Democracy and Its Discontents

Above: footage from ongoing protests at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh. Police and US military have blocked off a security zone in the city, expelling all homeless people from the area, and with the exception of Burmese Monks, anarchists, anti-capitalists and others downtown is reported to be largely empty. Confrontations between police and protestors have already occurred. Tear gas (possibly OC gas) and LRAD sonic weapons have been used against the protestors– the same crowd control tactics used in Iraq. No microwave weapons yet.

Curious? Here are a few links:

The Guardian UK’s liveblog coverage (with a great little clip of some direct action by Greenpeace)

indymedia pittsburgh (more footage, audio, images)

Libertarias notes the difference in the treatment of Tea Party protestors and anti-capitalists.

Pittsburgh-G20-Protest-001

16 thoughts on “Democracy and Its Discontents

  1. Pingback: Sonic cannon blasts G20 protesters | Reaction Radio

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  3. AB

    I see the American police are even more keen to stifle and dissuade any form of anti-establishment protest, just as the British police were earlier this year.

    Kind of surprised considering how badly the economy has been hit though that there are so few protestors. What are there only a few hundred? There were 20,000 outside the bank of england in April. Looks like the average US citizen is quite happy to be shat upon from a great height by the corperates and politicians who still prevaricate about reining in bonuses and concrete action against climate change.

    More fool them.

    1. livin in defacto police state

      There were many more than a few hundred– thats just one video. You may be right in your generalization about the average American citizen being apathetic to abuse, however, there are many, such as myself, who seek to change the way things work in this country.

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  6. blabla

    Did the machine just say boom before the explosion went of. I heard a robotic sounding “boom” and then saw the grenade thingy.

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  8. Kathy Burke

    I was outside the Pitt Library thursday around 7:30p.m. taking photos of numerous police on horseback.
    There were mostly students and curious onlookers, a small group of protesters that had a sign and were dancing in a circle and clapping their hands.
    The next thing I know my friend said run they are shooting tear gas and they are moving in with the horses, we ran. I didn’t see anything on the news or U Tube to explain why such drastic action was taken. I am in my sixties, remember well Vietnam and I am sorry to say I am very disappointed in our goverment and President Obama. This is not democracy when you threaten and harm innocent bystanders & put the Ctyof Pittsburgh under martial law, so a group of dignataries can waste valuable resources wineing and dining.

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