I've never been a huge fan of the Italian police

[Protocosmo]

Check this out. A protester kissed a riot policeman's face shield. Now the police want to charge her with sexual assault. I wonder what the officer in the picture thinks of the matter.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... sault.html

 

[Protocosmo]

Oh yeah, my opinion on this. It's clearly a retaliatory act against an uppity citizen on the part of the police. It has nothing to do with sexual assault.

 

[LaceyRoyce]

... let me just say a few things. I'm no stranger to protests. I've seen the police do HORRIBLE things to my friends and myself. I've seen them break bones. My mother still talks about watching the police smash someone's head she knew into the gutter during apartheid protests in New Zealand... when they were trying to stop the south african rugby team from playing. I have seen a photo she took and the gutters were quite literally running with blood. I'm NO fan of the police.

I was trained in non-violent civil disobedience.. and have done my fare share of it, been thrown in jail briefly a few times, and when I came to this country I was made to jump through more hoops because of it. I also know the italian police have a terrible reputation and I'm not condoning their acts.

However:

Miss De Chiffre has also done her bit to spoil the photo's apparent message of non-violence, claiming she was trying to provoke the officer into reacting.
"No peace message," she wrote on Facebook. "I would hang all these disgusting pigs upside down."
Miss De Chiffre told Italian daily La Repubblica she was incensed because riot police had recently beaten a fellow protester.
"I saw this young man in his uniform and I felt pity and disgust," she said. Taking advantage of the officer's orders not to react, De Chiffre said she also licked his helmet's visor and touched her fingers to his lips.
Mr Maccari said Miss De Chiffre's motivation meant calls for prosecution were justified. "This was hardly a peace gesture, more a provocation," he said.
"A kiss is a positive thing, but in this context, between these two people, it was just disrespect."


Did you read that? She didn't just KISS his helmet, she LICKED it and touched his lips. If a cop did that to me, while i was protesting in a situation where I was trying to hold my ground I would absolutely file charges. So there should really not be much surprise when they react this way?

She said she was trying to provoke a reaction, and she got one.

 

[Protocosmo]

Did you read that? She didn't just KISS his helmet, she LICKED it and touched his lips. If a cop did that to me, while i was protesting in a situation where I was trying to hold my ground I would absolutely file charges. So there should really not be much surprise when they react this way?

She said she was trying to provoke a reaction, and she got one.

Sure, but it's the Police Union, not the policeman that's filing the charges. Charges which can result in a ten year prison term.

 

[JoleneBrody]

She assaulted him. She admitted to it and she should NOT get away with it.

With her confession and further information in the article I don't see how this can even be a discussion. It is what it is, she assaulted him.

 

[KayleePond]

Yeah it's like some twisted "If he didn't want it, he shouldn't have dressed that way" situation.

Looking at his face makes me so uncomfortable. If someone was in my space like that and touching me in that way, with me not able to move away or defend myself, I would feel so incredibly violated.

Sometimes I wonder if people do things like this in protests just to look cool.

 

[Protocosmo]

Yeah it's like some twisted "If he didn't want it, he shouldn't have dressed that way" situation.

Looking at his face makes me so uncomfortable. If someone was in my space like that and touching me in that way, with me not able to move away or defend myself, I would feel so incredibly violated.

Sometimes I wonder if people do things like this in protests just to look cool.

It is pretty twisted! Which is why I'm having trouble forming a coherent opinion on this.

 

[LaceyRoyce]

Did you read that? She didn't just KISS his helmet, she LICKED it and touched his lips. If a cop did that to me, while i was protesting in a situation where I was trying to hold my ground I would absolutely file charges. So there should really not be much surprise when they react this way?

She said she was trying to provoke a reaction, and she got one.

Sure, but it's the Police Union, not the policeman that's filing the charges. Charges which can result in a ten year prison term.

everytime we participated in protests, we were briefed on what the plan was, and WHAT the potential worst case legal ramifications for us were. What to do if we got arrested. Who to call, etc. How to minimize any legal ramifications.

Specifically as a result of this, I decided to do the most illegal things (tying myself to buildings, scaling the american embassy fence etc) when i knew that my record would be wiped after i turned 18. As soon as I turned 18 I scaled down my civil-disobedience and worked more through legal means because I knew i would be trying to move to the US soon and did not need to be blacklisted.

my point? I'm pretty sure she knew the consequences.

10 years is a very harsh sentence. And I would feel more comfortable if the police officer himself was the one pressing charges.. and it would be really interesting to hear from him.. however ...

I never got outraged or angry when I was arrested, as long as no one hurt me etc. because i knew that what i was doing was illegal and could result in these things.

Nor did i get outraged when I had to do community service - i knew that was a likely outcome.
If i had been sent to juvvie.. which was the worst case scenario..again.. it would have sucked but I knew that my choices could result in that.

I don't really understand what the outrage is? She intentionally assaulted an officer, and in her country - known for its harsh sentences.. she faces up to 10 yrs if convicted.

 

[LaceyRoyce]

Yeah it's like some twisted "If he didn't want it, he shouldn't have dressed that way" situation.

Looking at his face makes me so uncomfortable. If someone was in my space like that and touching me in that way, with me not able to move away or defend myself, I would feel so incredibly violated.

Sometimes I wonder if people do things like this in protests just to look cool.

When I was reallllllly new to it (like 14) i stole a police officers hat from his head and taunted him with it. I was promptly pulled down off the wall i was walking on by one of the leaders of the group, and told to give it back or gtfo.

I think its very easy to get into a mob mentality, if you don't have good leadership in these situations. You're angry or you wouldn't be there. The police are there, and they're like putting a face on it.. the ones facing you down... even tho usually the people you're really mad at are behind police lines.

It's easy to want to take it out on the police and its easy to want to show off. I'm LUCKY the group i was involved in taught me differently because at 14.. i was clearly... a bit of an idiot.

 

[Protocosmo]

I don't really understand what the outrage is? She intentionally assaulted an officer, and in her country - known for its harsh sentences.. she faces up to 10 yrs if convicted.

Maybe I'd have less of a problem with it if she were arrested right there on the spot rather than some time after when pictures of the incident got press.

 

[LaceyRoyce]

I don't really understand what the outrage is? She intentionally assaulted an officer, and in her country - known for its harsh sentences.. she faces up to 10 yrs if convicted.

Maybe I'd have less of a problem with it if she were arrested right there on the spot rather than some time after when pictures of the incident got press.

I can understand that. Like i said, id love to hear from the officer himself.

 

[Bocefish]

It's pretty much a given that when you voluntarily initiate hostile contact in any way whatsoever with a LEO... you can be charged with assault. Anything more than a one night stay or possibly two in the graybar hotel is probably unwarranted for what she did. However, from what little I've seen of the Italian justice system during the Amanda Knox trial, I wouldn't rule any type of sentencing out.

:twocents-02cents:

 

[Teagan]

It's pretty much a given that when you voluntarily initiate hostile contact in any way whatsoever with a LEO... you can be charged with assault. Anything more than a one night stay or possibly two in the graybar hotel is probably unwarranted for what she did. However, from what little I've seen of the Italian justice system during the Amanda Knox trial, I wouldn't rule any type of sentencing out.

:twocents-02cents:

At least they have actual proof this time.

 

[RedneckHick]

I'm not sure the full orders the police force had to follow and the specific conduct they had to adhere to, however, in my experience of dealing in riots and rioters :shock: Miss_Lollipop , there would have been no hesitation in detaining the individual the second that any physical touch took place.

As for the sexual assault, the facts are clear. She made gestures and unwanted physical contact that were sexual in nature. When you reverse the roles, it's easier to identify with the officer.

 

[LaceyRoyce]

I'm not sure the full orders the police force had to follow and the specific conduct they had to adhere to, however, in my experience of dealing in riots and rioters :shock: Miss_Lollipop , there would have been no hesitation in detaining the individual the second that any physical touch took place.

As for the sexual assault, the facts are clear. She made gestures and unwanted physical contact that were sexual in nature. When you reverse the roles, it's easier to identify with the officer.

wait you're calling me a rioter?? LOL
I was a non violent protester. I never rioted...