Yay police.

[forgetaboutit]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCfxshW2OME&feature=player_embedded
Watch that.

[Archem]

Ok. What's the big deal? A bunch of potheads want marijuana legalized, so they're forming big mobs of people, and the police are trying to keep them from rioting. There were one or two instances on film where they may have been a bit heavy-handed (mostly that one guy who they just ganged up on while he was walking on the sidewalk), but it seems pretty unspectacular to me.

[Zerlina]

Oh freshmen...

[Grandy]

Only three stars on the top right corner.

Go to a carpaint and voilá.

[Archem]

Protests are one thing, that was a disorganized crowd. For police, that sort of thing is simply terrifying, because they're usually volatile from drugs/alcohol, misdirected aggression (the insulting of the police), and youth passion. All it takes is one unruly person in the crowd behaving violently to turn the whole thing into a clusterfuck. The police shouldn't be so quick to violence, but they're not exactly gunning down peaceful protesters in the streets. It's a complex situation, and I can tell you that it's not so black and white.

Zerl, you summed things up nicely.

[zuhane]

Has anyone ever watched the 'Love Police' on Youtube? It's a bunch of British guys who try
to go as far as possible to see how much free speech we really have. It's quite interesting. They're
the most left-wing, anti-royalist, down-to-earth people you'll ever see. the best bit is that they know
all the loopholes in the law, so they can get away with most of it

[Prpl_Mage]

Guy on the sidewalk took a photo of the cop.

Anyway. Impulsive demonstrations / protests are against Swedish law. You need to get it approved before you do it or the police will end your parade. It's as simple as that. Can't have the streets cluttered with angry people shouting.

[Dragonium]

Prpl, I feel bad for you Swedes. Things aren't much better here in Britain but at least we don't have to get the government's approval to complain about them.

It's almost as bad as the feminists-banning-urinals thing.

[Prpl_Mage]

If you want to parade for your gayness or your struggle against racism. Go ahead, but let everyone know first so that the police can escort you as you stride through town, our community traffic knows about it and so that the police know what to expect. You are allowed to do all this, but only if there are police present so that things do not get out of hand or turn violent. Everything goes so much smoother and conflictless that way.

[Archem]

That sounds incredibly reasonable. Doesn't impede on free speech, but it makes sure the situation is manageable.

[Zerlina]

I agree that seems like a good compromise.

[Dragonium]

Yeah, not so bad I guess.

But seriously, those feminists.