I loved Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn's response to the Occupiers who took over the North Ave. bridge at I-43.
He's angry that the protesters were impacting the wrong people. They weren't disupting the 1 percent in any way. Instead, they were making life more difficult for the 99 percent, targeting a neighborhood with 35 percent unemployment.
What good did it do for them to throw a hissy fit on that bridge, chanting and drumming and begging to be arrested?
It did no good at all. NOT AT ALL. ZERO POINT ZERO ZERO ZERO.
Police resources were wasted. The Occupiers made things worse for the rest of us, not better, by diverting police forces from where they're really needed.
Here's video of the protest, from FOX6 News:
What sort of victory is it to occupy that bridge?
What did they accomplish? NOTHING, beyond revealing themselves to be dolts.
Flynn refused to play their game. He wouldn't participate in their poorly staged drama. He wouldn't be part of their performance.
CHIEF FLYNN: We're going to direct traffic around here, and we are not going to fulfill the martyrdom fantasies of people who insist on being arrested while they disrupt the lives of this neighborhood.
I support Flynn's handling of the situation. I think he made the right call. He refused to give the Occupiers what they wanted.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's response to the protest was significantly different from Chief Flynn's reaction.
Barrett was very wimpy and politically expedient.
Barrett said he does support some of the protesters' positions, but he had a little bit of criticism for them.
BARRETT: I don't support people disrupting the streets and people's lives who are really struggling in their own, in their own right....
The police department and the chief have shown the appropriate discretion throughout this and I'm pleased, quite honestly, that we haven't had the incidents that we've seen in other cities around America. And I hope we don't see the incidents. I hope we don't see the violence.
Gee, Barrett stands in solidarity with the protesters to a degree, and he is pleased so far. He hopes we don't have riots.
What a great mayor! He hopes we don't see violence. Wow. Citizens of Milwaukee can rest easy knowing that Barrett is busy hoping rather than speaking out firmly about the Occupiers misguided and selfish demonstration.
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More video:
Chief Flynn speaks out after North Avenue bridge protests
Transcript
CHIEF FLYNN: We've been evaluating this situation for some time, and I want to make a point to the people who actually live in this city. I don't see any banks here. I don't see any Wall Street offices here. I don't see any mortgage lenders here. I see a working class neighborhood that is being disrupted by people who couldn't care less about the people who actually live here.
Now I've got a lot of cops here, and I think they should be protecting the neighborhood, and that's what we're going to do. We're going to withdraw most of the officers here tonight so they can answer 911 calls, protect the community. We're going to direct traffic around here, and we are not going to fulfill the martyrdom fantasies of people who insist on being arrested while they disrupt the lives of this neighborhood. So we're largely going to assume patrol and we're going to let them play demostration games for a while and we're going to go about our business.
REPORTER #1: How long will you allow this?
CHIEF FLYNN: They can sit and freeze their butts off. I don't care. All right? We've got a community to protect. They've had their fun. We'll direct traffic and they can be nice and cold. We're not going to allow any tents. We're just going to move forward.
REPORTER #2: Chief, protesters might hear that and say you're trying to diminish their message when you say they're playing their protest games. Can you understand the anger that's out there about the economy and why they maybe want to occupy a public space in order to draw attention...?
CHIEF FLYNN: Well, I understand. They're angry about the economy? Go to Wall Street. There's a 35 percent unemployment rate in this neighborhood. Who are they disrupting? Do you see any bankers driving around here? No. I got working people who can't get across their own bridge. Now if that makes them feel validated and brave, God bless them. But they're only hurting the 99 percent.
Flynn really schools that reporter. He exposes the media's foolishness.
Flynn is showing more leadership than Barrett. He is clearly ticked off by the idiocy of the Occupiers shutting down the North Ave. bridge at I-43, as he should be.
Barrett, on the other hand, seems detached. I don't see any anger or disgust from him. Barrett should be calling on the protesters to direct their energies in ways that will make a positive difference. He should be telling them to quit doing harm to the city's residents, but he doesn't. This is all political with Barrett. Politics come first with him, not doing the right thing.
Not cool, Tom. Not cool.
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