elag wrote:
>
> Paul Heslop wrote:
> >
> > elag wrote:
> > >
> > > Today I saw a tree stump on Avenue B, just outside Tompkins Square,
> > > which was studded with small plaques. They turned out to be marking the
> > > growth rings according to the year. Each one commemorated events in
> > > counter cultural history, such as:
> > >
> > > 1940 - death of the Anarchist, Emma Goldman
> > >
> > > 1955 - death of jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker (he lived across
> > > the street)
> > >
> > > 1988 - the "police riots" (I was there)
> > >
> > > 1991 - "tent city" inhabited by the homeless destroyed by police and the
> > > park closed for 2 years
> > >
> > > 2003 - cutting down of this American Elm
> > >
> > > Surprisingly there are a couple of American Elms still thriving w/in the
> > > park. Most of them were wiped out by Dutch Elm disease years ago, and
> > > they're still an endangered species.
> > >
> > > A bit of history:
> > >
> > > In January 1874 as unemployed workers demonstrated in Tompkins Square
> > > Park, a detachment of mounted police charged into the crowd, beating
> > > men, women and children indiscriminately with billy clubs and leaving
> > > hundreds of casualties in their wake. Commented Abram Duryee, the
> > > Commissioner of Police: "It was the most glorious sight I ever saw..."
> > >
> > > Ah, well... another piece of the neighborhood gone...
> >
> > Pretty sick the way some people were, and the way some still are. They
> > glory in the death and torture of others.
>
> Yeah... and the same types are still attracted to positions of power...
> loads of totally innocent folks were beaten during the '88 riots just
> because they happened to roam into the vacinity of the park... some cops
> even taped over their badge #'s in anticipation.
>
> > I caught a programme called Maximum Exposure last night (american with
> > british voiceover I think) and one clip was off a bunch of ladies in
> > California who took a tree stump into an office building and locked
> > themselves to it in protest at deforestation or something. Anyway, to
> > cut a long story short the cops arrive and after a bit of yacking the
> > cop says to the ladies if they don't leave they will be maced. They're
> > just sitting there all peaceful and one says 'you're going to use a
> > chemical weapon on us for a peaceful protest?' so the cops say yes, if
> > they don't leave. Then, get this, they say they will use a limited
> > amount, so they put the mace in a cup, dip cotton buds in it, hold the
> > women's heads and apply it directly to the eyeballs!
> > Some of the women gave up at this point, but a couple hung on and again
> > the cop says they will be maced, all these women are crying etc at this
> > point but the one sticks it out and again they take hold of her head,
> > hold the mace right upto her face and blast her.
> > Apparently despite the video footage the cops didn't get done, yet
> > surely this is classed as torture? It was slow, methodical and in no way
> > was it done in self defense.
>
> Oh... I agree... It seems like "cruel and unusual punishment"... but I
> suppose one must pay the price for civil disobedience.
:O) I always laugh at that line when i think it comes from the 'home of
the free'
--
Paul. (scatter like ice from the spoon that was your womb)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Not what it seems...
http://www.geocities.com/dreamst8me/
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