By Joe Wright
It appears that the world’s largest police/military expo will no longer have a home … at least in the San Francisco Bay Area.
After years of protests by anti-war activists and all people concerned about the militarization of local communities, Alameda County, California is announcing that this year will be the last to play host to the massive international annual expo known as Urban Shield.
Previous expos have seen demonstrators arrested who have attempted to block access to the Alameda County Fairgrounds where it has been held. Now, the leading group representing opposition to the expo – Stop Urban Shield – is announcing that the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted to end their participation. The group celebrated the significance of the decision:
Urban Shield represents everything our movements are fighting against — from collaborating and training with ICE, hosting the white supremacist militia the Oath Keepers, training with and sending officers to apartheid Israel, glorifying policing and militarization, exploiting tragedies and natural disasters and public health needs, and continuing to align with Alameda County Sheriff Ahern’s support of the Trump Administration — Urban Shield has no place in the Bay Area or anywhere.
While clearly not everyone is going to agree with the group’s position regarding organizations such as the Oath Keepers, or some of their other rhetoric, it is nonetheless a victory for that community to eradicate the glorification of war and violence that the expo represents. As they conclude:
Congratulations to the San Francisco Bay Area for once again setting a precedent for the rest of the country against racism, repression, militarism, and state violence.
What liberty-minded individual could possibly not lend to support to that?
It of course remains to be seen where Urban Shield will set up shop in the future. While certainly this victory should be celebrated, it would be naive to imagine that the entrenched military-industrial complex will be deterred from its vision to bring war profits and police militarization to wherever it lands next.
Here is a video detailing the proceedings:
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And here I was thinking that militarized police would be bad for all people. Boy was I naive!
Of course, these thugs are only bad to “people of colour,” which seems to be the only reason they have to be opposed, not because they’re a threat to.. errr: humanity?
Asks the author of this post rhetorically:
I regard myself as a liberty-minded individual and I won’t lend any support to this kind of race-baiting activism.
Personally, I don’t think it’s good to defend the so called Oath Keeper’s for being participants. I agree with getting rid of this atmosphere of militarization of the police. This worshiping the blue as a counter measure to black lives matter is a big mistake. But why is a militia group training with a national government tool?
“But why is a militia group training with a national government tool?”
Because it Trumps national government they are training with. Nottraitor44’s
Liberals in Cali could tolerate “Urban Shield” Military/Police War Games Training when trsitor44WAS running the show. MS13slayerTrump=noway=a threat to millions ofIllegalVotes4DEMS..