Its tough to be a protester in Canada

April 22, 2001 7:26 PM

Its tough to be a protester in Canada when the cops are taking aim at your crotch with laser sights.
posted by Brilliantcrank (8 comments total)

If I'm going to take a rubber bullet, I want the shooter to be aiming for the legs, which is what I think they're doing.

Probably. Though I suppose the cops might be thinking that the threat of a rubber bullet in the nuts is one way to send a strong message to the protesters coming after him.
posted by pracowity at 11:10 PM on April 22, 2001

Looks more like the cop is toting a light sabre.
posted by bradlands at 11:14 PM on April 22, 2001

I thought the same thing Brad.

I was also reminded of the movie The Great White Hype. There is a scene where guards are aiming weapons with laser sights at Jamie Foxx and he doesn't seem to care until they end up at his crotch.
posted by john at 11:29 PM on April 22, 2001

I was somewhat distressed to hear an NPR reporter interviewing a protestor who complained that the police were being excessively brutal... the reporter then narrated as protestors swarmed a fence and clubbed a police officer to the ground. It works both ways.

As for the photo, that looks like something starnge was happening with the exposure.
posted by Ravagin at 3:38 AM on April 23, 2001

Ah, CrayDrygu, mayhaps the high amounts of tear gas and smoke in the air had something to do with it....
posted by Ravagin at 3:39 AM on April 23, 2001

"I see your schwartz is as big as mine..."

sorry...
posted by Avogadro at 7:07 AM on April 23, 2001

May the force be with you....
posted by Postroad at 5:46 PM on April 23, 2001

That picture looks like it was taken in near dark (hence the graininess of what appears to be a video capture). When the overall scene was exposed correctly, the brightest thing in it glowed with an infernal light. Our eyes support a much wider dynamic range than film or especially video, so it's possible it would be rather dim to our eyes but bright to the camera. I wouldn't entirely rule out some doctoring, but it doesn't seem likely to me.
posted by kindall at 8:39 PM on April 23, 2001