General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Florida Cop Arrested For Wearing ‘Anonymous’ Mask Warns ‘There’s A War Coming’ [View all]MADem
(135,425 posts)I didn't wear a mask though--and neither did you. Those things weren't in fashion four+ decades ago.
Though those days were turbulent they had a very different vibe than today. Demonstrations today aren't the same as back then--there was much more marching (no wonder people were thinner). Sit ins were one thing, but people didn't do as much "standing around protesting" as they do now.
This circumstance is a more difficult prospect for LE, particularly with the rise of incidents we as a nation are reluctant to call terrorism, but instead refer to as "bombings." LE is alert to these sorts of things, as they should be.
Bottom line: The cop was within her rights to ask for Guy Fawkes to identify himself. Like it or not, stop and frisk IS the law in FL. Under that alone she had room to maneuver, and the masked protester, as a cop, should have known that and not even pushed that button. The fact that he didn't know the law, or didn't care, suggests that he doesn't belong on the police force.