and demands by the Daily Caller that a DHS employee who wanted to attend a May Day rally be fired as well as how FOX news has been smearing Occupiers:

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/08/14/obama-administration-advised-police-to-not-arrest-occupy-protestors/

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. Complete bullshit. He's fighting NDAA 1021's deletion but never moved a muscle to help 7000+

brutalized and arrested Occupiers. I mean, just look at the DHS material that had to be FOI act'd for us to learn they'd been watching Occupy from day one, and as far as it looks, helped the coordinated national crackdown on camps.

The government is not our friend. This is election-year timing as well.

[MattSh]

2. Agreed.

I love the smell of whitewash in the morning. It smells like victory.

[mike_c]

3. +1

[joshcryer]

6. The President is not a dictator and Judicial Watch is a right wing rag.

If you read the actual FOIA you will see that Judicial Watch is actually bashing the President for asking, not directing, asking them to minimize arrests, "The arrests last week were carried out despite our request that the protesters be allowed to remain and to camp overnight."

Judicial Watches bullshit spin:

These documents clearly show that federal agencies colluded with the Obama White House to allow the Occupy Wall Street protestors to violate the law with impunity. These documents tell us that the GSA and DHS can’t be relied upon to protect federal workers or property.

So whose side am I supposed to be on?

[greytdemocrat]

4. Didn't these nuts

just "Occupy" Obama's re-election HQs in Portland and Oakland last night???

Idiots.

[freshwest]

5. But they are also part of the Romneyville encampment in Tampa now, that will be there the whole time

They'll be making a statement about the vulture candidates all the way through the GOP's Koch-run, Insane Clown Posse Circus! Love it!

There is good and bad in these folks, just as in everything else. Some have decided to judge all things, including Democrats and Obama in a B&W way.

I support both, but the world has never been, and never will be perfect. For myself, it depends on how I see things, and what I can do, within my own circle of seeing things.

[proverbialwisdom]

7. Other related sources here, including truth-out.org.

http://www.google.com/search?q=occupy+foia&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari

RECOMMENDED:

http://truth-out.org/news/item/8667-department-of-homeland-security-releases-another-batch-of-ows-files-to-truthout

http://truth-out.org/news/item/8023

PREVIOUSLY:

http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/11/13/367283/hawaiian-guitarist-wears-occupy-with-aloha-shirt-while-playing-for-obama-other-world-leaders/?mobile=nc

Hawaiian Guitarist Wears ‘Occupy With Aloha’ Shirt While Playing For Obama, Other World Leaders

By Zaid Jilani on Nov 13, 2011 at 1:56 pm


The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum is currently being held in Honolulu, Hawaii, bringing together many of the world’s leaders in both the public and private sectors. Last night, APEC held a gala attended by President Obama and his wife in addition to a number of other world leaders.

Hawaiian guitarist Makana, who had previously played at the White House in 2009, was slated to play at the gala. Rather than play his normal routine, Makana decided to make a statement. He opened his suit jacket to reveal a shirt that read “Occupy Aloha.” He then proceeded to play a protest ballad title “We Are the Many,” wherein he blasted corporate lobbyists and called on Americans to occupy “the streets.” He played this protest song for 45 minutes in a room full of the world’s elite.

He later uploaded a video where he talked about why he did what he did, including some footage of him playing for the world leaders. Watch Makana’s video:

“It was an incredible experience to sing those words to that group of people,” said Makana

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/09/25/president-obama-congressional-black-caucus-foundation-annual-dinner-march-me-and-pre

President Obama at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Dinner: "March with me and press on"

Erin Lindsay
September 25, 2011

[img][/img]
President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Phoenix Awards in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
.
Yesterday evening, the President delivered remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Phoenix Awards at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. In his speech, the President stressed the importance of passing the American Jobs Act, to put more people back to work, and more money back in the pockets of people who are working:

Right now we’ve got millions of construction workers out of a job. So this bill says, let’s put those men and women back to work in their own communities rebuilding our roads and our bridges. Let’s give these folks a job rebuilding our schools. Let’s put these folks to work rehabilitating foreclosed homes in the hardest-hit neighborhoods of Detroit and Atlanta and Washington. This is a no-brainer.

Why should we let China build the newest airports, the fastest railroads? Tell me why our children should be allowed to study in a school that’s falling apart? I don’t want that for my kids or your kids. I don’t want that for any kid. You tell me how it makes sense when we know that education is the most important thing for success in the 21st century. Let’s put our people back to work doing the work America needs done. Let’s pass this jobs bill.

We’ve got millions of unemployed Americans and young people looking for work but running out of options. So this jobs bill says, let’s give them a pathway, a new pathway back to work. Let’s extend unemployment insurance so that more than six million Americans don’t lose that lifeline. But let’s also encourage reforms that help the long-term unemployed keep their skills sharp and get a foot in the door. Let’s give summer jobs for low-income youth that don’t just give them their first paycheck but arm them with the skills they need for life.

Tell me why we don’t want the unemployed back in the workforce as soon as possible. Let’s pass this jobs bill, put these folks back to work.

More at link.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x781184

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=4k8PHiY35VE#t=542s

EXCERPT: "Throughout our history, change has often come slowly. Progress often takes time. We take a step forward, sometimes we take two steps back. Sometimes we get two steps forward and one step back. But it’s never a straight line. It’s never easy. And I never promised easy. Easy has never been promised to us. But we’ve had faith. We have had faith. We’ve had that good kind of crazy that says, you can’t stop marching. (Applause.)

Even when folks are hitting you over the head, you can’t stop marching. Even when they’re turning the hoses on you, you can’t stop. (Applause.) Even when somebody fires you for speaking out, you can’t stop. (Applause.) Even when it looks like there’s no way, you find a way — you can’t stop. (Applause.) Through the mud and the muck and the driving rain, we don’t stop. Because we know the rightness of our cause — widening the circle of opportunity, standing up for everybody’s opportunities, increasing each other’s prosperity. We know our cause is just. It’s a righteous cause.

So in the face of troopers and teargas, folks stood unafraid. Led somebody like John Lewis to wake up after getting beaten within an inch of his life on Sunday — he wakes up on Monday: We’re going to go march. (Applause.)

Dr. King once said: “Before we reach the majestic shores of the Promised Land, there is a frustrating and bewildering wilderness ahead. We must still face prodigious hilltops of opposition and gigantic mountains of resistance. But with patient and firm determination we will press on.” (Applause.)

So I don’t know about you, CBC, but the future rewards those who press on. (Applause.) With patient and firm determination, I am going to press on for jobs. (Applause.) I’m going to press on for equality. (Applause.) I’m going to press on for the sake of our children. (Applause.) I’m going to press on for the sake of all those families who are struggling right now. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I am going to press on. (Applause.)

I expect all of you to march with me and press on. (Applause.) Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. (Applause.) Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying. We are going to press on. We’ve got work to do, CBC. (Applause.)

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America." (Applause.)

Gotta try to read between the lines sometimes while acknowledging and accepting uncertainty. OCCUPY is not leaderless on a whim.

[freshwest]

8. Thanks, proverbialwisdom, for all the links, information and opinion.