Last Tuesday Asheville showed up 100-125 strong for an unpermitted march in solidarity with the Oakland General Strike and Scott Olsen, the veteran injured at the hands of the Oakland PD. This Saturday the Asheville Police began snatching activists off of the streets, arresting them based on warrants attained on 11/4. They are claiming that those arrested participated in an illegal assembly, blocked traffic, resisted officer’s orders and/or wore a mask in public. One problem with these arrests, besides the cowardice displayed by armed agents of the state in picking off people one by one, is that not all of the people arrested were actually present at the march! Police appear to be focusing on individuals who’ve been visible in the protest movement here, rather than people who actually DID anything. Below are a few links also covering what’s happened with requests for support.
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/11/06/18697927.php
http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20111107120728406
After the show aired, the Mountain X published this breaking news:
http://mountainx.com/article/37212/APD-employee-calls-Occupy-Asheville-protesters-dirtasses-on-Facebook-UPDATED-217-p.m
This show will be archived on www.ashevillefm.org/the-final-straw thru 11/13, and on archive.org afterwards. Search for the final straw.