Comments on: “Shock Troops”

By: Few Arrests at Tampa’s RNC, Stark Contrast to Years Passed

Few Arrests at Tampa’s RNC, Stark Contrast to Years Passed — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:08:52 +0000

[...] circulated before the RNC events were completed showed tactical officers outfitted from head to toe in Kevlar, [...]

By: Limited Government Comes to Tampa « Dan Braganca

Limited Government Comes to Tampa « Dan Braganca — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:15:59 +0000

[...] we see police working crowd patrol at the Republican National Convention, which I’ve juxtaposed next to some Star Wars [...]

By: Personanongrata

Personanongrata — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:15:58 +0000

Spring time for tyranny in Tampa Bay.

By: Vic Kelley

Vic Kelley — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 23:10:22 +0000

#6 – good point why the hell don’t they have their names clearly visible.
#24 – sad but true. Some people are going to look at that photo read that it’s taken in Tampa during the RNC. Don’t just equate Republicans with police state crap. Democrats, too, are submit-and-obey types. Especially in bigger police departments with strong unions Democrats support the police and overlook their transgressions.

I don’t know how it could be exploited, but all that crap they’ve got on has got to be hot as hell. Tampa feels like a swamp even on a good day. Those guys have got to be feeling it and could easily get heat stroke or dehydrated.

By: Darwin

Darwin — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 21:18:41 +0000

History of violence by anti-RNC protestors? Prove it. Because there is no such thing.

By: StrangeOne

StrangeOne — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 20:19:04 +0000

egd,

You say you have little respect for free speech zones and militarized police, yet here you are defending both. You’re assumption that protesters have “a history of violence” and that nameless riot cops don’t speaks volumes about how you’ve weighted the scales.

The fact is the mere presence of these officers is an implicit threat against any protester. If you try and protest, like you have every right too, you are going to be blocked off a quarter mile away by a row of storm troopers. You cross that line and you get a beating. End of story. “You don’t have a right to protest sit down and shut the fuck up” is what those guys are there to enforce.

If they actually cared about safety or protesters, the cops would be off to the side, unseen and waiting. If, and only if, the protesters caused any trouble would they have justification to move in. This preemptively treating every protest like an ongoing riot is an attempt at suppressing free speech.

If you have to wait for the cops to actually hurt people before you have a problem with there presence or tactics then you’re tolerance for free expression is so low as to not even matter.

By: egd

egd — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:21:51 +0000

@#31: While generally a good rule of thumb, lets see how things play out, shall we? I suspect there will be a significant lack of rioting by the police.

I have little respect for free speech zones and militarized police, but I have even less for those who would do violence to suppress speech.

If (when) the cops step out of line and attack or arrest innocent protestors, I’ll join you in calling for accountability. As it stands, there is a history of violence by anti-RNC protestors, and the cops are not wrong to garb themselves in protective gear.

By: marco73

marco73 — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:20:41 +0000

What really makes the security for the RNC ridiculous, is just how darn far it is from the edge of the security zone to the actual convention sites. The buses take delegates right up to the Forum, but if you park and want to walk, it is quite a few blocks in 90+ heat. My office isn’t even in the picture above, but I have to pass through 2 security checkpoints just to get to my parking lot. With the Crosstown shut down completely for the week, traffic has been an absolute bear. Next time, why don’t we just book the Shriners or a Tupperware convention?

By: albatross

albatross — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 02:46:59 +0000

Nothing says “respect for democracy” quite like a line of jackbooted thugs in front of your political convention.

By: C. S. P. Schofield

C. S. P. Schofield — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 02:23:51 +0000

The phrase “Uniformed Prats” springs to mind. On the other hand, given the record of deranged twits doing violent things to people and places connected with the Republican Party over the last several national elections, I’m not completely sure they are overreacting….

By: Leon Wolfeson

Leon Wolfeson — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 02:17:37 +0000

@27 – Nope! You’re simply attacking anyone who isn’t prepared to rabidly condemn anyone who isn’t backstabbing everyone else.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 01:31:07 +0000

#25 So you’re apologizing for the total state, the usual!

By: Anthony

Anthony — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 00:36:22 +0000

edg,
You can tell who came to riot by they way they are dressed.

By: Leon Wolfeson

Leon Wolfeson — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 20:38:11 +0000

@18 – So you’re blaming people for doing their job, as ordered by their superiors. The usual!

By: Bergman

Bergman — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 20:37:23 +0000

No groin protection. Aim low.

By: JLS

JLS — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 20:24:35 +0000

derfel cadarn “… this is the response of a banana republic to free assembly of its citizens.”

This.

I’m actually kind of surprised at how many people, and I mean people I know and talk to, just assume that protesters should be beaten and jailed for, you know, protesting. We can blame the government a lot but let’s not forget the American people have become incredibly authoritarian.

By: John Donnelly

John Donnelly — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 19:35:45 +0000

When the police becomes militarized, the community becomes the enemy. I think we need to cut their budgets.

By: Chip

Chip — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 17:44:03 +0000

Security provided by Jango Fett
http://www.starwars.com/explore/encyclopedia/characters/jangofett/

By: egd

egd — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 17:13:37 +0000

@15 – Ah, my mistake.

notsureifserious.jpg

By: derfel cadarn

derfel cadarn — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 17:02:39 +0000

Yogurt Eater, they are LEO’s they have no nuts. These are the same band of creatures that routinely shoot 12 pound terriers ,suffer from spontaneous reaction and shoot innocent bystanders. Not a single backbone in the bunch. Take a good look at this picture and realize how far America has fallen, this is the response of a banana republic to free assembly of its citizens.