“This situation has completely gotten out of hand and is frankly an embarassment to the rest of the nation.”

“If you don’t stand for something then you’ll fall for anything.”
Alexander Hamilton’s famous words ring true in a nation filled with discontent and grief over a society deviating further from democracy with each coming day.

Occupy Oakland is an exemplary archetype for a movement that originated with passionate individuals uniting for a common cause, but in all the excitement and chaos, the overall message is now lost.

On Jan. 28 an estimated 400 demonstrators were arrested during a march that turned violent.

What initially started as an attempt to occupy the empty Kaiser Convention Center with hopes to establish a “social center” to utilize for gathering and organizing purposes, transformed into a social uprising.

Ordered by police to cease the march on the convention center, over 2,000 demonstrators refused to do so, which eventually resulted in dozens of protesters vandalizing city hall and torching an American flag on the steps in front of the building.

Escalating further, confrontations with Oakland police officers and movement supporters has lead to police usage of tear gas and beanbag bullets which were aimed into the crowd of protesters.

In all reality, this situation has completely gotten out of hand and is frankly an embarrassment to the rest of the nation.

Protesters involved in the demonstration must reevaluate the cause they are fighting for and vow to be nonviolent.

Among nearly 100 Occupy demonstrations in the United States, Oakland’s movement is one of few that has not pledged to remain peaceful.

Rather than fighting for a universal cause, a growing disconnect is occurring between Oakland protesters and the remaining 99 percent.

Instead of promoting a sense of unity, the movement has lost focus of the common goal the 99 percent initially intended to relay to capitalistic America.

Igniting an American flag on the steps of Oakland City Hall demonstrates disunity and cannot possibly be the message the global protest desires to send.

A war has been brewing between the City of Oakland and Occupy demonstrators, which has resulted in civil unrest.

This war has become the new focus of the movement.  

As of November 2011, the Occupy protests have cost the City of Oakland over $2.4 million, the steepest cost of all Occupy movements around the nation, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Oakland Interim Chief of Police Chris Jordan drew attention to the fact that dealing with these demonstrations is taking away from the police department’s ability to control crime in the remaining parts of the city.

“Chief Jordan noted that the response to Occupy activities was accomplished while the department received 1,776 calls for service—including 482 calls to 911—and while maintaining the City’s ongoing strategy of addressing violent crime in the five percent of Oakland neighborhoods where 90 percent of the crime occurs,” as reported in a recent press release from the City of Oakland.

“Personnel and resources dedicated to Occupy reduce our ability to focus on public safety priorities,” said Jordan.

However, tear gas and beanbag bullets cannot be the answer to subdue a group of individuals fighting for a cause, even if that cause was lost along the way.

 This is America, not a developing nation where people do not necessarily have the freedom to express their discontent without fear of violence.

The Oakland Police Department and city officials must consider the message they are sending to America by using tear gas and flash grenades in a crowd of protesting citizens.

The staff of The Pioneer wholeheartedly supports citizens who protest for a cause they believe in, but demonstrations must come as advertised by staying true to the initial goals that really represent the values of the 99 percent.