When antiwar speech turns seditious (Michelle Malkin)

townhall ^ | April 9, 2003 | Michelle Malkin

[TLBSHOW]

When antiwar speech turns seditious

They've trashed 9-11 memorials. Blocked streets. Burned flags. Shut down bridges. Marched on Broadway. And trampled across the National Mall.

They've thrown stones at a uniformed female member of the Vermont National Guard, and hurled pie at a Bay Area television reporter deemed too pro-war.

They've carried signs that read "We support our troops when they shoot their own officers" and "Don't impeach Bush . . . execute him."

They've publicly wished for "a million Mogadishus" and privately hoped for 100 new bin Ladens.

They've issued manifestos calling for sabotage of military establishments in the name of peace. They've organized "die-ins" in the name of justice. And they've conducted "vomit-fests" to uphold their warped view of the American way.

The antiwar mobsters have gotten away with all this and more. But on Monday, one city finally drew the line.

In Oakland, Calif., local police arrested dozens of antiwar activists who flouted their free-speech rights in a treacherous attempt to shut down a port involved in shipping military supplies to soldiers during wartime. Elsewhere in the Bay Area, several others were cited for crossing a police line outside the Concord Naval Weapons Station; seven more face felony charges for stopping traffic nearby on Interstate 280.

Oakland officials say that the self-proclaimed pacifists, who still fancy themselves the righteous heirs of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., hurled concrete, wood, and iron bolts at cops. In self-defense, the outnumbered police fired appropriately named "dummy" bullets, sting balls, and bean bags at the unruly crowds.

Sporting grapefruit-sized welts and bruises -- their very own red badges of incorrigibility! -- the Oakland rabble-rousers wheedled that the cops were too "aggressive."

"I've never seen this level of violence in response to a community picket," complained David Solnit, a "veteran of two decades of civil disobedience" who helped coordinate Monday's blockade through an outfit called Direct Action to Stop the War.

But this was not your organic garden-variety "community picket."

The antiwar obstructionists did not set out simply to exercise their own free speech. They set out deliberately and specifically to prevent private businesses from fulfilling their federal contracts with the Department of Defense and U.S. Agency for International Development related to the war and post-war reconstruction in Iraq.

Cyprus Gonzalez, 19, of Oakland, who was struck during the port melee, made his and his antiwar collaborators' intentions clear: "It's direct. Here, we're actually trying to shut the place down for a day, to take a strike straight at the actual machine of the war."

The antiwar mob's primary target at the Port of Oakland was American President Lines, a longtime carrier of military cargo. According to the firm, all but two of the company's ships went into military service during World War I. In World War II, the company controlled hundreds of Liberty and Victory ships that carried troops and ammunition through enemy waters. APL provided converted commercial ships for the first Gulf War. And for Operation Iraqi Freedom, the carrier has made nine of its vessels available to the DOD in order to move ammunition and sustainment cargo to support U.S. military forces.

The Oakland punks weren't simply standing on the sidewalks outside APL chanting their mindless antiwar slogans. They were blocking its trucks, employees, entryways, and streets in order to stop the shipment of things like bullets, rations, lubricants, medical supplies, repair parts and chemical defense equipment to our troops.

These bolt-throwing peaceniks also targeted Stevedoring Services of America, which recently won a contract for assessment and a year's operation of the Port of Umm Qasr in Iraq. The firm will also handle 3 million tons of humanitarian aid.

So in addition to trying to block ammo and gas masks for our soldiers, the antiwar extremists also took a bold stand against sending food and medicine to Iraqi civilians.

Nice going, do-gooders.

Make no mistake: This continued campaign of "direct action" against private businesses and military establishments is not antiwar speech. It's anti-soldier, anti-cop, anti-American sedition. The Oakland police deserve medals of honor for appreciating the difference.

[goldstategop]

Why we don't line them up against the wall and shoot them, I'll never know. These scum don't appreciate what it means to live in this country. Its just as well they love a sadistic dictatorship more than the land of the free even while they assault the brave who protect their vile attempts to promote their anti-Americanism on our shores.

[cgk]

malkin ping

[Nachum]

Good job Oakland Police. Give them a few welts for me.

[lewislynn]

Bump for the Califonia/n hating nitwits to read.

[Burkeman1]

Why we don't line them up against the wall and shoot them, I'll never know.

No- I guess you won't ever know. Congrats- the most shameful post I have seen on Free Republic in about 5 years of membership.

[Ben Bolt]

I have no problem at all with taking care of business on the home front . Just wish I knew what I know now when my ass was overseas .

[Mr. Mojo]

I can think of few things more enjoyable right now that being an Oakland cop and unloading some bean-bag ordnance into the pierced faces of those commie bastards (and b/tches).

[thegreatbeast]

The bruises from these weapons were beautiful. I wouldn't want to be wearing any of these welts on my hide, I'll tell you. Neither would I take to kindly to catching a bolt with a body part either- the bastards.
What is curious about this is seeing Jerry Brown actually having to (justifiably, of course) back his police force against the wacked out Left! How often is that gonna happen? Cherish these moments.

[Burkeman1]

Somehow I don't think the cops wanted to pelt a bunch of losers with beanbags and plastic rockets. They were forced too from the protestors themselves who were throwing debris at them and refused to disperse. Cops are not sadists- they did as commanded and most took no joy in it.

[Ben Bolt]

If you want to frame a debate or comment at least cut & paste the responders entire comment before you scurry off in shame .

[goldstategop]

And if they started fragging those who are giving their lives to defend this country you would still say we should go soft on treason? We're not talking about a legitimate difference of opinion here. We're discussing a deliberate attempt to undermine this country's ability to defend itself from its enemies. Its one thing to say you're against the war and engage in peaceful protests, its quite another to block supplies for those destined fighting for our country. And if they succeeded it would result in the deaths of American soldiers. IMHO, when people cross a certain line we have to be severe so people don't confuse legitimate dissent with committing treason against our country.

[gcruse]

No- I guess you won't ever know. Congrats- the most shameful post I have seen on Free Republic in about 5 years of membership.

We're talking about sedition here, not just protesting.  Save your self-righteousness for the deserving.

[Mr. Mojo]

I could give a rat's ass about what the cops wanted to do. My post clearly specified that that's what I would like to do.

[goldstategop]

All of these "peaceful" types threw deadly projectiles at the cops. They were lucky they weren't shot. I can think of a different outcome for them if they had been demonstrating this way in Saddam's Iraq.

[Ben Bolt]

So you are in support of the rule of law . Nice to know considering your location Burke . Hope comes to the North East at last .

[Mr. Mojo]

Yeah, those crimminals deserved a helluva lot more punishment than they got. I must admit that when I saw that dude show us his huge welt/bruises on his back, a huge smile appeared on my face :)

[Sabertooth]

Michelle Malkin Growl!

Post here to the thread if you'd like to be on the Michelle Malkin list.

[Burkeman1]

Why we don't line them up against the wall and shoot them, I'll never know. These scum don't appreciate what it means to live in this country. Its just as well they love a sadistic dictatorship more than the land of the free even while they assault the brave who protect their vile attempts to promote their anti-Americanism on our shores.

Here is the full post hero. What is mitigating about that? So those that "hate the land of the free" should be mowed down like cattle for doing stupid protests that can be dispersed like they were- with bean bags and plastic bullets? These people are nuts- but if I saw Cops "line them up against a wall and shoot them" I would have a problem and might reconsider the legitmacy of my government. Sadaam "lines people up"- we don't. We have something called law- now scurry off.

[goldstategop]

I'm all for giving them a trial. The problem is they don't get charged with ANYTHING. They're given a couple of hours in the local jail which is like a badge of honor to them and they don't bear the consequences of their anti-American hooliganism. Who pays for their partying against America? Why, the rest of us. Its they who need to scurry off and be told the free ride is over.