Different situation, especially since I voluntarily put myself in that line; but I do tend to keep at least a shopping cart between me and the next person. If someone approaches me, for whatever reason, I tend to be more circumspect until I've evaluated their intent and perceived threat.
Back in The Wild and Wacky '60's--when I was a yoot--I took part in lots of political demonstrations.
Somehow I always managed to wind up in the front line, directly facing the line of riot gear clad police.
I also mananged to have some interesting and informative conversations with some of them during the hours that would pass before some asshole in the crowd would do something stupid--like, for example, throwing a bottle and cracking the skull of a plainclothes officer, standing behind The Thin Blue Line maintaining a semblance of order, simply chatting with another plainclothes officer at the Demonstration Venue.
During those conversations, I learned that behind the face shields, back of the batons and under the helmet were regular guys just doing an extraordinary job.
That's why, when the "Police Riots" would break out and "innocent" bystanders would get beaten into the ground, I was unsure where my sympathies should be placed.
I'm not unsure now.
The Trooper should, at the very least, have ground the cellphone into the pavement after slapping it out of the "scrote's" hand and asked--with a smile--"You want a piece of that?"
I am sure that it is probably a good thing that I didn't actually become a police officer.
I'd be writing too many tickets for texting in traffic while I completely ignore enforcement of the seatbelt law. =)
All this doesn't even matter, and I am surprised that this thread has gotten so many comments.
That's all that dude in the skinny jeans and man scarf wants is just more attention..
Don't give them what they want!
They have freedom of speech, but I have the freedom to NOT LISTEN to them!
Wow . . . Like he said.
And now the shelves are bare at Pronouns are Us.
I still trust the unruly Trooper.
To protect your freedom.
As Walt Kelly once said--using Pogo as a platform:
"We have met the enemy and he is us."
If they went there to protest the opening of the Highway or the dignitaries that were present fine, but as soon as they showed up, they went straight to the officers and started their crap, and IMHO, got what they deserved.
They got more than that - they got exactly what they were looking for.... a reaction that would garner media attention. I don't like that little flamer of a protester but he got what he set out to do, so I'll give him that.
If the trooper had ignored him like the others did, none of us would be hearing anything about this.
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