"The Face of Freedom and Liberty" (photo from Inauguration)

[scottxyz]

"Freedom and Liberty" - Photo from the Inauguration



via
http://tbogg.blogspot.com/2005/01/i-guess-it-depends-on-which-side-of.html
(more pics there)

[caligirl]

1. even George Will was repulsed by this stuff.

[GetTheRightVote]

2. Yep, looks like freedom to me, hell no.

:kick:

[Up2Late]

3. Here's one of my favorite irony alerts

<>
Welcome to "Freedom Plaza"

I posted more Video captures at:

<http://home.comcast.net/%7Etfrancell/bushriotp1.html>

[Lefty48197]

6. Great photo.

We live in a very ironic time...

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. Just today bush stammered and stuttered about how "freedom" meant

standing on the street corners and publicly voicing your opinion.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you you do that in this country you are liable to be arrested for disorderly conduct.

bush is an ass.

[katinmn]

5. or pepper sprayed from behind a fence

[Up2Late]

7. Yup!

<>

MMMMMMMMMMMMM! Peppery!:silly:

[peekaloo]

9. Ooowie, even their boogers are spicy. Smells freedom-y fresh!

Sad.

[Up2Late]

8. Kick n/t

:kick:

[indepat]

10. Geez, this reminds me of scenes from the 1930s, '40s, '50s, and '60s

[TryingToWarnYou]

11. Yeah, how dare the cops prevent violence.

I get pretty tired of the police bashing around here. I know its the "in" thing to do if you call yourself progressive, but seriously, if you go to these events I have some advice...

POLICE YOURSELVES. If you see some asshat throwing rocks, bottles etc. stop them from doing it before the cops get involved. Its common sense, really.

[Up2Late]

12. I don't think most here are faulting the cops for this

at least that's not my intent.

I am pissed off that * keeps going on T.V. and saying how great things are here, how safe we are because of the things he and his "Department of Homeland Security" are doing, and that he "won" political "Capital," when in reality, when ever he appears in public, he turns our Nations Capital in to a Police state. Check out this photo. This is a Zoom out from the one above.

<>

This is taking place at, what looks like to me, over 100 yards away from the motorcade route. And I think those are holding pens, above the skirmish. Then telling Washington D.C. they have to pick up the tab for all that extra protection.

I didn't see what started this, but what I saw was, a Guy with a bullhorn, a crowd of protesters, Police breaching a barrier fence, Pepper spraying the crowd to move the crowd back, and then Riot Control Police going through the fence and grabbing the "Trouble Makers" (the guy with the bullhorn) and dragging him through the fence Breach.

I'm sorry, but that seems like heavy hander tactics to me.

[TryingToWarnYou]

14. I agree that it looks heavyhanded...but,

you have to understand the situation. When you have hundreds of protesters, some of whom are violent or are looking to become disruptive, you dont wait until the shit hits the fan to try to gain control of the crowd. You ensure you have that control from start to finish and that means having a place to put people that become unruly. I doubt seriously those are "holding pens" simply for the liability of such being in an open area like that. I think we are probably seeing layered barrier protection which gives the police time to respond if people try to scale the fence etc.

[MadHound]

18. Ahh, the justification for pre-emptive strikes

Sorry friend, it doesn't work with the Iraq mess, and it doesn't fly with the abuse of police.

[Up2Late]

19. I see your point

I don't like those kind of people who whip up the crowd either. They make peaceful protest MORE difficult and dangerous, next time, for all of us.:hippie:

[MadHound]

13. Tell you what, I'll stop bashing the police,

When they stop putting half dollar size dents in my head, and everybody elses' heads. And before you ask, I was protesting the first Gulf War. My crime? Standing outside the office of my local Rep with a dozen other people, holding a sign and chanting. On a public sidewalk. With no warning. I wound up with a concussion and twenty stiches, and wasn't allowed treatment until I made bail, twelve hours later.

Sorry friend, but your sense of moral indignation simply doesn't fly. Yes, there are many many good cops out there, but there are also many bad ones. I probably have a bit more insight into this than you do, having a cousin who is a cop, and having worked closely with cops during my stint as a firefighter. It used to be that cops thought of themselves as public servants, protect and serve, all of that. Now their mentality is that they are the wardens at an open air insane asylum, and that will maintain order, no matter what. Somebody inconveincing a Congressman with a legal protest. Let's charge in with clubs swinging. Somebody with a bullhorn getting on your last nerve? Let's turn on the pepper spray hose.

Sorry friend, but your moral indignation simply rings hollow. Too many people have seen what the police deal out and how they act in this day and age, and it ain't pretty. I'll tell you what friend. Go to the next big demonstration where there is going to be heavy action going down, like the anti-war march in DC on March 19. Don't do anything provacative, simply exercise your right to free speech. And after you've gotten your head beaten in, or your lungs full of CS, dial us up from your hospital bed(if your lucky) or your jail cell, and tell all of us just how fine the police are.

[TryingToWarnYou]

16. Ok

Wait a minute...

I probably have a bit more insight into this than you do, having a cousin who is a cop, and having worked closely with cops during my stint as a firefighter.

Ive been a cop for going on 14 years. Im well aware of why things happen the way they do sometimes.

It used to be that cops thought of themselves as public servants, protect and serve, all of that. Now their mentality is that they are the wardens at an open air insane asylum, and that will maintain order, no matter what.

Youre right. They will maintain order no matter what. These police, like all police, are limited in their use of force to what is necessary to achieve the objective, nothing more. They are allowed to meet force with the same level of force. In otherwords, if you kick or punch a cop, he can legally return the same action to you. Nowhere is it written that cops are to be used as punching bags, targets for airborne objects etc. If you expect them to stand there and take injuries for simply doing their jobs (keeping order) then you are grossly mistaken.

Somebody inconveincing a Congressman with a legal protest. Let's charge in with clubs swinging.

Im sorry, but I have a really, really hard time buying this. While you thought the protest was "legal", I would be really interested in knowing the whole story. If you were blocking access to a public right of way (i.e. the congressmans office for instance) you can be removed (depending on state laws of course). Chanting? So you were possibly disturbing the peace? Im not saying you were..Im simply pointing out that the law is not flexible on what constitutes an offense.

[MadHound]

17. Well, that explains a lot right there

"Ive been a cop for going on 14 years."

Therefore you are approaching this from a cops' point of view, a biased point of view. Explains a lot right there. And you are of the generation that came after. You're entire career has been influenced by the attitude of being wardens at an open air insane asylum. You're entire training reflects that, as does your postings here.

Perhaps you should go talk to some old timers, most of whom have retired. Ask them about this attitude change. It will open your eyes friend.

And for your information, those people behind a fence weren't being violent. They were being loud, but they weren't a threat. Likewise, the protest that I was injured at there was nothing being done that was illegal, in fact the site chosen was the one recommended by the police's own community relations officer. And I doubt that chanting could be in any shape be construed as "disturbing the police", otherwise any and all public protests would be disallowed. You're stretching friend, and you know it, since you don't even address the fact that I was incarcerated with no access to medical treatment. But hey, I got a nice settlement from the city, as did a couple of others who were there and injured. The judge was quite suprised that we were settling, for it was his thought we could have gone through the court and recieved a hell of a lot more.

Look friend, you're a cop, and I appreciate what you do, don't get me wrong. But you admonish us to police our own like we little children. Tell me, when the hell our you going to start policing YOUR bad cops? Until then, there really isn't much room for moral chastisement on your part, OK.

[Cleita]

15. It was mentioned on CBS news that this was the first

time police had been lined up elbow to elbow for an inauguration to keep the mob back. A "popular" President shouldn't need this kind of protection.