'First Amendment rights can be terminated': When cops, cameras don't mix

[robklurfield]

A great Wikipedia article on protests, riots, police, free speech, etc AND the Haymarket Square riots. Kind of the genesis of the modern labor movement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair

I had forgotten how many times the statue commemorating the incident had been moved, destroyed by a streetcar, blown up by bombs, displaced by a superhighway etc. Some very interesting reading.

[starless]

Those cops should be sued for harassment and/or assault.

[RObert Budding]

Originally Posted by Bob Michaels

OK, a handful of really stupid police officers said and did some really stupid things in front of TV cameras. I wish we did not have any really stupid police officers but that is simply too much to ask for. . .

And what of the actions that occur outside of public view? Are you comfortable with drones flying above US soil? Granted they aren't armed - yet.

[Gabriel M.A.]

Originally Posted by Bob Michaels

Do not get hung up on the fact that there still are really stupid police officers. That will always be the case. Appreciate the fact that the freedoms were granted by the constitution and were immediately acknowledged by law enforcement.

The (current) Supreme Court seems to disagree and their recent rulings concerning searches and due process show they think that law enforcement is 100% without reproach and simply too burdened with checks and balances. Like someone famously said (and I paraphrase), things are much easier when you can rule as a dictator (and it's cost-effective!)

[robklurfield]

Chicago's finest patrolling the Loop on Memorial Day... It was 97 degrees that day.