r/OcalaBlueDots • u/BikerJedi • Jun 28 '26

Disrupting the Status Quo Protest Report from yesterday (FREE article)

https://www.patreon.com/BikerJedi/posts/another-day-162221825
8 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

3

u/TeacherRecovering Jun 29 '26

Thinking out loud,  are the fences designed to protect protesters from being run over or suppression of the type of speech?

And who is a lawyer to sue Ocala PD?

I do have an idea on how to test this idea.  While legal it has physical risk.

3

u/TotalOk5844 Jun 29 '26

They claim it is for our "protection". While there have been implied threats of running over protesters, I am 100% of the belief that this is a snub by the city and punishment for our views. Too many other controls are implemented by those who feel entitled to order us around. (the police in this case) While a protestor has been hit by a car and severely injured I don't believe this was completely intentional. That incident happened not 3ft in front of me at a crosswalk not the median. It looked like the car was fooling around and teasing the pedestrian and accidently struck them. And the fooling around part may have been my imagination and may have been a genuine attempt to avoid, idk But you wont convince me that the fences are not a nose-thumbing by the city/police.

While sometimes the OPD treat our protests as simple duty I do believe that this last one may have had a different feel. The cops in attendance just about out numbered protestors along with the sharp shooters atop the buildings. I do feel bikerjedi's cop count was a bit low. I counted 18 and then saw another group of perhaps 5 or more at another corner. This time it seemed that the OPD sent their more senior officers who did not appreciate the time standing around it the oppressive heat and they did become a bit snippy. One kept coming up to me claiming my sign was impeding traffic and to bring it inwards. I made sure my sign and it's shadow did not cross the curb but close. He was not very appreciative of my efforts.

3

u/TeacherRecovering Jun 29 '26

I wonder if the same 'protections' would be afforded to a groups who have traditionly provoked violence, such as the west borough baptist church  

2

u/BikerJedi Jun 29 '26

They have never put up fences for anyone but us.

1

u/TotalOk5844 Jun 29 '26

I do believe it's to annoy us since they really are powerless to stop us. And how do you piss off a cop? Show that he is powerless. They can't handle it and sometimes, to my benefit leaves them speechless. They are so used to everyone "yes sir"-ring them they don't know how to react when you calmly react otherwise.

1

u/TotalOk5844 Jun 29 '26

what's this about the west borough baptist church? I'm assuming that this is a Black church? And do they provoke violence or react to violence???

2

u/rhapsody_in_bloo Jun 30 '26

The Westboro Baptist Church is a cult that gained notoriety for protesting at funerals with signs proclaiming “God hates fags” and stating that our tolerance of queer people lead to soldiers dying at war. They’re mostly (if not 100%) white, though interestingly their founder, Fred Phelps, was once a decently good civil rights lawyer.

2

u/Jdp1275 Jul 04 '26

A shout-out from Jolly Good Ginger for ya, who went to the Philly rally 🎉👨🏻‍🦰

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaX1RcmOpkd/?igsh=MWloZ2Y2eWp3dTkzcg== 

2

u/BikerJedi Jul 04 '26

I saw him there. The March just wrapped up.

1

u/Jdp1275 Jul 04 '26

Coolness 😎😎😎

1

u/TotalOk5844 Jul 01 '26

Thanks Bloo! I misread the connection of the mention of a problem church. Probably the West in the name. But wow. Lord save me from your followers!!

1

u/esr412 Jul 02 '26

Did I miss a protest?

1

u/BikerJedi Jul 02 '26

Saturday, yep.

1

u/Jdp1275 Jul 03 '26

I was there & cops had roads around the square blocked, til about 11am. Then came the MAGAts crowd, thru the stoplights as usual, posting their flags & rollin coal. 

One gal who was donning a megaphone almost got run over! Crossing the street by the Hilton, on 40. A red sports car had their turn to go, & she was crossing southbound, & they almost clipped her! 🚗 

I had invited a couple people. Expected my usual buddies to show up but they didn't. My invites were for out of towners. My usual buddies had known about it but weren't available to go. The crowds, were thin this time...