SF's BART braces for another protest

Re:SF's BART braces for another protest by tedunangst on Monday August 15, 2011 @09:56PM (#2889484)

Assuming for the moment that a violent protest is a bad thing, if someone knows a bad thing is going to happen but does nothing to stop it, do they share responsibility? What if they only suspect a bad thing will happen?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:SF's BART braces for another protest by jof on Monday August 15, 2011 @10:35PM (#2889592)

I just can't stand this mentality. Avoiding doing something just because there might be a mere possibility of being sued for it is a total copout.

If you have pretty a good reason to believe something bad will happen, one ought to do their best to protect anyone that might be potentially harmed.

But as far as I've heard, all BART has been going off of are anonymous blog posts about gathering for peaceful protests.

If there is some kind smoking gun of violent intentions, I have yet to see it.

It seems to me that both sides have been escalating and blowing a non-situation (shutting power to leased, shared-carrier facilities) out of proportion. It's one thing to reduce coverage, and an entirely different thing to intentionally jam.

There is, of course, the contextual undercurrent of Oscar Grant being murdered by Johannes Mehserle.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:SF's BART braces for another protest by tedunangst on Monday August 15, 2011 @11:53PM (#2889796)

I don't actually think just covering their ass and not getting sued is the BART admins' motivation. I think they honestly believe it's the right thing to do.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:SF's BART braces for another protest by georgieporgie on Tuesday August 16, 2011 @12:19AM (#2889877)

Nobody knows if a protest is going to turn violent before the protest happens. Even if it did, you still have the right to peacefully assemble until violence begins.

Worst-case thinking and CYA-syndrome are poor strategies. http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2010/05/worst-case_thi...

[ Parent | on HN ]