11-10-24 Chemical bomb in Occupy Maine protest; Nurse volunteers arrested in Occupy Chicago // Bomba química en Ocupar protesta Maine, enfermeras voluntarias arrestado en Chicago Ocupar // 化学炸弹占据缅因州抗议;被捕的护士志愿者占据芝加哥

Chem Bomb Tossed into Occupy Maine Encampment; Police Seeking Suspects

At around 4 AM Sunday morning, a chemical bomb was tossed into an Occupy Maine encampment in Portland. It exploded as protesters slept, yet fortunately no one was injured. According to Police Sgt. Glen McGarry, the bomb consisted of several chemicals mixed into a Gatorade bottle, and was thrown under a tarp into the kitchen area of the encampment. Local police are investigating.

Here's the press release from Occupy Portland:

Early Sunday morning, around 4am, the members of the Occupy Maine camp at Lincoln Park woke up to a loud explosion. Witnesses who were awake said a car driving by slowed down, and lobbed an IED over the fence. Within a few seconds, it exploded. The blast reportedly lifted a table about a foot off the ground. The table generally requires 2 people to lift and move. The target was the center of camp where the overnight security team was.

One witness said this type of bomb could have caused a lot more damage if certain things were added and a lot of campers are fearful of another attack. Thankfully no one was injured last night but police investigators were on scene for 2 hours to identify the chemicals used and to try to find out who is responsible.

The suspect car is said to be a Silver 4-Door Sedan from the late 80s-mid 90s and possibly a Toyota or Nissan and if you have any more information, you are encouraged to contact the Portland Police Department at 207-874-8575.

Here's a video of the encampment taken after the explosion, via DailyKos:

By Julianne Escobedo Shepherd | Sourced from AlterNet

Posted at October 24, 2011, 7:28 am

Nurses' Union Condemns Rahm Emanuel for Chicago's Arrest of Nurse Volunteers With Protesters

 Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been the most public enemy of the Occupy movement, but in Chicago Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's former chief of staff, is quickly becoming his competition for the title. 

A late-night crackdown on protesters camping out resulted in the arrest not only of over a hundred protesters, but of nurses volunteering at a first aid station set up at the occupation. National Nurses United, the country's largest union of nurses, condemned the arrests. 

“Even in wartime, combatants respect the work of nurses and other first responders. Yet Mayor Emanuel and Chicago seem to care as little about that tradition as they do in protecting the constitutional rights of free speech and assembly.” said NNU Executive Director RoseAnn DeMoro in a statement. “These arrests are disgraceful and unconscionable, and will not deter our nurses from continuing this mission, setting up the station again, and continuing to support the protests.”

The nurses' union has set up first aid stations in five other cities that are currently seeing occupations, including in New York. 

Emanuel, who was known for his Wall Street ties as a congressman and as a member of the Obama administration, has initiated several crackdowns and mass arrests of the Chicago occupiers, who seem undaunted. Perhaps his crackdowns are an attempt to get protests under control in advance of coming meetings of the G-8 and NATO in that city in coming months. 

“Instead of showing off for world leaders, and paying allegiance to protecting the economic interests of the top 1 percent, Mayor Emanuel should stop, and start representing the 99 percent, the people for whom the occupy movement has become a clear voice,” DeMoro said.

By Sarah Jaffe | Sourced from AlterNet 

Posted at October 23, 2011, 1:34 pm