Occupy Miami raided by SWAT teams (VIDEO)

Published time: March 14, 2012 18:22
Edited time: March 15, 2012 18:14
(AFP Photo / Joe Raedle)
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Dozens of cops equipped with shotguns and assault rifles stormed a Miami, Florida apartment building on Tuesday, drawing weapons at peaceful protesters and children with the local Occupy Wall Street campaign that were lawfully residing inside.

Members of Occupy Miami moved into an Overtown safehouse last month after their previous encampment outside of the city’s Government Center was shut down by authorities earlier this year. Now for the second time in only six weeks, cops donned in SWAT-team style gear and brandishing weapons swarmed the residence of several occupiers again, allegedly acting on reports that the residents inside were stockpiling weapons to use in an upcoming demonstration.

“They said that they had gotten a tip that we had 'long guns' and were going to use them at our protest," Occupy member Thomas Parisi tells the Miami New Times. "But we are a peaceful movement and told them that we had no intention of doing anything like that."

Following the shut-down of the outdoor Occupy Miami encampment on January 31, some members of the group began living in an apartment building owned by a fellow protester. Rodrigo Duque, who now calls himself Señor Paz — or “Mister Peace” — told the Miami New Times last month that he opened the doors of his building to those who were evicted from the outdoor demonstration and told the paper, “Basically, all peaceful people are welcome."

Dozens of occupiers residing inside were not expecting to welcome in members of local law enforcement on Tuesday, however, who are reported to have busted into the building with guns brandished without warning.

"They were pointing guns at children!" Ramy Mahmoud, a member of Occupy Miami, adds to the paper.

Other Occupy Miami members that gave quotes to the paper without attribution say at least six cop cars stopped outside of their building on Tuesday before one officer took out a gun and aimed it at an occupier. "I thought it was either a joke or he was robbing us," one protester tells the paper. "Then an ice-cream truck full of SWAT officers pulled up."

Parisi, who believes the raid came over false reports of a terrorist threat, says the cops took unnecessary action during this week’s events. "They forced a 57-year-old diabetic woman onto the ground. And they pointed their guns at my wife,” he says.

"They are calling us terrorists, but what I saw today was demons pointing guns at us," Ramy Mahmoud adds to the account. "They terrified us.”

Mahmoud also says cops questioned him with inquiries which included “Are you a Muslim?” and “Do you love this country?”

"I said hell no, I don't love this country, and it's because of shit like this,” Mahmoud tells the paper.

Several people were handcuffed and brought in for questioning but no arrests were made. Author Naomi Wolf was quick to comment on the story, writing on her Facebook page that "This is some of the scarier footage I have ever seen.”

Comments (65)

DLBowles13 16.10.2012 09:49

Another example of military style raids on people trying to exercise their right to protest, and the sad part is children are being treated as criminals. This is why and how dissidence is created in the public. Before too much longer, if this type of thing continues, people will completely loose faith in not only in the police but the entire government.

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Sagidragon 13.10.2012 19:03

Just think if this would happen in Venezuela, Russia, China, Vietnam, or anyother country that is not aligned with the United States.  The American press would not be just stirring the pot they would be boiling in oil the Government of these countries and the Western press would be covering this event on a second by second basis.  I am an American and understand how our press has changed into an Arm of the Government.  The PBS has also become an arm of the British government. 

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teddyformusic 23.03.2012 02:35

Rin (unregistered) wrote in #14
The final form of a democracy is a fascist state. =====Whereas USA is a mere apology for an Empire which needs to cloak its incompetence behind the banners of democracy, and maintain its own stability through the instability of the world around it. ============= ======
your observation made me recall:

perhaps there was a reason why the early "american father" Benjamin Franklin was VERY skeptical of what his colleagues enthused about : creating some kind of new nation with what americans have come to believe is a "democracy"...I think he had a poor opinion of what was going to become of the "new nation" when he observed :

"should this nation FALL -- it will fall NOT because of foreign enemies or threats , real or imagined. it will fall because THE PEOPLE ARE CORRUPT...and Democracy Eventually ARRIVES at Tyranny". 
N ote that Franklin predicted a FUTURE "fall of this nation" based on his observation of what was PRESENT in his time: "THE People ....ARE (present tense to him) ....Corrupt". what Franklin clearly saw was this:

the "new nation" was just a place where CORRUPT people were attracted to or became corrupt in it..and so, eventually, that internal corruption of "the PEOPLE" would ensure its fall. the ultimate corruption of America is , imo, its "exceptionalist" belief - which americans believe justifies America's actions around the world -- Imperialism -- even if they do NOT admit it -- and carries with it the consequences of threats or failures.

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