Mercedes Don't Run Over 99%ers, 1%ers Run Over 99%ers

Posted by Abe Sauer on November 3, 2011 02:37 PM

A month ago we questioned why Mercedes-Benz, "the elder statesman of auto luxury, has opted for downright aggressive, almost violent, messaging and imagery." The ad in question (top) had been in heavy rotation.

Well, it seems Mercedes' marketing is reality, as reports from Oakland claim an aggressive Mercedes driver aggressively displayed his aggression by running over two Occupy protesters.

In all fairness, the exact details of what happened are yet unclear, and as we noted earlier, things have been getting ugly in Oakland this week. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that "The driver, who was not identified, sat in his silver Mercedes-Benz sedan after the 7:30 p.m. incident while hundreds of people screamed at him through his closed windows."

One man and one women were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. Different reports have come out of Oakland, with some saying the driver was provoked and others saying he aggressively accelerated out of frustration.

Video of the event shows the Mercedes pulling into an intersection as protesters are crossing the road, and then accelerating through as a protester appears to bang on the hood of the car.

Of course, that he was driving a Mercedes has been lost on no one. Even the Chronicle's headline reads, "Mercedes hits 2 Occupy Oakland Protesters." Naturally, Fox News reported it a little differently: "'Occupy Oakland' Radical Hit By Car After Refusing to Let Driver Leave."

The whole scenario could not possibly play more into the hands of the Occupy movement. And Mercedes' latest ad campaign stressing "aggression" is just salt on the wound. Of course, it doesn't help that the guy driving the Mercedes in Oakland looks a heck of a lot like the driver in the "aggression" Mercedes ad.

Maybe Mercedes could take a lesson from the NRA: "Luxury cars don't squash 99%ers, 1%ers squash 99%ers."

More about: Mercedes-Benz, Occupy Oakland, Activism, Protests, Occupy Wall Street

Dan says:

What more do you need for details, his light turned green, the don't walk sign was up, if someone is going to surround your car, block your right of way and start damaging it... then he didnt do anything wrong.

November 3, 2011 05:33 PM #

Dan Hack Sack says:

are you insane? Since when does that give someone to outright kill someone? Also, pedestrians ALWAYS have the right of way, regardless of the situation. He wasn't even surrounded, it is clear from the video he is only surrounded AFTER he nearly killed two people. The guy who got run over looked like he was trying to communicate to the guy to calm his tits down, before he runs him over (ironically). and likely the guy in the car got mad and started screaming at him, which caused the guy avoiding to be run over to get angry and eventually out of frustration bashed his car with bear fist (nothing that insurance wouldn't cover), the guy was in no immediate danger (the guy in the car), but instead decided to assault the guy by running him over. I hope the driver goes to jail and gets sued out of his ass.

November 4, 2011 05:35 AM #

Jon says:

Sorry Dan Hack, but I support the Occupy movements, and to me it is clear the driver of the car had a green light. They proceeded to slowly enter the intersection to get a across WITHOUT injuring anyone. While the two people that decide to try and do what?? What are they doing, the guy just wants to go through the intersection, but while these idiots that got hit by the car decide to STOP him as he was safely and slowly traversing the crowd of people without any intention of hurting anyone. Then the light goes Yellow-Red, and they are still not letting the driver through who you can see was slowly creeping forward turning his wheel trying to get around these IDIOTS (2 people, not all of the people just these 2) who are trying to stop him again for WHAT REASON? Then the man decides to POUND on his hood... Bad decision, the driver clearly didn't want any trouble. And with everything that is going on, driver was most likely scared that these 2 IDIOTS would draw a crowd of people and I'm sure felt threatened as I know I would in this situation, and so the people that he was trying to get around safely got hurt. THEY DESERVED IT, THEY PROVOKED IT!!! HOpe those people pay for the damages to this cars hood.

November 4, 2011 12:21 PM #

Shorn says:

Dude what is that a C class? Those idiots deserved to get run over..

November 3, 2011 05:37 PM #

wow, we truly live in a materialistic world. america really is disgusting if it coming to this... suddenly the rest of the world seems more sane now. 2 people nearly died, and all you could care about is a stupid car that will end up in the junkyard in 20 years from now

November 4, 2011 05:38 AM #

Tower says:

If i get to an intersection and i have green light, pedestrian that "had the right of way" comes slamming at my hood... i think im gonna run over a motherfucker till im sure he dont wake up. He thought he was funny? i dont think so partner...

November 4, 2011 12:30 PM #

the laughing lawyer says:

CA vehicle code
21954. (a) Every pedestrian upon a roadway at any point OTHER than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway so near as to constitute an immediate hazard.
(b) The provisions of this section shall not relieve the driver of a vehicle from the duty to exercise due care for the safety of any pedestrian upon a roadway.

I hate to pee in the tea, but this is going to cost the mercedes kid a pretty penny, perhaps jail time if he doesn't have friends in high places. The pedestrians were in an intersection which gives them the right of way. It will be hard to convince a jury that the driver feared for his life more than the pedestrian being pushed by 3500 pounds of German steel. My free legal advice for the mercedes boy, sell everything and settle, my free legal advice for the plaintiffs, lawyer up, and go long!

November 4, 2011 01:14 PM #

If the title of this video is correct "1%ers run over 99%ers" then he clearly dont need friends in "high places". Lets just hope the jury cant put themselves in this mans position... the driver of the vehicle of course, and see how they would react to some low life banging of the hood of their cars the way this 99%er did. Im sure he was like "oh you want to honk your horn at me?" bang bang the hood.. victim freaked out (driver) and put that guy in his place. Problem solved.

November 4, 2011 01:32 PM #

Problem is, I don't think it would be that hard to convince a jury that the driver should fear for his life. I've seen over and over again where a seemingly docile mob turns on a person/vehicle, and decides to take matters in their own hands just as the driver of the car did. Could have easily been a video being posted of things going much differently. You are speculating that the driver wasn't in that much danger... I am saying I wouldn't gamble my life on speculation, and I would protect myself first. Besides, unless you are going to be their lawyer, don't count on getting paid very much, this idiot probably doesn't have much as far as funds are concerned. Good luck with the pro bono case, I hope you win and laugh all the way to the bank!!

November 4, 2011 02:36 PM #

1%ers don't drive c class

November 4, 2011 01:41 PM #

Afghan Whig says:

That probably wasn't the best way to handle it, but how would you react if some kid stood in front of your car, wouldn't move, and then beat on your hood? There aren't any innocents in this particular conflict.

November 4, 2011 07:40 PM #

Laura Eadon says:

Those saying the pedestrians have or don't have the right away... I don't think that will matter in this case. The people were walking up across the street and the car pulled up to them and made a complete stop. This isn't a case of someone walking when they shouldn't have been and the driver didn't see them or couldn't stop in time. He stopped, and then ran him down. That's a deliberate action. He will be hurting in court. The protester shouldn't have put his hands on the car but doing so doesn't give the driver the right to mow him down.

November 5, 2011 11:13 AM #

Buford Henne says:

An acquaintance of mine found out that last week that there was this law firm from upstate New York that is being sued by the federal prosecutor for not allowing their client to have her service dog (the dog helps the woman get up when she falls). Anybody seen about this?

November 9, 2011 08:37 PM #