Originally posted by whatukno
reply to post by detachedindividual
We have the constitutional right to peaceful assembly in this country, what your missing is the PEACEFUL part. What part of PEACEFUL don't you
understand? Is it that hard of a concept? Is it that far beyond your realm of understanding? PEACEFUL?
When you have a group who you know is going to be destructive, who you know is going to be violent, what do you purpose be done about it? Let them
just destroy as much as they want and clean up the mess afterward?
Freedom does not mean anarchy.
And again with the "assumption of guilt". You are stating that people who "may intend" to cause damage have no right to freedom of assembly and
protest. So how exactly do you ascertain that a person is going to cause damage?
You cannot operate a democratic free nation on the assumption of "guilty until proven innocent". And you certainly cannot strip the rights of a
large number of people because you "have a feeling" one or two of them might break a window.
What part of this don't you understand?
This is just another example of "Civil rights are great, as long as I agree with the opinions of those using those rights".
So, tell me, oh wise speaker of democratic rights, in several of the protest videos you can clearly see just people milling about, as they would in a
shopping mall or on a street on a fri/sat night, only this time they have a megaphone and an opinion. Then the riot police turn up and start
harassing, intimidating and threatening them. Where is the violence here?
Please tell me how you magically "know" that those protesters were going to cause any trouble?
And my solution? Don't have these meetings in such places! Simple really isn't it?
There are a thousand locations for these leaders to meet. They all have secluded little hideaways for when the next Nuke goes off, they all have
military bases at their disposal, aircraft carriers out at sea...
Why hold such an emotive meeting like this in a populated area to begin with?
All guests and media are thoroughly cleared and vetted beforehand, and their numbers limited.
A military base would have it's own airport, limiting disruption to public transportation.
Security would already be at it's peak, no need for drafting in thousands more dressed in riot gear. No need for bomb sweeps and threat analysis...
need I go on?
There is absolutely no reason I can find for why these meetings need to be held in such locations, other than to offer the leadership of each nation
the opportunity to remind the people just who holds the batons and gas canisters.