Mayday
As much as I would have liked to be on the ground and in the crowd as a Photo Journalist at our local Mayday Events,I spent yesterday at U W Medical Center having CT Scans to id some new stuff they have spotted,but I followed the events as best I could and one thing I observed,here in Seattle,was the Police were more than ready to counter and disturb the rallies. A steady drumbeat of adverse propaganda has been put forth for weeks now by both Seattle PD and the Mayors Office that they expected unruliness and many suspect if they couldn't find it they would manufacture it. Unfortunately both appear to have occurred marring what was planned as a peaceful show of the 99% displeasure with the status quo. Teargas and Batons and ready to detain Police were out in force.Arrests and violence,injuries and vandalism.
According to the Seattle PI "Earlier this month, local anarchists held a Cascadian Anarchist Olympics in downtown Seattle. The three-day event included sessions on how to deal with "pigs on horses," a slingshot shooting gallery and a session on tear gas."After what happened here during the WTO event,one can not,from a Policing View,blame them for their preparedness .But sadly the trust has been lost because many who were there say that the small group who took to destroying  property were unknown to organizers and other grass route attendees,leaving them to believe these were imported provocateurs. Either way,the results had the desired effects for those opposed to the 99%.Negative news focused on the acts of the few and not the needs of the People and their message. Here in Seattle it left many who had been supportive and those who may have been,less than they had been or now totally dismissing the movement.
This is literally "a few bad apples"scenario that has repeated itself many times destroying the good work and efforts of truly Peaceful activists to strive for change since the first organized movements of the common people to improve their lot in life.
I do not know the answer to this dilemma  but I do know that the Freelance non organizational method of protest is compromised beyond it's ability to be effective unless a new dialogue between organizers and the PD  through the Mayors office occurs to make it crystal clear this violence and vandalism is not part of the Protest agenda.
I know many in the movement blame both parties for our situation.This is true in some part.But only one Party will even listen to the 99% and they are the Party who has done more for average Americans than anyone else.Read American History.Start around 1890.You will be astonished !
Demostrations are useful to a point.But now is the time to bite the bullet and choose the lesser of what they(99%) see as two evils and organize to VOTE in November to  help Democrats regain the House,maintain the Senate and assure Obama a second term.This is the system we have,like it or not.We can change what we dislike only if we have the power to do so.If you think things are bad now you will not believe what will come if you stay home and ignore using your greatest weapon.Your Vote.