Michael Leon Guerrero, organizational coordinator for the G rassroots Global Justice Alliance, described the military and police presence as a complete overreaction, something aimed at making sure there is no way for people to dissent. He added that access to downtown and the city has been completely shut off and that police are creating confusion and fear especially by firing tear gas at students at local universities.
He said from the airport to the city (which is about 10-20 miles) every on ramp has police squad cars. Bridges have been shut down to make it easier to organize the military and police. Military helicopters are flying over and Humvees are everywhere. Coast guard are patrolling the rivers. This is on a scale never seen before.
What this all signals, according to Guerrero, is a zero-tolerance policy for activities that challenge security.
He went on to suggest that the media has promoted a state of fear and it is tough to really know what is going on since activities are decentralized. Local people are afraid to be out participating in activities and this is all largely a part of a very comprehensive strategy to shut down protests.
From the Thomas Merton Center Anti-War Committee, a spokesperson addressed the images coming from protests at the G20, images of anarchists losing control,. This person suggested that Americans think of how people who go to football games will sometimes riot after their team wins or loses.
She added not all sports fans are violent and Americans should think of how diverse and various activists are who have mobilized and how many of the people in Pittsburgh are really here to educate and spread awareness of what the G20 really means for Americans and the world.
People look at totalitarian regimes and get angry but this is happening with the consent of Obama. Loharto said Obama is asking American workers to accept globalization is inevitable, accept your jobs will go overseas, and don't bother with doing anything stop this from happening.
On Tuesday, September 22nd , the ACLU challenged the detaining of a peace bus carrying food for protesters. The ACLU was told police can do whatever they want under national security.
On Monday, September 21st, Lohorto said he was on a bus following another bus when a police squad on motorcycles stopped the bus he was behind. The cops boarded the bus and began searching and looking for people. He thinks the cops were looking for him especially since they raided his community farm where he was living.
As an organizer, Loharot knows police would like nothing more than to shut him down. And, it's reasonable for Lohorto to think like this because before the Republican National Convention activists planning actions were preemptively detained so they could not participate or lead actions. They were deliberately trying to invoke fear in the local community so less people would come out in opposition to the RNC. [Activists are still facing charges of "conspiracy to riot in furtherance of terrorism. ]
Overnight, Lohorto around 600 participated in an unpermitted march that moved around the city. The march utilized Twitter for communication and kept the security presence in Pittsburgh busy trying to bring to a halt their actions.
Look for more. This gives a necessary alternative viewpoint on the G20 summit. Each individual organized education campaigns and participated in marches. I will post a Part 2 later that is less focused on the occupation and more focused on how people are responding to the G20 summit and looking to move forward in a new direction that focuses less on corporate, free market ideology and policies.
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