sablefoxx Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Cell Phone Photos, from the protest there was about 2,000-3,000 people there. So here is the story, im there watching anti-flag in front of the state capital, then lead singer says "stay here after the show, shit is gonna get crazy" then we learn that Rage Against the Machine is going to play for free, but the cops (several hundred riot police) wouldnt let them on stage (apparently music is crime). So the leader of the band Zach de la Roch talked to the crowd and sang/beat boxed Killing in the Name Of and Bulls on Parade. At the same time a protest was passing on a nearby street nearly everyone from the concert (including all the members of Rage) joined the protest and ended up getting gassed / concussion grenaded. Photo 1: That haze is tear gas, which is even less fun then you'd think Photo 2: Lots of cops before shit got crazy Photo 3: This is the state capital building, see that line of dots stretching from one side of the photo to the other, at the bottom? Those are all cops. Photo 4: Anti-Flag playing in front of the capital Photo 5: More Riot Cops Photo 6: Zach de la Roch talks to crowd after cops prevent performance Sorry i dont have a nicer camera... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Why does all american politics seem to end up in a fight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sablefoxx Posted September 3, 2008 Author Share Posted September 3, 2008 To me it seemed peaceful, it wasnt a riot, no broken windows/looting or anything, then they gassed us.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Thats my point, the standard American policy for dealing with somebody who shouts "I beg to disagree!" appears to involve copius amounts of chemical weapons and a riot baton shoved up someones arse. But on the flip side when you watch or listen to a lot of these "protest groups" they appear to be made up of large amounts of people who have nothing inciteful to offer, no realistic solutions to the problems they feel a need to shout about and seem to think that dressing up like a reject from the 60's, smoking pot and staging a sit in will change anything. If you want to scare the establishment, get a thousand people dressed in suits to march down to the police line and just stand there. Drum circles and hippy crap is a joke these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sablefoxx Posted September 3, 2008 Author Share Posted September 3, 2008 I completely agree, most major topics today that most people protest have already been argued out, poverty, the system is unfair, end the war, (which are important topics, but protesting wont change them), etc. I was protesting because i have lost faith in our right to free speech, i don't think you should be able to stop a band from playing when no crime has been committed, the only reason they wouldn't let the band play is because their political views differ from that of the RNC if the band, The Happy Pedestrians played they would not have stopped the show. My realistic solution to the problem is let them play, and i dont think that is unreasonable. Drum circles are awesome, btw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 I don't think it was the band so much as the crowds of people who would have watched then, got fired up and been dicks. I'm not saying the police are right to do what they do, but a hell of a lot of the protesters are just there to cause trouble. This serves not only to tarnish the reputation of protesting in general but means that for every 1 person who has something to say that should be listened to there are a hundred who will drown him out in with chanted slogans. Out of interest would you be whilling to do a test for me? I want you and your friends to put on suits and next time you protest actually go an talk to the cops. I bet you get a far better response if you try and have a polite conversation with the police than if you stand 50m from them dressed like an extra from an MTV special and don't at least try and talk to them (not seen how you dress, its not specifically addressed to you personally). A lot of the blogs I read about this stuff seem to hold the view that every cop is some kinda nazi-esq storm trooper hell bent on putting the boot in as often as they can. Part of the huge problem with America (and countries like the UK where we ape the US) is that there is a huge amount of polarization between to sides of an argument and no one is interested in any middle ground. The free speech example is a good one, a lot of people claim this is a huge issue but have nothing to say at the end of the day. So, what do you have to say that I should listen to? PS: Drum circles fucking suck, and are the reason we have napalm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sablefoxx Posted September 3, 2008 Author Share Posted September 3, 2008 actually i did talk to the police, and i was polite, i believe i have more in common with the police officers then the police have in common with the people in the RNC. I have no quarrel with them, i have a problem with the people giving the order to gas peaceful protesters, i have problem with people stopping concerts because they maybe some peole who cant handle themselves (and im sure those people were there), but i dont think thats enough cause to stop people from talking their mind, or singing a song. at the end of the day, i believe that we are all shaped by our own experiences. you dont have to listen to me, but i just thought some people may like to know what is going on in St. Paul, the part you wont see on CNN, or FOX, about what is happening around the RNC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Bare in mind that I'm talking more about groups like Code Pink and the stuff thats on Reddit. From that and there blogs you tend to gather a rather poor impression of protesters these days. I would say that far more damage is done to these causes by the protesters on press than the regular media could manage. As for the police themselves, in my mind the Nuremberg defense doesn't hold any water. If a cop is given an order to use chemical weapons on people, the people they're supposed to protect, then by choosing to obey that order and pulling the trigger they are as much to blame as the person who gave the order. For better or for worse people are responsible for the things they do, being ordered to is no excuse. We are indeed shaped by our own experiences, and those of other people, so I'm interested in hearing more of what is going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sablefoxx Posted September 3, 2008 Author Share Posted September 3, 2008 i some what agree but i think tear gas is a little bit different from Zyklon B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sablefoxx Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 Story hit digg with a video, check it out! http://digg.com/music/Rage_Against_the_Mac...arade_accapella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Its classed as a chemical weapon under the Geneva convention which is why the US army can't use it in Iraq unless its for limited policing operations only. The army also couldn't use the JHP's the US Police are issued with because anything other than FMJ rounds are classed as weapons designed to maim, not kill. Call a spade a spade, a chemical spray designed to immobilize large groups of people is a chemical weapon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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