So the G20 Summit is only like two hours away from my house.

upendi'smommy

There's been local news covering the protesters quite a bit. I'm not too happy with some of the things I've seen concerning how the police are handling them. There seem to be some instances of excessive force. I suppose that's normal, but it's still a bit disconcerting.

Here's an example. Notice that before she threw her bike she was being repeatedly pushed. Not saying that what she did was right, but IMHO she was provoked. And you can clearly see her being hit quite hard in the head/face. Is that really necassary for a girl of her size?
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzOG7yghNvQ[/YOUTUBE]

RBark

The riot police were not there for giggles and beating up little ladies.

The people there were being highly destructive and not protesting in a peaceful manner. They brought a lot of this onto themselves. And to add to the irony, the 10 minutes before this occurred were not videotaped. She likely was doing stuff to provoke the police.

And as for being hit in the face. What do you expect, it's one of the highest crime/murder cities in the country. All the cops there were risking their lives. And for that, they have to deal with a bunch of children who do not know how to protest peacefully, getting yelled at, pushed around, having bikes thrown at them, and many more.

upendi'smommy

In the video the protesters were attempting to leave. Or in other words do what they were told. The girl in question was also attempting to leave. After repeatedly being pushed she got pissed and threw her bike (this I agree was wrong), but like I said IMO she was provoked. And like I said, they could've arrested her with a lot less force than they chose to use.

She was repeatedly pushed and shoved while trying to leave as she was told.

RBark

Like I said, the first 10 minutes were not shown.

For all we know, she may have been stopping and hassling the police repeatedly, pausing, making them push her forward, etc. Her rights as a peaceful civilian were forefeit once she participated in a mob that destroyed the property of innocent business owners.

upendi'smommy

We'll just have to agree to disagree.

Aran

You're two hours away?

I'm about six minutes without traffic from the Convention Center. Non-stop police patrols even here where there's nobody involved coming around.

The police are acting like thugs. There's no defending them, unless you, too, are a thug.

upendi'smommy

I thought about going out, but decided against it. I don't need to create any problems for myself. And god forbid I get arrested and can't get home to care for my girls.

Aran

I thought about going out, went to walk the puppy, got mobbed by the neighborhood kids, realized I didn't need to go into the city to experience similar conditions.

Edit: Which direction are you two hours away in? WV? OH? Slightly to the east PA?

upendi'smommy

To the east. Somerset County.

RBark

Yeah, those assholes, trying to do their jobs and protect people's properties. Damn the lot of them.

The reaction from the police is the consequence of the actions of the rioters. Believe me, they dont wanna be there. And I'm sure they are pissed as hell that, because of a large group of idiots, they have to work OT, away from their loved ones, and put themselves right into danger areas. And I do not blame them.

Imagine how THEY feel, having to work all night, not able to care for their kids right this very moment while you are warm and cozy in your house able to make decisions like these.

upendi'smommy

They made a decision regarding their career. No one forced them into being police. IMO they made the choice to put themselves in harms way when they made the choice to join law enforcement. That doesn't give them the right to push people around just because they can.

And you stated perhaps the girl did something to deserve it? There were people in front of her, she could only move as fast as them. And the police can be seen doing the same thing to others. She was in no way a threat until they pushed her over the threshold and IMO they then used excessive force to take her down.

Poor them having to work overtime. Protesting is a CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT. If they don't like what they have to do in order to get their check perhaps they should've chosen another job. Again JMO.

RBark

Oh? So you think you have what it takes to be the police? These are the people who keep you SAFE, who risk their lives every single day for $15 per hour, so that you can walk down the street without being mugged. I am sure they would be happy working in a much safer job for much more money. They deserve a TON more respect than that.

Again, we don't have the last 10 minutes. You are assuming based off your obvious bias that the police are out to get you and are thugs. The people who deserve the benefit of doubt here are the people who were sent there to put things under control, the police. Not the people who went there to wreck havoc.

Protesting is a constitutional right. DESTROYING PROPERTY IS NOT. PUTTING PEOPLE AT RISK IS NOT. Their right as protestors were revoked the minute they did both of those things. If these people were not doing their jobs, then you would not be 10% as safe as you are now. You should be THANKFUL they accepted the pennies they are getting in exchange for the extraordinary stress they have to deal with every day. Not insulting them, demeaning them, belittling them, and making judgements about them without knowing the whole story.

You have heard of media bias, right? You know how the media picks out pit bulls, and blows them up to huge proportions to make it seem like they are man-eating dogs? That's what the media does, because it causes hysteria and turns the masses into a mindless idiotic frenzy.

Now ask yourself this. Which is more interesting, which is more likely to cause hysteria? Showing the whole story where the cop may have been harassed by the girl before this happened, or ONLY showing the part where the cop says "ok I've had it, you're outta here" and made to look bad.

Yep, the latter. That's media for you. Or did you only think that the media is evil when it comes to pit bulls?

winniec777

I agree with RBark - we don't know what happened 10 minutes before. Break it down like you would a dog's behavior. What does it feel like when a dog suddenly turns and focuses its attention on you as the girl did to the officer? And then she threw a bike at him, quickly escalating the situation. Police can't afford to be timid or hesitant in situations like that. They have to act and act decisively - that's what saves lifes. Have you ever been in an unruly crowd? It is frightening. Anything can happen and does. People get hurt. The only way to stop that is to take out the people causing trouble quickly, isolating them before the violence spreads.

The police were doing their job. The girl was acting stupidly. Peaceful protest is one thing. Doing something deliberately provocative like confronting an officer and throwing a bike? That's a whole other thing and raises the stakes exponentially. Somehow I'm pretty sure she knew that's exactly what would happen.

.308

News flash

Civilians protesting when in the presence of riot police better beware of their actions. Mob mentality is an animal unto itself.

Personally, if I'm around riot police and I'm not ready to die for the cause at that moment in time, and they (riot police) tell me to do something, I'm going to do it quick and without question.

The cop who laid the woman out needs to lose some weight as well.

Take the person down as qucik at possible. They didn't act like she was Rodney King (amazingly, that joker still ended up in jail some time after his 15 minutes of fame).

Pay rate depends on what city/department you're with. For some, doing side security work as well, the pay isn't that bad.

ScottyttocS

There have been studies done that prove that "mob mentality" is actualy not a large of a problem as police and governmetn officials say they are. There are more peacful demonstartion then problems. The problems usually arise due to police/military presence.

Police are here to "serve" and "protect" not enforce the will of others. I pay the police just as I pay government officials. Without me they have nothing.

We give the police too much power. It seems they are now taaught to "taze first ask questions later" Any form of physical harm to a "suspect" should be a last resort. The woman in the video did not deserve to get hit in the face.

You (police) want more respect from the public? Start acting like the "bigger man" and deal with people in civil manners instread of pushing them, even when they are throwing bikes at you (although here provoked). Instead of us getting pissed at a video like this we will see an officer diffusing a situation and not allowing for escalation and rioting. In turn we will appreciate their efforts instead of condemning them.

I know there will be time when physical force is needed. However, I hardly think a grandmother needs to be tazed nor does a 110lb woman need to be struck in the face.

winniec777

Two words: Squeaky Fromme.