Sorry, but they do have that right.
They are there to ensure public safety and preserve the peace.
You may not like being told no, but sometimes it’s a no.
This was not a good night to hold a protest in that area. It was a well meaning but hair-brained idea.
The officers had every right to demand folks clear the area. It was for cause. It was reasonable.
They weren’t doing it to cover their ass. They were doing it to protect the protesters as much as anything else. They expect more rioting. They didn’t want to protesters to be exposed to danger. They had every right to demand they vacate the area.
I’m sorry, but you guys are dead wrong. The city council does not have to issue any edicts or statement.
The officers are hired to protect the public and preserve the peace. If they ask folks to leave, those folks better leave. Once they defy a lawful police order, and this certainly was one, then they are guilty of a crime.
MRAPs, MP4s, mounted weapons, body armor and military-grade equipment to do so is 'reasonable'????
Whatever happened to fire hoses, shields and police batons??
Or do this people prefer a National Civilian Security Force, just as strong, just as powerful, just as well funded as the military?
If so, my God - America truly is gone if enough people are not bothered by this. Someone turn out the lights, we are finished with liberty in this country.
The officers are hired to protect the public and preserve the peace. If they ask folks to leave, those folks better leave. Once they defy a lawful police order, and this certainly was one, then they are guilty of a crime.
I'm not talking about an officer asking people to leave.
I'm talking about showing up with military transports and heavy machine guns wearing military desert camouflage uniforms in a downtown area.
What justifies the police to decide on their own to mobilize like that? There needs to be a civilian order to mobilize a massive force like that, if only to forewarn the citizens.
You can argue that the people should have known anyway, but then why do we have city councils and mayors? Since when do they govern by the principle of expecting others to know? They should have stepped up to declare a state of emergency and then tell the people that the police will be there in force.
I read that the council dithered over calling for a curfew, and that was it.
I don't like the idea of a militarized police force taking it upon themselves to deploy heavy weapons within a town limits with their machine guns pointed at the people, without first having a civilian authority on the record as authorizing it.
-PJ