[lbo-talk] lbo-talk Digest, Vol 54, Issue 6

[Chuck]

Liza Featherstone wrote:
> Of course I don't think activists should be arrested for yelling at  
> the police, and of course it's legal to do that. But it's annoying  
> and juvenile, and while there may be times when it makes sense -- for  
> instance, if cops are engaging in misconduct, sometimes yelling at  
> them can help by drawing a crowd to witness it -- mostly I think it's  
> off-putting to people who might otherwise agree with you, and as  
> andie suggests, a waste of the time and money of all the worthy lefty  
> organizations and people who will then work hard to defend your First  
> Amendment rights. As for the notion that this stuff doesn't happen,  
> sorry, I have no idea why you haven't seen these sort of antics;  
> obviously we've just been to different protests.

I've engaged in these antics, so I can attest that they do happen.

I've gotten away with alot when badgering and heckling police officers. 
I've only been arrested once for this behavior. I think that the pigs 
are taken aback by people actually yelling at them. It might help that 
I'm a white male.

I never think about how my actions or behavior will play with the NLG 
types. I'm engaged in free speech, so isn't that what civil liberties 
lawyers are supposed to be for? What's the point fo free speech if you 
don't use it liberally?

Liza makes a good point about yelling drawing a crowd. That's one reason 
why you yell at cops.

I happen to think that people who yell at cops for mistreating 
protesters are wasting their breath, especially if they are yelling 
because they are shocked that the cops are acting violently.

The best reason for yelling at the pigs is to exercise your free speech 
rights. That's the dangerous thing about people who take free speech 
seriously. They start yelling at the pigs. If more of yelled at the 
pigs, it might create even more space for free speech.

Who knows, you might bum out a few cops into quitting the force.

Chuck