Much like the eternal tension between ‘freedom’ and ‘equality’…
Yesterday, across from the pro-Israel rally:
Taped on a friend’s cellphone after the rally proper. Poor sound, partial transcript:
00:37 Brunette: “Do you have kids? …Would you take your kids to live in Sderot? Would you live there? Would you, if it’s so safe?”
01:18 Blonde: “Am I allowed to go to Mecca? …Why are you allowed to go to Jerusalem if I can’t go to Mecca?”
Police Officers intervene.
01:45 Cop #1: “You guys have to go to the other side.”
02:08 Cop #2? “Everything was fine until you guys came over on this side.”
02:30 Brunette: “Isn’t this nice? Everything was fine until we came here. Congratulations. Thank you so much.”
02:39 Cop #2: “You’re welcome.”
02:40 Cop #1: “Are you going on the subway? You gotta go on the other side.”
02:48 Brunette: “Am I allowed to stay here or is it against the law?”
02:52 Cop #1: “Okay, let me educate you about something called breach of the peace. If it gets to the point where we determine that it’s a breach of the peace, then arrests will be made.”
03:03 Son of Brunette: “A conversation’s not a breach of the peace.”
03:06 Brunette: “Is it?”
03:07 Cop #1: “It is when it creates a problem.”
03:08 Son: “What problem has it created? There’s no violence going on.”
03:15 Cop #1: “If you don’t want it to get to that point, we’re just trying to educate you of what our options are.”
03:18 Son: “We don’t want it to get to that point either but there’s nothing wrong with discussion.”
03:33 Cop #1, pointing: “Okay, look, there’s your team [people?] over there.”
03:36 Brunette: “That’s not my team [people?]… The gentleman said everything was fine until I came here on his side.”
03:45 Cop #1: “He was right.”
03:49 Brunette: “…Unless you take me away somewhere.”
03:52 Cop #1: “That’s exactly what you want and that’s not gonna happen.”
06:27 Man at booth: “Free Koran.”
06:38 Passerby: “Can I have one, please? I’m gonna burn it.”
“Kathy, I never realized you are in Toronto…Talk about the wrong home for the breed! ;-)”