Yes, that actually would change things for me.
I figured it might.
If they are off duty "official police" then I'd call for them to be fired from their job as well as prosecuted for assault.
I also figured that that might be the case as well.
Clearly they need to be prosecuted - afterall, the level of violence that they exerted (tapping and touching cameras) was certainly at least comparable to - if not wildly exceeding - the Rodney King beatings ..... right ?
In fact, at least three of security guards on the tape are off-duty cops. I have no idea whether any of the others were as well - but it sure wouldn't surprise me - given the inclination for event organizers to hire such.
My evidence for this follows, along with some explanation of the events - so that one might see that what is
claimed isn't always what actually took place:
During the first Inquisition, near the beginning of the tape (starting at 00:50) there is a crawl run across the bottom of the screen stating that the camera person has been "forced" to stop taping (as though someone reached out and actually took the camera persons hand and hit the "STOP" button - which doesn't appear to be the case) This occurs shortly after the camera person has been instructed by Qureshi:
"If they tell you to stop taping, then stop taping ...."
Ignoring that instruction - and the
pleas from the security person to stop taping (who is off-camera, but can be heard), the camera person continues to tape - and surprise ! - apparently a security person attempts to enforce what the cameraperson didn't have enough self-control to do - stop the taping by blocking the front of the camera ..... so that any footage acquired would be essentially useless (but leave it to the good boys and girls at Acts17 Apologetics to come up with a way to twist that into something other than what it probably was ....)
It is
claimed that the security person that did this
"grabbed the front of the camera and pulled it down" and
"hit the LCD" - while that very well could be true, there isn't anything in the edited footage to indicate that it did indeed happen - nor is there any other footage from another camera showing it - and you better believe that had there been such footage, it would have been used to show exactly what happened - it would have made for a perfect edit (cutting to the footage showing a person actually grabbing the camera and hitting the LCD) and would have fit right in with the agenda of those who were clearly interested in stirring up trouble at this event.
If you listen -
very very carefully - to the video when Qureshi is walking up to the three security guards (around 01:08) you can hear a couple of things that the camera's mic picked up:
The first thing is right after he asks them if they are security (something one would think would be blatantly obvious - given the fact that they were all wearing shirts with the word "SECURITY" on the front .... but given the state of
some people's inability to observe the obvious I suppose it is not surprising)
Not to be too stereotypical or anything, but most folks that have viewed the video have probably noticed that these three gentleman
did not look like what one would typically think of as "Arab" or "Middle Eastern" ... reason for that is:
they probably aren't ....
The thing that Qureshi says immediately after asking them if they are Security and receiving a reply from one (at 01:11 or thereabouts), is very, very interesting though - listen carefully - Quershi asks:
"You're policemen ?"
The reason I bring this up, is that if Security (some or all) are in fact off-duty cops that have been hired to provide security for this event, it might cast things in a somewhat different light (for some at least) ...... at that point it isn't just a "mob" of Arab/Middle Easterners/Muslims - it may well be a bunch of off-duty cops, who I would venture to guess are used to being obeyed and complied with, when they give an order to folks that seem quite intent on creating a public disturbance.
Another indication that these are in fact off-duty policemen comes slightly later in the tape (around 01:25) - where Qureshi says
"We talked to the police earlier ..." and then adds, as an afterthought, without skipping a beat:
".... not you guys .... we talked to police in uniforms" - meaning of course, actual on-duty officers.
During the questioning of the anglo security guard in the blue shirt, where Qureshi is asking if they can
"go and ask questions" (which wasn't what they were doing at all) and
"videotape" you can hear one of the security guards, who is not in the frame and off-camera say (at 01:32), in reply:
"Not if you are going to agitate ...."
Immediately after that statement on the part of the police officer, Qureshi looks down at the ground, averting his eyes from the gaze of the officer that he speaking to, all while trying to maintain that no, he isn't going to agitate ....
shyeah, right ..... .... too funny ....
In this case, a picture is truly worth a thousand words .....
Despite that admonition, Qureshi et al continue with their activities - which are designed to do precisely that -
agitate and stir up trouble where none exists, at what I would gather is largely a peaceful public event, which is attended by folks of all races and religions.
To understand the context in which all this is occurring, one should understand that there was apparently one Christian group who wanted to pass out literature at this event -
and was barred by order of a Federal Court from doing so. They were allowed to pass out their literature, but they were assigned to a segregated space, next to but apart from the actual festival apparently.
Evidently that wasn't good enough ..... and they tried to come up with a way to get around what they were prohibited
by Federal Court order from doing ..... by going into the festival and attempting to do
on-camera street trials of people in regards to their religious beliefs ..... and yes, you're right - that certainly should be enough to make anyone puke .....
In fact, it is my understanding there is apparently another video (there are a number of Acts17 videos relating to this event out there - at least 5 I think - which contain somewhat different footage) in which Mr. Qureshi's associate .... a Mr. Woods I think it is .... is apparently shown with some of the literature that they were barred from passing out. One wonders exactly why Mr. Woods would have that in his possession, at the festival, in light of the Federal Court order.
And one wonders how things might have gotten to a such state where a Federal Court order was sought to bar some group from this festival .....
I don't know the entire history surrounding this event and what has occurred in the past, but based on what I have seen thus far, it is not a far stretch to consider the possibility that perhaps during past events Qureshi, or those of his ilk, not being content with just being able to pass out literature from a booth, engaged in actions which were potentially disruptive - such as going to other's booths and arguing and agitating.
The event is designed to be a celebration of a culture. All cultures have their flaws, as well as their redeeming values ....
It's only when
rabid fanatics - such as those producing this video -
who will often stop at nothing to enforce their belief system on others - show up that things usually start to turn ugly.
What makes the society in which these individuals exist
civilized is something that escapes them entirely - the rights of others, beyond themselves, just isn't anywhere on their radar screen .....
Of course, Boobus americanus sees such things as just fine and dandy ..... afterall, it is their
"right" ..... yeeaah .....
