Does DHS have its own military? Or do they simply attempt to commandeer whatever form of law enforcement that happens to exist in an area that they wish to secure?

With regard to cities, city governments have been the authority controlling their own police departments in the past. Is it still this way? Or will the police departments hand over their authority to DHS on demand? Are mayors, city councils, and other city government officials certain that they even have control over their own police departments? Or are they scared that they can't control the local para-military that they put into place to protect everyone from the criminal element?

I suspect that city governing officials are not aware of the freedom that they have to resist DHS takeovers, constitutionally, that is. It would do city officials well to find out exactly what strength they have, from every angle, and where exactly the local county sheriff stands and how much they can lean on him/her, in the event that the local police department has decided already to simply ignore city officials, and swing their entire police body under DHS.

      Anyone who is stupid enough to challange the "authority" of of the cops is likely to end up on the short end of the (night)stick. I doubt that most of the "occupy" people even know what Kent State or the 1968 Democratic Convention were, but this is no different...Actually it's not much different - from a thugs against the world standpoint - than Birmingham or most any other attempt at civil rights or standing against the gestapo. I told people to leave Chicago the minute the cops showed up - Nobody paid any attention. Fortunately, none of them died. Protestors don't have anything to fight these goons with except non-violence.When dealing with arrogant, dullards and mindless morons, who actually believe they can kill you and get away with it (and they can), non-violence is apt to get you killed, anyway. At this point in the abuse of American democracy and freedom, people who dare to oppose the autocrats, and self-annointed ass----- who pass themselves off as protectors and defenders of the Constitution and liberty, are putting their lives on the line. When the hammer finally falls, the "movement" will be over and there will be blood in the streets.