Category Archives: true stories

Latest on Exxon Mobil Pegasus Dilbit Spill Mayflower AR

SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 2013
Bill Huston

Introduction:

1: Exxon Mobil combats the “LIES” of the radical anti-fossil fuel extremists,
who by strange coincidence, happen to agree with many industry sources.

2: Several Major Cities downstream from this site.
Drinking water for ~900,000 people may be at risk.

3: Hedge your ExxonMobil stock with Georgia Pacific

4: UPDATE: 4/8/2013 Accurate map of Pegasus Pipeline though Arkansas

Please also see my prior post on the Mayflower ExxonMobil spill.

Narrative:

1: ExxonMobil gets upset about all the “lies” being told…
exxon five lies
ExxonMobil says the radical Anti-Fossil Fuel Activists are spreading LIES!

Detail:
exxon five lies-detail-1
But even the Exxon Mobil PR person seems confused.
It’s a LIE that it’s Diluted Bitumen from Alberta Tar Sands!!!
OK, it’s from NEAR the Tar Sands region.
And it is Diluted. Well, OK it is from Tar Sands. But it is CONVENTIONAL HEAVY CRUDE!!


Wabasca Heavy Dilbit1
Crudemonitor.CA says nope: Wabasca Heavy is Dilbit. Maybe they’re radical tree-huggers.

More:
ronajit sahu

Industry consultant: Wabasca Heavy = Diluted Bitumen
Declaration of Ronajit Sahu on MN PUC Enbridge application Alberta Clipper

Maybe an Anti-fossil fuel radical?

 

Another:
pat swifford spiral software 2026-09 p10
Industry presentation: It’s Dilbit.
From “Understanding the Quality of Canadian Bitumen and Synthetic Crudes“,
by Pat Swafford, Spiral Software Limited
Crude Oil Quality Group Meeting, February 26, 2009

wabasca heavy dilbit
Known Liberal News Source Reuters (sarcasm)
Wabasca Heavy Crude = Dilbit
UPDATE 3-Exxon pipeline leaks thousands of barrels of Canadian oil in Arkansas

Maybe ExxonMobil is confused about who is lying….
jobs
Hey at least there will be JOBS!!!

See also this article from Scientific American which discusses some other issues, including the corrosivity issue discussed on the ExxonMobil blog.

2: Arkansas Watershed Information
arkansas watersheds-rivers-flow-dir
Arkansas Rivers — Flow Direction
Pink X (center) is site of spill

arkansas watersheds-2 rivers-w-metro-LR+pipeline
Arkansas Watersheds, highlight: metro Little Rock.
Pegasus Pipeline leak occured at Lake Conway

(pink X just north-west of Little Rock)

 

pegasus-pipeline-and-arkansas-river
Pegasus Pipeline, Arkansas River Watershed

 

water at risk 900,000 people
Drinking Water for ~900,000 people at Risk of Contamination

See also: “Arkansas Water System to Ask Exxon to Move Its Pipeline

3: ExxonMobil and Georgia Pacific:
an investment match made in H—- ???

paper towel cleanup
Check if your Mutual Fund includes BOTH Exxon-Mobile and Georgia-Pacific
— makers of Brawny Towels!
made from GENUINE FRESH PULPED FORESTS and cured with CLEAN BURNING NATURAL GAS (from Dimock PA).
G-P makes a good hedge on your ExxonMobil stock.
Part of Koch Industries, Inc., makers of the Tea Party Patriots and ALEC

pegasus pipeline accurate w counties-arkansas-detail
Here it is– the ONLY accurate map of the Pegasus Pipeline
through Arkansas on the Internet.
Painstakingly assembled from the NPMS Public Viewer.
Please resuse any of my content under CC-BY-NC (with attribution).
Commercial License is Available: Please contact me

Posted by Bill Huston at 6:07 PM

republished with permission

Arkansas Residents Evacuate as Exxon-Mobil Tar Sands Pipeline Ruptures

By David Ferguson
Saturday, March 30, 2013 12:38 EDT

An Exxon-Mobil oil pipeline ruptured Friday afternoon in the town of Mayflower, Arkansas, forcing the evacuation of 20 homes and shutting down sections of interstate highway. According to Little Rock’s KATV, a hazardous materials team from the Office of Emergency Management has contained the spill and is currently attempting a cleanup.

backyard oil

The burst pipe is part of the Pegasus pipeline network, which connects tar sands along the Gulf coast to refineries in Houston. Thousands of gallons of crude oil erupted from the breach around 3:00 p.m. on Friday, spilling through a housing subdivision and into the town’s storm drainage system, fouling drainage ditches and shutting down Highway 365 and Interstate 40.

Residents were evacuated to avoid health hazards from crude oil fumes and to keep stray sparks from igniting the standing oil. Emergency workers contained the spill by hastily constructing earthen dams.

Exxon-Mobil reportedly has a crew investigating the accident. The company released a statement Friday that read, in part, “We are working with emergency responders and local authorities to respond to the incident and are establishing an information line for community support. We regret that this incident has occurred and we apologize for any disruption or inconvenience this has caused.”

The Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission told Channel 7 News that, as an interstate pipeline, Pegasus has no local control, oversight or inspection. Only federal officials from the Pipeline and Hazard Material Safety Administration are authorized to inspect and maintain the pipeline.

Watch video about this story, embedded below via KATV:

>

(hat-tip to Crooks and Liars)

story copied from the raw story

Another Close Call

On 27 March 2013, I once again, for the manyeth time, entered the Alameda County Wiley Manuel Courthouse by nine o’clock in the morning and through ‘take off your belt’ security, to wait, then wait some more, for the district attorney to deliver lies to the court about the ongoing cases against me.  While waiting, with only a few people present and court still not in session, ie no judge present by ten o’clock, I made the mistake of using my phone inside the court room.  When the sheriff bailiff reminded me that was not allowed, I immediately stood up to exit the room, apologizing and explaining that I was confused.  I had thought the rule wasn’t enforced before court was in session and said as much.

As I was walking toward the door, the bailiff, possibly by the name of officer Dawkins of the Alameda County Sheriff Department, loudly verbally assaulted me.  He was practically yelling that I should have known, saying something about the signs in the room, ‘couldn’t you read the notice?’  Given that I had already apologized and was leaving the room, the delivery of this ‘information’ seemed to have only one purpose : to harass and embarrass me.  Almost out the door, I turned back to him and said, ‘you don’t HAVE to be a jerk,’ and exited the room.

There were maybe thirty prospective jurors sitting on the long benches in the long hall, waiting to be brought into the adjoining court room. It was quiet, until I turned around to realize that Officer Dawkins had followed me out. He was telling me he was not going to allow me to return to the court room.

I, of course, informed him I would, indeed, be coming back in, as he did not have the authority to prevent me from following a court order to appear. His response, with about thirty jurors sitting right there as witness was to attempt to put me out of the building!

Officer Dawkins told me to go, I said no, he grabbed my arm, I informed him of the danger he was putting himself in, as he was violating my rights by putting his hands on me. Of course I told him to get his hands off me, and that I was not about to go anywhere private with him. I said that I would be staying right there with those thirty witnesses thank you very much.

The officer was in my face for too many minutes, refusing to step away from me. Then he began threatening to arrest me!

I know I keep saying ‘of course,’ but of course I asked … for WHAT?

Eventually he responded with ‘148’ to which I scoffed. This section of the California Penal Code refers to activity which prevents an officer from doing her job. Of course I had done no such thing. The fun was the fact that he was surprised I knew the code.

Officer Dawkins retreated, then came back out with the docket, asking me my name.

I reduced him to rubble by refusing to give him my name. I tried to let him down gently by taking the time to inform him that, unless he had actual suspicion of me having actually committed an actual crime, he had no right to ask me any questions at all, and that I certainly wasn’t required to answer. In a state of confusion, he retreated to his den.

Given that he had to back off, this incident was, in hindsight, comical … but I had, once again, been terrorized by a police officer overstepping the boundaries of constitutional policing.

Fred Hampton Jr. Harassed & Detained by OPD

On Monday, January 21, 2013, at approximately 4:30 p.m.,Chairman Fred Hampton Jr., son of slain deputy chairman Fred Hampton Sr. of the Illinois Black Panther Party, as well as three additional passengers, fell victim to the abuse and harassment many Black and Brown Oaklanders experience on a regular basis.

After leaving the Berkeley marina, the group noticed a police car following them in route to the Emeryville Target shopping store. As they pulled into the packed parking lot, they were immediately surrounded by seven police cars from Oakland and Emeryville. Officers, with guns drawn, proceeded to give the following conflicting orders to the driver: “Don’t move, put your hands up, roll the windows down, open at the door and turn off the car.”

The passengers, were aggressively told by the police to not look backward; not to look directly at them, but step out of the car with hands in the air. The passengers exited at gunpoint, one by one. Two women were placed in separate police vehicles, while Hampton and the other male passenger were told to remain standing outside in handcuffs.

A female passenger and mother of three small children was handled so roughly by officers that she had to be taken to Alta Bates Summit Medical Center (after being detained by police for over 3 hours) for treatment of a severely twisted arm recently diagnosed by emergency room physicians as a torn ACL. “There were so many police and police cars; they wouldn’t even let the shoppers leaving the store get in their cars.” Hampton stated.

Officer Kittrell M. Carter, badge #758, serial #8702, asked Hampton, “You got your I.D.? A handcuffed Hampton informed the officer that his I.D. was in his back pocket. As the policeman reached for the wallet he asked Hampton, “Are you still in Chicago at same address? The Chairman was stunned by the officer’s pre-existing knowledge of his identity and residence before the actual identification was viewed.

When asked what was going on, the group was told by an officer that they were responding to a report of a stolen cell phone, though none of the detainee’s several ringing cell phones were confiscated by police on the scene. It’s like going to the scene of a child endangerment and NOT checking on the child.

After being held in handcuffs in the Target parking lot for over three hours, a separate police car arrived and each detainee, except Hampton, was ordered in front of the vehicle’s floodlight. Sergeant J. Thompson, badge #8238 then told officers to uncuff the four people and the police began to leave. When Hampton and others demanded an explanation for the fiasco as well as the names of officers and complaint forms, he was told that a robbery had occurred and a cell phone that was stolen was tracked to the Target parking lot. An unknown victim who supposedly arrived in the latest police vehicle said that none of the detainee’s were involved in alleged incident.

All of this follows a recent appearance by Hampton at the City of Oakland public safety committee meeting last Tuesday, January 15th where Hampton spoke in opposition to the hiring of “supercop” William Bratton, who is known for his authorization of unconstitutional policing, the kind of which the Hampton family is painfully all too familiar.

Hampton’s impassioned speech was punctuated by applause when at the end of his 2 minute open forum comment, he claimed to have received ceded time from Oscar Grant and Alan Blueford who Hampton stated, “are not able to be here to speak for themselves”. This fraudulent and random stop by local law enforcement is also only one day before the full city council meeting when Bratton’s contract is slated to be voted on by city officials.

This harassment of Fred Hampton Jr. is, in essence, an attack on the work being done to stop the Bratton contract. The name recognition of Fred Hampton brings significant attention to the issue of unlawful, demeaning policing on communities of color.

It is imperative that we reach out to neighbors, co-workers, comrades, and everyone who will listen to remind them that an injustice to one is an injustice to all; we must work to ensure all rights are protected.

Please sign the online petition to end racial profiling

If you can, attend the City Council Meeting today, January 22nd at 6:00 pm. Come very early to get a seat, fill out speaker cards, and let Council know that intimidation tactics and apartheid-like policing will not be tolerated in Oakland!

In solidarity,

Carroll Fife
Oakland Equity Project

All of the speakers in the video from city hall special meeting of public safety committee on Tuesday 15 January 2013, are worth hearing. Fred Hampton Jr. speaks at 2:48:40. fred-jr

an error has removed video
photographs by wiseoldsnail

Israel Was Created on the Ruins of Palestine

The title of this article is a direct quote from Miko Peled, author of “The General’s Son” and a peace activist. His father ‘was a war hero turned peacemaker.’

Explanation by Miko Peled regarding the creation of the State of Israel at the expense of Palestinian Arabs in the region refers to many myths perpetrated by Zionist Jews of Israel and the United States. He shines a light on the world’s unwillingness to accept Palestinian claims, though those claims are supported by historians. Peled describes the rich life of Palestinians, but explains they had no militia to stand up to military attack and invasion. When describing Israel’s invasion and occupation of Gaza and other longstanding Arab regions, and the fact of the involuntary departure of so many Palestinian Arabs from those regions of Palestine, which the new Jewish State chose to usurp, Peled includes this statement :

ethnic-cleansing

‘…it had been an unprovoked, systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing by the Jewish militia involving massacres, terrorism, and the wholesale looting of an entire nation.’

After the pre-emptive strikes by the Israeli army had wrought destruction to Egypt (15,000 Arab casualties, while only 600 Israeli casualties, with Israel having nearly tripled it’s territory … all in six days), the generals of Israel were looking to use their enormous stockpiles of Russian made arms to further their expansion. Reading from his book, Miko Peled quotes his father’s statements made after this June, 1967 attack and crushing defeat against Egypt. General Matti Peled spoke against continued aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza :

‘At the first weekly meeting of the General Staff after the Six Day War … when the meeting was nearing its end, my father raised his hand. He was called on, and he spoke of the unique chance the victory offered – to solve the Palestinian problem once and for all… they had a chance to offer them (Palestinians) a state of their own in the West Bank and Gaza. He claimed with certainty that holding onto the West Bank and the people who lived in it was contrary to Israel’s long-term strategy. Popular resistance to the occupation was sure to arise, and Israel’s army would be used to quell that resistance, with disastrous and demoralizing results. It would turn the Jewish state into an increasingly brutal occupying power and eventually into a bi-national state.’

Peled connects the dots of the Zionist takeover with current circumstances :

‘And this is precisely the reality in which we live today, nearly four and a half decades after that… Can we really expect that five million Palestinians will keep living under a regime that is democratic for Jews, but is brutally oppressive towards Palestinians? With about six million Jews and about five or five and a half million Palestinians living under the same rules, the same government, but with different laws… My father, who was a military expert, spent the remainder of his life, after he retired, from the military, fighting for justice for the Palestinian cause… … My father’s predictions have all come true.’

Miko Peled goes on to describe the Israeli attacks on Gaza during Jewish religious celebrations in 2008. He explains that, while Israeli had warned Palestinians of impending attacks by flying over Gaza dropping thousands of leaflets, the people had no chance of surviving these attacks :

‘I can only imagine the mother, seeing these warnings, knowing that this horror was impending but also knowing that there’s nowhere to go. There’s nowhere to run, there’s nowhere to hide, there’s nowhere to save her children from the bombs, and from the fire, from the smoke and from the chemicals, and from the phosphorus that consumes the flesh and won’t be extinguished, because Gaza is locked down. Gaza is under siege, a siege that was imposed by Israel, on the people of Gaza. So, for these young Israeli pilots … this was really nothing but shooting fish in a barrel, as they began the merciless onslaught that began at exactly 11:25 in the morning’ on 27 December 2008. And that date … will be forever etched in our memories as the darkest, and most shameful day in the long history of the Jewish people.’

Now a new date, 14 November 2012, and the days since, are vying for this title of the most shameful days in the history of the Jewish people.

While Peled doesn’t deny the truth of rockets being fired into southern Israel from Gaza, his comparisons come from personal experience and are stark. Hamas rockets create a ground crater about the size of a large soccer ball, and come usually in response to Israeli military actions against Palestinians near the border at Gaza. Children present may be scratched up from broken glass and may be in shock. The one-ton bombs dropped on civilians in Gaza can level a city block.

‘Children aren’t scratched, and they’re not in shock by that … they’re decimated. They are burned. They choke from the fumes and they are buried in the rubble.’

Later on, after telling the story of meeting with Palestinians in San Diego, California after the death, by Palestinian suicide bomber, of his niece, Peled returned home, wondering how to continue on. He makes this statement about meeting with the Palestinians :

‘It was comforting to know that we’re all very similar, and it was liberating to know that we don’t have to be enemies. But it was heart wrenchingly difficult to realize … that I did not have full possession of the truth. And that is what I think Israeli supporters, mostly Jews .. that’s where I think most of them are. And I think it’s time for Israeli Jews and American Jews to join what was very eloquently described by Clovis Maksoud as ‘the constituency of conscience.’

In a comparison many are making today, Peled recalls South Africa and The South of the United States :

‘…Y’know, one can only imagine what white South Africans went through when they saw that apartheid was coming to an end.
Clearly they wanted to hold on to their way of life, corrupt as it may’ve been. The whites in the southern states were probably trying to hold on as much as they could when they saw the end of legalized segregation and discrimination and racism come to an end in this country. … Zionists in Israel are now doing the same : trying to hold on. We see brutal tyrants everywhere these days doing the same thing : holding on, even as they fall one by one.’

He calls Zionist Israel a ‘racist regime’ and warns that we are nearing the end :

‘The Zionist dream of an ethnically homogenous state was shattered by the zionists themselves with their insatiable hunger for land. In their own hands, they created a bi-national state where almost half of the population are not Jewish or Israeli, but are Palestinian Arabs.

He goes on to predict victory by the non-violent struggle for freedom by the Palestinian people.

‘It seems surprising that Israeli soldiers, young men and women who are raised in what is seemingly a democratic society, are willing to enforce this brutal occupation… they do it very willingly, and they do it very brutally… the Zionist education system taught these young men and women that Palestinian life is worthless… For those people who do want to associate themselves with Israel and with Zionism, and drape themselves in the Zionist flag, the flag that has come to symbolize intolerance, hate, racism and brutality, they can feel free to do so. But they need to know this : that when the trials begin, and the tribunals take their place … ‘

He continues warning that the people now choosing to support the brutal Israeli Zionist agenda will, in the end, be forced to ask forgiveness, while those supporting freedom for Palestinian Arabs in Gaza and a truly democratic Israel will carry on. Peled finishes his comments :

‘The rest of us will move on and, along with the rest of the Middle East, we will follow the example of the people of Egypt to create something that will surely be a tremendous accomplishment : a democratic secular state in our shared homeland : a state where Muslims, Christians and Jews live as equals, and educate their children to love their diverse homeland with its multitude of cultures, it’s rich history, and it’s promising future.’

≈≈≈

From the description of the video :::

Uploaded by AlternateFocus on May 21, 2011
Miko Peled is a peace activist who dares to say in public what others still choose to deny. Born in Jerusalem in 1961 into a well known Zionist family, his grandfather, Dr. Avraham Katsnelson was a Zionist leader and signer of the Israeli Declaration of Independence. His Father, Matti Peled, was a young officer in the war of 1948 and a general in the war of 1967 when Israel conquered the West Bank, Gaza, Golan Heights and Sinai.
Miko’s unlikely opinions reflect his father’s legacy. General Peled was a war hero turned peacemaker.
Miko grew up in Jerusalem, a multi-ethnic city, but had to leave Israel before he made his first Palestinian friend, the result of his participation in a dialogue group in California. He was 39.
On September 4, 1997 the beloved Smadar, 13, the daughter of Miko’s sister Nurit and her husband Rami Elhanan was killed in a suicide attack.
Peled insists that Israel/Palestine is one state—the separation wall notwithstanding, massive investment in infrastructure, towns and highways that bisect and connect settlements on the West Bank, have destroyed the possibility for a viable Palestinian state. The result, Peled says is that Israelis and Palestinians are governed by the same government but live under different sets of laws.
At the heart of Peled’s conclusion lies the realization that Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace as equals in their shared homeland.

≈≈≈

While Israel finishes a fifth day of relentless bombings of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, all financed and supported by the United States government, many Americans continue to believe the propaganda coming out of Washington and Israel. This article will eventually be followed up with more information explaining the historical relationships among the Palestinian Arabs of Gaza and the Jews of Israel and America, and the relationship of Israel to the rest of the world, since the inception of the imperialist State of Israel. History shows the undeniable connection of the imperialist United States of America to the creation and ongoing military support of the state of Israel. The truth of the differences of opinion regarding Israeli official aggression against Palestinians, especially in Gaza, will be shown. Generally, as with the people of the United States in relation to U.S. military imperialist conquests, many Jewish people of Israel and the United States do not support these aggressive, murderous attacks on Gaza by the State of Israel.

screenshot by wiseoldsnail

Harry Fear Reporting from Central Gaza City in Palestine : Pillar of Cloud

Since 14 November 2012, after decades of struggle including routine intermittent attacks against individuals, Israel, using funds provided by the United States of America, has begun an all-out war against the civilian Palestinian population of Gaza. These attacks are being excused by much of the world as retaliation for attacks on Israel. History shows us that any attacks by Hamas or anyone in Gaza or Palestine against Israel were defensive maneuvers and were in response to ongoing destructive and murderous attacks by Israeli soldiers against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

We are receiving reports directly from Gaza about many civilian casualties. Over three hundred people have been injured. Updates are being reported via every social media tool, including twitter.

≈≈≈

UPDATE Sunday 18 November 08:47 U.S. Pacific time :

Late yesterday afternoon (nighttime in Gaza), we listened to many explosions over the microphone Harry Fear left on as he slept. Drones circled nearby continuously for hours. Some of the explosions were heard as we listened to Gazans singing in prayer.

Many Palestinian children in Gaza have been killed by Israeli bombs in the past five days. The total death toll at this point is 69, 24 of whom were children. It has consistently been reported as 80% of the dead are civilians.

The resistance group al Qassam has downed an Israeli helicopter in the last hour, and resistance forces are firing on Israeli warships, which have been firing indiscriminately on the people of Gaza. Explosions have now been heard in Tel Aviv, reinforcing the reports that resistance fighters are firing back at Israel.

A nearly full term fetus was killed inside the womb of a Palestinian woman by shrapnel from an Israeli bomb.

Meanwhile, anonymous is on the job and Israel is targeting journalists.

≈≈≈

UPDATE Sunday 18 November 11:27 U.S. Pacific time :

In Gaza, at the hands of Israel in the past five days : 71 people have been killed, 25 of whom were children. More than 600 people have been injured 250 of whom are children.

≈≈≈

UPDATE Monday 19 November 15:13 U.S. Pacific time :

The death toll in Gaza is now 108, including journalists who were intentionally targeted.

this video is part of today’s update, a reading of the names of the dead :

≈≈≈

UPDATE for the sake of this graphic :::

This tally illustrates the situation in Gaza from Wednesday evening to 19/11/2012 18:00 GMT.

This tally illustrates the situation in Gaza from Wednesday evening to 19/11/2012 18:00 GMT.


This tally illustrates the situation in Gaza from Wednesday evening to 19/11/2012 18:00 GMT.

≈≈≈

UPDATE 21 November 2012 5:22pm in Gaza :::

tweet one hour ago via Harry Fear ‏@harryfear :
Recent update from Gazan Ministry of Health: 147+ killed (11+ today); 2000+ injured #GazaUnderAttack

≈≈≈

UPDATE 21 November 2012 9:44pm in Gaza :::

Word just in of a ceasefire, which seems to have occurred and been reported just afternoon EST by Reuters via Huffington Post :::

Irael-Gaza Truce Deal Agreed To, Israel Will Not Lift Gaza Blockade
Reuters | Posted: 11/21/2012 12:25 pm EST Updated: 11/21/2012 2:05 pm EST

Unfortunately, there is not yet an agreement to tear down the fence and stop the blockade : ‘Israeli sources said Israel had agreed to a truce, but would not lift its blockade of the Palestinian territory.’

Also unfortunately, Reuters is not shy about repeatedly blaming Hamas for firing rockets, while paying no attention to the apartheid being foisted on the region by Israel. The firing of rockets into Israel by Hamas would likely be eliminated by a dismantling of the apartheid system.

≈≈≈

Harry Fear, a reporter and documentary producer, has been keeping the world up to date in a minute by minute narrative of realtime attacks in Gaza.

This photo shows the beauty of the region from which Harry Fear is continuing to provide updates of the situation in the Gaza Strip.

beach-central-gaza-city-harryfear

‎”The incursion and bombardment of Gaza is not about destroying Hamas. It is not about stopping rocket fire into Israel, it is not about achieving peace. The Israeli decision to rain death and destruction on Gaza, to use lethal weapons of the modern battlefield on a largely defenseless civilian population, is the final phase in a decades-long campaign to ethnically-cleanse Palestinians.Israel uses sophisticated attack jets and naval vessels to bomb densely-crowded refugee camps, schools, apartment blocks, mosques, and slums to attack a population that has no air force, no air defense, no navy, no heavy weapons, no artillery units, no mechanized armor, no command in control, no army… and calls it a war. It is not a war, it is murder. When Israelis in the occupied territories now claim that they have to defend themselves, they are defending themselves in the sense that any military occupier has to defend itself against the population they are crushing. You can’t defend yourself when you’re militarily occupying someone else’s land. That’s not defense. Call it what you like, it’s not defense.” Noam Chomsky

gaza1

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a child sleeps in the arms of a drawing of mother, who has been killed

a child sleeps in the arms of a drawing of mother, who has been killed

gaza9

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Egyptians gather near Rafah in support of Palestinians in Gaza

Egyptians gather near Rafah in support of Palestinians in Gaza

war crimes by Israel end in death to many children in Gaza

war crimes by Israel end in death to many children in Gaza

these are not terrorists

these are not terrorists

more photos documenting the true history of Israeli attacks against Palestinians in Gaza

this report will be updated

screenshots (from various online video reports) by wiseoldsnail

Vallejo Police Officer who Murdered Mario Romero Identified

photo of dustin joseph at his gym : solano crossfit . found by demotropolis

 

Vallejo Police Officer who Murdered Mario Romero has been Identified by Vallejo Copwatch

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Vallejo Police Officer who murdered Mario Romero has been identified

2012-09-30 “OFFICER INVOLVED IN RECENT POLICE FATALITYIDENTIFIED” press release from “Justice for Mario Romero and JosephJohnson Movement”:Vallejo, CA –

Officer involved in Romero death had a long history of unlawful and abusive behavior.

On September 2, 2012, Mario Romero was approached and gunned down while

sitting in his parked car in front of his home by a Vallejo Police Officer, identified by multiple witnesses as Officer Dustin B. Joseph (age 32).  Public and Court Records indicate a series of multiple complaints that detail a history of unlawful abusive and questionable, to say the least, behavior of Officer Dustin Joseph.  Reports detail claims that Vallejo Officer Dustin Joseph and another officer, physically assaulted Anthony Trapps in Kaiser Hospital Vallejo. Trapps said he was angry that his son had been Tased multiple times during an alleged break up of a fight at Vallejo High School. Mr. Trapps felt Officer Joseph used excessive force with a disregard for the life of his minor son, in light of a recent Taser Related Death involving Vallejo Police Department.  Trapps admitted to cursing at the officer out of frustration when Officer Joseph refused him access to his son, preventing Mr. Trapps ability to ensure the wellbeing of his hospitalized son.  Trapps had no idea what would follow … when he turned around to exit the hospital, Trapps was attacked from behind, beaten, and then arrested.

Another report states Officer Dustin Joseph deployed his pepper spray recklessly on a group of students, as well as other adults with their small children, while eating at a Jack in the Box restaurant. Officer Dustin Joseph unloaded the entire contents of his canister, an action most people believe is reserved for extreme  situations. The report describes the Restaurant having to be evacuated.  Vallejo Fire Department 911 Emergency Services were summoned for immediate use of their industrial blowers to restore safety and financial productivity .

In another report, Officer Dustin Joseph is accused of an unlawful search and arrest of a Female Minor, where a subsequent or secondary search interestingly produced 13 Ecstasy Pills. Officer Dustin Joseph claimed the minor “told” him she planned to sell the drugs.  In another similar report, a complaint of inappropriate physical contact filed at Vallejo High School on behalf of a female minor attending Vallejo High school in the 2008-2009 school year claims Officer Dustin Joseph (a male Officer) performed a physical body search on the female minor. The minor stated she asked Officer Joseph not to touch her. The minor said that the Officer immediately grabbed her arm twisted the arm turning her around placed her in handcuffs that cut into her skin, then moved his hands all over her body smiling and laughing. He then placed her in his patrol car. The minor was not charged with any crime, she dropped out of High School fearful of Officer Dustin Joseph.  She stated “He is a Bully and uses his big Size and job to violate us”.

The Murder of Mario Romero, a man sitting in his car in front of his home, unknown to the officers at the time of the shooting, suspected of nothing except being an American exercising his right to just exist, minding his own business, murdered by this non-upstanding Police Officer “on Steroids”… the once 300 pound menace lost a hundred pounds and decided to practice his new agility by spraying Mario full of bullets! Then, like a homicidal Rambo, he jumped on the hood of the car and emptied the next clip like the first into Mario Romero’s windshield at close range. Officer Dustin Joseph could not see him, the officer never used the loudspeaker nor did he identify himself. He ran up to the vehicle like a common thug,

Murder under Color of the Law.

Officer Joseph did not want the neighborhood to witness his ongoing premeditated abuse of power. His name was not released early for good reason … He has a lot to hide!

Murder, Excessive Force, brandishing firearms on people is not a new behavior for this officer, “He was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode”.

# # # #

We ask that anyone who has had an encounter with this monster to to please leave details in comment area. Thank you.

Comments:

L.B.:

Thats the same ass hole that slammed a girl on her neck 2009 at bethal

what are they waiting for they clearly have proof action must be tookn

into consideration this is straight bull shit… they sure did shit when

that officer capoot was gun down this has everything to do with race!

D.K.:

i used to get harassed daily by him at vallejo high. we called him

officer d joseph. i believe he was the one that tasered this girl when i

went there n 2007. she started havin seizures and had to go to the

hospital. it was horrible. that man loved pickin on people that wasnt

white or if u looked like u was affiliated. he tried to say i was a gang

member for wearing red. but guess what. it was Friday which was spirit

day. vhs colors. red. i got kicked out of school on the last day. i

wasnt able to go to my graduation cuz it said i was a danger to the

school and myself. omg. my mom was so mad. and they had to let me come

back. i had to do a half semester cuz i failed my last two finals for

not bein there. thank u officer fuck head. he tased hella people. i

wanna say atleaat three cuz kids kept going to the hospital. thats what

really opened my eyes to how vpd brutalizes people. he had a partner too

his name officer huff. two big white assholes.

C.M.:

Yes, D.K. this is true. I was passing through VALLEJO high when this

took place. My god son who now R.I.P Kevin Morgan was also taken from

school while attending Bethel in 2003- ? And taken to Richmond by

officer huff n his police car. For what aparent reason it is still

unclear to me.

B.B.: I went through the same thing the

young lady did at Vallejo high he used alot/too much force wen arresting

me caused me to bleed cause the cuffs were too tight, tried to brake my

arm wen putting it behind my back, searched me knowing a female officer

was suppose to made me sit in the car wit a big ass puff coat on

windows rolled up w the heater on & the list could go on . Everybody

has a damn story bout this man.. I was arrested by both D joseph &

Huff.

L.H.: man i know that dirty ass cop cus i went to

da high he dipped the fuck outtda me put his knee all up n a bitch neck

fuk him i hope they see what type of dirty ass cop he realy is so he can

b stripped of his rights as a cop n thrown n jail forever!

L.A.:

Im not sure if this is the same officer but about a year ago me and two

african american men were at the park on fair grounds minding our

business which is legal & two vallejo police men drove threw the

grass coming from fairgrounds dr going toward whitney the side of the

park we were on they got out drew there guns & demanded all three of

us to get face down on the ground mind u im 17 at the time the only

female & we are all guilty of no crime … they run our names &

pat us down while face down in the dirt If im remembering correctly male

officers are not to touch females so I remind them that I am a minor

one of the officers kneels down & whispers to me “i dont give a fuck

what you are” they handcuff one of the young men I was with but made no

arrest after they realized they had nithing they let us go about our

business …. This is harrasment & I agree that something needs to

be done about the VPD they should not be getting away with this bullshit

any longer

L.M.: I wasn’t assaulted by d Joseph N

officer huff while i attended Jesse bethel high school, I was harassed

an treated daily an one day iwas caught by these same officers off

campus and was beaten an arrested on false charges that where later

droped. I remember Joseph laughing an sayin I told yu I’d catch yu

My name I wish to withhold…

I am the uncle of the person whose Facebook this belongs to [www.facebook.com/JusticeForMarioRomero].

I lived in Vallejo but moved out because of police encounters…I too

encountered officer D. Joseph…me and the mother of my child in south

Vallejo at the motel 6 where I was brutally beaten and my pocket knife I

held in my right front pocket was pulled from my pocket and placed to

my throat by officer Joseph with him threatening to cut my throat and

using racial slurs…he and his partner whose name I can’t remember

pulled my dreadlocks and continued to kick me repeatedly in my face

because I was not wanted on the property of motel 6 by the owner…I

didn’t have a stay away…nor did I possess any drugs or weapons except

for a four inch pocket knife…he told me not to show my face in south

Vallejo any more…I obeyed…I attempted to make a police report only

to have my report discarded…I never persisted after that…I just left

Vallejo…

A.L.: D. Joseph had a Long history of

threatning My brothers life(rest in peace) hed told him repeatedly ” im

going to get you. Ur Granny wont always be able to save you”. Hes partly

responsible for my brothers reputation being tarnished & him being

killed.

S.W.: Well shit since ur talking about it dont

forget the 6 yr old child that was having a temper tantrum over crayons

that he snatched out of the moms car put him in the back of his patrol

car against his mothers will only for this child to have a panic attack,

then placed him on a 51/50 hold take him to the hospital have the

doctor give him a tranquilizer and ship him off to St. Helena mental at

6yrs old. Vallejo filed bankruptcy after the family filed a lawsuit. Oh

and dont forget the civil rights violation lawsuit filed on 2/29/12,

this lunatic is out of control

from Vallejo Copwatch

Connecting the Dots of Police Brutality : Derrick Williams

.

Derek Williams begs the police to open the windows to the squad car, and pleads that he cannot breathe…the watch him die in the backseat as he fights for his life.. Derek told the police officer that he could not breath and the officer says that he is lying. In the video, you see him grasping for air. After a while, Derek is shown taking his last breath. The police officer then proceeds to get in the back and check on him, but he is dead. Please help Derek Williams’s family get justice served! – Tynetta

from worldstarhiphop

two of these officers are under investigation

Gina Barton of the Journal Sentinel published some important facts about this case.

disruptive excellence

this video is all there is to this story : it’s all you’ll need

Medea Benjamin of Code Pink disrupted this charade to call attention to the murders of innocent people with drone warfare.

00:00:00 MORE BROADLY, AL QAEDA’S KILLING OF INNOCENTS, MOSTLY MEN, WOM — MOSTLY MUSLIM MEN, AND CHILDREN HAS — TARNISHED ITS IMAGE AROUND WORLD ARE YOU WILLING TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST — WHAT ABOUT THE HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE WE ARE KILLING WITH DRONES IN PAKISTAN AND YEMEN AND SOMALIA?
00:00:29 I SPEAK OUT ON BEHALF OF THOSE INNOCENT VICTIMS.
00:00:32 THEY DESERVE AN APOLOGY FROM YOU, MR. BRENNAN.
00:00:33 MA’AM — HOW MANY ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE?
00:00:38 AMERICAN PEOPLE — WHY ARE YOU LYING TO THE EXPRESSING YOUR VIEWS.
00:00:45 THANK YOU, MA’AM, FOR THERE WILL BE TIME FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AFTER THE PRESENTATION.
00:00:53 IN PAKISTAN, WHO WAS KILLED BECAUSE WE WANTED TO DOCUMENT THE DRONE STRIKES.
00:00:57 I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ABDUL AWLAKI, WHO WAS KILLED IN DAMAGES BECAUSE HIS FATHER WAS SOMEONE WE DON’T LIKE.
00:01:04 — IN YEMEN BECAUSE HIS FATHER WAS SOMEONE WOULD ALL LIKE TO I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE CONSTITUTION, THE RULE OF LAW.
00:01:05 <strong>I LOVE THE RULE OF LAW SHAME ON YOU!</strong>

<a href=”http://hellaoccupyoakland.org/disruptive-excellence/disruptive-excellence-2/” rel=”attachment wp-att-21767″><img src=”http://hellaoccupyoakland.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/disruptive-excellence.png” alt=”” title=”disruptive excellence” width=”1440″ height=”900″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-21767″ /></a>

Bringing the Ruckus in the Fight for Justice for Alan Blueford

Grief takes many forms. When young Alan Blueford was murdered by Miguel Masso in May 2012, his family, stunned by their loss, tried valiantly to follow protocol, politely asking for answers from what they would learn the hard way is one of, if not the most corrupt and violent police organizations in the country. Initial rallies, marches, and protests in reaction to this killing were tamed by pleas from the family to respect the prescribed process. Unfortunately the family learned the hard way, but in record time, about the corruption at city hall and especially within the Oakland Police organization. By now their grief is manifest in fury, and they have joined the ranks of many who have known for decades that we are governed by a process which, by definition, allows for and even actively supports the dissemination of lies and misinformation to protect police from being held accountable for their actions. While we struggle for justice, push and yell for answers, Miguel Masso is on paid vacation for having murdered Alan Blueford. They’re calling it ‘medical leave,’ as he shot himself in the foot during the shooting of young Alan.
masso-wanted-231x300

Blueford family members are suspicious that Officer Masso shot Alan in anger over having accidentally shot himself. Others are suspicious that Masso, in fact, shot himself after shooting Alan Blueford, in order to create a scenario that would excuse the murder he had just committed.

Last night at city hall, the house was packed with people come together once again to demand the truth, and demand the city hold OPD responsible for not only the heinous crime of murder, but the additional infuriating crime of lying to the public, and lying directly to Alan’s family. In the first hours after young Alan, a high school student about to graduate, was shot by Masso, the machine went into overdrive, directly informing the corporate press that Alan had shot Masso. They also claimed Alan Blueford had been brought to Highland Hospital for treatment of gunshot injuries. Never since that terrible day has the city made a public apology for having lied about that and all other details of this shooting. Evidence shows that Alan never fired a shot. Witnesses also claim he never was in possession of a weapon. The autopsy revealed that Alan Blueford had to have been lying on the ground when he was shot by Masso.

During heartfelt pleas with city officials, Jeralynn Blueford called out the city and OPD for reporting the lie that Alan had been brought to Highland Hospital for treatment immediately after the shooting. He had, they said, never been brought to Highland at all. Records at Highland Hospital show that Alan was never brought there.

At some point in the proceedings, council president and all around arrogant tool Larry Reid stood up out of his chair, walked two seats over, and began engaging in conversation with the reviled city administrator Deanna Santana WHILE A MEMBER OF ALAN’S FAMILY WAS SPEAKING. When an attendee at the meeting called both of them out on this unbelievably disrespectful and inappropriate behavior, Reid offered to have the attendee removed from the building. Of course that was a laughable threat, as the nearly two hundred other attendees wouldn’t have allowed for such implementation of police state activity, and the protestor took the moment to inform mister Reid of the likelihood of a rumble should he choose to attempt to follow through on that threat.

Eventually, Reid called for a ten minute recess to give themselves time to request the presence of the chief of police. That ten minutes became twenty, then thirty, during which time the angry crowd loudly chanted for justice for Alan Blueford, for killer cops to be jailed, and for OPD to be held accountable. Councilmembers gave the impression they were awaiting the arrival of Coward Jordan.

When councilmembers took their seats, Ignacio de la Fuente claimed that Larry Reid was ‘outside speaking with the family.’ This blatant lie was instantly and loudly called out by many in attendance, as the family was sitting in the same seats they had occupied throughout the meeting. One person called out, ‘don’t you recognize them?’

The next order of business was so out of place in the context of the problem at hand, that the crowded room erupted in outrage the moment it was announced. Item 4.2, titled ‘International City Of Peace Declaration‘ was a slap in the face to a community of people who have been literally under the gun of a police state for decades. More recently, the truth of that description of Oakland as a police state has been documented with the illegal actions taken by OPD and the Department of Homeland Security against protestors involved with Occupy Oakland.

At about 7:30pm, Larry Reid declared ‘all right, this meeting is now adjourned for two weeks.’ The response was overwhelming disgust and anger from the crowd, vowing to return with yet another chant : ‘we’ll be back.’ As Reid departed the dais and headed for the private chambers.

Where was Coward Jordan last night? After demands were made for him to appear and explain why the family of murdered teen Alan Blueford has yet to receive even the police report from the night he was shot and killed by Oakland Police Officer Miguel Masso, Jordan never appeared. When Larry Reid ran off to hide in council’s private chambers, Jordan was spotted hiding in that back room. Since nobody saw him enter, it seems he had been there quite awhile, yet never coming to face the crowd of legitimately angry people. Hence the name Coward.

Jordan earned this name long ago, when he abruptly ended a meeting at First Acts Church in which he was supposed to be informing the Blueford family the truth about the senseless police shooting of their son. At that town hall meeting, Jordan continued manipulating the delivery of information, each new rendition of the story hanging on to the invented concept that Alan Blueford somehow deserved to be murdered by police. After having shown enormous disrespect to the community that day, the people in attendance held an impromptu rally on church grounds as Jordan and his body guards, including Chris Bolton, left the premises. OPD then arrested a protestor after he left church property, for supposedly having assaulted a police officer by yelling through a megaphone. As is their normal procedure, they held this young man for the maximum number of hours possible in the notoriously abusive Santa Rita jail, then released him without charges. He had committed no crime.

This is a story about community. The loss of another young, black son is driving the community together. The people of Oakland seem to finally be ready to forego prescribed diplomacy in favor of getting results. Last night’s meeting was an exercise in getting results. If the disruption of routine city business last night is any indicator, and the city will not deliver justice for Alan Blueford, the people of Oakland will be taking justice for Alan.

check back for video

twitterfeed ::: @wiseoldsnail :::


at #oakmtg #justice4alan looking at a full house
5:43 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan reid threatening to have me removed for calling him and deanna santana out for talking while jerilyn blueford speaking
6:03 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan jerylynn blueford calling out the city for no police report, for alan never having been brought to the hospital at all
6:04 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan rowdy crowd backing the blueford family chanting JUSTICE FOR ALAN BLUEFORD
6:09 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan deanna santana says she’s in the process of getting the police report now . alan was murdered in may . it’s september
6:17 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan diop calling the problem a structural question, when people of color are being murdered by police every day
6:25 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan now larry reid is threatening again … this is a house full of people who’ve had enough
6:28 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan bakari olatunji speaks about his arrest attempting to attend a supposed open house by opd
6:31 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan cephus johnson calling out the city for not addressing the fact that miguel masso lied about the murder of alan
6:44 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan ingrid martin trying to give her time to cynthia morse, larry reid says no and calls a recess
7:17 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan that last tweet should’ve been sent out twenty or more minutes ago, and we’re still in ‘recess’
7:18 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan starting to feel like the republican congress in here : recess
7:18 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan clapping for justice
7:23 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan chanting ‘where’s howard jordan . where’s coward jordan’
7:24 PM – 18 Sep 12

de la fuente lying right now saying police are talking to alan’s family outside
7:30 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan council bringing up item 4.2 : declaring oakland an international city of peace! what a farce . crowd chanting
7:32 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan chanting ‘no justice no peace’ and now ‘jail killer cops NOW’
7:33 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan chanting ‘justice for alan blueford’ and now back to ‘where’s howard jordan’
7:35 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan they’re shutting down the meeting . followed larry to the hiding room, where i saw jordan hiding
7:39 PM – 18 Sep 12

#oakmtg #justice4alan now chanting ‘howard’s a coward’
7:40 PM – 18 Sep 12