Is this the way to handle protests? Maybe

"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2) 05/31/2020 at 17:04 • Filed to: None

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EDIT: drove back by and they are no longer on Church Street but back in front of the police station.

The police just blocked off a prominent section of road to let them protest in rather than suppress them and make everyone angry. They are hanging back and keeping the area free for protesters.

The fact that the Merc has a campaign sticker on it just makes it more ironic.

ttyymmnn > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/31/2020 at 17:14

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Here in Austin, the protesters are blocking the interstate. It doesn’t help that the police station sits right next to the highway. 

WilliamsSW > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/31/2020 at 17:15

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It helps - on the condition that protesters aren't shunted off to some out of the way corner.  

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/31/2020 at 17:19

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Yes, this is definitely superior to having a de facto paramilitary tacticool cosplay group first do nothing and then try to herd hundreds or thousands of people through areas with glass storefronts.

I was going to joke just bring some early W220s to the show, eventually a few might suffer hiccups in the line of traffic, and they can be used to divert crowds.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/31/2020 at 17:24

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Dope ass 240 bruh

facw > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/31/2020 at 17:32

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If you have protests against oppressive policing, more oppressive policing probably isn’t going to make them go away, and it’s certainly not going to convince people that their concerns about oppressive policing are being taken seriously. Much better to use a softer touch where possible.

facw > ttyymmnn 05/31/2020 at 17:35

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Which honestly should be no big deal, especially on a weekend. It’s not like there aren’t plenty of alternate routes. The police would be wise to just close the highway to traffic at some point where it’s easy to send cars on a detour.

ttyymmnn > facw 05/31/2020 at 17:41

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But there is no viable detour for the volume of traffic that interstate handles. 

facw > ttyymmnn 05/31/2020 at 17:55

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It’s a Sunday, my recollection is that it wasn’t that bad. In any event, through traffic can take 130, some local traffic can take Mopac or 183, and the rest can filter on the surface streets bridges. A protest on a highway isn’t much risk to anyone, and is certainly less likely to turn into a damaging and dangerous riot, especially if the police let them be instead of cracking down. I mean it wouldn’t be great for Austin if it turned into occupy I-35 and people were camping there for weeks , but that’s true of most protest locations.

MrDakka > facw 05/31/2020 at 18:00

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You’re not thinking oppressively enough. There won’t be any protestors when they’re all dead. Worked in Tianame nan Square pretty well.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 05/31/2020 at 18:03

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This crowd also seems to be less violent and much much sm aller than the one other cities have faced but the approach is fine. The police are keeping them from getting run over and nothing else.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > WilliamsSW 05/31/2020 at 18:04

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Pretty prominent place, but they are keeping them from getting run over. The crowd has moved to in front of the police station for some reason.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > feather-throttle-not-hair 05/31/2020 at 18:04

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And the HHR woody?

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/31/2020 at 18:09

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The police there might also be behaving themselves a little better than in some areas where they seem to have thin skin and/or even instigate groups into behaving badly.  I assume your suburb is one of the more pleasant ones in that metro area.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/31/2020 at 18:50

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This works as long as there aren’t instigators hiding in the protest groups.

WilliamsSW > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/31/2020 at 19:25

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That’s good. I was thinking of things like G8 protesters that seem to be assigned small areas 9 miles from the meetings. 

Jayvincent > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/31/2020 at 21:00

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Respect for anyone with the brains to hold their protest on MLK Blvd, because he didn’t stand for riots and looting but was relentless in a search for equality. NC has seen a bit of both this week: peaceful protests and lawless looters. 

Under_Score > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/31/2020 at 22:20

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The plate frame for a historically black sorority (AND fraternity) makes the car that much more Georgian.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Under_Score 05/31/2020 at 22:45

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I hadn't noticed that but yes that really paints an interesting picture.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jayvincent 05/31/2020 at 22:46

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This is a peaceful protest and happens to be somewhat far away from the eternal flame but that would be a great place to hold one. 

Under_Score > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/31/2020 at 22:49

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Gen-X and Boomer black women and displaying their historically black sororities on their vehicles is an major  aspect of car culture that is widely ignored. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Under_Score 05/31/2020 at 23:08

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I think plate frames are an aspect of car culture that are widely ignored. I don't have one at all actually because I don't like the way they rattle when I close the trunk.