Last night as I returned from a conservative happy hour to met up with a friend at the Americans For Prosperity Defending the American Dream Summit I stumbled into the middle of an OccupyDC demonstration. As I came to the top of the escalator at the DC Convention Center Metro station an attempt by OccupyDC to blockade an entrance to the center deteriorated into a violent scuffle. Disturbingly the occupiers had intentionally placed two small children directly in the middle of the entire ordeal.
I was able to capture a good amount of what happened on video but it did take me a minute or two to get my phone out and start filming. The video starts just after the little wagon the children were sitting in had been pushed out of the doorway. I’m sure there is video of the entire incident from the very beginning floating out there somewhere since many of the occupiers were taping the whole thing themselves. However, I did personally see all of the physical confrontation between security and the occupiers.
At the start of the scuffle the protesters had been able to get inside the convention center and set up a makeshift barrier. This barrier consisted of what appeared to be several large wood trash cans from the center, a large metal recycling bin from the center, the two small children sitting in their wagon, and several occupiers either sitting on the floor or standing up.
The security guards, which may have been assisted by police officers (I’m not sure), then began moving the trash cans and forcing back the protesters. At first only about 5 or 6 protesters resisted the security guards while the rest filmed everything but as they forcibly pushed the protesters and the children’s wagon out of the doorway other protesters became incensed. At that point several other occupiers began screaming and pushing back against the security guards.
The children were extremely upset and crying by this point.
That is where my video picks up (language warning):
Here it is from another angle. That’s me in the blue sweatshirt and jeans near the end of the video:
A few minutes after the security guards were able to push the protesters out and most of the protesters had moved on from scene several police officers arrived at the scene. Oddly, though, they were uninterested in hearing what had happened. I offered them the video I had shot but they didn’t want it and didn’t appear to be gathering any information about what went on. They appeared apathetic and merely showing a police presence.
That, in my experience, became standard operating procedure the rest of the night for the police. More on that later…
The children were, thankfully, not hurt. In fact, later in the night I saw them being used to block traffic.
UPDATE: Like I said. The kids were used to block traffic. However, I didn’t know that they had been intentionally placed directly in front of a car. As you can see in this video they clearly were:
When Obama told the Germans we needed ‘an armed, civilian national security force’ he meant it.. and now he’s got it. Tea Party people better start stockpiling ammo for the coming conflict. I would not be surprised if Obama brought in the UN to fight against his own people.
I think Obama and Soros have gotten their revolution, the media complicit as is the military who do nothing about it… it’s a war against the free people of this country, a war against capitalism, the constitution, and national sovereignty… are you prepared for what is to come?
We resented the men in black atop the parking garage with their high powered cameras, trying to take photos of the ring leaders of our 4,000 member rally in 2009… as if we were the dangerous ones. NOT one tea party member would ever SUGGEST violence and get away with it.
OWS government taken from Spanish Revolution of 1936….. Alliance for Global Justice gave OWS tax-exempt status… also provided “spokes” methodology for consensus used in direct democracy..
Glenn Beck online hosted citizens of Vernon N.J. who implemented direct democracy last year. Beck praised them… direct democracy eliminates our representative government. Direct Democracy is a goal of OWS. OWS’s 99% against the 1% dehumanizes citizens. They are using brainwashing techniques through “twinkle fingers” and “repetition of speaker’s words”. They use what they call Progressive stack for speakers…white males designated as privileged, while others are designated as marginalized.. marginalized take lead over privileged who must step to the back and think of his privliged life while the marginalized are put in front. Those who disagree with a speaker cross their arms to block what the speaker says. If their reason for the block isn’t good enough, they will be asked to leave the facilitated meeting.
The woman in the video lives with her children in McPherson Square. Not sure why you would suggest that she placed them in “harms way”. Were you threatening her and her children?
THE GUARDIANS OF THE CHILDREN USED AS A BLOCKADE SHOULD BE ARRESTED FOR CHILD ABUSE
@John Bourgeois – the children were placed, deliberately, in harms way by their mother putting them in front of a doorway protesters were trying to physically force open. The chance of unintended injury is high in a scrum of this type. It is apparent you think using the threat of injury to children as a good thing. I pity you.
pray this #OWS thing goes nowhere. Because if it does, you’re gonna get it – and I’m gonna give it to ya.
You’re a dirty, ideologue snitch. You’re a bootlicker; your tongue’s blacker than coal. You’re gonna get it man, oh you wait. I can’t wait to give it to you. I’m gonna give it to you good, you dirty, bootlicking snitch. You’ll get what’s coming to you, if the heart attack doesn’t come first, you oversized olive. It’d take me two hours to drive around that gut, you shameless face-stuffer. Ah man, you’re gonna get it and I can’t wait. #OWS is stickin it to all you dirty, fat, bottlicking snitches. Thank god we didn’t have too many of you during the revolution, we’d have never won because you’d be snitching on our plans while licking dirty, red-coat boots, you filthy, dirty, bootlicking snitch. Ah man you’re so gonna get it. I have a poster of you on my wall and every day I fantasize about how you’re gonna get it so bad, you bootlicker, you snitch, you dirty red-coat. Your masters must be very proud, you obama-plant. You closet neo-liberal. You bootlickin, snitchin, 3rd world enslavin, fascist. You’d love to have a couple slaves of your own, wouldn’t ya? You dirty snitch. You’d love to get a taste, be like massa koch or massa soros for a day, wouldn’t ya, you dirty little snitch boy. Oh, you’re gonna get it so bad, we’re comin for ya.
I’m confused. Is that a death threat or are you coming onto me?
Dude! Your nightmare’s comments may in fact be the most blatently homoerotic thing I’ve ever read and I was in the Navy.
Based on the posting i can’t tell if he absolutely hates college politico or wants to be inside of him.
Seriously. Why do you keep saying that he’s gonna “get it bad.” Get what? Your AIDS infected ball sack on his chin?
Your nightmare,
mMmMm that comment really turns me on! Can you come and give it to me too? Or can I give it to ya? Sounds like you give it good. You sound like SUCH a good giver; great, because I’m a fantastic catcher, you dirty,dirty boy. I also give it good, so whatever ya want- I gotsta get it or give it to ya.
I can’t wait to be YOUR worst nightmare you cute revolutionary slab of man meat. First, you stick it to the man, then you stick it in me- that’s how it works. Give it to me you bootlicker. You love to give it, so give it. Take me and give it to me!
Comin’ to give it to ya, ya bootlicking laptop hottie! Meat me (Get it? ‘Meat’ as in ‘Penis Meat’) at McPherson Square, tent #17- and prepare for a giving only you’ll be getting as I’m giving it to ya.
How can you have a dialogue or solidarity with a movement with such hate embedded in it?
You gained a few pounds Gutowski
Found this through the latest NPR article.
That incident’s incredibly unfortunate. Kids shouldn’t be used like chess pieces for anyone’s advantage. And it would be in the childrens’ best interest if this situation was investigated to find out what kind of parents those people really are. That said, you shouldn’t judge an entire movement on the basis of only a few random protestors’ actions.
hey…Bill O’Reilly had it on last night ….beck’s radio program talking about it…. merci for the pics reality of these people……
and yes …I did pass it on….
99% of mothers who put their children in harms way are 99% incompetent. How would that woman like it if the state suddenly acquired those children because of her gross negligence?
Wow – motherhood at it’s worst.
This is unreal for American to put up with this. Why are these people acting like they came out of the dark ages? Putting these small children in the middle of this scene is unreal. Where is the news media when stuff like this is going on. And for people to get on the internet and treaten someone where is the sainty in all this. I am the 99 and I do not support such action as this. I grew up poor with ten children so you can not tell me what it is like not to have anything. But I will never support thoses who act like this.
Is this what our country has become let’s put the blame not just on corporate but on the goverment and those who run it. And look at who is running the show, viloence never gets you anywhere you are losing your support big time.
I pray that we as a country realize how quickly our county the great US is falling apart. Because when the US as we know it fails guess what people we all go down with the ship . Rich poor and in between. Think about it.
I went to the “Occupy Phoenix” movement the first day. There was a dude rapping about “you can take your minimum wage and shove it up your rear”, and a 13 year old girl on a podium screaming about free education. Other than that, it was just a bunch of directionless people standing around holding ambiguous signs.
I was confused about the point of the protest until I talked to one sign-holder. She said that the government only listens to people with money, so the richest 1% of the US constitutes the only voice of the people that the government hears. The occupy movement is about the other 99% voicing their opinions. It doesn’t really matter what the opinions are, just so they are heard; which is why the movement is incredibly confusing and self-contradictory.
The whole point of a protest is to demand a change. The occupy movement has no such change in mind. If Obama went on live TV and said, “Ok, occupy people, you win; what do you want?” they would reply, “To be heard!”. Obama would scratch his head and say, “Ok, I’m listening…” and incomprehensible babbling and arguing would commence. They want to be heard but they have nothing to say.