Occupy Oakland: The minutes before the flag burning photo was taken.

[Robb]

The photo in question:



It appears to have been snapped some time around 2:30 during this video, which adds context:

[HopeHoops]

1. It still looks like an infiltration. The guy waving the "Occupy Oakland" paper gives it away.

He's doing his best to get that in every camera shot with the flag in the background. And like the crowd is just going to casually walk away when one cop tells them to? "Go away from City Hall. Go away from City Hall" - where were the "FUCK YOU ASSHOLE!" responses? They just walk off casually as if nothing had happened. Smells like Rove to me.

[still_one]

2. what a stupid thing to do. That is not the kind of actions that will get people to join their cause

In fact there will be blow back from that.

If there is infiltration the true demonstrators better try to get a handle on it

[deutsey]

3. Mitch Jesseritch, who was there reporting for KPFA,

said the door had been closed at first but then he noticed it was propped open.

Regardless of whether this was "helped along" or not, in his tape of what happened, you could hear plenty of protesters enthusiastically cheering it on.

They're idiots, imo. Useful idiots.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

4. Burning an American flag? Come on people use your brains.

Who here believes that this act would help Occupy achieve their goals?
Think before you act, violence is not good for any movement.
Let me be clear here, I am very pro Occupy, it's probably our best last chance to bring about meaningful change not only for the US, but for the entire world as well.
But it sounds like a lot of folks are accustomed to fast food and want an instant fix for problems that took decades to reach this point.
To work, Occupy MUST REMAIN NONVOILENT.
The Occupy movement must win over the hearts and minds of a lot more people, including the police.
It can only do this by using brains instead of brawn and not burning flags.
OCCUPY EVERYWHERE !

[David__77]

5. They're not infiltrators they're revolutionaries.

I know their group.

You can't make them go away.