Rioting/Protests in Pittsburgh at G20

[Greenday]

Group of 20 summit yesterday, September 24th. Tons of people went and protested in large numbers. Cops come to keep the peace. Protesting turns violent, so riot police get violent...Now the cops are assholes. People are bitching that their first amendment right to free speech isn't being allowed, but I'm pretty sure free speech doesn't include rioting and starting shit. A youtube video of some students at Pittsburgh University being trapped on a balcony has gotten out and people are using it to say the cops were acting wrongly. So wait, some people went onto a balcony to watch the rioters against the police and then it's the cops fault they got trapped there? Did the cops put them in that position in the first place? No. The dumbass kids thought it was a smart idea to stand where the action is and they paid for it.

Fucking morons.

[Gravekeeper]

Anarchists. They show up at any sort of protest event just to start shit up like that. Than ya, blame the cops. But its just an excuse to go apeshit like that.

Protip: If someone shows up with a gas mask, chances are they aren't there to peacefully exercise their right to free speech.

I have to be honest though, I don't have much patience for the modern protester. Most of those I see lately either end up like this, or are just complete goddamn idiots when it comes to the topic at hand. If you can't even spell your sign right, stay home. If any part of the reason your protesting is because the Bible told you too, stay home. >.>

[protege]

As someone who *lives* in Pittsburgh, I can't fault the cops at all on the G20. They'd seen what happened in Seattle and other cities, and decided that it wasn't going to happen here.

I have *no* patience for protesters. They came here for the sole purpose of causing trouble, and disrupting things. Most of their marches were illegal, since they didn't bother securing the necessary permits. Then they refused to "move along" when the cops ordered them to disperse.

Throw in the dumpsters sent rolling at police cars, the rocks being thrown (not only at cops, but through the windows of restaurants and other businesses), plus the cars being vandalized in some areas...and it was no wonder why tensions were high.

In other words, those assholes wanted attention...and now they're upset that they got it. Quite a few people are glad that they're no longer in our fair city.

[Fashion Lad!]

Protesters have the right to free speech, they have the right to assembly. They don't have the right to act like jack asses and start riots.

Protesting = good
Rioting = bad

I think it's more when cops come in because they assume the worst, that's when the worst happens. Someone gets antsy thinking "they're not letting us voice our opinions! A direct attack on our rights"

[protege]

I understand that they have rights. However, those rights ended when they started hurling rocks through windows and flipping cars over. I mean, don't you have the right to eat or work in a fast-food joint, a bank, or even your own home, without being injured by flying bricks or glass?

All of that has to be taken into consideration. However, most of those protesters were simply here to cause trouble. They chose to form illegal demonstrations (that is, without the proper permits), and to make asses out of themselves.

[Greenday]

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!! Just picked up an article of my school's newspaper and it was on how the police were keeping the man down at the G20 summit. And their only source is some stupid moron who went their to join in with the protests/riots. It is the most biased article I have ever read in the school newspaper and I just had to write a letter to the editor informing them of this. They also spelled "Protester" "Protestor".

Edit: Nevermind, have to register with the website to view the article.

[protege]

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!! Just picked up an article of my school's newspaper and it was on how the police were keeping the man down at the G20 summit. And their only source is some stupid moron who went their to join in with the protests/riots.

You've noticed that too? Seemed that every protester had that view. The cops were *not* "keeping the man down," OK? In fact, they really didn't do much, until the protesters refused to leave, or started causing trouble. The cops had seen the riots in Seattle and other places, and decided that shit was *not* going to happen here. That's why they were quick to arrive before things got out of hand.

[Greenday]

The meeting of leaders from the world's most influential economic powers in Pittsburgh this September sparked large protests among many who disagree with the organization's economic, environmental and social development plans for the world. Several WCU students who attended will explain the purpose of the demonstrations, and their experiences as their peaceful protests were greeted by tear gas and rubber bullets from 4000 police in riot gear. They ask the question “why did they need to spend upwards of $20 million to deny the right of freedom of assembly to peaceful protestors"

Someone sent me this event on facebook. I'm going, and I'm starting shit. I also wrote to the school newspaper telling them what a obviously biased article they had in the paper. W00t

[Hyena Dandy]

Look, a disorganized protest is a riot. I know that everyone there had dreams of the sixties, marching on Washington and protesting Nam all that. But you know what about the March on Washington and the anti-Vietnam rallies? They were planned. They were organized. They were relatively peaceful. The problem with this one, is that they couldn't even agree what the hell they were protesting. A protest is unified show of people's statements.

While I don't necessarily agree with the people who lined the torch route for the Beijing Olympics (certainly I don't agree with the people who tried to steal the torch at any rate), at least they were all protesting the same thing. That's a show of support. That's a protest. Same thing with the tea party people. I don't necessarily agree with them, but at the very least THEY agree with them. I What were the G20 people protesting? Some of them were protesting completely counter to their co-protesters, but they were standing together and throwing rocks anyway, because the cops are "The Man" and The Man is always trying to keep you down by trying to make you not throw rocks through stores or tip over cars.

On Halloween last year, my friends all put together costumes individually. Then we got together, and made signs saying things like "Let's Play Parcheesi" and other such things. Our costume was "Teh Unoffended Protestors" and we had a call and response chant

"Who are we?!"
"Students For The Status Quo Unless We See A Reason To Change It."
"What do we want?!"
"I Dunno! I Could Go For Some Ice Cream!"
"When Do We Want It?!"
"Whenever's Good For You!"
"What Are We Gonna Do About It?!"
"NOTHING!"

I never thought that SFTSQUWSARTCI would be a more effective protest than people trying to effect change.

But there it is. Psuedo-Surrealism is better organized than people protesting G20.

This is a problem.

I'm all for freedom of speech, and I'm all for protests. But protests shouldn't be BYOC.

Bring Your Own Cause.

[Rapscallion]

What are you rebelling against?

What have you got?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047677/quotes

Rapscallion

[Fryk]

Can I ask a really dumb question?

When did the G8 become the G20? Dif they hold auditions and I missed it? And what would those auditions look like?