The juxtaposed photos that follow represent, for me (@David_EHG), what has occurred in the last 24 hours. After witnessing militarized police destroy encampments in Oakland, Portland (and now, Zuccotti in NYC) as well as turn Chapel Hill's streets into a scene out of Baghdad, words are escaping me this evening. They have fled.
But the images remain. As will the occupations.
Because this is who we are:
A protester holding up peace signs before a line of police in riot gear as others chant, "Take off your riot gear, we don't see no riot here!" Photo by Golden Gate Xpress.
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In Oakland, our police state turned this...
All captioned photos from Oakland via the Oakland Tribune.
...into this:
Photo by Golden Gate Xpress.
And in Oakland, our police state turned this...
...into this:
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In Portland, our police state turned this...
Photos by K. Kendall.
...into this:
Photos from The Oregonian.
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In Chapel Hill, activists occupied a former car dealership that has been left intentionally vacant for over ten years by its owner.
After cleaning the building, the occupiers intended to open it to the public, offering a library, free kitchen and free, temporary housing.
Our police state turned this...
...into this:
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This is, perhaps, the most poignant, imagistic symbol of the last 24 hours, from Portland:
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UPDATE: Early this morning, the iconic Zuccotti Park was also cleared with riot police as NYC turned Lower Manhattan into Damascus – expelling all media from the area and locking down residents.
And so, in New York, our police state now turned this:
Photo by david_shankbone.
Photo by terryballard.
Photo by Shawn Hoke Photography.
...into this:
Photos from The New York Times.