During peace marches, Chicago cops wear riot gear - Not today!

[Bozita]

I'm not suggesting that they should be in riot gear today. I'm simply wondering why the discrepancy.

WTF?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Probably politics.

The mayor and the chief of police or whoever are worried about looking intimidating to hundreds of thousands of voters.

[AX10]

2. Chicago Cops are devout fascists?

Possibly.

But why are the police not in riot gear today? Reasons? :shrug:

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. Peace demonstrators are extremely violent and dangerous

And larger numbers of outraged undocumented residents are nothing by comparison.


:sarcasm:

[Sal Minella]

13. I once saw a peace marcher pushing a baby stroller with her baby in it.

I assumed she did that so she could hurl the stroller at the police.......

[LostinVA]

15. WTF? I can't believe that...

American-hating peacenik!

[Us vs Them]

4. So they're NOT in riot gear today?

Which is strange because they always are whenever it's a protest against the war or administration.

[gratuitous]

5. Look out! It's the Quakers!

And they've got the Mennonites and the Brethren with them! Aaaaaahhhh! Run away! Run away!

Yeah, them pacifist Christians. Never can tell when they're going to go off and, I dunno, auction a quilt or something.

[NNN0LHI]

6. City of Chicago passed laws protecting immigrants from racist witch-hunts

http://www.pww.org/article/view/8968/

Chicago City Council passes law protecting immigrants

The Chicago City Council passed an ordinance March 29 that forbids police and other city employees from participating in the witch-hunt against undocumented immigrants that has been whipped up by the Republican far right.

Under the Sensenbrenner bill, HR 4437, passed in the federal House of Representatives on Dec. 16, and some other bills under consideration, to be in this country without authorization would be come a felony, and this would automatically allow state and local police to investigate or arrest a person.

These bills contain further language encouraging this and providing training for police in immigration enforcement.

In many towns and counties it is a regular practice for police to question people they have stopped, even for minor infractions, about their immigration status, and to deliver them to federal immigration authorities if they turn out to be undocumented.

[LoZoccolo]

7. Because we went onto Lake Shore Drive and shut it down.

I did it myself as well, but it is true the police didn't wear the riot gear until after that happened.

[Skidmore]

8. Yeah, I noted that when it was mentioned on CNN.

Thought the same thing.

[Bozita]

16. What was said on CNN?

I was watching Chicago's WGN when I started this thread and I'm unaware of any CNN comments.

[flordehinojos]

9. there may be some terrorists lurking inside the peace marches marchers.

[Avalux]

10. Here's what I heard -

The march organizers and the police have been coordinating the event for awhile; they've decided to work together to make it a peaceful, nonthreatening event.

CNN this morning.

[AX10]

11. Then why don't they do the same with the anti-war protesters?

[Avalux]

12. Because those anti-war types are so violent and dangerous!

That's the perception anyway. :eyes:

[linazelle]

14. I've noticed that too...all over the country--no "gear"

But when it's about the war, they all RoboCop. Utter BS.

[hang a left]

17. IMO that is because ** and the majority of the protestors are on the

same page...Amnesty.

[Sparkman]

18. There were a dozen riot squad clad cops in Santa Ana Calif, for no reason

I was there, and they came climging to a covered pick up truck, and two Ford Crown Vic's with 4 riot squad types in each. Then after tens of thousands of brown skin men and women walkded peacefully past, they ended up leaving. NEVER A HINT OF ANY PROBLEMS.
At one point, literally hundreds of rally marchers surrounded the two in front of me, who donned helmets when they felt intimidated, then, unable to direct the crowd from surrounding them, decided that there was ABSOLUTELY no threat and then seemed to get the mood...peace and serious concern for family and civil rights and human rights for immigrants. eye witness out.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

20. I was there too! I think the cops came because of the Minutemen

that were there on Ross....there had to be close to 10,000 people out there today!

[Bozita]

19. kick