[oscarBravo]

Originally Posted by MadsL

How can something that happened to me be hypothetical?

Forgive my sloppy use of language. My point is that the situations are not analogous. If I had been in the situation in the video, I would have pulled over. If you had been in the situation in the video, I'm pretty sure you would have pulled over. Most rational human beings would have pulled over. In fact, most rational human beings - even in Mayo - don't get into these situations at Garda checkpoints.

Shell to Sea protesters, on the other hand, seem to be positively accomplished at getting into confrontational situations with Gardaí.

If you genuinely, hand on heart, would have behaved in the pig-ignorant fashion demonstrated by that driver (and felt that that was the most appropriate behaviour under the circumstances) - fair enough. I sincerely hope you don't get shot by an Albuquerque police officer.

[oscarBravo]

You keep editing your posts while I'm replying to them.

Originally Posted by MadsL

The motorway was active in Lanes 3 with a long line on the Hard shoulder and Lane 1, a guard standing behind a parked traffic car in Lane 2 instructed me to reverse back along Lane 2 to join the line in lane 1. No traffic car behind me, and no warnings behind me - an insane direction. Fortunately a gap opened and I was let into the hard shoulder.

So you have two possible courses of action. You can leave your window up and your door locked, yell "what's the story here?" and "I'm going about my business" through the closed window and generally be as ignorant as possible about the situation; or you can calmly explain to the Garda (through an open window) that you're not comfortable following his directions and why.

One of those behaviours is more likely to get your window broken and you arrested; one of them less so. Being someone without a vested interest in causing a fuss and being arrested, I know which one I'd choose.

[MadsL]

Oddly enough it was the second course of action that got me yelled at by that particular Guard. As far as the video is concerned you seem to to think that by me censuring the action of the Gardai, I'm supporting the actions of the driver. I'm sure you can see the fallacy.

Through this debate I'm reminded of the Jefferson quote ""When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." more commonly "a People should not be afraid of their Government, rather a Government should fear their people".

I sincerely hope you don't get shot by an Albuquerque police officer.

I suspect their behaviour is more professional than demonstrated by the Guard without hi-vis on. I'm generally very polite to cops, however I don't believe rudeness merits violent arrest. Do you?

But let's get back to the topic, in posting the video with the Guard who refuses to identify himself, I have shown an example of a peaceful protest where Garda resources are use by choice of the Gardai, nothing happening other than a peaceful protest, yet undercover Gardai show up at the scene, refuse to acknowledge who they are and then leave. Wonder how much that cost? So, resources used through choice of the State.

Over to you...