The video of the tasering of Robert Dziekanski speaks for itself.
The videographer mistakes him for a Russian (unable to distinguish the language from the victim’s native Polish). But what’s unmistakable here is that the man was NOT so violent that he had to be forcibly subdued, let alone in the manner we see here. He was frustrated enough to throw some furniture–looking around to see if anyone was paying attention, meaning this was not done out of blind rage or that brand new bullshit excuse for Taser deaths and police brutality, “excited delirium”, but with the intent of getting the airport authorities to help him.
And after more than ten hours of unexplained delay and waiting and inability to contact his mother who was supposed to meet him at the Vancouver airport, it is quite understandable that he’d be anxious. Who wouldn’t be, as a new immigrant in a country whose language he couldn’t speak, whose customs (and immigration procedures) he didn’t understand, and whose authorities apparently couldn’t be bothered to dig up an interpreter and help him out?
We are not a police state, but things like this make me wonder what’s becoming of us.
Robert Dziekanski was buried today in Kamloops, BC.
This incident made me cry, because of Robert’s useless death. ‘Bina, it’s happening coz of the USA and bush’s PPL/Amero/NAU.
My thoughts go out to his mother. This is a crime, and I hope the people that used the tasers are punished.
And here in the US we have little Eichemanns that cheer when police use tasers on people. Sick fuckers.
Hopefully, this case will cause some much needed reflection on the part of Canadian law enforcement. No, aping the behavior of the police in the US empire is the wrong way to go.