I was forcefully struck by the readership response to the following Oakland Tribune Editorial praising the police:
Oakland Tribune editorial: Oakland police did good job in removing a public health hazard
The Editorial is a typically familiar corporatist style bleat about how wonderfully "restrained" the police were and how great the Mayor was in cracking down on the protestors. Examples of this disgusting swill below the fold. But, what struck me forcefully is how angry and hostile the rejection of this nonsense was in the readers comments.
A typical example:
"This is called Propaganda ! This is what mainstream corporate media do when they're confronted with a movement that threatens the status quo. The oakland tribune is little more than a mouthpiece for a media that speaks for goldman sachs and bank of America, and ignores the people they actually are supposed to serve. SHAME ON YOU !!!
It just serves to prove that they are decidedly NOT winning the propaganda war over this. Outrage and determination continue to build.
Here's part of the Editorial which I think you'll agree is fairly typical corporate media whitewash:
The Occupy Oakland encampment, which began on Oct. 10 and grew into a tent city with 300 resident protesters, was quickly and relatively peacefully dismantled by police in the predawn hours on Tuesday. . . . .It took less than 30 minutes to clear away the tents and campers in raids that went smoothly, according to police.
The need to raze the camps had been obvious for days. Oakland officials reported rats in the camp, fights, sexual harassment, drug use and some violence against the media.
The protesters were given adequate and explicit warning that the camps were illegal and needed to be dismantled and plenty of time to comply with orders to end the encampment. There is no way the city could have allowed the camps to endure and expand without creating an increasing threat to public health and safety.
Mayor Jean Quan was correct in concluding that "neither the demonstrators nor the city could maintain safe or sanitary conditions, or control the ongoing vandalism."
Quan also thanked the police, fire, public works and other city employees who worked over the last week to peacefully close the encampment, and the majority of the protesters who peacefully complied with city officials.
This tissue of lies and distortions only served to anger readers:
LIES! we all saw what the police did to the protesters! can't believe that it was a health and sanitation issue. The whole world IS watching! and you can't lie to people anymore we are not scared and we are here to occupy our streets and our plazas. The city is a big regulator of public space, then why is it called PUBLIC and who makes the rules
you deserve to join the ranks of out-of-business dead tree media for this toadying swill.
This is appallingly bad journalism. Poorly written, patently false pap.
A helpful hint from an outsider....You really, REALLY need to update your post to address the Police Riot last night, because as this post stands as of 4:35PM CDST on October 26, 2011, it makes you look like propagandists for the Koch brothers....
Wow!! The "third estate" has totally failed.
The UK Guardian has reported an Iraq vet got hit in head with a tear gas cannister and is in Highland hospital in critical condiiton.
Reply · Like · Follow Post · 18 hours ago
vivrichardsmail
yes, i marched with him last night. He is an exceptionally nice young man! He told me he enlisted the week before 911. He served this country and this is what he got on American streets by law enforcement aka PIGS!!!!!
This is a Corporate News Organization. Should we be surprised they are liars? Nope.
And my personal favorite since the editorial was anonymous:
Who wrote this drivel?
The Editorial's conclusion?
"The swift removal of what was becoming a volatile public health menace and potential site of violence is good news for both the city of Oakland and for the protest movement.
Somehow I don't think the 99% agree!