Occupy Tampa Protesters Are Being Harassed by Tampa Police

I stopped by the Occupy Tampa movement downtown at Curtis Hixon Park. I wanted to talk to the demonstrators and find out some of their views. Where they a bunch of liberals hanging out in the park? Where they a bunch of unemployed college students who voted for Obama in 2008, and now, can’t find a job? Speaking of Obama, why do none of the signs across America not mention Obama? I wanted to find this out for myself.

Notice the red tape on the sidewalk

I found a parking space (Sunday the only day you can do that) and walked over. I met a group of people who had set up a make shift open air office and logistical center on the sidewalk in front of the park. The people seemed friendly and easy to talk to.

I noticed the amount of food, sandwiches, and bottle water they had. They said many people come by all day long and give them supplies. Without that, they would not be able to camp out. I asked them if they needed anything and blankets was something they could really use. The last few nights have been cold. That was not their primary concern, however. It was the Tampa police.

They told me they were clearly the victims of police intimidation tactics. The police were making up the rules as they went along. There were clearly maked boundries on the sidewalk where they must sleep. The protestors don’t like sleeping there because they are afraid a car might jump the curb at night and kill someone. They have had a beer bottle thrown at them which hit a girl. They want to be able to sleep further back on the grass, but for some reason, the cops won’t let them. Someone does not want them there.

Most of the people had an individual story of being under employed or out of work. Many had large student loan debt and were finding it hard to make payments on a seven dollar an hour job. They were frustrated with an economic system they felt was corrupt with the deck stacked for the privileged.

Nick with a hot coffee donated by the publc

I talked with this young man Nick, who after college found himself delivering pizzas. His belief was that the pizza company was raising the price of delivery (which cut into his tips) to cover the cost of insurance that Obamacare was requiring him to pay. Nick believed all companies would only pass the cost of doing business onto the customers, so nobody benefits. He clearly did not have good things to say about Obama. That surprised me. They 'End the Fed' signs they had are from the Ron Paul Alex Jones playbook.

some of the signs they are using

I asked him why none of the signs mentioned Obama. Another guy interrupted by saying the ‘illuminati’ runs people’s lives. Nick and others were Ron Paul supporters and he believed that was true nationwide. Obama has been marginalized by other forces, and is a non-player at this point. Interesting.

Nick, and others, are followers of Alex Jones and his website Prison Planet. This was not what I expected.