12/2 At Tuesday's WTO protest, 20 demonstrators from Humboldt County
     used lock boxes to link themselves in a circle. As supporters
     gathered around them, you could see thick clouds of tear gas at
     the next intersection down the hill, where police were dispersing
     a crowd. Calls went up for vinegar and rags to cover the faces of
     the blockaders, who calmly sat and waited.  An hour or so later,
     the police arrived and asked the blockaders to leave.  When they
     refused, cops went around the circle, pepper-spraying the
     activists in the face. They didn't unlock. The police sprayed
     again. Still the blockaders stayed firm. After two more attempts,
     the police finally gave up, ceding the intersection to the
     protesters.
           \_ of course, this idea does not exclude the similar idea that
              the WTO rioters all deserve a swift kick to the head while
              being dunked in toilet water diarrhea.  Moron fuck-ups. (again)
                \_ these weren't rioters
        (Why isn't this considered brutality?)
        \_ Ok, smartguy, ignore the fact that this was a WTO protest.
           Think generically. Protesters refusing to leave. How, as a
           policeman, would you have made them move?
           \_ cut locks.  Pick them up.  Move them.  I am thinking generically
           \_ My incredible mental powers.  Barring that, my magnetic
              personality and incredible good looks.
           \_ Well gee, I guess I would have pepper sprayed them right in the
              face a few times in violation of my training on the correct and
              safe use of pepper spray and then just left to go get some beer.
              What would you have done, not ignoring the fact that no matter
              their politics, they are still human beings and you don't do
              that to another human being, especially for some stupid reason
              like "they were blocking the street"?
              \_ They were blocking the street to get attention. They got
                 their attention. They knew the risks. (If they didn't,
                 then they're incredibly stupid, given the history of
                 protests and police action). And they're policemen. They
                 don't go have beers on duty. They do their job. Yes, I
                 consider use of pepper spray more in line with their job
                 than to blow off their assignments and hit the bars. Oh,
                 and they were blockading, which I assume (correct me if I'm
                 wrong) they were preventing people from crossing (or am I
                 not getting the definition of 'blockade'?) if i wanted to
                 cross, i damn well would approve of the police taking
                 necessary action for me to cross.
                 \_ there are many ways to deal with the situation that don't
                    involve pepper spray to the face.  Pepper spray has been
                    known to kill people it is so toxic.  I mena if they
                    started shooting people I'm sure htat would have worked
                    too.  Doesn't mean it is the right way to go about things.
                        \_ Peanut butter has been known to kill people it
                           is so toxic.  Don't be a freak.
                            \_I hope this is bait and not ignorance.
                              \_ No, it's true.  Some people are so
                                 allergic to peanuts that they'll die
                                 if they eat them.
                        \_ Why is it that computer science majors in
                                general don't believe in human rights?
                           \_ I don't know that you can generalize from
                              the bozos that post to the motd to CS majors
                              in general