Posted on 12/28/2011 5:22:08 PM PST by Altura Ct.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A crowd of young people -- possibly drawn though social media -- interrupted the movies at The Edge 12 Movie Theater and were disruptive outside in the parking lot of Festival Shopping Center on Crestwood Boulevard Sunday night.
About 400 people were involved, with 200 of them really disruptive, Birmingham Police East Precinct commander Capt. Allen Hatcher said Tuesday, based on reports he got from the off-duty Birmingham police officer who worked security at the theater that night.
Movie-goer Shannon Webster, pastor of First Presbyterian Church downtown, said he counted 18 police cars when he and his family were told to leave the theater, part-way through seeing "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows."
"I was surprised," he said. "I did not expect to see that on Christmas night, going out to the movies."
Hatcher said that a large group of youths had showed up in the theater and the parking lot Sunday and started to cause problems and disruptions. When theater management confronted them, they grew more disruptive and management shut all the movies down.
Hatcher said some youths out in the parking lot banged on windows of nearby businesses, pushed some shopping carts into the parking lot, and went inside a Chinese restaurant. The off-duty officer put out a call, and police responded with a large contingent.
No one, to his knowledge, Hatcher said, was hurt or arrested, but a window was damaged at the Radio Shack store. The off-duty officer said that youths had heard on Facebook there was going to be a fight.
Hatcher said he recalled Trussville having a similar social media mob at a movie theater more than a year ago.
Webster said he had arrived at the Edge 12 about 7 with his wife and two adult children. When he arrived, there were "a lot of really young kids were crowded inside, milling around."
During the movie, some came into the theater and started making noise, but one of the other movie-goers ordered them out in a commanding voice, Webster said.
"There were hundreds of kids in the lobby," he said.
Webster saw security guards handcuffing several. He thought the crowd of youths ranged in age from 13 to their early 20s.
The outside scene seemed tense, said Webster, who has done church work in places such as the Gaza Strip, Northern Ireland, Cuba, Guatemala, and Communist Eastern Europe. "Usually there is nothing going on there on Sunday afternoon," Hatcher said of the shopping center. "I believe social media made it a big event."
Efforts to reach the management of Edge 12 for comment were unsuccessful.
Webster said Sunday night was the only time he had ever felt unsafe there, and he plans to return to the movies.
"I don't want it to keep me from going back to the theater, because I think it's important for the neighborhood and for East Birmingham," said Webster, who lives in Crestwood. "We need them there, so I will continue to go there.
Shannon Webster
Senior Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham
Location
Birmingham, Alabama Area
Industry
Religious Institutions
Shannon Webster’s Overview
Current Senior Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham, AL
Past Minister of Word and Sacrament at Presbyterian Church USA
Executive Presbyter at Presbytery of Sierra Blanca
Minister at New Life Presbyterian Church, Albuquerque, NM
Minister at Bethel Presbyterian Church, Wichita, KS see less
see all
Education McCormick Theological Seminary
The University of New Mexico
Recommendations 1 person has recommended Shannon
Connections 264 connections
WebsitesCompany Website
Shannon Webster’s Summary
SpecialtiesNon-Profit Organizational Development, Stewardship and Fund Raising, Strategic Planning, Administration, Staff Training. Workshop leadership in the above, also “Theology in Country Music.”
Shannon Webster’s Experience
Senior Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham, AL
2007 – Present (4 years)
Minister of Word and Sacrament Presbyterian Church USA Nonprofit; 201-500 employees; Religious Institutions industry
1977 – 2011 (34 years)
Executive Presbyter Presbytery of Sierra Blanca
January 1989 – March 2007 (18 years 3 months)
Minister New Life Presbyterian Church, Albuquerque, NM
1981 – 1989 (8 years)
Minister Bethel Presbyterian Church, Wichita, KS
1977 – 1981 (4 years)
Shannon Webster’s Education
McCormick Theological Seminary M.Div., Theology
1973 – 1977
The University of New Mexico B.U.S., Journalism, Advertising, History
1970 – 1973
Shannon Webster’s Additional Information
Websites:•Company Website
Groups and Associations:PICO (People Improving Communities through Organizing), Birmingham Faith in Action, First Light Shelter, Ruth and Naomi Senior Outreach, Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley, Downtown Business Association of Birmingham, the Iona Community.
Grassroots Organizing Presbyterians Everywhere The Iona Community
As neighborhoods experienced the economic and social upheavals of that decade, the neighborhood-based model of organizing became less viable as communities fractured. Following a staff retreat in 1984, PICO shifted to a congregation-based model based in part on the experience of COPS, a federation in San Antonio, Texas developed by Alinsky’s Industrial Areas Foundation.[3]
As it expanded beyond the West Coast, in 2004 PICO characterized its acronym as standing for People Improving Communities through Organizing. In 2005 it renamed itself PICO National Network, emphasizing the autonomy of its affiliated organizations, and its role developing national strategy, training, and consultation.
source: Wikipedia
B) Who goes to movies on Christmas Sunday?
C) Give a limited number of permits (with a small bag limit) for the Large Mouth Socialists that are feral. That would stop this stuff pretty quickly.
/johnny
I read the comments, yep blacks again. The wonders of Welfare bringing fruit to the community again.
Can I be the first to say, stop giving these people free internet and cell phones at the rest of ours’ expense?
Yutes
A similar thing happened the other day at the Mall of America. Same type. Stores went into lockdown, customers hiding inside.
Very scary times.
I've noticed the same ded-gum thing over the holidays.
Multiple incidents in various parts of the country from Houston to Minneapolis, from Kentucky to Georgia.
Hundreds of blacks killing, assaulting, stealing and vandalizing.
What the heck is going on?
They are the “army” that Obambi wanted.
The nation's prisons will have to be ready for the influx of young adults who abide by this "bragging rights" behavior!
Startling numbers are a wake-up call that can harm health of youth and community
Snips: Dec. 19, 2011 Parents and non-parents alike might be shocked to learn a new study estimates that roughly 1 in 3 U.S. youths will be arrested for a non-traffic offense by age 23 -- a “substantively higher” proportion than predicted in the 1960s.
Buckwheat’s “peeples”?
Here in South Carolina, we charge Holder’s “peeples” under the old civil rights anti-lynching law.
In fact, we have 5 Holder’s “peeples” facing up to 20 years in state prison for dirty deeds they did back in the spring in Columbia, South Carolina.
If the racist pig Holder wants to come on down, I’m sure we can throw that pig POS in a South Carolina prison for 20 years or more.
Have you ever noticed the world turning into Bedlam since the passing of Mother Teresa ?
Remember how the world mourned, and is STILL mourning the death of the Princess, but very little to be said for the Mother Teresa ?
Think someone up there is watching ?
Perhaps they sense the changing tides and Øbomination in recession...
The army O-bozo wanted is getting millions in DHS grants all across America.
What we consider local law enforcement agencies are being equipped with military grade weapons and ammunition. Armored vehicles, military grade Kevlar body armor/helmets.
Grenades/grenade launchers, unmanned surveillance drones capable of being armed.
Compliments of Janet Napolitano.
It seems as if most of the trend lines changed for the worse right after we (the USA) kicked her boss out of the schools back in the ‘60’s.
This nation for decades was so incredibly blessed. Our grain elevators overflowing, manufacturing pumping billions upon billions in GDP, textiles creating the finest. Standard of living like none other in the history of the world.
Now...not so much. Americans are out of work, many barely scratching by. Our debt is nearly surpassing our GDP, importing our food, clothing, manufactured goods, energy. Our military stretched to the bone. All manner of deviant behavior accepted as the norm. Even immorality in our churches with catholic priest, protestant pastors, school teachers molesting children. Woman not only aborting babies, but mothers killing their toddlers in horrific ways.
We as a nation better turn our eyes to heaven and sincerely apologize to God for this big ol slap in the face.
With these actions and the disruption at the Mall of America & the videos of the punks messing up retail stores & grocery stores, no wonder more and more people are buying guns. SF Fox Channel said this am that in the 6 days leading up to Christmas, over 500,000 -—yes 1/2 million people— sought DOJ clearance to buy guns.
I go to the movies every week.
Non-Christians go to the movies on Christmas, and some Christians too,obviously.
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