Bomb Plot Against NATO Summit

[Sidewinder]

Why are these people protesting against NATO? Is it for a left-winger's "NATO draws the US into imperialistic adventures, like Iraq! It is evil!" (never mind the fact the US has practical leadership of NATO, by virtue of it having the strongest military)? Or for a right-winger's "NATO is weakening the US- the Europeans are bloodsucking parasites, stealing resources the US needs to defend itself!"? Or do the protesters come from both ends of the political spectrum?

Is it frustration over the other members "not pulling their weight" in Afghanistan? Is NATO simply a convenient scapegoat for the war in Iraq? Fears that Eurabia will rise and, by exploiting intelligence and materiel the US provided to NATO, attempt to destroy America?

[fordlltwm]

Or possibly Military = Gov Expenditure = Higher taxes or worse services ∴ Occupy NATO?

Is that a likely thought process?

[TC Pilot]

They're weren't neccesarily protesting NATO specifically. Until very recently, the G8 summit was going to be in Chicago back-to-back with NATO, until it got switched within the last few weeks to Camp David. Most protestors had already made plans for Chicago, plus you can't really protest at Camp David, so they went anyway.

The protest that ended in the major police confrontation at Michigan-Cermak, for instance, was just a broader anti-war rally, with veterans taking turns talking and throwing away their medals.

Others were just there to air completely unrelated grievances. Unemployment, gay rights, that sort of thing.

[Broomstick]

You forgot teacher's pay, nurses and healthcare, and a dozen other cause that got thrown into the pot.

There is a certain contingent in the US that protests NATO for the same reason they protest the UN and stationing our military overseas - they're completely opposed to US involvement in foreign affairs. The rest? I dunno. Probably a half dozen reasons from communist opposition to capitalistic nations to anti-war protesters to anarchists and others.

[TC Pilot]

Just to add to something you said earlier about the protests being the "peaceful" spots in Chicago, over the holiday weekend there were 40 shootings and 10 homicides.

So, about as many violent crimes as there were arrests at NATO.

[Raw Shark]

OK... why couldn't they drive that remaining block to the gas station? Were they also irresponsible tools and ran out of gas entirely in addition to being dumb fucks who use improper gas containers and think the police calling them out on breaking the law is harassment?

Yeah, I can see that now, since MOST people who buy gas to go at the local service station aren't so fucking stupid as to use an old ice tea container, they use an actual gas can because they aren't dumbfucks and don't want fucked up gas in their vehicles.

Sorry, bro. Not everyone carries a fucking gallon jug "proper" gas container just in case they run out of gas. Not everyone has a choice between using a previously used tea container and pushing the fucking car to the station, especially if they're tired or whatever. Not everyone is a goddamned chemistry major who has to check the chemical reaction of tea and plastic with gasoline for a few minutes. When you're fucking desperate for gas and has no options, you aren't going to argue over the semantics of "is it legallll" with your friends when the alternative is lugging that heavy-ass vehicle to the station. Have you pushed a car before? Even in the snow while someone tried to get it out of the slush and mud?

Not to dogpile, but on a general safety note for everybody reading: Every gas station that I have ever worked at (3) or approached for gas to go without an approved container (too many to count, with dumbass passengers who get in my cab after running dry) has an approved container on hand to loan out, usually for a fully-refundable deposit equal to the retail value of the can ($4.99 at the last place I worked). You don't have to buy and carry an approved container, push the car, or put the gas in something like a tea bottle that you might drop and break or otherwise fuck up the environment, create a fire hazard, etc by using.

[PeZook]

Gas stations where I live are also plastered with warnings about using improper gasoline containers,because it's a public safety hazard/liability issue. Really, it's not unreasonable at all for the police to think a guy carrying gasoline in an ice tea bottle is up to something fishy.

EDIT: Oh, I see it was addressed already. Nevermind.

[The Cooler King]

Gas stations where I live are also plastered with warnings about using improper gasoline containers,because it's a public safety hazard/liability issue. Really, it's not unreasonable at all for the police to think a guy carrying gasoline in an ice tea bottle is up to something fishy.

EDIT: Oh, I see it was addressed already. Nevermind.

Not to mention how such canisters can be used. Years ago, when I was working as a cab dispatcher, there were a pair of bank robberies a month apart (same bank, same branch, same damn bank robber). In the first, he merely implied he had a weapon. In the second (which I ended up having to testify against him for, because of his use of our cab services to try and get away), he went to a local gas station, pumped some gas into a plastic Lipton tea bottle (before being told to leave by the station attendant), and sprayed said gasoline on the bank tellers, telling them he would light them on fire if they resisted.

[Akhlut]

Gas stations where I live are also plastered with warnings about using improper gasoline containers,because it's a public safety hazard/liability issue. Really, it's not unreasonable at all for the police to think a guy carrying gasoline in an ice tea bottle is up to something fishy.

Generally in the US, the "something fishy" is huffing gasoline if it's not in an approved container.

[Block]

Gas stations where I live are also plastered with warnings about using improper gasoline containers,because it's a public safety hazard/liability issue. Really, it's not unreasonable at all for the police to think a guy carrying gasoline in an ice tea bottle is up to something fishy.

Generally in the US, the "something fishy" is huffing gasoline if it's not in an approved container.

Also illegal and arrestable.