Training

The Portland Police Line (supplemented by Salem) yesterday. There is no honor in this.

The number of police agencies assembled in Oakland -- some of them not identifiable due to the fact that there are no names or markings on their uniforms -- is more than a dozen.

They're from all over the Bay Area, including such tony places as Hillsborough. It occurs to me that this is all a training exercise for them, so they'll know what to expect when the rabble comes to their town, and they'll have primary experience in suppressing the rabble. Much the same appeared to be the case in Sacramento, although the actions night after night arresting demonstrators at Cesar Chavez Plaza did not involve outside agencies, only the SPD. And every night they assembled dozens of police officers -- sometimes as many as 70 -- to arrest a few, and sometimes only one (they aren't even arresting any more). It was obviously training.

And so it appears to be in Oakland.

Rather than apply more of their brutal tactics, the officers assembled in Oakland this morning appear to be preparing for a "Portland Style" strategic aktion, waiting out the demonstrators and faking them out by pretending to withdraw. Then moving in to demolish the camp when the demonstrators number only a few.