201–210 of 230 posts
I was definitely confused by this article at first, thinking it was some silly guide for law enforcement which can't tell the difference between criminals and LARPers...?? But no -- it's actually about terrorists and criminals trying to claim in court that their criminal planning wasn't that at all, but just LARPing: > For example, after Kaleb Franks was arrested in October 2020 for plotting to abduct Michigan Govern…
If a group of actual LARPers doesn't want spectators, isn't part of a larger LARPing community, doesn't have rules/character sheets, is concerned about law enforcement (!) then they look like terrorists, based on this guidance.
The problem is that they've commingled a handful of objective facts with a handful of mental states and motives that are only known to the individuals.
The only reliable factor is if they are using live weapons and ammunition. Sadly, law enforcement is likely incapable of using that single, obvious factor to judge the legality of what is otherwise creative expression, and therefore leans into the pseudo-forensics provided here.
Most of us here probably think of LARPing as fantasy-genre LARPing, but I think this is more pointed toward Mil-Sim LARPing. These are hardcore airsoft guys who go buy comms, night-vision, IR, with airsoft weapons that function like real weapons. There are multi-day events with NATO vs RUS forces. Look up "milsim west" on Youtube and you can get a sense of it. There's a good amount of folks that just like to have fun…
Their Facebook group: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100075824776496
There’sa few articles with pictures floating around. This one’s from Vice: https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5vpbx/poland-larp-america-o...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Luckily individual soldiers without heavy equipment (at least some artillery) are more or less useless in a proper military showdown. Has been the case at least since WW2. ISIS was a good example, they were being quickly defeated by pretty much everyone involved in the Syrian conflict.
Few ambushes and you have the heavy equipment. That's how many Ukrainian volunteer groups armed themselves - on russian forces.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Luckily individual soldiers without heavy equipment (at least some artillery) are more or less useless in a proper military showdown. Has been the case at least since WW2. ISIS was a good example, they were being quickly defeated by pretty much everyone involved in the Syrian conflict.
Few ambushes and you have the heavy equipment. That's how many Ukrainian volunteer groups armed themselves - on russian forces.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Luckily individual soldiers without heavy equipment (at least some artillery) are more or less useless in a proper military showdown. Has been the case at least since WW2. ISIS was a good example, they were being quickly defeated by pretty much everyone involved in the Syrian conflict.
I think you should look into the middle east a bit more. Taliban are still around and now control the place. Individuals might not have heavy weapons to start. But with enough time, weapon destructivness reaches a parity.
Now think about whether either of those conditions apply in a particular scenario, then remember you need both. Afghans obviously hated being invaded and helped "their guys", they also had Peshawar.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Luckily individual soldiers without heavy equipment (at least some artillery) are more or less useless in a proper military showdown. Has been the case at least since WW2. ISIS was a good example, they were being quickly defeated by pretty much everyone involved in the Syrian conflict.
Few ambushes and you have the heavy equipment. That's how many Ukrainian volunteer groups armed themselves - on russian forces.
The captured vehicles could often be serviced by either side. Also, some vehicles could be traded with foreign partners'. I bet you there are multiple T-90 and even more interesting vehicles in Yuma Proving Ground and other compounds, disassembled to the last screw.
I had to scratch my head for a moment to see if it was an April Fools' joke (it was posted 4 days later). Regular police investigative techniques can disambiguate intent of (an) individual(s) by searching their items and questioning their plans. Someone LARPing isn't going to play act with live ordinance, contagious pathogens, or actual firearms. They may well carry swords, but then they'd also be wearing padded armo…
Huh? normal people LARP with actual firearms using live ammunition all the time on tactical training sets. Most of them pay legitimate, taxpaying corporations thousands of dollars for the privilege.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It isn't just courts, these are for police officers in general, they say it near the top "which may be helpful to both law enforcement and prosecutors if suspects of targeted violence claim they were playacting". These standards will likely make officers go after more genuine LARPers than before. These tips are very problematic if police officers start to follow them, for example: > Role players will not discuss law…
Don't worry, the cops are not going to take away your robe and wizard hat. But if you're playing pretend with real weapons, you deserve scrutiny, regardless of your ideology.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're looking at this from an assumption-of-LARPing. Imagine an FBI agent looking at evidence of Timothy McVeigh at a gun show in 1994. He's selling a flare gun he claims can 'shoot down an ATF helicopter' and ATF hats with bullet holes in them. When interviewed without charge, imagine McVeigh claims that it's part of his LARPing activities. What standards would you suggest that agent applies, in order to avoid a fa…
Another way to phrase that first sentence is "assumption of innocence". And while random commentators on the internet are not obligated to honor it, law enforcement is supposed to.
This is not the standard actually applied to law enforcement in the US. You can be convicted of nothing other than resisting arrest. Resisting arrest for what? Literally does not matter.
Also if you are arrested and found innocent, you are not compensated in any way for that arrest, which was clearly wrongful. Police in general are simply exempt from unlawful detention, except in cases of a well connected individual.