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Olympia's V-Day Ruckus

author: kohlrabi
Feb 15, 2008 23:52

100 people raise a ruckus after V-Day Dead Prez show in response to questionable arrest of African American man and violent police retaliation. 3 cop cars sustain significant damage, a fourth is rolled over and looted. Estimated $30-50,000 in damage.

About 100 people raised a ruckus after Evergreen State College (TESC) police officers arrested a Dead Prez concert goer on alleged assault charges. The event took place around 1 AM (2/15), shortly after Dead Prez finished their set. TESC police officers were called to the show after a fight broke out among 3-5 people in the crowd. The sole arrest was of a black man, although most of the "fighters" were white.

As police escorted the man to their cruiser they were confronted by a small crowd of people who had witnessed the fight, including one woman who had been hit. They all told the cops that the man they were arresting was not involved in the altercation and they needed to let him go.

The cops responded that the community members could file their statements/objections at a later date. In response a handful of people stood in front of the police vehicle and demanded that the man be freed. As more and more people left the venue, they added their numbers to the crowd that now surrounded the police vehicle. Chants of "Fuck the police!" and "Let him go!" accompanied a steady percussion of fists on the hood and roof of the car for about 20-30 minutes. During this time TESC cops called in Olympia, Thurston County and WA State police for backup. When the cops had sufficient numbers, they proceeded to charge the crowd preceded by a cloud of pepper spray and flying clubs. Throughout the incident police never made an audible public announcement via megaphone ordering the crowd eto disperse.

After thoroughly enraging the already on-edge crowd, the cops found themselves looking for a fast exit. Unfortunately they had all parked in such a way as to be in one line facing the same direction and essentially blocking themselves in. The slowed retreat of cop cars offered easy targets for rocks, garbage cans, bottles, and boots. Much to the delight of many ruckus raisers one Thurston County car was left behind in the fray. In short order the car was on its roof and became the target of any remaining anger.

After the majority of people dispersed, the State Police SWAT team moved in to "secure" the area.

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Comments

Figured Indymedia would get the story right
Posted by: AVibrationalStatement at Feb 16, 2008 10:11

Thanks for posting this. I was hoping that this would show up here because the corporate media is completely twisting what happened.

Bullies Run Away When We Stand Up To Them
Posted by: PMR at Feb 16, 2008 16:46

This just goes to show that peaceful protests don't work - but strong direct action does.
Like bullies everywhere the pigs ran away when we stood up to them.
I say well done the the PMR and everyone else who joined in.

corporate media
Posted by: Mr. Guy Debord at Feb 16, 2008 16:49

Can anyone honestly watch how the corporate media presents what happened and not wonder why they don't talk to anyone who defends the actions that took place? It's absolutely one-sided.

This is WHY the independent media center was formed in the first place. Thank you indymedia for existing even though you delete my comments from time to time.

us.indymedia.org
Posted by: really simple syndication man at Feb 16, 2008 16:54

This, along with Briana Waters trial info, should be sent to us.indymedia.org.

seattle does have a newsfeed
Posted by: rss at Feb 17, 2008 09:57

Seattle does have a newsfeed. i'm not sure how often the other site(s) poll for the updates.

http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/features.rdf

RSS
Posted by: Your Editor at Feb 17, 2008 10:27

Our rss feed works on indymedia time -- automatically some times, manually other times. Slow all the times. As of the morning of 2/17, the Briana and the Oly "riot" articles are up on U.S. Indymedia.

http://indymedia.us/en/index.shtml

Please excuse this technical interruption, I am now returning you to our regularly scheduled article discussion.

Re: Bullies
Posted by: Melissa at Feb 17, 2008 19:54

Hold on... how did this "direct action" work?

Ok so I'm naive maybe
Posted by: Broken Link at Feb 18, 2008 00:27

I don't think I even heard of this on the mainstream media....kinda weird that such an event would get no media (mainstream) at all.

Post on Raindrophustla.blogspot.com
Posted by: this is what the hip-hop scene is sayin' at Feb 18, 2008 19:14

http://raindrophustla.blogspot.com/2008/02/about-that-dead-prez-riot-in-oly-last.html

The local media is soooo stupid...fuck 'em!
Posted by: and wrong, Wrong, WRONG!!! I was THERE!!! at Feb 18, 2008 19:25

The top ten biggest lies that the media told the public and want us to believe:

1. Dead Prez incited the riot. WRONG!
2. Hip-hop groups from Seattle started it. WRONG!
3. The crowd tried to take the officer's guns. WRONG!
4. There is video footage posted on You Tube. WRONG!
5. The event organizers started the riot. WRONG!
6. The event was in meritless chaos. WRONG!
7. Hip-hop is all about violence. WRONG!
8. Anarchists are all about violence. WRONG!
9. Evergreen students are all about destruction. WRONG!
10. People from off-campus started it. WHO KNOWS?

Bring Dead Prez to your campus
Posted by: L.Cole at Feb 19, 2008 13:39

Booking information, just fyi:

http://www.eviltwinbooking.org

Angry crowd destroys police cruiser at Evergr
Posted by: repost at Feb 19, 2008 22:24

With this type of resistance becoming increasingly popular and liberals now using terms such as, "direct action" the Political Conventions this summer will prove to be rather interesting. http://pdxmedia.mahost.org/?q=node/484

Anarchists to Rally @ Evergreen
Posted by: Rally @ TESC campus at 1pm 2/27/08 at Feb 25, 2008 22:25

See announcement here:
http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2008/02/264975.shtml

Take a stand against domestic neo-colonialism
Posted by: March 8, 2008. 10am. Seattle, WA. at Feb 25, 2008 23:21

Help Stop Youth Violence & Save Our Community!

Saturday, March 8, 2008 @ 10am
Colman School – 24th & Massachusetts in Seattle

Stop the White Corporate Mafia Takeover of A Black Cultural Center

Mis-education, institutionalized racism, economic underdevelopment, redlining, drugs, racial profiling, police terrorism, and the prevention and disruption of strong Black organizations and institutions are all part of the strategy to deny Africans in America freedom, justice and equality and the their human rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Efforts to establish an African American Heritage Museum & Culture Center in Seattle began in 1969 and came to the forefront in 1981 when Omari Tahir-Garrett and Isaiah Edwards led a community based coalition in opposing the construction of a police precinct in the heart of Seattle's historically black Central District, proposing a positive cultural institution instead. After successfully blocking the construction of the police precinct, the community turned it's attention to the recently closed Colman school as the future home of the African American Heritage Museum & Cultural Center. When the mayor began to go back on his commitment to developing the museum, a dedicated few took action!.

On the night of Nov. 23, 1985, the longest recorded act of civil disobedience in U.S. history began when Omari Tahir, Earl Debnam and a small group of concerned community members including Charlie James, Michael Greenwood and others, occupied the abandoned Colman Elementary School, demanding that the building be developed into the African American Heritage Museum & Cultural Center to save our youth!.

Since that time Seattle's white corporate mafia has orchestrated an immoral and illegal campaign to sabotage, undermine and prevent the development of a community controlled institution and further the gentrification of the Central District using hired black faces such as Norm Rice, James Kelly and former FBI agent Carver Gayton to do their dirty work.

The AAHMCC at Colman school was founded to be a world class cultural center featuring recording studios, film and video program, radio and television stations, performance hall, technology, arts, small businesses, and programs that would bring our youth in off of the streets to learn and develop their potential. It was also to serve as cultural and economic hub for the revitalization of Seattle's black community.

In tune with their plan to remove Blacks from Seattle, the city's white male power brokers such as Bill Gates, Kerry Killinger, Paul Allen (owner of Seattle Seahawks & Portland Trailblazers), Starbucks, Boeing, Comcast, and others have made it their business to see that the black community does not get what it deserves. Using the Urban League as a front, they are trying to turn the African American Cultural Center into a real estate development with 36 apartments and a small art & history museum catering almost exclusively to white cultural tastes.

Don't fall for the Urban League Village NAAM Scam! Say No to Seattle's white male corporate mafia attempts to destroy black youth and community! Say Yes to world class community controlled African American Heritage Museum & Cultural Center at Colman School.

To join the national campaign to restore community control to the Colman School contact 206.941.2527 or email info@aahmcc.org.

For more info visit www.aahmcc.org

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Olympia's V-Day Ruckus