The Days We Seized the Street in Oaklan

THE INSIDE: THE FULL STORY OF STOP THE DRAFT WEEK DAYS WE SEIZED THE STREET IN OAKLAN COPS "ARMED MERCENARIES/' SAYS EX-COP - By Steven Lindstedt when they said it was a war and the $5500 to $220 and I was soon bailed out, The police across the nation are rapidly people out there were the enemy. Perhaps I now await trial. becoming militarized; they are preparing I sat alone in a tiny celL The mono I had gotten too involved with the people That particular Tuesday' will not be for battle. Urban police forces have in tony of the concrete was broken only by that I encountered. Perhaps I felt too soon forgotten. It was a radicalizing day creasingly employed military tactics and the steel bars of the cell door - beyond much or questioned too much, Whatever and an enlightening day. Old illusions give military equipment. They feel that their that, another concrete walL I had been the reason, I never Q1lite made it as a way to new perspectives -: the image of position in the community has been threat charged with a felonious assault upon a policeman. the police as community servants has been ened. They have reacted by resorting to police officer. Only four weeks prior, I The four weeks that had passed since replaced by an image of armed mercen more frantic and more oppressive ways of had been a city police officer myself, leaving the force now seemed like a life aries. maintaining "order." ...... in Berkeley. The transition had been time, I felt no commonality and no com total. In months prior, I had arrested mitment to them. TtJey were strangers, offenders and now, I had been arrested; As the morning progressed my estrange I had peered into cells before and now, ment was to be turned into reluctant in IN THIS ISSUE I was on the inside, peering out. volvement. The transition would be com The ranks of police had filled Clay plete. Street earlier that· morning. Opposing About two hours after the police had them, a street full of demonstrators, I cleared the street in front of the induc BARRICADES IN OAKLAND - p. 3 sensed that today (fuesday) would be tion center, Barbara and I were watching different from Monday. Barbara and I had a group of demonstrators as they blocked decided not to risk arrest, but merely to traffic. We saw a commotion behind a bus INSIDE STOP THE DRAFT WEEK - p. 4 observe the demonstration. It was in this and began crossing the street to get a bet role as spectators that we sought a safe ter view of the activity. A lone Oakland "MILITARY HISTORY OF STOW" - p. 6 vantage point in the parking lot opposite policeman came walking back from the the induction center. A loudspeaker blared front of the crowd after his unsuccessful a warning and thEm, more distinctly, came attempt to disperse the demonstrators, ANTI-DRAFT AND WOMEN - p. 11 a sharp order:" 'MarchI" Without warning and without provocation, The police moved forward, at first the officer started shoving us with his pushing and then hitting. Clubs were night stick. I was able to step aside, but ARAB-ISRAEL - p. 10 swung above police helmets and came Barbara was hit in the back, Trying to pro crashing down amidst the demonstrators, tect Barbara, I attempted to step between LADO IN CHICAGO - p. 16 The police were not selective, both men her and the officer. She turned around and women, young and old alike felt the and was struck in the forehead by the riotsticks. The crowd broke easily;, the officer's night stick. At this point, I be THE MOVEMENT PRESS BULK RATE gan grappling for the officer's club. LJ. S. POSTAGE police could claim total victory for this 449 14TH STREET battle. PAID CLUBBED SAN FRANCISCO, CA. 94103 S2M Fr..nclllCO, Calif. STUNNED Permjt '''0. 8603 A squad of eight or nine Highway Patrol I was stunned, bewildered. I could not men were suddenly on top of me. I was believe what was happening. Tears sud clubbed and knocked to the grou~, I curled denly flooded my eyes; I held Barbara up and attempted to cover my head, Still tightly and we turned away, unable to I was clubbed and kicked. The police watch any longer. grabbed my feet and dragged me down Was it true? Had I been a policeman only the block, past the police lines. four weeks before? Had I been one of Some 34 hours later, the charge was re them? It was true. Perhaps I had not been duced froma '-felony (assaulting an officer) a "good" policeman, but I had been one to three misdemeanors (including resist of them. Perhaps I had neve\- believed it ing arrest). The bail was reduced from P~E2 '....1....111111111111..1111111111111111 ........111 ..11 ....11111111111111 0 EDIT RIALS AND LETTERS 1111111111111111111111 NON-ZIONIST JEWISH VIEW CONSIDER DIRECT-ACTION TACTICS Dear Editor, started Is["ae I put into the field twice Dear Editor, The violence that occurred last Tuesday, the soldiers as all the Arabs combined, especially against those who sat-down I write this letter in response to that not to mention the substantially better Now that the immediate exigencies of (as in Los Angeles in june) stemmed in by Naomi Lauter because I believe she equipment, Israel talks of the 50,000 unity which dominated "Stop The Draft part from the' 'mixed", confused nature speaks for a large percentage of liberal Egyptians in the Sinai, but always knew \Veek" have dWindled, it may be per of the demonstration, and the scattered and progressive jews and because I think that they could put 150.000 Israeli's missible to voice a few criticisms from isolated nature of the sit-downs, These she clearly places many of the points of against them, Egypt knew that they had the ranks of the demonstrators, In par were often surrounded by police and an enormous debate going on in the no chance at that time, \Vitness what ticular, whilsr recogniZing the personal n,ncealed from view, The somewhat pro left jewish community. And I think that 50,000 couldn't accomplish in Yemen, committment and courage of many of the vocative nature of the self-defensive and there is an enormous stake,' both to all You will find many jews, closely con leaders, one may I think express some, re-ab::;orption taerics announced for the the movements that we participate in nected to their people, who ha\ e for the misgi\'ings about their tactics. monitors led to their line, and the stand and support, and to that humanist, pro entire history of Modern Israel fought In their quite sectarian opposition to ing demvnstrators !Jebind, being driven gressive tradition which has made it the policies of its government, The war pacifism, the leadership was led into back 011 rop of those Sitting against the worth being a jew for so many genera has somewhat sIlenced this argument. It refusing to consider certain direct-actiun wall of the Centel-. This in turn led to tions. For the events of the Middle East is terribly difficult to turn against a tactics (often associated with pacifist the indisaiminate cluhhing of those who have provided the wedge for deep political brother, against your' people, in their protests) on their merits. For example. were trapped there, who fell or who inro.ads by the Republicans and also by the time of crisis, whatever your opinion the possibility of massive civil-disobed remained ::.ittin" in small groups, These Far Right. And I do raise that as a of the cause and justice of that crisis, ience to shut down the Industion Center events cannot be compared with a solid, bogey-man. I dread the image of the sur My heart is full of anguish over the was never seriously contemplated, and clearly demarcated sit-down blocking a vival of the state of Israel requiring crimes of my people of the United States, the si.t-down tactic, even when used, was street from the outset of the demonstra·· that the jewish community of California I condemn the leaders in Washington, discredited both before and afrer Tues tion. adopt as spokesmen Reagan Murphy, But I cannot tear myself from my rela day's inevitable fracas, The major argu Yorty, and Chuck Connors, as they did tives and neighbors who put those terrible ments deployed against such tactics seem at the "Save Israel" rally in Los Angeles. people in office. The strongest weapon ed to be - a) that such demonstrations OPPORTUNISM I think that the modern history of Israel of the Imperialists is the call to patriot required a discipline and committment In fact one may detect a certain op may be creating a Jew that I don't want ism. But it is the highest patriotism to re that was not available - b) that large portunism by the steering committee in to identify with,. SO,let us debate para nounce your own, if conscience dictates, numbers would be reqUired to block the combining thus violent self-defense and graph by paragraph, (an old jewish cus streets around the center effectively non-Violent sit-down tactics, This may tom,) so that' the people who read this LAND c) that people were no longer ready to have placated, and thereby recruited, paper may know us better. be politely led-off to jail like "sheep the maximum number of demonstrators, While I don't have a copy of the "Move If you knew jewish history, you would to the slaughter" - d) that a sitting but it placed those who sat-down in peculair ment" editorial on Israel before me, I know that political Zionism, from its crowd would have invited and been more jeopardy.

Load more