Forum Post: Share Your Story of Police Brutality
Posted 12 years ago on April 26, 2012, 3:44 p.m. EST by ksatterf
(1)
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Hi,
My name is Kyle, and I'm a senior at Tulane University in New Orleans. I'm currently writing a paper for a class taught by Prof. Martha Huggins, "Political Policing." My topic for the paper is the police's brutality against the Occupy movement.
However, I'm not out there on the front lines, and the media has no fair and balanced accounts. I need stories direct from the people involved or who have direct knowledge of any police brutality.
SHARE YOUR STORY! I would love to include it in my paper.
Thanks, Kyle
Over the years, I've had an assortment of encounters with cops of various kinds in various locations and states, for a variety of reasons. I've even been arrested. And I'm a member of an ethnic minority with a funny surname. I've never had an encounter where the cop was anything but punctiliously polite and professional.
Same here, Never had a bad encounter with cops; and I’m an old guy. They’ve always been professional. I’m suspicious of people who demonize cops. Makes me think they’re just mad cause they got legally busted for something and just wanting payback. I think bad behavior by cops is rare.
Thank you both for sharing.
penguento: I'm really interested in these stories, too. If anyone has had pleasant encounters with police, please share those stories! Even if you've had what you consider a non-noteworthy incident with the police. Getting an idea of both sides of the coin is important for balanced research and a getting a true idea of what is really happening.
XenuLives: That is an interesting concept you've illuminated. Anyone can be affected by propaganda, police included. However, police are sanctioned by the state to act upon it. This is a very frightening notion.
This illustrates an important point - the police power is a big stick, and it's easy to misuse it or have it co-opted by somebody with power or connections. Back in the 60's, during the civil rights movement, the police in many places were co-opted by the segregationists, and in places like Philly were notorious thugs. They've worked a lot over the years improving the professionalism of police agencies, but it still happens, no doubt about it.
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I was not the victim of police abuse at Occupy, but I have a somewhat related story.
I was with a large group that was protesting against the Scientology cult a few years ago, and when we arrived there were police vans, a helicopter, the WORKS. There was a line of cops donning full riot gear that marched down the street that we were on, and faced us directly across the street from us, standing between us and the cult "Org."
What organized Scientology does whenever it encounters any kind of dissent is lie to the authorities that the protestors are "terrorists" and that they are afraid, blah blah blah. Basically a bunch of lies (one of the reasons why I was protesting against them. I hate deception!) Needless to say the PD in this town took their lies hook, line, and sinker.
The protest went on peacefully, I left to grab a quick lunch, and when I was walking back on site there was a LOT of commotion. Two of our protestors were arrested for using a bullhorn and dragged into the Scientology building!
The cops didn't do anything about a bullhorn nor were we informed that a bullhorn was going to be an issue until that random moment. It felt like the cops were working together with the cult to silence us, and it turned out that they were because of all the lies and propaganda that the cult spread about the protestors.
Eventually the charges were dropped, but it was the principle that really resonated with me. The cops are people just like anyone else, and they can fall victim to lies and propaganda just like the rest of us. The difference is that the cops can act on that propaganda, and that is dangerous for free people everywhere.
Apparently, the cops side with the cult far more often than the protesters. Can so many cops really be that unaware of ScienTOMogy's true intent?
Awesome dude ... scientology is the most fucktarded cult I can think of :)
I have a mission impossible for tom cruise, try to regrow those neurons scientology stole from his brain (if he ever had one to begin with).