On October 6th, Black Lives Matter and ANTIFA protesters gathered in Portland, Oregon to protest the shooting of Patrick Kimmons. Video footage shows these protesters blocking streets, redirecting traffic, and harassing drivers. In one such instance, a driver asks why he is being redirected, to which a protester responds "because I told you to." Another protester comes over and says "Get out of here you white f***er."
This protest comes amidst a trend of protesters not only turning violent but blatantly disobeying the law. When questioned why the police were not stopping the demonstration, they responded that while they were monitoring the situation, they had an obligation to protect the first amendments rights of the protesters.
While it's wonderful the police wanted to ensure that the protesters were allowed to freely exercise their first amendment right, we must question the limits of this practice. It is not as if these protesters were protesting in a park, at a federal building, or in a space designated for public gathering. These protesters were blocking traffic, and furthermore taking traffic directing into their own hands. Since when did the protesters get the legal authority to direct traffic in such proportions? Who is held responsible when they cause an accident due to their inexperience directing traffic? Do we blame the protesters, who were essentially justified by the lack of police action, or do we blame the police, who allowed the protesters to create such an ordeal?
Furthermore, protesters could be seen hitting various cars and harassing the drivers, where are their rights? Is it fair that they are simply passing through and are being taunted and harassed without any police intervention to protect them?
I will always defend the right to free speech, regardless of if I disagree with it or not; but where do we draw the line between a peaceful exercise of the first amendment and blatant disregard for the community? We should draw the line here. These protesters should have been moved, or a police officer should have been directing traffic, to ensure that both passerby's and protesters were not injured.
Last, isn't it a bit ironic that these protesters are fighting against racism while simultaneously calling the drivers "whitey" and "white f***er"? What did the drivers' race have to do with them asking where the protesters' authority came from? Protesters like these are the reason that so many activist groups get a bad reputation, they have no idea how to be civil and hold discourse. They resort to insults and harassment tactics because their actions have been condoned. If they want to exercise their first amendment right, try to do it civilly.
If throwing myself into the middle of the street and crying worked, I'd have got a lot more toys as a kid.
