Protest vs Riot

[Neo Deist]

D.C. is a powder keg right now. People are on the streets doing everything from peaceful marches to smashing windows and throwing stuff. There is a line that you don't cross. Many have stepped over it.

A protest should be peaceful, and it is the right of every US citizen to do so. That is protected under the 1st Amendment. You can speak your mind and have your voice heard. You can stand up for a cause that you believe in. I fully support the right to peaceful protests.

Once a protest turns to infringing on the rights of others, damaging property, throwing stuff at the police, or inciting violence, it is no longer a protest. It is a riot. Those that participate should not only be arrested, but also made to pay for any damages done.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I live in Portland, Oregon. And when the protests were going on after the election, our police handled it very well. Out of the hundreds of people peacefully protesting, less than 20 became violent. And those people weren't part of the protesting group. So even though the media mislabeled it as a riot, the police could see otherwise. And instead of trying to break up the protest, asked them to gather in pioneer square (away from businesses and cars). The violent offenders were easily rounded up, and the protest continued peacefully another day.

 

[Spiderman]

D.C. is a powder keg right now. People are on the streets doing everything from peaceful marches to smashing windows and throwing stuff. There is a line that you don't cross. Many have stepped over it.

A protest should be peaceful, and it is the right of every US citizen to do so. That is protected under the 1st Amendment. You can speak your mind and have your voice heard. You can stand up for a cause that you believe in. I fully support the right to peaceful protests.

Once a protest turns to infringing on the rights of others, damaging property, throwing stuff at the police, or inciting violence, it is no longer a protest. It is a riot. Those that participate should not only be arrested, but also made to pay for any damages done.

Amen! Preach it bro!

 

[Father Heathen]

Yeah, I don't see what's supposed to be achieved by damaging the property of those who have nothing to do with your grievances. When you're victimizing innocent people, it no loner matters how justified you believe your cause to be.

 

[Akivah]

When I look at riots around the world, I see that almost all of them are caused by loss of rights, loss of property, and no access to food or water. Then I look at today's DC riots. These people are protesting what MIGHT happen. No one in the crowd has actually lost anything.

Give the guy an opportunity to do something, and THEN protest his action. That's the sensible way.

 

[Neo Deist]

When I look at riots around the world, I see that almost all of them are caused by loss of rights, loss of property, and no access to food or water. Then I look at today's DC riots. The people are protesting what MIGHT happen. No one in the crowd has actually lost anything.

Give the guy an opportunity to do something, and THEN protest his action. That's the sensible way.

Sadly we live in a country (can't speak for the world) where people don't know how to lose graciously. They want THEIR way, and when they don't get it they have a come apart. The irony behind the protesters that are standing up for their rights/views is that they often infringe on the rights of others, and don't care. There was a journalist that was covering the five black men that chained themselves to an entrance to the mall for the inauguration, thus blocking it. They were standing up and demonstrating for BLM. One of them said, "this is what democracy looks like." A man that was trying to get through the gate said, "no, democracy is on the other side of the gate and you are keeping me from it. I drove 20 hours to get here, and now I can't even get in because of you."

 

[Akivah]

Sadly we live in a country (can't speak for the world) where people don't know how to lose graciously. They want THEIR way, and when they don't get it they have a come apart.

Agreed.

The irony behind the protesters that are standing up for their rights/views is that they often infringe on the rights of others, and don't care.

Another irony is that none of these protestors have lost any rights.

 

[MonkeyFire]

I'm a non-revolutionary pacifist, it's the same as war. Only demonstrate knowledge and respect. Consideration and wisdom hold special abilities.

 

[Augustus]

I live in Portland, Oregon. And when the protests were going on after the election, our police handled it very well. Out of the hundreds of people peacefully protesting, less than 20 became violent. And those people weren't part of the protesting group. So even though the media mislabeled it as a riot, the police could see otherwise. And instead of trying to break up the protest, asked them to gather in pioneer square (away from businesses and cars). The violent offenders were easily rounded up, and the protest continued peacefully another day.

So some police forces in America can handle a protest sensibly? It's not uncommon that peaceful protests turn violent purely because of police using excessive force.

Earlier this week, in North Dakota they deployed a missile launcher at a civilian protest against an oil pipeline (well it was the national guard not the police in this case).

I remember how stupid they looked in Ferguson the police had a fancy dress party where they pretended they were special forces in a war zone and seemed to be engaging in a competition to see which officer could carry the most ridiculously unnecessary amount of military surplus in one go. Even in light of this, a missile launcher (even unarmed) seems to be over egging the pudding just a little bit though.

 

[ShivaFan]

I didn’t see much of this while flipping between FOX Business channel and RT News, but I did see the clips of the Circle A types dressed in black and climbing a tree, someone throwing something, running from the tear gas while some of the A’s had these long poles or sticks or something, some gal who frankly looked like she was a mental on hire (I know for a fact that mentals are hired as protesters, having run into them in an old Borders Book Store hanging out before they come out to protest something to do with an oil company, I was sort of feeling sad for them as they are essentially being taken advantage of and could actually end up injured, but back on subject…) this gal doing odd jerking motions in front of a line of cops and saying repetitive mantras of hate which I am pretty sure she was “trained” to say …

… and, to the point, honestly I didn’t see a lot of people, no way like when I got caught in the middle of a Symbionese Liberation Army food distribution which turned into a riot at the Berkeley-Oakland border back in the 1970’s or the protests of the 60s – there is NO comparison, and maybe I didn’t see all the coverage but from what I saw there is no question in my mind these A’s are real light weights, not very impressive at all.

I mean, I am sort of an expert on Hindu-Muslim riots, know things block by block for Calcutta, also been in some wild fights in my day when a young Hindu on the street against “tuffs” but we proved a lot tougher, and I have a little permanent scar next to one of my eyes to prove my point. So these Circle A’s strike me as a bunch of light weights and a biker club could take every one of them out in like two swallows of beer.

Wow – boy, these jokers are going to make a point? Ahhh… no. A bunch of Hare Krishna guys with kartalas (metal brass cymbals) could easily wack these jokers senseless in no time flat. These are supposed to be “revolutionaries” or whatever they think they are? What a joke. You know, don’t be surprised if soon some militia types really give these juniors and idiots their due.

 

[tytlyf]

I've never seen so much security/police presence during an inauguration. They're double stacked along the parade route.

 

[Neo Deist]

I remember how stupid they looked in Ferguson the police had a fancy dress party where they pretended they were special forces in a war zone and seemed to be engaging in a competition to see which officer could carry the most ridiculously unnecessary amount of military surplus in one go.

Not to burst your bubble, but police sometimes do go into a war zone. The weapon of choice for many street thugs is the AK47 rifle (referred to as a chopper) and its variants. It fires a 7.62x39mm round that will rip right through normal body armor. The police have to wear hard plate armor and helmets in order to protect themselves from POTENTIAL threats.

 

[Augustus]

Not to burst your bubble, but police sometimes do go into a war zone. The weapon of choice for many street thugs is the AK47 rifle (referred to as a chopper) and its variants. It fires a 7.62x39mm round that will rip right through normal body armor. The police have to wear hard plate armor and helmets in order to protect themselves from POTENTIAL threats.

a) Police need military grade equipment in certain situations.

b) Officers carrying more military equipment than an active combat soldier and aiming their weapons at unarmed people are the best way to police civilian demonstrations and prevent the situation from escalating to the detriment of public safety.

a) Not a problem

b) Not the view of the majority of professional police and military forces in developed countries.

 

[habiru]

They need to desegregate the prison's system by allowing the Lifers to roam with those that had committed a lesser offense. And send those rioters straight to prison for detainment. And they must be held there for a 75 hours hold, to vetted them, to see if they are terrorist. And I betcha when they are released, that they will not set any more trash cans on fire anymore. Because Bubba will scared them straight.

 

[esmith]

I've never seen so much security/police presence during an inauguration. They're double stacked along the parade route.

I would have thought they would have needed more sandbags from all of the water from melting snowflakes