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I'm not sure how the ranger response to the protesters affected you, but when I saw a ranger pull his gun at the unarmed protesters. That bothers me, I hope that ranger got some sort of discipline action for pulling his gun on unarmed people. Maybe it's just me that thinks that. I hope not.
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I have a number of police officer friends, and I am very sympathetic to the stress that police officers are subjected to, and I also recognize that we are seeing only the final minutes of what no doubt was an extended confrontation, but I just don't see any justification for the officer to point a gun at the protesters.
Just in case anyone has missed the video ...
Just in case anyone goes to YouTube to look at the video and wonders about the borderline fascist comments below it, The Scottish Sun is one of Rupert Murdoch's newspapers.
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Yes and no.Originally posted by travelguy View Post
Burning Man is a major commercial (yes, kiddies, you have to pay to get in and people do profit from it) -- and -- because of the heat, etc., it is mandatory, for safety's sake that the road NOT be barricaded.
That young lady who began crying (for her Mommy?) now knows - you don't block a public roadway, which is access for 85,000 people going in or out. What if an ambulance or fire truck came down the road and were confronted by a barrier?Last edited by boston_naturist; 09-04-2023, 12:38 PM.Comment
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^^ There is no doubt that the protesters were being obnoxious idiots and that their actions had potential ramifications for the safety of others, but that still doesn't warrant the officer pointing a gun at them.Comment
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There are more effective ways to get the media's attention than blocking a critical public roadway.
Press releases to the media AND an *effective* protest strategy, perhaps with protests at that same spot WITHOUT building road obstructions, may have had a better effect.
Albeit, if they were aiming to look like victims here (which, is a common protest tactic) -- they didn't succeed very well.Comment
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^^ The one thing that the protesters did accomplish very effectively is getting the media's attention as evidenced by the fact that we are discussing the incident in this forum.
Again, the actions of the protesters were stupid, and the actions of the law enforcement officer who pulled a gun were also stupid and will possibly end his career.
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Here's a better video - note at 3:24 - the miles-long traffic jam that they caused. Medical emergencies be damned, they're having too much fun protesting until the police break it up. OH - I might add - there is a major critical difference between "civil disobedience" and "stupid actions which endanger public safety".
These idiots fall into the latter category.
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One police officer confronting how many protesters who had enough junk that could have been used as weapons? The gun may not have been necessary, but the protesters did not open the road voluntarily. The gun was not fired as it appeared to be only a means to show authority. It should be investigated, but calling for him to lose his job is premature.Comment
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How many law enforcement officers were present? There was at least one other law enforcement vehicle on the scene. The other law enforcement officers were able to keep cool. This guy just went nuts.Originally posted by nudeyooper View PostComment
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That's for an unbiased investigation to conclude, not people watching a video. There were other authorities on the scene, but the video does not show where they were or what they were doing at the time. I'm not saying that the cop was right, I am saying that we don't have enough information to make a judgement. Some of those men were wearing vests that said Ranger on the back. Though my national park visits have been very limited, I have never seen a ranger carrying a weapon.Originally posted by Mosquito_Bait View Post
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They weren't national park rangers. They were tribal police. And if you've ever seen "North Woods Law" - those who are wildlife/forest management officers, DO carry guns because they ARE law enforcement personnel.Originally posted by nudeyooper View Post
They DO have law enforcement authority on tribal lands. These protesters / endangerers mimicked a similar tactic used in Boston around four years ago - they chained themselves to barricades and junk, and did it on a major road (Southeast Expressway) during the rush hour. They created a huge traffic jam and endangered public safety -- there was at least one ambulance call, that had to take a whole bunch of side streets, etc. but reportedly, the patient didn't die.
Looking back and thinking about this - YES, he was justified in using his gun to assert authority. There were "weapons" around (junk, chains) and if these people were crazy bas***ds who'd barricade a road and create a miles-long traffic jam in extreme heat, which - yeah, endangers lives.... what else might they have done?Last edited by boston_naturist; 09-05-2023, 07:37 AM.Comment
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Your car is potentially a lethal weapon. Does that mean anytime the police pull you over for a traffic violation they should point a gun at you? That is a rhetorical question. The answer is clearly "No!"Originally posted by boston_naturist View Post
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Yeah, but when I make an illegal turn, I am not going out of my way to deliberately create a hazardous situation, and whether un-intentional or not, endangering hundreds of lives. The objective of the tribal police was to get them off the road - QUICKLY. And, no, while this was not actively violent (the young woman crying "we're peaceful environmental protesters" - sorry - you WEREN'T being peaceful here)... it's just as bad.Originally posted by Mosquito_Bait View Post
OH by the way - view some of the LONGER versions of the video. Not just the barricade being run over and the guns drawn. View WHAT they were doing that led to this.Comment
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^^ If the protesters had been physically threatening others, there might have been grounds for pointing a gun at them; however, that was not the case.
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