What not to do at a protest.

[John Kerry VonErich]

The subject says it all in this story...

http://www.nbc4.com/news/14382216/detail.html?dl=headlineclick

Police: Violent Incident During World Bank/IMF Protest
Georgetown Stores Prepare For Protest

POSTED: 9:58 pm EDT October 19, 2007
UPDATED: 1:36 am EDT October 20, 2007


WASHINGTON -- Police said there was at least one violent incident in Georgetown Friday night, where protesters in town for the World Bank and IMF meetings are marching through the streets.

One woman has been hit in the head by a thrown brick. It's unclear how badly she was injured. But no arrests have been reported.

Hundreds of protesters are moving through the area -- accompanied by an even greater number of police officers. They're being escorted by motorcycle patrols -- with officers on bicycles, in cars and even in armored vehicles nearby.

A few dozen protesters gathered at Washington Circle, where they planned to begin a march through Georgetown to send a message to what they call "a seat of excessive wealth and privilege."

Most of the stores --The GAP, American Eagle, Urban Outfitters, Banana Republic, Restoration Hardware and two cosmetics stores -- used large sheets of plywood to board up windows and doors. All are within a block or two of Wisconsin and M streets in Georgetown.

Police were out in large numbers. Vehicle parking along the two primary thoroughfares -- Wisconsin Avenue and M Street -- is prohibited.
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Sickening.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. And how do we know that cops didn't throw the brick?

[John Kerry VonErich]

2. A brick is thrown

still sick no matter who did it.

[onenote]

3. eyewitnesses?

There was an interview on the local news with a guy who saw one of the protesters throw the brick that hit the woman.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Remember what happened in Canada this summer?

[onenote]

6. yes, and as i recall, other protesters demanded the cop drop his brick

From the video I've seen, no one in the group of protesters was trying to stop any of the brick throwers.

[John Kerry VonErich]

7. What happened in Canada?

nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Cops infiltrated the protest group

and encouraged the protesters to throw things at the cops.

[MrScorpio]

5. They're fucking up GEORGETOWN?!?!??

What are they trying to do, piss me off?

[Odin2005]

8. Let me guess, Anarchists?

Anarchists have this stupid habit of turning a perfectly good protest to shit fast by throwing bricks and vandalizing property.

[John Kerry VonErich]

9. AKA Black Blok

nt

[lostwilderness]

11. nt

thats crazy

[Selatius]

14. Not every Anarchist is a Black Blocker.

Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn are advocates of non-violent resistance. The Black Bloc simply gives folks like Chomsky a bad name.

[Odin2005]

15. Chomsky isn't an Anarchist in the strict sense.

He's a libertarian socialist, but he's not really an Anarchist. Full-blown anarchists reject any participation in the electoral politics of a Liberal Democracy as "legitimizing the system."

[lonestarnot]

13. Guess again, cops is a choice.

[Odin2005]

18. That's also possible, but that doesn't eliminate the possibility it was just anarchist disrupters.

[Glimmer of Hope]

12. There are tons a people in Georgetown during the weekends and they are

not all rich and some are tourists. For the most post, protesters are well behaved. What a sad incident.

[Rhythm and Blue]

16. What not to do in a protest:

1. Break the law.

[Whisp]

17. I hear you shouldn't protest at a protest.

you should just use strong words in a LTTE that will most likely not get published. Wouldn't want to look ill mannered or anything.

[Odin2005]

19. You don't know the difference between a peaceful protest and violent crap?

[Whisp]

20. what I do know is that many peaceful protests are

riddled with agents provacateurs.
you know, the ones that want all us 'left nutters' to be painted as violent anarchists.

as for this particular incident, i don't know. I am speaking generally.

please don't try to twist my words into something that would seem like inciting violence to certain people.

[Odin2005]

21. I know that there are often agents provacateur "Anarchists" at protests.

That doesn't mean every protester that looks like a violent Anarchist must be a police infiltrator, that's paranoid thinking.

[Whisp]

22. well, I am a bit paranoid, actually everyone should be.

I don't think anyone is saying that all peaceful protests everywhere, anywhere, never lose their cool once in a while.

but the percentage of people who do lose it, are so trivial in numbers compared to the millions and millions that do it right and I think banging on the same drum that the mass media does in describing that small miniscule percentile as something to be overly concerned about is way off kilter and I just don't want to be a part of sending along that disinformation any further.

media loves to cameo these outbursts. and there is a good obvious reason. If they are so concerned about violence why aren't they showing more of the kind of violence there is in Iraq which makes most protest outbursts look like tickle tussles on the living room rug compared.

[John Kerry VonErich]

23. Maybe the media would like to see a civil war.

Good post Whisp