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Re: Occupy Oakland protesters climbing on a signal bridge at the Port of Oakland
Author: smitty195
Date: 11-02-2011 - 19:36
Steve Carter Wrote:
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> Apparently, all you have to do is say you are
> protesting and all rules and laws are suspended
> for you and your protesting friends and family.
>
> Not long ago I stopped by a Tacoma park to take a
> photo of a Moon-rise about a half hour after dark.
> To my surprise the park was packed with Tacoma PD
> patrol cars. Seems it's a meeting place before
> they go on duty. Not aware I was doing anything
> illegal, I pulled in to a parking place, with my
> young son in the car, and before I could get out,
> a patrol car with lights blazing pulled up behind
> me. An officer comes over and tells me all Tacoma
> parks are closed after dark. I explained that I
> was just going to take a quick photo, no dice, on
> your way. No big deal, but a tad frustrating.
>
> Fast forward a few months and a nearby park is
> infested with protesters, tents, and other
> belongings. Gee, I thought the parks were closed
> after dark, no comment from the police department.
>
>
> Go figure!
I understand your frustration, but the reality is that it's an apples and oranges comparison. The police have been exercising *extreme* restraint with the lawlessness that has been going on with all of this "occupy" crap. The cops are in a position of damned if you do/damned if you don't. They are not dealing with reasonable people---the majority of them don't even know why they are there in the first place. All they know is "it's fun", and beyond that, they are the largest inarticulate group of people I have ever witnessed. If the police acted on those doing the minor crimes of trespassing on railroad property, it could very well spark a riot.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Apparently, all you have to do is say you are
> protesting and all rules and laws are suspended
> for you and your protesting friends and family.
>
> Not long ago I stopped by a Tacoma park to take a
> photo of a Moon-rise about a half hour after dark.
> To my surprise the park was packed with Tacoma PD
> patrol cars. Seems it's a meeting place before
> they go on duty. Not aware I was doing anything
> illegal, I pulled in to a parking place, with my
> young son in the car, and before I could get out,
> a patrol car with lights blazing pulled up behind
> me. An officer comes over and tells me all Tacoma
> parks are closed after dark. I explained that I
> was just going to take a quick photo, no dice, on
> your way. No big deal, but a tad frustrating.
>
> Fast forward a few months and a nearby park is
> infested with protesters, tents, and other
> belongings. Gee, I thought the parks were closed
> after dark, no comment from the police department.
>
>
> Go figure!
I understand your frustration, but the reality is that it's an apples and oranges comparison. The police have been exercising *extreme* restraint with the lawlessness that has been going on with all of this "occupy" crap. The cops are in a position of damned if you do/damned if you don't. They are not dealing with reasonable people---the majority of them don't even know why they are there in the first place. All they know is "it's fun", and beyond that, they are the largest inarticulate group of people I have ever witnessed. If the police acted on those doing the minor crimes of trespassing on railroad property, it could very well spark a riot.
