Iraq war vet critically injured in Oakland protests
(Reuters) - An Iraq war veteran was listed in critical condition on Wednesday from injuries he sustained at economic protests on the streets of Oakland, triggering calls for renewed Occupy Wall Street demonstrations across the country.
Protest organizers say 24-year-old Scott Olsen, a former U.S. Marine, was struck in the head on Tuesday night by a tear gas canister fired by police during a confrontation with demonstrators trying to move back into a downtown Oakland plaza.
A spokesman for Highland General Hospital in Oakland confirmed Olsen was in critical condition there from injuries sustained during the protest but could not confirm he had been hit by a tear gas canister.
Oakland Police spokeswoman Cynthia Perkins said the department was investigating the incident. She declined further comment.
Keith Shannon, who said he served alongside Olsen in Iraq, told Reuters his friend was suffering from a two-inch skull fracture and brain swelling and had been sedated in the hospital’s emergency room trauma center while neurosurgeons decide whether to operate.
Full Story Here:
Iraq war vet critically injured in Oakland protests
This is what happens when you go to an *OCCUPY* protest and in the process of doing your protesting, someone does something that forces the Police to get involved.
A head shot from a tear gas canister! THAT is gonna leave a mark! 
I am seeing a few stories across the ‘net saying that this guy is a Marine, a USMC Marine, that kind of Marine, and a veteran of 2 tours in Iraq.
For me this poses a couple of questions; first, did he not learn to wear his Kevlar helmet?
Secondly, and to me, this is the BIG question, what in the HELL was a U.S. Marine doing marching with a bunch of smelly-assed hippie anarchists?
I have seen several stories from guys that represent themselves to be *former Marines* saying that ALL Marines are outraged at the Oakland Police Department for the injury sustained by Scott Olsen. Several I have been made aware of are saying that the USMC is declaring WAR on the Oakland P.D., and to the best of MY knowledge, nothing is further from the truth.
This Scott Olsen guy is free to do as HE wishes, but if he hadn’t been hanging out with the hippies and anarchists, his head wouldn’t have been bashed in.
If you *dance with the Devil*…Just sayin’…
EDIT TO ADD: OK, here’s the WHY. He’s a member of Veterans for Peace. A Socialist and Marxist run group that pals around with the likes of CODE PINK.
VFP/IVAW Member, Scott Olsen, Seriously Injured @ Occupy Oakland
Well, this former Marine is not outraged at the Oakland PD if they were simply doing their job and keeping the peace. If Scott Olsen was an innocent bystander, I guess he chose the wrong place to standby. And if he was out there with them and breaking the law, then we should not be surprised if he got his head broken.
Any betters on whether he was an oath-keeper?
Keep your powder dry.
Probably never heard of Oath Keepers…
Just might be the big Gs way of telling young Mr. Olsen that he fucked up.
Yeah, he ain’t getting a lot of sympathy from me.
The MSM is making a big deal out of he’s a Veteran. I remind people that Tim McVeigh was a decorated war veteran, having been awarded a Bronze Star.
I guess he needs to be awarded the ‘Purple Fart’ for being injured in a stinky situation. I’m sure he already has enough Stars….all them spinning around his head. He forgot his early training…when the shooting starts…duck !!!
Well, a few lefty, libber, socialists, commies, whatever they are, are trying to comment…
Hey, all of you OWS PUKES, go screw yourselves, no one will see your bullshit here… This guy, Olsen, was hanging with the trash and got his punkin’ popped by a tear gas canister, it was a lucky shot, I am fairly certain that tear gas cans aren’t set up for head shot accuracy…
Anyway, if YOU support these OWS assholes, I hope the next canister catches YOU, right between the eyes… You want WAR? You can be accommodated…
This is typical and you hit the nail on the head on your update.
The leftist mantra is “Victimhood” In the leftist mind, the victim, the persecuted the downtrodden.. PERCEIVED Victimhood, even if it’s staged. Media eats that shit up. The “Touchy feely” freaks in big cities who live off the gubmint love that crap. Us, those of us WHO ARE GREAT WITH INDIVIDUALISM, and the success that breeds look for truth.
The “Vets for peace” org is a leftist organization joined by some vets that had some issues in the military. They are EXPENDABLE in the leftists fight. They are being USED. IF I were them, I’d watch my back. The leftists need victims to get their message out.
Anybody remember that puke politician John Kerry?
Yeah,,,,him.
He was a Viet-Nam vet that lied to get himself awarded medals, then testified and lied his ass off, to start up his political career.
This one is just another anti-war vet, who is looking for something to join.
No sympathies here.
Yes I remember McVeigh. Another nutcase, who has given our vets a bad name.
Hang on, ya’ll, I think I can work up some sympathy here … for the cop. He’s going to be excoriated for doing his job.
That young buck sure isn’t an example of the fine young men I served with. Nor is he exemplary of most of the vets I have spoken with or interacted with.
There are rumors that the left/lib/progs are looking for another Kent State moment. Like Robert said, the vets that are running with VfP better watch their backs - I’ll lay odds that seeing the outrage this has generated, one of the lefty non-leaders is going to put two and two together.
Scott Olsen got what he deserved. He’s lucky I wasn’t there, or he’d have a boot up his ass also.
I see you already have the news that this idiot is a Marine-hating former Marine. What an asshole he is, and he deserves whatever he got. Makes me a meanie, I guess. Karl Denninger, whom I use to like because he understands the Fed’s corruption, is siding with this weasel. Karl is definitely on the dark side, supporting OWS now.
In the fight for this country, people keep making it easier and easier to see who is a real freedom-loving American and who is a pretender.
From Verum Serum (http://www.verumserum.com/?p=31617)
[...] It has been widely reported that Olsen is a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War. But apparently his opposition to the U.S. military and the Marine Corps in which he served runs a little deeper.
The site is no longer live, but Olsen was the founder of IHateTheMarineCorps.com, a private user forum apparently dedicated to bashing the Marine Corps…
…Using this information, I also uncovered a comment from Olsen on the Yahoo Answers site from last year where he is highly critical of the Marine Corps:
“The Marine Corps thrives on its image. They convince young men and women that they’re joining a professional military organization. But that’s not the case at all, every Marine knows it, and most have no problem downplaying the bullshit to outsiders so they can protect their “beloved corps”. I noticed some of the other posters have told you not to pay any attention to my site because we’re just a bunch of ********* who couldn’t hack it, right? Maybe not hacking it means we saw through the bullshit and don’t want to take it. Maybe the brainwashing didn’t work on us. I’m not here to tell you if you should join or not. I’m here to advise you to take the people who visit my website just as seriously as anybody who tries to sell you the MC as a good thing.
My site is anonymous, these people don’t have to worry about hiding from the MC, or protecting the MC’s image or anything. It is unfiltered truth.
Source(s):
Former Marine, owner of http://www.ihatethemarinecorps.com”
We are still digging for any other relevant information, so stay tuned.