Photo credit: OccupyDenver.org
KEITH OLBERMANN: For every violent overreaction by authorities at Occupy Wall Street, or Occupy Oakland, there have been many Occupy camps that were met with understanding and respect for the protesters’ First Amendment rights.
In the third story on the “Countdown” — it appears that understanding and respect have a shelf life of two months. The city of Denver ignored peaceful negotiations with the protesters there and instead resorted to what turned out to be a fiery raid.
Today, more than 50 Occupy Denver protesters peacefully returned to Civic Center Park. But it was a much different scene overnight as police in riot gear invaded that park. In an act of defiance, protesters set fire to wooden structures they had built, the structures being the police rationale for their action. Nine protesters were reportedly arrested.
(Excerpt from video clip) ROBERT WHITE: Obviously, we’re going to be here as long as they’re going to be here, and we don’t want to have to go through this again. I suspect that this probably will not get to this magnitude again.
OLBERMANN: In Iowa, 12 Occupy protesters entered the Iowa Democratic Party Headquarters in Des Moines, requesting that President Obama veto the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes the bill that would give the president authority to indefinitely detain American citizens. After a few hours, eight of the protesters were escorted out and arrested.
Seven Occupy Houston protesters, indicted with felony charges by a grand jury today there, accused of using a criminal instrument after they put there arms through PVC pipe to try and prevent being arrested during the December 12th Occupy the Ports day of action. If convicted, those protesters face up to two years in jail.
In San Antonio, seven Occupy protesters arrested as Hemisfair Park cleared and barricaded off, but don’t worry — it was cleared and barricaded off for a good cause.
(Excerpt from video clip) STEVE BAUM: We’ve been telling them we’ve got to prepare the park for “Celebrate San Antonio” for New Year’s Eve event.
OLBERMANN: Priorities.
Joining me now — Ben Meyer, member of Occupy Denver who was present at that police raid in Colorado last night. Ben, thank you for your time tonight.
BEN MEYER: Thanks for having me, Keith.
OLBERMANN: Was there any warning during the day yesterday that the camp was going to be raided?
MEYER: Not any specific warning, being that we just sat in on a meeting with the new police chief that was there and we specifically asked him if he could give us a time when we might be raided. He had that meeting because he said he was interested in avoiding conflict.
So, we asked him, “Are you coming to raid us?” and he chose not to tell us, so there was no warning. We assumed he wouldn’t do it because it was cold and snowy last night. It seemed a little heartless. But, what are you going to do?
OLBERMANN: Prior to that, was Occupy Denver’s relationship with good as it had been record? Was it actually fairly cooperative?
MEYER: Occupy Denver has always tried our best to comply to the laws that are here. However, the reason we do have a new police chief is because the Denver police does have a history of contentious relationships, especially with protesters if you look back to the DNC. And Occupy hasn’t been entirely different than that, either. So, I wouldn’t say it was great.
OLBERMANN: What happened last night? What do we not know about? We keep seeing this video of this one person being hit in the chest and knocked over in the middle of this fracas? What happened that you saw that we should know about?
MEYER: That’s one our sisters who is very — she is severely schizophrenic.
At Occupy Denver, there is a giant homeless camp. We sleep out — we call it “The Row.” It refers to the people who sleep out on Broadway. That was one of our severely mental-ill sisters, who sleeps with us out there.
Last night, I personally went to bed at about 10:00. We built a house, and my friend and I were sleeping in it, and we woke up to the roof being torn off and having the pepper-ball guns and flash lights shined in our face. I asked the officers for reasonable time to comply. We threw on our shoes and tried to get to 14th Street side — that would be heading south on Broadway — but within three minutes of the time we were awake, she was arrested.
And what you saw there was a reaction to people who have been systematically, time and time again, disenfranchised, especially in the city — swept into back alleys, out of sight, out of mind, and that was their response to being called an encumbrance, what they called people on the sidewalk. So, I can understand the anger.
OLBERMANN: After the raid last night, what do you think is next for Occupy Denver?
MEYER: I mean, if you go down there today you will see we are rebuilding, reoccupying, it’s all about reclaiming the commons until there is a great place for everybody to sleep and a viable alternative to sleeping out in the freezing cold.
We are going to continue to occupy that park. Nothing has changed. This is the fifth time we have been through it. And every time, we still dig in, and — yes, so already, if you go down there now, there are people there. We will be sleeping out there on the sidewalk in our tarps and stuff tonight. We will keep going.
OLBERMANN: Ben Meyer, from Occupy Denver. Thanks and good luck.
MEYER: All right, thanks for having us.
