Social Unrest in the SF Bay Area

(Note from person who posted this: I am not in the Bay Area -- is this accurate? There is also a link to a video at the bottom of this statement.)

"I hope this isn't too hyperbolic or sketchy to say...but for those of you not in the Bay who are following events online, I cannot stress enough that the situation here is beyond what you have read in the media. It seems that the news has switched from sensationalizing events to white-washing them in an effort to play down the level of anger. I hesitate to use the term "insurrection" here because I don't think events have generalized to a degree nearly adequate to that term, but honestly the trajectory is not so far off. We have had over two weeks of almost daily demonstrations, and now escalating riots. First Oakland, then San Francisco, then Berkeley, and last night it was Emeryville.

There has been extensive property damage (downtown Berkeley was systematically wrecked over the weekend), looting and "proletarian shopping" has increased every night. Freeways, trains, and BART stations have been regularly blocked and the highway patrol is struggling to catch up. Local police forces have mobilized all of their resources. Last night I saw cops firing rubber bullets from an overpass into crowds below, injuring many. Police vehicles have come under attack. Security guards protecting news crews have pulled guns on people. Smaller actions such as high school walkouts, die-ins, and lockdowns have also proliferated.

The crowds are incredibly diverse but also marked by a lot of internal tension, with disputes over tactics frequently erupting into all-out brawls. The situation is very combustible. Local police have also shot two people in three days and tasered one man to death in seperate incidents. A major rain storm is about to hit the area tonight which will likely keep most people off the streets but people are also mobilizing for the Saturday "Millions March", which may or may not be recuperative but will certainly bring out thousands of protestors. Either way, this shit shows few signs of letting up. However, hundreds of people have been arrested and local legal support resources are straining under the pressure. The CHP is pressuring the DA to levy heavier charges against people arrested on the freeways. If you are outside the Bay Area, please, please donate or organize fundraisers for the Anti-Repression Committee.

And most importantly, hit your streets in solidarity! Tonight, tomorrow, this weekend, whenever. Let's spread this thing."