| (Updated) Police raid Occupy BG (12-5-11) |
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| Written by By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN/Sentinel County Editor | ||
| Monday, 05 December 2011 07:12 | ||
Armed with batons and pepper spray, the officers first set up a perimeter on the East Wooster end of the Community Commons where the Occupy BG participants have been camped out for six weeks. Another line of officers then barricaded the north end of the Commons. PHOTO BLOG The final team, with helmets and face shields on, then surrounded the largest tent on the site and entered the makeshift camp. Sgt. Alan Carsey read the order to those inside: “You are hereby directed by the mayor of the city of Bowling Green to disperse from the Community Commons.” Carsey went on to tell the two people in the tent that they had two minutes to gather their personal belongings and leave the Commons area. Other officers began using surgical sheers to cut open the tent. As Carsey repeated orders to vacate, the two inside the tent, Gilbert Bentley and Taylor Scribner, stood texting on their cell phones to alert other Occupy supporters of the raid. Scribner then lifted her phone to videotape the officers on the scene. “I just want a non-violence video,” she said. The two refused to leave, but offered no physical resistance. By 5:10 a.m., they were handcuffed and taken to a police van at the north end of the Commons. Within minutes, the first Occupy supporter to respond to texts of the raid showed up. He was not allowed into the Commons area. “I just ran from the university to show support,” said Josh Chamberland, who was barefooted and wearing pajama pants and a sleeveless shirt. Sgt. Mark McDonough, on the line barricading the north end of the Commons, suggested that Chamberland show his support from outside the perimeter. Chamberland protested. “I don’t believe in what you are doing,” he shouted. “Do you believe in the First Amendment? Why are you here?” Most of his questions went unanswered by the stone-faced officers. No pepper spray was used, but one officer used a baton to slowly push Chamberland away as he tried to enter the Commons. Chamberland persisted, talking about U.S. support of the Arab spring. “The U.S. believes in freedom to assembly, freedom of speech.” He questioned who the police worked for — the government or the people. “Is this government not supposed to be for the people, by the people?” Meanwhile, city street crews began dismantling the Occupy camp. They hauled out tents, cots, sleeping bags, a heater, backpacks, coffee pot, jugs of water, blankets and a clothesline strung on trees. PHOTO BLOG Other Occupy supporters showed up on the scene — questioning the removal of the camp. Wes Stiner reminded the police officers of voters’ support defeating Issue 2 in the general election. “We’re part of the reason you still have your pensions, your pay, your collective bargaining rights,” he shouted. “We had your back in November. You screw us in December. What’s going on here?” As street crews continued to load items from the camp, Chamberland sat down in front of one of the city trucks. “This truck isn’t going anywhere without taking me to jail,” he said. “I still love this country.” Police ended up cuffing and carrying Chamberland off to a prisoner van, charging him with obstructing official business and resisting arrest. The three people arrested were taken to Wood County jail and were to appear for video arraignment today at Bowling Green Municipal Court. By 5:24 a.m., the Commons was clear of the Occupy campsite. But supporters vowed to continue their protest of economic inequality. “You can take our stuff, but we won’t go,” Angie Peck said. Stiner said the Occupy participants will meet and decide on their next step. As for the police, they plan to continue a presence at the Commons — though it is unknown for how long. “People can still exercise their freedom of speech in that area,” Chief Brad Conner said this morning after the raid. They just can’t camp out there, he added. Conner said he was pleased with how the raid was handled this morning. The department learned how not to handle the raid from experiences of other cities around the country. Bowling Green had allowed the Occupy camp to be set up six weeks ago, but last week issued an order that the tents and other items had to be removed. The items were reportedly in violation of a city ordinance that requires sidewalks and public access areas to be kept clear. Police waited to enforce the order until the early hours of this morning, when they predicted few people would be at the site. The police held two training sessions over the weekend, with more than 25 officers brushing up on techniques using pressure points and batons. But none of that was required on the peaceful protesters. The last time the BG police trained for a specific event like this was for the KKK rally at the county courthouse in 1999. “I was very pleased with how it went,” Conner said of this morning’s raid. “A lot of hard work and training went into this, and it went down very well.” |
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| Last Updated on Monday, 05 December 2011 11:03 |
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Comments
But hey at least viacom and news corp arent a bunch of spoiled kids, who got gold stars every time they went potty......... right?
I think it's hugely entertaining, though, that the Sentinel and the BG police equated Occupy BG with the KKK: Two worthless groups that have the right to speak, but that many (most?) people don't care to listen to. I got a great chuckle out of that. Thanks!!
Rude is interfering with police business out of self-righteousness. I have as much right to free speech as you or any Occupy BG member. Now maybe another group can "claim" this piece of public property and whine about something new.
To train for crowd control for the KKK and Occupy BG is to equate two equally subversive groups, no matter how you paint it. Otherwise, the PD would train before the holiday parade, Black Swamp Fest, etc.
I struggle every day. I don't have enough, but I don't whine about it. I DO something about it and still manage to give.
you may certainly think that giving out some clothes and cash is enough. But the sad matter of fact is that there are multitudes more of your hard earned labor, spent on fighting wars in other countries as well as making other people rich.
Why not do something more important, like helping to pass the "False claims act" legislation, to help remove fraud from SS and medicare, and govt programs. As well as fight for campaign finance reform so that corporations and unions don't destroy america.
I'm okay with paying for a war that within the last year has destroyed two of the most evil men in the world. What can I do to help get more?
And I find it absolutely hilarious that you urge me to fight unions (which I did), yet one of Occupy BG's numbers is quoted in this very story as saying “We’re part of the reason you still have your pensions, your pay, your collective bargaining rights. We had your back in November. You screw us in December."
Methinks Occupy BG had better write a mission statement and goals before doing anything else.
If you only knew how sincerely grateful I am for the ST, your jaw would hit the pavement.
The wealth inequality is what creates alot of drug and property crime, and then when your caught, you have to work as an indebted servant for private prisons..... sound familiar?
My personal opinion is that Occupy BG is stupid. What are you protesting, Grounds for Thought and Mr Spots?
But, they only boke minor misdomeaners and rather silly laws at that. The tea party took their name from a world class felony.
That's your tax dollars at work people.
And completely worth the cost. What would have happened if all of these folks would have actually woken up and showed up in force. Oh wait. They were sleeping because they had jobs to go to. Oh wait, they showed up to show solidarity. Oh wait...they showed up because they believed in something. Oh wait. They were all camping out because they were dedicated to the cause. Oh wait. What? Somewhere I missed the point of Occupy BG. And apparently, so did they.
As a taxpayer, I am so grateful that I can count on BG Police to show up in force when called for, and they won't sleep on the job. It's unfortunate that they get paid to protect the same people who bash them.
These are not "bums", darling boy... they're activists tired of seeing the top one percent be feted and fawned on by the politicians from the state and national parties, receiving wonderful welfare benefits, while everyone else sees their pensions gutted, jobs leave the country, and conglomerates get larger.
I respectfully question where the "active" part in "activists" comes from with Occupy BG. They have done nothing but commandeer an alley as a place to whine and generate support of some sort. True activists affect change and WORK for change. They don't squat in alleys set up tents, walk on roofs, litter, steal electricity, and pretend the law doesn't apply to them.
True activists picket City Hall and write letters, create petitions, write to their congressmen and get their hands dirty to accomplish their goals.
I wonder. If Occupy had not broken any laws but done their protests via permits, would you all have been silent? No, I didn't think so. You'd be complaining about them and characterizing them exactly the same way, because you really are made uncomfortable by free speech with which you disagree. And, just because they got permits, you can't claim that the Tea Party does not have its moments of idiocy.
May God give U the help to perform your job and protect the citizens from evil & please do not steal from the taxpayers to pay the overtime again.
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