Ever accidentally found yourself on youtube? I just did...

[Downtown Hound]

Great...and I'm doing something illegal too. LOL. I'm working on this video project detailing police abuse of protesters, and I came across an old video of an Iraq War protest that I took part in where we broke off from the main group and marched through the streets of San Francisco. It was a peaceful march, nothing was broken, but some people did go into the streets and we were there illegally. But I don't think illegal assembly committed over 5 years ago is going to get me into too much trouble today. LOL.

It's a weird thing discovering yourself on the intertubes.

Anyways, I can be seen from :35 to :40 seconds chanting at the police to release an arrested protester, a young woman who was crossing the street. I'm wearing a black shirt and blue jeans in front of what I think is an anarchist flag and behind a lady with grey hair. I clearly come into view at :39 seconds. And then later, some dude decided to hurl a canister of tear gas back at the cops. The cops charged, grab the dude, and almost knock me over at 1:58 but I jump out of the way, and then jump again as another cop approaches.

Ah, memories.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV1mHXqmi-o&feature=channel_page

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Downtown Hound!

Well, I have to admit that I couldn't really see you...

But still!

You are a part of history, and what you did took incredible courage...

Good for you!

BTW, I think I have to say that the cops showed quite a lot of restraint, given the circumstances...

:hi:

[Downtown Hound]

3. Aw, thanks Peggy

Yeah, we were being rather rambunctious, that was sort of the point. I don't think the cops really did anything wrong that day, the police abuse I'm profiling is something very different. And I truly believe that the cops not getting out of line is one of the reason why no windows were smashed. If the cops had started beating people or abusing them, I think things might have turned out very differently.

That was right before the war started and the first act of civil disobedience I ever committed, but not the last. I guess I just decided that the government could take me to war against my wishes, but I sure as hell didn't have to be quiet or obedient about it. That march has always been special to me to because I felt we did it clean. There were all kinds of people there from all walks of life, but we seemed to kind of come together and form this force in the streets. Just a big collective of very angry and very amazing people, all of us telling the government that people still had power even if it was only symbolic power. And no one ever broke anything or injured anybody. That's what I mean when I say we did it clean. It was civil disobedience done to perfection.

[mike_c]

2. I accidentally saw myself cited on a TED talk recently....

But the speaker-- Richard Dawkins-- spelled my name wrong. The talk wasn't about me, it was about a colleague of mine, but it showed some of my work in passing. Still kind of cool....

[Downtown Hound]

4. Always nice to get recognition

Too bad he spelled your name wrong, but what can you do?

:hi: