NPR Calls Violent Protest "Restrained"

Because they failed to kill anybody I suppose.

The comforting whisper voices of authority at NPR want to keep their liberal pledge based hermetically sealed from the reality of nationwide May Day riots and chaos caused by the Occupy movement yesterday.

That’s the only conclusion to be drawn from Morning Edition’s scant coverage of what was supposed to be Occupy great spring renewal, downplaying if not denying the violence that was evident to anyone paying attention.

The terse, one-minute piece is summarized on the NPR website thusly:

The Occupy protest movement was out in force Tuesday. May 1 is traditionally a day for labor demonstrations. For the most part, the demonstrations were noisy and theatrical but restrained.

Restrained? Really, NPR? Is this theatrical? Or is that restrained?

Does NPR mention the Black Bloc protests? Yes, for about 7 seconds, and they mention its presence in Seattle. They don’t mention New York:

Several photographers, including a freelancer on assignment for Metro shooting the Occupy Wall Street May Day events today, were attacked by so-called Black Bloc protesters rallying on the Lower East Side.

Photographer Jeremy Sparig was following protesters as they ran along Forsyth Street after marching across the Williamsburg Bridge. The protesters he was specifically shooting were dressed all in black, with black hoods and goggles covering their faces. This group has taken on the moniker Black Bloc.

"I was in the street, shooting this protester as he ran and he said, 'Get out of the street,' or something," Sparig said.

Sparig told the man he was a journalist trying to record the day's events, but that's when the man took a swing at him.