The American Spectator admits to being involved in the precipitation of violence at the Air and Space Museum as a means of discrediting the Occupy Movement.



It has been openly reporting about its "plants" among the protesters and their actions to get certain things to occur. Included in this, today, was the presence of - and central role played by - Patrick Howley, its Assistant Editor, in sparking the police reaction and violence.

The American Spectator admits to being involved in the precipitation of violence at the Air and Space Museum as a means of discrediting the Occupy Movement. It has been openly reporting about its "plants" among the protesters and their actions to get certain things to occur. Included in this, today, was the presence of - and central role played by - Patrick Howley, its Assistant Editor, in sparking the police reaction and violence.

Standoff in D.C. By Patrick Howley on 10.8.11 @ 6:24PM American Spectator reporter pepper-sprayed at Washington protest. The fastest-running protesters charged up the steps of Washington's National Air and Space Museum Saturday afternoon to infiltrate the building and hang banners on the "shameful" exhibits promoting American imperialism. As the white-uniformed security guards hurried to physically block the entrances, only a select few -- myself included -- kept charging forward.

Mr. Howley's adventure led to his being pepper-sprayesd as well as to claim being the only protester to make it into the museum.

Under a cloud of pepper spray I forced myself into the doors and sprinted blindly across the floor of the Air and Space Museum, drawing the attention of hundreds of stunned khaki-clad tourists (some of whom began snapping off disposable-camera portraits of me). I strained to glance behind me at the dozens of protesters I was sure were backing me up, and then I got hit again, this time with a cold realization: I was the only one who had made it through the doors. As two guards pointed at me and started running, I dodged a circle of gawking old housewives and bolted upstairs.

Mr. Howley made it out of the museum again after taking actions that he planned to blame on others. Yet he finds this a source of pride.

"The museum is now closed!" screamed one of the guards as alarms sounded. "Everyone make your way to the exits immediately!" Using my jacket to cover my face -- which I could feel swelling to Elephant Man proportions -- I ducked through the confused tourists and raced out the exit. "Hey, you!" shouted a female guard reaching for my arm. "Get back here!" But I was already down the steps and out of sight.

Patrick Howley is an assistant editor at The American Spectator. It is clear that there was more to the escalation of that incident into police violence than the presence of Occupation supporters. It appears that its opponents, with a clearly stated agenda to disrupt and discredit it, were centrally involved in what rhey deliberately escalated out of control - and now they are on the internet bragging about it.