Policing the Trenches

What mad times are these? These two security guard blokes, pictured above, tried to silence me after Saturday's match, trampling on my rights to free speech!

Imagine, a mild-mannered blogger like myself treated like some black-listed paparazzi!

But more on that later.

This Saturday's match had much promise. A perfect day, a surging team, and 20,000 strong showing up to voice our unified support. But given past performances by some of our more colourful fans, BMO field saw a beefed up police presence, intent upon keeping the peace.

Since the start of the season, each game has brought more coppers into the South-East end, with eyes fixed on sections 112 and 113, looking for those bad-apples among us who breach the realm of decency and break the law.

For the first time (that I noticed, anyway), cops were situated within the stands themselves, standing like centurians at the top of the bleachers. They literally had us surrounded, ready to pounce like a SWAT team at the first sign of trouble. This was most significantly evident when a flurry of roman candles were launched into the air. It took a matter of seconds before police were in the thick of the mob to remove the perpetrator.

They were everywhere.

How much of this presence was necessary?

I actually felt that Saturday's crowd in the corner was very well behaved, providing for a perfect atmosphere. Despite the lame D.C. United dive, and our unfortunate loss, TFC supporters proved yet again that we are die-hard fans, and will not relent our encouragement regardless of the environment before us, or the score on the board. We were loud and obnoxious, full of verve and vigour, and posed no threat to anyone's safety.

Is the police presence part of the reason for this?

I don't know the answer to that, but I'm sure you have your own thoughts on the matter. In any case, I had no problem with the coppers hanging around. Nor did many of the lads in our section, who were treated to one of Toronto's finest, suitably dubbed as the "Hot Copper in 112".

Now the crux of the matter...

Following the match, on our way out of the stadium, a couple cops literally pushed my wife into a wall as they persued, and got hold of a fan. Of course I responded like a true blogger, and abandonned my wife (who was unharmed, by the way), in order to photograph the incident.

Immediately, two security guards told me I could not take photos.

This really pissed me off.

I believe police activity, and certainly an arrest of a citizen, is within the public's interest and people have the right to know. I had every right to photograph the conduct of police officers performing this action, out in the open.

I voiced my opinion with some rather strong language.

The guards continued to block my camera and refused me access.

Well, you can see the result.

After shouting a bunch of stuff about "freedom of the press, and public interest", I looked straight into their eyes and said, "I am soooo gonna blog about you guys!"

They clearly didn't care.

Ah, hell. They were just doing their jobs. Or what they thought their jobs should be.

In anycase, I laughed it off, shook their hands, and that was that.

No hard feelings.

Besides, I managed to get the money shot...

(I smudged out the suspect's face, just in case he's innocent).

In the following video you will see images of the infiltrating fans of D.C. United, along with a very heavy police presence... all in the name of keeping the peace.