# Is there confirmation for the video/story of tanks in LA? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 11, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-confirmation-for-the-video-story-of-tanks-in-la/274141 "2004-11-11T03:35:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-confirmation-for-the-video-story-of-tanks-in-la/274141/1 "2004-11-11T03:35:29Z")
[Video of tanks at an anti-war protest](http://www.la.indymedia.org/news/2004/11/118865.php) I’d almost like to believe this is a hoax… I’ve looked on google and been unable to find any hits other than those that link back to indymedia’s site. Is this bull, or genuine? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-confirmation-for-the-video-story-of-tanks-in-la/274141/2 "2004-11-11T04:33:57Z")
It’s hard to see how it could be a hoax. I mean they are clearly (light) tanks, it is clearly on public streets, and they are clearly there because of the protestors (ie not just passing by) … I’m not sure what aspect you think may have been faked. The kindest interpretation is that maybe an overenthusiastic national guard commander heard some garbled report of trouble and sent them out, a la Kent State. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-confirmation-for-the-video-story-of-tanks-in-la/274141/3 "2004-11-11T04:51:58Z")
Since Thursday is Veteran’s day… :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-confirmation-for-the-video-story-of-tanks-in-la/274141/4 "2004-11-11T06:08:23Z")
> [@AndrewT](#): > > It’s hard to see how it could be a hoax. I mean they are clearly (light) tanks, it is clearly on public streets, and they are clearly there because of the protestors (ie not just passing by) … I’m not sure what aspect you think may have been faked. > > The kindest interpretation is that maybe an overenthusiastic national guard commander heard some garbled report of trouble and sent them out, a la Kent State. It’s just somewhat unsettling, and I suppose I’d rather it be old footage or such than a new and authentic piece of film. I’m still interested to see if/how the major news networks run with it. ---
**Author:** ![Lagged2Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ac8455/32.png) [@Lagged2Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lagged2Death)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-confirmation-for-the-video-story-of-tanks-in-la/274141/5 "2004-11-11T06:19:52Z")
According to [this report](http://www.polizeros.com/2004/11/10.html#a4686) (scoll down to “Update 2” heading) the tank drivers were in fact lost, and their presence at an anti-war demonstration was just a weird coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-confirmation-for-the-video-story-of-tanks-in-la/274141/6 "2004-11-11T07:17:42Z")
From the above link: > [@](#): > > I talked to one Marine with one of the “Striker” vehicles. He told me they had driven the vehicles up from Camp Pendleton the night before (Tuesday) on the freeway. Getting off the 405 Freeway going north, they would have passed Wilshire and Veteran where ANSWER had called a rally to protest the attack on Fallujah in Iraq. > > I asked him if he was “rolling around Westwood” Tuesday night. He said, “Yeah, and we drove past that anti-war demonstration. We was lost. We’re not from L.A. We didn’t know where this place (WLA VA) was. We were trying to find it.” No wonder they were lost – the West Los Angeles VA hospital is _west_ of the 405 freeway. The Federal Building (where the protesters were) is _east._ Someone could have given them right directions in ten seconds. “Oh, you want the VA hospital? Sure, go down to the red light there, then make a U-turn, go under the freeway, and it’ll be on your right side.” ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-confirmation-for-the-video-story-of-tanks-in-la/274141/7 "2004-11-11T07:59:22Z")
That was a surreal video. Two tanks supported by…three cops on bicycles?!? Not what I’d call effective riot suppression… And yeah, those tank drivers really did look lost. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-confirmation-for-the-video-story-of-tanks-in-la/274141/8 "2004-11-11T12:42:18Z")
Not tanks. LAV-25’s. (Light Armored Vehicle). And not Strykers, that is the brand new, much heavier Army version of the LAV-25.