I thought about what I'd've done.  Maybe stand up and walk to the front, say to Mr. Kerry, "Excuse me, but they seem to be arresting that guy for asking questions."

I dunno.  Something.  But yeah, "scary" is the word.

I also thought "Solidarity".  The lack of, and the results of the lack of.

Turns out the guy is a journalist of some kind.  I'm hoping some civil rights lawyer types get onto this.  The video evidence is clear.  The female officer makes her move and he was supposed to walk out, sorta like bouncers escorting you from a club.  "Out on the street you go, sonny!"  But he says, "Are you arresting me?"

I was also reminded of Migeru's question:

"What will it take to radicalise the middle classes?"

(Well, it was along those lines)

I also thought of Kent State back in the sixties (apologies if I've mis-remembered), when they took over the offices, the police hauling people out, but...a taser?  The sound...  And the police following procedure, and feeling that they have obeyed the rules.

HST destroyed a guy's career for behaviour like that--a counter charge, suing for millions of dollars for wrongful arrest, get the police on the back foot...any US lawyers in the house?

And now it reminds me of one of Bernhard's comments a while back:

"The latest thing in Germany is to steal the air from the tires of SUVs and then leave a sticker on the windscreen explaining about environmental damage."

(My paraphrase.)

The point being, "to act or not to act": when they taser a guy for basically banging on too long, that's too late...ach...someone better at expressing themself can hopefully express it better.

Don't fight forces, use them R. Buckminster Fuller.