Protesters Shut Down a Major Freeway In Minneapolis. Stage Die-In.

[dismal]

Well, now they are getting plenty of media attention.

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Democracy is the place where we elected representatives that passed laws against obstructing freeways.

And it is also the place where police officers enforce petty crimes by executing the suspect.

So the fuck what?

Where did you get the impression you being upset with something automatically gives you special rights to obstruct a freeway?

It's complete nonsense.

The world is full of people pissed off about something. Do you think they should all be out there obstructing Minneapolis freeways?

Since when did freeway obstruction become such a darling of "progressives"? Shit it wasn't that long ago that MSNBC treated freeway obstruction in New Jersey as one of the great crimes of the century.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

Well, now they are getting plenty of media attention.

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And it is also the place where police officers enforce petty crimes by executing the suspect.

So the fuck what?

Innocent people are being killed by police officers. People who have (probably) committed petty crimes are being killed by police officers. These things are happening on a daily basis in America. In America we like to believe we have the right to life, and liberty. We also have the right to a trial.

Where did you get the impression you being upset with something automatically gives you special rights to obstruct a freeway?

It's complete nonsense.

Now I know you are probably a big fan of liberty cages and "free speech zones", but in reality, we Americans believe we also have this thing called peaceful assembly (see 1st Amendment) and believe it or not freeways are still a public space. The police (see bolded) chose to let the protesters use the freeway as a "vehicle" for their message same as any other public street they would march down. The police (see bolded) could have arrested them, but chose instead to protect them and let them have their march.

The world is full of people pissed off about something. Do you think they should all be out there obstructing Minneapolis freeways?

Since when did freeway obstruction become such a darling of "progressives"? Shit it wasn't that long ago that MSNBC treated freeway obstruction in New Jersey as one of the great crimes of the century.

You do know the difference between the an individual's right of free speech and governmental corruption and payback?

 

[Bronzeage]

They want to get the attention of the government, so they piss off the citizens - including you. That's the price of democracy.

But what if pissing me off makes me vote against their interests? Why would I be more inclined to support them if they go out of their way to get in my way?

Were you planning on voting for their interests? If not, what have they lost?

If righting an unjust situation is not a good enough reason to vote for their interest, by all means, let your anger be your guide. It won't be the first time someone lost an election because of poor salesmanship.

 

[untermensche]

Democracy is the place where we elected representatives that passed laws against obstructing freeways.

Those people in government don't represent the majority of Americans.

They allow spying and the killing of unarmed citizens.

The government is the enemy of most of the people.

 

[AthenaAwakened]

But what if pissing me off makes me vote against their interests? Why would I be more inclined to support them if they go out of their way to get in my way?

Were you planning on voting for their interests? If not, what have they lost?

If righting an unjust situation is not a good enough reason to vote for their interest, by all means, let your anger be your guide. It won't be the first time someone lost an election because of poor salesmanship.

 

[dismal]

So the fuck what?

Innocent people are being killed by police officers. People who have (probably) committed petty crimes are being killed by police officers. These things are happening on a daily basis in America. In America we like to believe we have the right to life, and liberty. We also have the right to a trial.

People killing innocent people is bad. Real real bad. Real real real bad. I'm against it. A lot. This is not the part I am calling complete nonsense.

The part I am questioning is how in any way this has anything to do with obstructing freeways.

It's complete nonsense.

 

[untermensche]

Innocent people are being killed by police officers. People who have (probably) committed petty crimes are being killed by police officers. These things are happening on a daily basis in America. In America we like to believe we have the right to life, and liberty. We also have the right to a trial.

People killing innocent people is bad. Real real bad. Real real real bad. I'm against it. A lot. This is not the part I am calling complete nonsense.

The part I am questioning is how in any way this has anything to do with obstructing freeways.

It's complete nonsense.

You simply don't understand the system.

Public protest is what pushes social progress.

The government stands in the way and must be moved.

This requires being visible in a world where ordinary people and especially poor people are completely invisible to so-called representatives.

 

[Bomb#20]

Now I know you are probably a big fan of liberty cages and "free speech zones", but in reality, we Americans believe we also have this thing called peaceful assembly (see 1st Amendment) and believe it or not freeways are still a public space.
...
You do know the difference between the an individual's right of free speech and governmental corruption and payback?

So does that mean if hundreds of people protested what they were outraged about by physically blocking everyone else from getting, not the next mile along a freeway, but into a Planned Parenthood clinic, then you'd regard that as also a legitimate exercise of those individuals' right of free speech? It's still peaceful assembly and the area around the clinic is still a public space.

 

[dismal]

People killing innocent people is bad. Real real bad. Real real real bad. I'm against it. A lot. This is not the part I am calling complete nonsense.

The part I am questioning is how in any way this has anything to do with obstructing freeways.

It's complete nonsense.

You simply don't understand the system.

Public protest is what pushes social progress.

The government stands in the way and must be moved.

This requires being visible in a world where ordinary people and especially poor people are completely invisible to so-called representatives.

So, neo Nazis have a right to shut down freeways in protest?

People who don't like the style of pants Justin Bieber is wearing have the right to shut down freeways in protest?

If shutting down freeways is one of our fundamental free speech rights I would assume they do, right?

 

[Bomb#20]

That's how it is; expressing surprise that the voiceless act in such ways in order to get noticed shows a serious lack of understanding of what is going on here.

Did someone express surprise?

99% of middle-class white males caught in traffic rant and rave and vow never to help those evil protesters who made them half an hour late for a meeting. But then, they were not planning to help them to begin with, so nothing is lost there. If 1% find the annoyance great enough to mention the issue elsewhere, maybe it will make it to the ear of someone who can do something productive. And if the news media pick it up, it is hard for police chiefs, mayors, or congressmen to completely ignore.

It's like spam - we all hate it, but it doesn't matter that 99.99999% of it gets deleted; it costs nothing to the sender of the message, so it isn't important that most of the recipients ignore it.

Good analogy. Ranting and raving against spam is futile. The trick is to make spamming cost something to the sender of the message.

 

[untermensche]

You simply don't understand the system.

Public protest is what pushes social progress.

The government stands in the way and must be moved.

This requires being visible in a world where ordinary people and especially poor people are completely invisible to so-called representatives.

So, neo Nazis have a right to shut down freeways in protest?

People who don't like the style of pants Justin Bieber is wearing have the right to shut down freeways in protest?

If shutting down freeways is one of our fundamental free speech rights I would assume they do, right?

What should be done with neo Nazi's who want to protest?

Or these hoards concerned about pants?

Should we shoot them? Lock them up and punish them?

Freedom of speech means having to listen to speech from people who have bad ideas now and then.

But restraining the police from shooting unarmed people or choking them to death is not a bad idea.

When the government simply does not listen to the people because the system is so corrupted by money the people are forced to take to the streets and demand a hearing.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

Now I know you are probably a big fan of liberty cages and "free speech zones", but in reality, we Americans believe we also have this thing called peaceful assembly (see 1st Amendment) and believe it or not freeways are still a public space.
...
You do know the difference between the an individual's right of free speech and governmental corruption and payback?

So does that mean if hundreds of people protested what they were outraged about by physically blocking everyone else from getting, not the next mile along a freeway, but into a Planned Parenthood clinic, then you'd regard that as also a legitimate exercise of those individuals' right of free speech? It's still peaceful assembly and the area around the clinic is still a public space.

That was the choice of the police officers. It was still a peaceful protest. The protesters were not denying access as city streets would provide an alternate route. Blocking access to a clinic or place of business is not a protected form of speech.

 

[dismal]

So, neo Nazis have a right to shut down freeways in protest?

People who don't like the style of pants Justin Bieber is wearing have the right to shut down freeways in protest?

If shutting down freeways is one of our fundamental free speech rights I would assume they do, right?

What should be done with neo Nazi's who want to protest?

Or these hoards concerned about pants?

Should we shoot them? Lock them up and punish them?

Well, if there is a First Amendment right to march on freeways I would imagine we should do nothing to them.

If there is not a First Amendment right to march on freeways I imagine they should be arrested for obstructing a freeway.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

What should be done with neo Nazi's who want to protest?

Or these hoards concerned about pants?

Should we shoot them? Lock them up and punish them?

Well, if there is a First Amendment right to march on freeways I would imagine we should do nothing to them.

If there is not a First Amendment right to march on freeways I imagine they should be arrested for obstructing a freeway.

Interesting strawman. Too bad we have already addressed it.

 

[dismal]

Well, if there is a First Amendment right to march on freeways I would imagine we should do nothing to them.

If there is not a First Amendment right to march on freeways I imagine they should be arrested for obstructing a freeway.

Interesting strawman. Too bad we have already addressed it.

We did?

Where did we address whether neo-nazis or people who hate Justin Bieber's pants have a right to march on freeways?

 

[Toni]

So, is the big objection to the fact that Minneapolis police seemed to be able to handle a demonstration on a major freeway that the demonstration remained peaceful and no one blacks or women were shot by the police? Or that the police recognized protesters' first amendment rights?

 

[dismal]

So, is the big objection to the fact that Minneapolis police seemed to be able to handle a demonstration on a major freeway that the demonstration remained peaceful and no one blacks or women were shot by the police? Or that the police recognized protesters' first amendment rights?

Is there a first amendment right to block freeways?

 

[untermensche]

So, is the big objection to the fact that Minneapolis police seemed to be able to handle a demonstration on a major freeway that the demonstration remained peaceful and no one blacks or women were shot by the police? Or that the police recognized protesters' first amendment rights?

Is there a first amendment right to block freeways?

Is there any Constitutional right being violated by blocking it? If people have the right to be on the road then all people have the right to be on the road.

Where does the Constitution talk about the right to drive your car without being bothered by public protest?

Where is the freedom from the demonstrations of the oppressed mentioned?

 

[dismal]

Is there a first amendment right to block freeways?

Is there any Constitutional right being violated by blocking it? If people have the right to be on the road then all people have the right to be on the road.

Where does the Constitution talk about the right to drive your car without being bothered by public protest?

Where is the freedom from the demonstrations of the oppressed mentioned?

There are statutes that prohibit blocking freeways.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

The point is that the police can arrest people on the freeway, but they chose instead to protect the protesters. -- Almost in solidarity with them...

*cue creepy music**