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It's early in the news reporting on Occupy Oakland, but I'm thinking
the events of yesterday are getting a bad rap in the news media.
I've been reading as many news reports as I can,
and the text of reports do say demonstrations were calm and non-violent.
There were large crowds of marchers in various parts of Oakland,
and the Port of Oakland was blocked... with no violence.
Yes, there was some vandalism and a few broken windows,
which was condemned by Occupy Oakland leaders.
When police cleared those areas, it was done peacefully.
Only one person was injured... a marcher hit by a passenger car.
But the headlines are, almost without exception, portraying the events
as deteriorating into "violence and chaos".
The main "violence" seems to have been a nightime bonfire that was lit
at an intersection - in groups of metal trash cans that had been pushed together.
OK, that makes for a dangerous situation,
and the police were justified in ordering the crowd to disperse.
It reported that order was given police close to the bonfire,
speaking directly to people in the immediate vicinity.
But almost immediately the area was filled with teargas and flashbombs.
Several people report they were not aware of the order to disperse.
Further, they report that when people ran from the teargas,
they were beaten by the police and ordered to remain still.
When people stayed in place, they were arrested.
If the general public reads only today's headlines, I'm convinced
they will be mislead to believe the entire Occupy Oakland went badly.
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