WATCH: Police Clash With Protesters in Anaheim

I thought this was a country full of freedom and preaching democracy to other nations.

Violent clashes between protestors and police continued Tuesday night in Anaheim, California, as officers reportedly fired rubber bullets, bean bag rounds, and pepper balls into crowds gathered outside city hall to protest alleged police brutality. Police said at least five people were arrested on suspicion of assault and resisting arrest, while a reporter from the Orange County Register was struck by a rock, according to the Los Angeles Times. Journalist Tim Pool said he was attacked by officers while he was covering the protest.

Read more: WATCH: Police Clash With Protesters in Anaheim | NewsFeed | TIME.com

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RDS said:

I thought this was a country full of freedom and preaching democracy to other nations.

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These protestors resorted to violent acts forcing police to respond. You have a right to protest, not a right to do whatever you want while doing it.

RDS said:

I thought this was a country full of freedom and preaching democracy to other nations.

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Sounds like the protestors started it and the cops just finished it. Never start a fight you aren't both willing and capable of winning.

RDS said:

I thought this was a country full of freedom and preaching democracy to other nations.

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Very unfortunate incident. This needs to be fully investigated. As to the police dog, the officer obviously lost control of him. He didn't have on a leash, so I'm guessing he let the dog out of the car (they don't wear leashes in the car), and the dog took off at the pandemonium. Dog needs retraining. Officer needs head examined.

That looked very inflammatory because there were so many kids around and coppers were pointing their tasers at any and everybody. I don't know what one could have done to avoid being tazed except run in the other direction or drop to the ground. And even then, a man who apparently had dropped to the ground was attacked by K9.

I'm sure there'll be a full investigation. And there should be. I think it clearly shows that these officers hadn't been properly trained in crowd control.

But this isn't indicative that we don't live in a free country any more than it's an indication we live in a police state.

Tigger said:

Sounds like the protestors started it and the cops just finished it. Never start a fight you aren't both willing and capable of winning.

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I think this is an example of poor training. If officers weren't at risk, if an officer didn't need rescue, I can't imagine why coppers would wade into a crowd filled with moms and kids. Just stand back and let the trouble come to you, in my opinion.

MaggieD said:

I think this is an example of poor training. If officers weren't at risk, if an officer didn't need rescue, I can't imagine why coppers would wade into a crowd filled with moms and kids. Just stand back and let the trouble come to you, in my opinion.

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LEOs are not paid to be physically abused; nor should they have to accept that type of action without response.

as officers reportedly fired rubber bullets, bean bag rounds, and pepper balls into crowds gathered outside city hall to protest alleged police brutality

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I am sorry, but that made me laugh.

MaggieD said:

That looked very inflammatory because there were so many kids around and coppers were pointing their tasers at any and everybody. I don't know what one could have done to avoid being tazed except run in the other direction or drop to the ground. And even then, a man who apparently had dropped to the ground was attacked by K9.

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Officers are trained very poorly on taser devices. It is not surprising they would do that as a result. Poor training has led to the liberal use of such devices, which has resulted in many deaths, most of which are not prosecuted criminally but "handled" administratively.

That being said, anyone that thinks a nonthreatening crowd containing children as young as infants is a valid reason for pulling/shooting your taser or bean bag shotgun should be locked up in a mental institution.

But this isn't indicative that we don't live in a free country any more than it's an indication we live in a police state.

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All states are police states.

That's not true, at least in the Western states. LEOs here are trained in TASER use and can not carry them by policy without first being certified in their use. I suspect that's largely national and is what the manufacturers of the devices recommends.

And anyone bringing a child to a protest, especially when the last few have turned to riot, should be charged with child endangerment. Leave the kids at home, they're not shields.

clownboy said:

That's not true, at least in the Western states. LEOs here are trained in TASER use and can not carry them by policy without first being certified in their use. I suspect that's largely national and is what the manufacturers of the devices recommends.

And anyone bringing a child to a protest, especially when the last few have turned to riot, should be charged with child endangerment. Leave the kids at home, they're not shields.

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This reminds me of a poster here on DP that was talking about bringing his little baby to an OWS demonstration. He did. Then he immediately turned around and left. You're right, of course.

lol....it's amusing to read the comments from liberals about how the police "need more training".

Perhaps protestors need training on how to protest? Maybe they should go to a TeaParty leadership conference and get tips on how to demonstrate peacefully, clean up after themselves, and protest like a civilized human being?

It appears to me that the police were trained quite well. They weren't overrun. How about we train these hooligans how to protest properly so they can avoid getting tazed and attacked by dogs?

But of course, the left will place NO responsibility on the rabble rousers for behaving properly. Because to the left, violent protesting is "patriotic". Their philosophy states that these poor protestors were "pushed into violence" by their oppressive government and corrupt law enforcement agencies.

I too rail against government a lot of times. But I would never behave like these people. It is THESE PEOPLE who are in need of proper training, not the cops.

"Police offered to buy their video from them"

Masada said:

lol....it's amusing to read the comments from liberals about how the police "need more training".

Perhaps protestors need training on how to protest? Maybe they should go to a TeaParty leadership conference and get tips on how to demonstrate peacefully, clean up after themselves, and protest like a civilized human being?

It appears to me that the police were trained quite well. They weren't overrun. How about we train these hooligans how to protest properly so they can avoid getting tazed and attacked by dogs?

But of course, the left will place NO responsibility on the rabble rousers for behaving properly. Because to the left, violent protesting is "patriotic". Their philosophy states that these poor protestors were "pushed into violence" by their oppressive government and corrupt law enforcement agencies.

I too rail against government a lot of times. But I would never behave like these people. It is THESE PEOPLE who are in need of proper training, not the cops.

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You obviously didn't watch the video, Masada. The video doesn't show anyone "behaving" any way except standing around, trying to get away, or sitting on the lawn. I don't fit your mold, by the way. I think the incident needs investigating...lessons to be learned by the coppers involved, in my opinion...and I'm not a liberal.

MaggieD said:

You obviously didn't watch the video, Masada. The video doesn't show anyone "behaving" any way except standing around, trying to get away, or sitting on the lawn. I don't fit your mold, by the way. I think the incident needs investigating...lessons to be learned by the coppers involved, in my opinion...and I'm not a liberal.

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I see, so you're just looking for liberals to love you or what? I watched not only this video, but several others. The protestors instigated the riot. It's amazing that millions of tea partiers came to townhalls all across this nation, and not a single rubber bullett was fired. Not a single tazing. Not a single dog attack. Not a single tear gas canister deployed. Amazing.....

Investigate away....more power to ya! When you find out for yourself that the rioters were responsible, and not the cops, how will you feel then?

Like I said, it's people like these protestors who are in need of training. Training on how to be a civilized, decent human being to start with. What lesson should the cops have learned? That maybe they should withstand a little more physical danger before reacting?

Yes, I'm sure the cops just saw a bunch of people "standing around", and "sitting on the grass" and decided to attack them. lol....go watch some other videos that are already up on other sites. Investigate it Maggie.....get your answers.

Did you ever see a Tea Party protest where the protestors set up "dumpster fires"? Did they every block the streets? Did they ever "confront" police officers and instigate a fight?

Even in the report from this post, the newscaster says that police responded to an "unruly crowd". Then the people act like they were just out having a picnic. Newsflash people of California: You instigate a fight with the cops, and you're gonna get it.

Like I said, it's these people who need training. Training on how to be a civilized human being. You have a beef with the cops? Fine. Just better not come confronting them and instigating violence. Lessons learned protestors.

I agree with MaggieD on this. And I believe all police action that results in violence (even if the police aren't the instigators) should be investigated and reviewed with an eye towards doing things better (if possible) in the future. You are correct I think that these, and the OWS protesters need to take responsibility for their mob behavior.

However, there's a real weakness in how some departments deal with [violent] protests and Maggie alluded to that. Primarily, they escalate the panic of the crowd by not allowing an avenue of escape/dispersal. The crowd should never be surrounded, they should always leave a clear space for the crowd to give up and disperse.

Masada said:

Did you ever see a Tea Party protest where the protestors set up "dumpster fires"? Did they every block the streets? Did they ever "confront" police officers and instigate a fight?

Even in the report from this post, the newscaster says that police responded to an "unruly crowd". Then the people act like they were just out having a picnic. Newsflash people of California: You instigate a fight with the cops, and you're gonna get it.

Like I said, it's these people who need training. Training on how to be a civilized human being. You have a beef with the cops? Fine. Just better not come confronting them and instigating violence. Lessons learned protestors.

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The guy sitting on the grass that got bitten by the K9 probably has a lawsuit. I watched the video in the link and saw no such behavior. I saw coppers running around deciding who to taze. It certainly puts the LEOs in a bad light. You may be right. If you have other vids, please link them. The one this thread is based on shows something quite different.

Edit: Here's a description of riots that occurred at some time in response to the LEOs killing two people; but it still seems to me that the people in the video supplied in the OP weren't being confrontational...

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/0...ng-sparks-riots-unrest-and-arrests-78161.html

MaggieD said:

The guy sitting on the grass that got bitten by the K9 probably has a lawsuit. I watched the video in the link and saw no such behavior. I saw coppers running around deciding who to taze. It certainly puts the LEOs in a bad light. You may be right. If you have other vids, please link them. The one this thread is based on shows something quite different.

Edit: Here's a description of riots that occurred at some time in response to the LEOs killing two people; but it still seems to me that the people in the video supplied in the OP weren't being confrontational...

Anaheim riot 2012: Police-involved shooting causes unrest and arrests | WJLA.com

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Besides the other videos I've advised you to watch, do you know what "deductive reasoning" is?

You are basing your opinion on about 30 seconds of captured video. Now, if you understand what "deductive reasoning" is, try to use it here. You are seeing 30 seconds of video footage, probably acquired from a cell phone. But do you stop to ask yourself, "I wonder what led the police to respond this way?"

This is why I've mentioned the tea party protests so many times. Deductive reasoning leads a rational person to believe this: If you behave like tea partiers, you don't get tazed or shot or attacked by a dog. But if you act like the people in the Rodney King riots, you do get tazed, shot, and attacked by dogs. So, what would deductive reasoning tell you? That they were acting like uncivilized hooligans. Plus, there's other video to prove it.

Cops don't just go out into the streets with K9 units and start unleashing them onto peaceful people "sitting in the grass". Something instigated this response, and other videos prove it. They came to confront the cops over a shooting earlier that afternoon. It escalated, and the cops responded. You wanna protest? Take a few cues from the tea party. THEY know how to protest like civilized, decent human beings.

Scattered crowds roam Anaheim streets to protest officer shootings - latimes.com

setting businesses on fire. Smashing car windows. Spray painting buildings. Blocking streets.

I suppose you condone this type of behavior? You think citizens in this country should be free to roam the streets, setting fires to businesses, smashing up car windows, blocking traffic? Police should just sit back and allow that type of behavior in our city's streets?

It's precisely like I said. It is these people who need training. Training on how to be a civilized human being.

MaggieD said:

I think this is an example of poor training. If officers weren't at risk, if an officer didn't need rescue, I can't imagine why coppers would wade into a crowd filled with moms and kids. Just stand back and let the trouble come to you, in my opinion.

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You can't blame police when the protesters are the ones who forced action to be taken in the first place.

RDS said:

I thought this was a country full of freedom and preaching democracy to other nations.

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Everyone one of those people who rioted should be arrested and punished with the maximum. These people should not be getting the message that its okay to riot.

Masada said:

Did you ever see a Tea Party protest where the protestors set up "dumpster fires"? Did they every block the streets? Did they ever "confront" police officers and instigate a fight?

Even in the report from this post, the newscaster says that police responded to an "unruly crowd". Then the people act like they were just out having a picnic. Newsflash people of California: You instigate a fight with the cops, and you're gonna get it.

Like I said, it's these people who need training. Training on how to be a civilized human being. You have a beef with the cops? Fine. Just better not come confronting them and instigating violence. Lessons learned protestors.

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You are ignoring the reason for the protest. One of their fellow citizens was executed by these cops. That is why they were gathering. They were protesting police brutality. If ever a police force was in a position where moderation was demanded, it was this situation just because of the reason for the protest. They reinforced their image as the bad guys with their brutal response. I expect a great deal more from police. They're well paid babysitters who shouldn't have guns. That is, unless they can prove that they actually have brains and I don't think that is a occupational requirement.

DaveFagan said:

You are ignoring the reason for the protest. One of their fellow citizens was executed by these cops. That is why they were gathering. They were protesting police brutality. If ever a police force was in a position where moderation was demanded, it was this situation just because of the reason for the protest. They reinforced their image as the bad guys with their brutal response. I expect a great deal more from police. They're well paid babysitters who shouldn't have guns. That is, unless they can prove that they actually have brains and I don't think that is a occupational requirement.

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That is pure BS. If the POLICE are being protested then why block traffic, break windows on PRIVATE cars/shops and start fires? Did you see ANY signs? Most of the "protestors" may, in fact, feel that the police (or at least an officer or two) did something wrong, but that does not mean that the police should simply no longer protect themselves or others in the community. Selecting small segments of carefully editted film can make any situation look just the way you want it too. Many other reports describe property damage and lawless behavior, the perps dash through the "protective" crowd and seek cover among the "innocent", as the police persue them it looks like they are "cruel" to those that seek to stop their chase. It is rarely those in the front row that throw the rocks or bottles, smash property or cause mayhem, they hide behind the "innocents" that offer them cover. The actions of the crowd (mob?) must be addressed as a whole, since access to specific individuals within it is nearly impossible, BY DESIGN.

Lack of training is a lame excuse. They had ample time to train since the OWS police brutality.

RDS said:

Lack of training is a lame excuse. They had ample time to train since the OWS police brutality.

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Exactly how many dead OWS protestors have we seen, nationwide? I don't seem to remember any, but I may be mistaken.

Tigger said:

Exactly how many dead OWS protestors have we seen, nationwide? I don't seem to remember any, but I may be mistaken.

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You measure police brutality by the number of persons dead?