It is maybe because not everyone will always protest nicely. The world is not a perfect place and it is best to be over prepared than under prepared.
It is like my grandmother used to say when having a party it is better to have to much food than not having enough food.
Because if a protest does kickstart, they not only have evidence to prove who started it, but convict others of foul play.
Peaceful protests are great, but often times, they turn to violence. attacks, criminal damage and looting are common place at riots.
That's why they let you video them in full view, because they don't really care about a peaceful protest.
Yes. Or just a single “incident” with one “bad” officer or one “bad” protestor. If someone gets hurt, killed- that video protects JUSTICE. If the police weren’t at fault but protestors have video (edited or not) from one perspective that makes it seem they are- the video the police took can be used as a defense to show the whole picture. The same is true in the opposite- the video the police took can be used by internal affairs or in a court case to show they caused the problem or acted illegally. They have nothing to hide, you have nothing to hide, you’re in public so you don’t have a right to privacy in that sense-
YouTube is filled with people taping the police. The internet is full of advice or boasting by those who film every routine interaction or even incite interactions with police just to film them. More and more people call for body cameras (not a bad idea at all-) so if you can protect the truth and yourself with film- why can’t the police? No protestors were filming at all? None of them got a single officer in any frame of video? I think not. So then- it seems there are reasons to film a protest other than some villainous secret motives.
The “evidence team” was likely sent because... they have the equipment and experience. Pretend you run an organization. You’ve got a team that films shit and has cameras and their own departmental budget and inventory. Ok. So you want to film a protest for posterity. Do you:
A. Send the guys who have the cameras and know how to use them, are authorized and trained on them. Are responsible for the equipment and “own” it- and who’s primary job is NOT street level law enforcement and crowd control..? Or
B. Go through some sort of nightmare or off the books nonsense to allocate cameras that belong to another department to beat cops who haven’t used the equipment or likely been trained for the task- and who’s primary speciality is crowd control and street enforcement? You want a bunch of camera guys with no cameras doing what? Take the day off? Go work the crowd while the guy who’s job watching the crowd is- runs a camera? How does that make sense?
As for hiding- were they hiding? We do t have context for the photo. Don’t know if this guy was caught on break of shirking off or what. But let’s say this photo is as advertised. Ok- so... you’re bent out of shape about the guy with the camera from the evidence team being there... do you think that in a crowd of hundreds or thousands that someone may have gotten upset that day too? That the tin foil hats may have came out- and that a large crowd could quickly get unruly and escalate from peaceful to not? Unless maybe the camera guy just kinda stays out of sight- keeps his expensive camera away from where an angry protestor could break it or verbally assault him or go “protestors gone wild” and otherwise fuck with a guy sent there to film in case things went bad?
And I’ll wrap it up- but did this person ever stop and think that perhaps... the evidence team was gathering evidence. Perhaps there was someone in the crowd or expected or a group- that is a front of some sort for things less nice than peaceful environmental protests? Or that some other game was afoot- and the evidence team didn’t give a crap about peaceful free huggers but came to gather evidence for an unrelated investigation? Maybe they weren’t even there for the crowd- they could be gathering evidence against their own officer under investigation for some sort of abuse or misconduct.
Once again @guest_ marvelous reply, but I do hate you for always getting to the common point I would raise before I even read the OC. Onward regardless...
Police, like most civil employees are salary paid, meaning as long as they do their 40 hours a week, they're paid the same if the trian in a police station ... or outside Parliament. Learning how to quietly and accurately film a protest can either be done whilst dodging flying, flaming bottles.. or lewd glances of persons slightly miffed at your presence. I'd rather Evidence Collection practice on you all especially if, God forbid... someone started shooting at protesters, the building, or police. As guest_ noted, the evidence, once collected an in existence can be used to vindicate the innocent, convict the guilty, and train the future responders.
@insoectora- I’m sorry. Lol. I’ve been slow on the trigger lately since work has had me tied up- so you’ll beat me next time or the one after I’m sure. And well said, good points.
@famousone- that’s the truth.
It is like my grandmother used to say when having a party it is better to have to much food than not having enough food.
Peaceful protests are great, but often times, they turn to violence. attacks, criminal damage and looting are common place at riots.
That's why they let you video them in full view, because they don't really care about a peaceful protest.
A. Send the guys who have the cameras and know how to use them, are authorized and trained on them. Are responsible for the equipment and “own” it- and who’s primary job is NOT street level law enforcement and crowd control..? Or
Police, like most civil employees are salary paid, meaning as long as they do their 40 hours a week, they're paid the same if the trian in a police station ... or outside Parliament. Learning how to quietly and accurately film a protest can either be done whilst dodging flying, flaming bottles.. or lewd glances of persons slightly miffed at your presence. I'd rather Evidence Collection practice on you all especially if, God forbid... someone started shooting at protesters, the building, or police. As guest_ noted, the evidence, once collected an in existence can be used to vindicate the innocent, convict the guilty, and train the future responders.
@famousone- that’s the truth.