Stay away from my city, for the love of god.

Assholes who came to wreck the city: Thankfully there were only a handful of you, one in particular who came all the way from California just to smash some windows.  Other than that, I was fearing the worst from you and was surprised it wasn’t too bad.

Police who abused power on Thursday, Friday and Saturday: kindly fuck off. You’re supposed to be here to protect and serve. Remember: Mob Mentality works both ways.  I was fearing the worst from you and got it.

I’ll be the first to admit that I was in denial that Pittsburgh might have been able to handle things better than other cities in regards to the G20, WTO, etc.  Instead what we gave the world was not an ground-breaking platform for worldwide economic or health care reform… What we gave the world was a terrifying new way to quell dissent; one of sheer force against an unruly few.

We were touted as leaders in the Steel industry, then health care, technology and “green” technology.  Now we can add “how to create and run a Police-state” to that list.

And to think that during the day things were handled relatively well; except for using the LRAD device in neighborhoods with families who wanted nothing to do with the day’s “action”.  At night, however, it was like the police-state switch was turned on by the city. With directives from Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s “Intelligence Apparatus”, you descended upon Oakland with something not seen in the streets of Pittsburgh in recent memory against a few and those unfortunate to be in the area who were simply curious.  Reading live feeds from Twitter and sites like G20Buzz.com, made me sick and fearful.   Videos on Youtube showed bad judgment by both sides in Oakland.  It showed that freedom in America may truly be dead.

Police want sympathy for what they go through (perhaps deservedly so) when their fellow officers are hurt or killed in the line of duty. But, they can’t have it both ways and terrorize innocent civilians and students who are far less of a threat to them – or the peace – than some crazed gunman with an assault rifle in Stanton Heights.  Students are ignorant, curious and confused, but storming Towers lobby with M-16s (were M-16s necessary?) and pointing them in students faces; herding everyone in Schenley Plaza like cattle, while telling everyone to disperse, then refusing the ability for anyone to leave; mocking arrested students by forcing them to pose as a trophy with 10-15 officers (Abu Ghraib, anyone?); bragging to others by taking pictures with women you arrested – it’s all sickening.

She said one of the officers was “taking a lot of pride” in taking mug shots next to female detainees, and that other officers frequently used profanities specifically derogatory to women.

“Some of them were making jokes when they were moving around from paddy wagon to paddy wagon about ‘getting the hot ones out,’” she said. – Post Gazette

Pittsburgh Police: I realize this wasn’t entirely in your hands and that there were many others from out of town who were involved. Just like the few protesters who come from out-of-town specifically to wreak havoc, I’m sure there are a few bad officers on the police-side of things that wanted to be here to bash heads. But this just further destroys the notion that you are here “to protect and serve”. You’ve allowed your reputation to be damaged locally and most likely globally; that even in the wake of what happened in April, people will no longer sympathize and instead think that what they see on TV is how Pittsburgh Police act and that how police-state / martial law in America is no longer hyperbole, but reality.   Great job, you may have now sewn more anger, dissent and confusion with which you need to deal.

I don’t know which way the fallout will drift, but we’ll see and what, if anything, will be overlooked on purpose or hushed up as not to further embarrass the city.

Unfortunately, the actions by police over these two days will not be scene by law enforcement as “we may have stepped over the line,” but as “so that’s how you get people to do what you want!”