Demonstrators Speak Out Against War and Police Brutality

October 7, 2010 demonstrators gathered to dance music on the Main Street bridge for “Funk the War 4.” The event was to express ongoing disapproval of the US occupation of Afghanistan which began nine years ago on this date. It was also the anniversary of a violent police assault on a similar demonstration one year ago on that same bridge. Twelve people were arrested in 2009 and two were injured requiring hospitalization. The incident led to the creation of the Rochester Police Accountability Commission or RPAC which is still active. Many demonstrators carried photographs of the attack, and some of those arrested spoke. The events of the prior year clearly had a chilling effect on this years attendance. This year's event only drew around 50 demonstrators. Last year's event was much larger.

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Police were out in force, literally surrounding the crowd. They were helpful in stopping traffic as demonstrators marched down Main and State Streets to join up with another demonstration at the Federal Building. Whether they were there in such numbers to police the demonstrators or to police themselves will never be known. There were no incidents, arrests or injuries. An official was observed telling a TV reporter “This will not be a repeat of October 7 2009.” At least three mobile mast-mounted surveillance cameras were deployed in addition to several officers with video and still cameras. A high powered telephoto lens was being used across from the Federal Building. On several occasions it appeared there were more cops than demonstrators. This was not the type of sight you would expect to see in a country founded on the idea of "liberty and justice for all."

Unlike last year, the message of the event was not lost. It was about the wars. In Iraq, US military personnel have been largely replaced by private contractors or mercenaries. The war and occupation are hardly over despite what the public is being told. In Afghanistan, the focus of the demonstration, the US is spending over 6 billion dollars a month while intelligence estimates there are perhaps 50 Al Queda operatives in the country. Afghanistan has been described by some as “Obama's Vietnam,” a fact not missed by some veteran participants. More frightening is how the war is spilling over into neighboring Pakistan which could easily become “Obama's Cambodia.” Meanwhile at home legislators threaten to cut badly needed social services, education and health care to address mounting deficits. But no one in power seems to want to address the wars that caused the deficits in the first place. That's what this demonstration was held to remind us of.

Todays event was organized by Rochester Students for a Democratic Society with help from Rochester Against War, Progressives In Action, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans For Peace and others.

More pictures can be found at http://picasaweb.google.com/rochesteragainstwar