That was an attack? Must be a light news day.

I dunno, man. If the anti-choice crowd thought they were being harassed by the Kimmel crew, why didn’t they get the cops? It looked like they just tried to destroy the light by knocking it over, in which case I can’t really blame the gaffer for getting physical in return. Maybe the punch was a bit much.

The video is also pretty vague — I don’t really see any evidence supporting the assertion that the Kimmel crew was shining the light at the protesters in any sort of threatening way. Not saying it wasn’t happening, just that I’m not about to believe the word of the religious-right anti-choicers, who generally love to paint themselves as victims. The melodrama of the camera operator supports this: They’re “burning your people?” Anyone who’s ever worked around these kinds of lights knows that the only way to get burned by it is to touch it directly.

I don’t truck with unwarranted violence myself, but if anyone has a reputation for being violent, it’s the anti-choice crowd.

The guy says on the phone “I’m pretty much prepared to take it out” and “Hey Troy, want to help me take it out?” and starts to grab the property of the film crew, who I assume have permits to be there. Then he’s asked to let go of the light. He doesn’t. He gets nudged. Then then he gets “punched” but doesn’t even flinch from his clinging to the light. C’mon, he doesn’t have much to stand on.

Actually, this so-called “pro-life” group is linked to the domestic terrorist group Operation Rescue (or Operation Save America. I’m really not sure what name they use anymore since that nutjob Randall Terry keeps suing them to get the name back.) Anyway, this same group shouted down a Hindu chaplain in the US Senate three yeaers ago (here’s the Youtube video and Guardian article on that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ9To30Hz7A
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/jul/13/usa.marktran

This some funny stuff. Fat man gets “punched” and he doesnt budge. Yep he was sure assaulted, beat in the face and knocked down. HA. This is a ridiculous accusation by some Christian nut case where he CHOSE to put his hands on something that didnt rightfully belong to him. Im sure had he knocked it over, he would be paying a pretty penny and going to jail anyways. Use your brain…you have one right.

Lets flip the scenario, if a pro-choice individual put his hands on the light…oh WAIT, that probably wouldnt have happened. I havent seen too many videos of pro-choice individuals pull stupid moves like this.

Do I believe in God, yepper, do I believe that a “Christian” individual should act like this. Absolutely not. That fat f*** and his loud mouth woman likely have more hatred in them than someone who is an atheist. Its people like this that make me not want to claim Christianity as a religion. Pathetic!

“Assult” is an act which creates fear of an imminent battery. ( Just throwing out a hypothetical example here — loudly announcing that you are going to cross a barricade and push past security in an attempt to disable a piece of heavy, high-voltage equipment in a crowded area — well-founded fear of imminent peril?)

There was definitely some intentional touching, or “battery.” However there are various privileges which allow such touching, including self-defense, defense of others, and defense of property.

If one were to discover that the large angry fat man who loudly threatened to disable your expensive, dangerous equipment is now physically hanging from it, my guess is that it would be pretty hard to convince a court to find for damages if you tried to shoved the guy off.

I was there, watching the whole thing —-

A – The film crew and lights were there long before the protesters. Why the protesters had to be specifically in that spot is beyond me.

B – You can clearly hear someone yell “assault” as well as “dont touch me, don’t touch me”. Yet the protesters elected not to go to the police first, and instead, started touching someone else’s property…. the very thing they were yelling about in regards to themselves.

C – The kid who got “burned”. Ha. The crew had them aimed at the posters (they were trying to melt the horrific images (granted, still within protesters rights). If the kid simply moved 10 feet away from where the lights were set up (before they even got there), this wouldn’t be an issue.

D – The Protesters had no permit at all. Zero.

E – This happened last week. 2 days ago, the protesters were back. However, they set up directly outside the El Capitan theater, where Toy Story 3 is playing…. and the sidewalk is filled with innocent kids ranging in age from 3 – 10.

I’m not defending Kimmel’s crew – what they did was wrong. However, its obvious this group wanted publicity, and provoked the incident as they have done countless times in the past…which is well documented. The fact that they protested outside a movie theater where small innocent children are is absolutely 100% disgusting and wrong. There is no justification in doing that, and sad to say, I doubt those people care

It’s on the @#$%ing video… Crew was out of hand plain and simple. Right to protest is exclusive to anyone . not just the folks we agree w/ politically

Hello folks, this is one of the dumbest attempts by these types of terrorist. They claim that the kid was being assault by the light. But all the kid had to do was move 3 steps to the right, left or back and he would of been out of the light…..

The parents of that kid need to be arrested for child abuse!

Another example of how crazy people affiliated with the terror group army of god really are!….

Anti-choice? Isn’t sex usually a choice? What about the baby? They don’t get to choose. Have you ever had an abortion? Do you know how it destroys your life? Do you know that many women have died young because of breast cancer associated with abortion?
If men would not see women as sex objects we would not need abortion.
Did you know that neural endings are formed during the first 4 weeks? Did you know that abortion in America is legal up until the baby is delivered? Some babies are partially delievered, the spinal cord cut and the child killed. Others, that survive the saline burn and are not ripped apart by the vacuum that tears them to pieces are set aside to die, at least that is what the murdering “doctors” are hoping for.
And you are ok with this? Or you just like being able to have sex without consequence? Or are you afraid that you might offend a woman that is pushing you to take this stance?
I don’t advocate violence on either side. Calling pro-lifers the ones with a history of violence just shows your ignorance. Rarely do you here of pro life violence. Go take a sign and stand on a sidewalk advocating life. You will most likely be spit on, cursed at, possibly punched, while some will sneer at you like you are a low life slug.
Violence. Ever watched whale wars? I love whales too, but these people are nothing but terrorists.

You admit that the images on the posters is horrific, yet you are ok with it happening? To say that a person is pro-abortion (let’s not candy coat it, that is the truth) is to say that you are:
1. Ok with a woman being injected with saline to burn and destroy the living child within her body (the body that 99% of the time she CHOSE to be injected with sperm)

2. Ok with a vacuum being used to rip apart a baby in the womb

3. Ok with a child being partially delivered, then having their spinal cord cut and brains sucked out

4. Ok with abortion survivor babies being set aside to die, something I would not even do to an animal

5. Ok with paying for a lot of this with tax money and so called “not for profit” organizations
that raise money under the auspice of “cancer prevention”

I think that as soon as a person reaches child bearing age they should watch the video of EXACTLY what happens during an abortion. Then they can make an educated choice if they want to take the sex risk of getting pregnant.
This has nothing to do with religion. I answer to my God, He is my God, and I serve him. As far as the rest of the world, I am more than happy to share my God, but I will not force it on anyone. I WILL adamantly stand for the rights of humans, and animals as long as I can. I don’t even like to cut tree limbs. I feel sad squishing a bug. We have to do what we have do to survive. Murdering babies is NOT an option. It is a violation of the most basic of human rights.

Also – so it’s ok to intimidate someone into moving just because you don’t like what they are saying?

“Your mom”. I am embarrassed to share the term mom and Christian with you as well. your entire post is pathetic, prejudice, hateful and mean.

To put this plainly, I’ll be the first to accuse the anti-choicers of being absolute idiots with their tactics.

But it does not matter that the dude touched one of the lights, or that he was trying to create a situation. The reality, as shown clearly on the video, is that he was assaulted (and this attempt to redefine assault is pretty shallow, at best).

Its disappointing that numerous commenters here are glossing over this fact and not calling a spade a spade. Violence against protesters should not EVER be tolerated, no matter how ignorant they may be.

The man that grabs the light is putting multiple people at risk. Those lights are extremely heavy and run off of extremely high current circuits. His attempt to move/operate the light puts the TV workers and the crowd in danger.

He should be charged with disorderly conduct at a minimum or possible criminal nuisance. He stopped engaging in peaceful protest when he put others in danger.

If he wanted to press charges of battery, he could have. But that doesn’t excuse his earlier behavior. I don’t think a DA or jury would find in his favor as it would be reasonable to conclude the man that hit him was trying to prevent a dangerous situation from getting worse.

Just because you are protesting something doesn’t exempt you from following the law or engaging in dangerous behavior.

The fat guy grabbed and held on to the large light.

The electrician immediately told him to let go.

He did not – instead held on more firmly.

This is dangerous.

The electrician was protecting his property.

Any physical activity after the fat guy disregared the electrician’s request to let go is the fat guy’s fault.

You have a right to protect your property.

The end.