Like most progressives in this city, and like most participants in the Occupy movement, I feel you are basically a good person, and in your heart of hearts, probably a lot more deeply aligned with the Occupy movement than you are willing to say publicly.

The pressures around what you are or are not able so say publicly are understandable, but recent events with police brutality have crossed a line which I do not feel affords neutrality.

There were clear and egregiously violent violations of civil rights perpetrated in plain sight by city employees.

Suffice to say, your phone call to Ms. Rainey notwithstanding, I am deeply disappointing by your failure to take a firm stand on this matter.

Sincerely,

Noah Skocilich

According the the article I’ve linked below, Seattle is one of up to 40 cities where the violent police reaction to the Occupy protesters is being coordinated and strategized by a private group, the Police Executive Research Forum.

http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2011/11/18/cop-group-coordinating-occupy-crackdowns

Mr. Mayor, THIS NEEDS TO STOP NOW. These terrible decisions are driving our city, our nation, toward a black-and-white choice between violent repression or violent revolution.

WE’RE BETTER THAN THAT.

You are in a unique position. You have the power to stop this here, and to influence other cities toward true peaceful democracy. Please use your power and your position and your bully pulpit to stop the police violence against our citizens.

Update on the subject of pepper spray.

Watch this video of UC Davis students being pepper sprayed.

http://boingboing.net/2011/11/18/police-pepper-spraying-arrest.html

The police have begun to use pepper spray as a way to limit free speech without due process it appears. I implore you Mayor again. Put a conversation, a real conversation in place in our city to address the occupiers and those who support them in Seattle.

Stop standing up for property over people. Stop standing up for the well off over the poor, students, those asking real and important questions.

It was reported today in @MotherJones that the cop who indiscriminately sprayed the students at UC Davis makes $110,000 a year.

Is this it? Do the police have theirs while the average citizen has little or nothing.?

God help us. What have we become?

By most accounts, including the reporting of the police newsletter on KING5 TV, the police appear to be itching to show that they are the authority over the protesters. We don’t need a crackdown, we need a conversation between your office, the police and the people. The police need to stop acting like they are “controlling” anybody. It is quite obvious to all of us that this is a nonviolent protest.

I am just thankful that no one was hurt at the protest this week.

Seattle must stand for liberty and civil discourse. Aggressive crowd control to manage a few bad actors does not make sense, never did. Stop treating our citizens like they are criminals for putting their shoulders against the wheels of injustice in our society.

Thank you for all your efforts and to the police who have acted thoughtfully.

Take care of people first, that is a very important message from this movement.

You should set an example for the Chief of Police and step down. You, as the overall head of the city, should take whole responsibility for the Police’s actions – after all, you profess to speak for the whole city when you apologize.

Step down now, Mr. Mayor

Let’s be honest. You’re in a tough spot. You don’t want to alienate the Police Department and you don’t want to alienate the Seattle power brokers who just want these protestors to go away. We get that.

But, like it or not, you’re the mayor of a major city at an unprecedented point in our history. Not since the 1920′s has so much power and wealth been concentrated in so few hands. Our police force is shockingly militarized. The federal DHS encourages a mindset that equates citizen civil disobedience with terrorism. Many police officers have gotten their initial training in Iraq and Afghanistan and have developed an “act first, think later” approach to perceived “threats.”

This is the reality of 2011, and YOU have to decide if you’re committed to maintaining the current inequities and injustices of the status quo OR if you’re committed to facilitating the transition to a more just society.

If the latter, then you MUST rein in the violent excesses of the SPD. That means investigations, suspensions, firings and prosecutions where warranted. More “training” doesn’t cut it if there are no consequences for ignoring that training.

You KNOW this. You also know that the nation’s current course is unsustainable. Hopefully, that profoundly needed change in direction will come about peacefully.

This is your moment in history, Mr. Mayor. Ten, twenty years from now your children and grandchildren will be living with the legacy of your actions today. What role will you have played during these turbulent times?

It seems that ANY protest is very difficult to contain both from within and from the outside. The Albany protest was about budget cuts to our state universities, yet minority groups co-opted the event for their own purposes and muddled the message. In DC, the protest was pro-Amnesty International, but the Young Communists of America planted themselves front and center.

Rogue wildcards join in with their own agendas or naive “anarchists” decide to take extreme measures.

The fear of mass panic is very real and very palpable both to those involved, and those trying to contain, a protest.

In fact, anyone who has been to a punk or metal concert knows how insane a rowdy group can become up front in the “mosh pit”. It is downright scary when you are physically uprooted and swayed by hundreds or thousands of bodies against your will.

I recently drove home through downtown around 6:30 and was suddenly surrounded by protesters swarming the street (6th Ave.) My car became an island and I was trapped for about 15 minutes as the people just chanted and marched by us. My preschooler became very frightened so I told her to wave to the protestors, and they waved back.

I happen to support most of what Occupy stands for, but even so, I was not pleased to be forced into the middle of it, completely no warning.

Also – it hit me that if ANYTHING went south, I’d be stuck there with my preschooler and would either have to abandon my car or…I wasn’t even sure what I would do. If shots were fired or tear gas was thrown – I wouldn’t have time or be able to take off my seat belt and remove my daughter from her carseat behind me in order to escape.

For some reason, the street was NOT blocked off – no signage anywhere. We had heard some of the chanting in the background and I had assumed the protestors were in the square/park where they usually are, contained in one place, not moving through.

Of course, it may seem irrational to panic, but that’s what happens when you are in a crowd and get swept up in it. I was irritated that the agenda was being “forced” upon us – in that there was a lot of shaking signs right at us and waving peace hand gestures into our faces, plus some were smacking the car, etc.

I thought to myself: I already AGREE with you, so you are wasting your time here, but you’re also putting me in a position where if we were having an emergency or my daughter suddenly needed to use the bathroom, I would be trapped.

On the other hand, I though to myself, if I DIDN’T agree – this display would do NOTHING to convince me.

We need useful, strategic tasks to put the point across. I am moving to a credit union (BECU) from B of A, for instance. That is a GREAT way to make a stand, even if the big banks don’t seem to care that us small potatoes are leaving.

Anyway – after the crowd moved on, one lone police officer on a bike zipped by me and gave me the “I don’t know” shoulder scrunch/smirk.

I thought it was illegal to jaywalk – I guess filling up an avenue and walking against traffic is OK? Odd.

I have never known or heard of anyone being hurt by protestors. It is ALWAYS the “overly aggressive enforcement” that threatens or harms the public’s safety. And the police do it repeatedly, particularly against nonviolent protestors, often while turning a blind eye to agitators and much more serious law breakers.

You reminding protesters that they need to understand “the importance of nonviolence,” is an insult.

My friends were assaulted in public, and you know who did it. Advising the wrong people and talking nice is not what is called for right now.

Step up, Mayor McGinn. I want to keep believing in you.

Did you see were the retired Police Chief of Philadelphia got arrested at occupy NY? He called the NY City police; “‘obnoxious, arrogant and ignorant’”. Now the NYC Police and the Seattle Police have something in common! Please get your officers to respect people and knock off the pepper spay free for all. This occupation movement has just begun, and if the City of Seattle and their police treat them as they have, you are setting up a terrible mess.

Sincerly,
Kenn

There is a meeting Saturday December 3rd, 2011, from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm at the Capitol Hill library branch at 425 Harvard Ave. E., in Seattle. This meeting is for the demonstration being planned January 20th, 2012; at the Federal Courthouse at 700 Stewart street in Seattle. ( People and organizations involved, permits, porta potties, promotion, organizing, staging, sound, event speakers, entertainment, first aid, water, and stuff.)..The meeting room is reserved and holds 50 people and I would love to fill it up! Please inform interested people and organizations!) (This event is not sponsored by the Seattle public Library. )

I have done this before and want to progress this demonstration, and the reform of our government. (I have done the permits, porta potties and stuff before, but will be looking for someone who lives in Seattle to do this one. It will make more sense to elected officials that a “constituent” Seattle citizen is doing this. I will help pay for things but probably cannot afford to do it all.).

Please help distribute this information to interested groups and people. I feel the unions, democratic party, republican party, churches, student groups, and “others” need to be informed this is happening. Please help communicate this meeting and demonstration in Seattle! If you can get this event posted to any community events calendars – that would help!

This post explains my feelings more:

http://open.salon.com/blog/kennspace/2011/10/28/corporate_occupation_of_the_united_states_1

Thank YOU,

Kenn Dzaman (Kenn Space)

(I have also let as many Washington State lawmakers, the President, and many “others”, and the Seattle Police and Washington State Patrol know; That a demonstration is happening January 20th, 2012 at 700 Stewart Street in downtown Seattle. As much as I can make it, it will be peaceful.).

Capitol Hill Branch
425 Harvard Ave. E.

There is a very large demonstration being planned for January 20th, 2012 at the Federal Courthouse at 700 Stewart street in Seattle, – and at every Federal Courthouse in the United States.. There are many groups organizing and “gearing up” for this demonstration. I will be promoting and advertising it. This “occupy movement” has only just begun. I suggest you figure out your plan of action and response; The rules of engagement; – Need a way better understanding of what is going on; – than during WTO in Seattle. Treat the people like they are the enemy, and they will become it.

I am hoping that what I say makes sense to someone, and they will start writing and treating this “occupy movement” with the respect it is going to earn. Did you see where Israel had a demonstration of 500,000 people demanding concessions from their government? It worked. Listen to Martin Luther King, his words are as meaningful today as they were then. This struggle for economic justice and government control will be won by the people! (It is very old..).

I feel the occupy movement does have a basic underlying message; Stop letting money decide political elections; And regulate corporate lobbying (and all lobbying) making it a public forum. Right now lobbying is mostly two old white guys sitting across from each other in an office. “They” have probably worked with each other or went to the same school; And “they” have promised you a job when you get out of politics, — tripling your present salary!. The “lobbyist” used to be a “politician”, it worked for him!. Who owns who? – That’s a “Person-hood”.

I lived in the Glenn Hotel in downtown Seattle when the WTO protests happened. It happened at my front door. I was a part of it, promoting it, and involved in it. There is something going on, and I am going to be a part of it again. I have helped organize and promote protests in Bellevue, Olympia, and Seattle Washington; another big one is coming. I feel it will be a “WTO” sized protest in multiple cities.

“I” was at the WTO protests in Seattle Washington, (with thousands of “other” really awesome “people”, and a few “freaks”) when a bunch of “anarchists” started busting windows with crowbars. We surrounded them, and they got in a circle with their crowbars. I tried to get the “Seattle police” to come arrest “these anarchists”, that were only fifty feet away and threatening violence and breaking windows… The “Seattle police” would not budge from their “police line”, making all of “us” the “enemy”…. (There were thousands of “union” and “other” people sitting and standing in the street, – it was a relatively peaceful protest until the windows started breaking…). ” I” am not the “enemy”.

I will be in Seattle at 700 Stewart street at the Federal courthouse January 20th, 2012!!! I know we can do this better than last time.

The Corporate Occupation of the United States

Our corporate controlled government (through corporate lobbying and election funding ) is out of the peoples control. People want government control back. Makes sense to me… I feel US corporate capitalism (corporatism) is a type of economic fascism: To have a corporate being where the chain of command eventually muddles all responsibility to any human being. These corporate beings are running your life, and controlling your government. (Enough to really make an individual mad and protest.) In reality, the corporate being does not exist, and when it comes to face it’s corporate responsibility, it is a piece of paper. (Or a CEO saying; “I do not recall that”, “I did not have that information”, “that was not my responsibility, I was running the company, and not just that department”,,, and on and on. It has bred a corporate culture of abuse, because they keep getting away with it..), Corporate person-hood is plain and simply wrong: A corporation is not a human being. Restore capitalism to individual responsible chains of command, or this struggle will be lost.

Please Sign the petition to amend the Constitution for revoking corporate personhood at:

movetoamend.org

(I feel January 20th, 2012: will be a bigger day in US history than WTO in Seattle. The battle continues, rage against the machine is real.)

January 20, 2012 – Move to Amend Occupies the Courts!

Move To Amend is planning bold action to mark this date — Occupy the Courts — a one day occupation on Friday January 20, 2012, of the Federal Courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States and as many of the 89 U.S. District Court Buildings as we can. (I am inspired by Doctor Martin Luther King who said; “a true revolution of values”, … “there comes a time when silence is betrayal”., “people are not gonna be silenced”.). Move to Amend will lead the charge on the judiciary which created — and continues to expand — corporate personhood rights.

It’s Time to GET MONEY OUT of politics
Bailouts. War. Unemployment. Our government is bought, and we’re angry. Now, we’re turning our anger into positive action. By signing this petition, you are joining our campaign to get money out of politics. Our politicians won’t do this. But we will. We will become an unrelenting, massive organized wave advocating a Constitutional amendment to get money out of politics.

Please sign the petition!

http://www.getmoneyout.com/

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My friend and I put on a protest in Olympia for World Can’t Wait Oct. 5, 2006 at the capitol. Here are some photos…

http://www.creativeflashes.com/Politics/World-Cant-Wait-Oct-5th-2006/1971747_r54FkC/1/100377072#100377079_npPWj

I also coordinated and promoted a protest in Bellevue when Bush was there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hzh3OtBgNI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPoWphQhdm0&NR=1

Happy to say both worked out without arrest, injury or property damage! I worked with the Washington State Patrol in Olympia, and Bellevue Police beforehand, and we pretty much understood the rules of engagement. Medina police were not good partners..

http://open.salon.com/blog/kennspace/2011/10/28/corporate_occupation_of_the_united_states_1

Thanks for your initial response. I look forward to the real one, where you explain that the officers who violated SPD policy (using violence and chemical weapons in a non-violent situation, when the policy on chemical weapons clearly reserves them for situations when lethal force would otherwise have to be used) are undergoing external independent review and will be appropriately disciplined and retrained, that the entire SPD is undergoing crowd-control training in APPROPRIATE techniques, that the city is working closely with OWS to address all concerns (like, say, finding central public space they can use 24/7, assigning a couple beat cops to work with the encampment, and connecting them with resources for dealing with sanitation issues). I look forward to your transparency on what the DHS is requesting and suggesting, your announcement that the city will be moving all its accounts to local banks and credit unions, and your statement that you will not allow Seattle to become North Oakland.

The buck stops with you, Mr. Mayor. It’s time to put on the big boy pants and live your principles, even if it does make DHS and the big banks mad at you. You do all that, you won’t need to worry about them, ’cause we’ll have your back.