Is Pepper Spray Humane In Breaking Up Protests

[talloola]

a peaceful protest is NOT peacefull once the occupying group refuses to 'get out'. in vancouver they
are now settled in on very expensive real estate, completely forgotton what the protest was all about,
and they should be booted out very quickly.

I understand in vancouver they are being assisted in finding other places to stay, but if they continue
to refuse to move, then yes, pepper spray them, what they are doing is a form of violence and they
are forcing others to use heavier methods of removing them.

who do they think they are. if any of us tried to stay overnight on those grounds we would be removed
very quickly, in normal times.

the word protest has become a joke now.

 

[JLM]

a peaceful protest is NOT peacefull once the occupying group refuses to 'get out'. in vancouver they
are now settled in on very expensive real estate, completely forgotton what the protest was all about,
and they should be booted out very quickly.

I understand in vancouver they are being assisted in finding other places to stay, but if they continue
to refuse to move, then yes, pepper spray them, what they are doing is a form of violence and they
are forcing others to use heavier methods of removing them.

who do they think they are. if any of us tried to stay overnight on those grounds we would be removed
very quickly, in normal times.

the word protest has become a joke now.

Couldn't have said it better myself. :smile:

 

[CDNBear]

It is funny that those who are the most outspoken about freedom and democracy are the loudest about shutting down peaceful protest when they don't agree with the reasons for or don't understand why they are protesting.

I fall into that description, can you point out where I suggested shutting down these protests?

And just out of curiousity, did you notice the self proclaimed left winger, advocating murder?

 

[petros]

If we listened to the protesters rather than the media, everyone would find some of their protest points hitting close to home.

We've all lost a chuck of our savings, investments, purchasing power, while some have lost their jobs, homes, businesses and we've all lost a chunk of democracy.

If you haven't realized that yet I fear for you and our democracy.

We could end up in a dictatorial technocracy like Italy if we don't play our cards right.

Lose your fear.

 

[TenPenny]

a peaceful protest is NOT peacefull once the occupying group refuses to 'get out'.

I like that idea: you can protest all you want, until someone says you can't. Run along, now children, the government knows best.

 

[gopher]

Run along, now children, the government knows best.

The greatest irony being that this forum has so many conservatives who denounce governmental intrusionism but who are now defending the government here.

 

[Bar Sinister]

There is no justification in using pepper spray or any sort of spray in a protest that amounted to little more than passive resistance. Using this sort of violence plays right into the hands of the demonstrators by turning them into victims instead of lawbreakers. Anyone who watched the club swinging police goons of the 1960s attacking peaceful demonstrators during the anti-segregation Freedom Rides of that era instantly sympathized with those being beaten. The police violence essentially turned members of what had been a somewhat unknown movement into instant heroes and justifiably so. The two idiots with the pepper spray should lose their jobs. The duty of the police is to protect, not attack their fellow citizens.

 

[Ron in Regina]

There is no justification in using pepper spray or any sort of spray in a protest that amounted to little more than passive resistance. Using this sort of violence plays right into the hands of the demonstrators by turning them into victims instead of lawbreakers. Anyone who watched the club swinging police goons of the 1960s attacking peaceful demonstrators during the anti-segregation Freedom Rides of that era instantly sympathized with those being beaten. The police violence essentially turned members of what had been a somewhat unknown movement into instant heroes and justifiably so. The two idiots with the pepper spray should lose their jobs. The duty of the police is to protect, not attack their fellow citizens.

Lose their jobs? KInd'a looks like 20-30 counts of assault with a weapon on
non-aggressive people. Justification of what......self-defence? Yikes...

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

As a working member of the 99% I would like to encourage the protesters to find an F'ing job.

 

[Bar Sinister]

As a working member of the 99% I would like to encourage the protesters to find an F'ing job.

These were university students. I believe that is considered a form of job training. As for the rest of the 99% I expect that if unemployment rates in the US were not so high and if the average US worker was paid a decent wage there would be no demonstrations. The only fact I find a bit hard to understand is why it took so many Americans so long to wake up to the fact that their nation is so heavily skewed in favour of the wealthy.

 

[JLM]

These were university students. I believe that is considered a form of job training. As for the rest of the 99% I expect that if unemployment rates in the US were not so high and if the average US worker was paid a decent wage there would be no demonstrations. The only fact I find a bit hard to understand is why it took so many Americans so long to wake up to the fact that their nation is so heavily skewed in favour of the wealthy.

Isn't it the habits of the lower 99% that help to create the wealthy one percent?

 

[CDNBear]

The greatest irony being that this forum has so many conservatives who denounce governmental intrusionism but who are now defending the government here.

They are?

Can you point it out?

 

[JLM]

The greatest irony being that this forum has so many conservatives who denounce governmental intrusionism but who are now defending the government here.

I'm certainly not, what action has the Gov't actually taken beyond a couple of sites and they are not even enforcing their decisions there. The Gov't is actually making a laughing stalk of themselves. Protestors are just moving the site 100 yards away! JOKE.

 

[VanIsle]

If we listened to the protesters rather than the media, everyone would find some of their protest points hitting close to home.

We've all lost a chuck of our savings, investments, purchasing power, while some have lost their jobs, homes, businesses and we've all lost a chunk of democracy.

If you haven't realized that yet I fear for you and our democracy.

We could end up in a dictatorial technocracy like Italy if we don't play our cards right.

Lose your fear.

This started out as a fantastic idea. Unfortunately, the usual riff raff joined in where they were not wanted and turned this into a zoo. There are "troll" protesters aka professional protesters that show up at every protest world wide. They ruined what could and should have been a really great thing. Remember, we were pretty much on the front lines of the Clayoquot Sound protests that also turned violent (my huband was the front line) and we watched the scuzzy ones roll in. They take that which is right and good about a protest and turn it to trash.

 

[talloola]

This started out as a fantastic idea. Unfortunately, the usual riff raff joined in where they were not wanted and turned this into a zoo. There are "troll" protesters aka professional protesters that show up at every protest world wide. They ruined what could and should have been a really great thing. Remember, we were pretty much on the front lines of the Clayoquot Sound protests that also turned violent (my huband was the front line) and we watched the scuzzy ones roll in. They take that which is right and good about a protest and turn it to trash.

YEP, thats the way it goes, and the real meaning of the protest is long forgotton, and the real
protestors are probably long gone too, and what is left is free loaders, trouble makers, etc.

 

[JLM]

YEP, thats the way it goes, and the real meaning of the protest is long forgotton, and the real
protestors are probably long gone too, and what is left is free loaders, trouble makers, etc.

Perhaps a new law has to be enacted for protestors, which includes if it's a group protesting they nominate a spokesman who gathers all their complaints and writes them down, then when he gets up to speak he is allow all the time he needs to make all the points, be they one or be they a hundred. When he's finished talking they disassemble and leave the site. None of this bullsh*t of getting in people's faces for weeks.

 

[TenPenny]

Perhaps a new law has to be enacted for protestors, which includes if it's a group protesting they nominate a spokesman who gathers all their complaints and writes them down, then when he gets up to speak he is allow all the time he needs to make all the points, be they one or be they a hundred. When he's finished talking they disassemble and leave the site. None of this bullsh*t of getting in people's faces for weeks.

That's a good idea. Don't let the people have too much freedom, they get smelly and unruly.

 

[JLM]

That's a good idea. Don't let the people have too much freedom, they get smelly and unruly.

They should be free to voice their concerns for however long that takes, then they should shut up and go home. Most people have enough smarts to absorb their points the first time.

 

[petros]

This started out as a fantastic idea. Unfortunately, the usual riff raff joined in where they were not wanted and turned this into a zoo. There are "troll" protesters aka professional protesters that show up at every protest world wide. They ruined what could and should have been a really great thing. Remember, we were pretty much on the front lines of the Clayoquot Sound protests that also turned violent (my huband was the front line) and we watched the scuzzy ones roll in. They take that which is right and good about a protest and turn it to trash.

¸It`s just what they chose to show on TV. I can see a reality shiow coming out of this. Cameras following homeless people around.

 

[TenPenny]

They should be free to voice their concerns for however long that takes, then they should shut up and go home. Most people have enough smarts to absorb their points the first time.

Exactly what I said, don't give them too much freedom. It might go to their heads, too.

You have the right to speak once, then go away. Unlimited freedom is a dangerous thing, people might get to questioning their rulers.