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Police Presence in Denver: Goddamn Hippies!! Thank god the cops are here!
Tumbler 360
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I'm seeing more and more video clips that make absolutely no sense for an American city that has not suffered a national disaster or had massive looting and rioting break out.
The level of police presence is absurd in Denver, and the only place we're seeing info on this is off smaller news services like blogs and local news. Why isn't the rest of the media trying to roast the head of the city and the police chief on this issue?
It would appear that that police presence there is not a precaution in case violence or chaos breaks out but is actively intimidating the protesters trying to make them either commit violence or leave from fear of harm.
And then there was this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfISlq1gzK8
Code pink girl gets knocked down...then kidnapped apparently...? (Probably arrested behind the scenes...)
And then there is this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcQSM24Ibac
Crowd gets surrounded and held against their will?
Did I miss a huge riot in Denver that calls for this level of police response to crowds of people? Is the democratic convention that dangerous to attend that an army needs to be assembled and put into riot gear to repel the people who are not invited?
I don't see this as a problem on the individual police level, when you have an army this size it's going to cause trouble, the question is who the hell thought this level of protection for Denver was needed against protesters?
Are we to believe that crowds of people carrying signs are going to cause massive devastation? Are the participants of the DNC in so much danger that police need to be this aggressive in their use of force?
What really shocks me is that the major networks don't seem to care? CNN, FOX, all the big boys that are undoubtedly welcome guests of the DNC are inside the "green zone" and anyone who isn't supposed to be there is probably outside this wall of police...
So am I the only one that thinks this whole thing surreal? It's like the news networks are being pampered while the police rough up the little people outside the convention... WTF?
I feel like there is a piece of the puzzle I'm missing. Like a group of protesters killed a DNC speaker, or some of act of violence that required a response like this. Who's bright idea was it to have an army of police around denver during the DNC with the apparent mission being to make protesters wish they had never come out?
The level of police presence is absurd in Denver, and the only place we're seeing info on this is off smaller news services like blogs and local news. Why isn't the rest of the media trying to roast the head of the city and the police chief on this issue?
It would appear that that police presence there is not a precaution in case violence or chaos breaks out but is actively intimidating the protesters trying to make them either commit violence or leave from fear of harm.
And then there was this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfISlq1gzK8
Code pink girl gets knocked down...then kidnapped apparently...? (Probably arrested behind the scenes...)
And then there is this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcQSM24Ibac
Crowd gets surrounded and held against their will?
Did I miss a huge riot in Denver that calls for this level of police response to crowds of people? Is the democratic convention that dangerous to attend that an army needs to be assembled and put into riot gear to repel the people who are not invited?
I don't see this as a problem on the individual police level, when you have an army this size it's going to cause trouble, the question is who the hell thought this level of protection for Denver was needed against protesters?
Are we to believe that crowds of people carrying signs are going to cause massive devastation? Are the participants of the DNC in so much danger that police need to be this aggressive in their use of force?
What really shocks me is that the major networks don't seem to care? CNN, FOX, all the big boys that are undoubtedly welcome guests of the DNC are inside the "green zone" and anyone who isn't supposed to be there is probably outside this wall of police...
So am I the only one that thinks this whole thing surreal? It's like the news networks are being pampered while the police rough up the little people outside the convention... WTF?
I feel like there is a piece of the puzzle I'm missing. Like a group of protesters killed a DNC speaker, or some of act of violence that required a response like this. Who's bright idea was it to have an army of police around denver during the DNC with the apparent mission being to make protesters wish they had never come out?
Tumbler 360 on
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There's always large police presence at large events like this. Especially if the city doesnt have a history of riots they tend to like to keep it that way.
And really a large number of college students in gas masks shouting retarded political statements? There's no way that could go wrong!
I never asked for this!
It's like, hey I'm big and fat and angry and I'm going to yell obscenities at the authorities. That'll show em!
Yeah dude fat bitches need to get hit in the neck with batons! Fuck yeah!
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Were they protesting on a line segment?
They surrounded them because they were on a street. They only had two sides.
The way the reporter got told off by the police in the second video was pretty bad.
but they're listening to every word I say
The problem with most reporters is they agitate already agitated people for the sake of getting a story. Like said before theres always some fat chick to ham it up in front of a camera. People want to feel important and be noticed so really its to be expected.
I honestly don't see the point of this. OH NO THE POLICE DISPERSED A CROWD OF PEOPLE WITH OUT ANY INJURIES AND DAMAGE! OH SHI-*explosion*
I never asked for this!
I don't understand people's apathy about this?
I understand that protesters, or just large groups of people, can get out of control, but doesn't this approach assume that you are dealing with an un-ruly mob from the beginning?
Is that what protesters are today? Just an unruly mob that is there to harass people? And the police are right to corner them and force them to stop protesting? (In a group)
What does the constitution protect when it says citizens have the right to assemble and protest in peace? What would be an example of gathering and protesting in peace?
It seems like by and large, police departments do not do a good enough job of reprimanding/firing these people.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Cities have the right to generally regulate groups of people who want to congregate in and obstruct public spaces. You can't just get 50 dudes to stand in the middle of a public street screaming and call it a constitutional right.
People gather and peaceably demonstrate all the time.
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
Seriously, there was nothing, not one damn thing that woman did to deserve that measure of response.
I don't care how much she cussed him out. And if she had been violent just before then the proper response would have been to arrest her, not assault her like that.
Also 'free speech zones' always makes me laugh in a near crying way.
Yeah, and were they in the proper zone? With their permits? Gotta have your papers in order. In the right zone, of course.
And if you're the police then you have ample opportunity.
Probably, flags make excellent props while protesting.
But doesn't this just demonstrate the point of all this? The second anything happens every protest turns into random people shouting obscenities at everyone and going wild.
I never asked for this!
This will likely be my favorite post of the thread. Stunning... really.
I don't think you get hit in the throat with a baton for not having a permit. Then kidnapped. I'm also guessing that they were protesting/marching on streets that may have already been shut down due to the convention.
Now for the sarcasm: Hey guys! Police have a right to march too!
However, I will stand firm on the issue that protesters should have permits and remain with any agreed-upon terms or zones, and that the police are in the right to act [appropriately] against those who do not. I do not condone excessive force, though, but it's also very hard to make these judgments based on youtube clips.
Is it just me or does all of this look like a corporate controlled state desperate to maintain its status quo?
Sure.
Law enforcement in this country has widely overstepped its bounds under the premises of controlling illegal drugs and terrorism. I don't see the situation changing, but kudos to those still willing to demonstrate in the face of such adversity. And by adversity I mean tear gas and tazing, because nonlethal = harmless olol
Yeah the second the cops start firing guns into the air and throwing tear gas people start acting so unreasonably.
Did I miss something in the video? They were all singing and then guns fire into the air from behind the police and then teargas.
I'm saying that based on footage I've seen from Party Conventions for the last time around too.
Whats a more effective way to disperse a crowd? Tug and pull people one by one out of the group, or just shoot a cannister of teargas?
You're talking about the Tacoma video? The explosions from behind the police line were the tear gas canisters being launched, I believe.
Yeah until I get an objective view point I really can't go "ZOMG THE POLICE ARE MONSTERS!" Especially after the god damn fucking idiocy of the WTO "protesters" in Seattle.
pleasepaypreacher.net
This begs a few questions.
What do you consider appropriate action against protesters who leave a designated zone?
What do you consider excessive force to contain/arrest protesters?
Also rubber bullets. The more rapid noises are non-lethal ammo being shot out.
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. Ignoring why people are there, once a crowd becomes large enough it becomes very difficult to maintain unless you have a lot of presence in the area to begin with.
pleasepaypreacher.net
If they resist arrest, they should be detained along the principles of do-least-harm. I would consider anything that is not following the principles of do-least-harm to be excessive. Using a baton against someone who is not physically resisting restraint is excessive because I feel officers should attempt to restrain before they use physical force.
I don't put much faith into mass protests as a method for change. I think they're more a way for folks to massage their own egos and pretend they're doing something important rather than actually get anything done.
On the other hand, I have absolutely no faith in the honesty of the police, and while it's pretty much impossible to get a good sense of what's going on from the YouTube videos, I wouldn't put it past certain cops to act like thugs when facing off with protestors.
Both sides seem to be drawn together by forces closely resembling mob mentality. When these two forces collide, it's basically like watching a clash of stupidity in its purest elemental form.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
OK. She was whisked away in a manly fashion. It's not as if she would have fled if the police walked up to her and said "You're under arrest, turn around and put your hands behind your back." The manner of her extraction has the added benefit of also being terrifying.
I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of requiring permits to protest at all... but that's another discussion. At the very least I'd think that people should just be treated as if they do have the papers in order. It's the DNC for christ's sake. Nobody agrees with the use of excessive force. That is why it is called excessive force. It just depends on your definition of excessive. I agree whole heartedly that it is difficult to tell from youtube clips.
And lastly, lol Defrag. Lol.
In theory.
Also, here's another fun article: ABC News reporter arrested in Denver taking pictures of Senators, big donors
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
There in lies the problem too. Despite the police beinng in riot gear they are still vastly out numbered in a lot of situations. Which can make you afraid, especially if a large group starts acting violent. Also not everyone in a protest is there for the same reason or any reason. At the WTO I know a couple fuck tards who went down there specifically to break things because it would be harder to see who did it.
pleasepaypreacher.net