#DemocracySpring: This Is What Irony Looks Like

[KamaAina]

http://sputniknews.com/cartoons/20160413/1037954959/democracy-spring-irony.html

Hundreds of protesters calling for election reform have been arrested, but are the true criminals going free?

Demonstrators with #DemocracySpring are protesting in Washington DC all week, seeking robust reforms in the US election process.

[giftedgirl77]

1. What were the charges?

[2naSalit]

2. Perhaps they didn't get a permit

to protest?

[giftedgirl77]

3. That's what I read...

I just wanted to know if anyone that keeps complaining about the arrests knew. It's kind of an important point.

[2naSalit]

4. It is an impotant point

and I think they went there with the intention of being arrested as part of the protest.

[giftedgirl77]

6. Or once again they failed to follow the most basic requirements necessary to gather.

Basic organizational skills required is apparently nonexistent.

[polmaven]

8. 2naSalit is correct..

Last edited Wed Apr 13, 2016, 05:41 PM - Edit history (1)

I know several people who were/are there. They expected, or even planned to be arrested as a point of their protest. My acquaintances were there to protest for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United decision.

[onethatcares]

10. I was perusing the First Amendment

and missed the part about being able to protest as long as a permit was aquired.

If the gun nutz can state the 2nd allows them unfettered access to firearms, it's not too far a stretch
to expect unfettered access to protest.

Anything else is bullshit.

[AllyCat]

24. This^^^

[SalviaBlue]

16. I think that the idea was to get arrested so as to bring attention to their cause.

It is a tactic as old as our democracy.

It worked.

It got your attention.

But go ahead and criticize them.

[Rex]

20. I guess some here would have been against the Civil Rights movement as well.

I'm chalking it up to their failure to read or care about history. I guess they and freepers have something in common.

[Hortensis]

35. Oh, now. Inappropriate. I am for competence. The OP posted

a cartoon because WaPo and LA Times werent interested. These earnest people failed to get their message to many more than those they waved at from the highways. What they did is not nothing. It is a principled statement. But it's not enough for national media coverage, which has been the criticism here on DU. Hópefully they feel good about what they've done and enjoyed their bike rides and will have picked up a few techniques and lessons for next time.

BTW, Bernie would not only not say such a thing, but it would be taken by many like me as such a profound insult that Bernie would almost certainly have to disavow it if someone on his stage said it.

[Rex]

36. Why are you bringing up Bernie? Stuck record?

Who mentioned your name at all? I guess the truth hurt some huh? Seriously, go bother someone else with your ignorance of history.

[Duval]

11. They are protesting the Corruption in politics.

And, no, they didn't care if they were arrested. But, they didn't go just to be arrested.

[2naSalit]

18. I knew what they were protesting

but watching the opening event when they made their pronouncement, it seemed they were intending to be arresting in the process. Was just how it seemed during the few minutes of their pronouncement that gave me that impression.

A worthwhile protest, I wish it was getting more press than it is but I do have to say that I have heard reports on NPR and MSNBC in the first 48 hours. I'm sure the corporate media is trying not to cover it but I think they'll be forced to by week's end... I hope.

[hfojvt]

28. they were

somehow I am on their email list and got a message before the event titled something like "Are you ready to be arrested?"

I am not necessarily against what they are promoting - certain pieces of legislation, but the idea that 1,000 or 10,000 people should be able to extort legislation from Congress by being obnoxious and disruptive does not seem very democratic to me.

Rall's cartoon with the Congressman not yet arrested - well, a majority of voters in their district would not only seem unwilling to support their arrest, but will actually vote to re-elect most of them.

[bvar22]

29. It is called Civil Disobedience,

and is a traditional American response to unfair systems designed to keep us silent and hidden.

ALL of America is a Free Speech Zone, and the Constitution guarantees us the RIGHT of "Peaceful Assembly" and to have our grievances addressed by our government.

[2naSalit]

30. I am not arguing that it isn't.

I was trying to be brief without snark, not sure that worked out as anticipated.

[Hortensis]

7. Permits are apparently almost never denied.

It seems like they may have wanted to be arrested, not realizing that media have a general policy of not encouraging crime by reporting on it, ignored if the story's too good, of course, which this little run-of-the-mill group apparently wasn't.

I posted this guide to how to get a permit to protest on another thread. Its helpful invitation to protest groups struck me as kind of cute, and definitely democratic. (But then if I were a different sort it'd probably make me want to throw bombs.)

Especially living near a small city in the Deep South, where challenges to government are not usuallly looked on favorably. Think kangaroo courts of righteous citizens determined to teach "miscreants" not to make the same mistake twice.

http://washingtonpeacecenter.org/permitprocess

[AllyCat]

25. One should not need a permit to exercise Constitutional rights

[Hortensis]

32. Oh, come on! Tell yourself that when you've

been trapped in traffic for two hours because others are exercising their constitutional rights. And then again next week. Maybe until you have to find another job or put your house up for sale and move because you can't reliably get to work and have been let go.

As a lifelong liberal, my moral code is mostly pretty simple -- one man's rights end where another's nose begins. To that point, exercise your freedoms and rights all you want.

[AllyCat]

33. I do. As a progressive, I cheer with them.

As a sensible person, I plan ahead and find a different route if I can't be delayed. Enjoy your sanitized democracy.

[onethatcares]

34. maybe use that

GPS in most cars/phones or almost free on craiglist. You can dodge almost any protest with one of those thingies.

Maybe we can have "free speech zones" in the future.

[tclambert]

27. Okay, now I want to protest the requirement to get a permit to protest.

Do you think they would grant me a permit for that protest?

[Rex]

13. It is the same kind of non-violent civil disobedience the media always covered during the

Civil Rights movement...shame they only care about money now. Oh well the media that made Trump is going to implode one day.

[2naSalit]

31. hopefully

there will be some kind of domino effect where the crash of the RWNJ faction brings down its infrastructure with it.

[Rex]

37. Well it has the old guard scared and lashing out, so it must be a good thing.

The conservatives hate it when anyone wants something besides them. People protesting, how illegal...yeah that is an argument a freeper would make.

[LiberalElite]

17. It may have had something to do with civil disobedience nt

[Admiral Loinpresser]

19. Presumably trespass.

This was a typical direct action, people who wanted to be arrested lined up. The cops did not chase off the protestors who chose NOT to be arrested, so the idea that they were arrested for not having a permit violates common sense.

[Blue_Tires]

5. Rall works for Sputnik now?

[NuclearDem]

23. He fits right in there.

[Phlem]

9. K&R for visibility.

[blackspade]

12. cuddos to the protestors

I can't believe the number of people on DU that are dismissive of a protest calling for open and honest elections in an end to government corruption.

[Rex]

14. It is the usual suspects.

SSDY.

[AllyCat]

26. Amazing, isn't it? Sure seems not very democratic

[Rex]

15. That will piss the RWingers off!

They love them some bootlicking.

[NuclearDem]

21. This is what irony looks like: A Putin-owned media outlet decrying the victimization of activists.

Boris Nemtsov is spinning in his grave.

Oh, and it's Ted Rall as well, this fucking guy:

http://www.gocomics.com/tedrall/2004/11/08

[AxionExcel]

22. k and r

[Dont call me Shirley]

38. KnR for the protesters!