Thursday, November 10, 2011

Oakland militants talk back At the most confrontational occupation, debate turns to violence and resistance By Emily Loftis / Salon

Wednesday, Nov 9, 2011 10:01 AM 23:56:47 PST

Oakland militants talk back

At the most confrontational occupation, debate turns to violence and resistance

Occupy Oakland
Occupy Oakland
OAKLAND, Calif. — This working-class city has a history of aggressive civil and labor rights action. From the 1946 General Strike to the emergence of the Black Panthers in the 1960s, to Occupy Oakland today, this is a city that has not shied from confrontation with the powers that be. There is a strain of civic pride that is infused with memories of resistance in the face of oppressive circumstances.
Last week’s intensive media coverage of clashes between police and demonstrators by Salon and others was certainly not the first time that the aggressive actions of Oakland protesters have overshadowed their message. But reporters who have done more than sit on the edge of the camp in news vans, sipping lattes, and waiting to be cued by flash-bang grenades, know that the ideology behind the “violence” — a term that makes most Occupy Oaklanders bristle — is more nuanced than is usually presented in mainstream news coverage.
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Emily Loftis is a writer in San Francisco. You can follow her on Twitter @eloft. More Emily Loftis

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