Pregnant Seattle protester miscarries after being kicked, pepper sprayed

"Does anybody demand any kind of journalistic integrity before making a judgement?"

Nope, seems that this David Edwards also writes for Crooks and Liars, natural irony is a blessed
thing.

I'll say it again, we need more info.

This was also why I asked to see a video of her being kicked by a police officer. You need proof to make such claims and yes if there is none or if she is found to be lying about that it sheds a bad light on the movement in total.

We do need more information on this, and I hope we get the truth.

They did verify with paramedics that a pregnant 19 year old was treated. (I doubt that they have pregnancy tests with them, but it was at least some part of the story that was verified.)

Emotions are running high and people are jumping on ANY little piece of inflammable information weather it has been verified or not.
That can actually hurt this cause.
Drama is drama.
It sells.

I agree. More information is needed.

100% right! Drama is drama and yes it sells!

"She's refused any attempt to clarify exactly what happened, and there's reports that her family believes she plays fast and loose with the truth."

I dont think americans are pre-programmed into thinking they are going to get beaten and pepper sprayed by police. No one should ever have a fear of going to a protest. We are so used to seeing that type of violent opposition in other parts of the world, not here.

Really?
After 2 weeks of media coverage of violent actions by the police?
In this day and age of instant access to media even a homeless person is up to par with issues.
I am sorry but that just does not float as reality.

Not all Police departments are taking violent action though. When they do, it isn't a constant barrage of abuse. Its sporadic in some places and more common in others. Either way, why should anyone, pregnant or not have a fear of going to a peaceful protest? Its like saying, pregnant women shouldn't drive because a car crash could cause a miscarriage. Her situation is unfortunate to say the least but I commend her because she attended a peaceful protest to protect the future of her unborn child and she payed a heavy price. Probably the heaviest.

Remember, media coverage is all for sensationalism. Police brutality catapulted Occupy into the mainstream but the majority of Police Departments are not taking these kind of actions. We just watch and read about the worst cases.

The common protester are probably not aware that groups, within the protest, are recruted for the sole purpose of getting arrested/creating a media worthy event. The protest groups need to police their own and make sure that the innocents don't get caught up in their organized actions.

I agree!

Hypocrites...criticize other countries while repressing your own. America posturing itself as the bastion of freedom is nothing but a lie. Politicians are lower than whale shit...Americans need to stop treating them like celebrities. Look to yourselves and your neighbour and stop expecting your leaders for answers. Happy Thansgiving.

I agree with you 150%!! This is why we occupy. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

It says in the article , She was homeless before the protests started ... People do not always have good choices to choose from in life .

Doesn't it just make you want to scream?

Well, that rape thing is actually sometimes true. However, that is also true sometimes of religious leaders from all religions including whatever cult Westboro claims to be.

Religious leader: Pedophile career of choice

don't forget about football coaches.

Why are they not holding a sign which says Christians rape kids?

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looks like you were silenced

If this was ANYONE but the cops you better believe charges would be filed. Sadly cop almost always get a pass.

Very true.

I think the cops have for a long time operated with benefit of the doubt given by much of the public. The notion that it is only a "few bad apples" is eroding very quickly these days. The police have shown that they have sided with the 1%

"‘I am pregnant, I am pregnant. Let me through. I am trying to get out.’”

Sounds really uncooperative, doesn't it? I feel threatened just reading it, so I know the cop had to fear for his life. It had to have been self-defense and necessary force.

Unfortunately that is hearsay. We don't know what she said, we don't know what she did, we don't know what happened.

Speak for yourself.

Are you suggesting that there is some sort of plausible scenario in which repeated kicks to the stomach and excessive use of pepper spray would be a *justified* reaction to an underweight teenage girl?

Even if she was being violent, which is absurdly unlikely given the consistency of these kinds of reports, she was literally unable to be of significant danger to anyone.

More critical thinking next time please

It is her testimony, not hearsay.

So, pregnant women should stay in bed with armed guards? ... never drive or walk? .. never be in public? Since when is a peaceful protest the same as "harms way?"

LOGIC FAIL:

"Who is to blame. The one who knowingly put themselves in harms way, or the one who caused the harm? I'm torn."

She didn't put herself in harm's way. She went to a peaceful demonstration.

I can't wait to see the civil suit.

Wrong.

Check the hospital report.

Her testimony has changed in everything I've read.

I was down in the mix of what happened in the town that I live in. The police acted when necessary to bring about crowd control. After the protesters were ousted from the parks and whatnot they took to the streets and were demonstrating illegally and with plenty of aggression; it was an extremely volatile situation.

We are all unaware of the true circumstances of that day; regardless of how much we all want to jump to the defense of the 'underweight teenage girl'.

She was unable to be of significant danger to anyone...sure, perhaps by herself, but oddly enough she wasn't by herself. She (they) also were ignoring repeated instruction to vacate the streets/intersections.

I've read all I can find on this event and viewed any and all pictures that come up when searched. The reporting is all different and I've seen no pictures in which she was sprayed directly. It may exist and I've just not seen it yet, but I have to base my critical thinking on all of the gathered information and not simply how I 'think' it went down.

Please...do you have an eyewitness account?

"None of her claims have been verified by medical records because she is denying reporters access..."

can we see the reports you have access to?
please?

Pro-CHOICE. This was not her choice. This abortion was forced on her.

Do you really think that Blueshound9 is capable of embarrassment?

I like to think he is getting paid ...

T

ROLL

The only thing that is a protect4ed right any more is the right to profit from unethical business practices and the right for police to use excessive force, both without repercussions of any sort

Exactly. It goes back to "blame the victim" - many of us (pregnant and not) attended protests in the 60s/70s - most were peaceful, some were not. Seems many forget that women are human beings with the same rights as men. Pregnancy isn't the issue. There's NO excuse for this kind of violence.

In America, a pregnant woman should not have to worry about being unnecessarily attacked by the police while she is exercising her first amendment rights in a peaceful protest. I have a feeling that the media will try to use the same reasoning that she shouldn't have been there, but that is not an excuse for the consequences of the excessive police brutality. For me, it is wrong to think that she is anything but a victim, because she has as much of a right as anyone to protest peacefully.

I agree. You know full well what you're getting into when you put yourself there.

Additionally I think there is more to this store, but that remains to be seen.

There is a fine line between protesting and civil disobedience.

What I witnessed first hand in my town was the latter for sure.

Based on what I've read, she was in the middle of a crowd in an open space that was legally assembling. She wasn't practicing civil disobedience. She claims to be begging to get out of the crowd where the police were attacking. To me that sounds like being in the wrong place at the wrong time - not like she was putting herself in harms way intentionally.

Perhaps that is the case; I'll admit that I haven't read much on this incident. Regardless, however, she knew (as we all did) that things were coming to a head. Upon becoming pregnant we (I'm a woman and a mother) obligate ourselves to do our utmost to protect our children. She chose not to and suffered the very unfortunate consequence.

Folks should be able to protest in a non violent manner without getting beat or pepper sprayed

I'm not going to say that it was the smartest decision for her to attend, but we shouldn't blame her for what happened. That's like blaming a woman who gets raped for being in a bad part of town. I'm sure that she regrets her decision, but if the police hadn't attacked her, she would still be with child.

Yeah, you're right. The Beeyoch had it coming. And the dead baby was in the wrong place too, so he's( or was it a she, oh well, no matter now) was at fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When will these dirty hippies ever learn.

From everything I've read, she was at the protest and upon noticing that things were as you put it, "coming to ahead" was attempting to leave and then was beaten by police.

Just having a discussion....thanks for your sarcasm, it's helpful!

I've not read anything of the like...can you please provide links? The more information the better.

I'm not trying to blame anyone...though I think that's how it's coming across.

I'm just saying that A) we don't have all the facts and that B) we all have personal accountability. The above article indicates that she herself "was worried about it". She had an instinct and went against it. We all make bad choices on occasion.

I've been reading what little can be found on this and the reports that I've come across all seem to offer differing information. One says she was 2 months pregnant, another 3. One says that in an officer lifting his leg it hit her stomach, another says that the officer kicked her...these all being quotes from the victim. In one she states that she was ready to be a mother, that her family was going to support her and in another she's homeless.

Additionally it being reported that this protest was not being held within the bounds of the law. As was similar in my town they were walking up roads and blocking intersections.

So often on Current people jump to conclusions without knowing (or wanting to know) all the details involved. (...and I'm not implying you here at all. It's nice to have a civil conversation with someone; even if our opinions vary.)

This is not to deny that there are horrible cops...there are, but they do not represent the entire group.

"Upon becoming pregnant we (I'm a woman and a mother) obligate ourselves to do our utmost to protect our children. She chose not to and suffered the very unfortunate consequence."

This is what I interpreted to be blaming the victim. You may have meant it differently.

Like I said, I am sure that she has regrets, but hindsight is 20/20. None of that though excuses the assault on her.

I was simply making the point that we are all responsible for ourselves.

I'd just like to know all the facts...heck even the majority of them would suffice.

I have yet to see anything that would lead me to believe these protesters NEED to be 'contained' -- maybe if the idiot fucking fuzz would JOIN their brothers and sisters they would see that THEY are wrong, as are their overlords, and the protesters are RIGHT!
Pwr 2 the 99%! Dismember the oligarchs and their political whores (that includes Obama)!

Can't blame you for that.

We are responsible for ourselves, and we have a responsibility to each other. The police should have exercised better restraint, and she should have exercised better judgement... but in the end, that police officer attacked that pregnant young woman (along with an 84 year old woman) and that was the physical abuse that resulted in a miscarriage. The regret should be hers, the punishment his.

Just out of curiosity, did you happen to read that part about being "HOMELESS"?

There are many avenues of restriction to protesters that do not violate their first amendment rights.

I did read the part about her being homeless.

I'm not following where you're going with that, though...

No thanks necessary, just doin' my part.

Why do you ask?