G-20 Protester Arrest Video Not a Hoax

The Drudge Report is currently running a red headline that says “See U.S. Military Snatch Protester…” that links to a YouTube video of what appears to bethe most absurd bit of street theater I’ve seen in awhile. Hot Air has already posted some extensive debunkage, but just watch the video, particularly the driver, who appears to be wearing Skechers:

Former Marine Caleb Howe also points out issues with their uniforms, including “sleeve settings,” on his Twitter feed.

While convinced that the video is a fairly obvious hoax, we contacted the Pittsburgh police to see if anyone had reported the arrest. They referred us to the G20 Joint Information Center, which gave us this stunning statement:

The individuals involved in the 9/24/09 arrest, which has appeared online, are law enforcement officers from a multi-agency tactical response team… It is not unusual for tactical team members to wear camouflage fatigues. The type of fatigues the officers wear designates their unit affiliation.

Prior to the arrest, the officers observed the subject vandalizing a local business. Due to the hostile nature of the crowd, officer safety, and for the safety of the person under arrest, the subject was immediately removed from the area.

Another G20 spokesperson confirmed for me that the man is in police custody, and that the officers are not affiliated with the military in any way.

This goes to show, sometimes truth looks faker than fiction.

Update: Hot Air has downgraded their BS Alert from “skeptical” to “plausible.” Drudge still hypes this as a “U.S. Military” operation.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.