Pittsburgh G20 Update: Tensions Mount!
8 Comments »It is only a week now until the G20 Summit and subsequent “festivities” that will grace us here in the Steel City, and many are wondering if the air has yet been cleared over what conditions await protesters wishing to express their Constitutionally protected right to free assembly. The answer: …not really.
Some questions have been answered, including where the Secret Service will set up their perimeter, barring auto and foot traffic:
Code Pink will be allowed to use Point State Park on Sunday through Tuesday, but NOT on the days of the actual G20 event. No physical permits have yet to be issued to protest groups for the days of the summit, though the city has approved some applications:
http://kdka.com/local/g20.protesters.judge.2.1189558.html
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09253/997043-100.stm?cmpid=latest.xml
And, the new city ordinances against certain behaviors and items at the protests have been voted on by the city council. Most of these ordinances were passed, even though according to city council member Bill Peduto (the only member to vote against the ordinances) the city already had existing laws which adequately covered the banned items. The point, I believe, in these ordinances, was not to “protect protesters and police” as the city council claims, but to send a message to protesters that their actions will be even more subject to police scrutiny than usual. That is to say, the police will be given free reign to make up reasons to arrest them. Some of the ordinances and legal decisions include;
1) Protestors with the Thomas Merton Center cannot end their march at the 7th Street Bridge on the Friday of the summit as they had planned.
“We regret and disagree with the decision. In the meantime, we are moving forward with the planning for our non-violent and permitted peoples march,” Jonah McAllister- Erickson, of the Thomas Merton Center, said.
2) There will be no overnight camping allowed at Schenley Park or Point State Park.
Obviously, the city wants to discourage out of town protesters as much as possible. Hotels will be packed for the summit, and giving them nowhere else to sleep during their two or three day stay is a prime way to thin out their numbers.
A lawsuit has been filed by the ACLU claiming that the city is attempting to suppress some of the protesters based on their message.
3) Items that protesters are prohibited from carrying include: pipes, locks and chains to try to block public areas or impede crowd control, noxious and/or toxic substances, gas masks, projectile launchers, animal or human waste, animal or human blood, rotten eggs, acid, gasoline, manufactured gases or sprays, and alcohol.
The city expressed particular concern about PVC pipes used to bind protesters together into what is called a “Sleeping Dragon”, making it difficult for police to break up protest groups and force them to leave. I find it interesting that even though the council has expressed a desire to “allow free speech”, they also seem very keen on being able to remove protest groups from the area on a moments notice without impediment. It makes me curious as to the planned methods of the police during the summit. If they weren’t planning on interfering with the marches, why would they care if people are tied together?
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_643617.html
4) The city failed in passing an ordinance against masks or bandanas during the protests, although I suspect the police will still try to harass those who wear them.
On an interesting side note, Al Gore’s “Alliance for Climate Protection” got a go-ahead from the city to stage a clean energy jobs rally and concert in the city’s Point Square Park on September 23 even though other groups were told the park was closed as a staging ground for law enforcement.
“It would be a little disheartening if that event was approved and people who put in for permits long before them were denied permission to use the same space,” said Melissa Minnich of the Thomas Merton Center, which supports local activist groups.
“The emerging storyline is that if you’re politically influential and connected to the powers that be…your rights can be accommodated,” said Vic Walczak, the American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who filed the suit on Friday. “If you’re a small local group that is more critical of Obama and G20 and have no big-name contact…you get the shaft. Under the First Amendment, the big, powerful guy doesn’t trump the rights of the little guy.”
Apparently, the city council is very protective of Al Gore’s right to free speech, just not anyone else’s. Pittsburgh was chosen for many reasons, but most importantly, its isolation as a city, being surrounded by steep hills and large rivers, and the local government’s willingness to make public assembly as difficult as possible. It is the perfect place for G20 Elitists to quell dissent while planning their next move towards centralized global authority. Tensions are mounting over what will happen at the summit, and for good reason. If the city has chosen to be so obstructive to protests so far, what will Pittsburgh Police do once they get a chance to try out their new anti-protest “toys”? How much restraint will police show when the city government has displayed nothing but indifference towards the public?
Hopefully, Pittsburgh Police will have more sense than those during the G20 in London, where a man was essentially killed because of unwarranted police violence. My doubts remain that this will be a peaceful summit. One can only feel the atmosphere get thicker and heavier as the protests near.
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Authorities will almost certainly be using the Miami Model to quash dissent. Given that, it’ll be a few rocky days in Pittsburgh.
I am glad that Pittsburgh is having the G-20, it is a honor and feather in our cap. I hope and pray that those who come to our city will respect our citizens, our homes, and our businesses while they voice their opinions. Free speech is a right, but it also has responsibilities. Do not choose to use Pgh as a place to sow hate, and discord,peacefully assemble and be mindful that others have a right to their opinion. Do not put the lives of our police, fire and medics in harms way with illegal acts of violence and other destructive behavior. Our businesses are a vital part of our economy so don’t destroy the things that they have worked for. The golden rule still applies-do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
I wish you all the best today. I know it’s probably going to be a rough ride. Please don’t let the police intimidate you. Stand your ground peacefully. If the situation becomes untenable move on and protest elsewhere. Better than to spend the day (and night) in jail or the back of a paddy wagon.
Watch out for provocateurs.
Update us when you can.
May Peace and success be yours today.
Ninfa:
I agree that protesters should indeed respect other peoples property, and usually, they do. But I get the impression you have never personally attended a large protest. First off, most of the initial damage caused by protests is often done by “provocateurs”. These are usually policemen posing as protesters who try to incite violence. If you find this hard to believe, just check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCRsj06wT64&feature=related
They were CAUGHT doing this in Canada.
Also, I am a Pittsburgh city resident, and I can say wholeheartedly that having the G20 here is NOT an honor. These “world leader” are nothing but puppets for global banking interests and the IMF. They would sell out their own people to globalism in a second. Pittsburghers are desperate for any attention on this city, and so they tend to swoon like teenage girls at a Jonas Brothers concert whenever any celebrity / politician comes to town. Its kind of sad really…….
Someone needs to buy a truck full of ball bearings or marbles and let them go at the top of a hill if the collaborators do anything un-constitional.
Thanks Rob, for your kind and sensible words.
Albino Whino… I’m growing weary of explaining this… violence is not pretty or funny or cute. It is brutal and ugly and counter-productive.
The police are NOT our enemies.
The enemy is the system… and the methods. The genius of our enemy lies greatly in its ability to turn us against one another.
We want the police on our side. I don’t think many of you realize yet how REAL shit is about to get in this country. We do not want an US vs THEM scenario. We must unite against our common oppressors.
This means we need the police and military on our side. While I can understand your anger and frustration, your violent rhetoric only serves the interests of the NWO.
Nice link, though! (http://www.flyerfight.org/)
is that your site?
giordano: You’re right. This G-20 is all a bunch of crap. Why would we want the potential of international businesses coming to our city to create more jobs? Why would we want positive publicity for our town? It’s just an expensive 2-day gamble. We should hope that Pittsburgh stays obscure to the world and that nothing of global import ever happens to us. Also, it’s way cooler to hate one’s city than to love it or at least to acknowledge its potential. Kudos to remaining purpetually negative.
Look, there’s a lot of shit wrong with how Pittsburgh has handled hosting the G-20. The city should not have prevented groups from obtaining permits to peacefully protest. The city should not have been so completely closed off to its regular citizens. Yes, it was a large amount of taxpayer money spent on making our city presentable/secure for the sake of a small elite group of people. All of this is true. However, some good may still come of it. This is really the first time in a long time that Pittsburgh has been in the global spotlight. I’m not “swooning” here, I’m just excited for the people of my city. Why wouldn’t one want a prosperous future for one’s hometown? We’re hosting the G-20. Let’s make the best of it. Let’s just hope that nothing happens to show Pittsburgh in a negative light–such as car bombings, riots, arson, etc. That is something we definitately don’t need associated with Pittsburgh. Oh, I know–if that happens, it’s only the cops posing as protesters, right? Because normal citizens never become unruly and unreasonable to the extent that they should be arrested, right? Some (I said SOME not ALL, so don’t get up in arms) of the protesters we’ve seen so far don’t even seem to know what they are protesting. They just enjoy the thrill of being in an angry crowd and rebelling against authority. Oh, and smashing things up. What good are they doing? What is their message? I’m all for free speech and for protesting, but some people are just dangerous and stupid and the police need to be there to keep things from becoming out of control. Don’t get me wrong, I know that the police can also become overly anxious for a violent encounter and can be unduly physical. They can sometimes even instigate a bad situation in hopes of some “action.” BUT–if everyone just keeps their wits about them, Pittsburgh will get through this and perhaps may even get something out of it.
Pittsburgher:
I’m always amused at people’s unwarranted pride in this city. Any criticism is met with spitting and chest beating from certain locals, usually those who were born here and never lived anywhere else. They have no point of reference so they have no clue what they are defending or why. Its just ego. Again, anyone who thinks ANYTHING good can come from the G20, for Pittsburgh, or for the world, is naive. People will forget Pittsburgh in a week, and there is no money anywhere, so why would it suddenly come flowing into Pittsburgh just because of G20. Sorry, but I’m not going to hope against hope for something that is obviously not going to happen. I will save my hope for something far more worthwhile than one city that is desperately clamoring for the limelight.