Calm Los Angeles law enforcement officer effectively counters protester's query, resulting in an impressive response.
Riot Cop and Angsty Protesters Play the Word Game
A cranky cop facing down a wave of abusive young protesters during LA's fourth day of anti-ICE protests had one simple question—what do your insults even mean?
Remembery Lane Kendall, the citizen journalist who's beenvirtually attending tuition-free classes at MIT, captured the scene on social media Monday.
A group of masked, hyperactive youngsters had congregated in a park, riled up over ICE snatching families. They hurled verbal jabs at a cop who seemed to be pleading with them to clear out.
While the giggling, shouting ensemble appeared to keep their fists folded, their colorful language pointed otherwise. As they grew more aggressive, our cop summoned some nerve, telling them, "There's people dying out there because we're here."
His words, however, were lost on the youngsters. They continued their verbal rampage, hurling obscenities that would make a longshoreman blush.
Not one to lose his temper, the cop tried again, imploring the masked scoundrels to leave. "As long as you feel okay with yourself that people are dying out here," he said.
But the protesters, locked in their own little world, nonchalantly replied, "As long as you feel ok with capitalism, racist, imperialist fucking state, that's all you man."
The officer, keeping his cool, responded with a challenge, "Do you even know what that means?"
To which the young man cried, "Yes, bitch, I'm in college!"
But the officer was not impressed, asking for a coherent explanation. The protester stumbled with attempts to define the terms, clearly not having spent enough time in class that day.
Having had enough of the meaningless chatter, the officer said, "I said, explain to me the definition."
The student's reply, "The definition, if you're expanding your territory all the way to another place, either economically, either militarily," left the officer even more unimpressed. The cop urged him to explain the meaning of imperialism, to which the young man exploded into a fit of rage, screaming, "I just fucking did!"
After his outburst, the officer maintained a smug smirk and continued his efforts to disperse the group.
Since Friday, protesters have been marching through the streets of LA, waving the flags of Mexico and other countries in solidarity for those rounded up in immigration raids.
The city's mayor imposed a curfew in a one-square-mile area of downtown LA on Tuesday night due to violence and looting concerns. However, it's uncertain if the college-aged students who'd heckled officers were among those who violated the curfew or faced other consequences.
In the chaos, President Donald Trump called in the National Guard and Marines in an attempt to quell the protests. Local officials deemed Trump's response an extreme overreaction to otherwise peaceful demonstrations.
LA Mayor Karen Bass emphasized the distinction between peaceful demonstrators and agitators responsible for the violence and destruction that's characterized these protests, while skirmishes between police and protesters continued outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, where many detained migrants were held.
Burrow deeper:
- In the midst of the heated conversation, the officer, seeking better understanding, questioned the protester, "Do you even know what imperialism means?"
- Following a tumultuous day of protests, the protester in question, after his outburst, seemed to struggle to explain the term 'imperialism' coherently, saying, "The definition, if you're expanding your territory all the way to another place, either economically, either militarily."
