Arrest for Dancing in Jefferson's Memorial

[Sapphire]

Body slammed and thrown around for light dancing. This pisses me off so bad.

[Buffalobiian]

The couple who "danced" pissed me off the most. They heard the warning, decided to test it out.. and look where that got them.

The body slam wasn't for light dancing. The body slam was for resisting arrest or refusing to put themselves into a position to be cuffed for and arrest.

[Xelbair]

And i thought that there was really stupid things going over here... damn - that is going way overboard. I really hope that those 'officers' will have a real shitstorm in their life thanks to this vid....which they probably won't have.

Buff - they should present them a reason for arrest - that officer said that they'll find something later, after the arrest to justify this! they are arresting them for no legal reason.
Seriously in such situation i would start to dance too.

[Buffalobiian]

The "arrest" was for "unauthorised demonstration in the memorial". The "detainment" (spending the weekend in jail) was for something about being too far away from the city to do a citation or something... which means they had to be kept till that could happen.

He knew the protocol, but didn't know the full specifics. It was a fair warning, I thought.

[Sapphire]

Uh, did you not see the officer say "stop resisting, stop resisting" and the guy was just standing there holding his hands up? He freaking grabbed him by the neck and threw him down twice, once BY THE NECK. And they said they weren't protesting per se, they were just DANCING. They were hopping around vigorously from foot to foot, or standing near each other and touching in a public location. Doing that provoke being body slammed and pinned? Just because he's a police officer bitching at you ("warning") for some lame rule doesn't mean you deserve that treatment.

[Buffalobiian]

He asked him to get on his knees. Just standing there, holding your hands up and not moving isn't "stop resisting".

You're describing the individual components of what the couple were doing. What they were doing was pushing the definition of "dancing". And they got their answer. The chick picked up what was happening faster than the guy, but not fast enough.

You wanna play riskly? Fine, but don't cry when you lose.

[Sapphire]

How does it make sense to follow a rule just because it's a rule? That's how millions of people stand by horrible deeds like murder and detainment, because some higher up deemed it okay. Look for what happened for what it is, not on the basis that it was merely a "rule" or "law".

And it's perfectly legal to record an arrest in a public location. Cops just say "you're not allowed" that because they don't want to look bad.

[Buffalobiian]

So what was the aftermath of these arrests? Are the police getting shit for it, or are the those arrested actually charged with something?

They danced, and they got arrested.
Those who resisted got tougher treatment to overcome such resistance.

If they shouldn't be arrested in the first place, you say, then go back to whatever legal grounds the arrests were made on. If those are wrong, then go back to the drawing board. Police aren't there to think for what's right to enforce and what's not right to enforce. That's for the justice system to decide.

[XanBcoo]

The "arrest" was for "unauthorised demonstration in the memorial". The "detainment" (spending the weekend in jail) was for something about being too far away from the city to do a citation or something... which means they had to be kept till that could happen.

He knew the protocol, but didn't know the full specifics. It was a fair warning, I thought.

It was a fair warning. I think it's ludicrous that dancing is tantamount to demonstrating, and that warrants action, but they were given warnings. I'd like to see what was going on before the video cuts in. It seems like they were probably fully aware of what they were doing and were trying to engage the police because they didn't agree with it. Stupid move.

If they wanted to challenge the law they have other options. Pushing the boundaries of what they could get away with and then pulling a :0 face when things don't go their way makes them childish. These are adults acting like 14 year-olds.

Uh, did you not see the officer say "stop resisting, stop resisting" and the guy was just standing there holding his hands up? He freaking grabbed him by the neck and threw him down twice, once BY THE NECK. And they said they weren't protesting per se, they were just DANCING.

No, they were quite clearly resisting arrest. The douchebag in the white shirt didn't follow the instructions given to him and tried to go stiff or whatever, and the douchebag in the brown shirt was trying to keep the officer from cuffing him. Not to mention that chain-link bullshit he tried to pull. They reminded me of some of my worst-behaved students.

They were told that dancing was seen as a form of demonstration, and instead of doing anything intelligent about it they tried to be cute. They accomplished literally nothing of value and can't even say that excessive force was used because they resisted arrest in the most inane way possible.

Edit: To be clear, I disagree with the means, not the end.

[Sapphire]

Police aren't there to think for what's right to enforce and what's not right to enforce. That's for the justice system to decide.

Wut. Police are humans with brains, too. Surely, they are tested for cognitive skills and intelligence, reasoning ability before given the badge and gun? Just because one is told to do something evil and they do it doesn't make one not evil.

I would have dance my ass off, slow and kung fu style, despite some asshole telling me I can't move my body. They should try doing that shit to people in NYC. :< *anger*

-

me: *eats a hamburger and scratches butt in memorial place. nods head to the beat of the wind in a joyous rhythm*
cop: GET ON YOUR KNEES. BITCH!!!!!! YOU ARE SACRIMONIOUSLY SANCIFYING SHIT, AND SHIT!
me: *resists telling cop to go fuck himself and continues on, peacefully, obstructing no one*
me: *is thrown up and body slammed to ground, arm twisted and arrested*

sense where?

[XanBcoo]

me: *eats a hamburger and scratches butt in memorial place. nods head to the beat of the wind in a joyous rhythm*
cop: GET ON YOUR KNEES. BITCH!!!!!! YOU ARE SACRIMONIOUSLY SANCIFYING SHIT, AND SHIT!
me: *resists telling cop to go fuck himself and continues on, peacefully, obstructing no one*
me: *is thrown up and body slammed to ground, arm twisted and arrested*

Except that's not what happened at all, Sapphire...

You: *dances*
Cop: Hey, just to let you know I'm giving you a warning. Dancing in this area is a form of demonstration and we'll have to arrest you if you continue. Do you understand? Does everyone here understand? Let me tell you again, you can't dance here, sorry. :/
You: *Snicker* I'll show those pigs in a surely clever way that won't backfire!! *dances*
Cop: Ok, stop dancing.
You: *I am like Rosa Parks!*dances
Cop: Alright, we're arresting you.
You: WUT DID I DUUUUUU??? UGH PIGS PIGS FASCISTS I'M NOT DANCING I'M JUST MOVING MOVING ISN'T AGAINST THE LAW PIGS UGH WUT DID I DUUUUUUUU???
Cop: Stop moving your hands so I can arrest you and you can make your case to an official higher up than I.
You: PIG FASCIST DANCING ISN'T AGAINST THE LAW POLICE STATE WUT DID I DO RONG??? UGH PIGS! *continues resisting/whining like a child sent to his room*

They really handled that immaturely. If there's an error in the system, address it peacefully and effectively. Let the cop do his goddamn job and don't make a scene when you get arrested. Those guys had no dignity whatsoever and should be laughed at.

[Sapphire]

lolz That was funny. Even then, it still makes no sense to me. He can... NOT arrest them for doing stupid shit and be like the first cop to not make an (exceedingly violent) arrest on a senseless law.

[XanBcoo]

lolz That was funny. Even then, it still makes no sense to me. He can... NOT arrest them for doing stupid shit and be like the first cop to not make an (exceedingly violent) arrest on a senseless law.

I think continuing to dance and snicker was an immensely retarded way for them to test that theory.

Edit: I wasn't kidding before. I have 14 year-old students who when caught cheating on a test or talking loudly when I asked for silence will throw a tantrum like the one seen in that video.

[Sapphire]

How is snickering and being annoying basis for an arrest? That's horribly... not objective. They should get fired just for that.

Laws are supposed to protect us not oppress us.

[shinta|hikari]

I have to agree with Xan here. They basis of the arrest isn't the snickering or being annoying. It's that they kept on dancing, even after being warned. The law is stupid, but the police have no choice but to keep it. It's their job. It wasn't as violent as you make it sound either. They were resisting arrest so they were handled accordingly. No one was hurt. Even the guy who was body slammed was obviously fine.

[Sapphire]

I don't understand how you guys think this is okay.

[XanBcoo]

How is snickering and being annoying basis for an arrest? That's horribly... not objective. They should get fired just for that.

It's not. They were dancing. Watch it again. The cop told them to stop, explained that they could be arrested, and the stupid couple started dancing to push his buttons. They were clearly dancing and clearly wanted to be noticed, they were at this point legitimately demonstrating. The cop had a short exchange with them and they continued and were arrested. Then their douchebag friends started in, dancing in an even more obvious manner.

Laws are supposed to protect us not oppress us.

Obviously I agree. But you don't knowingly break a law and then wring your hands and cry when you suffer the consequences. Hell, I feel like I'd even have sympathy for these morons if they behaved more dignified.

I don't understand how you guys think this is okay.

Retarded means to a just end. This isn't a cop throwing his weight around, harrassing/picking on/bodyslamming/abusing teenagers/women/black people. This is a bunch of would-be activists knowingly breaking the law and throwing a hissy fit.

[KitKat]

I agree with Xan here. Protesting a law that you don't agree with by breaking that law is not the best way to go. It isn't the police's job to decide which laws are good and right, and which laws suck and should be broken. It's their job to uphold the law. Taking things out on them isn't going to change the law, either. They don't have that kind of power. From what I can see in this video, they gave fair warning, and followed procedure. Those people broke the law right there in front of the police, so naturally they were arrested, and when they didn't comply with the arrest, the police had to use more force. This is a product of a society that says, "If I think a law is stupid, I don't have to obey it." People who only obey the laws that suit them will find ways to justify breaking the ones they don't like. Not only that, but you'll find them being surprised and outraged like the people in this video, when they are punished for breaking those laws. The police can't pick and choose which laws they support and which they don't. They're required to uphold the entirety of the law, and when they fail to do so it's corruption.

[Edort4]

OMG you are pretty crazy around those parts of the world. I cant even begin to understand why this happened. It doesnt make any sense to me. Maybe before the video starts they where doing some crazy stuff. Yelling like crazies, jumping around throwing things or something like that.

Im saying that cause the cops reaction. For each action there is an oposite reaction of the same magnitude.

I'm not a lawyer and dont know anything about law in the USD (this was a typo but Im leaving it cause it makes some sense) but if you guys have a law that says that you cant slightly move your body at some memorial (one about a guy who envisioned America (hate this ussage of a full continent lest say US) as a great "Empire of Liberty" and that fought against the tirany of imperialism), hugh or kiss you have some issues to solve.

And what is all that about a warning? I mean just because some cicle-police with cool glasses comes and tells me that he is warning me I must obey to whatever nonsene he is saying or preaching? or suffer the consecuences of a public violent arrest? Thats some cool power those guys have. They should make some kind of super hero team "The Warningers".

If all of what happened was legal and you approve of it, I must say that Im sad that you have better laws to defend memorials than to defend your citizens freedoms.

[Xelbair]

well first to evaluate this case we must know what happened before the video - if they were really protesting, and they really danced to protest - cops were right, but they used too much force. But if they were just dancing, not as any kind of protest, nor they did anything else to provoke the cops, then the dancers were right, and cops shouldn't arrest them.

But the main point of this stays still - in both cases - police used really too much force. They didn't need to bodyslam that guy, they didn't need to lay them down and put handcuffs on them - they could just arrest them in same way as they did arrest the couple - they used the just amount of 'force' - they just handcuffed her with hands behind her back.

Also even if it was demonstration or protest of some kind, it was peaceful(or so it seems). Isn't it kinda wrong for Country of Liberty and Freedom of Speech(tm) to arrest protesting people, unless they are violent? Despite the circumstances that looked similar to what corrupted totalitarian/despotic country's police would do. Protests do happen for a reason, y'know.