General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDenver Cops Break Up Homeless Camp in the Middle of a Snowstorm
http://www.itakelibertywithmycoffee.com/2015/12/4581/In the early morning of December 15th, Denver police forced dozens of homeless community members of Resurrection Village into blizzard conditions. Since their tiny homes action on Oct. 24th, Resurrection Village members have been sleeping near various unused empty lots owned by the Denver Housing Authority and had set up tents the night before to provide temporary shelter from the impending snowstorm.
Unicorn Riot was at the scene of the newly fashioned tent city and documented Denver Police threatening everyone with arrest if they did not dismantle their camp.
Police arrived around 6am in the midst of hard snowfall and brutal winds while everyone was warm, dry and sleeping. DPD then ordered the community to dismantle their tents and disperse. We were able to livestream the encounter:
Denver Polices response on twitter was to tweet about their homeless outreach and goal of getting everyone out of the cold.
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)dembotoz
(16,808 posts)Journeyman
(15,036 posts)~Anatole France (1894)
SoLeftIAmRight
(4,883 posts)one of the very best
His short essay on judges is wonderful
Journeyman
(15,036 posts)Do you have a title? Or anything more to go on. I searched the web and came up empty.
SoLeftIAmRight
(4,883 posts)This is not the translation that I have somewhere
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Crainquebille,_Putois,_Riquet_and_other_profitable_tales/Upright_Judges
It starts with these words -
UPRIGHT judges I have indeed seen," said Jean Marteau. "It was in a picture."
only in a picture - that is his opening salvo
Journeyman
(15,036 posts)I'll check that out.
JunkYardDogg
(873 posts)n/t
Jim Beard
(2,535 posts)saltpoint
(50,986 posts)authority to do this, no truly ethical construct I know encourages that they act on that authority.
Provide shelter for those who need it.
mythology
(9,527 posts)You would think the cops would have other things to do like deal with car accidents and helping with other issues caused by snow like downed power lines or people needing to get medical attention.
saltpoint
(50,986 posts)been coordinated to try and arrange alternative shelter.
Absent such a plan, their temporary shelter should have been let be. Blankets and food might have been dispatched to the site.
What happened instead was a dismissive, inhumane act and an abuse of power.
valerief
(53,235 posts)Aristus
(66,387 posts)Periodically, Tacoma PD would go through the parks, woods, and other areas where the homeless camp out due to lack of room in the shelters. They'd confiscate tents and other camping gear, and often rob my patients of their medications. This was a story I heard frequently.
I don't prescribe narcotics, benzodiazipines, or other medications with street value. So when a patient told me a cop took his blood pressure or diabetes medication, I believed him.
Cops are supposed to defend the defenseless, not prey upon them...
virgogal
(10,178 posts)The cops breaking up the homeless camps are just working stiffs obeying orders from the top.
The politicians and police big shots NEVER come out and do the dirty work.
Put the blame where it belongs----and vote out the lawmakers.
Aristus
(66,387 posts)It's power-mad jerks preying on the helpless and defenseless because they get a kick out of it, and because they can get away with it.
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)kath
(10,565 posts)It becomes more and more clear that they exist to protect and serve the 1%.
ljm2002
(10,751 posts)When are the decent cops going to refuse this sort of thing? Especially during a snowstorm? WTF?? "Hey, these people are miserable; let's go make their lives even worse! Yeah, that's the ticket! And when I go home to my wife and kids, and we put our presents around the tree, we'll congratulate ourselves on what a deserving Christian family we are!!"
I hope at least some of those cops have a change of heart and realize how deeply, deeply immoral this is -- and I blame their superiors more than them, except that they did carry it out. Reminds me of the Buffy St. Marie song "Universal Soldier" -- He's the universal soldier, and he really is to blame, his orders come from far away no more...
bluedigger
(17,086 posts)jalan48
(13,870 posts)KamaAina
(78,249 posts)jalan48
(13,870 posts)Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)adherents!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nay
(12,051 posts)hobbit709
(41,694 posts)lpbk2713
(42,759 posts)There could be no other motivation to deploy the required manpower at that time of day other than to harrass the people involved.
F4lconF16
(3,747 posts)When you choose to become a member of the blue shirts, you choose to participate in this shit. You are an oppressor. You serve the privileged. You enforce the will of a brutal system. And you do it in a blatantly unethical, immoral, discriminatory manner.
Fuck the police.
Fuck the law.
Be a decent fucking human being instead.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)You would think they would at least wait to avoid the bad publicity...idiots.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)joeybee12
(56,177 posts)KamaAina
(78,249 posts)Redeemable with the nearest kitteh.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)Now I need to win two more fixes.
Taitertots
(7,745 posts)Apparently there are no good cops in Denver.