Protest this

[Captain Awesome]

Hmmm. Well I don't mind acknowledging I am able to shift my opinion given new information, and if it has always been the government's intention to direct the police to behave in the way they are so far then I would have to admit to some backpedling. I don't have a problem with that. To be honest though Captain, I give that credit more to the police than I do VANOC or our government. Still, I am prepared to admit I am not always right about everything (maybe not even most of the time).

Oh Steven, you should go into Politics. Your roundabout way of talking yourself out of anything without admitting anything would serve you well. That's a compliment, sir!

[Fritzthecat]

Hmmm. Well I don't mind acknowledging I am able to shift my opinion given new information, and if it has always been the government's intention to direct the police to behave in the way they are so far then I would have to admit to some backpedling. I don't have a problem with that. To be honest though Captain, I give that credit more to the police than I do VANOC or our government. Still, I am prepared to admit I am not always right about everything (maybe not even most of the time).

Oh Steven, you should go into Politics. Your roundabout way of talking yourself out of anything without admitting anything would serve you well. That's a compliment, sir!

He's not talking himself out of anything. He is just able to admit he is not always right, unlike most of the posters around here.
What is wrong with changing your view? He has no political agenda I can see. Being able to change your view based on new information is called "intelligence". It is kind of like the opposite of ignorance.
So, because somebody has the ability to change an idea based on new knowledge, that makes them back-pedaller? Darn good thing you weren't around during times of scientific breakthrough. We'd still be learning how the Earth is flat and the centre of the universe.

[Captain Awesome]

He's not talking himself out of anything.

Nice on, Robin.

[steven lloyd]

Your roundabout way of talking yourself out of anything without admitting anything would serve you well. That's a compliment, sir!

Well, thanks for the compliment (I think), although I think it is pretty clear I just directly admitted I had to consider shifting my opinion while acknowledging I am not always right about everything.
(and if that's backpeddling I'll admit to that as well - no big deal)

I don't mind acknowledging I am able to shift my opinion given new information,

I am prepared to admit I am not always right about everything (maybe not even most of the time).

p.s. Besides, the stellar behaviour of police doesn't make Campbell any less an @$$. What's really sad and pathetic is there are still lapdogs here who are unable to pull themselves up out of the bums up and kneeling position and continue to defend and make excuses for the megomaniac.

[Captain Awesome]

p.s. besides, the stellar behaviour of police doesn't make Campbell any less an @$$

teehee

[Al Czervic]

p.s. Besides, the stellar behaviour of police doesn't make Campbell any less an @$$. What's really sad and pathetic is there are still lapdogs here who are unable to pull themselves up out of the bums up and kneeling position and continue to defend and make excuses for the megomaniac.

Not all of us allow hatred to usurp objective and rational thought. Getting back on topic what also impressed me with the Vancouver Police Department was how they handled the media aspects of these protests.

Many of the “legitimate” protest groups have long been a thorn is the side of the VPD. It would have been easy for the VPD to call out and place blame on these groups for organizing these protests in the first place and holding these groups responsible for the ensuing damage that occurred. Instead the VPD went out of their way in the media to make it clear that these groups were NOT in any way responsible.

Today even some of the traditional protest groups are coming out in support of how the VPD handled these buffoons. It’s nice to see a better relationship between these two emerge and to have these vandalizing morons exposed for being the property damaging miscreants that they truly are.

[Liberty and Truth]

Yes - kudos to the VPD for being professionals through this entire ordeal. Maybe now the protestors can protest, the police can protect the general public allowing a safe environment for both protestors (peaceful) and Olympic attendees, and everyone can live in harmony.

[Mutha]

What a bunch of jerk offs. One of the people arrested is American. What business is it of his? I don't agree that the Olympics are a good use of money, but I'm not running around smashing windows in someone else's country to protest. I hope he's banned from Canada forever.

[steven lloyd]

p.s. Besides, the stellar behaviour of police doesn't make Campbell any less an @$$. What's really sad and pathetic is there are still lapdogs here who are unable to pull themselves up out of the bums up and kneeling position and continue to defend and make excuses for the megomaniac.

Not all of us allow hatred to usurp objective and rational thought.

Like I said - excuses.


This is interesting though:

Watchdogs skip protest after request from anti-2010 group

Date: Monday Feb. 15, 2010 11:33 AM PT

British Columbia's main civil rights watchdog group did not send any legal observers to a violent protest in Vancouver this weekend because they were asked not to by an anti-Olympic group, the organization said Monday.

Three people, including one American citizen, were charged with assault and weapons offences after protesters smashed in windows at downtown businesses and vandalized cars during an anti-Olympic demonstration that turned violent Saturday morning.

BC Civil Liberties Association Executive Director David Eby said there were signs beforehand that the protest could turn violent but they didn't go because the Olympic Resistance Network requested legal observers stay clear of the march.

"They were concerned we were infiltrated by the police. The second concern is that the footage we took could be potentially used against them in court if the police obtained an order that would force us to disclose that."

Eby said the BCCLA made a decision to stay away to protect its legal observers – who are all volunteers -- over fears of civil disobedience.

"They're not police officers or security guards. We don't want to put them in a dangerous situation."

Eby said he anticipated the disobedience would be similar to APEC protests, where demonstrators sat down in the streets and created blockades.

"What we saw was something quite different -- a small group within that demonstration physically fighting with the police and that's not what we anticipated," he said.

"If that's the case we wouldn't have sent observers anyways because it was a very dangerous atmosphere."

He admitted the protesters actions have affected the BCCLA's credibility as a watchdog organization.

"I really wish we had been there because we don't have the footage and the photos we would have liked of the police response and how things went down," he said.

"We're not in a position to be as informed about what happened as we'd like to be."

Michael Vonn, policy director, praised police for their "light touch" with demonstrators at recent protests.

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/loca ... lumbiaHome

[Captain Awesome]

I'm watching one of the Youtube videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAzd9ao81_s) and seriously question any common sense in these people. "So, then we started crashing and breaking things, cops started arriving and arresting people!". How dense should you be not to expect it. Then there was few comments on police arresting people while there were trying to disperse. I think these idiots were hoping to break a few things and run away like little kids. The mentality of 7 year olds (while operating terms like "oppression", "corporatism", "gentrification").

I saw a scene when one of these black wearing idiots got hit by a plastic shield during the takedown, went down right away, and started crying and holding his foot like it got broken. I almost cried when I was watching it, it was that funny.

[steven lloyd]

The mentality of 7 year olds (while operating terms like "oppression", "corporatism", "gentrification").

"gentrification' ? Oh no - not that

[Type_O]

What a bunch of jerk offs. One of the people arrested is American. What business is it of his? I don't agree that the Olympics are a good use of money, but I'm not running around smashing windows in someone else's country to protest. I hope he's banned from Canada forever.

I'm all for that.
Would gladly sign my name to facilitate a lifelong ban on the individual(s) responsible.

[Captain Awesome]

On Wednesday evening, David Eby walked into an ambush. The much-quoted civil liberties advocate got a pie in the face at an anti-Olympics forum, right before he was supposed to address 50 to 60 Games resisters. The baked-goods hurler? One of those very dissenters.

http://thetyee.ca/News/2010/02/19/Olymp ... he+Tyee%29

There's no hope for these folks. Just hilarity for everyone else.

[Queen K]

I like the part that the Olympic Security Officers are now being investigated, like, as if part of the Billion Dollar security effort didn't include background checks.

[Captain Awesome]

Here's what anarchists do in Europe. May be they had the same idea for Vancouver:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-dVvRap ... r_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei07SXkq ... _embedded#