Albuquerque officials fear repeat of raucous protest, beef security
Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
May 8, 2014
Albuquerque City Council leadership have imposed new rules and beefed up security in an attempt to prevent a repeat of extraordinary scenes on Monday when residents protesting against police brutality stormed a city council meeting and forced both councilors and the Albuquerque police chief to flee.
During the demonstration on Monday, protesters took control of the meeting before handing a “people’s arrest warrant” to APD chief Gorden Eden and then occupied councilors’ chairs as officials beat a hasty retreat.
Residents are angered at an epidemic of police violence in recent years, which culminated in the recent killing of 38-year-old homeless man James M. Boyd, who was summarily executed by APD officers for “illegally camping” and arguing with police.
Albuquerque law enforcement officers having been responsible for 40 shootings since 2010, of which 25 were fatalities.
As we reported yesterday, protesters are vowing to replicate the stunt during a rescheduled city council meeting tonight.
In preparation for further disruption, Albuquerque City Council will draft in more police officers and security guards, setting the stage for a potential confrontation and arrests.
New rules will also be in force in an effort to prevent the meeting from turning into a free for all, including;
– No signs, props or other campaign material, except that which can be presented on the overhead projector, will be allowed in the Council chambers.
– Only the person speaking during public comment periods may stand at the podium or in the area around it, with the exception of those who need a translator or assistance.
– The two-minute limit for speakers will be strictly enforced.
– There will be no tolerance for disruptive public outbursts.
“I wish they would have moved as quickly as they have regarding these changes on the question of APD violence,” said protest organizer David Correia. “Then we wouldn’t be having this discussion in the first place.”
It’s highly unlikely that protesters will adhere to such rules given what we saw on Monday, which suggests that city officials are merely setting the pretext for residents to be arrested or ejected during the meeting tonight.
The protesters were further angered yesterday when police released less than a minute of footage leading up to the death of Armand Martin, a 50-year-old veteran who was shot dead by APD officers after allegedly firing a gun at neighbors.
“A crowd is anticipated to converge on a City Council meeting Thursday night. Many want to know why the footage made public does not show the entire chain of the events that police said led to the shooting,” reports the LA Times.
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Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a host for Infowars Nightly News.
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