Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Protest & Penalties

This evening, a group of knuckleheads inconsiderate jerks arrogant wretches Immigration Rights Advocates were holding a protest in front of the Federal Building with the usual list of demands when during rush hour (at 4ish), in an organized action, their group stepped off the side walk and blocked the intersection of 2nd and Madison for nearly three hours...causing all kinds of back ups and obstructing any emergency vehicles that might need to go swiftly through the downtown in the meantime.

The Seattle Police Department, likely at the orders of their political superiors, stood by and watched until 7ish, when they finally made arrests of the core group demanding to be arrested.

No.

If you want to protest, fine and dandy. Yump up'n'down on the sidewalks, dance naked in the public fountain, scream crude comments at passerby. Wave signs. Do performance art. Run for office. Vote. Write a nasty letter to the editor. All good.

Obstructing traffic, because it obstructs access by emergency vehicles and interferes with others trying to simply get home - not so much. My sense of humor on such topics is exhausted amazingly quickly.

Book'm, Dano. Reckless Endangerment, obstructing a public thoroughfare, and jay-walking. Then seek out pro bono attorneys to sue them on behalf of all the drivers and businesses inconvenienced by their public temper tantrum - and stand well back.

If it's a big enough deal to protest in the streets...have the guts to take it to town, complete w/ arrests, riots, and serious litigation. Or stay home, and do something sensible.

Grrrr.....

2 comments:

Old NFO said...

Good thought, but I'll bet no one will take action... It would be interesting if someone died as the result of an ambulance not being able to get there, and they were sued as accessories to murder...

Anonymous said...

After it took 45 minutes to get from 6th and Lenora to 2nd and Columbia last night (causing me to miss my birthday reservation at the Metropolitan Grill) I was ready to take a bulldozer to those people to clear the street.

After dinner the valet and I were talking and he mentioned that only in Seattle would the police act as if protesters were made of china and glass, fragile delicate things that must be politely dealt with on an individual person to person basis instead of turning the fire hoses and pepper spray on the whole group. He'd watched as the cops took each protester one by one, gently unhooking them from the next one in line, and escorting them over to the sidewalk to be processed. Absolutely unbelivable, especially since they didn't actually start removing the protesters until the street had been blocked for over an hour.

~Brownie