Protests against Urban Shield, a convention and series of training exercises for thousands of first responders, began yesterday in Oakland, Calif., with critics citing the program for contributing to the “militarization” of police and fire departments and encouraging police brutality. The training exercises, which attract first responders from as far away as South Korea, coincided with the second anniversary of the Oakland Police evicting Occupy Oakland from their Frank Ogawa Plaza encampment, and hard feeling abound. Here’s a poster for the protests, featuring a pig in partial riot gear roasting on a spit.
https://twitter.com/Anon4justice/status/393493891308994560
https://twitter.com/AlanWangABC7/status/393912028407934976
Peaceful Protest all day Oakland, Urban Shield militarization of a police state #OO #OSF @GlobalRevLive @punkboyinsf pic.twitter.com/73qp5xnE6y
— Occupy Odyssey (@OccupyOdyssey) October 25, 2013
https://twitter.com/70torinoman/status/393873331260116992
Pics from inside #UrbanShield. Advertised as an emergency first responder event, the military flavor is everywhere. pic.twitter.com/Nxf7E9IGlN
— Darwin BondGraham (@DarwinBondGraha) October 25, 2013
#boyscouts getting police militarization indoctrination at #urbanshield pic.twitter.com/ANxco4hmj8
— The End of the World As We Know It (@guelo) October 26, 2013
Amidst a convo about police militarization, @kgosztola @johnknefel @alexisgoldstein and I see this: pic.twitter.com/Jb7q0RHHBt
— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) October 26, 2013
Protesting #UrbanShield — Stop funding war! pic.twitter.com/wBslsIgfZW
— CODEPINK (@codepink) October 26, 2013
Meanwhile, exercises went on as planned today, with exercises involving bomb scares and hazardous material spills.
At the Bay Bridge for #UrbanShield bomb training scenario. pic.twitter.com/pL75No9uO9
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) October 26, 2013
Major accident scene with radiation threat on old span of #BayBridge. Part of #UrbanShield training. Tonight @KTVU pic.twitter.com/ZYT6MUf0F5
— John Sasaki (@SasakiNews) October 26, 2013
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This is what #UrbanShield is really all about… #Training #FirstResponders #BayArea #Fire #Rescue @PGE4Me #Oakland pic.twitter.com/euQuLTunrd
— David Cruise (@DavidCruiseSF) October 26, 2013
#urbanshield #irtactical live training the best with the best equipment! pic.twitter.com/RZCCxxw4jN
— Ocie Edward Mathenia (@Torrejonboy) October 26, 2013
At the @ACSOSheriffs #UrbanShield Emergency Operations Center. This is the program that prepared @bostonpolice pic.twitter.com/Lh49Q8CR5j
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) October 27, 2013
While no protestors have been reported hurt, CBS San Francisco reports that two firefighters suffered minor injuries Friday during a water rescue exercise.
https://twitter.com/umadrants/status/394158921180401664
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