From 1917 to 2011... Look How Far We've Come

From 1917 to 2011... Look How Far We've Come

By Shannon Mouton

Suffragists being arrested (c) 1917

Greenboro Sit-in 1963

Civil Rights marchers hosed 1963 (video)

Kent State student protesters 1970

UC, Davis protesters 2011 (video)

When will it end?

Video: Spying on Americans - Where Do We Draw The Line?

Spying on Americans - Where Do We Draw The Line?

By: Ryan Duncan

In New York, the Handschu rules place limits on surveillance. In the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, a judge loosened the law, technically allowing police to infiltrate any group. The namesake of the Handschu rules says it shouldn't be that way and wants her name removed from the law. A judge denied her request. She's concerned the rules are being used to justify the widespread surveillance of Muslim Americans. They also don't approve of the use of surveillance on protesters, as has been occuring during the Occupy Wallstreet movement. The theory is, when people think they're being watched, they'll be scared to dissent.

Where do we draw the line between protecting our safety, and protecting our rights to free speech and assembly?

Video: 'Occupy Wallstreet Protesters' WON'T Go Away!

Video: 'Occupy Wallstreet Protesters' WON'T Go Away!

By: Ryan Duncan

If you've been following all the OccupyWallStreet news from around the country, you probably heard about NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's failed attempts to "temporarily" move all the protesters in order for the park they've been occupying to be cleaned.

However, the Mayor backed down and protesters were allowed to stay, indefinitly. It seems as though political pressure forced the postponement of the cleanup.

When news broke that the protesters could stay, the crowds cheered for their victory:

Later, the growing crowds took their message to the streets, marching in victory down the streets of NYC...

 ...However, NYC police soon came under attack for instigating violent arrests and crackdowns...

...Even running over protesters with their motorcycles!

It's clear that the protests are going to continue, whether Mayor Bloomberg, or the Police like it or not. The protesters, who have been nicknamed "We are the 99%" refuse to back down and we wish them the best of luck in their fight for economic justice and political equality. 

Citizen Camera

The nine minutes of grainy video footage George Holliday captured of Los Angeles police beating Rodney King 20 years ago helped to spur dramatic reforms in a department that many felt operated with impunity.

(George Holliday)

Citizen Camera

Twenty years ago today a citizen with a conscience and a camera videotaped a handful of LA Police Department officers battering Rodney King with their clubs while King lay prostrate on the ground, helpless, unarmed and nonthreatening. The next day, the footage aired on a local news broadcast and then spread with alacrity to national TV.  At once, millions of Americans saw what many African American males and their families already knew: Black males were targets of police brutality. 

It would be useful to see if conditions have improved, gotten worse or reached an untenable plateau, but the Department of Justice website does not report current and historic data on police brutality.  So, we’re left with the memory of King’s beat down.

 

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-king-video-20110301,0,2855868.story