Notes From the OccupyLA Police Eviction

As I understand it, the Occupy Movement is not about "redistribution of wealth" or any such easily dismissible misnomers. It is protesting the very real power that large banks and corporations have over legislators. As someone who ran for City Council and has reviewed campaign contribution forms at the City Clerk's office, I know that this problem exists locally, and all the way up to the highest levels of government. The Occupy Movement is not some Communist/Socialist Plot. It is real people protesting the corporatization of the US government. What they want is participatory democracy, not oligarchy. Listen to the people, not the corporate media. Talk to an actual protestor. Educate yourselves. This shit is real and it is growing, and it is exciting. The following is a brief online chat I had with a friend of mine who was at the OccupyLA protest when the police forcefully evicted thousands of peaceful protestors.

"I got arrested at Occupy last night.."

"Holy shit, really? Did you get pepper sprayed? what happened?"

"So, I got pushed out of the actual encampment by the police almost as soon as I snuck past the perimeter...I hooked up with a contingent that was blocking one of the intersections...so that the arrest buses couldn't get through to the camp...after the cops tore down Tent City, they started coming after the intersections...I got arrested with a bunch of other people and they had us line up against a nearby fence..."Backs to the street!" they said...a couple cops hung back, as the rest pushed forward...THEN OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE, this guy comes running down the line with wire cutters and snips our restraints..."

"Just a random dude with wire cutters?"

"Anarchist guy...I didn't know him, but you could tell he was skilled at unarresting...I almost died THRICE hopping a fence through a construction site...booking it through the whole time..."

"Did you get any photos or video?"

"Unfortunately, no video or pictures...I'm poor...all I had was a shitty phone...I keep the battery in with tape...haha...

"That is badass, although its a bummer they destroyed Tent City. Are there any plans to re-occupy?"

"I know they had a candlelight vigil today around city hall for those who got arrested (200+), but, I'm sure they'll have no problem re-occupying..."