From Raw Story: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/31/activists-aghast-at-oakland-law-criminalizing-possession-of-some-household-items-at-protests/
By Arturo Garcia
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
The Oakland City Council moved closer on Tuesday to both expand authorities’ surveillance capabilities and and authorize a ban on common household tools and paints it deemed “tools of violence and vandalism” at public demonstrations, raising concerns from local activists and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
“I appreciate that the City Council wants to make demonstrations safe,” ACLU attorney Michael Risher told KGO-TV. “But they should look at both sides of the equation and realize that there are more protesters who are injured by the police during protests than there are officers who are injured by protesters.”
The Oakland Tribune reported that the council voted 5-0 around 1:20 a.m. to approve the ban, which covers the mere possession of “impact-resistant shields, aerosol spray cans, pressurized paint sprayers, sling shots, hammers, large wrenches for opening fire hydrants, fireworks, paint projectiles or fire accelerants” at protests regardless of whether they are used or about to be used by protestors. The item will be taken for final reading on Sept. 17.
Risher told KGO that the proposal is a more narrow version of one taken up by the council in 2012, which was discarded after vocal opposition by members of Occupy Oakland. But council member Noel Gallo re-introduced it to the council following reports of violence in the city amid demonstrations against George Zimmerman’s not-guilty verdict in the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Continue reading at: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/31/activists-aghast-at-oakland-law-criminalizing-possession-of-some-household-items-at-protests/
