Thanks for posting. I watched it all. Fascinating video, and amazing that they can make a documentary about this event so soon after.
This video clearly portrays that there were various different groups present at the event, who held such differing viewpoints that they were basically attack-on-site to each other. And, as we already know, there were many incidents of violence. One of which was lethal.
Typically, in a heated protest event, police are actively involved and work diligently to keep the groups separated to minimize violence. However, at this particular event, and one crucial factor that this video does not address, was that apparently the police had orders to stand down.
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The stand down was confirmed by the ACLU who quoted a police source saying, ?We?ll not intervene until given command to do so.?
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Source
So at this event, groups who were attack-on-site to each other were allowed to literally rub shoulders next to each other. What do you think is going to happen? What possibly else could happen eventually, except violent encounters?
The police not intervening at this event was immediately apparent to those present. They didn't have to wait until days later to read about it on some news site to become enlightened to this fact.
So, this being the case, if someone at this event were to find himself/herself in a situation where they have somehow gotten away from their own group, and are now surrounded by a different, hostile group, the person is already aware that they're on their own. They already know that the police aren't going to step in and save them.
Being hopelessly outnumbered, knowing that there's a hundred people around you that want to give you at least one good solid punch, its not outside the realm of possibility that he/she could quite possibly be beaten to death in this situation.
The only possible hope one could have, if found in such a situation, would be to get away from that group as quickly as possibe. Especially if the group has already begun attacking you. Being in a car is going to be of little help. In seconds, a window can be broken, the door unlocked, and dozens of hands can drag a person out of a car and beat the person senseless in no time.
I do not in any way, shape, or form condone what the person who drove the car through the crowd did. But, if you were in a situation where there's a very real danger, seconds away, from being beaten to death by an angry crowd, what would your choice be?
The bigger point is, though, is that if the police weren't told to stand down, if people had felt they were generally safe at this event due to a strong active police presence, would anyone feel the need to panic in a bad situation and floor the gas pedal of a vehicle?
It is my opinion that, had there been a strong active police presence at this event who were managing the groups and keeping them separate, that this event would have been nothing but a small 2-paragraph filler story on page 7 of any newspaper.
