Police riot at Bush Protest in Jacksonville

Does anyone have any video of this incident?

Does anyone have eyewitness accounts of this incident?

Did the elderly man who was shot in the back by the police (identified as 65-year-old Richard Swaney) seek medical attention? If anyone knows him, could you encourage him to seek it and get photos of his bruises NOW to preserve the evidence?

When the police do this, you sue them and prosecute your case without mercy.

Just watched a segment on the presidents visit there and their report said "The one protester kept silent but was arrested anyway." with a clip of a man with tape over his mouth and a message t-shirt being led away. No mention whatsoever of crazy police pepperspraying citizens.

how ironic. this is from the oregonian:



Three Medford schoolteachers were threatened with arrest and escorted from the event after they showed up wearing T-shirts with the slogan "Protect our civil liberties." All three said they applied for and received valid tickets from Republican headquarters in Medford.

"I wanted to see if I would be able to make a statement that I feel is important, but not offensive, in a rally for my president," said Janet Voorhies, 48, a teacher in training.

I was the fellow who created the human shield and was shot 5 times in the back with chemical ammunition. We have plenty of pictures of the large wounds inflicted. A gentlemen from the newspaper The Soap Box out on So. Oregon got the episode on video. Contact him for that. I'm all for holding the rioting police responsible for this madness. I can be contacted at 541-899-1694. Or a  roundthezoo@earthlink.net , thanks Mookie (M.Moss)

According to the Oregonian, the cops SHOT A 65 YEAR OLD MAN IN THE BACK WHILE HE WAS WALKING AWAY with these pepperball guns (regular paintball guns loaded with gelatin-encased pepper powder, but not normal powder like you cook with, it is enhanced oleoresincapsicum poswer, the solid form of the spray the cops carry).

Fuck 911, they just make things worse.

Without nearly as many opportunities to oppress dissenting citizens as they have in the last couple of years, the steroid abuser contingent of our law enforcement system are increasingly overreaching and overstepping their authority. They will hang themselves sooner or later, as more and more 'regular' citizens witness their poor judgment skills and criminally abusive behavior. Most people don't like cowardly bullies.

To the brave folks who participated in the Bush 'unwelcoming' ceremonies in Central Point, and especially to Mr. Moss for his quick thinking and courageous actions, thank you! I'm sure that the actions of Mr. Moss were appreciated by the good citizen that fell victim to the police attack.

Rogue Valley IMC has thorough coverage of last night's incident in Jacksonville. Log on to  http://www.rogueimc.org for more....

There will be a press conference surrounding the events occuring last night in Jacksonville. This will be held at 110 East Main st. in Ashland at 2:00 PM
This afternoon. Come on out, be heard!

My son, Michael Moss, was the man who tried to protect Mr. Swaney from the police attack. I am proud of Michael for being a compassionate human being and for caring enough for our country to stand up for what he believes. Having the ability to express a difference of opinion is a basic component of democracy. Where is the media coverage of these abuses? We should all be outraged. The trend toward the oppression of dissent is extremely dangerous. I hope that this incident will precipitate actions toward change.

THATS 110 E. Main in JACKSONVILLE....sorry bout that

From:  http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2004/1015/local/stories/02local.htm

Police in riot gear fired pepper balls at protesters in Jacksonville Thursday after they refused to clear the street upon President Bush's arrival to spend the night...

... Rogue Valley residents David Qotsaisaw, 30, and Michael Steveros, 38, said they were each shot with some sort of irritant fired by police. Both said they were not protesting, but just trying to help a fallen member of the crowd.

"Someone got pushed down and we tried to help him up," said Qotsaisaw. "He wasn't able to get to his feet. We tried to help and the (police officer) from behind the line started shooting."

Steveros said he was also shot with a pepper ball and shoved with a baton as he attempted to help the man who had fallen on the sidewalk in front of the Jacksonville Inn....

... Protesters voiced diverse complaints about Bush's policies and rolled out a red "unwelcome" banner in front of the Jacksonville Inn. A yellow 30-foot banner stating "Less Bush — More Trees" was displayed at a nearby building as the protesters chanted and played music over loud-speakers....

... "I think it's cool," said Lucas. "This is democracy in action."

But at around 8 p.m., police decided to move the crowd east of the Third and California Street intersection. Those standing on the west side of the intersection were not moved. As police moved forward, those who resisted or were unable to move quickly enough down the crowded sidewalks toward Fifth Street were shoved by officers in full riot gear.

City Administrator Paul Wyntergreen said he does not have an official explanation as to why that section of the street was cleared.

"I was told they arrested two people for failure to disperse," he said. "Up to that point, everyone had expressed good behavior."...

*********

On a lighter note, the article also stated that: "A man in his 20s who declined to be identified approached protesters and called them "a bunch of morons" before continuing toward the fairgrounds."

One of the authors of this article is named JACK MORAN.

The police are responsible for telling citizens where they can safely stand to express their opinions. Moving crowds back is a really bad idea and has a history of being disatrous (i.e., the Portland anti-Bush demo in 2002? Not sure of the year). Anyway, this is clearly a tactic to beat up on peaceful protestors. Somehow we need to bring that to the fore. They have a right to tell us where to stand. HOW DARE THEY CHANGE IT AND THEN CHARGE!

Thank you, Mr. Mook, for being a model citizen. Our pResident should take lessons from you.

His Assholiness George Warmonger Bush I to Protesters: "Sorry to Oil the Protest but now you know what the USSA Patriot Act is for. Sorry but Oil comes first."

the bellingham wa. police routinely lie and threaten people who are not clones.death to fascist police.kill them just like the usa kills teenage school girls.palestinian women are willing to blow themselves up but ''we'' here in sheep land let our bros and sisters be raped killed by cops.ive had it .im ready to defend life.police be warned.yupu lives and families are in grave danger from people worldwide.

I can't tell you how much this story has upset me this morning. I've emailed practically everyone I know to try to spread the word of this atrocity.

Additionally, a quick scan of the local corporate media shows that only kgw.com is really covering this. They even have VIDEO from the event, before and after the attack.

Go to KGW.COM to check it out.

Also, I encourage you all to write an email to kgw to ask them to make this a feature story. I did, and I wish all of you would. And, tell your friends to do the same.

This should not stand!

Make as many copies of the video footage as you can and then take the original
and hide it in a very secure place. Do not take the original to the press
conference. The police might try and take the tape as evidence of a crime. You are media god dammit and you have the right(whatever this means anymore)to protect your notes, raw footage, etc...from undo search by the state.
Don't let them tell you otherwise.

I've been looking for info about this -- print media is saying that things only became violent because a few protesters started pushing police.

TV news last night (don't remember which one) said that police became involved due to an altercation between protesters and supporters, but didn't say who started it.

I see here that the first sign of trouble was when a man was pushed to the ground by police.

So, what happened right before he got pushed?

I lived in Southern Oregon for years.

Everybody knows that Jackson vile is the local nazi stronghold

Why would anyone waste a second of their precious life there?

Why do you think Mr Bush and his keepers holed up there?

Why do you folks wanna get beat up and identified anyway?

Heres a clue for you nice folks, any town that specializes in the sale and collection of "antiques" is beyond help and full of mean people.

just a clue, have a nice day! life is short hang out with nice folks

Our friend Carl Worden sent the following along to The Geeze: "This 10/16/04 article in the Medford Mail Tribune illustrates why we formed the Southern Oregon Militia back in 1993. We have a problem here with bad cops who like to use excessive force, and the president's visit to Jacksonville gave them that golden opportunity.

"Take a look at the photograph that appears in the Medford Mail Tribune accompanying this article. It shows a cop all Nazi'd up in his black riot control gear and full face Hemet, and he appears to be smiling evilly while he shoves a young woman holding her five year-old daughter out of the way as he holds a heavy riot baton. It's a very chilling photograph.

"Our Sheriff, Mike Winters, is a pretty good guy, and I've met with him a couple of times to discuss matters. Unfortunately, the cop with the evil, sadistic grin in the news photo is wearing the name, "Sheriff" on his chest, meaning he's one of Winter's problems. We'll be addressing that."

Photo links at  http://www.geeze.us/news-archives/oct-17-oct-22.htm#aprotest

wa-salaam

dxm
www.geeze.us

Also see

The Geeze News Security detail tactics draw fire
By Sanne Specht - Medford Mail Tribune

I appreciate the widespread coverage of police attacking peaceful demonstrators on the sidewalk in Jacksonville, Oregon during an October 14th anti-Bush protest. However, the AP story included the blatant lie by Jacksonville city administrator Paul Wyntergreen that the demonstration was peaceful until protesters began pushing police.

I helped organize the event and would like to provide background and set the record straight:

Recent local press coverage has changed the story to say that police pushed demonstrators and then some demonstrators "put their hands on police." I spoke with one woman who was pushed by Secret Service onto the street, only to be pushed back onto the sidewalk by police. When a uniformed officer shoved her by pushing the child in her arms, she put her arms out to defend her child and touched the officer's arms.

I spoke three times with the Chief of Police in Jacksonville and once with the Sheriff so that they knew exactly what we were planning and we could safely exercise our First Amendment rights. The chief said he was primarily concerned about hostile conservatives hassling us. The Sheriff 's last words to me were: "If everyone stays on the sidewalk, we won't have any problems." This was an event for all kinds of people: low-key, lots of families, no civil disobedience. We handed out information sheets on non-violent codes of conduct, kept our crowd of 200-300 people on the sidewalk. We had a 100-foot long red carpet of UNwelcome upon which people wrote their criticisms of the administration's policies, which we rolled out on the sidewalk.

The rally and march were peaceful and successful; people felt energized and empowered. Then during our vigil to unwelcome the motorade, police attacked protesters standing on the sidewalk without provocation. Secret Service officers began pushing people off the sidewalk onto the street, police officers shoved those same people back onto the sidewalk. Women with children in their arms were grabbed and pushed, young kids were pepper-sprayed. An elderly man was knocked to the ground. While he was crawling on the sidewalk, a younger man shielded him with his own body. The young man was shot in the back at point-blank range with pepper pellets. He has burning open wounds. We have all of it on videotape. The media is suppressing most of it.

During the police attacks, I was across a narrow side street from the area being suddenly cleared. Police trapped me on that stretch of sidewalk in the throng of Bush supporters. I was on the leading edge of that group in the first row of people facing riot cops, at the intersection being cleared, . We were not pushed back. I was safe from police abuse because I was among Bush supporters. Only protesters were pushed back from the intersection through which the motorcade passed. This was not a security move by the Secret Service. If they were trying to ensure the President's safety, they would have pushed people back on both sides of the street. In addition, if police had wanted to clear the area without incident, they had plenty of time. The President was dining. They could have used his entire mealtime to secure the area, rather than waiting until the moment of his departure from the restaurant to suddenly bark garbled orders, push people, and shoot people in the back as they "failed to disperse." At the end of the night, when I was finally reunited with my family, I thanked my spouse for keeping our children safe from the police.

On Friday, October 15th, we held a press conference in front of Jacksonville City Hall; tight message, great testimony from victims and eyewitnesses. We provided raw video footage showing police aggression including the incident outlined above. One channel showed a bit of the "shielding" footage, but with no context or explanation. The other channel showed the injuries to the man's back, but included police rhetoric that violent protesters caused the melee. Also, that station chose to ignore our damning footage of police violence and ran our image of a line of riot cops standing in formation. This same "news" station aired extensive, chirpy coverage of the honeymoon suite where the President stayed, including the remains of his breakfast and the discarded carton of milk. They also showed the empty patio at the restaurant where he had dined.

It is only when you know the quality of information and footage provided to the news media that you can fully grasp just how much they sanitize and suppress, or sometimes just plain bumble. I have a lot to do right now, including organizing a facilitated conversation for the traumatized children to process their feelings, and talk with attorneys about our legal standing. We are also working on video documentation of witness accounts and planning a citizen forum on community policing.

I would like people to know the real story.
It is a sad time for dissent. They want us to be afraid to even stand on the sidewalk holding a sign. They want to marginalize dissenters and make citizens and families afraid to assemble.

This story is far from over.

When George W. Bush dines out, he displaces an entire town. Marshal law & art of fine dining... Flash user: http://www.derrellz.com (follow the tv) Slow dial: http://www.derrellz.com/tv/busher.mov http://www.derrellz.com/tv/bush_all_night.mov turn it up!

After hearing about the recent incident in Jacksonville I can only wonder about how long before the Secret Service or a Police Department somewhere is going to lose all sense of proportion and start gunning down protestors at a Bush appearance.
I remember the draft riots in the Sixties, seeing troops and tanks in the streets of New Haven during the Bobby Seale trial and most especially I will never forget ,nor forgive , what happened at Kent State.
This can happen again . Sadly it just seems just a matter of time now .

We need to stop the suppression of such things. The video needs to be on the web, and spread in mass numbers. Spread awareness of who is running our country. Warn family and friends. Be ready for some bad stuff. :(

This all sounds totally believable, but could you guys please publish any wound photos or videos? They'd have a much greater impact than words. This website allows you to attach photos to your messages

Thanks

I learned while in the SEATO back in the 60's to identfy the enemy and target.

Now, especially now in the 21st Century, the targets are even easier to identy our own government in its entirety...leaders elected or appointed, the bureaucraciss government employees all!

Theres disturbing video and still photo evidence on www.rogueimc.com
Click on J-ville video etc. Its ugly.

 http://www.rogueimc.org/

Video can be found here:
 http://www.rogueimc.org/en/2004/10/3334.shtml

"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of
the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are
being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and
exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
--- Hermann Goering at the Nuremburg War Crimes Trial, 1945

Sound familiar?

I'm the "elderly man" in the article. The police, over a loudspeaker, told the crowd to move back. But when there was a scuffle between the riot squad
and some protesters, I moved toward the commotion out of curiosity. I was immediately confronted by police in riot gear, elbow to elbow, 3 abreast, coming toward me shouting,in cadence, " Move Back! Move Back! " From the sidewalk,I heard singing behind me in the street. I turned back to see a young woman, like an avenging angel, singing. Suddenly I was whacked from behind and tripped over a flower box. I was stunned and couldn't seem to move. A young man helped me up, but not before I heard the rat-a-tat-tat of some kind of weapon. I was wearing a heavy sweat shirt and felt only some stinging. The kid ( Moss ) got the worst of it. Bright red sores on his back
perhaps the size of a quarter.

Once up, I was limping away, with the crowd, my trousers torn and my knee
bleeding. Apparently I was not moving fast enough. Halfway down the block,
I was hit again, and again I fell. I got up, quite beside myself and shouted
at the police[ all had batons, plexiglas face masks, helmets, etc. ] " What are you doing ? Shame on you! This is America, not Russia ! "

What I later concluded was that indeed, we are living in Russia. If this had happened to any citizen, Republican, Democrat, whatever, I would have felt
equally furious. This type of Gestapo tactic was perfected by the Bush people earlier in Florida and had been entitled "The Miami Model."

That was 2 1/2 yrs. ago. ( today is Thursday, 14, June, 2007 )

What I remember clearly is Republicans shouting taunts from across the street,
apparently in agreement that the police had every right to rough up any citizens who stand in opposition to Bush's policies. This is what happens when a friendly shouting match turns into a not-so friendly shoving match.

One reporter told me she was checking out but thus far had been able to confirm that a secretarial staff had heard the local police, who were recruited into the riot squad, saying, " If any demonstrators get in our way, we'll show them what these weapons are for. " Kinda scary. I wonder how far we are from Germany 1933. Of course, people today do not think much about
the lessons of history. It is not for nothing that one of our forefathers
said, " The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. "

Looking back, Bush will soon be seen as the most colossal failure in American history. Not a stupid man, nor a moron. Simply a tragically self-deluded
figure who believes God is his inspiration.



I look back now at that election and sincerely believe it marked the beginning of the end for America as a democracy. I wonder how much more damage he can do in the remaining 19 months.

Reports said there were 200 people at this confrontation. It was probably closer to 1,000. I was about fifteen feet backing up from the police' physical action against peaceful citizens. Next to me was a mom with two girls, probably ages 7 and 9. I lived only two miles from Jacksonville, a tiny pioneer town that then Pres. Bush made a very bad decision to stay in because his presence, and his coming and going five times, tied up traffic for hours and hours since driving through Jacksonville is the only access to a state highway. I was picnicing with a large group of Ashland college people and their families, even dogs, babies in strollers. As it got dark I was walking down a side street and was totally shocked to look to my right and see, standing in the shadows of darkness, dozens of police in complete riot gear. In fact, I just stood there looking at them and I said, "You look like mannikens, are you real?" No one spoke to me. Minutes later this group of police started wrangling all the people in town, moving us where they wanted us by intimidation and later physical confrontation. I heard in days following this horrible situation that the local police had gotten word that there would be heavy-duty protesting by people coming in from outside the community, thus the police presence. This never materialized, but the police didn't know it. I ended up in a parking lot surrounded by police with a helicopter very close above us, lights blinding us. We told the police we would leave, but we had no way to get out of town. My car was at the opposite end of town, so I just had to wait till the police cleared out and the Bushes went to bed in the Honeymoon Cottage. Bush left a partially-eaten box of "Honey Bunches of Oats," and I guess it ended up at the local museum. It is unfortunate that local media, which covered the picnics, left town before this confrontation. It should have made national news. It was the same thing as what is happening in Iran this past week only on a smaller scale.