Urban Shield: Emergency preparedness training or police ‘militarization’?

http://twitter.com/#!/mrdaveyd/status/393805624045088768

Protests against Urban Shield, a convention and series of training exercises for thousands of first responders, began yesterday in Oakland, Calif., with critics citing the program for contributing to the “militarization” of police and fire departments and encouraging police brutality. The training exercises, which attract first responders from as far away as South Korea, coincided with the second anniversary of the Oakland Police evicting Occupy Oakland from their Frank Ogawa Plaza encampment, and hard feeling abound. Here’s a poster for the protests, featuring a pig in partial riot gear roasting on a spit.

http://twitter.com/#!/AlanWangABC7/status/393912028407934976
http://twitter.com/#!/70torinoman/status/393873331260116992
http://twitter.com/#!/guelo/status/394208996459950080
http://twitter.com/#!/codepink/status/393897008169107456

Meanwhile, exercises went on as planned today, with exercises involving bomb scares and hazardous material spills.

http://twitter.com/#!/JohnSasaki1/status/394212561077284864
http://twitter.com/#!/Torrejonboy/status/394138846457126912
http://twitter.com/#!/RepSwalwell/status/394255072839757824

While no protestors have been reported hurt, CBS San Francisco reports that two firefighters suffered minor injuries Friday during a water rescue exercise.

http://twitter.com/#!/umadrants/status/394158921180401664

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2013/10/26/urban-shield-emergency-preparedness-training-or-police-militarization/