Merry Christmas from the 12/12 Port Blockade

[Terry Bain]

A Daily Kos post this week, "Port of Los Angeles Shutdown: The Holy Grail of West Coast OWS " observed, "In publicity terms, the shutdown should be promoted as a matter of The People asserting prerogative over a facility that belongs to us, not the petulant action of an angry minority seeking to punish society for failing to live up to our standards....In other words - and this is potentially a very potent spin - the shutdown is an attempt to "restore law and order" to the Port.  If this framing can be carried off, it should be - it would turn the dominating narratives on their heads," according to the Kos article.

In case you missed a few details during the Port Blockade News Blackout, here is a brief recap.  In October OASN reported that Scott Olsen, an Iraq veteran and member of Veterans for Peace, was shot at Occupy Oakland.

Mark Karlin, for BUZZFLASH wrote, "Due to past law enforcement abuses, the Oakland Police Department (OPD) has been operating under the monitoring of a federal judge overseeing a consent decree since 2003. "

The first Port blockade at Oakland followed the Olsen shooting, and violence escalated.  Later that night, OASN reported "OccupyOakland Protesters Struck Intentionally by Car, Cops Let Driver Go Free."   Three days later OASN reported "Second Occupy Oakland Iraq war veteran injured after police clashes."

Shutting down the ports to restore "law and order" was obviously not just "spin".  Following his release from the hospital, Scott Olsen personally appealed to Longshoremen to "honor Occupy picket lines."  They did.

• No critical injuries were reported following the Port Shutdown. 
  
• "Coincidentally", the day after the 12/12 Shutdown,OASN reported, "Two Oakland cops reassigned pending probe of beanbag shooting of Occupy photographer"
• Four days after the Port Shutdown, OASN reported,"Dallas police officer Jimmy Hollis gets a one day suspension for shoving an #OccupyDallas protestor off a planter and then arresting him for "Assault on a Public Servant."
• Yesterday, OASN reported, "Oakland Mayor Announces $100,000 Independent Probe of Police Actions During Occupy Protests"
  

The 12/12 Port Shutdowns were obviously overwhelmingly successful.  Thanks for Standing, West Coast.  You gave the Occupy Movement quite a Christmas Present.