Last night we detailed irresponsible behavior and reporting by the LAPD and Los Angeles’ NBC affiliate in regard to false reports of “$15,000 worth of damage” said caused by Trayvon Martin protesters who, the reporter claimed, had “stormed” a hotel in Hollywood on Sunday night.
As we reported exclusively last night, two spokespersons from the hotel in question disputed the LAPD/NBC4 reports to The BRAD BLOG, describing them as “false.” Moreover, video — even the video shown by NBC4 — available from a day of largely peaceful protests the day after the George Zimmerman “not guilty” verdict was announced in Florida, seems to have revealed violence that day only by baton-wielding police, who also fired rubber bullets at demonstrators at various points throughout the day.
While the behavior of corporate media and police in the instances described last night was reprehensible and dangerous, at the same time it’s also worth highlighting some of the responsible behavior by the LAPD that night, particularly after a very long day of protests which cropped up throughout the day and night at various locations across the city.
One such moment very much worth highlighting occurred at the height of Sunday’s protests in Hollywood, not long after midnight, just in front of the CNN building on Sunset Blvd. NBC4’s NewsChopper4 reporter Megan Reyes (who, as we discussed in the previous article, had falsely reported “rowdy behavior” by protesters “breaking glass” at the W Hotel in Hollywood, among other misinformation), described this particular group of 50 or so protesters in Hollywood as “the largest pocket of protesters in the city” at that point.
What she could not report on from several thousand feet in the air, however, was what was actually going on on the ground, as captured by video web-streamer “PMbeers”. The live, on-the-ground reporting by the live web-streamer revealed not only peaceful, organized discussion of planning for next steps by demonstrators and their hopes of meeting with public officials in coming days, but an absolutely fascinating moment captured on video (see below) when LAPD Captain Cory Palka addressed the group of protesters directly, respectfully and peacefully…
Palka was, according to an LAPD media representative we spoke with on Monday, the commanding officer of the Hollywood patrol Sunday night. Just after the marching path of the demonstrators had been cut off by the LAPD on most sides in front of the CNN building and the gathering was declared to be an “unlawful assembly”, Palka approached the gathered group — without any sort of riot gear or otherwise intimidating weaponry — and announced “I’m gonna help you guys”. He then offered a rather thoughtful speech about respecting their “commitment and passion for justice”, sharing their “difficulty with what happened 3,00 miles away”, and “honoring” the protesters’ “need and desire to show [their] frustration”…
Here’s the text of Palka’s brief and seemingly very friendly and supportive remarks to the group. A video of his conversation with protesters, as culled from PMbeers’ longer archive of the night’s events on the ground in Hollywood, is posted at the end of this article…
I, like you, am an Angelino. I have lived here for 50 years in this city. I, like you, have compassion, have energy and I have difficulty with what happened 3,000 miles away and I honor your ability and your need and desire to show your frustration and to be heard. I feel that in my heart!
I understand…So, here’s my message to you. I honor your commitment and your passion for justice — from the bottom of my heart. You guys have been tireless and energetic about your cause.
At the same time, we are in the city of Los Angeles, standing in the middle of the street. Okay? We have to have some type of order.
So, what I want to do is, one, I have talked to Charlia [spelling?], she has my contact information and she has — we are going to try and meet in a week to have an open air discussion on some of your views.
QUESTION FROM DEMONSTRATOR: What would you have us do, man?
PALKA: So I would like to say — I would like to ask you to continue to facilitate your movement southbound on Cahuenga here. We will continue to protect and honor your Constitutional rights of freedom to march in protest.
Is that agreeable to the group?
Some in the group expressed concerns about being forced to march south, “back to the ghetto”, rather than north into what the protester described as “the good neighborhoods”. But, the bulk of the demonstrators, after Palka’s speech, largely began to disperse after his pleas and offer to meet with and help the group in the coming days.
His remarks were lauded on Twitter by some watching the web-stream live that night. “Could L.A. have the West Coast Hipster Cop?,” snarked LA documentary filmmaker John W. Ennis, who added “This LAPD officer should have his own talk show.”
“Listen to me,” said one of the demonstrators after Palka spoke. “Everything we’ve done tonight has gotten attention. Now we need to move about it the right away. Now we need to take it to public forums,” the woman (possibly “Charlia”?) who had been leading the group said, as they — and Palka — applauded her. “Now we have to take it to officials, okay? That’s how we have to do it! Now we need to move out of the streets. We have demonstrated, now we need to continue! That’s what we do — we continue! Alright?”
We can’t speak to Palka’s sincerity, of course. But his seemingly very earnest approach was a welcome change of pace from the LAPD’s earlier baton-swinging and rubber-bullet shooting and, it can be argued, a far more effective, humane and respectful technique to use with the very citizens that the LAPD is sworn “to protect and serve”.
This short video clip was culled, with permission (and a helping hand from Margot Paez), from the longer UStream video shot by “PMbeers” on the night of 7/14/2013, as LAPD Capt. Cory Palka addressed the group of Trayvon Martin demonstrators in the street near the CNN building in Hollywood, CA…
It is nice to see some police show respect to people instead coming after them with billy clubs. Too many times the police make it worse with their actions. Bravo to Capt Palka for his communication skills. We need more like him.
Good on the captain.
“We can’t speak to Palka’s sincerity …”
He sure seems sincere in the video. Fortunately, it’ll only take a week or so to find out for sure — if follows up and actually meets with the some of the protesters.
Meantime, much grat and congrats are due videographer PMbeers for proving that police DO have effective, non-violent alternatives to the new law enforcement fad of using scorched-earth SWAT teams — especially when they must deal with what most white Americans call “racial unrest” — though I’m sure we’d start calling it “justice” if the tables were somehow magically turned.
Considering the LAPD’s looong history of racism and brutality, it’s more than just ironic to see one of its captains disperse an unruly crowd using respect rather than riot squads … it’s nothing short of a minor miracle.
I mean, when he asked “Is that agreeable to the group?” I just busted out laughing, thinking about how it must have set old, fascist bastards like ex-Chiefs Bill Parker and Ed Davis to spinning in their graves so hard that they were farting dust.
Great video. Great report. Encouraging – a far cry from the behavior we’re used to seeing from LAPD when it comes to de-escalation and crowd control. I hope there are more like officer Palka.
Thanks to my stalwart pal and superb citizen journalist PM Beers, who has been filming OCCUPY LA and other protests and actions ever since the beginning of Occupy (mostly without compensation). I can always count on her to bring me the real news…
And thank you, Brad and Margot for doing the same.
Patti’s U-stream link:
http://ustre.am/Gl7u
Thank you BradBlog for reporting the truth as only crowd funded independent media can do. Thank you to everyone whose kind words have supported my stream. I am here to bring the truth to you because main stream media is constantly misinforming people.
Please help me keep bringing live coverage by crowd funding my reporting: https://www.wepay.com/donations/pmbeers
Patti Beers
AKA PMbeers
There are serious ramifications to the acquittal.
A recent study revealed that at least 136 unarmed African Americans were killed by police, security guards and self-appointed vigilantes in 2012.
Wow. I don’t know what’s in the man’s heart, but congratu-f*cking-lations for tact, balls, and common sense. I was ready to sarcastically post “I like you, but I’m gonna have to take a baton to your noggin” after seeing the headline and thinking the piece was something about hypocrisy. I was right in the middle of a riot in Huntington Beach during the OP Pro in ’80s, age just 13 or so, and even then i could see how it was the police response to a small crowd of rowdies that was responsible for the full-on mayhem that ensued. Scary as hell. So kudos to the Cap for his actions, regardless of his sincerity. I hope he was, seems so. Good on Bradblog for giving credit where credit is due, as usual, without regard to party, position or affiliations. Nice to even read a story like this, I’ll take any slice if hope i can get.
I guess many people forgot about that old game called “Good Cop, Bad Cop”
A week is a great amount of time to let peoples anger subside and let the steam out of the protest. Guarantee you will only see about 20% of the people (if that much) who where at this protest at this next weeks meeting.
I agree. Good for Palka. What would make me even happier would be a policeman saying “I do NOT agree with your position, and I will honor and protect your constitutional right to protest.”