At 7pm on March 20, a knot of about half dozen gortex-clad "reporters" in bright yellow or blue jackets approached a handful of peace protesters on Burnside Street near 2nd, who had been tasked with halting the war machine before it could kill again in it's self-stated goal to "rule the world."
Confrontations between corporate media and Portland activists go back decades, but activists, "reporters" and bystanders were about to witness something new. The small group of "reporters" had prepared for this moment: knowing that activists are onto their lies and are no longer willing to be used and abused in the media to gain ratings and support inaccurate stereotypes, the "reporters" contracted hired thugs to assault and harass anyone who stood in their way.
For years, small groups of reporters have taunted and harrassed peaceful protesters and other activists, even spewing out bald-faced lies to their blankly staring audiences in the hopes of provoking an aggressive response and supporting the status quo. During the Bush protests, for example, corporate news channels variously referred to the thousands of Portland citizens who turned out to protest mr. bush as "a small group of disorganized protesters," a "hostile mob" and a "loitering crowd." To butress these claims, they showed overhead footage of different sections of town. The station that claimed it was a "small group" showed just that -- a small group of people standing on a corner. At the same time, another station was claiming they were a "hostile mob," so they showed another shot -- fuzzy overhead images of thousands of people on the street. Although no hostilty was visible, the anchor accused the crowd of "holding the whole street hostage." This, despite the fact that it was the heavily armed police who actually appeared to be holding the city hostage.
But this time, instead of halting at simple lies, the "reporters" gathered together and surged into the crowd, where they had been asked not to film. They became hostile and angry, and began shoving their way into people's faces anyway. When people attempted to block access of their intrusive lenses, brown-shirted thugs bolted into the crowd with the ferocity of trained attack dogs and began assaulting people.
While news helicopters circled overhead, the crowd frantically tried to fend off the battering bull dogs.
Later, the "reporters" used footage of the melee to reinforce the pat story of the day that protesters were a "hostile mob." They failed to mention that the disturbance had been started by their own guards, and that all the pushing and shoving visible on the tiny screen was perpetrated by people in their employ.
The "reporter's" lies had predictable results: As intended, they manufactured consent for police brutality in the city of Portland, and justified the mayor's inability to control the rogue police force. At least, I think they did...but it's hard to say. Because the only people reporting on what the people of portland "really" think of police brutality are the corporate media.
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The Zombie Free Republic, Georgia, USA
The sheer arrogance of these propagandists is alarming. They act like they have every right in the world to push us around and shove their lenses in our face for the purpose of demonizing us without any resistance or recrimination. I personally give NO ONE the right to take advantage of me, lie about me, and put me in harm's way. The time to make them STOP taking advantage of us and slandering us and endangering us is now.
Completely legal and nonviolent techniques must now be brought into play against these sleaze bags whenever we see them.
1) don't talk to them (read Nick Budnick's "All Bets are off" to see how intelligent and thoughtful activists had their words and points shredded into lies by Budnick)
2) block their cameras. don't ever touch the reporters or the equipment, even when they touch/grab you (which they have been doing). simply stand in the way, or hold your hand or a sign up. don't assault them. when they assault you, calmly tell them that what they are doing is illegal and that it is your right to block them if you wish. tell them why you're doing it.
3) tell the stories about what really happened everywhere you can -- here on indymedia, on KBOO, in other alternative media, to friends and family and co-workers. make sure the TRUTH gets out there.
4) tell people about the military/profit connections: explain how the national corporate media companies are owned by companies with military connections. show how those relationships are reflected in their local affiliates. point out how advertisements in the weeklies are from members of the Portland Business Alliance, which pressured the City Council to vote NO on the anti-war resolution a little while back. (Also point out the mysoginistic advertisements in the weeklies.)
5) boycott the corporate media. don't watch it. don't read it. don't listen to it. You won't be missing anything. Instead, depend on alternative news sources, and talk to people who were there. Revive the lost art of story telling as a way of conveying the events of our movement.