A group of Ferguson protesters called the Don’t Shoot Coalition have presented a list of 19 “Rules of Engagement” to the Ferguson Police Department, but one of their demands is the police tolerate “lawbreaking.”
“Police will be more tolerant of more minor lawbreaking… when deciding whether to escalate the use of force,” reads rule 15. (RELATED: Looting Resumes In Ferguson)
One example of minor lawbreaking, they give is “thrown water bottles”. But the protesters aren’t talking about littering; water bottles have been one of the projectiles-of-choice to throw at police.
CNN legal analyst Paul Callan said on Thursday that he was skeptical that the police would accept the demands. “When you’re out on the street and there’s a huge street demonstration which could go violent immediately, you have to be prepared for that. What are they going to do? Go change? If you’re a cop you have to protect yourself from things being thrown at you.”
Among the other hair-raising or impractical demands: that police stop wearing riot gear, give 48 hours prior notice before the grand jury verdict is announced, and “allow protests to take and occupy larger and more disruptive space than would normally be tolerated.”