Both Olympics In Dictatorship & Democratic Convention In Denver To Have Limited Areas For Protests
Both the Olympics in Beijing and the Democratic National Convention in Denver will have limited areas segregated for protests.
“Security” is cited.
This is not unlike the “free speech zones” set up at the Democratic convention in Boston in 2004.
Another place where the mobility of protesters will be restricted is at the Olympic games in Beijing.
Restrictions in China will be tighter than in Denver. Still, why are Democrats, yet again, accepting limiting protests to a certain area when people in America are supposed to have a right of free assembly? The restrictions in Boston four years ago were odious.
So-called “security” reasons are easily used by both dictatorships and more open nations, to curtail the inherent right of individuals to express their grievances.
Here is Human Rights Watch on the absence of freedom in China.
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Texas Liberal is a blog of politics and political history.
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I think its reasonable to have contained areas for protest. you cant have anarchy in the streets, people will get hurt. you have to remember too these athletes train their whole lives to compete and its too bad this has to be the platform. i am not athletic and could give a shit about sports but there is a level of commitment that has to be respected for the participating athletes. they are driven and vain but again they have my respect.
face it most of the media is hoping for tanks squashing protesters, they can throw flowers down where they get killed and burn candles and prey but at the end of the day you will have some dead assholes and a unstopable chinese government. its a waste of coverage.
Almost all protests in this country, and no doubt in China as well, are peaceful and require nothing but freedom to be successful.
yes but there are limits for two reasons. the pathways need to be kept for people and athletes to come and go as well as the more obvious that they are trying to keep them out of the way. i think the freaks with the mutilated fetus’ in front of clinics are fucked but i think they still have the right and should not block or obstruct physically the path of those who chose to go there.
All right—Short of blocking folks let people protest where they will and not just in little cut-off areas.
Well, there are security issues.
Picketers marching in front of doors that allow an exit in case of a fire is a security issue, etc.
I agree with your points. Free assembly is vital but common sense and crowd management also needs to be considered. Certainly the term “security” can be applied when not needed and balance needs to be drawn. Where that line is I don’t know.
It’s one thing to take sufficient measures to ensure the security of athletes, spectators and others connected with the Olympics, as well as the security of convention participants. But it’s a different thing to segregate protesters off to the side where it is hoped they will not be seen or heard. Seems backwards — the participants should be safely segregated and everyone else should be free to express themselves.
Citizen X–I can’t imagine the Chinese government is getting the balance right.
Chris–I’m with you.
Thanks for both comments.