Htown for Mike Brown protests in Houston Last night

[Michelle]

Saw on the local news that there were protests in the Galleria area (one of the nation's largest shopping areas) in Houston. Was pretty happy to see members of the community raising their voices and I was proud of Houstonians because there were a lot of different races represented in unity on this issue.

What I didn't like was this:


(edited - didn't embed right; added attachment of pic)

That is a picture of the protest taking place on the freeway near the 3rd ward of Houston.  I totally get the effectiveness of the protest near one's community. It shows the power of their local voice and creates unity during a time of hurt and a way for people to express their feelings and exercise their right to protest easily.

But I have to admit that the protests that block this section of HWY288 infuriate me because it is also adjacent to the texas medical center. this section of hwy 288 is the key access point for ambulances to get to the hospitals, in particular the county hospitals that serve the uninsured.

The 3rd ward of Houston also stretches across I-45. But i guess it isn't as easy of a highway to interrupted because 288 has green slopes you can just walk down; Hwy 45 is a big bridge if you are walking straight from the 3rd ward.

eta - Anonymous was here and part of the effort. And that was really cool to see!

[WOT?*]

We've been having protests here in Seattle as well. I understand and appreciate the need but when the initial protest was at a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony with small children (including my GD2's 9 year old BFF and her kindergarten brother) where they were shouting, cursing and knocking over tables, you lose my sympathy there.

[Michelle]

Dec 7, 2014 11:34:28 GMT -5 WOT?* said:

We've been having protests here in Seattle as well. I understand and appreciate the need but when the initial protest was at a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony with small children (including my GD2's 9 year old BFF and her kindergarten brother) where they were shouting, cursing and knocking over tables, you lose my sympathy there.

I can even understand the psychology of that. Because black kids are conditioned to see cops that way in their neighborhoods when the cops act in this "brutality" fashion that is triggering the protests.

Fair to your particular kids? no of course not. But I can see why the protesters might not GAF.

But it could be the victim of police brutality who dies on the way to the hospital as a result of shutting down this particular section of the freeway. I wish the protesters would consider that. I tweeted to one of the more vocal ones. This stretch of 288 is a frequent place for protesters led by Quannel X in houston (prominent Black community leader) and I wish he would consider the impact to patients in need.

[WOT?*]

Dec 7, 2014 11:48:02 GMT -5 Michelle said:

Dec 7, 2014 11:34:28 GMT -5 WOT?* said:

We've been having protests here in Seattle as well. I understand and appreciate the need but when the initial protest was at a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony with small children (including my GD2's 9 year old BFF and her kindergarten brother) where they were shouting, cursing and knocking over tables, you lose my sympathy there.

I can even understand the psychology of that. Because black kids are conditioned to see cops that way in their neighborhoods when the cops act in this "brutality" fashion that is triggering the protests.

Fair to your particular kids? no of course not. But I can see why the protesters might not GAF.

But it could be the victim of police brutality who dies on the way to the hospital as a result of shutting down this particular section of the freeway. I wish the protesters would consider that. I tweeted to one of the more vocal ones. This stretch of 288 is a frequent place for protesters led by Quannel X in houston (prominent Black community leader) and I wish he would consider the impact to patients in need.

These protesters however, were not minorities suffering years of oppression.  They were primarily white MC and UMC people protesting in an upscale shopping center in downtown Seattle.  Shades of WTO rioting.  "We riot because we can.  Because we are anti-government and we protest, we must do so with violence and damage..."  Protesting for a cause is one thing, reckless rioting and damage for no cause other than 'we can' is a different matter altogether.