Although nearly all of LA’s May Day demonstrators and LA’s police, did their respective jobs on Tuesday without causing grief for each other, there were a couple of exceptions.
There was for instance the fool kid in the first video above who cheap-shotted a 5’1″ 115 lb. LAPD officer in the back of the helmet with some kind of drum, the whack hard enough to dent the officer’s helmet, and send her to the hospital (mostly just to make sure all was well).
Then in video number two, a couple of other sense-challenged individuals slammed another group of LAPDs from the back with a wooden pallet. They appeared to do so for no discernible reason other than a large passel of the protesters were yelling “F*ck the po-lice,” so the pallet wielders decided that they would, F*ck with the po-lice, I guess.
Commander Andrew Smith, who was the department’s main spokesperson on the ground on May 1, sounded a bit on the tired side when I caught up with him on Wednesday. Still he was upbeat and said that—other than the two incidents—he felt that everything had gone really well, on both sides, protesters and police. “It was just a really long day,” he said.
We also talked about the difference between the LAPD that policed the May Day protests of 2012 and the LAPD that reacted to the Rodney King riots of 20 years ago.
“Somebody asked me recently about what had changed in the department since then,” he said. “Afterward I was thinking about it. And, really, the answer is, ‘Everything.’ Everything has changed in this department. And, as much as a lot of us hate to say it, I think it took an outsider to do it.
“Meaning Bill Bratton,” I said. “Plus the consent decree.”
Right. And the consent decree.
Which is what it will take to reform certain other law enforcement agencies I could mention—good leadership, the willingness to lop off some heads, metaphorically speaking, and perhaps a federal consent decree.
But that’s a conversation for another day.
IN THE MEANTIME, A LAST NOTE TO THOSE OCCUPIERS STILL UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT OF WHOM THEY ARE PROTESTING AGAINST: Hint: It isn’t the po-lice. Unless they are shooting at you unaccountably with less-than-lethal projectiles and flash-bangs, or whooshing you in the mouth with pepper spray, law enforcement is not the enemy. The cops are the 99 percenters too. They are you.
Celeste, you are sooo phony. If the video had also showed the LAPD using force to take down this idiot after his assault on the officer, you and the other police haters would be screaming police abuse, overreaction, out of control, poor management, we need more civilian oversight, etc….
Had there been a video of the LASD doing the same, you’d be playing your broken record and blaming Baca and Tanaka.
The worst part about these videos is the fact that all of these police assault suspects escaped unscathed. For that I blame the consent decrees, and activists who have the LAPD afraid to be proactive and ready to handle idiots like these out of fear of some video going viral and blog sites like yours who would be quick to criticize any strong police response. And as for Cmdr. Andrew Smith, take a poll of active LAPD officers to see how many respect his command presence. He is only concerned with his own camera time and self image, and has zero leadership attributes that the troops would respect. SAD…….
Dear “The Truth,”
With all respect, this is getting tiresome.
Your only refuge seems to be to shriek “police haters.” And, then if that doesn’t work, you talk smack about any law enforcement officer who’s mentioned in a positive context here.
Your remarks about Andy Smith are laughable. (You might want to glance at his CV.)
But, heck, why let facts get in the way of a good rant.
Really, by all means carry on.
C.
Wow Celeste, did I strike a nerve? I have never seen you respond to a “Rant” like this when you receive 50+ such “Rants” on your Anti LASD Baca & Tanaka posts. Looks like your true colors are bleeding through. BTW, try polling what the line level LAPD officers think of Andrew Smith and his CV.
But then again, if my “RANT” is laughable as you stated above simply because of his CV, then I guess we could same the same about your hit pieces on Sheriff Baca. Have you ever checked out his CV and accomplishments?
Carry On!
Lets see now. That was an assault with a deadly weapon against a police officer. I’m not hearing outrage.
But if the cops had jumped on him and beat his ass and then took him to jail? Then the outrage begins.
lol
We can stand by for more and more anarchy in the streets. Why? Because these idiots, while protesting, are allowed to break the law with impunity for the most part. Like the people in NY who were just trying to go about their daily lives that were surrounded in their vehicles and not allowed to move. That is a crime isn’t it? I believe that comes under the false imprisonment statute.
One day, somewhere, some citizen isn’t going to take it anymore. Then the real tragedy will happen. Somebody(s) will get killed, and everybody will ask why it happened.
I’ll answer that question now. It will happen because these protestors are not FORCED to obey the law and recognize the CIVIL RIGHTS OF OTHERS during these protests.
They are becoming more and more and more emboldened with every protest that takes place.
Soon it will go bad.
Mark my words.
Thanks Celeste for covering this. I really appreciate Com. Smith’s response. But also – there were additional changes instituted since the May Day Melee at McArthur Park a couple of years back.
You are right on the point about the 99%. Many of those individuals make barely a middle class wage…they make the “living” wage. Teachers, Police Officers, Firefighters…you don’t see a lot of millionaire police commanders out there.
The negative comments regarding law enforcement’s dealings with alleged terrorists in the previous article, dosen’t seem consistent with your attempt at sympothy with the officers in this article.
In the second video, you have a concerted thought out assault on the cops by two low life criminals. Again, they are not arrested and held to answer for their actions.
Maybe some cops have to get seriously injured before some people realize these protests have become nothing more than dangerous, crime laced gatherings by idiots who don’t even know what they’re protesting.
They aren’t cute, stylish, or cool.
They are dangerous events where criminals take advantage of their ability to get lost in the crowd.
I wouldn’t have lost a bit of sleep if the cops had turned around and split those three little bastards heads wide open.
THEY chose to get violent. If they suffer the consequences, so be it.
Then there’s this………
May Day Protester Hurls Bricks Into SF Crowd « CBS San Francisco
Protesters hit streets for May Day rallies; violence flares in Oakland, Seattle <<msnbc
New York Wall Street protest turns violent – YouTube
Perhaps those who sympathize with these thug protestors will rethink their position BEFORE somebody gets killed.
Assault with a deadly weapon……while your wearing a helmet and get a tap on the helmet.ooh please.
I took harder shots that that while wresting with my 3 year old nephew.
A swing of the billy club to an umprotected part of the body must constitute attempted murder.
You a bad mofo. No doubt about it.
245 is a stretch but there was some comment about the officer’s injuries. That will get worked out when the case is filed. Beyond that, I would have no problem beating that kid’s ass right on the spot until he cried for his momma. Followed up with shoving that baton half way up his ass and snapping it off. Then telling that little prick to ask Obama for a student loan to take drum lessons.
Sister please you are a moron, let me hit you in the head with a brick while wearing a helmet and see if you don’t get a concussion. Boxers and football players die from concussions at an alarming rate. I not a cop fan but if you hit me with a brick or a drum, you better be fast because when I catch you I’m gonna beat you like ringo Starr. You are the perfect example of what fools we are living with. Next year we will demonstrate at your house and please hit me with a drum…..please
Those cops are just lucky Sister Please isn’t out there. He’d jack those cops up. A little tap from their batons isn’t going to stop a tough guy like him!!!