The attached YouTube clip offers an incredibly interesting, and in many ways, important window on the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) Movement and how public policing organizations may best deal with this type of protest:
Portland Chief and Occupy Movement Representatives
What is immediately clear from this nearly hour-long session is that there are profoundly competing priorities, even world-views, in operation. It is essential that the Portland Police Department get kudos for being willing to hold this kind of sit-down and respectful face-to-face with the three OWS Movement representatives. Everyone is clear that they have independent agenda items that need to be addressed and the OWS folks are well-organized and explicit in their position that they really do not have official "leaders" who can dictate terms or directions for the people involved in the movement.
Officer and public safety are paramount considerations for these discussions and I'm impressed by both sides of this equation. With considerable public support for the "ideas" behind the OWS Movement, it's prudent for the police to take a measured and cooperative approach to these idealistic and well-intentioned individuals. The challenge certainly resides in the fact that the authentic OWS groups may be infiltrated by others who have more aggressive and less conciliatory approaches in mind. At the core, however, the OWS Movement is dedicated to dismantling the kinds of hierarchy and power that the public police represent.
It continues to play out in so many cities across North America, and around the world, that police chiefs and public safety policy makers should all view this YouTube clip as a primer.
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