Charlottesville

[bae]

Can you point out the antifa side's weapons? I admit I'm getting old so perhaps my vision isn't what it once was, but I'm only seeing some fashionable shields on that side.

We cannot see the hands of the fashion-oriented side in that photo. Other photos from the incident show pepper spray and other things being shot past similar shields, so I would not assume their hands are empty.

Furthermore, the shields themselves are quite lethal weapons. I study HEMA, and in almost every shield+weapon system the shield is not a passive protective device, but is used as a *very* effective impact weapon. The edge of the shield is particularly troublesome.

Any thoughts on the body language displayed by the onlookers and the participants themselves?

[Alan]

Any thoughts on the body language displayed by the onlookers and the participants themselves?

Street Theater before an adoring crowd.

[Williamsmith]

Street Theater before an adoring crowd.

"This is going to get me to 100K followers on my YouTube channel !"

[bae]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...g-several.html

Looks like we have liftoff....

[ToomuchStuff]

Isn't violence a form of hate? Should we push for this to be investigated/prosecuted as a hate crime?

[LDAHL]

Street Theater before an adoring crowd.

They do seem to be expressing their support for universal brotherhood through a sort of malign performance art. Mad Max costumery and expressionist dance in the service of whichever anarcho-nihilist or neomarxist ideology they think they're serving.

Much more stylish than the Army Surplus/Offensive Lineman couture of the similar idiots they like to think of as their opposites.

[Tybee]

What is the significance of the animals on the signs?

[LDAHL]

Isn't violence a form of hate? Should we push for this to be investigated/prosecuted as a hate crime?

Why not as run-of-the-mill criminal assault? Otherwise we get into and endless loop of "I hate those haters for hating, therefore I will hit those hateful haters hatefully".

I think we should prosecute the act and not the motivation behind it. Otherwise we're in the position of criminalizing thought.

[ToomuchStuff]

I think we should prosecute the act and not the motivation behind it. Otherwise we're in the position of criminalizing thought.

We already do criminalize thought. Hence hate crime laws. Murder is murder, but if someone is killed because of their protected religion or "race" (instead of human), it can and does get prosecuted as a "hate" crime.

[Alan]

We already do criminalize thought. Hence hate crime laws. Murder is murder, but if someone is killed because of their protected religion or "race" (instead of human), it can and does get prosecuted as a "hate" crime.

Hate crime legislation is absolutely a form of thought crime prosecution, and anyone who objects is either a racist or homophobe or some other popular label. It's the slipperiest of slopes.