# What would you do if an angry mob demands you raise your fist in support? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 26, 2020, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071 "2020-08-26T14:49:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Guy\_Incognito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guy_incognito/32/3920_2.png) [@Guy\_Incognito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Incognito)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/41 "2020-08-26T20:49:48Z")
> [@urbanredneck2](#): > > What needs to happen the next time these idiots show up is the cops need to swoop in, arrest them all, **charge them whatever** , fingerprint them, check for outstanding warrants, and let them know this behavior will not be tolerated. I hope that it never comes to that. I’d rather that you stuck around for a while. You’re a good egg. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/42 "2020-08-26T20:53:31Z")
People are generally bad at assessing risks and threats. They may call it reasonable but they are usually wrong as to the actual amount of “danger” they are in. I see these as a bunch of assholes, they were rude and obnoxious, and if they continued, then they should have been trespassed off the property. But as a threat to physical safety, not really. My encounter with Mr MAGA at the post office gave me a non-negligible amount of fear, but I ignored him until I was unable to continue ignoring him, then I told him to fuck the hell right off. Ended up he was just a coward that was trying to show off for his wife and son what a badass he was. I don’t see all that much difference between him and these assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/43 "2020-08-26T21:00:27Z")
“Sorry! No English!” ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Incognito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guy_incognito/32/3920_2.png) [@Guy\_Incognito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Incognito)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/44 "2020-08-26T21:11:30Z")
From intimidating people to raise their fists to strong-arming them for money. That sure escalated. Next thing you know people will be getting killed for defending property that doesn’t even belong to them. Wait, I got those last two reversed… If protesters and counter-protesters could self-police - no pun intended - bad behavior within their groups (no physical confrontations, no property damage, no carrying or use of weapons, etc…), maybe there might be some chance for constructive dialogue all around. If I can’t get “peace, love and understanding”, I can at least settle for two of those… ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Incognito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guy_incognito/32/3920_2.png) [@Guy\_Incognito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Incognito)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/45 "2020-08-26T21:13:11Z")
“Que?” (Obligatory _Fawlty Towers_ quote.) ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/46 "2020-08-26T21:18:31Z")
This white on white violence has to end! ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/47 "2020-08-26T21:24:28Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > People are generally bad at assessing risks and threats. They may call it reasonable but they are usually wrong as to the actual amount of “danger” they are in. > > I see these as a bunch of assholes, they were rude and obnoxious, and if they continued, then they should have been trespassed off the property. > > But as a threat to physical safety, not really. I’ve personally witnessed mobs assault people over wearing the wrong sports teams’ colors. Mobs are scary and irrational, and it’s not always obvious when they will go from a bunch of obnoxious assholes into actual violence. But when they stop chanting _in general_ and start focusing on _one particular person_, that’s a bad sign. It is a mistake to generalize from encounters with individual assholes to how a mob might behave. ---
**Author:** ![Danny\_Hammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@Danny\_Hammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danny_Hammer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/48 "2020-08-26T21:29:19Z")
Here’s a link to the actual video. I’ve got to say, the SJW double-standards on display here are quite remarkable. If the BLM crowd were 15 year old boys in MAGA hats and the woman was, say, a Native American man with a drum, I suspect you’d have no trouble figuring out who the bad guys were. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Ggbh0AX96zU/hqdefault.jpg "BLM Harass Outdoor Diners in Washington DC") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggbh0AX96zU) ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/49 "2020-08-26T21:32:04Z")
Yeah, sports fanatics can be violent. Odd that. Of course, if it were a mob of sports fans, then it would only be those fans that are being held accountable for their actions, not the team, not the other fans, not the city or sponsors. But since it has to do with politics, anyone with a similar political leaning as they have is held accountable. Interesting double standard that you have pointed out here, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/50 "2020-08-26T21:32:42Z")
> [@Danny\_Hammer](#): > > Here’s a link to the actual video. I’ve got to say, the SJW double-standards on display here are quite remarkable. If the BLM crowd were 15 year old boys in MAGA hats and the woman was, say, a Native American man with a drum, I suspect you’d have no trouble figuring out who the bad guys were. Not speaking for anyone else, but personally, I agree that the protesters were wrong for harassing her like this. So if you think I think she was the “bad guy” in this situation, you’d be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/51 "2020-08-26T21:32:55Z")
> [@Danny\_Hammer](#): > > Here’s a link to the actual video. I’ve got to say, the SJW double-standards on display here are quite remarkable. If the BLM crowd were 15 year old boys in MAGA hats and the woman was, say, a Native American man with a drum, I suspect you’d have no trouble figuring out who the bad guys were. Didn’t you watch Mr Sanderman’s speech last night, where he told you not to jump to conclusions based on a video that you see on the internet? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/52 "2020-08-26T21:34:51Z")
I don’t think that she was the bad guy, and I do think that the people were assholes. What I do not think is that that anyone other than those particular people are responsible for the actions of those particular people. There are those who would use this video of evidence of the violence of the left wing, while glossing over the actual facts that A: There wasn’t actual violence, and B: they are not representative of anyone but themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Danny\_Hammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@Danny\_Hammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danny_Hammer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/53 "2020-08-26T21:39:05Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Didn’t you watch Mr Sanderman’s speech last night, where he told you not to jump to conclusions based on a video that you see on the internet? Somehow, I don’t think any footage proving these BLM protestors _weren’t_ screaming in this woman’s face is likely to come out. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/54 "2020-08-26T21:39:11Z")
Am I the only one who assumes that was some Russian backed agitprop? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/55 "2020-08-26T21:39:13Z")
There are thousands of protests going on, the vast majority of which are entirely peaceful. Looters and violent opportunists show up at a few, and occasionally a small number of protesters just do dumb things like harass diners, and this will be on camera since everything is on camera, but it doesn’t change the fact that the vast majority of protests are peaceful and positive. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/56 "2020-08-26T21:41:47Z")
I was called delusional for saying that is threatening. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/57 "2020-08-26T21:42:21Z")
And here’s a link to a WaPo column with interviews after-the-fact. The woman, a Lauren Victor, had marched in previous BLM demonstrations. She explained her reaction like this: > “It just felt overwhelming to have all of those people come at you. To have a crowd — with all that energy — demand that you do this thing. In the moment it didn’t feel right” […] > “I didn’t think anyone was actually going to do anything to me. I appreciate their anger,” […] “On one level, my best guess was no one was going to hurt me. But those things turn on a dime.” > **[Protesters target D.C. diners, triggering backlash after heckling woman](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2020/08/25/dc-protesters-blm-diner-confrontation/)** > > In a scene played out several times in D.C. on Monday, a Black Lives Matter protest that began in Columbia Heights targeted White diners outside restaurants, chanting, “White silence is violence!” and demanding a show of support. One woman still... ~Max ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/58 "2020-08-26T21:42:28Z")
Yes, and what conclusions have you jumped to about BLM due to this video? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/59 "2020-08-26T21:44:20Z")
She even says that she didn’t think that she was in any danger. I suppose that you know better? ---
**Author:** ![Danny\_Hammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@Danny\_Hammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danny_Hammer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071/60 "2020-08-26T21:46:17Z")
None. But my conclusion about the shit heads in that video is that they absolutely were being threatening and a night in the cells would probably do them some good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-if-an-angry-mob-demands-you-raise-your-fist-in-support/919071.md?page=4)