carrying pepper spray wrote:
I am running this weekend, and I will be carrying pepper spray. I don't see how they can shut down the race without touching runner. Guess Mr Turner is smart enough to know not to make a threat, but he hasn't really thought through how this will end.
I think it's you who hasn't thought through how this will end. Everyone seems to be picturing having to get past protesters who are standing in their way, blocking the road. That feels threatening and many would feel justified in making their way past the blockade, even if there's some physical jostling required to do so. Most wouldn't throw a punch, but hey, shoulder to shoulder bump? That person bumped you first.
What if protesters lie on the ground, passively covering the road, 3-4 people deep, no way to just hop over. You'd have to step on their bodies to get past. (I suspect that's the plan - the spokesman in the video said that they'll be the finish line.) How many people will step on person(s) lying on the ground in order to finish a marathon?
And would the answer change if it were a different interest group, say, disabled veterans trying to draw attention to the problems at the VA? Set aside whether you think disabled veterans would resort to this tactic. To the extent that this second scenario gives people more pause than the first, *that's* the core bias that I think the BLM movement wants to expose. Unfortunately this tactic (if my hunch is right) is likely to increase/reinforce bias rather than constructively reduce it.
If the human finish line scenario comes to pass, many probably will step on protesters, whether on purpose or pushed from behind by runners piling up. And that would be powerful symbolism that feeds right into the narrative.
Man, I just really really hope law enforcement can prevent the disruption. I don't have an answer.