The Almost Entirely Black Audience Of "The Butler" Had To Watch Film W-Armed Guards Facing Them

[kpete]

Racial profiling is exactly what Regal Cinemas is being accused of over their deployment of armed police and extra security steps at an 8:05 pm showing of The Butler. Thirty-five year-old Tiffany Flowers and her husband, 38 year-old Alan Hanson (update: the couple are not married), were shocked by what happened at the theater. Ms. Flowers tweets:

I’d like to take this time to express my utter disgust with@RegalMovies cinema in Silver Spring, MD. You all should stay away from here.
.@hanson_alan and I went to see #TheButler @RegalMovies last night and let me tell you what an unpleasant experience it was…
Tickets were double validated. First they get torn then upon entering the theater (10 FT. AWAY) we were asked for stubs again.@RegalMovies
Then as soon as we enter the theater we were greeted by an actual police officer who herded traffic in one direction. @RegalMovies
Once we get around the corner and start looking for seats we see yet another police office inside the theater facing patrons.@RegalMovies
This was our first (and final) trip @regalmovies but we were told that this is completely out of the ordinary. #TheButler
The almost entirely black audience of #TheButler was subjected to watching the film while armed guards faced the audience. Why?@RegalMovies
RT @HoneyNectar17: @Me @RegalMovies Why the police presence? Is it a rowdy theater with a lot of unruly pre-teens and teenagers? <– No!
@HoneyNectar17 @RegalMovies As a matter of fact it was the 8:05 show. There were mostly elders and people our age in the crowd.#TheButler
@Oprah I went out to support #TheButler last night and@RegalMovies thought it’d be cool to extend the onscreen discrimination to the crowd.

MORE:
http://www.mediaite.com/online/patrons-report-armed-police-at-silver-spring-maryland-screening-of-lee-daniels-the-butler/

[d_r]

1. regal theaters in Maryland

that is where the young man with Down Syndrome was murdered by the security guards.

[elleng]

4. Yes, in Frederick, about 50 miles north of Silver Spring.

[tularetom]

31. My brother, who lives there, refers to it as "Fredneck"

Although IMO he would seem to fit in pretty well there. He's always bitching about all the "city people" DC commuters who have relocated there to take advantage of the relatively cheap housing market.

[elleng]

34. Well, may well be 'Fredneck,'

but I have an apartment in Hagerstown! We've been fortunate to have removed old R congressman Roscoe Bartlett for D John Delaney!

[kwassa]

37. Frederick and Silver Spring are totally different environments, though.

the comparison won't work.

[elleng]

39. Indeed, there is no comparison politically and socially,

but unfortunate police activities in both places recently.

[kwassa]

48. .

[elleng]

2. HOLY SHIT, in Silver Spring, MD???

Was thinking of seeing it in Chevy Chase, DC, today, and may do so. I expect regal will hear a thing or two about this!

kpete, cross-post this in Maryland, please?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

58. Saw it at the Avalon tonight.

[elleng]

69. DID YOU???

Sorry I missed you!

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

89. Yep. It was great. Not a very diverse crowd, but that was o.k. The audience laughed, cried, cheered.

It was great!!

[MADem]

3. What the hell? ARMED guards?

I went to see LINCOLN when it was the hot movie and attended a sold-out show. There was a shitload of security there, everyone's tickets were double checked, but I didn't see "armed guards."

[Fumesucker]

8. The tweeter uses the term "actual police officer"

So yeah, they would be armed most likely.

I have no idea why the theater thought it needed sworn officers of the law to act as ushers.

[MADem]

84. Do they hire off duty cops as security in that town? I know they do in Boston...

They'll wear the uni, too, sometimes, but get paid privately.

I just don't understand why they had to be lined up like it was a prison showing. Crowd control is one thing, weapons and standing there checking everyone out is something else.

Ham handed, as they say....at a minimum.

[Chan790]

101. No, it's in the county-owned shopping-plaza. (I live here.)

The security there is Montgomery County PD.

Unless I'm mistaken, that's the theater in the Downtown Silver Spring (To be clear, that's a formal name...the name of an outdoor mall/shopping-plaza surrounding City Place Mall.) complex at Fenton St. and Wayne? Ave (the confusion is because it's in the middle of a pedestrian area but all the streets continue across the complex even though they are closed to traffic. I never have any idea what street I'm on there.)...it's always had problems, it's where I got patted down for "suspicion of contraband candy". There is a constant police presence (foot-patrol and bike police) there but it's confined to the public streets along with a private security presence inside the mall and the theater usually.

They did the same thing during Stomp The Yard and claimed it was because they had "credible threats" of riots and gang violence. It was a load of crap then and now, I think they (Regal) are just uncomfortable with poor people and black people. Ironically, Silver Spring is one of the most-affluent black-majority cities in America.

[KT2000]

5. OMG - hope Scalia

et al are aware of this "post racial society."
Hope this makes the national news.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. That is disgusting. Shame on Regal Cinemas. n/t

[WolverineDG]

7. Double-checking ticket stubs happens at all big movies

armed guards? not so much. Perhaps the theater had received threats from right wing wackos? If so, why not cancel the showings?

[Blue_Tires]

11. Really? I don't think I've ever seen it...

[WolverineDG]

15. I've seen double-checking as recently as the latest Star Trek movie

and as far back as the early release of Independence Day.

[Blue_Tires]

82. maybe it's a geographical thing...

I may have seen it for some movies that were constant sellouts, but those were movies with typically heavy teenage audiences...

[liberalhistorian]

29. I've been to gazillions of movies

in a very wide variety of theaters and I've never once had a ticket double-checked or seen police/armed security. Not once.

[temporary311]

53. I saw armed security

at the Regal IMAX theater in Ontario the day after the shooting in Colorado. Don't recall seeing any since, though.

[WolverineDG]

80. Well, I have nt

[trumad]

60. been yo a 1000 movies

Never seen double checking.

[WolverineDG]

81. I've been to about that many

& I have.

[jmowreader]

96. The only time I ever saw it was for the initial screening of Batman Returns

And the only reason they did that was overcrowding. It sold out, and people were trying to buy tickets for other movies so they could sneak into Batman.

I'm at a loss for words as to why they'd do this...if they were trying to prevent some sort of race riot, why the hell would they think one would break out at THIS film? Did anyone under the age of fifty even go?

[Iggo]

83. No, it doesn't.

[mnhtnbb]

9. I don't know what to say. I live in North Carolina and went yesterday

to a local theater in our town. Very well attended. Applause at the end.
No security presence at all.

[theHandpuppet]

10. We warned everyone.

When my partner and I posted this thread about women being searched at Regal Cinema.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3359860

Now black citizens are being subjected to their humiliation. Wake up, people.

[elleng]

12. Thanks. Didn't know about this.

Rarely attend movies, but will keep it in mind. Will probably see The Butler here:

http://www.theavalon.org/

'An independent movie theater in a beautifully restored historic building, operated by the nonprofit Avalon Theatre Project, Inc., The Avalon offers exciting and diverse programming that includes outstanding first-run commercial films, independent and foreign films, documentaries, film festivals, and special programs for families and seniors.'

The Chevy Chase, DC, community, resurrected the Avalon, so its a real community affair.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

59. Go see it there, ellen. I went tonight and it was nice.

[elleng]

70. I consider the Avalon to be 'my' movie theater

tho I no longer live in DC. Used to live about 15 minutes away, and now, more like 40.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

90. Oh, sorry about that. I think I'll start going to Avalon. It's out of the way, but I like the fact

that it's non-profit. People are friendly. Parking is crazy, but I've always liked that area.

[elleng]

92. Maybe we can meet up some time, eh?

Parking in lot behind CVS! I suppose it was crowded with Butler viewers this weekend, but spaces are usually available. And there's Safeway's lot, too.

I and many of us were very happy when the community was able to 'rescue' the theater, and it continues to improve, as in, little coffee-shop there now!

I'd thought of looking for an apartment in the neighborhood as I like it, used to sit in the library for hours, and that particular Starbucks provided a haven for me in a time of need some years ago. However, I've found a 'cottage' to rent in Lusby, on Patuxent River, so won't do Chevy Chase apartment, will be in Silver Spring part time.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

98. I tried to tell my friends that they could park back there, but they didn't believe me. Oh, well.

Definitely, we should meet up. That would be nice. I hope you're happy where you are. It's pretty expensive here. I'm still trying to look for a house; tired of renting, but it's nearly impossible on one income, even if it's a good one.

Keep in touch!!

[elleng]

99. Yes, we'll keep in touch. ;-)

I'm happy in 3 places! (Actually not in the 3d yet, but visiting tomorrow.)

[elleng]

100. Just returned from the show, Liberal_Stalwart.

Am sad. Lived through his story (from a distance, of course, white NY liberal woman,) and don't know why, but am almost depressed.

Was a great movie, imo.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

103. I can understand why, but despite all that has happened in the last few years, I do think we've

come quite a long way in this country. I still believe that there's quite a long way to go, and I think that there are forces who want to take us back to a very dark place, but we won't go back there. There is a lot of good in the human spirit, and the good will outweigh the bad. I truly believe that.

Keep your head up.

It was a great movie!!

[elleng]

104. Happy that you feel this way.

[elleng]

105. Obama Says 'The Butler' Movie Made Him Tear Up.

Ditto.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2013/08/27/arts/ap-us-obama-the-butler.html?hp&_r=0

[jimlup]

13. Wow! I saw the film on Friday morning... I'm not sure any other big screen film has really told

the civil rights story from this perspective. It was an inspirational film. Ironically our viewing was interupted by a bunch of very loud and rowdy white teenagers who came in at the very end after theater jumping. I mean they were kids so I forgive them and all - not the same situation nor the converse...

Racial profiling at that rather significant movie is not acceptable.

[Z_I_Peevey]

14. I saw the movie wiith an almost all-white audience in Oklahoma last night

with no armed guards to be seen--just a regular night at the movies--with some scattered applause at the end.

What is wrong with this Regal theater group? Owned by some crazed right-winger?

[theHandpuppet]

16. Don't know about the ownership

But it's time to organize a boycott.

[malaise]

17. WTF??? n/t

[suffragette]

18. WTF?

[mstinamotorcity2]

19. There will be those who don't get it.

Whenever it comes down to it some things change and some things stay the same.

[liberalhistorian]

20. You have got to be fucking kidding me.

I have never, ever, ever, ever, once, in my life, EVER attended ANY movie theater ANYWHERE that had anything remotely resembling police officers or armed security anywhere on the premises, least of all in the damn theaters themselves. And, at age 48, I've been to a LOT of movies at a LOT of different theaters in a wide variety of neighborhoods.

This is blatant racial profiling, at its worst. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Igel]

76. I've seen them.

They weren't movies I saw. Couldn't afford movies. But there's a theatre in Westwood, next to UCLA, that had a lot of big movies go through with really large lines. Usually rode my bike back and forth to school, sometimes walked, sometimes went home that way.

If they expected lots of crowds or the possibility of trouble they'd have security crawling all over the place.

[East Coast Pirate]

21. Huh?

[silverweb]

22. Unbelievable.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I saw this excellent movie yesterday, along with a very mixed audience, and can't even begin to imaging what Silver Spring police were thinking. How absolutely insulting to everyone present!

[starroute]

23. "Christian billionaire" Philip Anschutz owns a majority stake in the company

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Anschutz

[Initech]

91. Actually according to that Wikipedia page he sold his controlling shares of Regal in 2006.

[starroute]

97. All I see is that he resigned as a director in 2006

"So that he could focus on his other investments."

But there's nothing about him selling his shares, either in the various Wikipedia entries that mention Anschultz and Regal or anywhere else I looked.

[Retrograde]

24. I'd like to see confirmation from another source first

Possible? Yes. Did it actually happen? I don't know, I wasn't there.

[elleng]

36. Here's one:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/18/regal-cinemas-majestic-stadium-the-butler-police-presence_n_3776893.html

More: http://www.uproxx.com/webculture/2013/08/did-maryland-theatergoers-have-to-watch-the-butler-in-a-theater-filled-with-armed-guards/

[Igel]

77. It's not confirmation from another source.

It's two other sources quoting the same source.

If I tell three people something, all they can confirm is that I said it. Not that it happened.

Regal's statement is ambiguous. It fails to confirm the content of Tiffany's, nor does it deny it. Which is smart (wanting to avoid a he-said/she-said situation) and foolish (because a lot of people will just believe Tiffany because, well, it has to be true).

[elleng]

79. Right.

More from the same source:
http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/08/moviegoers-charge-regal-cinema-with-racial-profiling-at-the-butler--92912.html

[AsahinaKimi]

25. Wow..it looks good!

[East Coast Pirate]

26. Responding to a request for comment from the theater chain,

Russ Nunley, VP marketing and communications, Regal Entertainment Group, emailed the following statement to ABC7:

Regarding your inquiry, Regal Entertainment Group routinely employs security personnel to ensure the safety of all of our guests and staff. When a theatre experiences sold out showings of any feature, security will assist with crowd control and guest assistance throughout the facility, including auditoriums.

This weekend our Majestic theatre experienced a tremendous guest response to the feature 'Lee Daniels' The Butler' such that additional showtimes were added to meet our guests demands.

At no time last night did local management receive any guest complaints or concerns about our security or staff, who worked diligently to meet all of our guests needs.

To the extent any guests were disappointed with their experience, we welcome the opportunity to address their concerns and provide them the best entertainment experience possible in their future visits to our theatres.

More: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/08/moviegoers-charge-regal-cinema-with-racial-profiling-at-the-butler--92912.html

[MotherPetrie]

35. I've NEVER EVER EVER seen ANy security personnel at a Regal theater.

And that is the movie chain I almost always see movies in.

[East Coast Pirate]

47. I've never seen security in any theater.

[npk]

72. I've seen police officers at my local theater

Though they usually stand outside the theater near their cars or stand near the door stand in the lobby, but it's usually only on the weekend nights when more teenagers are hanging around.

[leveymg]

27. Welcome to entertainment in the "Colorblind America" of the 21st Century Police State.

RegalMovies probably had to rent the armed goons for a 48 hour minimum, and wanted to get it's money's worth.

[unionthug]

28. Regal politics indeed

Apparently Regal has a political history... reducing hours of employees to avoid 'Obamacare' and paying their boss a lot of money.

http://money.msn.com/now/post.aspx?post=3d7f6741-b43d-46fd-b8fe-f26dacb257ad

At least they're consistent... true colors flying at every chance.

[Dawson Leery]

30. K/R

[Spitfire of ATJ]

32. How did REAL cops get in the mix?

[Octafish]

33. GOOGLE Abraham Bolden

Learn the story of the first African American secret service agent on the White House detail. Explains a lot of how we got here.

Secret Service agent Abraham Bolden reported overt racism by his fellow agents and outright hostility toward the "n------loving president," quoting fellow Secret Service agents on the JFK detail.



Abraham Bolden speaks at JFK Lancer.



The story of a man who told the truth:

After 45 Years, a Civil Rights Hero Waits for Justice

Thom Hartmann
June 12, 2009 11:52 AM

A great miscarriage of justice has kept most Americas from learning about a Civil Rights pioneer who worked with President John F. Kennedy. But there is finally a way for citizens to not only right that wrong, but bring closure to the most tragic chapter of American presidential history.

After an outstanding career in law enforcement, Abraham Bolden was appointed by JFK to be the first African American presidential Secret Service agent, where he served with distinction. He was part of the Secret Service effort that prevented JFK's assassination in Chicago, three weeks before Dallas. But Bolden was framed by the Mafia and arrested on the very day he went to Washington to tell the Warren Commission staff about the Chicago attempt against JFK.

Bolden was sentenced to six years in prison, despite glaring problems with his prosecution. His arrest resulted from accusations by two criminals Bolden had sent to prison. In Bolden's first trial, an apparently biased judge told the jury that Bolden was guilty, even before they began their deliberations. Though granted a new trial because of that, the same problematic judge was assigned to oversee Bolden's second trial, which resulted in his conviction. Later, the main witness against Bolden admitted committing perjury against him. A key member of the prosecution even took the fifth when asked about the perjury. Yet Bolden's appeals were denied, and he had to serve hard time in prison, and today is considered a convicted felon.

After the release of four million pages of JFK assassination files in the 1990s, it became clear that Bolden -- and the official secrecy surrounding the Chicago attempt against JFK -- were due to National Security concerns about Cuba, that were unknown to Bolden, the press, Congress, and the public not just in 1963, but for the next four decades.

SNIP...

Abraham Bolden paid a heavy price for trying to tell the truth about events involving the man he was sworn to protect -- JFK -- that became mired in National Security concerns. Bolden still lives in Chicago, and has never given up trying to clear his name.

Will Abraham Bolden live to finally see the justice so long denied to him?

CONTINUED...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thom-hartmann/after-45-years-a-civil-ri_b_213834.html

After the assassination, he went to Washington on his own dime and reported what he saw to the Warren Commission. For his trouble -- and despite an exemplary record as a Brinks detective, Illinois State Trooper, and Secret Service agent -- Bolden was framed by the government using a paid informant's admitted perjury and spent a long time in prison. The government also drugged him and put him into psychiatric hospitals. His real crime was telling the truth.

The truth is something more people should try. Including the management of Regal Theaters.

[kwassa]

38. Silver Spring is a very diverse suburb of DC

I am surprised that the audience was mostly black.

This theater is in the revived downtown area, which is very nice, and very close to the national headquarters of the Discovery Channel, by the way. A major entertainment spot in the region.

[Recursion]

40. Silver Spring is also the end of Georgia Ave

which is not very diverse at all.

[kwassa]

41. and how is not diverse?

I go to a church at that exact spot.

It is indeed diverse. It is a neighborhood church.

[Recursion]

42. When I lived on Georgia Ave a few years ago I was the only nonblack person for several blocks

From Petworth north at least a few years ago was pretty solidly African American. Though maybe it's gentrified since then.

[kwassa]

54. Where on Georgia?

[Recursion]

65. Irving & Georgia first, then farther north (Rock Creek Church IIRC) (nt)

[Chan790]

102. That entire area is almost all gentrified now starting-at & north of Columbia Heights/Mt Pleasant.

The entire 14th and 16th street corridors are now tres-chic and pricy.

[elleng]

43. Not quite,

Silver Spring is not at the end of Georgia Avenue, Georgia runs up to Olney, and continues through farther out 'suburbs' to meet rte 70. There is a lot of diversity all along Georgia. (fwiw, I'm in Silver Spring now.)

'Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.[1]

Note: For the 2010 Census the boundaries of the Silver Spring CDP were changed reducing the land area by approx. 15%. As a result, the population count for 2010 shows a 6.6% decrease, while the population density increases 11%.

As of the 2010 census, there were 71,452 people, 28,603 households, and 15,684 families residing in the Silver Spring CDP. The population density was 9,021.7 people per square mile (3,485.5/km²). There were 30,522 housing units at an average density of 3,853.8 per square mile (1,488.9/km²). The racial makeup of the community was 45.7% White, 27.8% African American, 0.6% Native American, 7.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 13.2% from other races, and 4.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race consist of 26.3% of the population. Like much of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Silver Spring's Hispanic population is mostly made up of Salvadorans and other immigrants from Central America.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Spring,_Maryland

[Recursion]

44. Georgia Ave crosses Eastern Ave into Downtown Silver Spring

That and 16th St have old DC boundary stones at the intersections.

[elleng]

46. Right, at certain intersections, Georgia provides SS/DC boundary.

[Recursion]

49. The boundary is Eastern Ave the whole way

I had to learn this when I was living up there because it screws up the parking (DC owns everything up to the sidewalk, so SS residents can't park on Eastern). Georgia crosses Eastern by that 7-Eleven and continues through downtown.

[elleng]

51. Georgia Ave is Rte 97:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SilverSpringCDP2010.PNG

[Recursion]

52. Right

And it crosses over Eastern Ave. There's a really great Jamaican meat pie place there.

[elleng]

56. Name of the place???

[Recursion]

68. Negril, I think?

It's awesome.

[elleng]

71. Thanks. Will look for it.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

61. No!! Silver Spring is incredibly diverse!! You don't know what you're talking about.

In fact, GA Ave is become MORE not less diverse.

[Recursion]

66. I know Silver Spring is diverse. Georgia Ave through DC isn't so much, or at least wasn't

If Petworth & points north have gentrified since then, awesome, but they hadn't when I lived there.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

88. They are gentrifying very fast. VERY!! :)

[elleng]

45. I'm surprised too,

but The Butler is apparently showing in many local theaters (including Avalon, in Chevy Chase, DC.)

[kwassa]

50. Background: the crime problem in downtown Silver Spring.

I have to point out that the total amount of crime for Montgomery County, which has about 900,000 residents, is minute compared to DC just to our south, just below Silver Spring, in fact.

http://silverspring.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/silver-spring-remains-the-highest-crime-area-in-montg4d01729277

Despite a decrease in reported crime, District 3—which encompasses the greater Silver Spring area, including Colesville, downtown Silver Spring, White Oak, Burtonsville and parts of Wheaton—remained the highest crime area of Montgomery County in 2010, according to a year-end crime report released Friday by Montgomery County Police.
The district also contained the most homicides; eight of the county’s 17 were committed there. Compared to 2009, there were only three homicides in the district, marking a major increase over a one-year period.

The Silver Spring district has had the highest number of reported crimes in the county every year since at least 2007, according to available police records. Police officials said it was difficult to cite one single reason for the volume of reported crime.

[elleng]

55. Quite right,

and the area of DC contiguous with Silver Spring at Georgia and 16th St. is, I believe, low-crime for DC. (I lived there for 21 years.)

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

63. This may be true but Silver Spring is changing very rapidly and becoming more

Diverse--even though its already pretty diverse. I've lived here for nearly 20 years. The changes have been remarkable especially in Wheaton, which has indeed experienced some issues with crime. But it's all relative because crime in general is down for the entire DC area.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

57. FUCK ME!! I LIVE IN SILVER SPRING!!!

However I saw the movie in DC with friends. The audience was almost entirely white. Me and two of my friends were the only blacks in the audience. Everyone cheered, laughed, and cried throughout the movie.

Silver Spring is a liberal bastion!! What's going on here?!?

[Ian David]

62. A Guide To Consumer Brands Helping Bankroll Right-Wing Attack Ads

A Guide To Consumer Brands Helping Bankroll Right-Wing Attack Ads

Have you eaten at White Castle recently? Or caught a movie at Regal Cinemas?

If so, you may be unwittingly helping finance right-wing attack ads.

That’s because many of the country’s most common brands are run by rich conservatives who are using their personal wealth to bankroll outside spending groups that are running attack ads smearing progressives. From Marriott Hotels to Brawny paper towels, and from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Coachella music festival, corporate executives at these organizations have given millions of dollars to groups like Mitt Romney’s Super PAC Restore Our Future.

Some corporations, like Waffle House, give direct donations to conservative attack ad groups like Karl Rove’s American Crossroads.

The following list of consumer brands either have leaders who wrote checks to outside right-wing attack ad groups or gave money directly from the corporation. Only entities that gave $25,000 or more were included in this guide.

More:
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/07/19/543801/consumer-brands-conservative-attack-ads/

[olddots]

78. thanks for link to the list

wasn't aware of a few of them and we should all be very aware of these anti American businesses .

[Bethany Rockafella]

64. There is no way

There is no way I would sit through a theatre with armed guards in front. They should have walked out and demanded their money back. This isn't the 50's!

[npk]

74. The fact that they didn't all walk out is a good indication this story is BS

Looks like a few people looking to make a mountain out of a mole hill. Lots of theaters these days have an increased presence of security, especially after the incident in Colorado. It's unfortunate that a few people believed this to be racially motivated, but theaters or any public places that handle large crowds have a lot of liability these days and people are quick to hammer these places when something does go wrong because there was no visible security present. Looks like its a lose/lose situation for the theater.

[Ian David]

67. Reminds me of how theaters treated people when showing "New Jack City" and "Do The Right Thing." n/t

[madville]

73. All the theaters around here have armed security

On Friday and Saturday night. They are always in the lobby though.

That is odd for them to be in the theatre, pretty obvious why.

[Go Vols]

75. Damn Yankee states

I will bet its shown here with no pigs with pistols.

[IronLionZion]

85. FML, I live right there, walking distance from this theater

For anyone who is not familiar with this area, it is like the downtown area of SS, also used as a community gathering place for anything. It has been used as a location for political activity, protests, speeches, etc. but not violence. I haven't seen armed guards at the theater, but I have seen folks distributing materials for various causes outside.

And yes it is one of the most diverse cities on God's green earth: race, income, religion, age, etc. Everyone from everywhere is welcome in Silver Spring, MD. I stood in line all morning for early voting last fall and most everyone in line seemed to be liberal. I moved here 2 years ago because it seemed like a good balance between the yuppies of Bethesda and the hippies in Takoma Park.

[elleng]

86. Thanks for the picture you draw, IronLionZion.

I LOVE: 'it seemed like a good balance between the yuppies of Bethesda and the hippies in Takoma Park!'

[elleng]

87. Sounds like Martin Bashir will cover this today:

'Viewers who went to see 'The Butler' in DC this past weekend reported that "the uniformed police who remained inside the theater throughout the show were not in uniform, but dressed in all black with their badges exposed, and wearing bullet-proof vests."'

Martin Bashir on FB

[Xyzse]

93. I've been to both theaters. Regal Frederick and Regal Silver Spring

The one in Frederick is nowhere near as crowded as the one in Silver Spring.

There have been armed guards there for years now. Ever since the Beltway Sniper and quite a few other incidents involving shooting around the country.

It tends to happen when there are big crowds in the theater. There were times that we were double validated.
I was there just recently this Friday. I did not get double validated though on that Friday night.

Though yes, that happens now and then. I remember being double validated during Avengers, when I watched it again after the midnight showing.

They can be heavy handed in the armed presence, but I haven't seen them specifically stop any one.

Not excusing the armed presence, but I didn't see it as a big deal if they didn't harass any one.

However having a police presence watching movie goers, is too much, this one I can't agree with. I didn't see that when I was there this Friday, and I am very sorry to hear that such a thing went on.

On Edit - There is a crime problem in Silver Spring from up there on Georgia all the way to Wheaton. It is a site where shootings have happened, as well as some other crimes. Also, full disclosure, I came from a different country where it is routine to have your bags and packages inspected as you enter a building, so I take such things in stride.

[JNelson6563]

94. Absolutely sickening.

And though I am generally a fan of irony, this is way too potent an irony for me to enjoy in any way.

What year is this again?

Julie

[Liberal_in_LA]

95. kick