It's Bigger than Hip Hop

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It's Bigger than Hip Hop

Submitted by Rick on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 9:36am.

Hat tip to AM:

Text from YouTube: "It's Bigger than Hip Hop: The Truth Behind the Evergreen Uprising," narrates the sequence of events that led up to the violent uprising that occurred after a Hip Hop show featuring Dead Prez and others on Valentine's Day 2008, and contains footage of the performance, the protest, and the uprising, as well as commentary from exclusive interviews and statements from community forums that followed later in the week. Contact Julie C for official press release and video script.

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I would say this creates a narrative

Submitted by Guglielmo on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 9:56am.

rather than "narrates the sequence of events." That's life in the journalism thunderdome I guess. Two narratives walk in, one walks out...maybe. This feels rather manipulative to be honest (and I've been sympathetic to the students). How can an honest narrative not include the tallent yelling "fuck the police?" Too bad we've yet to be blessed with access to unedited video from that night.

serious CJ action

Submitted by chad360 on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 11:00am.

Wow, what a great example of the CJ momentum...

...I'm curious if any OlyBloggers would be interested in exploring local video resources (like TCTV)?

>I'm thinking that having video "on-hand" (all CJ style) is a good thing<

Well put-together video

Submitted by Logarithm on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 11:07am.

I am often highly impressed at the local video production and editing of Olympia. This video was really high quality!

1) Stuff only got thrown

Submitted by benny on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 11:12am.

1) Stuff only got thrown AFTER OPD entered the crowd using the force. The crowd was peacefully chanting prior to OPD. I have watched the full 45min video and can attest to this. 2) How come TCSO can enter the crowd peacefully and get to the center, but OPD has to go in with the intention of using force? 3) The video's clearly show OPD shaking a can of spray and wilding flashlights and nightsticks BEFORE entering the crowd. If you walk in with a show of force, you will be greeted by the same. If OPD has just walked in peacefully like TCSO did this would not have happened. I think flipping the car was idiotic and people should go to jail for that, however I think it is very clear that OPD initiated the the use of unnecessary force. It is also clear from the video that the people OPD was manhandling and hitting are the same select few that are up in there faces causing the disturbance later on. That does not justify what they did, but it shows that these people had been the victims of OPD misconduct. I feel sorry for the TCSO in all this. I think they handled the situation well and it is sad that it was their car that got flipped, when it was OPD that escalated this disturbance. I don't think this should turn into some huge blame game, but I strongly feel that OPD should learn from this and realize they could and should have handled this differently.

How can ordinary folks view

Submitted by Guglielmo on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 11:22am.

the full 45 minute video? Oh, and I totally agree that the OPD and other agencies should use this as a learning tool. I do not think that they are blameless. But my impression of the "peaceful" nature of the crowd changed after reading similar characterizations from different law enforcement agencies.

If You Scroll To 8:36

Submitted by JstPlnOnry on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 1:14pm.

into this, there is a man with protective eyewear on his head speaking about peace. Did he come to the concert with those goggles? If so, why? Were they planning ahead for something? Did he run home & get it & come back?

I keep wondering why he had goggles...

"A point of view is only a view from a point..." ~ Unknown

I still am trying to figure out

Submitted by security_six on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 1:39pm.

Where the spraypaint came from. Some have suggested it was retrieved from dorms, which still suggests some were prepared for trouble and is a weak attempt to divert attention from the possibility that some in the crowd came prepared for or willing to make trouble.

"Safety is a tyrant's tool; no one can be against safety."--Unknown

Maybe...

Submitted by DrewHendricks on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 2:33pm.

Perhaps the folks who brought AR-15 rifles, Padded armor, Sidearms, ASP telescoping metal batons, police batons, pepper spray, radios, cars and the training to use them on people who were passively resisting and protesting a simple arrest, are the ones whose use of force should be questioned.
Perhaps property destruction, even of a police car, is trivial BS compared to hurting a human being because they would not (could not, if you read some of the OPD reports) move out of "your way."
Perhaps the "security volunteer" who thought that simple assault (snatching a joint out of someone's hand) was appropriate behavior should be questioned. Perhaps his employment history should be checked for DOD ties.
Perhaps the person who spent one and a half hours making sure that someone who hit her was apprehended by police should be asked just what she thought was going to come of it, since the fight involved mostly white people and she was only going after a nonwhite person at an event where many, if not most were racially radical / class conscious activists.
We all know that my tinfoil hat is a size too tight, but I keep thinking this was engineered so that a certain bill in the State Legislature got the boost that the Murrah building gave the Effective Death Penalty and Anti-terrorism act of 1996.
This was, remember, the first such Dead Prez concert to get out of hand in - oh, ten years or so? And the first TESC riot anyone can remember? Hmmm.

Perhaps the person who spent

Submitted by Merwyn Haskett on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 3:03pm.

Perhaps the person who spent one and a half hours making sure that someone who hit her was apprehended by police should be asked just what she thought was going to come of it, since the fight involved mostly white people and she was only going after a nonwhite person at an event where many, if not most were racially radical / class conscious activists.

So she should have just let it go? Justifiable assault of a male on a female?

Merwyn

Submitted by JstPlnOnry on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 3:04pm.

Are you out of breath from running all the way out to left field to catch that fly ball? LOL!

"A point of view is only a view from a point..." ~ Unknown

Someone is wrong on the internet!

Submitted by Rick on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 3:35pm.

Must stop them. Must stop them. Must stop them. Must stop them...

> It's OK to be nice. <
enpen's social contract

True. But then again, you

Submitted by Merwyn Haskett on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 3:38pm.

True. But then again, you don't want Olyblog to be wrong do you?

I'd rather have a conversation...

Submitted by Rick on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 3:44pm.

...because things are more complex than right or wrong. Do you remember the thing about getting curious, not indignant? If you were to inquire about what Drew thinks that the young woman might have done otherwise to preserve justice and not incite a riot, you might get a sensible answer out of him. But the "YOU MEAN THAT..." statement doesn't leave much room for that.

> It's OK to be nice. <
enpen's social contract

Re-read that again...

Submitted by DrewHendricks on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 10:47pm.

I didn't say she SHOULD do anything. I said she should be asked what she thought was going to result from the public arrest of a black man and hour and a half after the incident, given where and when the incident happened. Did anyone else get pointed out in the crowd? We know from multiple eyewitnesses that several people - most of them white - were also fighting, including her and her boyfriend the Security Volunteer. So why is she so focused on her attacker? Who is she? What is her agenda?
On a more general note, do we need people who come crying to superior authority for their protection? Or does that perpetuate a dependent relationship on people who WANT to justify their use of violence? Would we be better off teaching our young not to snitch?

Dang...

Submitted by security_six on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 9:18pm.

I have a lot of that stuff, or an equivalent.... semi auto military rifle? Check. Padded armor? Nope, but I do have a kevlar helmet I picked up in a lot of GI surplus I bought cheap. Sidearms? Check. Telescoping baton? Nope, but I got a nice club, close enough. Pepper spray. Yup. Radios? Yup. Cars? Nope. Have a dinghy with an outboard though.

Well, guess I'm ready to go cause havoc in Olympia! Hip hop artists and activists beware! :-p (BTW, this is pure sarcasm folks)

I see nothing wrong with that equipment inventory. Every cop has that in their car. Some sort of long arm, handgun, pepper spray, batons, etc... I'd wear padded armor to a riot or huge disturbance too if I had access to it. Radios? Of course. Cops always have radios. And cars.

I don't see the conspiracy either. Sorry.

"Safety is a tyrant's tool; no one can be against safety."--Unknown

So why are your questions pointed at paint and goggles?

Submitted by DrewHendricks on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 10:51pm.

I asked the question I asked because you focused on the victims' "wrongfulness" while ignoring that someone else came prepared for the hyperviolence (and admittedly did not actually USE the hyperviolence, merely the violence.)
I didn't expect you to see the "conspiracy" since it did not directly involve any second amendment rights issues. _Snap!_

Snap huh?

Submitted by Norm on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 11:02pm.

Urgh...

Submitted by security_six on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 11:22pm.

Even without the 2nd, and I don't see where that comes into play here, I fail to see the conspiracy.

As far as the police equipment, it is pretty standard as far as I can see... I travel to Seattle at least twice a month and carry some of the stuff on that list, including a sidearm. Generally my "don't leave home without it" kit is my sidearm, a small folding knife, pepper spray, and my cellphone, plus a few other assorted items.

EVERY cop has a longarm, sidearm, pepper spray, baton, etc... it should come as no surprise that the stuff was present at TESC. However, did the longarms come out? did the sidearms come out? If not, why worry? Standard kit. Maybe goggles and spray paint are hip hop fans standard kit. Each side seemed to be prepared for it's own brand of mayhem.

I just don't brand every single act done by the cops as bad. Nor do I riot or destroy public property when either I don't get my way or if I think the cops made a mistake. I'll call foul when I see it, and I really don't see it this time.

What was my point with describing my "kit"? Simply that if a private citizen owns or carries about half the crap on the list of things cops had with them, maybe it isn't such a big deal...

"Safety is a tyrant's tool; no one can be against safety."--Unknown

This is speculation to some extent

Submitted by Jurjen S. on Wed, 03/05/2008 - 12:39pm.

It's speculated that the people initially in the crowd didn't have anything like masks, bandannas, spray paint, etc. with them when the dispute began, but used their cell phones to send text messages to friends back in student housing and/or in the Glen to come and bring such items.

Ridiculous overreaction

Submitted by Logarithm on Sun, 03/09/2008 - 8:19am.

Ban cell phones!

Interesting

Submitted by DJW on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 7:55pm.

So many conspiracies and so little time. Since this appears to be the game of choice I'm going to add to it.

Maybe the crowd was still jazzed and upset at OPD for whatever perceived injustices they participated in during the November Port Protests.

Maybe the crowd was ready for a fight.

Maybe OPD used force as they were still reeling from all of the bad blood from the port protests and have decided that peaceful protesters don't like to follow simple commands.

Maybe they are all super secret undercover DOD plants sent from DC to incite riots to squelch any uprising against the MAN!

I question the need to have this concert in the first place. I question the use of volunteer security forces. I question the group that decided it was there right or position to surround a cop in order to force a position. I question if these people were so worried about fair play they would have made sure they gave accurate accounts to the police, not surround her and force her to give in to the mob mentality.

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