Schlockumentary filmmaker Michael Moore said Thursday that the violence occurring at various Occupy events including Oakland is likely being incited by Department of Homeland Security officials or cops.
Such was disgracefully uttered on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show (videos follow with transcript, vulgarity warning in Oakland riot footage):
RACHEL MADDOW, HOST: As you know, in Oakland yesterday there was a very successful general strike, very successful all day long, basically peaceful until after midnight when there was basically rioting. And the occupy Oakland people are essentially disavowing the people who are rioting.
Really? I guess Maddow missed this daytime riot in Oakland Thursday before her interview with Moore (vulgarity warning):
But I digress:
MADDOW: Are you seeing difficult discussions about non-violence and about potential splits and differences in tactics?
MICHAEL MOORE: Yes. Well, yes and no. There, everyone I’ve spoken to is committed 100 percent to non-violence. That this is the only way that this is going to work.
In fact, we don’t -- we don’t need violence because we’re not in the minority here. This is the majority. This is a majority movement.
If this country is of, by, and for the people, if it’s to run by the will of the majority, there’s no need for violence because the majority have already said we’re sick and tired of this and we expect some changes.
I think in Oakland there’s a very specific -- in terms of the violence there, Oakland has a long history of police abuse, of how the black community has been treated. They just have one of the worst -- I mean, literally, it’s almost in the DNA of how Oakland is structured in terms of their city hall and their police. And it doesn’t seem to matter who the mayor is. They just can’t deal with this basic problem. So I think that had a lot to do with it.
Amazing. "Oakland has a long history of police abuse, of how the black community has been treated...it’s almost in the DNA of how Oakland is structured."
How totally absurd. So the rioting at Occupy Oakland the past few weeks is a function of a BART police officer fatally shooting a black man on New Year's day a few years ago? Is that what you see in that video above?
But it got worse:
MOORE: But you’re also going to have groups that come in wanting to co-opt this movement, whether it’s slick politicians that’s want the endorsement of what they think is a liberal Tea Party, or anarchists and others who don’t like the non-violence approach and want some form of violence.
But my experience, and I’ve been around since the anti-Vietnam War days, is that generally - I told the crowd this over at Denver here just an hour ago - if you see someone trying to incite violence, start with the assumption that that person is an undercover homeland security or cop or whatever because this is the history of America, where those in charge have tried to ignite people, incite them to commit acts of violence. And I tell them don’t be incited. But just assume right away that person is not part of the occupy movement if that’s what they’re calling on people to do.
So those folks on Thursday destroying public property were incited to do so by undercover DHS officials or cops? Does that include this miscreant?
Is she an undercover DHS official or cop?
I'm not sure which is more disgraceful, the behavior of these people that are beginning to tear apart America's cities or media members like Moore who are not only cheering them on but also blaming law enforcement for the destruction they're causing.
Is this going to be the modus operandi of the press in the coming weeks and months as these protests become more and more violent?
So not only will the most successful people in our nation be accused of causing all that ails our country, law enforcement officials are going to be blamed for the ensuing riots.
Are these people responsible for anything they do?
*****Update: Big Hollywood's John Nolte noted Thursday that Moore tweeted about this very subject.
