It seems to me like it should be the Police who maintain their temper/calm!

[Logical]

The police are the professionals. The police have the real weapons. They police are the trained ones. They police are the ones protected by Riot Gear.

I expect some idiot protesters to do stupid things at times. It sees like to me the police should have a higher standard of behavior. Not a shorter fuse than the protesters.

I really do not see much restraint EVER from the police side of things. Not in NYC, not in Chicago, not anywhere.

But many defenders here seem to act like the police are the ones with the bad end of this deal.

The police have really no downside to losing their temper and beating the shit out of some people. The police department and the city will defend the police no matter what they do.

Many on the DU will defend the police also.

What the DU defenders do not understand is that the police very seldom get in trouble for their lack of professionalism. The police unions (not real unions) will defend them no matter what and the city is afraid to charge them because they know pissing of the cops hurts their need for them down the road.

So seeing a idiot protester throw a rock is to be expected. Seeing a cop pepper spray someone for no reason or beating someone 5 times more than they needed to to subdue them is not expected. Except by some DU members obviously.

[The Magistrate]

1. True, Sir: A Professional Should Behave Professionally

It is the man with the edge who ought to show restraint.

[Logical]

3. The problem, even on the DU is that people tend to 100% trust and respect the police....

when many times they deserve neither.

People have a fantasy about the police being the TV version. Kind, honest, never wrong.

It explains how jury's constantly find cops not guilty of abuse.

[Enrique]

2. the policeman isn't there to create disorder

the policeman is there to preserve disorder.

--Mayor Daley Sr.

[Fire Walk With Me]

4. Absolutely. Police are =supposed= to be capable of keeping their cool,

of "keeping order".

In my experience as an Occupier, police have orders to do whatever it takes to spoil peaceful protests and to create nuisance arrests out of the resulting chaos. And I am in no way exaggerating for the benefit of the movement. In LA we've documented snatches from behind to provoke an arrestable response; a cop LIED and arrested one of our own in Chicago a few days ago and the NLG observer who was presented confirmed the cop was lying; two cops lied under oath recently in NYC and livestream footage proved them liars, cases were thrown out...

But to the point, if you are being entrusted with a lethal weapon, you -must- be trained to keep your cool regardless.

Note that a kid who lead cops in LA on a high-speed chase recently ate 90+ bullets as a result. Too many cops are in it for the adrenaline, for the feeling of being tougher than someone else and being able to be unaccountable for it. I've met a few decent cops and I honor them, but they are the howling exception.

[Logical]

5. Cops have NO WORRY about making fatal mistakes. None. That is the issue. n-t

[Fire Walk With Me]

7. Yeah :(

[rhett o rick]

6. The police work for the 1%. It is imperative that they destroy this movement.

One might understand them fighting back. But they are hurting people that are clearly peaceful, especially people after they are cuffed and thrown in buses or cells. Nerve damage to hands from too tight of restraints, left in cells to sit in their own waste, broken ribs and fingers from rough treatment. They are not following the Geneva Convention.

There are mean bastards working for the 1%.

[Logical]

14. True!

[marasinghe]

8. there was a time when the duty of lawmen was to protect the oppressed & the innocent.

that appears to have morphed into preserving the profits of the privileged.
old-time Texas Rangers took pride in being true to their motto:\
"one riot, one Ranger".
present-day cops appear to be going with the Romney school of bullying:
"one protester, one pistol-packing pig".

[midnight]

9. K&R

[loyalsister]

10. Certainly the police should keep their cool

So should protestors. If the protestors are not mature enough to know how to avoid altercations, they shouldn't be there. If they are there and they do engage- it's on them.
Bad actors among the good do a disservice. What's with the blind loyalty to the people who do damage to the cause?

[Logical]

11. No blind loyalty here. But the police should be at a higher standard than random citizens.

[loyalsister]

12. I think police should not be elevated another notch

They are one of us with a uniform and a job with some authority. To elevate their standards of conduct and lower those of the average citizen places them on higher ground. They have enough power\authority without being classified as civilized individuals watching over barbarians.

[Logical]

13. Great point! n-t