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I called the NYC FBI office yesterday to ascertain their position
on the protests and the status of their involvement. I was told by an agent there that intervention is under
discussion, but that they have not yet
made a decision. I called attention to the latest polls, which show that 54% of Americans support Occupy Wall Street. He was not much impressed by that statistic.
I have read MSM reports, reports I cannot personally verify, that
some protesters in the Wall Street march yesterday threw bottles and that one
protester threw a trash can at police. If
true, those actions could certainly invite more force. Yesterday's despicable action by an officer on a motor scooter and the unprovoked macing of protesters will not be the only such events. Rogue cops will act out of aggressive leanings or out of fear. We all need to be prepared for aggression and plan to respond without aggression. Civil disobedience
training is vital, and all global Occupy movements must teach it
and hold to it. It is the only means to long-term
success and the expansion of the protest.
The FBI
must not be given any excuse to shut down occupation movements, and martial law must
not get to the table as an option. While
the sweeping provisions of The 2007
Defense Authorization Bill were repealed in 2008, National Guard troops have been subsequently called
in to assist
in police actions in many instances throughout the country. What that means is that military troops, in
violation of the Posse
Comitatus Act, have been used to control citizens with no publicity or resistance.
The Occupy movement needs to grow, to amplify its
numbers and welcome all to the protest - for its own protection as well as for
its political impact. As difficult as it will be to keep a lid on
maverick actions as the movement grows, doing so will be the decisive factor determining success or failure. Only a determined insistence on non-violent strategies
can guarantee success. Stand in peace.
Non-violence is the greatest force at the
disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction
devised by the ingenuity of man.
Mohandas
Gandhi
You must be the change you wish to see in
the world.
Mohandas
Gandhi
