Townhouse Apartments quad 5:15ish
Saturday was supposed to be the "Half Way to Blarney Blowout" celebration, but with the massive (bad) publicity generated by the release of the Davis Report Thursday night the downtown bars didn't dare enact it this year, and the main offenders agreed not to even open until 5:00 PM vs their regular 11:00 AM opening time allowed by license.
But that did not stop many hundreds of "college aged youth" from gathering in the usual spot this afternoon, the grassy quad inside Townhouse Apartments in North Amherst. Last year that was the scene of the Blarney Blowout riot, but with only 6 arrests vs this year's 58.
Beer bush
When I first saw the huge number of party goers and the exceedingly small number of police officers (half dozen) I thought about calling up Mr. Davis to have him come do a live demonstration for the Amherst Police Department on crowd management.
Hey, for $160,000 you would think a follow up demo would be in order.
Without donning riot gear, or using "chemical agents," or even raising their voices, the police sorted out the crowd in 20 minutes or so starting with the apartments playing loud music. Once the music died the crowd got the message and slowly dispersed, leaving behind a mess.
The BIG difference between this and the Blarney Blowout of March 8, 2014? When the officers politely asked for something, they got it. In other words, cooperation.
Interestingly, the kids had no problem invoking their First Amendment rights, as dozens whipped out their smart phones to record the officers, and a fewer number hurled an expletive deleted or two from the protection of their second floor apartment.
Yet some of those very same individuals questioned why I was recording the scene. Which makes you wonder, what is it they would not want parents or guardians to see?
Townhouse Apartments quad March, 2013
Go APD!
ReplyDeleteHas anyone in this generation ever heard of a trash can?
ReplyDeleteAs a handy place to put their refuse?
Or will they simply live their lives expecting others to pick up after them?
To these college aged kids:
ReplyDeleteWhen they said that you weren't fit to live with pigs, I disagreed and said that you were fit to live with pigs.
And we have the pictures to prove it.
So how much trash has to accumulate before the embarrassment reflex kicks in for these so-called humans?
ReplyDeleteWell look who runs the University, a physicist with no education in much of anything other than novel materials and nonlinear excitations. Sure he ran a few departments and groups along the way but that's a long way from being president. Then again we have a community activist as US President and look what we got. Subbaswamy really isn't that far off from Maria Geryk in terms of qualifications for this job and the way he runs the school and how out of touch he is with what goes on and how to deal with it is expected. You get what you pay for. As for this generation of students, they are an entitled bunch who will change the world for the worse.
ReplyDeleteOh so no riot gear and a humane police force equals cooperation. Wow! An outsider brought the almighty town down a notch. See you this weekend for homecoming. Proud Phillips st alum.
ReplyDeleteIt would appear to me that the "polite but firm" approach of officers in short-sleeved shirts seems to work a whole lot better than the "Darth-Vader" riot gear, doesn't it? Besides, isn't all that gear rather hot & uncomfortable to wear in warm weather?
ReplyDeleteSo if you can accomplish your mission by being polite, ummmm.....
And if you want them to drop everything and leave, and if they DO that, then you really can't complain about the fact that they did drop their cups onto the ground and left them behind -- as they were essentially ordered to do....
One other thing -- notice whom the Flynn report does't list as a "stakeholder" -- THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES....
ReplyDeleteEveryone else is listed BUT the students and I think that speaks volumes...
The Darth Vader riot gear only comes out in response to dangerous unruliness.
ReplyDeleteAnd the quad area was a pig pen well before the kids were (nicely but firmly) asked to disperse.
You would think someone would be having a field day collecting empties...
ReplyDeleteIt looks pretty clear that no one ever cared about that place. No one else will either.
If you look at this years picture compared to last, you find the same thing is true, they just throw their shit on the ground. You could have used photos from five years ago and they look the same. Cops had nothing to do with that. As for the polite approach, this event called for that approach. The Blarney Blowout has become an event of defiance and anarchism. It will be treated as that this year as it has been in past years.
ReplyDeleteThe Blarney Blowout has become an event of defiance and anarchism. It will be treated as that this year as it has been in past years.
ReplyDeleteLots and lots of unemployed lawyers undoubtedly are hoping this will be the case.
The thing folks need to understand about Section 1983 liability is that ignorance IS a defense. Now that a recognized consultant has said that the APD used excessive force in use of the "chemical munitions" -- once the APD has the ability to read the Flynn Report (which they have had by now) there is a much higher level of liability to anyone whose 8th Amendment rights are violated, no matter how guilty the obnoxious perp was.
Or in other words, do this again and your employer is going to get the shite sued out of it...
Larry Kelley said...
ReplyDeleteThe Darth Vader riot gear only comes out in response to dangerous unruliness.
The problem is that the APD fails to distinguish between criminals and law-abiding citizens.
Larry, let me ask the question I really wanted to ask Charlie Sherpa a decade ago after I was nearly killed covering the Hobart incident for the now-defunct Minuteman newspaper -- as you may recall, Izzy Lyman was sitting to my immediate left at the press conference at the APD station the following Monday.
"So, Chief Sherpa, if *I* commit a crime -- and throwing a beer bottle at *anyone* is a crime -- that justifies you hitting Izzy and arresting her for the crime *I* have committed?"
"Exactly what part of 'protect & serve' is that?!?" "What the hell did she do beyond quietly sitting there and listening to you speak?"
"And, Chief Scherpa, how exactly was I supposed to know that an area -- some distance from Hobart -- would become unsafe because your officers would MAKE IT unsafe -- that your officers would cause me to nearly DIE as I was "driven" nearly 2 miles uphill while incredibly short of breath and having major chest pains -- fleeing officers chanting 'we will hurt you'..."
And Larry, it does appear that I may have had a minor heart attack that night... As a direct consequence of police actions, and don't expect me to ever forget or forgive that.
And for what it's worth, I had spoken wtih an APD officer and requested -- and received -- permission from him to be where I was. I had taken the initiative to do this, to make certain that I wasn't going some place where I ought not be going, and he merely told me to "watch my back" -- to watch out for the perps -- I'd never thought of having to worry about the cops....
At the point where the road was closed to vehicles, I had stated my purpose and requested permission to proceed on foot -- and was granted it. What more should I have done other than be a "townie" like you???
And folks, there are an incredible number of unemployed lawyers right now....
I don't think anyone can get the can money if it's squashed. Come on, people, that's how we keep giving raises to Musante -- leave those cans intact!
ReplyDeleteIt's pointless arguing with these manchildren, Larry. They should be left to their own childish devices.
ReplyDeleteIt will take a death in the middle of the drunkenness for anyone to get serious about this.
ReplyDelete"It will take a death in the middle of the drunkenness for anyone to get serious about this."
ReplyDeleteYep, when the APD finally manages to kill someone, and it's gonna happen sooner or later, that's going to be when Boston steps in and stomps on you folk. Or decides to pull the plug outright...
Ed, I'm pretty sure they meant someone is going to die waiting for an ambulance or other emergency help that won't be available.
ReplyDeleteBut what do I know. I'm not a Dr.