Thanks for blowing the “peaceful protest” even before the conference began. I was hoping to get a real good look at “your side”. That ain’t gonna happen now.
I hope you get clubbed like a baby seal.
Have a fun next few days.
As yes. Gandhi and MLK would be proud.
Whatever the fuck happened to non-violent civil disobedience? Hasn’t anyone noticed that the only two ways to get effective social change outside the system is armed insurrection and non-violent protest? This crap just destroys your moral position without actually hurting the other side.
Now, I’ll sit back and wait for matt_mcl to show up.
Sua
Sua, you may be sitting there for a while. I believe matt is in Quebec City all weekend.
Wow, hooray for the globophobes wrecking Quebec City. I mean, God forbid that national leaders get together to work out problems, right? Lord, we certainly don’t want countries cooperating and working together. Things would be SO much better if they’d just keep to themselves and not cooperate on anything and never sign treaties or deals or trust one another at all. The world would be such a better place if everyone was strictly isolationist.
I agree completely. I don’t mind people getting together, waving signs/flags/genitals to demonstrate support or contempt for a particular policy. However, what purpose does assaulting the Quebec City police force and all the other peacekeeping staff that are present?
And it makes me want to puke to watch people toss stones and bottles at police, then bitch about being oppressed when they’re arrested. No, by taking out wingnuts like you they’re ensuring they don’t have to harm peaceful protestors, mungmaster.
Rick, while there may be some isolationist protesting in QC, I think you’re missing the point for most of the protestors. First, keep in mind that many different groups are protesting for many different reasons. That being said, many people are not protesting against international cooperation but rather against specific policies and being excluded from the decision making process. I think many of the concerns relate to the belief that these treaties and deal are being worked out for the benefit of “big business” rather than for concern with workers or the environment.
This isn’t GD, and I can’t say that I am familiar enough with the details of what’s going on to argue for one side or another. I just thought I’d try to add another perspective.
Well, at least they’ll still be able to write their final exams.:rolleyes:
I’m of the firm belief that the cops should break out the real bullets.
First the destruction at what was called Woodstock, then this. Fighting just because. Throwing crap does NOT support any idealism at this point, it is merely a “FUCK YOU” statement to the blue collar guys who work their asses off for a living and are just doing their freakin job. Demonstrate your asses off, just don’t make the cops’ already hard day even worse. They have a job to do, mostly to prevent those stupid fucks (those few out there) from burning the town down. Yeah, you made CNN, big fucking whoop. So did the fuckwads who rioted in Arizona and College Park MD after the NCAA Tourney losses. Elite company, that. Be proud. Protest your asses off for the causes you believe in, make your point known non-violently. I served in the miltary to protect that way of life, freedom of expression and freedom to present a dissenting point of view. Throw rocks or become violent, and skulls will be cracked. No big surperise there. Many will be proud of this sophomoric behavior. Martyrs for the cause. Well, have at it. I am not proud of that behavior.
matt_mcl, I know you are there. I don’t know your particular cause, but I do hope you protest intelligently. Tear gas, billy clubs, and rubber bullets suck. I hope you aren’t getting hit with them.
I’m of the firm opinion that the police are being way too nice to the protestors. Break out the real bullets, army, whatnot.
I’m not going to have one ounce of sympathy for anyone whining about being hurt by police. Those “protestors” started the riots, why the hell shouldn’t the police return fire?
I can’t think of anything better that will make me stop to think about the “other point of view” than a rock or fragment of shrapnel knocking against my Kevlar. Boy howdy, there’s nothing that makes me think more than something smacking my helmet! Keep it up, because I got lot’s more of my protesting to do. . .
Yep. Believe it or not, I have picketed and protested a couple of times and won. Strange though, I haven’t hucked a rock or fired a shot. Call me revolutionary. . .
Tripler
Keep on throwing. I got plenty of Kevlar to keep it off me, jackass. . .
Well, though I am quite a right-wing nut 
I don’t want to see anyone shot/killed… even though I wouldn’t be one bit suprised if some of those protesters had guns they would try. I would totally support my government 110% if they broke out the rubber bullets and Water Cannons and commenced mass arrests.
If any of the police officers get hurt from these thugs I wouldn’t be suprised if the lead did get broken out.
Slight OT - I just read that Fidel Castro is calling the Canadian Police Barbaric. Don’t be jealous just because you couldn’t come, Fidel.
I don’t agree with violence, but there’s a wide variety of people protesting. Some are completely peaceful, and some are not. The people that are not peaceful maintain that if they didn’t tear up the place a little, no one would pay attention to the protests. Getting attention for the protests is what it’s all about.
Has there in fact been any police deaths or injuries? I haven’t heard of any - the police are all wearing full riot gear.
And as far as the protesters being anti-working man because they throw rocks at cops…excuse me, but the protesters are protesting for the working man - that’s whose getting the raw end of the deal with FTAA. Actually, all of us are, but blue-collar types worse than most.
Crap. These people were involved in the decision-making process. It is called “elections”.
As I have shown on this board, I’m generally liberal, but nothing pisses me off more than my moronic brethren protesting (and protesting violently, at that) against globalism. I’ve made my arguments before, and I’m not going to repeat them now, so I’m just going to say how dare you. How dare you try to take food out of the mouths of the poor and starving in less developed countries just because the way they will get that food doesn’t comport with your hopelessly flawed and idealistic vision of what the world should be.
When that textile plant closes down in Brazil because the owners decide they can’t make a profit while complying with the labor regulations you want, I am sure that the newly unemployed workers will send you all big “Thank You” cards for saving them from oppression. :rolleyes:
Sua
Oh bullshit. They are not protesting for me one damn bit. Nobody really knows for sure how a full American Free Trade agreement would impact. If anyone says that they do they are full of shit and just guessing. They are not agreeing to any deals by any stretch of the imagination here. Hell, even if they were Bush doesn’t even have the authority to do that from what I understand, as it would have to get approved by congress. This doesn’t appear to be much more than a “feeling-out” session between the leaders, and maybe lay some groundwork.
Like I said originally, I would have been genuinely interested in listening to their concerns before, but as soon as they start throwing rocks and crap at the cops I have absolutely NO sympathy for them whatsoever.
Speaking for the blue collar worker. Pfft.
If the 20,000 or so protestors were all throwing rocks, I’d bet the police would be cracking out the real bullets. However, you’re only seeing isolated examples that get portrayed into something much bigger due to a sensationalist media.
They may be guessing, but it’s an educated guess. NAFTA has been in place since 1994, and some of its more disturbing effects have been well documented. (For example, at http://www.tradewatch.org/nafta/reports/5years.htm ) The FTAA is clearly supposed to be a successor to NAFTA.
Of course, your original point is still bang-on…19,950 of those protestors could have valid, well-informed concerns but it’s the rock-throwers who are getting all the media attention.
And of course, THAT’S a fair and unbiased source.
Real bullets go through people. Shooting at a crowd is a surefire way of killing the innocent.
They’re doing a decent job breaking up the protests without using deadly force.
Deadly Force:
“That force which a person uses to cause, or reasnoably knows can cause, serious physical harm or death, and which is used in a last resort when all lesser means have been tried, or when lesser means cannot reasonably be used, such as self-defense or to protect the life of another…”
[sub]USN Usage[/sub]
Flung rocks come under this description, and so do billy clubs. I admire the Canadian police for their skill and restrained use of force. I sneer with contempt at the small (but more than the 50 or so elsewhere implied) number of protesters whom have guaranteed that none of the protest points will be treated with any respect.