Occupy Oakland Votes For Israeli Boycott

The violent Occupy Wall Street chapter of Oakland, California, voted to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) effort against the state of Israel.

The vote won nearly unanimous support Wednesday after a short debate. An Occupy Oakland statement attacked US aid to Israel and blamed the Jewish state for encouraging US action against Iraq and Afghanistan. Pro-Palistinian activists clearly pushed for the sanctions, according to Twitter accounts.

Supporters of the BDS effort claim it’s a movement to force Israel to comply with various demands from human rights groups. These demands include recognizing the rights of Palestinians.

Critics counter that BDS is an anti-semitic hate group masquerading as a human rights organization. They note that BDS doesn’t ask for sanctions against human rights abusers in Iran, North Korea or Sudan.

The BDS movement is active on college campuses around the country. Some speakers at BDS events have ties to known terrorist groups.

This isn’t the first time that Occupy Oakland has been immersed in controversy.

This past weekend, Occupy Oakland engaged in a violent rampage in Oakland. Members broke into the Oakland City Hall where they damaged displays, cut electrical wiring, defaced artwork and scribbled graffiti in the building.

During that encounter, police arrested more than 300 members of the occupy gang after they charged police lines and hurled rocks, flares and bottles at officers. Police responded with tear gas, smoke grenades and bean bag rounds. Four members have been charged with felonies.

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan pleaded with the gang to “stop using Oakland as its playground.” Ignacio De La Fuente, an Oakland councilman, described acts by Occupy Oakland as “domestic terrorism.”

The San Francisco Chronicle has reported a divide between Occupy Oakland members. Nonviolent members of Occupy Oakland say they’ve been infiltrated by violent anarchists and criminals. New leaders have emerged and have refused to renounce violence.

Last week, a member of Occupy Oakland had allegedly murdered his parents and stuffed their bodies in a car. A 15-year-old boy has been charged by the prosecutor for the murders and will be tried as an adult.