(excerpt from) The Indy Channel / AP Story
G-20 Opponents, Police Clash In Pittsburgh
Officers Fire Pepper Spray, Tear Gas
Daniel Lovering, Associated Press Writers/ 2:41 pm EDT September 24, 2009
PITTSBURGH — Police threw canisters of pepper spray and smoke at anarchists protesting the Group of 20 summit Thursday after the marchers responded to calls to disperse by rolling trash bins and throwing rocks.
The march turned chaotic at just about the same time that President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle arrived for a meeting with leaders of the world’s major economies…
…The hundreds of marchers had included small groups of self-described anarchists, some wearing dark clothes and bandanas and carrying black flags and others wearing helmets and safety goggles. Some held a banner that read, “No borders, no thanks.” Another banner read, “No hope in capitalism.”…
An activist from New York City, dressed in a white suit with a preacher’s collar, kicked off the march with a speech through a bullhorn.
“They are not operating on Earth time. … They are accommodating the devil,” he said. “To love democracy and to love the earth is to be a radical now.”
The activist, Billy Talen, travels the country preaching against consumerism. He initially identified himself as “the Rev. Billy from the Church of Life After Shopping.”
The G-20 summit begins Thursday evening with a welcome ceremony and ends late Friday afternoon after a day of meetings at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
Dignitaries were arriving in waves and were heading to a city under heavy security. Police and National Guard troops guarded many downtown intersections, and a maze of tall metal fences and concrete barriers shunted cars and pedestrians.
6 responses so far ↓
1 Danny S // Sep 24, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Small groups of anarchists in a giant mass…
Of course they narrow in on the anarchists only.
2 Kimberly Wilder // Sep 24, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Yes, they do.
I think labeling and singling out “anarchists” is a clear, government/status quo strategy to divide and conquer. The government and the major media try to paint a picture of “young and punk” “violent” anarchists. So, that regular peace people – and especially folks new to demonstrating – have someone to be afraid of.
Having a “bad guy” or even “foolish guy” gives the police an apparent reason to be there with weapons.
Wouldn’t it be interesting if the police stayed all the way away – or at least to the side – and let the old hippies and the peace folks deal with any potential wild demonstrators? Wouldn’t it be great if all of the activists knew it was better for us to have conflict resolution and a nonviolent security contingent ourselves, rather than allow (or wish for) police to deal with potential outbursts?
3 Third Party Revolution // Sep 24, 2009 at 7:06 pm
An example of heavy media bias, not mentioning Talen is running for Mayor of NYC and depicting the protesters as being solely anarchists, while other political ideologies were there.
4 Ross Levin // Sep 24, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Most people don’t even think of anarchists as an ideological group – they just think of them as violent protestors. At least in my experience.
5 upstartgreen // Sep 25, 2009 at 12:49 am
Its time for us Greens to get our act together and provide an evolutionary model for change or we will all see revolutionary change.
6 Danny S // Sep 25, 2009 at 1:04 am
Totally agreed Kimberley.
BTW, check out this scene…
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=211895
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