By Luke Thomas
March 18, 2009
Watch this unedited video of a demonstration outside the Israeli embassy on Tuesday in downtown San Francisco and ask yourself if the San Francisco Police Department is guilty of police brutality.
“Demonstrators were more or less milling around and chanting when two or three police officers began to assault demonstrators who were standing near some barricades and newspaper stands,” according to IndyBay.org. “Within seconds, up to a dozen cops rushed in swinging their billy clubs wildly at anyone they could hit in the crowd — swinging overhead, swinging to their sides, just swinging at everyone in front of them.”
Luke Thomas
Luke Thomas is a former software developer and computer consultant who proudly hails from London, England. In 2001, Thomas took a yearlong sabbatical to travel and develop a photographic portfolio. Upon his return to the US, Thomas studied photojournalism to pursue a career in journalism. In 2004, Thomas worked for several neighborhood newspapers in San Francisco before accepting a partnership agreement with the SanFranciscoSentinel.com, a news website formerly covering local, state and national politics. In September 2006, Thomas launched FogCityJournal.com. The BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, New York Times, Der Spiegel, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, 7x7, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the San Francisco Weekly, among other publications and news outlets, have published his work. Thomas is a member of the Freelance Unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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March 23, 2009 at 8:36 pm
FALLACIES and CONTRADICTIONS OF THE YOUNG, MISLED AND RESTLESS:
FALLACY: Do people honestly believe the IDF’s goal is to pick off all the Palestinian children and kill them? All Israeli soldiers are taking pleasure in the murder of children? Children vs. adults are being specifically targeted by the IDF? This is simply not true.
ISRAELI SOLDIERS ANSWER AMY’S QUESTION:
http://tinyurl.com/csd4hs
http://tinyurl.com/cap5jv
March 22, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Amy Ellis said:
“To her I say I don’t give a rat’s ass if you were arrested, and no, the Israeli’s are not intentionally targeting children -”
——————————-
Israelis generally don’t generally kill Palestinian children; but their soldiers – the IDF openly admit to murdering innocent civilians including Palestinian children.
Source:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5939611.ece
It’s foolish delude yourself with so much information readily available. “Hope” this helps set the record straight.
March 22, 2009 at 9:45 am
No. It is your turn to tell me, Clarice.
You don’t have any more vacations to sell.
Why did you leave that ranch?
Doctor, we don’t have any more time for any of this now.
But we don’t reckon time the same way, do we?
– This is all the time you’ll ever have. – Later. Listen to me. We’ve only got five…
No. I will listen now.
After your father’s murder, you were orphaned.
You went to live with cousins on a sheep and horse ranch in Montana.
And?
And one morning I just ran away.
Not “just”, Clarice. What set you off?
– You started at what time? – Early. Still dark.
Then something woke you, didn’t it? Was it a dream? What was it?
I heard a strange noise.
What was it?
It was screaming.
Some kind of screaming. Like a child’s voice.
What did you do?
I went downstairs.
Outside.
I crept up into the barn.
I was so scared to look inside, but I had to.
What did you see, Clarice? What did you see?
Lambs.
They were screaming.
They were slaughtering the spring lambs?
And they were screaming.
– And you ran away? – No. First I tried to free them.
I opened the gate to their pen, but they wouldn’t run.
They just stood there, confused. They wouldn’t run.
But you could – and you did, didn’t you?
Yes. I took one lamb and I ran away as fast as I could.
– Where were you going, Clarice? – I don’t know. I didn’t have any food, any water and it was very cold, very cold.
I thought…
I thought if I could save just one, but…
He was so heavy.
So heavy.
I didn’t get more than a few miles when the sheriff’s car picked me up.
The rancher was so angry, he sent me to live at the orphanage in Bozeman.
I never saw the ranch again.
What became of your lamb, Clarice?
– He killed him.
– You still wake up sometimes, don’t you?
Wake up in the dark and hear the screaming of the lambs?
Yes.
And you think, if you save poor Catherine, you could make them stop, don’t you?
You think if Catherine lives, you won’t wake up in the dark ever again to that awful screaming of the lambs.
I don’t know.
I don’t know.
Thank you, Clarice.
March 21, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Paranoid? Scared of people? Not so much. Do I disagree with the military policies of the IDF? Yes I do. We both agree war crimes are taking place and something must be done. With regards to not presenting “evidence”, I did. In my prior posting I gave several examples based on what I personally saw and witnessed. Were you there on Monday? Did you interact with the woman being arrested? Did you attend SF State during the infamous conflict that gained national attention between SF State Hillel (Jewish Student Group) and the General Union of Palestinian Students? I was saddened every single day I was on my campus, by the lack of ability to have collaboration between the two groups attending the same University, who should both be aiming to end all violence in the region and world.
Of course I do not think that criticizing inhumane military policies (such as the case of the IDF) should be dismissed as racism. My postings speak specifically to a certain type of messaging that is a part of some protests, and can have racist implications (whether intentional or not). Thus why I gave a little history about the myth of “Jewish ritual killings, or Jews taking pleasure in being baby killers”. The woman in the above video was someone I personally witnessed sending these type of messages, as I quoted her in my first post.
She was the one who stood out in my mind as being the person to scream that specific message out of the hundreds of people that were there (she even posed for a picture I took), so I did find it uncanny that the same woman was the one claiming police brutality. The whole situation also reminds me of exactly why (some) efforts I have seen to protest Israel’s policies have failed, and ended up inadvertently giving the right wing (groups such as AIPAC) fodder. I only speak for myself as to how it makes me feel when I see a gigantic sign on my campus that equates the death of Palestinian children with “Jewish Ritual Killings” (wonder how much AIPAC can discredit protesters with just one photo of a sign like that) or when am witness to a protest that includes a woman screaming similarly unacceptable messages. If you think this kind of messaging is acceptable, all right then, we definitely disagree on that.
At the protest Monday there were many messages. A message that says “Mass murder is going on in Gaza.” is different from one that says “They killed our friend BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT HE WAS A CHILD!”. The woman in the video was the one I saw screaming the second message, not the first. I would just like to make this known. And this is also why I gave some history on why this SPECIFIC TYPE OF MESSAGING is so inflammatory to me and many other Jews, although you may not be one of them.
I would like to state for the record that I believe mass murder is going on in Gaza (and other places), and that children, as well as adults, have been killed. I definitely do not agree with AIPAC that all criticism of Israel is anti-semitic, as I am a critic of Israel myself. I agree that we should support the human rights of ALL people in the region, white phosphorous should not ever be used, and like I stated before, I agree that war crimes ARE taking place.
What I AM actually paranoid about is that people (myself included) who agree all the violence must be stopped are getting led astray by racist messaging coming from both sides. I will continue to advocate for peace and and end to all types of racism and oppression as I know you will too. I am probably just as out of my mind as I say everyone else is, but I hope somehow we can work together towards a real solution. Despite our disagreements. And I extend that offer to everyone and anyone who disagrees with me.
NOTE TO THE LEFT WING OF SF: Helping is hurting. Try to understand this concept. If your political views are not shared by a majority of people in your community, perhaps you can gain some knowledge by talking to the people who disagree with you, and are different from you. I suggest trying not to scream right off the bat. Try to see if you can find a way to relate to them, versus unsuccessfully attempting to force them to agree with your viewpoint. I don’t advise screaming like a baby unless it is really a last resort. Try to have some insight now and in the future from the discussion of the problem, by focusing on what everyone can agree on. Don’t assume people are unable to be friends with people who disagree with them. If someone disagrees with you they are not of lower morale or less of a person than you are. They are not necessarily ignorant or needing to be educated by you. For all you know, you could be the one making an ass out of yourself. Such is the case when helping is hurting. There really is no other option. If we want peace in the middle east, we should start here in San Francisco by taking control of this city once and for all as a united left front, and putting a stop to fragmented, chauvinistic, petty, and elitist behavior. Who’s with me? Aren’t people tired of all this f*ckery? I know I am. Maybe try a different approach?
P.S. To Marc, I must say, being in the blog sphere discussing this sure is different from us screaming at each other in a bar. I’m NOT like Jodi Foster or anyone else in a movie about a cannibal serial killer, thanks. And I don’t support people kicking dogs (unless they’re the really small kind that have a shrill annoying bark). I’m glad our discussion has continued over the years. Feel very special, unlike you, it is a rare occasion that I publicly state any of my opinions (in writing)… and I resign from any more comments until the next time I witness some uncanny ridiculousness. Oh, that’s right, the entire city is ridiculous, myself included.
March 21, 2009 at 7:12 am
Aimee, from your writings it is apparent to me that you are paranoid in that you assume that the naming of war crimes is an attack on the people committing those war crimes.
Please do not project your paranoia onto the actions of others. When you are afraid of people and then further claim that they are leveraging ancient hatreds without evidence, then you dig yourself in deeper and do little to resolve the problems.
The fact is that Israel has been keeping many Palestinians in prison like refugee camps where day to day conditions have been so horrific that way too many kids die an early death. With that as a backdrop, every so often, generally in coincidence with a political campaign, Israel sends in the military to really bloody things up and the killing takes on a wholesale character.
War crimes are taking place now, and it is not acceptable to deride the legally required naming of and opposition to those crimes as an exercise in bigotry. That is a seriously twisted position that, were it to be applied to the general case, would result in a brutal community of deluded paranoid nations.
Given that AIPAC has effectively removed all options other than full throated military support for Israel from my democratic electoral menu, there are few options left but screaming in the streets. Sounds like you’re Jody Foster in “Silence of the Lambs:”
“Have the lambs stopped screaming?
– Dr Lecter. – Don’t bother with the trace.
I won’t be on long enough.
– Where are you, Dr Lecter? – I have no plans to call on you, Clarice.
The world’s more interesting with you in it.
So you take care now to extend me the same courtesy.
You know I can’t make that promise.
I do wish we could chat longer but…
I’m having an old friend for dinner.
– Bye. – Dr Lecter?
Dr Lecter?
-marc
March 20, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Marc, I don’t disagree with your argument, however, my point is that if the very protest to express this argument is slandered by historically anti-semitic “blood libel myths” then the cause you are arguing to support is hurt in the process because racism de-legitimizes any argument in a lot of peoples eyes. I too care about the cause of the Palestinian people, which is why it profoundly disturbs me to see a protest such as the one last Monday. Do people honestly believe the IDF’s goal is to pick off all the Palestinian children and kill them? All Israeli soldiers are taking pleasure in the murder of children? Children vs. adults are being specifically targeted by the IDF? This is simply not true.
Additionally, for the last thousand years, blood libel myths have been perpetuated as a justification for the lynching and mass murder of Jews. These myths go side by side with claims that Jews are an innately evil, blood thirsty group of people. And claims that the ritual killing Christian/Muslim children, to use their blood for the baking of matzo (during Passover specifically) are what actually inspired some of the first Zionist writings by Hess in the 1840’s.
While I was a student at SF State, GUPS (General Union of Palestinian Students) displayed signs on campus that made this exact claim. The signs said “canned Palestinian children=Jewish ritual killings. Additionally, I personally observed their web page, which featured links to Holocaust denial websites. GUPS was sanctioned by the College shortly after, to which many claimed they were being unfairly treated for being Muslim. HA! Explain to me how this type of behavior is helping the Palestinian cause. Please!
I don’t disagree that war crimes are taking place due to the policies and actions of the IDF, but claiming that they intentionally target and kill children is a SERIOUS allegation. One which only serves to hurt the cause the people at the protest claim they are trying to help. The woman in the video does not have my sympathy because I personally witnessed her making VERY slanderous accusations against Jews and Israelis. She did not say one word about war crimes or white phosphorous, and she certainly didn’t inspire anyone to feel more sympathetic toward the cause.
As true as your claims about the military policies of Israel may be, if you think screaming in the street will bring peace to this world, you have my blessing. Go ahead and try it. Thus far, at least in the US, it doesn’t appear to be working. I agree with you. There is no gray area when it comes to war crimes. And there is no gray area when it comes to historical racism. Therefore I repeat my prior claim; helping is hurting.
March 20, 2009 at 10:41 am
“To her I say I don’t give a rat’s ass if you were arrested, and no, the Israeli’s are not intentionally targeting children, and no, Jewish people don’t drink Christian baby blood and take pleasure in killing Muslim babies. That’s a myth.”
Whether or not that woman screamed, Israel committed war crimes with our money. That makes me scream because if we learned anything from the holocaust, never again means never again. The use of white phosphorous in populated urban areas is horrific. Disproportionate response against civilians for sporadic rocket fire that results in a 100:1 casualty rate is criminal. Support for that is complicity in war crimes.
The Israelis are the powerful actor in the relationship, the Palestinians the weaker. It is as appropriate for Israel to use WP against Palestinian civilians as it would be for an adult to kick a barking dog or pistol whip a crying child.
There is no gray area when it comes to war crimes.
-marc
March 19, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Thank you marcb, because I was there and that is EXACTLY what it was like. I am not making any statement about other instances of police brutality which we all know occur. Such as the case of Tristian being severely injured during a different protest taking place in Gaza. But I will say that this woman in the video was screaming loudly THE ENTIRE TIME the protest was happening.
Long before the police touched anyone. She was laying down in the middle of the street every five minutes. Hours before she was being arrested she was screaming even louder. Screaming bloody murder. Literally. She was screaming things like “they killed my friend intentionally because they thought he was a Palestinian child!”
To her I say I don’t give a rat’s ass if you were arrested, and no, the Israeli’s are not intentionally targeting children, and no, Jewish people don’t drink Christian baby blood and take pleasure in killing Muslim babies. That’s a myth.
I don’t believe any allegations this group of protesters makes because they are OUT OF THEIR MINDS. The saddest part was that their protest only served to make people less sympathetic toward the situation of their friend. I am sorry to hear of what happened to Tristian, and pray for his full recovery, but this woman was going around trying to do anything she could to be provocative, and WANTED TO GET ARRESTED based on what I saw of her behavior. She had her way, and now everyone can group this incident into the “police brutality” category although I personally think that is an insult to the victims of ACTUAL instances of police brutality.
Lastly, they were handing out fliers that stated they were there in solidarity with Tristian and Palestinians. Does this mean that a Jew injured by a suicide bomber is not also an innocent victim of violence? Arguments that claim one group of people deserve our sympathy more than another are a slippery slope. Pointing a finger and screaming does not seem to be working. How about a less immature analysis. Standing in solidarity with ALL innocent victims of violence? Get real International Solidarity Movement. Your messaging is racist and a joke. Your idea of HELPING IS HURTING.
March 18, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Back in the day when a certain police officer lived in Noe Valley, the peruvian powder parties at his place were gleefully discussed in various local watering holes.
March 18, 2009 at 7:03 pm
As an added FYI, the Police Commission heard arguments in the following agenda item by Bill Fazio on behalf of Capt. Greg Corrales on March 4th and voted down the motion:
7. Hearing and possible action on the motion to dismiss disciplinary charges filed against Captain Gregory Corrales, File No. C04-123 JWF, filed on July 23, 2004 (ACTION ITEM)
The following time limits will apply:
Charged Officer’s Opening Argument: up to 10 minutes
OCC’s Opposition: up to 10 minutes
Charged Officer’s Rebuttal: up to 5 minutes
Fazio’s wife passed away last month suddenly and the matter has been postponed for some time.
This matter has to do with Captain Corrales while at the Mission Station, speaking with the press concerning the Fajitagage incident to the innocence of the officers involved. This created a climate where officers did not know which authority spoke for the department and Corrales is up on those charges.
Corrales has cost the City more than a quarter million dollars in settlements for his violent, illegal conduct. Were he not a cop, he’d be in San Quentin, but he’s a Republican put in charge of the Mission by Willie Brown.
Corrales ran for D7 Supe in 2004 when Elsbernd was foisted upon us, see related article, did very poorly.
-marc
March 18, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Luke, duh !! I assume that was a rhetorical question ?
Any lingering doubts can be erased by checking out Mary Ratcliff’s column at http://www.sfbayview.com headlined .. “Oakland PD brutally arrests Minister of Information JR at Oscar Grant protest”.
Obama’s not the answer..we are.
March 18, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I almost bet the police commission will sit on their collective hands about this.
March 18, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Nothing new to see here, move along:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1996/09/05/MN15168.DTL&hw=police+san+francisco+israel+spy&sn=042&sc=517
The suit followed an investigation by then-San Francisco District Attorney Arlo Smith into allegations that police information about thousands of individuals — many involved in anti-Israel and anti- apartheid movements — was leaked to the league.
Smith decided after a yearlong probe not to file criminal charges against officials of the league, which conducts research on groups it considers to be extremists, including skinhead organizations and militias.
The plaintiffs then filed a class- action suit alleging that the league hired investigators with police ties to obtain confidential records from police agencies, including the San Francisco Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
-marc
March 18, 2009 at 1:30 pm
One shrouded female actress shrieking and making noise for the sake of making a commotion and a cameraman doing a Woody Allen likeness with his intentionally confused, ‘Should I be on or off the sidewalk routine’. Police brutality- hardly.
March 18, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Better watch it Luke, or the SFPD will try to pin you with the rap for working with Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn to shoot Sgt. Brian McDonnell in 1970.
-marc
March 18, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Shit!
Notice that the cops who did the attacks were all skin heads with no helmets? That’s the ‘steroid brigade’ and they pride themselves with beating the shit out of women. Also, if you try to get their badge numbers? They don’t wear em and the sewn on versions of their names and badges are done in black thread so that you can’t read them. These guys are nothing better than mercenaries supporting Downtown’s various cabals. We’d be better off with no police force at this time.
h.