Looks like the Russians are taking a page from our playbook

Russian Cops Break Up Protest Camp

Funny how the two governments, U.S. and Russian, now act in such similar ways.

Be sure to show your papers when you get to the airport or if the nice policeman asks. Whether you're Russian or American. The difference isn't great anymore.

Agreed, public intoxication has become a universal constant.

I suppose its better to have just had their rally disbanded rather than the way it would have gone 30 years ago - everyone goes missing after the KGB gets a hold of them for daring to disrespect the iron fist.

God forbid cops crack down on criminals posing as protesters.

So police do their job, responding to complaints by local residents, and evict a bunch of drunken bums. What are we supposed to do, rally around the drunken bums and scream police brutality? Gimme a berkeleying break!

When did going to a protest mean 'going to get hammered.' What a bunch of idiots.

Protest parties are the new Raves.

Is there more to the article? It doesn't have any real substance, and, as it is, you're just trying to incite an argument by comparing America to the Soviet Union.

/threadjack

Lets see.

Neighbors complain about the squatting "protestors". A judge orders them to move on. Police enforce the order. There is no violence.

How exactly is this evil?

There were and are much better examples to have used than this one.

In Soviet Russia, government protests you!

My loyal readers. I love you all.

My point with this post is that it used to be that in America you could voice some discontent and at least be left alone to do this. That's really not the case now if you have an effective demonstration. When the people mass to show discontent they are arrested, shoved to side, and restricted further from access. This happens in America.

Russia is doing what Russia has always done. Squashing dissent. No change there.

In America? We have changed. You can no longer "sit in" as civil rights demonstrators used to do. This strategy was effective during the civil rights struggle as well as during labor struggles. Now, Russian or American dissent is treated the same. It's ignored until too large to ignore and then it's busted up by the state. Move along citizen, nothing to see here.

It's funny. When I was in grade school we were taught the great evil was the USSR. Where you had to have papers on you at all times so as to show the state you were not a criminal and entitled to move about freely. I was taught that America was different. Here it was ok to disagree with your government as you would be heard and change could be made. In the USSR this wasn't possible as the state was built to benefit a very few individuals.

Who's changed the most? Russia or the USA?

In grade school, they taught a lot of things that we found out were lies in high school.

Xceler8x wrote: In America? We have changed. You can no longer "sit in" as civil rights demonstrators used to do. This strategy was effective during the civil rights struggle as well as during labor struggles. Now, Russian or American dissent is treated the same. It's ignored until too large to ignore and then it's busted up by the state. Move along citizen, nothing to see here.

Umm... I'm pretty sure the people engaged in those sit-ins faced some pretty serious threats and abuse during that time. They were not just left alone peacefully to exercise their rights. That was kind of the point. A lot of the impact was because they remained composed while suffering abuse.

The sit ins were also not multi-day campouts. The people left in the evening and came back the next day. Occupying a park for several nights brings up some genuine issues of sanitation. Which is another difference. It was legal for people to sit in at diner counters. It is not legal for me to camp for three nights in a city public park, whether or not I'm protesting anything.

Xceler8x wrote: My loyal readers. I love you all. My point with this post is that it used to be that in America you could voice some discontent and at least be left alone to do this. That's really not the case now if you have an effective demonstration. When the people mass to show discontent they are arrested, shoved to side, and restricted further from access. This happens in America. Russia is doing what Russia has always done. Squashing dissent. No change there. In America? We have changed. You can no longer "sit in" as civil rights demonstrators used to do. This strategy was effective during the civil rights struggle as well as during labor struggles. Now, Russian or American dissent is treated the same. It's ignored until too large to ignore and then it's busted up by the state. Move along citizen, nothing to see here. It's funny. When I was in grade school we were taught the great evil was the USSR. Where you had to have papers on you at all times so as to show the state you were not a criminal and entitled to move about freely. I was taught that America was different. Here it was ok to disagree with your government as you would be heard and change could be made. In the USSR this wasn't possible as the state was built to benefit a very few individuals. Who's changed the most? Russia or the USA?

I'll respectfully disagree.

Peaceful, non-invasive protest gatherings are common and welcome in the good ole USA. Examples - any number of Occupy and literally all Tea Party rallies. How about all those ACORN protests in front of banks that practiced redlining? Your bar seems to be set at a different height than others.

Maybe you should have mentioned the common links that both Russia's and the USA's Presidents share - Communism?

Just kidding, kinda.

Squatting is not protesting. Its is squatting. It is a crime.

Russia has changed the most. Use to be they would have been gunned down. In America there has always been law enforcement and squatters wouldn't be fired on.

Maybe you should have mentioned the common links that both Russia's and the USA's Presidents share - Communism? Just kidding, kinda.

a-chachacha~

ThePhranc wrote: Squatting is not protesting. Its is squatting. It is a crime.

A person of good conscience ignores that when a point needs to be made. It was also a "crime" for Rosa Parks to stay in the front of the bus. The law serves people, not the other way around.

You young people should study up on a little demonstration right here in the USA back in 1970 that ended up being known as "The Kent State Massacre".

I don't think things are any worse today.

Neil Young even wrote a song about the event--Ohio. If I'm feeling a little sentimental, it can move me to tears even today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82CYNj7noic

Don't know if this can be attributed to Dennis Miller, but it was on his Facebook page today...

"Thanks to the internet, never before have ill-informed people had such a stranglehold on vague facts."

dculberson wrote:

ThePhranc wrote: Squatting is not protesting. Its is squatting. It is a crime.

A person of good conscience ignores that when a point needs to be made. It was also a "crime" for Rosa Parks to stay in the front of the bus. The law serves people, not the other way around.

Equating Rosa Parks with whiny little occusquaters is laughable. A person of good conscience wouldn't squat and call it protesting. But thanks for excusing crimes. Are there any other crimes that you care to make excuses for so a point can be made?

In reply to ThePhranc:

It is not a completely invalid comparison. Both are examples of people defying what they believe to be a bad law. Where things go from there is that we as a society get to decide whether or not we think they really had a valid point.

Clearly, Rosa Park was in the right. Time will tell if these other protesters are as well, but it does not look to me like their basic human rights are being violated in anywhere near the same way.

Salanis wrote: In reply to ThePhranc: Clearly, Rosa Park was in the right. Time will tell if these other protesters are as well, but it does not look to me like their basic human rights are being violated in anywhere near the same way.

Agreed.

Anyone getting raped over in the occu-camps in Russia? Just wondering.

4cylndrfury wrote: I suppose its better to have just had their rally disbanded rather than the way it would have gone 30 years ago - everyone goes missing after the KGB gets a hold of them for daring to disrespect the iron fist.

Hey, didn't they guy they are protesting used to work for the...