Soon it was WTO time! I did not know what the WTO was or what the big protest was all about. A "small" Internet free press service called "Indymedia" had set up shop in the building next door attached to the Glenn Hotel. The Glenn Hotel had been renovated for low income transitional housing and it was awesome! Much better than my truck! I was way appreciative to have the room and co-mingle with heroin addicts, alcoholics, food addicts, bad hygiene addicts and "other" addicts like me. (I am addicted to depression, just cannot seem to get over it.).
My brother (we had patched things up) came to downtown Seattle the first day of the WTO protests and we met at the Glenn Hotel. We walked a couple blocks and were surprised to see the whole street shut down with a line of police. We jumped up onto a tree planter and held onto the tree so we could see over the crowd and up the street. We both said to each other that; "those Seattle Police officers were as scared as hell; this is crazy!" Well,; we are both over 6’-3" tall and I guess on that planter we were now targets. Not even there five minutes, and we watch and tell each other to "look out" because we can see the Seattle Police 150 feet away aiming at us. The tear gas canister’s came flying at us and we both jumped down and watched them explode in the street and we started to run. (Later people were just lobbing them back, boy were we green!) We left and walked a couple blocks away, trying to figure out what the heck just happened!!!
We walked back to the Glenn Hotel (which was not in the "Police zone" yet) and up 3rd street where thousands of union people (mostly 40-50 years old, and older) were marching towards another police line; on another block: And we followed. The street ended up absolutely elbow to elbow people for 200 feet up to the police line, with union members who were now sitting and kneeling and standing in the street in front of the Seattle Police (and "other police"). The Seattle police stood there in a line of defense from all humans.
My brother and I were half way down the block from the police line and union people, we did not want to get fired on again or picked out as a target. About a dozen people came down the street walking together with black hooded heads and bandannas (not a real good disguise - they really stuck out - later they were called "anarchists" by the media). They started smashing windows with crowbars and 100 or so people quickly surrounded the little rats - as the little rat "anarchists" formed a circle. The "anarchists" stayed in a circle, making intimidating moves with crowbars; still they were immobilized as we, like a bunch of monkeys, just kept out of distance of the "anarchists" crowbars. The Seattle police, who were being asked and prodded - to help get the "anarchists"; - will not leave their police line. After a few minutes - which was a really long time at the time, the anarchists slinked their circle away - and created more damage.
Boy, it sure would have been hard to catch those well disguised "anarchists". (I got nothing against anarchists or police, but they were both out of control. There is a difference between vandalism, physical intimidation, and anarchy. But like arrogance and ego; it is a very fine line. Some crossed it, and others would not. The police and "anarchists" physically threatened me, and that’s my line).
I stopped going to my home at the Glenn Hotel after the second day of WTO protests. I felt the Seattle Police were going to beat me up, arrest me, or maybe even kill me, these guys were piss poor scared and out of control.
A few months later I got a job and moved out of downtown Seattle and onto Queen Ann Hill overlooking the Space Needle and Downtown. Ahhhh, home again. I did a lot of walking my dog and bike riding. One day I am down in the Denny Regrade area riding my bike; and gun shots break out - many many gunshots. I duck on my bike and slow down and then speed up and go home. I find out later; that it is Seattle Police Officers shooting at Seattle Police Officers! I thought all hell had broken loose and it was the Seattle Police trying to kill the Seattle Police!!!! WHOA; Crazy, I thought…… (These "cops" crashed into each other and emptied out their weapons at each other, never even being charged with endangering the public). The Seattle Police had been chasing someone in a Seattle Police car - that had been stolen before and they knew it had been stolen before; Boy, did they prepare themselves for this one! And not by going to the shooting range and practicing killing who you are shooting at kinda practice, the - "we will just wait and see what happens" - kinda practice……
Nothing happened, like the wild west; it was all okay. Seattle Police trying to kill Seattle Police, heck; that’s just remote control killing. No FBI, no charges; Nothing.
I can not count the number of times a cop has shot and killed the wrong person for pointing a remote control at them, the number of times police have busted into homes and done this, even on accident at the wrong house; is way too many. Now the Seattle Police were doing it to each other, in public, on the street. (I do not know if I could have been killed by a Seattle Police officers bullet trying to "mistakenly" kill other Seattle Police Officers; But it feels like I could have been; and if it was up to me these "officers", - would have done jail time! And the lack in truth and public disclosure, that almost killed people, in the "department" of "security" for the Seattle Police department; Would have been investigated and changed. (The Seattle Police; were more interested in catching the guy stealing police cars, than protecting the public.).
I moved out of Seattle onto the Olympic Peninsula. Why? Because I like to smoke pot and I do not want to be killed, because I do. (Plus I use a remote control; Dangerously!). I have my state "pot paperwork" but I do not trust the Seattle police or the Federal government and armed agents of the Federal government, so I mostly stay at home. I do not like to be in groups of armed men, around groups of armed men, or be afraid of armed men; I find them to be killers (usually experienced). I find that I am at an unfair and dangerous disadvantage around armed men; and that you could get killed. The most dangerous (and terrifying) place on the Olympic Peninsula in the state of Washington, is at the Federal Government Border Patrol "terrorism" checkpoints. I will do all I can to avoid them.
Sincerely
Kenn Spacefield
The Destroyed Reputation of The United States Federal Government
www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/412238.html
articles by Kenn Spacefield
labs.daylife.com/journalist/kenn_spacefield