Black Friday Protest Over Ferguson Decision Turns Ugly, Clashes In Union Square, Mission Dist.

[Omaha Steve]

Source: KPIX

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — An initially peaceful Black Friday protest over a grand jury’s decision not to indict a Ferguson, Missouri police officer in the Michael Brown case turned ugly. Stores in San Francisco’s Union Square were vandalized and protesters clashed with police in multiple locations.

Protesters at Potrero and 22nd Street in the Mission District confronted police and hurled bricks at officers in the area Friday night. Demonstrators also broke a windshield and threw a flare into a KPIX 5 news van. The crew was not near the van at the time and was not injured.

San Francisco Police told KPIX 5 that two officers were injured during the melee. One officer was hit by a brick in the chest, another officer had a laceration to the face. Police said around 50-75 people were arrested.

Earlier, clashes in Union Square took place after protesters marching down Market Street from the Embarcadero were prevented from joining another group of protesters that gathered near the annual Macy’s tree lighting. Some stores had windows broken, storefronts were vandalized and bottles were thrown at officers.

FULL story at link.



Read more: http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/11/28/activists-protest-ferguson-decision-ahead-of-union-square-black-friday-tree-lighting-san-francisco-macys-michael-brown-shooting-police-killings-embarcadero/

[redruddyred]

1. black lives do matter tho.

[tooeyeten]

2. They do

But if there is not organization with a primary lead message of purpose and goal sooner rather than later, they will be marginalized and dismissed as loud voices without intent. When the media goes away they got nothing, so they need to be more than just loud.

[redruddyred]

3. "black lives matter" is not a message?

sounds pretty coherent and to-the-point to me.

[tooeyeten]

7. Who said it wasn't?

I never said that, but there needs to be a coherent plan, long range, with a goal. Seems protests of injustice in criminal justice system is being lost in MSM.

[Cerridwen]

5. There are many organizations. The media doesn't bother with them or their issues when they're quiet.

Being "loud" appears to be the only way to get the attention of the media that ignores them when they go about their daily business against racism, discrimination, and the destruction of civil rights.

Here are a couple of examples for you:


The National Bar Association

The National Urban League

One People's Project

and The NAACP

to name just a few. There are many more but this is a post and not a research paper. If you google civil rights and/or anti-discrimination organizations, you'll be amazed at what's out there that apparently "doesn't exist" if it's not on the nightly, national "news."

If you don't see their names in the media much, it's because the media has the attention span of a sick gnat and can't be bothered with people who aren't "loud."

I'd like to think the volume of the protests going on across the US and elsewhere, might get some attention. If not, perhaps we need to raise the volume to cacophonous levels.

[tooeyeten]

8. Maybe

You know this more than me, but NAACP and Urban League not always on the same page with these issues. Different leadership, different means to sometimes same goals, there's a hierarchy within each group don't always join forces.

[Cerridwen]

9. Maybe. One thing that is sure. The media doesn't discuss any of these issues

unless there is a hint of violence; and if not a hint, they are happy to help it along as much as possible. Better ratings, dontcha know.

Various politicians and political groups are happy to contribute and distribute to the catapulted propaganda. Better to stir up their base or give themselves a name on the national stage. Much better for them if the national stage is "burning." Then they get to look "reasonable" and "measured" rather than the bloviating, pus-bags most of them are.

[tooeyeten]

10. And

Like most cases where there's different leadership everyone wants to be top dog, with the biggest spotlight. I think that's why these .org's haven't come together, can't come to consensus on message and means. Protests are doing a decent job of getting word out on police brutality, injustice in system, but they need better long-term strategy to not lose momentum, and self-funding for long haul to change. If they don't resolve this, they won't be able to sustain themselves longer than a few more months, unless there's more drama i.e. more police shootings of young black men, to help keep attention on them. IMHO.

[Live and Learn]

11. +1 nt

[red dog 1]

6. K&R...Thanks for posting, Omaha Steve

With all the security cameras out there, especially on Market Street and in Union Square, why can't SFPD pick out & identify those criminals who were responsible for the brick throwing and the other violence, including the window breaking, damage to cars etc.?

How many of those arrested were "agent provocateurs"?

How many of those arrested were anarchists?

I'm sick of reading about peaceful protests turning violent..it happens so often.

Those protesters who did not engage in violence shouldn't be blamed.

This is the 21st century, and in a big city like San Francisco, with all those security cameras, there MUST be a way to identify the few who did all the violence, and then prosecute them to the full extent of the law!