Police arresting innocent bystanders for no reason
- Thread starter johnny
- Start date
It really doesn't matter what the cops do, they will always be wrong in the eyes of someone. I personally respect the job they do, it can't be easy, and its certainly not fair. The media coverage of the police this was extremely one sided imo. I was downtown all weekend and watched the cops take constant verbal/physical abuse and show admirable amounts of restraint in situations that I would not have.
It's great that everyone thinks they can do a better job than the cops did, though I doubt any of you would have wanted to be in their position this weekend.
It's great that everyone thinks they can do a better job than the cops did, though I doubt any of you would have wanted to be in their position this weekend.
Touchy circumstances Sunday at Spadina and Queen. If it was your street, what would you want the cops to do? Of course, that question is only to those who own a house. Renters have a totally different perspective on property and rights. People just being a crowd is a problem. If the police just pushed them out of the intersection, they would have gone elsewhere. What then? I didn't see any improper police action. Take-downs were quick. There was basically no whacking. Pretty good police response.
What happened yesterday was wrong - end of story.
Up until they detained innocent people in the pouring rain for hours, I was moderately impressed with how the police handled the events of the weekend.
Up until they detained innocent people in the pouring rain for hours, I was moderately impressed with how the police handled the events of the weekend.
The cops did a pretty good job all things considered. Actually, they did a very good job.
So what if a few rubber neckers got detained for a couple of hours. No-one got shot, no-one got beat up, no-one was tortured. Boo hoo they didn't have anything to drink. It was a riot and in a riot you shouldn't be anywhere near it in the first place - unless you want to get caught up in it. Out in the rain? You were out in the rain in the first place. What, are you made of sponge-taffy? I'm SURE that mixed in with the rubber-neckers there were numerous criminals and vandals.
What you all forget is that the cops didn't want to be there. They were not the ones who started all the bullshit. That was the criminals dressed in black running around like a bunch of 8 year olds when the teacher was away for 15 minutes.
In these kind of situations, the mob mentality takes over and even "nice people" can get caught up in it pretty quickly. One of the best solutions is to divide up the hooligans and either take them away to jail, or in this case - to tell them to sit in one spot. You take a large group of malconents right out of the equation.
The problem with mobs is that even the people who are just rubbernecking are ADDING to the problem simply just by being there. They add to the numbers, they add to the confusion, they embolden the crazies. They only add to the confusion and add to the chaos.
If you don't want to run the risk of having to be detained for a couple of hours - Don't fucking go to the riot.
So what if a few rubber neckers got detained for a couple of hours. No-one got shot, no-one got beat up, no-one was tortured. Boo hoo they didn't have anything to drink. It was a riot and in a riot you shouldn't be anywhere near it in the first place - unless you want to get caught up in it. Out in the rain? You were out in the rain in the first place. What, are you made of sponge-taffy? I'm SURE that mixed in with the rubber-neckers there were numerous criminals and vandals.
What you all forget is that the cops didn't want to be there. They were not the ones who started all the bullshit. That was the criminals dressed in black running around like a bunch of 8 year olds when the teacher was away for 15 minutes.
In these kind of situations, the mob mentality takes over and even "nice people" can get caught up in it pretty quickly. One of the best solutions is to divide up the hooligans and either take them away to jail, or in this case - to tell them to sit in one spot. You take a large group of malconents right out of the equation.
The problem with mobs is that even the people who are just rubbernecking are ADDING to the problem simply just by being there. They add to the numbers, they add to the confusion, they embolden the crazies. They only add to the confusion and add to the chaos.
If you don't want to run the risk of having to be detained for a couple of hours - Don't fucking go to the riot.
But James, you have NO evidence for anything that you are saying. The people who were detained did not seem to be the hooligans of your fevered imagination. They seemed to be some bystanders and moderates with umbrellas and cameras. You want to live in a country where people the cops and a few TERB righties dislike can be detained for no reason? well, move to Russia. Myself, I like living in a country where the citizenry have a few civil rights and the cops have to tender them a scintilla of respect.
Did the cops enjoy being there? Who the fuck knows or cares. They were being paid mucho overtime and they were doing their job. I don't particularly want to put in that extra 3 hours in court when the judge says he wants to discuss 12 additional points which weren't on anyone's agenda at the start of the case. But I do what I'm told and it's nice I get paid for it. I figure the same deal with the cops.
Did the cops enjoy being there? Who the fuck knows or cares. They were being paid mucho overtime and they were doing their job. I don't particularly want to put in that extra 3 hours in court when the judge says he wants to discuss 12 additional points which weren't on anyone's agenda at the start of the case. But I do what I'm told and it's nice I get paid for it. I figure the same deal with the cops.
Bet you're a real smartie arguing a fine point of law too, buddy boy.No offense but most would see that as a positive
Let me start off by saying I applaud the police and their combined efforts to keep a lid on things during the G-20. Things here could have been alot worse for this city during the G-20. Good hard work by the cops and a good show of force kept the mayhem to a minimum. If people were indeed arrested for nothing, they were simply caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. I laughed at story of the teenage girl arrested off of the Go Train and detained for "no apparent reason". This girl had in her possesion a gas mask, which she says was for her own protection. Peaceful protesters do not need these things, methinks she was going to be up to no good, maybe not as a rock thrower but, as a cover person, shielding the hooligans as they go about their destructive ways.
As the numbers in the media would suggest, and with good reason, covering the situation on the street, this was supposed to be like Seattle or Quebec City for these so-called peaceful protesters. The cops foiled their plans before they could really get them off the starting blocks keeping the destruction to a minimum.
As the numbers in the media would suggest, and with good reason, covering the situation on the street, this was supposed to be like Seattle or Quebec City for these so-called peaceful protesters. The cops foiled their plans before they could really get them off the starting blocks keeping the destruction to a minimum.
While I understand that there were 'innocent' people there. James is right, they do add to the confusion, and help in aiding the mob mentality any actual activists in the crowd. Dividing the crowd is the best, and almost only way to deal with it.
People are too quick to judge the way things went down, and fail to realize the possible consequences if they hadn't acted in the way they did. There were many Torontonians that were scared for their businesses and personal safety due to the mobs.
I really don't see anything wrong with how they acted. Caught in the rain? Maybe they should have watched a weather report and brought an umbrella. Another good idea would be to avoid the crowds/protests all together, they were pretty easy to spot and avoid.
I think next time we should let thousands of angry (possibly violent) people roam around YOUR neighbourhood.
While people have the right to walk around freely through out the city, I was not allowed to drive as freely due to protestors blocking intersections, not allowing traffic to pass.
People are too quick to judge the way things went down, and fail to realize the possible consequences if they hadn't acted in the way they did. There were many Torontonians that were scared for their businesses and personal safety due to the mobs.
I really don't see anything wrong with how they acted. Caught in the rain? Maybe they should have watched a weather report and brought an umbrella. Another good idea would be to avoid the crowds/protests all together, they were pretty easy to spot and avoid.
I think next time we should let thousands of angry (possibly violent) people roam around YOUR neighbourhood.
While people have the right to walk around freely through out the city, I was not allowed to drive as freely due to protestors blocking intersections, not allowing traffic to pass.
The reasons given by Chief Blair for the detainment is reasonable and plausible. You have criminals hiding in the group - using them as shields for criminal behaviour.
If I were in their position, I am not sure what I would have done differently.
Most of the tree huggers on here think the cops should have announced that all the innocent protestors stand to the left and the BB's to the right.
The cops were unprepared on Saturday because most have probably never been in that situation and training is nothing like the real thing, Sunday they decided on zero tollerance, so what.
The cops were unprepared on Saturday because most have probably never been in that situation and training is nothing like the real thing, Sunday they decided on zero tollerance, so what.
While you may not have been there, I was. Not to protest, not to observe or egg anyone on. I was helping a friend babysit her storefront on queen. I spent the whole weekend watching police officers get verbally abused, spit on, have bottles/rocks/sticks thrown at them without retaliating. Why don't you try practicing that sort of restraint? While I'm not saying all cops are angels, its far from fair to paint them all with the same evil brush.
The Queen and Spadina issue was more than called for. Would you rather have the crowds in one area of the city, or all over? I would much rather have part of the city shutdown by the police, than the entire city shutdown by the protesters.
If all the people wanted to do was sing Oh Canada, they could have done it from home, or in their backyard, or while they're stuck in traffic.
Well I find that life goes a lot more smoothly when I don't need a legal opinion or listen to people argue legal points , fine or otherwise. Besides I've found you can buy legal opinions on the opposite side of any issue anytime it's necessary. Just a question of price - "buddy boy"
So what? That's your argument? The only terbite I see on here giving a reasonable defence of the men and women in blue is MB (with a spattering of some other terbite comments). I don't agree with him completely, but always willing to listen to someone who doesn't treat those who disagree with him like dirt.
