May Day Eve Quickly Turns Ugly In San Francisco

[SarasotaRepub]

Looks like the scum couldn't wait till today...

A day that is expected to be filled with anti-establishment protests all around the globe began early last night with a roving band of "anarchists" smashing car windows and store fronts in San Francisco's Mission District. The mini-riot (which was technically on April 30, but still) may have started as a "ruckus street party" organized by Occupy Oakland protesters who invaded their sister city last night, but whoever was responsible appeared to show little regard for the property of either the 1% or the other 99.

Various witness accounts say a group of between 50 and 100 people moved down Valencia St. smashing windows, throwing paint balls, and even attacking an unsuspecting police station. The cops were apparently not prepared to make mass arrests and were slow to respond to the chaos, though it quickly broke up. The blog, Mission Local, has a good round up of the scene from last night.

Many in the Occupy movement are blaming outsiders and "Black Bloc" anarchists who have a habit of hijacking peaceful protests for the own purposes. Unfortunately, most regular citizens won't know or care to make the distinction — particularly if they wake to find their automobiles destroyed. Every thing that happens during today's highly anticipated general strike, the good and the bad, will likely be conflated with larger Occupy Wall Street movement and destroying local business and poverty will win the cause few new friends.

[Novaheart]

I think we need to have a national campaign to energize and empower average people to combat political vandalism. We can call it SPV - Stop Political Vandalism.

Average people with baseball bats out there making sure that political "activists" don't get to damage the property of others and walk away with two functioning knees.

[SarasotaRepub]

[NJCardFan]

Those damned Tea Partiers....oh, wait.

[Apocalypse]

Peaceful Protest? My ass. This was on their websites

[SaintLouieWoman]

I think we need to have a national campaign to energize and empower average people to combat political vandalism. We can call it SPV - Stop Political Vandalism.

Average people with baseball bats out there making sure that political "activists" don't get to damage the property of others and walk away with two functioning knees.

Nova, I'd like to think average people would step up to the plate, but I've had some negative experiences just trying to help organize a simple neighborhood watch. Everyone is afraid that retribution will be taken against them if they simply call the sheriff's office if they see vandalism in the neighborhood. People who I thought would be stand up folk have declined helping. I've been very disillusioned.

[JB]

"Smashing car windows and store fronts". Oh yeah, that will cause about 97% of the corporations to fail today.

I just looked...the Dow is up 113. LMAO. Replacement glass makers are probably leading the way.

[Odysseus]

I think we need to have a national campaign to energize and empower average people to combat political vandalism. We can call it SPV - Stop Political Vandalism.

Average people with baseball bats out there making sure that political "activists" don't get to damage the property of others and walk away with two functioning knees.

While I appreciate the initiative, ordinary people shouldn't have to take to the streets with weapons and engage in brawls. Simply enforcing the law and prosecuting these idiots would be the appropriate and effective solution. Oh, and adding a change to the federal student loan that makes any person convicted of a violent felony ineligible for loans, and requires that any student holding a federally guaranteed loan who is convicted of a violent felony immediately repay the outstanding balance of the loan, with no further loans available.

Peaceful Protest? My ass. This was on their websites

In all fairness, everbody knows that unicorns are extremely susceptible to pepper spray.

[Novaheart]

Nova, I'd like to think average people would step up to the plate, but I've had some negative experiences just trying to help organize a simple neighborhood watch. Everyone is afraid that retribution will be taken against them if they simply call the sheriff's office if they see vandalism in the neighborhood. People who I thought would be stand up folk have declined helping. I've been very disillusioned.

My own dear mother generally responds to my calling police with , "You didn't give them your name did you?"

And I look at her in anger, as angry as one can be with an oxygenarian (82 year old on oxygen) because we are refugees from three neighborhoods which went into decline as decent people moved away rather than standing their ground.

[FlaGator]

Nova, I'd like to think average people would step up to the plate, but I've had some negative experiences just trying to help organize a simple neighborhood watch. Everyone is afraid that retribution will be taken against them if they simply call the sheriff's office if they see vandalism in the neighborhood. People who I thought would be stand up folk have declined helping. I've been very disillusioned.

My neigbhorhood watch consists of shooting vandals and watching the EMTs take them away.