Scott Olsen's example for the Occupy movement

Occupy Oakland is learning the hard way: only collective action can end police brutality and the official complicity it relies on
Occupy Oakland, Scott Olsen
Occupy Oakland protesters carry Scott Olsen away after he was hit in the head on Tuesday night. Photograph: Kimihiro Hoshino/AFP/Getty Images


The incident in Oakland is just the latest attack by police around the US on the nascent Occupation movement. This movement has brought people who have never protested before into the streets with a sense of empowerment. But that sense is in danger of being blunted by police actions that punish people for exercising their first amendment rights. And while brutality toward protesters has captured most of the media attention, law enforcement agencies are quietly using arbitrary rules and local ordinances such as anti-camping laws to constrain occupations and make it impossible for them to continue.

We're also seeing evidence of old-style tactics, such as releasing false information in the media and using agent provocateurs to plant evidence and instigate incidents to justify police conduct. One agent provocateur, whom organisers at Occupy Minnesota had been watching carefully, planted a box labelled "Riot Equipment. Needs: bricks, large but throwable stones, gasoline." As soon as he set the box down, sheriff's deputies ran over and photographed it before organisers could remove it. Organisers pointed out the man to the deputies, then watched in disgust as the deputies spoke briefly with him and let him leave. The "riot box" story was top of the news that night, along with a carefully crafted timeline of incidents and a companion piece on the cost of policing the occupation.

As a movement made up primarily of new activists, many occupiers are quite surprised by the conduct of police, the endorsement of that conduct by elected officials, and the lack of meaningful disciplinary procedures for police. However, this situation is not new to communities of color, which should be in solidarity with a movement taking on economic unfairness. They may be somewhat skeptical towards the movement for having shown to date a rather naïve cosy-ness with law enforcement agencies, despite attacks.

This lack of accountability for police brutality, misconduct and abuse of authority is a national epidemic with local manifestations. Here in Minneapolis, a 2009 investigation revealed that members of the local Gang Strike Task Force had engaged in extensive misconduct, including theft of expensive electronics, at least 18 cars and thousands of dollars, wrong-address raids, brutality and false imprisonment. Their conduct has cost over $3m in judgments and settlements, with more yet to come. Yet, last year, prosecutors announced that no charges will be brought against any of the officers involved.

Perhaps even more appalling was the killing of Fong Lee, 19, by Minneapolis police officer Jason Andersen. Much of the incident was captured on film. Andersen drove across a grassy area in front of school buildings and either struck Lee's bicycle with his patrol car or caused him to crash. As Lee fled, he was shot in the back six times while running from Andersen. Andersen fired two more shots into Lee once he was already on the ground. Lee's family and attorneys have always maintained he was unarmed. To cover the shooting, Lee's family have claimed, police planted a gun on the scene – a gun that had been, according to Lee's family, in police possession until it showed up next to Lee. The police department disputed these claims. Andersen was not disciplined and a jury, which was all-white, ruled against the family's claim of excessive force in their civil suit.

The failure to hold police accountable for brutality and misconduct leads to the troubling realisation that police are acting without accountability but with the assent of elected officials. Given that police originated in this country as the patterollers – hunters of escaped slaves – the role of police brutality as a form of social control becomes clear.

Over its 11-year history, Communities United Against Police Brutality has worked hard to bring accountability to policing and has seen some successes. People working together can expose officer complaint records, force public officials to change policies and practices that enable police brutality, can videotape police conduct, and can raise public awareness.

In fact, given official complicity in police misconduct, the only way to bring it to an end is through collective action. It is my hope the Occupation movement will learn this lesson sooner rather than later.