Wall Street Protests

[Undertoad]

What you really want is for the (seemingly large amount of) violent acts to not cloud the message of the overall protest.

But to try to do this by whitewashing the events, attempting to "manage the narrative" is not the right way, I think.

The dude came for the protest, lobbed a molotov cocktail into the PDX WTC, retreated into the camp and was arrested for starting fires there.

Was it better because he didn't lob his grenade into the camp? No... Does the story ring false because the reporter quoted the police involved? No...

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...occupy_po.html

It's a sad fact that civil disobedience attracts a lot of scumbags and morons, but that's part of the whole thing, and can't be so easily dismissed. Attempting to manage this problem by saying it doesn't exist will only attract more attention to the next event.

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

What you really want is for the (seemingly large amount of)
violent acts to not cloud the message of the overall protest.
But to try to do this by whitewashing the events,
attempting to "manage the narrative" is not the right way, I think.

The dude came for the protest, lobbed a molotov cocktail into the PDX WTC,
retreated into the camp and was arrested for starting fires there.

Was it better because he didn't lob his grenade into the camp?
No...
Does the story ring false because the reporter quoted the police involved? No...

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...occupy_po.html

It's a sad fact that civil disobedience attracts a lot of scumbags and morons,
but that's part of the whole thing, and can't be so easily dismissed.
Attempting to manage this problem by saying it doesn't exist
will only attract more attention to the next event.

I take your point in suggesting I'm trying to "manage the narrative",
I don't see it that way. I know I am trying to separate issues when I see
over-reporting of negative events being attributed to the Occupy movement.
I agree that "that's part of the whole thing, and can't be so easily dismissed."
But it does need to be kept in perspective.
For example, why is "(seemingly large amount of)" inserted above ?

Does the news report in your link really sound like an valid, accurate characterization
of the month-long activities of the Occupy Portland protestors ?

A 29-year-old man was arrested this morning inside the Occupy Portland encampment,
police said, on suspicion of throwing a Molotov cocktail onto a staircase at the World Trade Center last night.
No one was injured in the incident, which scorched a staircase between two escalators at the center,
located at 121 Southwest Salmon Street.

Paul Corah, a Portland Fire Bureau spokesman, said Hodson was responsible
for the incendiary device as well as separate act of vandalism to the Smart Park parking structure
at 123 Southwest Jefferson Street.

He said Hodson was arrested and charged with multiple arson related crimes on Sunday evening
in connection with three separate rubbish fires set on Southwest Taylor Street
between Southwest 3rd and 5th avenues.
Agents from the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms assisted in the investigation.

On Monday, Hodson told The Oregonian that he had just gotten into town
over the weekend from Redding, Calif., and decided to join Occupy Portland,
where he had taken it upon himself to greet people as they entered Lownsdale Square.

He said he found “a lack of cohesion” within the encampment,
which had allowed it to become “an eyesore for the community,
instead of something to be celebrated.”

Also today, police said they cited Justin Desantis for having alcohol
inside the Occupy Portland camp at Lownsdale Square and Chapman parks.
Desantis was excluded from the parks.

Another man, Shawn Kimmel, 31, was arrested for disorderly conduct,
possession of methamphetamine, carrying a concealed weapon
after officers contacted him for his aggressive behavior at the camp.
Kimmel was also arrested on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear
on a criminal trespassing charge out of Clackamas County.

In my opinion, this news report KGW report
entitled "Occupy assembly tries to distance itself from anarchists"
gives a more balanced description of the situation.
But despite the headline, it's title is addressed only in the last few seconds of the report.

And despite the reporter's comment, the PDX General Assembly has NOT put out a request
for others to come from Oakland or Seattle or other areas.
They have, instead, specifically rejected such offers from other groups.

Downtown PDX is not and was not crime free before Oct 1, 2011
We do have homeless, drugs, and some people do commit illegal acts.
Media reports implying that acts of violence within the 10-block radius,
or "near" the encampment are connected to "Occupy Portland,
should be viewed with healthy skepticism.

Unfortunately, I have to predict there will be a confrontation tonight,
and violence will be part of it.
We have to wait to see how the news media reports it all.
.

[Stormieweather]

I don't think one or two or a hundred criminal types represent ALL of the Occupy movement. It's no more accurate to attempt to portray them ALL as losers and bums than it is to portray them ALL as nurses (because some are involved with Occupy) or ALL as union folk (because some unions endorsed it). Not everyone on Wall Street is a bad guy either. Plenty of people that work there are just trying to survive like the rest of us.

There are bad people everywhere. And a heck of a lot more in our government that should be...thus my personal outrage and empathy with OWS.

ETA: All the trespass charges are part and parcel of protesting so you lost me right there, Merc.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Stormieweather

ETA: All the trespass charges are part and parcel of protesting so you lost me right there, Merc.

Not trying to gain you. Trespass charges count.

Major crimes are happening in these places and there are enough reports of the idiots running these things preventing the cops from coming in and doing their jobs.

[Lamplighter]

Police Report Savannah Airport Center of Crime Ring

Major crimes are happening there and there are enough reports
of the idiots running these things preventing the cops
from coming in and doing their jobs.



-----

I don't believe that...it's a cheap trick... in fact I made up the headline, but the map is true.

Here is the same map (dates/kinds of crimes) for PDX centered on the Occupy Portland encampment


The Occupy Portland encampment is in "Chapman Square" near the bottom of the map

My point being one or a few news media reports with misleading
headlines and/or visuals can sway public opinion.
I think the link to the above maps can be informative about the background of any crime reports

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

....misleading
headlines and/or visuals can sway public opinion.

As can reports that soften the issues and sweep what is really happening at these protests under the rug. Many of these places are nothing less than human cesspools.