In fact, there is a slight possibility that I was the first person ziptied during the first dramatic police encounter after we passed through Laney
College.
I was across the street from the person who took the above video. I was between the riot police and the Occupy March...leaning against a car eating
an apple. A tear gas canister hit my foot and caused its' effect - a teary eyed and half suffocated MemoryShock though I likened the experience to
eating too much wasabi (didn't really phase me).
One of the impressions I will never forget is that the riot police, despite the fact that they were giving very vocal warnings of the possibility for
severe injury, did indeed fire high velocity projectiles into a crowd of unarmed people. There was no provavcation save for a group of many people
fed up with the state of our society attempting to use peaceful assembly guarenteed by our constitution. I am no authority on the matter but I know
what I witnessed...and there is a reason that I placed myself in between the two groups; I wanted to witness the events. A pal of mine may have more
video but I was strictly there to witness...
I noticed the riot police, after much tear gas, flash bombs, smoke grenades and rubber bullets (I was yelling at them to "Not Hurt People";
astounding that they had no compunction) start their forward march onto the crowd...about fouty five against hundreds...and they were on me in
muntes...I turned around, was bumped to the ground without resisting and was immediately zip tied and placed in a police cruiser. I was then taken to
the Alameda Police Department where I was detained until 5am the next morning...when I was released after watching waves of other Occupiers follow in
with their incarceration...
The one thing I did notice throughout the night (little sleep occurred) was that everyone was animate and talkative. Much discussion was had and no
one was necessarily distressed at having to spend the night in prison...though there may have been a few people unfairly tacked with assault charges
(I have a 409; for refusal to disburse from an 'unlawful assembly')...and there was more comradarie then I would have expected.
I do not see this movement ending soon...and after my first very involved interaction, I am looking forward to seeing this movement evolve...though I
concede that changes are going to need to be made and more education amongst those who are presenting adversity is required.
And there it is...a first hand account...more later if and when it transpires...because who can really predict the future?