PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Steelers Victory Party
by helmet head Monday, Feb. 06, 2006 at 4:36 PM

What if?

Just read in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about how in the Oakland section of our city happy Steeler fans turned over two cars, broke windows, set fires (all small) and turned over trash cans and newspaper boxes.

No big deal. All in good fun. Hey, I got no sympathy for cars. The P-G article describing these activities is entitled, “Jubilant Steelers fans pour out into the cold night.”

Shoot, why the Pittsburgh police even allowed the revelers to dance on one overturned car for twenty minutes!

But what if all this had been an anti-war protest or an anti-military recruitment deal? I recall that the media was angered back in 2003 when on that Super Sunday during a breakaway march from a big anti-war demo, one – repeat one window got broke over at the Marine recruitment center. Some radio jock offered $500 to the person who would turn over the one window-breaking culprit.

On March 20, 2003, the police arrested 122 anti-war demonstrators after one – repeat one newspaper box got set on its side over by Grant Street. The headline for that story in the P-G was, “Pittsburgh protest turns ugly.”

More recently at an anti-recruitment demo dogs and tasers were used on protestors who had not broken a thing – not one thing.

Can you imagine what would happen if anti-war/anti-recruitment demonstrators turned over a car or two? Would they get to dance on the car? Would they be allowed to pose by the overturned car for a photo shoot?

What would happen if anti-war marchers broke a few windows as they marched chanting their slogans? What if these same protestors shouted for more windows to get smashed, like the happy celebrants of the Steeler victory did?

Oh yea, what if everybody who came to a big anti-war demo was drunk off their ass? Cool, but how would the authorities respond to that?

Oh well. Hope that this observation does not violate some norm or code. Hope it does not rain on any Steeler pride celebrations because that is not the intent.

I don’t know but does it seem like there might be some sort of double standard? Just asking.

Oh yea, the Steelers are GREAT! Great team. Great team spirit.

uh huh
by etta Tuesday, Feb. 07, 2006 at 10:53 PM

for real, we should keep those articles around, so when
we march again we can easily demonstrate the media
bias.

my rental car was surrounded by happy drunks who
pounded on the windows.

i did hear the cops were beating people up in the southside
tho. i dont know if thats true.

she's right..
by bv Thursday, Feb. 09, 2006 at 8:42 AM

does someone have the link to that PG article? We should all print it out and have it on us at protests, rallies etc. to remind the media of their hypocrisy.

i support the sentiment
by @ Thursday, Feb. 09, 2006 at 9:34 AM

here is the article
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06037/650897.stm

police
by ...... Monday, Feb. 13, 2006 at 8:31 PM

in small towns like bellingham wa., you can threaten the life and even brutally assault a woman or black man , and the bellingham police dept. will protect the assailant if it is ''white male''. seen it frequently.police state...

Police
by .... Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2006 at 12:57 PM

In big cities like Pittsburgh, you can attack and kill whoever you want, as long as you are a cop. Having a DA with higher political aspirations makes this possible. Stephen Zappalla Jr. would not bring charges against a cop even if the victim was his wife or mother.

I'd like to become a cop
by Peter K Anderson Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2006 at 4:23 PM

How long will it take?

How long?
by Hogtied Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2006 at 5:00 PM

I think you need a criminal justice certifciate, the you have to go to the Police Academy, which seems pretty fun in the movie series of the same name, you also have to be a city resident, unless you are being appointed chief, in which case, Penn Hills is fine.

Becoming a cop
by Peter K Anderson Thursday, Feb. 16, 2006 at 6:15 PM

I know a little about Police Academy from the video game. I'm not sure it's worth all the work. I'd probably be dead before I had a chance to finish the job.