Who hasn't wanted to body slam a journalist?

[MechAg94]

I hadn't thought of the bodyguard example.  Good point.  This guy was perhaps going a bit beyond that, but not very far.

[makattak]

I hadn't thought of the bodyguard example.  Good point.  This guy was perhaps going a bit beyond that, but not very far.

Did he go beyond that? I've heard some claim this was mostly a soccer style flop. As a Brit, he's likely practiced that every day in grammar school.

[MikeB]

Exactly; and if a bodyguard can go hands-on at that level without a clear threat, why can a public figure not act as their own bodyguard?

I do wonder where it would go if the bodyguard pushes and the fan stays firmly rooted; how far can they escalate without an actual threat before the guards start getting arrested?  One of the aikido instructors I've studied a bit with is a pretty solid guy to start with, and when he's being the uncooperative uke to force someone to find the right way to do a technique, you might as well be trying to push a granite statue around.

Since this is APS and thread veer is required. I've wondered similar to this about protesters blocking an entrance to a public building, place of business, sidewalk, street, etc. Shouldn't I be allowed to move them out of my way or have police immediately move them out of my way if they are blocking public travel? Why do we put up with this behavior? Sure they have a right to peacefully assemble, but that doesn't trump my right to freedom of movement in public or private spaces to which they have no ownership or permit to occupy. If a celebrity or politician was being blocked in many cases police or bodyguards can and will push their way through, shouldn't I have the same rights?

[DittoHead]

I've wondered similar to this about protesters blocking an entrance to a public building, place of business, sidewalk, street, etc. Shouldn't I be allowed to move them out of my way or have police immediately move them out of my way if they are blocking public travel?

Even the ACLU doesn't claim this is legal.

If you endanger others while protesting, you can be arrested. A protest that blocks vehicular or pedestrian traffic is illegal without a permit.
You do not have the right to block a building entrance or physically harass people.

[KD5NRH]

Since this is APS and thread veer is required. I've wondered similar to this about protesters blocking an entrance to a public building, place of business, sidewalk, street, etc. Shouldn't I be allowed to move them out of my way or have police immediately move them out of my way if they are blocking public travel?

Not sure, but I have been told by a deputy that if they're blocking me *into* a place I want to leave, I'm good to go on reasonable force under the circumstances to get out, but that I should also be on the phone to 911 reporting the unlawful detention.

[MikeB]

Even the ACLU doesn't claim this is legal.

Yes, but you rarely see people prosecuted or prevented from doing it. Often police are told to stand down. If someone was to push their way through likely in many places they would in fact be arrested ... or at least that appears to be what would happen in many cases and is the part that I was submitting as a thought experiment on what should be allowed or not.

[dogmush]

A couple states have passed, or are considering, a "you can run over protesters in the highway" law addressing this very issue.

[MechAg94]

Yes, but you rarely see people prosecuted or prevented from doing it. Often police are told to stand down. If someone was to push their way through likely in many places they would in fact be arrested ... or at least that appears to be what would happen in many cases and is the part that I was submitting as a thought experiment on what should be allowed or not.

I think that is due to the fact that protestors often choose the locations of these things in places where the local govt is sympathetic.  As long as you are not excessively violent, I really doubt you would be convicted, but no one wants to put themselves in a position to be prosecuted.

[Ben]

A couple states have passed, or are considering, a "you can run over protesters in the highway" law addressing this very issue.

Which ones? I may have to reconsider where I'm retiring.  

[Ben]

I think that is due to the fact that protestors often choose the locations of these things in places where the local govt is sympathetic.  As long as you are not excessively violent, I really doubt you would be convicted, but no one wants to put themselves in a position to be prosecuted.

Yes. Was it Georgia where the antifas chose poorly and the police removed their masks?

[makattak]

Yes. Was it Georgia where the antifas chose poorly and the police removed their masks?

Alabama. (It was at Auburn, iirc)

[KD5NRH]

As long as you are not excessively violent,

You just suck the fun out of everything.

Psalm 27:2 - proof that God approves of aikido.

[MikeB]

I think that is due to the fact that protestors often choose the locations of these things in places where the local govt is sympathetic.  As long as you are not excessively violent, I really doubt you would be convicted, but no one wants to put themselves in a position to be prosecuted.

This is probably more true than anything else I suppose. Even before I ever really carried a firearm for self defense I studied martial arts. A lesson I learned there carried over. Just because you can win a fight doesn't mean it is wise to engage in it. When carrying a firearm just because you can legally engage in even a nonviolent confrontation doesn't mean it's wise. Even when not carrying a firearm and even when it is or should be legal to engage in a confrontation nonviolent or otherwise; it's better many times not to and not risk losing the right to carry over a possible unjustified conviction if it isn't really a life or death situation.

[RoadKingLarry]

I think that is due to the fact that protestors often choose the locations of these things in places where the local govt is sympathetic.  As long as you are not excessively violent, I really doubt you would be convicted, but no one wants to put themselves in a position to be prosecuted.

It is noteworthy that Tulsa did not have any violent protests after Betty Shelby was acquitted of shooting an unarmed black man.

[MechAg94]

You just suck the fun out of everything.

Psalm 27:2 - proof that God approves of aikido.

I think in a lot of places, you could be violent against protestors and get away with it, but I am not sure I would want to risk my future finding out.

The thing to remember is the protestors don't want to get run over either.  There are youtube videos showing they will get out of the way if they realize you going to keep going forward.  The only one I saw where a guy got run over was because the driver gassed it way too hard and they didn't have time to move.  I don't know if that guy got caught later or not.

[cordex]

Not sure, but I have been told by a deputy that if they're blocking me *into* a place I want to leave, I'm good to go on reasonable force under the circumstances to get out, but that I should also be on the phone to 911 reporting the unlawful detention.

Locally there was a case where a couple of guys got in a verbal altercation in a restaurant.  One of them claims the other guy is doing drugs.  The alleged druggie leaves the building and gets in his car.  Drug Warrior stands behind the car and won't let the guy go.  Alleged Druggie backs out anyway giving Drug Warrior a love tap on his shins.  Drug Warrior boots through the driver's window and hauls Alleged Druggie out of the car and proceeds to work him over.  As the cops pull up, Alleged Druggie has gotten back into his car and is trying to drive away.  He's pulled over and Drug Warrior is yelling about pressing charges against the driver for hitting him.

After the details were determined, Alleged Druggie (whose car was searched and no drugs found) went home and Drug Warrior went to jail for (as I recall) battery and unlawful restraint.

YMMV.

[DittoHead]

Greg Gianforte, the Montana Republican who assaulted a Guardian journalist on the eve of his election to the US House of Representatives, has issued a full and unequivocal apology to the reporter and agreed to donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Full and unequivocal is right:

Notwithstanding anyone’s statements to the contrary, you did not initiate any physical contact with me, and I had no right to assault you
...
I had no right to respond the way I did to your legitimate question about healthcare policy. You were doing your job.

It's nice to see a politician acting like an adult after making a mistake. 

For that matter the reporter is behaving himself too:

“I have accepted Mr Gianforte’s apology and his willingness to take responsibility for his actions and statements,” Jacobs said in a statement. “I hope the constructive resolution of this incident reinforces for all the importance of respecting the freedom of the press and the first amendment and encourages more civil and thoughtful discourse in our country.”

[Hawkmoon]

A couple states have passed, or are considering, a "you can run over protesters in the highway" law addressing this very issue.

That should be universal. Maybe even a constitutional amendment.

[RoadKingLarry]

That should be universal. Maybe even a constitutional amendment.

If we get enough of the "right" judges on the courts I'm sure they could find it as an already existing right protected by the constitution.

[dogmush]

Update:

He got 40 hrs of community service, 20 hrs of anger management classes, and a $300 fine....and elected to congress.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/12/politics/greg-gianforte-assault-plea/index.html

[Scout26]

Update:

He got 40 hrs of community service, 20 hrs of anger management classes, and a $300 fine....and elected to congress.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/12/politics/greg-gianforte-assault-plea/index.html

Wow, if he had shot the guy in Chicago, he'd get probation and an apology from the court...