Peacful protestors?

Originally posted by norompanlasolas: as someone who has been beaten and has had to cope with cops pretty regularly (in various countries in europe, and in argentina) i have to say there is no excuse for police brutality. why? because they are the law, so no matter how bad the protestors behave, the police as a force are the ones that have to show restraint. when they are attacked there is no comparison between what they take and receive. unarmed protestors against fully geared riot police with armor and shields. so dont give me that "they are attacked they have to react". oh, and to those laughing at the pic, its quite obvious youve never been on the receiving end of it, or you wouldnt talk about it so lightly. i really wonder if some things that are said on this forum sometimes would be said face to face to someone. id be amused to hear a commentary about the police needing to beat up people more in front of me and my friends. the one saying it wouldnt be so happy, probably.

I would say all the same things I say on here face to face...if not, I wouldnt post therm here. Posting things you won't defend in real life is just a cowardly way of doing things.

The guy in the picture looks like he is in a choke hold and my life experience of 40 years running the streets tell me innocent bystanders don't get into these situations. If you provoke, expect to get bit. If you put yourself somewhere that is likely to see violence, don't act all surprised when you get smacked int he head. I said it earlier, and Ill say it again, The Actions you take dictate the life you lead, if you take an action expect there to be a reaction. The police should in my opinion crack heads before those silly (and usually drunken) heads have the chance to crack their heads. Just because they are the LAW doesn't mean they have to be sitting ducks and take abuse.

On the other hand. If you are fighting a hostile and evil regime..well you got to do what you got to do. Just choose your fights wisely, or pay the consequences.

Oh just read your last reply, well hell you don't just walk up to a stranger and start spewing your opinions unasked for..but in HERE the question was asked and the topic is in fair play. Threatening to bash someone for stating their opinion during a discussion is a far cry from having said person just walking up to you on the street and doing it...sheesh.

[ 09-28-2002, 05:30 PM: Message edited by: MagiK ]

Originally posted by ladyzekke: I'll remember this protest for about another day, then it will dissappear into oblivion. I never remember silly stuff, what I remember is genuine emotional topics, and funny enough, I still don't know what those people were protesting exactly. They never tried to get their voices heard, they just wanted to take a day off of work and act like idiots.

Actually there is no single thread of protest...from what I can tell there are a couple of dozen different "causes" out there. The minority of which actually has to do with the world bank...and that one is not anti-world bank so much as anti-americanism....they seem to think we are conatminating the worlds culture....or so I gather from the latest idjit on the boob tube.

[norompanlasolas]

since we are in the mood for posting pics and laughing a bit at them, i thought id post one too.

[johnny]

Originally posted by norompanlasolas: since we are in the mood for posting pics and laughing a bit at them, i thought id post one too.

Maybe a bit of explanation with the pic could help. Who is that bleeding on the ground ?

[Ladyzekke]

Yes an explanation would be nice plus the site where you got that pic as well. Looks to me like someone got hit with a brick. Pretty sure cops don't throw bricks, although quite a few protestors had no problem chucking them about.

Umm Looks to me like a police officer who has been hit on the head by a brick from a "Peacful Protestor" who was just exercising his right to free speach.

Noro. Whatever your gripe with police officers, I suggest you not make light of officers who have been taken down by extremist nutcases. I am not sure if that is/was your intent here, but I found it less than humorous. All you will accomplish is to piss people off and make a few enemies.

Note, that I did not laugh at the guy in the choke hold, I just expressed my thoughts that the guy was most likely NOT just standing around minding his own business.

All in all I am fairly confident that the Police in Washington DC the last two days have reacted properly and with justified provocation. I have seen the mess the "peacful protestors" have made, seen the danger they inflicted on innocent people who had nothing to do with the IMF or WTO or World Bank. It has also been my emergency services these assholes have disrupted and endangerd my life and every other residents life by screwing around with the 911 calls. These people are not exercising their right to free speach, they are breaking the laws and endangering themselves and others.

[ 09-28-2002, 08:40 PM: Message edited by: MagiK ]

[Lord of Alcohol]

Looks like a cop on the ground from the (oversize) brick to me. So now when a pissed off cop defends himself it will look like "payback" no matter what. I'm not always on the side of the law but in this case I am. I hope the DC cops beat the shit out of the punks who attack them. Then everyones happy. The protesters get to say they were beaten (a badge of honor for the idiots) and the cops get payback (badge of honor for them too although I wont call them idiots). Anyone found guilty of assaulting a policeman should serve at least two years. And hitting ANYONE with a brick is aggravated assault at the very least, possibly going up to attempted murder. Hope the "protestors" are ready for the criminal charges.

[*\Conan/*]

This photo is from yesterday's confrontation at the World Bank. Six people were charged with destruction of property for smashing the front window with bricks. The person on the ground was cracked by a night stick in the first and only physical confrontation. Its not a good idea to throw bricks, or even have one in your hand looking like your going to throw it, with the police watching your every move.
Look, this really isn't anything big or out of hand here. Lots of events take place in D.C. and on a scale of 1-10 rate this a 2.
Everything from kite flying to the best of cultural events happen simultaneously here and it is the norm. So please let's not let this be turned into something it's not.
(I'm sure those protesting are not supporting GeorgeTown right now either )

[Ladyzekke]

You know it is common knowledge that every action begets a reaction, and what can you think you will get as a reaction when you are running amok tossing bricks and destroying innocent people's property? You know you are creating anger all around you. Stir the pot until it boils if you must, just don't bitch if you get burned with hot water.

All I know is that hurting others (trying to set the city on fire, destroying innocent people's buildings with bricks or whatever, disrupting 911 service for those dying, etc.) to get what you want (your "statement" made) is a pathetic and selfish thing to do. People usually don't react well to that kind of thing as a whole LOL. In some ways it is the equivalent of a man pissed at his father-in-law, and decides to hurt his children to get back at said father-in-law. Yes, a different thing but there is still a similarity in my analogy.

Blah! There are so many sides of this type of discussion I can't type anymore about it, I see both sides believe it or not. But I tend to still think Protesting with Violence gets all of us nowhere.

[ 09-28-2002, 10:59 PM: Message edited by: ladyzekke ]