Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Ferguson - protester popsicles?


I'm amused by Massad Ayoob's suggestion.

Many more observers, looking at the frigid weather in the Ferguson/St. Louis area – which many of us “in the business” believe may be a factor in the announcement being delayed this long – are of the opinion that fire hoses could come into play if extreme mob violence has to be contained.

I’m not recommending fire hoses, mind you, but given that the police in Ferguson have been shot at repeatedly since this whole thing began, and to the best of my knowledge the cops haven’t thrown anything but gas and rubber back, if things go violent a Night of the Frozen Ice Protesters might be preferable to another Kent State.

There's more at the link.

I'm particularly amused because the use of fire hoses by police doesn't appear to violate the 19 'rules of engagement' that protest leaders have asked the authorities to accept (with only limited success).  Apparently the organizers hadn't anticipated that during the current cold snap, their special snowflake freebooters followers might be turned into special snowflake popsicles.  One hopes Mother Nature will continue to co-operate . . .




Peter

7 comments:

  1. That's why you see a lot of riots in the Middle East, and almost none in England.
    In England it's cold and wet and miserable and they just go to the pub instead.


    - Charlie

    ReplyDelete
  2. With fog nozzles... THAT just sucks in cold weather... Just sayin (experience as a VFD)

    ReplyDelete
  3. MMMmmmmm.... Meat-sickles.
    I like it. Creative, unlikely to be instantly lethal and messy, cheap, discouraging, creative. Good idea.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Shades of Bull Connor and his fire hoses in the 50's. The irony is delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am still old school. Looters, violent criminals taking advantage.

    I prefer a bullet to the head. Problem solved. Permanently.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm with old NFO here. I wondered why a nice fogging with a 3" fire hose isn't the go-to tactic for delivering a quietus to a late-season protest.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Fire hoses for cold (under 60) degree weather are great for breaking up crowds.

    Don't go all Bull Durham and spray people. Spray it in the air (think playing sprinkler with kids in the summer) and get folks wet. Wet people get cold. Cold people go home.

    Ever hear of the great Detroit riot of Dec 72? Nope. The Chicago February 81 Riot? Cleveland in 2000? Helena Montana in November 2008? Nope.

    People almost never riot in cold weather.

    ReplyDelete

ALL COMMENTS ARE MODERATED. THEY WILL APPEAR AFTER OWNER APPROVAL, WHICH MAY BE DELAYED.