Scary Right-Wingers With Hidden Agenda Have a Run In With Snippy Cop

Kathy Shaidle describes the less-than-friendly encounter she and her husband Arnie had with a policeman, likely not a local one. They were at Queen's Park to attend a small pro-Israel protest, and he apparently took them for typical protester types even though, as Kathy explains, they hardly looked the part:

We were both dressed like typical middle aged Torontonians out on a Sunday afternoon: I'd advised Arnie not to wear any black, so we had on sunglasses, shorts, no weird or provocative t-shirts.

We were standing there silently when a white, male officer who looked a little like a central casting Angry Cop, with a really fake smile and firey eyes crossed the street towards us.

He stood chest to chest with Arnie and told him to move along.

Alas, Arnie stopped filming and didn't hit the audio record button again until the end of our exchange. Here is how it went, from memory.

Cop 3478: Sir, I'm going to ask you to move along. There's really nothing to see here.

Arnie: We're just standing on a public sidewalk. What are we doing wrong?

Cop 3478: Just be on your way, sir. Please.

Arnie: Why?

Cop 3478: Because I'm asking you to.

Arnie: I don't see why I should have to move.

Cop 3478: Now you're gonna tell me all about your rights! You people know all about your rights! But you have NO responsibilities, do you?!

Me: Well, I pay for this sidewalk, and I pay your salary.

As you can hear from the audio below, Cop 3478 finds that concept particularly hilarious. He walked away from us, laughing somewhat hysterically.

He also resents having to give me his badge number, which he is obliged to do.

We exchanged a few more words (below), and Arnie and I remained in place while he retreated. After about another five minutes, we left.

Time to revise an ancient TV show theme song, I think:

There's a stand off down on King,
Yonge Street windows getting broke.
There are sewer rats down under.
And cars going up in smoke.
There are anarchists who hate.
Who knows what they'll conflagrate?
Cop 3478 where are you?