Protestors shut down I-93 near Boston

[SidS1045]

Some more details have emerged:

29 people were arrested at the two protest sites, Milton (northbound) and Medford (southbound).  Two others were arrested as they tried to return one of the rental trucks.  Many of them wore adult diapers, apparently expecting to stay where they were for an extended time.

All were arraigned, pled "not guilty" and were released on their own recognizance.  Charges included trespass, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and conspiracy.

And it wasn't just the ambulance carrying the crash victim from Easton that was affected.  From The Boston Globe online edition:  "Peter Racicot, senior vice president for Fallon Ambulance, said the shutdown slowed responses across Greater Boston, affecting as many as 100 ambulances. "This incident has caused havoc for public safety,'' he said."

[massroadpatriot]

Hey! It worked...


We're all talking about it. Aren't we?

[Duke87]

I see the protesters have successfully taken a bunch of suburbanites who are ignorant of problems faced by inner city communities and shown them the harsh reality of other suburbanites who are equally ignorant of those problems but sure are willing to rant about them. Great job.

[ZLoth]

There was a similar situation in San Francisco in November where a group of 14 "Black Lives Matter" protesters had halted BART service for three hours in November by chaining themselves to a train at the West Oakland BART station. The kicker? From a January 11th article:

The demonstrators demanded criminal charges and $70,000 in restitution be dropped against the so-called Black Friday 14.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

[SP Cook]

When people interfere with the transportation infrastructure, you give them to the count of 10 and then you resume use of the transportation infrastructure.

[qguy]

Hey! It worked...

We're all talking about it. Aren't we?

No, we're not. Everyone's talking about the protest, not the thing the protesters were protesting about. Protests like this don't stimulate healthy public conversation about the perceived original injustice. They only spark heated debate about the protest. If that's what passes for intelligent public discourse on the topic being protested, then no, protests like this don't work.

Fail.

[PHLBOS]

They had that little girl protest on the highway? Oh god. 

If you're referring to that photo in NE2's facetious post; it's worth noting that what he posted is not from the actual incident. 

The ages of the 29 arrested protesters ranged from 24 to 34 (the Boston Herald's website had a link listing the names & ages of the protesters but got buried or deleted).  So, no, there were no little girls blocking I-93.

Given the nature of the protest; if one looks through the photos & news footage showing the protesters, one irony stands out... not one of them was black.

[ne11931]

The general consensus is these were " Occupy Boston" people,loser anarchists who latch on to the latest anti-government movement. Three Mass state legislators filed bills today to increase fines and jail time for this type of offense. What happened to the use of fire hoses for crowd control of idiots like this? Is that now considered inhumane?

[Zeffy]

What happened to the use of fire hoses for crowd control of idiots like this? Is that now considered inhumane?

I'm pretty sure it reminds people of a certain race about a time where they had very limited rights.

[vdeane]

More missteps from the well-meaning but tactically misguided activist community.

So, uh, what do these "activists" do to earn a paycheck and pay the rent?

Hmph.... thought so....

Ever hear of personal days?

[Pete from Boston]

The general consensus is these were " Occupy Boston" people,loser anarchists who latch on to the latest anti-government movement. Three Mass state legislators filed bills today to increase fines and jail time for this type of offense. What happened to the use of fire hoses for crowd control of idiots like this? Is that now considered inhumane?

Hosing people is how you disperse a violent mob.  It's "non-lethal" aggression against aggressors.

Hosing someone who has, right or wrong, made themselves stuck, is totally pointless, and yes, inhumane.

Hosing someone on a sub-freezing day who is stuck should get you brought up on charges.

[ajlynch91]

I don't understand how people can have so little to do in their lives that they have enough free time to protest. These people are what give millennials such a horrible reputation. Many of us work hard, pay our loans off, and don't cry about unfair the world is all the time. If on the off chance I happen to agree with one of these morons about a particular issue (not this one), then I'm branded as an unemployed slacker. It drives me crazy.

/minirant

[jeffandnicole]

The general consensus is these were " Occupy Boston" people,loser anarchists who latch on to the latest anti-government movement. Three Mass state legislators filed bills today to increase fines and jail time for this type of offense. What happened to the use of fire hoses for crowd control of idiots like this? Is that now considered inhumane?

Hosing people is how you disperse a violent mob.  It's "non-lethal" aggression against aggressors.

Hosing someone who has, right or wrong, made themselves stuck, is totally pointless, and yes, inhumane.

Hosing someone on a sub-freezing day who is stuck should get you brought up on charges.

Not to mention hosing people on a roadway on a freezing day means the road becomes icy, prohibiting traffic from using it even longer.

[ctsignguy]

I could see a 'Law and Order" episode from this where the critical patient does pass because of the delay....

The protest leaders and their lawyers are astonished when they see Jack McCoy.,...and when he advises them that they wont be facing charges regarding public disorder, but instead he is filing negligent homicide charges against them because of that patient who died because the ambulance couldnt get to the hospital in time to save a life, the looks of horror on their faces....

You are responsible for your actions and their consequences, even the unintended consequences...

Any word if that patient is alright?

[vdeane]

and don't cry about unfair the world is all the time.

We aren't going to make the world fair by being silent about how unfair it is.

[oscar]

and don't cry about unfair the world is all the time.

We aren't going to make the world fair by being silent about how unfair it is.

But blocking traffic is a poor way to overcome silence.

Especially on freeways, most of which have convenient overpasses on which to place banners and have a crowd wave signs, which can get travelers' attention during normally-slow rush-hour traffic (at the very least, to give them something different to look at besides the taillights in front of them).

I still remember a banner long ago on an overpass for NB I-395 in D.C., showing an odometer in the process of changing from IRAQ to IRAN.  Bonus points for cleverness, and also for looking ahead to the next war while we were still extricating ourselves from the old one.     

[vdeane]

I can't think of a good way to really get and keep people's attention.  Most of the time people will see a protest, think about it for a couple seconds, then forget it.  The reason is that most people don't care to think about how unfair the world is.

[Pete from Boston]

I can't think of a good way to really get and keep people's attention.  Most of the time people will see a protest, think about it for a couple seconds, then forget it.  The reason is that most people don't care to think about how unfair the world is.

Most people's attention is consumed with their own obstacles.  It is a particularly demanding contortion of consciousness for people to get out of their headspace and know how much of the rest of the world's problems to take on.  We're the only animal that attempts to subvert our programming for survival by prioritizing others' needs on a large scale.  The upshot of this is that usually this is not what happens.  Sucks, but this is who we are.

That said, people could use help getting to the point of at least considering how they can help others' situations, but "No more victims anywhere" bumper stickers and concrete barrels on the Southeast Expressway just aren't shrewd strategies for accomplishing this.

[ne11931]

Boston City worker fired after protest.

From the Boston Herald-


Mayor Martin J. Walsh has fired a 25-year-old city youth worker after learning the Roxbury woman was among 11 protesters who chained themselves to 1,200-pound, concrete-filled barrels in Milton on Thursday, snarling morning rush-hour traffic and stalling at least two ambulances, the Herald has learned.

"As mayor, you have to make tough, difficult decisions. This is not a difficult decision,"  Walsh said. "This was not based on the fact of this woman protesting. It was based on the fact of putting the public safety of other people at risk."



Story and video of reporters attempting to talk to protesters at their homes, they complain about being bothered-

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/01/marty_walsh_sacks_city_worker_for_role_in_barrel_sit_in_citing

[spooky]

I could see a 'Law and Order" episode from this where the critical patient does pass because of the delay....

I couldn't, since Law & Order was cancelled four years ago.

[mrsman]

I could see a 'Law and Order" episode from this where the critical patient does pass because of the delay....

I couldn't, since Law & Order was cancelled four years ago.

But SVU is still on the air, so as long as they could also  tie in rape or something in the storyline, who knows?

[PHLBOS]

I could see a 'Law and Order" episode from this where the critical patient does pass because of the delay....

I couldn't, since Law & Order was cancelled four years ago.

But SVU is still on the air, so as long as they could also  tie in rape or something in the storyline, who knows?

Is Law & Order - Criminal Intent still on the air?  That show would be more appropriate to have an episode modeled after a protest group blocking an active highway.

[Pete from Boston]

I could see a 'Law and Order" episode from this where the critical patient does pass because of the delay....

I couldn't, since Law & Order was cancelled four years ago.

But SVU is still on the air, so as long as they could also  tie in rape or something in the storyline, who knows?

Is Law & Order - Criminal Intent still on the air?  That show would be more appropriate to have an episode modeled after a protest group blocking an active highway.

Criminal Intent deals more with sociopaths with weird MOs, no?  These folks are not as interesting as all that.

[bandit957]

Then why is it OK for the Tea Party to block roads (as they have done)?

[bandit957]

Boston City worker fired after protest.

From the Boston Herald-


Mayor Martin J. Walsh has fired a 25-year-old city youth worker after learning the Roxbury woman was among 11 protesters who chained themselves to 1,200-pound, concrete-filled barrels in Milton on Thursday, snarling morning rush-hour traffic and stalling at least two ambulances, the Herald has learned.

"As mayor, you have to make tough, difficult decisions. This is not a difficult decision,"  Walsh said. "This was not based on the fact of this woman protesting. It was based on the fact of putting the public safety of other people at risk."

I guess Walsh hates free speech. What a disappointment.