[r9etb]

That isn't the issue.

Yes it is. The cops were surrounded by people who were beginning an honest-to-goodness riot. Do you suggest that the cops should have read 19th century French poetry to calm the crowd?

[The Hound Passer]

"Yes it is. The cops were surrounded by people who were beginning an honest-to-goodness riot. Do you suggest that the cops should have read 19th century French poetry to calm the crowd?"

First, it was not a riot. A mob perhaps, but not a riot. It was rowdy dunk college kids acting like fools. These were not professional anti-social protesters. Big difference

Second, what I would expect is that a professional police force would block streets off prior to the end of the game, and line cops up outside the Fenway bars so that when the kids flew out of the bars it would be impossible for them to overtake the streets or get out of control. The cops job is to maintain control, which they failed to do. But even if they were going to resort to using pepper spray guns, I would expect them to use them properly. They are not meant to be fired in a point blank fashion as the cops did.

I'm all for keeping order, but I do expect professionalism out of the police as the NYPD demonstrated on 9/11.

[monday]

"Yes it is. The cops were surrounded by people who were beginning an honest-to-goodness riot. Do you suggest that the cops should have read 19th century French poetry to calm the crowd?"

I think they should get high power lights and cameras and film everyone present, then show it on TV the next day. Embarrass them, then make the rioters pay for damages and do 3 or 4 years in prison each. Another method might be to fire really loud blanks into the air. Gunshots usually get peoples attention. What you don't want to do is make victims of the rioters by shooting them. Unless they are beating someone up, killing them is unreasonable.