NYC's Top Cop Slams Peace Protesters

Newsmax.com ^ | 3-21-2003 | Carl Limbacher

[Paul Atreides]

As angry demonstrators clogged streets and shut down highways and bridges in New York, Chicago and San Francisco on Thursday, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said that this generation of antiwar protesters has become particularly vicious.

"There is a hard core group.... who are particularly nasty," Commissioner Kelly told WOR Radio's Bob Grant. "I've noticed this and I've been around a long time. It's kind of like the Vietnam war protests."

Kelly complained that the anti-Iraq war protesters had engaged in acts like "spitting on police officers, cursing at them, trying to instigate them." He added, "It really is a disgrace for people that supposedly want peace."

"There are police officers who are out there trying to do their job, trying to protect people's liberties and rights to voice their opinions," New York's top cop explained. He might have also noted that New York's finest sacrificed 23 hero cops in the 9/11 attacks.

He said his police force had shown "tremendous restraint" in dealing with the hostile peaceniks. Still, "there is this hard core group of demonstrators (and) they're there to cause problems," Kelly told Grant.

[smiley]

Someone needs to tell this police officer that he's talking about COMMUNISTS who are protesting in this country.

[Mark de New Brighton]

These aren't protests. The most charitable description I can come up with is tantrums. And the best part is, all the disruptions they are causing by blocking traffic and doing other such things will be utterly counterproductive. We won't see a lot of tolerance for these morons and their pathetic little street theater by the end of next week.

[Dionysius]

This is the same scum that instigated the riots in Seattle during the WTO meetings. There is nothing non-violent about them; they are not genuine protestors, they are subversive para-militaries. The police should be allowed to take the gloves off.

[medic]

Just the right target for a few well-placed SMART bombs. I offer to aim the first one- especially if they insult or obstruct EVEN ONE emergency responder.

[canuck_conservative]

That's unreal. After all that NYC has been through.

What's the man-in-the-street reaction there when these fooligans do their stuff?

[VetoBill]

I've come to believe that these protesters are so mentally ill, have such a big chip on their shoulders, that they would riot if the local grocery store ran out of Rocky Road icecream.

[areafiftyone]

Most people in New York City tolerate the protestors. Underneath you can see the contempt they have for them though. But if they continue to block traffic they are in for a rude awakening. New Yorkers are very tolerant, but they don't like when people are in their way and will not hesitate to take a few peace protestors down for blocking their way. Last night it was pouring rain so most people were in a hurry to go home. I felt sorry for the cops who have to deal with these disgusting maggots!

[MEGoody]

There's nothing peaceful about these 'peace' protesters. They are eaten alive with bitterness because Bush is in the White House and Gore is out. They couldn't care less about the war, the Iraqi people or anything else. They just hate Bush (and they hate America for electing him).

[Freedom4US]

Well, that's the old-school democratic party, while we might not have agreed with them on all the political issues, it was agreed that a bunch of punk rioters had no business screwing things up there. I'd a bought Mayor Daley a beer for that, heh. Those pictures of NY? construction workers beating hippies up in the 60's makes my heart swell with pride.. ;)

[Extremist]

Let a few of them get mud-holes stomped in their a$$es and their will to protest will quickly diminish. Citizens should be urged not to let these weasels make their cities look un-Patriotic. Police should arrest each and everyone of them as soon as they step out of line. They should then be prosecuted on charges of TERRORISM and sent to Cuba to enjoy the company of other fleabag America-haters.

[The Right Stuff]

you're exactly right. The media shaped events in the '60's (which is partially why we lost the Vietnam War). They can't do it anymore, which is why we will win from now on.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Good points. I've seen the very last speech JFK made, in Fort Worth on the day before the assasination. He was talking very tough on defense, anti-communism etc. Obviously he knew he was in Fort Worth and preaching to the choir, but NO democrat could possibly give that speech today, no matter what the audience is.

The old time democrats were at least patriots. The ones today are just marxists. Sad, really. Good comments.