TANKS versus anti-war demonstrators in LA

[Beowulf]

Better get used to this idea...
Soon the military will be used against US with lethal results.
This happened yesterday, but of course you won't hear it from our honorable Fox News, lol.
Be very afraid.

http://la.indymedia.org

 

[sablescort]

Gracious Goddess......

That shit is gonna make both Kent State and Tiananmen Square look like a lark in the park if something happens for real....

Reminds me of a centuries-old Chinese saying:

"May you live in interesting times"......

ON EDIT: I found out that it's ILLEGAL to use the military as primary law enforcement (posse comitatus)

Title 18 US Code, PART I, Chapter 67,
§ 1385, The Posse Comitatus Act
§ 1385. Use of Army and Air Force as posse comitatus

Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

That is unless the Bushit Administration uses the Constitution as their own substitute for Charmin......

 

[Taylor]

I'm unable to find any more links in regards to that story, and you would imagine that the US military turning on its own citizens would make headlines. The only thing I was able to find were some anti-war protests that took place in the same location in March, 2003. The same station (as of this moment) mentions nothing in regards to the US Military being involved. In fact, I can't find any stories regarding the protest at all. Anyhow, if I recall, several police agencies have a vehicle that is much like a tank but is more like an armored vehicle with a battering ram (Police Squad movies come to mind).

I'd be curious to see more stories about it as I'm doubtful that it is actually the US Military involved. In fact the story you posted is not from an actual news agency, but a group of independent writers. The writer of the story you posted shows the name of '.' Yes, the writers name is just a period and the link to the video doesn't work.

 

[Taylor]

Hmm...I stand corrected. Seems the police were just as surprised as the protesters. I just found this on the same site.
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2004/11/118865_comment.php#
If you read the commen, you'll see.

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Follow up on 2 USMC Striker armored vehicles at Westwood Federal Building



I wasn't there at the Tuesday night demonstration in Westwood, but I did do some follow-up investigation this morning about the two armored vehicles.

Turns out the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration was having a Veterans Day parade and celebration this morning (Wednesday). I drove over and walked in to the WLA VA to look around at 10:50am.

Lots of marching middle school ROTC "cadets" (including 11-to-14-year-old boys and girls from Mt. Vernon Middle School all in US Army uniform, some shouldering parade "rifles") and a high school band and antique cars filled with VAFW members. And two USMC Striker armored vehicles complete with 6 or 7 Marines in fatigues and body armor giving junior high ROTC kids and adults tours of the vehicles.

I talked to one Marine with one of the "Striker" vehicles. He told me they had driven the vehicles up from Camp Pendleton the night before (Tuesday) on the freeway. Getting off the 405 Freeway going north, they would have passed Wilshire and Veteran where ANSWER had called a rally to protest the attack on Fallujah in Iraq.

I asked him if he was "rolling around Westwood" Tuesday night. He said, "Yeah, and we drove past that anti-war demonstration. We was lost. We're not from L.A. We didn't know where this place (WLA VA) was. We were trying to find it."

"Did you drive around the block twice?" I asked.

"Yeah, we did. We stopped to ask them (the protestors) directions, but they weren't very nice."

There was more conversation, but that was the gist of it from the Marine side concerning the armored vehicles. For what it's worth.

I've also been receiving emails from friends who were at Tuesday evening's Westwood demostration. They report that the LAPD officers said they had no idea why the two armored vehicles had appeared and then disappeared.
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Still not sure why there wasn't a lot of media coverage on this anti-war protest. It looks like it happens every Tuesday Night (according to the protest organizers). If it happens frequently, then maybe the media gave up on it.

 

[Reba]

Hmmm, the last time tanks were actually used against Americans was during Bill Clinton's administration. Janet Reno sent tanks in against the Branch Davidians at Waco, TX.

 

[Taylor]

Hmmm, the last time tanks were actually used against Americans was during Bill Clinton's administration. Janet Reno sent tanks in against the Branch Davidians at Waco, TX.

Touche'

Again though, do you recall that they were actually US military tanks. I'm trying to remember back as to who they were...if it was military, National Guard, or local law enforcement.

I'm not sure where the National Guard fits into the whole picture. I know when we've had blizzards here, I've seen military vehicles driving around that were from our local National Guard (albeit no tanks...just Humvees)

 

[Reba]

Again though, do you recall that they were actually US military tanks. I'm trying to remember back as to who they were...if it was military, National Guard, or local law enforcement.

The FBI at Waco drove Bradley Fighting Vehicles (commonly called tanks). I don't know if the FBI actually owned the tanks or borrowed them from the Army or Guard. But FBI agents were driving them.

 

[Taylor]

Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. While I'm a little outspoken on some issues and fall into the conservative category, there are some things that are un-american and I find apalling. The US military being used against its own citizens (whether forcefully or just there to show a sign of force) is a horrid thought and shouldn't happen at all. As for the FBI and ATF, those fall into law enforcement which is the force that is legally used against US citizens. Same as the cops busting the bad guys, as long as rights are respected.
I truly hope the above story was in fact some guys lost trying to find their way to a parade.