LAPD opens emergency center over Gaza

[bemildred]

Over the weekend, the LAPD opened its emergency operations center in the wake of Hamas rocket attacks against Israel and the Jewish state's bombing and invasion of the Gaza Strip. The center will be staffed indefinitely on a round-the-clock basis, said LAPD Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger.

The center "acts as a clearinghouse," says Paysinger, collecting information about the latest news related to the conflict and the reactions in Los Angeles, including "spontaneous protests" such as the one that took place Friday outside the Israeli Consulate on Wilshire Boulevard.

The "Level 1" activation means the department will be in a state of readiness, passing information between command staff, the area stations, city officials and other law enforcement agencies. But the increased footing means police will have an increased focus on critical sites throughout the area, as well as the possibility of clashes resulting from demonstrations.

http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2009/01/lapd_opens_emergency_cent.php

[no limit]

1. wow. really?

[bemildred]

2. LA Times has it too:

The Middle East may be a half a world away but events there -- and their impact here -- are being closely monitored by the Los Angeles Police Department.

Over the weekend, the LAPD opened its emergency operations center in the wake of Hamas rocket attacks against Israel and the Jewish state's bombing and invasion of the Gaza Strip. The center will be staffed indefinitely on a round-the-clock basis, said LAPD Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger.

The center "acts as a clearinghouse," says Paysinger, collecting information about the latest news related to the conflict and the reactions in Los Angeles, including "spontaneous protests" such as the one that took place Friday outside the Israeli Consulate on Wilshire Boulevard.

The "Level 1" activation means the department will be in a state of readiness, passing information between command staff, the area stations, city officials and other law enforcement agencies. But the increased footing means police will have an increased focus on critical sites throughout the area, as well as the possibility of clashes resulting from demonstrations.

-- Andrew Blankstein

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/01/lapd-opens-emer.html

[no limit]

4. I guess we can't have people protesting

that would go against everything this country was founded on.

[bemildred]

9. Governments in general like the people to shutup and mind their own business.

It's not something unique to LA or the USA. But you are right that that is not the way our founding documents read.

[bemildred]

3. Pro-Palestinian protests outside Feinstein's office, Federal Building

(01-05) 15:23 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- More than 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested today outside Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office and the Federal Building in San Francisco, venting anger over Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The demonstrators assembled about 8 a.m. at the intersection of Market and Montgomery streets, near Feinstein's office on Post Street, before heading up Market toward the Federal Building on Golden Gate Avenue.

Traffic was stopped at several intersections. Police on foot and on motorcycles monitored protesters but made no arrests.

One protester, Yvonne Steffen, 77, of El Cerrito said she was marching "because I think what Israel is doing is horrible. It's against humanity, and the government needs to talk with Hamas and make real peace."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/05/MNU4153SE1.DTL

[ProgressiveMuslim]

5. Did you see Scheuer's analysis? This fits right in...

Bringing the Arab-Israeli War Home


by Michael Scheuer
(snip)


And worse is yet to come. Israel's Gaza invasion has produced an unusual number of public anti-Israel demonstrations by American Muslims around the United States. The 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war produced similar events, but the current, Gaza-focused demonstrations are angrier and larger in number. How long, one wonders, will it be before Israel's military actions lead to violent clashes in America?

If this occurs, Israel and its American supporters will have the insurance policy they desire above any other, one they are desperate to obtain before Israel takes harsh action – by forced deportation or other means – against its rapidly growing and radicalizing Arab population. Once the Arab-Israeli religious war has been brought into the United States and is producing blood in America's streets, the Israel-firsters will claim the carnage proves that secular America and theocratic Israel are in the same boat and facing the same enemies. Flogging this plausible but palpable lie, AIPAC-owned American leaders will consign this country to an unending war against Islam, the same catastrophe that is Israel's lot.


http://www.antiwar.com/scheuer/?articleid=14000

[Kurska]

6. I'm just curious

Do you think violent clashes with police are going to help or hurt the public image of muslims in the united states?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

7. Unlike Israelis, not everyone does everything in life for PR value.

People are infuriated. I count myself among them, and feel on fire with the rage of this situation... the lies, the collusion, the racism, the UTTER INJUSTICE of this hideous situation...

[Kurska]

11. Israel isn't in it for the PR Value, But your objectivity is just oozing

THe injustice is that after 60 years of bloody conflict a peaceable solution can't be reached because of the extremists on both sides of the conflict.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

14. I fundamentally reject what you stated as the big lie of the Middle East Conflict.

This conflict is between the government of Israel, and the people of Palestine.

Every gov't since 1967 -- labor, likud, kadima, unity -- has engaged in violent military occupation.

Do you regard the govt's of Israel as extremist?

I posted a piece yesterday detailing the role of the US & Israel in nurturing Palestinian extremists.

I'd love your input:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x238127

Honestly, I think the goal of the gov't of Israel all along as been to ensure there is no partner for peace.

[Kurska]

17. Every government on every side of this conflict has engaged in terrible terrible violence.

What do you mean big lie? This entire situation is a self evident tangled mess that even Alexander the great and a sword could never sort out.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

18. I think it's fundamentally untrue to portray this as a conflict between extremists.

It is the elected gov't of Israel -- Ehud Barck a lefty -- that is implementing this bloodshed today, the broken bones policies of the past, etc.

It's the gov't, not the settlers, who make and implement the occupation policies.

[Kurska]

19. Hamas is just as responsible for implemting this blood shed as EhuD Barack IMHO

No, but who comands the violence isn't important, it's the people keeping both sides from peace. In my opinion thats the israelis who refuses to compromise and the Palestinians who would never except any compromise besides letting the jews flee instead of slaughtering them. The reason why these people start to look reasonable is their insanity feeds on each other and the logical people on both sides can't reason with a illogical enemy.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

20. Who are "these people?" The Israelis?

[Kurska]

21. In both cases, both of them.

The No compromise israelis look reasonable, because of the arabs who will attack no matter what. Inversely, the arabs who won't accept Israel's existence no matter what she compromises look reasonable, because the israelis don't appear serious about peace (even a blind man could see why the Palestinian man on the street would be sceptical) and won't make real compromises.

Both of them are however very insane and following paths that will always lead to more death.

It's a vicious cycle, a catch-22 that has cost thousands of lives and will continue to.

I hope by some miracle that this offensive leads to the destruction of hamas and the election of Labor. Right now the only two parties I could ever see remotely being able to reach a settlement for lasting peace are Israeli Labor And the PA, even that is the word pipedream defined.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

23. All fuled by American tax dollars. What if we just said, "Enough!" and stopped paying for it? nt

[Kurska]

25. lf Iran and syria stopped funneling arms to hamas I'd be all for that.

However right now that would just be viewed as a Iranian victory and would probably lead to them gaining a hegemony in the region, which of course creates a slew of new problems for everyone in the region and probably a war between Saudia Arabia and Iran.

[Taitertots]

15. No wonder the police are on alert

It is just a powder keg of rage here in Dearborn. I personally wouldn't feel safe if I was jewish or Israeli.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

16. Perhaps it's time for some community forums where people can talk and support each other,

so that the heightened emotions don't explode...

[Taitertots]

22. Small Israeli population

Dearborn has a very large arabic population and a very small jewish population. There is no one for them to talk to. Most of the people with firm convictions of the subject should not be jammed into one area. Recipe for disaster. I do not want to be in a room full of arabs while expressing my pro-Israel beliefs. I would fear for my life based on the reaction many arabs around here have to the situation. I would be afraid to drive around the arabic neighborhoods with an Israeli bumper sticker, someone would make an issue out of it. I wanna have a "Hamas, No Mas" bumper sticker.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

24. Well, from the sounds of your bumper sticker, you must be pleased these days.

Gaza, no mas?

[Taitertots]

34. End of Terrorism

Yes, I really like terrorist organizations being destroyed.

"Gaza, es Su Casa"

[azurnoir]

26. Yeah right I have relatives ther and you are full of it n/t

[Taitertots]

29. You know a guy who knows a guy

I've seen the reaction people have to this. Tell them to drive through the arab neighborhoods with a pro-Israel sticker. I'd fear for my safety. People are filled with rage, it is a powder keg. If there was a pro-Israel demonstration there would be riots.

Does this person live in the arabic majority regions of Dearborn, or the white majority area? There is a noticable division, east being majority arabic. The region of Dearborn where the store signs are in arabic.

[azurnoir]

30. Try cousin in Arab area n/t

[Taitertots]

32. Well I lived in the arabic area 14 years

and the not arabic for another 10. They are rabidly against Israel. Ask if him/her thinks the "Hamas, No Mas" would fly. I stopped even talking about it because it almost ended in fisticuffs too many times. With the only reason there wasn't a fight because I left.

[bemildred]

8. I remember the 60s. I think he mis-reads the situation badly.

But there are no guarantees at this point. It really all depends on Obama, and he is not talking. I would not be talking either in his shoes.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

10. I hope you're right, and if for no other reason, hope things stay under control.

I was at a demo on Saturday, and some motorist stopped and it got ugly for a moment, but the leader was able to calm the situation quickly.

[Kurska]

12. Emotions are going to get much more frayed, before everyone calm down

I really do hope everyone is prepared.

[bemildred]

13. Well, it depends on a lot of things.

How long this goes on, what attitude the authorities decide to take, but this is still early stages.

[azurnoir]

27. If I was leading a demonstration

I would be on the lookout for planted instigators the possibility for that is quite high

[bemildred]

28. Activist Unmasks Himself as Federal Informant in G.O.P. Convention Case

When the scheduled federal trial begins this month for two Texas men who were arrested during the Republican National Convention on charges of making and possessing Molotov cocktails, one of the major witnesses against them will be a community activist who acted as a government informant.

Brandon Darby, an organizer from Austin, Tex., made the news public himself, announcing in an open letter posted on Dec. 30 on Indymedia.org that he had worked as an informant, most recently at last year’s Republican convention in St. Paul.

“The simple truth is that I have chosen to work with the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” wrote Mr. Darby, who gained prominence as a member of Common Ground Relief, a group that helped victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

He added, “I strongly stand behind my choices in this matter.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/05/us/05informant.html

[azurnoir]

31. Thanks I had not seen that

but I was thinking of the GOP convention here when I wrote the post, what I noticed when going though arrest lists was that there were 2 distinct groups all came from a variety of organizations but there was this age gap most were in their early 20's but there was a much much smaller group in their mid to late 30's made me suspicious.

[bemildred]

33. Those of us who remember the 60s & 70s & J. Edgar Hoover expect this.

We all remember the guy who really thought we should all pick a fight with the cops, then would watch the police riot from a side street if some sucker took the bait.