201110271305.jpgFrom reading her comments here and elsewhere, we knew that cartoonist Susie Cagle was tough as nails, but interviewed about her experiences at Occupy Oakland on Tuesday night when police teargassed and shot beanbags and rubber bullets at Cagle and hundreds of other protesters in Oakland, you’ll see how tough.

They’re tear gassing in there, and it’s all getting trapped by the buildings on either side. I really didn’t want to get shot, so, as soon as I saw them raising the guns, I just dropped to the ground. The whole time I was on the sidewalk, I was pressed up against the building. They started tossing flash grenades and tear gas canisters onto the sidewalk. I was standing with people who had just come out of their business to see what was happening, and they were attacked.

As I crouched down to protect myself, a teargas canister rolled right under my face and exploded.


Cagle — who planned to return to the protests yesterday — also plans a comic about the protests and the ensuing violence.

1 COMMENT

  1. The police overresponse in Oakland has definitely had am impact that the city did not anticipate. The demonstrators numbered in the hundreds Tuesday; Wednesday night the crowd swelled to around three thousand. I hadn’t been able to attend in the weeks previous but I made a point of being on hand last night and it seems I was not alone…

  2. I keep wondering why NATO hasn’t responded with air-strikes to support the people standing up against brutal repressive jack-booted thugs.

  3. “stupid hippies. she’s just lucky all she got was teargassed. that’s what you get for rioting”

    Where did it say that anyone, aside from the police, was rioting?

  4. This is a nation of rules and laws. It’s unfortunate that some citizens believe themselves above such petty things and that they somehow can be disruptive to the body politic and escape the consequences.

  5. I don’t think being disruptive is against the law. This is a nation founded on the concepts of free speech, democracy and the right to assembly.

    Nor was there any actual rioting. A few protestors acting out does not equate to a defenseless young woman lying prone on the ground and getting tear gassed.

  6. Actually it’s a nation of multi-national corporations, and their lapdogs.
    I’m still wondering, “Where are the NATO air strikes in support of the demonstrators?”