MoveOn.org is has a petition campaign over the War Veteran Wounded By Police At Occupy Oakland, Stun Grenade Thrown At Folks Helping Him.
They introduced the video below with the following explanation:
Scott Olsen, a protester who’s done two tours of duty in Iraq and is now involved in Veterans For Peace, was critically wounded during an Oakland police raid by police projectiles. When people tried to help him, an officer lobbed a flash bang grenade right into their group. Olsen is currently hospitalized with serious injuries and is reported to be in critical condition.
The text of the petition that you can sign at MoveOn.org is as follows:
Mayor Quan: We are outraged by your decision to have Occupy Oakland’s peaceful, lawful and inspiring assembly raided. We denounce police intimidation, harassment, and incarceration of peaceful protesters.
We call on you to drop all the charges against these community leaders, to release them immediately, and to allow for the restoration of the encampment.
I first red the news of this veteran’s fate on The Raw Story web site article Marine veteran’s skull fractured by police projectile at ‘Occupy Oakland’ protest.
To underdstand the need for the lethal violence of the police, you can read the story Mayor Quan issues statement about Occupy Oakland raid.
In part she said:
Many Oaklanders support the goals of the national Occupy Wall Street movement. We maintained daily communication with the protest0rs in Oakland.
However, over the last week it was apparent that neither the demonstrators nor the City could maintain safe or sanitary conditions, or control the ongoing vandalism. Frank Ogawa Plaza will continue to be open as a free speech area from 6 am to 10 pm.
In order to maintain safe and sanitary conditions is killing a demonstrator justified? Exactly what kind of vandalism does she imagine? Enough to kill over? Maybe this is like what we heard about the Viet Nam war where our Army had to destroy villages in order to save them.
Having participated in some of the Activities of Occupy Boston and Occupy Worcester, I know that the demonstrators were fully aware of what might be the reaction of the power structure they were challenging. The fact that they were willing to continue in the face of this knowledge is a tribute to their courage. The irony of a Marine Vet surviving several tours of duty in Iraq only to have his skull fractured while petitioning his own government for redress of grievances is almost beyond belief.