Elderly woman blasted with pepper spray: How the photo happened

[RamboLiberal]

The telephones in seattlepi.com‘s newsroom are ringing like crazy today. That’s not uncommon in a newsroom, but there’s something different about today’s calls. More often than not, you’ll pick up the phone and hear something like this: “I wanted to ask about the pepper-spray picture.”

The photo was taken Tuesday evening by seattlepi.com photographer Joshua Trujillo at an Occupy Seattle protest at Westlake Park. The elderly woman featured in the photo was pepper sprayed by police just moments before.

The picture, showing Rainey’s face streaked with pepper spray, tears and a milky solution used to combat the spray, has connected with readers and bloggers across the country.

The Atlantic Wire called it a “defining image.” The Washington Post likened it to John Filo’s Pulitzer-winning picture of the 1970 massacre at Kent State, saying “Although there have been many striking images of violence and peace in Occupy encampments, and many faces of the movement, none may be as immediately striking as this image of Dorli Rainey, taken by Joshua Trujillo.”

http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2011/11/16/elderly-woman-blasted-with-pepper-spray-how-the-photo-happened/

Pulitzer? I hope so.

[Spazito]

1. The Atlantic Wire called it a “defining image.”

I hope it is. The photo is a very powerful image. I watched the interview Keith Olbermann did with Ms. Rainey and she IS an inspiration.

[Fire Walk With Me]

2. Bravo. What a woman. What a picture.

[Luminous Animal]

3. It is iconic because she is surrounded with care. It evokes feelings of compassion and love.

[Fire Walk With Me]

6. Which is of course another side-effect of the 1%'s attacks.

They're driving us into unity, to take care of each other.

It is wonderful :)

[Luminous Animal]

7. It is wonderful

And also tragic when it is destroyed. Occupy Oakland was building a remarkable community. It's not dead but it has suffered a serious set back.

[RKP5637]

4. Should be a Time mag. cover picture! n/t

[slay]

5. AND - it's Dorli Rainey - longtime political activist - (Keith interviewed her last night)

Dorli Rainey's History of Activism Before She Became an Occupy Icon

JOHN HUDSON 2,474 ViewsNOV 16, 2011
"The new face of the youth-fueled Occupy Wall Street movement is none other than an 84-year-old woman who's spent her life crusading for liberal causes. The image of pepper-sprayed Doril Rainey has quickly gone viral across Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.

As Rainey's fellow travelers in the Occupy movement hunt for more details about her, here's what we know so far."

more: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/11/dorli-raineys-history-activism-she-became-occupy-icon/45075/

***also - be sure you see what will surely be a legendary interview with her by Keith Olbermann from last night's episode of Countdown - it's something you will never see on any other so called "news" program. A true class act from both her and Keith. Very powerful. Here's the link: http://current.com/shows/countdown/videos/occupy-seattle-octogenarian-activist-dorli-rainey-on-being-pepper-sprayed-by-seattle-police-importance-of-activism

[RamboLiberal]

8. Yep she & Keith were great!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

13. WOW!!Thanks for this, slay!

No cable here, thanks for this!!!


I just watched it. TRUTH!!!

This was fantastic, what a woman!!!!!!!! "I remember Geobbels, I grew up over there, and I remember the shrinking of the print media. ...we had one newspaper and it was the same from Northern Germany to Austria and it was the same propaganda; we are winning the war.......... and we have no more free media now........."

:applause:

[slay]

14. No prob

always nice to be able to share some good info in these very trying times we live in. :hug:

[BlancheSplanchnik]

22. :)

yes, it is...good to connect with like minds! :hug:

[DeschutesRiver]

15. It was truth, indeed. Dh's mother would have been her age had she lived

but she died in her mid 50s, in part due to the rough time she had as a younger person in Nazi Germany.

She remembered these evil doers, there was no meaningful press, there was brutality...it leaves a mark that no one who went through it ever forgets.

It should never be forgotten, because as humans we seem doomed to repeat such things as part of human's capability for inhumanity to others. There were not enough people who spoke up and acted out in Germany, and we saw the results. People like this 84 year old activist bring a perspective and meaning to this that is very deep indeed. What a woman of long standing conviction and belief she is.

And special thanks to slay for bringing this up - I have current tv for this month only and I was able to tape Keith's interview with her for my dh to see. I was inspired listening to her.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

23. thank you for this bit of history

as you said, "People like this 84 year old activist bring a perspective and meaning to this that is very deep indeed".


I think the internet is a great blessing for us in this time....back in her day, there was not the immediate, nearly all inclusive person to person communication that we have now. We would be much more dependent on the 1%'s propaganda, and they would have far more latitude to manipulate within.

:hi:

[sasha031]

18. what a beautiful and remarkable woman

here's her blog
Old Lady in Combat Boots
http://www.oldladyincombatboots.com/

[piratefish08]

9. tragic and inspiring.......

Dorli is a Hero!

some here on DU would have been upset that traffic in the background was inconvenienced, though.......

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Well people had places to go, doncha know?

:sarcasm:

[xchrom]

10. recommend

[Irishonly]

11. K&R

I watched her on Countdown. She is a hero. She reminds me of one of my most favorite people. Lois marched with MLK, fought for women's rights and has always been an outspoken critic of war. Lois was out protesting Bush's wars when the college kids couldn't be bothered. My new fantasy is to be in a room with ladies like this, shut up and learn volumes.

[gblady]

12. that picture.....

moves me to tears every time I see it.
How could they treat one of our elders in such a dispicable manner?

[TriMera]

17. K&R for Ms. Rainey. n/t

[countryjake]

19. Kick!

.

[gateley]

20. If I knew where she lived, I'd offer to give her rides, although

it sounded like she did a great job on her bus ride home!

[Mimosa]

21. Photos we need to see. Doubt she attacked a policeman. n/t