> Published on Monday, April 7, 2003 by the Associated Press
> Police Attack California Anti-War Protesters
> by Marth Mendoza
>
> OAKLAND, Calif. - Police open fired Monday morning with non-lethal
bullets
> at an anti-war protest at the Port of Oakland, injuring several
> longshoremen standing nearby.
>
> Police were trying to clear protesters from an entrance to the docks
when
> they opened fire and the longshoremen apparently were caught in the line
> of fire.
>
> Six longshoremen were treated by paramedics and at least one was
expected
> to be taken to a hospital. It was unclear if any of the protesters was
> injured.
>
> "I was standing as far back as I could," said longshoreman Kevin Wilson.
> "It was very scary. All of that force wasn't necessary."
>
> Last week, a San Francisco-based peace group, Direct Action to Stop the
> War, had announced that it would stage a series of protests Monday
> involving new acts of civil disobedience.
>
> The Port of Oakland was among the targets, organizers had said, because
at
> least one shipping company is handling war supplies.
>
> Trent Willis, a business agent for the International Longshore and
> Warehouse Union, said angrily that dockworkers were leaving the docks
> after the incident.
>
> "They shot my guys. We're not going to work today," Willis said. "The
cops
> had no reason to open up on them."
>
> Police used non-lethal bullets, sandbags and concussion grenades to try
to
> break up about 500 protesters, who split into groups in front of
different
> terminals.
>
> Oakland Police officer James Carroll said police set up a "skirmish
line"
> and ordered the protesters to disperse.
>
> "It escalated pretty quick," he said. "Usually you go to these protests
> and you wait around for three to four hours. Today, all of a sudden,
> people were being taken into custody." He could not confirm that anyone
> was hit by the bullets.
>
> Protests also took place at the federal building in San Francisco and at
> the Concord Naval Weapons Station. Seven people were arrested when they
> temporarily blocked an exit ramp off Interstate 280.
>
> copyright 2003 The Associated Press

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