If the authorities cut back on the disreputable behavior like punching people in the face, lobbing tear gas grenades into the middle of a crowd, and pepper-spraying young women, then perhaps there’d be more respect for authority.
I'm not saying this doesn't happen, but that's absolutely NO excuse for what these so called "Occupiers" are calling for. And shame on you for implying that it does.
You make an excellent point.
In every video I saw, the crowd was pushing and pressing up close against the police line. They were intent on overwhelming the police with massive numbers and forcing them up against buildings. Or, they were throwing rocks and bottles at the police.
I was around the last time this sort of behavior took place. Every *police riot* was instigated by the hardcore cadre, who then dodged off to one side, so the less savvy crowds behind them got the brunt of the response.
There are trainings, always, beforehand, in leftist protests. People are told how to protect themselves from teargas, how to go limp, how to break out of restraints. Of course, they are not told what to do when their compadres are stampeding over them and fighting with riot squads right on top of the fallen.
The cadres know the stakes and the goals. The rest are cannon fodder. Cannot wait to see how everyone else responds to the martial law they are trying to provoke. The left hopes you blame the authorities. Then, they can commence with the Communes (similar to Soviets, meaning councils) and the Terror.