Mixed Feelings

About this story.

A protester confronted by a Boston police officer, who was photographed with his hand around the protester’s neck, is now contemplating legal action.

The protester, who gave the name Allie but did not want to be identified by gender, said the officer’s hand was used to push and not choke.

“He pushed me,” Allie said in a telephone interview Monday. “I turned to him and said don’t push me. … Then he got angry. He grabbed me by the neck and then pushed me by the neck. He didn’t choke me.”

Boston police said they are scrutinizing the photo, which was taken by a 22-year-old college student, who uploaded it and other photographs of the event on the picture-sharing website Flickr.

Go look at the photo. Certainly it was not a choke. You need to be highly conditioned to not immediately start fighting back when somebody starts crushing your throat. Also it looks like everybody is being as peaceful as you can expect a kill-the-Jews rally to be.

Still if the parents had spanked their kids a few times when they acted like this as children, maybe they’d be doing something productive rather than harassing police. So while the officer likely stepped over the line by laying hands on this dork for any reason, or any bodily location, these violent, unmotivated, protests are a tinder box for such interactions.

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0 Responses to Mixed Feelings

  1. Greg Camp says:

    The protester being “encouraged” to behave better is named Allie, but said person didn’t want to be identified by gender, and the reporter is careful to comply with its wishes.

    I strongly support the right of free speech. In fact, it was the point that if the Second Amendment can be ignored, then so can the First that got me into supporting gun rights. But just what is it that these Occupy folks are for or against? Beyond being given free i-Pods and never having to work, that is.

  2. RWC says:

    What legal action is he contemplating? Going to sue because he was pushed?

  3. RWC says:

    Nevermind, I see it is a 1st Amendment issue.

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