I was at a protest rally. We were near the Federal Building in Westwood. (Passing out Free Bradley Manning leaflets and stickers) http://freebradley.org/ (If you won't stand up for your own people, then you deserve no rights. He is one of my people by orientation.)
It's near a federal building, so I left my .25 auto at home. Pavel has overstayed his visa, and is terrified of being deported back to Russia, so he stayed home. So we have all four corners of an intersection pretty well covered, and are passing out leaflets and bumper stickers to cars.
So this guy drives by cussing a blue streak. He parks his car. He is old. And big. He looks like epic beard man. So he comes up, and get in our faces and starts cussing. He acts like he is crazy or something. I assume he is a cop or works for the cops somehow to stir up trouble and ignore him. I just keep passing out bumper stickers. Some of the more immature protesters are dumb enough to get drawn in to loud verbal argument with the guy. I just act like he isn't there. Well, I guess he doesn't want to take on any of the BIG protesters, so he picks on me. I am five foot four and weigh 116 pounds. He screams at me "Hey, look at me you little @#$%^& (derogatory term for a homosexual) when I talk to you!"
Then he grabs me, and throws me around like a rag doll. The cops see this, and do nothing. I am sprawling on the cement. This is all on video. Someone video taped it on their phone. They walk over to the cops and show it to them. They are not interested. I don't do anything because 1) This old guy is BIG and could kick my @#$ and 2) I figure this guy's politics agree with the cops, and if I look at him funny they WILL come over and arrest ME. So I have a nice scrape on my elbow, my clothes are dirty, I got knocked down and nothing happened and this guy walked away scot free and all satisfied with himself. What self defense technique would have worked?
It's near a federal building, so I left my .25 auto at home. Pavel has overstayed his visa, and is terrified of being deported back to Russia, so he stayed home. So we have all four corners of an intersection pretty well covered, and are passing out leaflets and bumper stickers to cars.
So this guy drives by cussing a blue streak. He parks his car. He is old. And big. He looks like epic beard man. So he comes up, and get in our faces and starts cussing. He acts like he is crazy or something. I assume he is a cop or works for the cops somehow to stir up trouble and ignore him. I just keep passing out bumper stickers. Some of the more immature protesters are dumb enough to get drawn in to loud verbal argument with the guy. I just act like he isn't there. Well, I guess he doesn't want to take on any of the BIG protesters, so he picks on me. I am five foot four and weigh 116 pounds. He screams at me "Hey, look at me you little @#$%^& (derogatory term for a homosexual) when I talk to you!"
Then he grabs me, and throws me around like a rag doll. The cops see this, and do nothing. I am sprawling on the cement. This is all on video. Someone video taped it on their phone. They walk over to the cops and show it to them. They are not interested. I don't do anything because 1) This old guy is BIG and could kick my @#$ and 2) I figure this guy's politics agree with the cops, and if I look at him funny they WILL come over and arrest ME. So I have a nice scrape on my elbow, my clothes are dirty, I got knocked down and nothing happened and this guy walked away scot free and all satisfied with himself. What self defense technique would have worked?