June 25, 2003

HE'D BE IN PIECES

Look at the peaceful peace protester. Imagine him pulling this crap somewhere other than peaceful Australia.

Posted by Tim Blair at June 25, 2003 04:30 AM
Comments

I would have shot the protestor.

Posted by: AG in Houston at June 25, 2003 at 04:33 AM

I don't think you could get away with that even in the US!

Posted by: armchair analyst at June 25, 2003 at 04:38 AM

He would have been a pieceful protester

Posted by: Big Pun at June 25, 2003 at 04:46 AM

Secret Service would have splattered this guy if he tried it here in the US.

Posted by: Tim Shell at June 25, 2003 at 04:47 AM

Security for Hill is obviously a joke but having Rob Sitch on your detail is going a bit far...

(see the man in the front passenger seat)

Posted by: zilla at June 25, 2003 at 05:17 AM

It's obviously a shot from an episode of Shitscared that got mixed up with press clips.

In real life an ambush on an elected government minister would have been immediately put down with extreme force.

Posted by: The at June 25, 2003 at 05:29 AM

It's unbelievable. I'm absolutely certain he would have been shot even in the UK. His security detail should all be sacked as a result of this.

IN any case it is a criminal offence to menace someone even with a toy gun (unless it is one of those with flashing lights etc, from Toys R Us), I expect that goes for Australia too. People hold up banks with realistic toy guns and they are severely punished for it.

Posted by: Dave F at June 25, 2003 at 05:49 AM

This reminds me of one of Jack Handy's "Deep Thoughts":

I think a good gift for the President would be a chocolate revolver, and since he is so busy, you'd probably have to run up to him real quick and give it to him.

Posted by: Ernie G at June 25, 2003 at 06:25 AM

I bet Bob Brown is pleased.

Posted by: Gary at June 25, 2003 at 08:24 AM

Recently, on my blog, I posted a smackdown of a idiotarian Maryland lawmaker who wanted to ban toy guns inside city limits. I thought she was idiot because the law was aimed at *kids* who use toy guns, and the problem is that everone overacts when a kid wants to play with a gun, period.

But adults who point realistic toy guns at politicians? Should be suicide by cop/secret service, as far as I'm concerned. I'm in shock that this incident didn't have any sort of negative ramifications for the protestor.

And yes, the security detail should have been more on the ball, though to be fair, the protestor doesn't appear to have the brains to work a Bic lighter, much less a gun...

Posted by: Kimberly at June 25, 2003 at 08:36 AM

Ray Cassin thinks that, on account of the ASIO legislation & Howard's security-driven political campaigns, the Australian state is in the "proto-fascist" stage of political development.
Dumb protester brandishing their toy-weapons at Ministers and hysterical Fairfaxian commentators chucking hissy fits over the Latest Howard Outrage are oppression enough.
Ray Cassin is a dummy.
Which is a good enough segue to another Jack Handy quote:

If you ever fall off the Sears Tower, just go real limp, because maybe you'll look like a dummy and people will try to catch you because, hey, free dummy.
Posted by: Jack Strocchi at June 25, 2003 at 10:31 AM

These are presumably the same lot who advocated 'no war' and a 'non-violent' approach to Iraq.

Maybe he's compensating for something else.

Posted by: nic at June 25, 2003 at 10:55 AM

Ooh, toilet rolls -- run for your lives!

Posted by: Robert at June 25, 2003 at 11:09 AM

That protester should be arrested, charged and sentenced to a shave, shower, hair cut and a job!

But why stop at cutting off his hair. Lets cut off his dole.

Posted by: Gilly at June 25, 2003 at 11:23 AM

Wasn't a toy store owner in Melbourne recently fined and threatened with jail because he was selling plastic toy guns? So selling them to kids is a crime, but waving a fake gun at a Federal Minister is ok? What a joke!

Posted by: Huddo at June 25, 2003 at 12:14 PM

A scruffy hippy points a ridiculously fake gun at a minister and you all piss yourselves. Big deal. As far as security breaches go, it's pretty low-grade. As news, it's a non-item. Man with theatrical prop wanders streets without being thrown in jail.

People get close to ministers all the time without being frisked or arrested. It's one of the good things about living here - there's always a chance of telling the bastards what you think of them.

Who's going to be the first to complain that democracy is being hampered when we start carrying on like the yanks and nobody can get near their elected representitives and legitimate protest is surpressed by ridiculous security.

Posted by: Journo Dave at June 25, 2003 at 12:14 PM

Until it is proven to be a fake it should be treated as a working weapon.

The security for our political leaders in Australia is a joke. I know for a fact that none of the drivers in the WA Government Driving Pool are trained in security driving techniques!

Hey Tim - I must be some kind of moron because I couldn't get the PayPal thing to accept my address because it's in Australia not the USA so I couldn't buy a Bundy for Jake. Any tips? I assume you have my e-mail address.

Posted by: Razor at June 25, 2003 at 12:27 PM

Well, Journo Dave -- enjoy your freedom to "get close to the bastards" while you can. The first time anyone ignores someone carrying a real gun because it "looks like a toy" and some politician gets killed will be the last time people will be able to get so close to anyone in power. If you know anyone who thinks fake guns are haha fun things to use to make a point at a protest maybe you should try to persuade them otherwise. Unless, of course, the scenario I have envisaged above is the real intent of these "peace protesters" -- in which case I think there is already a pretty good reason to not take these "ridiculously fake" gun incidents so lightly.

But what do I know, I'm just a paranoid, fascist, Amerikkkan.

Posted by: Andrea Harris at June 25, 2003 at 12:41 PM

"A scruffy hippy points a ridiculously fake gun at a minister and you all piss yourselves".

There are some bank tellers who can recount some hilarious stories of fake guns too. Boy, does it make them laugh!

Another really funny follow-up to pointing a fake gun is to surround the car of one of "the bastards" and start smashing it; jump on the roof, bust the aerial. If ya' got enough protesters, try rocking the car 'till it tips. That gets a huge chuckle from the crowd and presents a clear enunciation of left-wing pacifist philosophies.

Posted by: The at June 25, 2003 at 01:07 PM

Being a remote Antipodean who doesn't bother with a spell checker, I didn't previously know about this Handey/Handy chap mentioned in some posts. But he seems to have covered most things already. This comment of his applies well to security:

"I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it."

Posted by: The at June 25, 2003 at 01:09 PM

Fake gun? Honestly, that gun looked home made to me. Is there a rule somewhere that a functional gun must be sleek, compact and made of metal?

How about a flare gun?

Posted by: ErikZ at June 25, 2003 at 01:38 PM

Journo Dave, you take this week's prize for the most clueless dickhead to advertise his opinions in a public forum.
You claim that "People get close to ministers all the time without being frisked or arrested". You seem blissfully unaware that it's just this sort of stupid behaviour that will ensure that in the future no-one will get within a bull's roar of important public figures.

We tend to adopt a low-key approach in Oz, then mindless morons like this demonstrator come along and abuse that situation. Result: no more low-key approach, and Australia becomes more like America. If I were Hill I would be demanding that the guy is arrested and charged!

Posted by: Tom at June 25, 2003 at 01:56 PM

Must admit if I was the minister I'd be laughing all the way to the ballot box. Sure letting these protesters get close can be pretty uncomfortable, (and I bet they don't wash enough either) but really, what an advertisement for the Left that protester is!

Posted by: Scott Wickstein at June 25, 2003 at 02:27 PM

I am a journo, and my name is Dave, but I am not Journo Dave, who I believe must be a journo for one of the funny papers.

Posted by: Dave F at June 25, 2003 at 06:33 PM

Has anyone seen The Final Cut where the British PM Francis Urquhart's car gets rammed by thugs and his bodyguards get out and pump them full of lead?

Good scene. Illegal, but good scene.

Posted by: Gabor at June 25, 2003 at 06:36 PM

As I understand the American Secret Service instructions in this sort of matter, agents are to strive to capture would-be or even successful assassins alive, if possible. Chapman, who put a bullet within an inch of Reagan's heart lives on at the funny farm. This procedure is not just to understand such 'freeky folks', but to ascertain any plot members. Squeeky Fromm got within 3 feet of President Ford with a loaded Colt 45 semi-automatic (knocks you down just before it kills you). Idiot bitch (member of the 'Manson Gang', having escaped prison), didn't know that just thrusting the clip home didn't actually 'load' it, didn't know to jack a shell into the chamber before firing, so the hammer fell on an empty chamber. The Secret Service wrestled her to the ground. She will die in prison. We here have lost 4 Presidents to assassins. One severly wounded, many close calls (like Roosevelt - the Mayor sitting next to him was killed). Most by radical leftists.
So what would happen here? Unless the SS agent or cop was close enough to tackle the guy . . . a lethal and immediate shot, probably to the head, with several other 'to be sure' shots. A round-up of everyone in the protest group as accessories to attempted murder. Even if the 'gun' is later discovered to be a fake, as in this case. People who approach Goverment Officials with what 'looks like a firearm' are to be shot immediately and interogated later if still alive. We now know that whoever actually wants to kill Aussie politicians need only dress up their killer weapon with hooky add-ons. They will then not be afraid to meet a hail of bullets (say through a rear passenger side window) until AFTER they have accomplished their mission - and the hated one is dead. Peace protesters, my ass.

Posted by: Fungus at June 25, 2003 at 09:10 PM

That was MY aerial they broke! Yes, paid for by MY and Your TAX dollars- fucking hippies!

BTW Andrea, Razor and The, you state want I want to say much better than I could say it so I'll leave it at that.

Fucking toy guns indeed. Point a toy gun at the Thai King, Prime Minister, or royal family and go home in a bag. Be thankful you live in a relaxed society.

Posted by: Jake D at June 25, 2003 at 10:37 PM

Someone took a shot a the Evatt in the 60s - with a real gun. Someone took a shot at the Prince of Wales in the 1890s, with a real gun. Someone shot dead the member for Cabramatta in the 1990s - with a real gun. Let's hold on to our precious ability not to overreact here folks. This was a dopey but legitimate form of protest.

If our police (and you folk) can't distinguish between a clumsily-made cardboard theatrical prop and a real gun, we're in more trouble than I thought. There is no gun in the world that looks like that. Not even close.

Nah, on second thoughts, I'm with you guys: hopefully next time the stormtroopers will blow him away.

Posted by: Journo Dave at June 26, 2003 at 12:08 PM

"We now know that whoever actually wants to kill Aussie politicians need only dress up their killer weapon with hooky add-ons."

Good point. Now we just wrap the semi-automatic in cardboard and we're in!

Posted by: The at June 26, 2003 at 12:28 PM