Flashmob dancing: stupid yes, but is it constitutional?

[garbon]

Marty, you seem unfamiliar with the entire MO of protestors (or you are being disingenuous).

They want to provoke the police into doing something, anything, that they can call excessive force.  That's how they get publicity in the first place - they don't get it for the initial protest, but they do for the 'police brutality' complaint.

I've participated in protest marches

WTF is wrong with you?

What part of "I was in San Francisco", didn't you understand?

[11B4V]

Why does the only possible alternative seem to be "engaging in protected speech" or "being slammed and knocked to the ground by the police"? Why is there no option: "Politely asking them to leave"?

Marty, you seem unfamiliar with the entire MO of protestors (or you are being disingenuous).

They want to provoke the police into doing something, anything, that they can call excessive force.  That's how they get publicity in the first place - they don't get it for the initial protest, but they do for the 'police brutality' complaint.

Seattle WTO protest

[Valmy]

Seattle WTO protest

Those guys are a tad different.  They actually want to provoke violence for the sake of anarchy.

[dps]

Seattle WTO protest

Those guys are a tad different.  They actually want to provoke violence for the sake of anarchy.

What are the guys at the Jefferson Memorial doing it for the sake of?

[Valmy]

What are the guys at the Jefferson Memorial doing it for the sake of?

They want the cops to beat them so they can show how oppressive The Man(tm) is I presume.

[dps]

What are the guys at the Jefferson Memorial doing it for the sake of?

They want the cops to beat them so they can show how oppressive The Man(tm) is I presume.

So isn't that just about the same as doing it for the sake of anarchy?

[Valmy]

So isn't that just about the same as doing it for the sake of anarchy?

Um no since those people want to be victims not violently overthrow world capitalism or whatever.

[dps]

So isn't that just about the same as doing it for the sake of anarchy?

Um no since those people want to be victims not violently overthrow world capitalism or whatever.

So you're saying that it's essentially just masochism?

[Valmy]

So you're saying that it's essentially just masochism?

No I am saying one group is very dangerous and the other is annoying but harmless.

[HisMajestyBOB]

and pepper ball guns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfhUaUuG1sM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hIIuJK_Uh8&feature=related


"Give peace a chance, Give peace a chance, Give peace a chance," cough...cough....

I love using the pepper ball guns in SWAT 4. I just go through the whole level pepper balling everyone - perps, civilians, even my own teammates when they piss me off.

[CountDeMoney]

Why does the only possible alternative seem to be "engaging in protected speech" or "being slammed and knocked to the ground by the police"? Why is there no option: "Politely asking them to leave"?

They kinda provoked the cops into this.  Granted the cops probably should have shown some restraint but there we go.

I always try to explain to people that cops don't lock people up, people get themselves locked up.  But people don't listen when I tell them that.  There's sort of a theme there.

[Razgovory]

So you're saying that it's essentially just masochism?

No I am saying one group is very dangerous and the other is annoying but harmless.

I'm not clear exactly what those WTO protesters actually want, besides causing mayhem.  I don't even see what's wrong with all that globalization.

[CountDeMoney]

Protesters plan more dancing despite cops' orders

By Luke Broadwater

5:20 PM EDT, June 1, 2011

They were arrested, slammed to the ground and choked last weekend. But protesters opposed to a federal judge's ruling that bans dancing inside the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in D.C. aren't backing down.

Led by Russia Today host Adam Kokesh (an Iraq war vet), the protesters plan a larger silent dance party for noon this Saturday at the memorial.

Kokesh's movement found support from a majority of this blog's readers on Monday in an unscientific poll, in which voters 2-1 said the police were wrong to arrest the protesters.

Kokesh also found support from Fox Business News' host Judge Andrew Napolitano, who described the arrests as "a scene out of 'Footloose meets the Gestapo.'"

"It looks like they're choking you to death here," Napolitano told Kokesh. "It's clear the Supreme Court has ruled that dancing is a nonviolent means of expression." 

Clearly opposed to the judge's ruling, Kokesh also turned his criticism on the police officers involved.

"We were physically assaulted by some men in some blue costumes and put in a cage for a couple hours," he said. "We are not going to stand for this."

He continued: "Are you surprised that the police don't like freedom?" Kokesh added that the two main jobs of the police are to "raise revenue for the government and control the population." 

He said anyone who wants to "stick it to the man" should join him at the Jefferson Memorial on Saturday. 

I don't know what's more ridiculous: The judge's ruling, the bad silent dancing, the rough police tactics or the fact that it's all going to be repeated again on Saturday.

My take is this: If the protesters are having a loud dance party that prevents other people from enjoying the memorial, they should be asked to leave. If they're just silently swaying back and forth, let them stay. If the silent dancing isn't hurting anyone, it's no reason to rough someone up.

See? My hypothesis that people get themselves arrested is a valid scientific fact.

[11B4V]

some men in some blue costumes

 

[Ed Anger]

"a scene out of 'Footloose meets the Gestapo.'"

Sounds like a good movie.