Police Strategize for March 4 Protests

Terrible reporting from the Daily Californian:

“UCPD Chief Mitch Celaya said that the department is preparing to be able to deal with a variety of potential scenarios.

“We’re bringing in additional staffing,” he said. “We’ll have some strategies in place to allow us to respond to picketing or marching or rallies or even possible sit-ins or building takeovers.”

Berkeley police Lt. Andrew Greenwood said the Berkeley Police Department is aware of the scope and potential of the upcoming demonstrations and that “there’s significant planning under way.””

*****

Can we imagine a scenario where the state spent more time and money figuring out how to respond to inter-personal violence with justice, love, and victims services than suppressing popular revolt? Can we imagine a scenario in which the resources of the state were transformed into instruments of personal and communal creativity and self-fulfillment rather than repressive repressive instruments of violence and control? Can we imagine a scenario in which the systems of state and capitalist violence and oppression became the targets of cops – when the batons cracked the skulls of AIG corporate bosses?

Here’s to the new possibilities that will be opened up on March 4!