Minneapolis response to the police killing of George Floyd
May 27, 2020 9:16 AM   Subscribe

Anti-fascist news site Unicorn Riot has 2 hours of raw footage taken at the scene of last night's protest of the police killing of George Floyd. @TheQueerCrimer was live-tweeting police radio broadcasts. It's Going Down has a good summary article of what happened. Four officers present at the killing have been fired. What we know about Derek Chauvin and Tou Thao, two of the officers caught on tape, including info about their previous use-of-force incidents, one of which resulted in a $25,000 out-of-court settlement.

At 1:23:50 and 1:30:25 in the Unicorn Riot footage, you can see protesters trying to stop the vandalism and property damage ("Go home! This is not ok!")

Footage of a crowd surrounding a man at the protest who was allegedly carrying a loaded gun, and who was disarmed by protesters, amid reports that white nationalists have been attending the protests.
posted by mediareport (1549 comments total) 85 users marked this as a favorite
 
ACAB
posted by entropicamericana at 9:20 AM on May 27, 2020 [56 favorites]


. with a side of apoplectic rage
posted by Flannery Culp at 9:21 AM on May 27, 2020 [3 favorites]


Four officers present at the killing have been fired.

Dear Biden,

When you are elected president please trash the DOJ's petite policy in the case of official misconduct and bring murder cops to justice when states fail to. When you are given a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence you should be held at a far higher standard of scrutiny than normal.

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,
P. Rock

P.S. End qualified immunity and make cops carry brutality insurance.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 9:22 AM on May 27, 2020 [54 favorites]


Klobuchar actually used the phrase "officer-involved death." She is unfit to lead.

Also, the Unicorn Riot Twitter feed is a very useful source of information, even beyond their courageous on-the-ground reporting. For instance, they just linked to this March 2020 article about community groups pressing Minneapolis to allow the public to see contract negotiations between police and the city.
posted by mediareport at 9:33 AM on May 27, 2020 [20 favorites]


The Washington Post has footage of the initial arrest where he is in handcuffs before he is taken across the street and murdered.
posted by Catblack at 9:38 AM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Four officers present at the killing have been fired.

Not to worry. I'm sure any of the suburban police departments will jump at the chance of hiring such battle-hardened heroes. No, this is not sarcasm. I wish it was, but these guys are all but guaranteed employment as LEOs elsewhere.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:45 AM on May 27, 2020 [38 favorites]


To be fair, the remainder of Klobuchar’s quote is pretty much exactly what you’d want her to say.

Singling out that one thing and ignoring the remainder of the statement seems disingenuous, because the actual statement itself doesn’t pull any punches or use any passive-voice bullshit.

[Yes, I’d have preferred if she’d avoided the phrase.]
posted by schmod at 9:55 AM on May 27, 2020 [10 favorites]


This is my neighborhood; cup foods is actually my preferred UPS dropoff location. I don't know why 'my favorite chinese takeout place stuck its neck out and supplied evidence that George Flynn wasn't resisting arrest' is the most surreal part of it for me but it is. I wasn't at the protest due to concern about social distancing (and really, really not wanting to risk getting arrested right now), but I really wish there was something we can do that doesn't put the community at Covid risk but does more than leaving voicemails for the mayor. People were doing their best yesterday - lots of masks and hand sanitizer and trying to spread out - before the tear gas started.

The tear gas was incredibly thick last night, and the second half of the protest - near the third precinct - was also right next to a homeless encampment. The police are not only culpable for George Flynn's death, not only culpable for us finding out exactly how detrimental exposure to tear gas is to covid patients.

Fuck Klobuchar. I'm just angry and sad and have been sick to my stomach all day.
posted by dinty_moore at 9:55 AM on May 27, 2020 [71 favorites]


... these guys are all but guaranteed employment as LEOs elsewhere.

... sadly it seems mere moral outrage is inadequate to incite change. Maybe the trick is to get some lawyer to successfully sue some locality whose LEO’s have killed someone. This would maybe lead to those LEO’s being black-balled ... and ... jesus, to even have to think of such an ass-backward way of changing the law to, simply, change so that police stop killing people.
posted by From Bklyn at 9:55 AM on May 27, 2020 [3 favorites]


(there is another protest sort-of planned for this saturday, 2pm, at That Fucking K-Mart, but other folks were pointing out that area is under construction, so)
posted by dinty_moore at 9:58 AM on May 27, 2020 [3 favorites]


Firing the murderers and their accomplices is meaningless as they just get shuffled around. Taking away their pensions/making them personally liable would be a minor improvement to "accountability" but the first meaningful step would be more widespread acceptance that increasing police and jail budgets is the problem and not the solution.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 9:59 AM on May 27, 2020 [10 favorites]


because the actual statement itself doesn’t pull any punches or use any passive-voice bullshit.

"instance of an African American man dying."

"tragic loss of life"

To me, this is pretty close to passive-voice bullshit.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 10:04 AM on May 27, 2020 [57 favorites]


When you can't say the fucking word "murder" it doesn't matter what the fuck else you say, you're not willing to call it what it fucking IS, WAS, AND SHALL FOREVER BE.
posted by deadaluspark at 10:06 AM on May 27, 2020 [31 favorites]


Does Klobuchar's response actually use the words "police" or mention the fact that this man was killed by police? She makes it sound like he mysteriously died somehow and someone, somewhere should investigate and hold those responsible "accountable," whatever that means.

Bullshit responses like that are how the white supremacist system maintains its power.
posted by fryman at 10:07 AM on May 27, 2020 [75 favorites]


To be fair, the remainder of Klobuchar’s quote is pretty much exactly what you’d want her to say.

I could not disagree more strongly. Empty platitudes are not enough. Certainly not coming from this specific politician:

As a prosecutor in heavily white Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar declined to go after police involved in fatal encounters with black men

As chief prosecutor for Minnesota’s most populous county from 1999 to 2007, Klobuchar declined to bring charges in more than two dozen cases in which people were killed in encounters with police.

At the same time, she aggressively prosecuted smaller offenses such as vandalism and routinely sought longer-than-recommended sentences, including for minors. Such prosecutions, done with the aim of curbing more serious crimes, have had mixed results and have been criticized for their disproportionate effect on poor and minority communities.

“We were already a community in distress when she became Hennepin County attorney,” said Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney and former president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP. “Rather than taking steps to help mitigate some of those concerns and issues, during her tenure in office, her policies exacerbated the situation.”


Oh, and this bit might be relevant:

Under Klobuchar, local prosecutors were assigned to police precincts to crack down on smaller offenses such as check forgery.

Klobuchar's mealy-mouthed response - and yes, her use of police-generated PR language to describe a police killing is an essential part of that - is wretched, and clearly demonstrates she's unfit for national office at this time.
posted by mediareport at 10:10 AM on May 27, 2020 [72 favorites]


I'm sure any of the suburban police departments will jump at the chance of hiring such battle-hardened heroes. No, this is not sarcasm. I wish it was, but these guys are all but guaranteed employment as LEOs elsewhere.

Even more depressingly, various people (on Twitter, where I've been somewhat following this) have pointed out that it's not at all unusual for cops to get reinstated in their departments because the terms of the police union contracts make it expensive/difficult for them to be permanently fired.

This is one of the reasons folks are calling for them to be charged with crimes - otherwise there's a good chance they'll be back on the Minneapolis force in a year or two, after a bunch of union-backed lawsuits.
posted by soundguy99 at 10:10 AM on May 27, 2020 [10 favorites]




It makes me so sick that the only unions that are worth a damn in this country are fucking police unions.

Most of these motherfuckers (read: bastards cops) are die hard Trump supporters and conservatives.

But nevermind that unions are pesky socialism, they let us keep our worst on the forces!

Darkest timeline.
posted by deadaluspark at 10:13 AM on May 27, 2020 [25 favorites]


Police unions don't serve and protect the public; they serve and protect the interests of white supremacy and capitalism (which are closely tied to each other):
When confronted with information of police unions’ misdeeds, many progressives accuse the bearer of anti-union animus. But if the Black Lives Matter movement has taught us anything, it’s that cops are different from other public-sector employees.

Social workers and teachers don’t fire bullets into the hearts and heads of unarmed people, or impose brute order when social unrest proves too acute for less coercive pacification. The word “union” shouldn’t be treated as an acid bath that magically disappears this social function. As Kristian Williams reminds us in his indispensable Our Enemies in Blue, “Police organize as police, not workers.”

Hoping for reform-minded police unions is also delusional. The GI movement encouraged rebellion within the ranks to terminate the Vietnam War; police unions, by contrast, have repeatedly fought to retain and expand the state’s coercive apparatus.

The few reform organizations that do exist — such as the National Black Police Association — have failed miserably. If anything, reform groups would benefit from being able to organize without the influence of an overarching union. The same goes for individual officers. Unencumbered by the union apparatus, it would likely be easier to convince those of good conscience to betray their occupation’s prerogatives and fight for radical causes, including the transformation of policing.
posted by Ouverture at 10:18 AM on May 27, 2020 [39 favorites]


What we know about Derek Chauvin

male ... chauvinist ... pig
posted by chavenet at 10:18 AM on May 27, 2020 [3 favorites]




... sadly it seems mere moral outrage is inadequate to incite change. Maybe the trick is to get some lawyer to successfully sue some locality whose LEO’s have killed someone.

I think the real solution would be for these cops to suddenly find themselves in prison among the general population. Once they realize prosecutors, juries and judges no longer have any qualms about making killers actually pay for their crimes, maybe some actual attitude change will happen.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:35 AM on May 27, 2020 [13 favorites]


prosecutors, juries and judges

Yeah, two out of those three need to be replaced as badly as the cops do because they support this kind of shit nearly unilaterally. Prosecutors literally make their careers off of convicting people. It's not in their agenda to make sure people get off.

Judges back up the cops way too much in this country. Won't happen.
posted by deadaluspark at 10:38 AM on May 27, 2020 [3 favorites]


Taking away their pensions/making them personally liable would be a minor improvement to "accountability"

This is possibly the biggest stick to wield. My closest childhood friend grew up to be an RCMP officer (although he remained a very easygoing and progessive-minded fellow). He was twice divorced — an occupational hazard for Mounties — and told me once that in both divorces he said to his soon-to-be-ex that she gets everything (house, car, the lot) and he keeps his pension, which he was quite happy with.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:39 AM on May 27, 2020 [5 favorites]


I think the real solution would be for these cops to suddenly find themselves in prison among the general population. Once they realize prosecutors, juries and judges no longer have any qualms about making killers actually pay for their crimes, maybe some actual attitude change will happen.

Or this just leads to police officers and prosecutors covering up these cases even more harshly than they already do.

Prisons in America are terrible and desperately need to be reformed. And it isn't as though they have provided any sort of significant deterrent to criminality.
posted by Ouverture at 10:40 AM on May 27, 2020 [17 favorites]




Thank goodness for cell phones.

The families of copicides do sue cities, often with success. Tax dollars pay for insurance policies. Insurance companies require training, blah blah. White guys can drape themselves with powerful guns and gobs of ammo and terrorize legislators. Black people can't go birding in Central Park or running in their neighborhood, or, maybe commit misdemeanors. White people need to make it stop.

I'll note that Klobuchar is unlikely to deem anybody guilty until proven.
posted by theora55 at 10:51 AM on May 27, 2020 [9 favorites]


Prosecutors literally make their careers off of convicting people. It's not in their agenda to make sure people get off.

I hate to use the "not all" line, but it fits here: Not all prosecutors. Could a lifelong criminal defense attorney who wants to blow up the system get elected as DA of a major American city? Why, yes.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 10:52 AM on May 27, 2020 [9 favorites]


I'll note that Klobuchar is unlikely to deem anybody guilty until proven.

There's a FIVE MINUTE VIDEO of him murdering a man. There's video from the Washington Post from before that which shows the man wasn't resisting. What the fuck else proof do we fucking need here?

Klobuchar can go fuck herself. What a fucking JOKE.
posted by deadaluspark at 10:53 AM on May 27, 2020 [48 favorites]


Also, for the past 3 1/2 years, Vile Mitch McConnell has been packing the federal courts with detestable judges; the GOPers have a strong agenda and stick to it ruthlessly, so you can be sure state judges are the same. We need to be serious about taking back the country, 'cause the other side is way ahead.
posted by theora55 at 10:54 AM on May 27, 2020 [11 favorites]


If there's not a good legal theory under which the other officers could be charged, then there needs to be one. It should be a serious crime for a cop to stand by while another cop commits murder (or assault or sexual assault or planting evidence or any number of other crimes so common among police).
posted by jedicus at 10:55 AM on May 27, 2020 [15 favorites]


Like, for the people defending Klobuchar's words, would it REALLY be that hard for her to just admit "for all intents and purposes, this looks like the murder of a civilian by an officer of the law, but obviously, we will need a proper investigation and prosecution to be able to determine that."

How the fuck hard was that? I'm not even a public relations propaganda flunky and I was able to do it. What the flying FUCK.
posted by deadaluspark at 11:00 AM on May 27, 2020 [14 favorites]


If there's not a good legal theory under which the other officers could be charged, then there needs to be one.

Felony murder rule. Minnesota still has it.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 11:03 AM on May 27, 2020 [11 favorites]


Like, for the people defending Klobuchar's words, would it REALLY be that hard for her to just admit "for all intents and purposes, this looks like the murder of a civilian by an officer of the law, but obviously, we will need a proper investigation and prosecution to be able to determine that."

This type of accurate language alienates moderate and centrist voters, especially in swing states.
posted by Ouverture at 11:04 AM on May 27, 2020 [6 favorites]


It should be a serious crime for a cop to stand by while another cop commits murder

Not quite the same as a crime but:

Three of those four Minneapolis police officers who got fired today were fired because organizers successfully pressured the city in 2016 to adopt a policy requiring officers to intervene whenever they witness another officer using excessive force.

(Another sharp tweet from Samuel Sinyangwe, like the one Etrigan posted above. He's a fantastic Twitter follow for issues of police brutality.)
posted by mediareport at 11:05 AM on May 27, 2020 [54 favorites]


Just saw this image on reddit. TW: that's the murderer on stage with Trump.
posted by Catblack at 11:11 AM on May 27, 2020 [5 favorites]


This type of accurate language alienates racists who support racist systems while somehow not having "a racist bone in [their] body".

Electoralism won't save us when this much of the country is literally part of the problem.
posted by tobascodagama at 11:11 AM on May 27, 2020 [9 favorites]


Not to worry. I'm sure any of the suburban police departments will jump at the chance of hiring such battle-hardened heroes. No, this is not sarcasm. I wish it was, but these guys are all but guaranteed employment as LEOs elsewhere.

let's not forget the lucrative right-wing media grift. also, i'm sure there's some sort of crowdfunding going on for these "brave heroes'" benefit as we speak
posted by entropicamericana at 11:13 AM on May 27, 2020 [5 favorites]


Just saw this image on reddit. TW: that's the murderer on stage with Trump.

As much as it looks like him, let's not do the reddit thing and jump to conclusions. Let's get a wee bit more evidence than "this looks pretty similar to the guy."

I mean, the guy is obviously verifiably a piece of shit, with or without being a Trump supporter.
posted by deadaluspark at 11:17 AM on May 27, 2020 [14 favorites]


Felony murder rule. Minnesota still has it.

Almost all states do, but I don't see how it would apply in this case. Broadly speaking, felony murder "upgrades" deaths caused during a felony to murder. So, for example, if someone robs a bank, speeds away in getaway car, then causes a deadly accident, that death gets upgraded to murder when it would probably normally be manslaughter at most. The rule generally extends the charge to accomplices and co-conspirators. So, for example, the driver and any other robbers would all get charged with murder even if only the driver was the immediate cause of the death.

In this case the underlying crime is straight-up murder already, and it may be difficult to prove a conspiracy or that the other officers were accomplices. In Minnesota accomplice liability appears to require intentional aid. In this case it could be argued (I don't know how successfully) that being present counts as aiding the commission of the murder because it prevented others from intervening. But I'm arguing for something even stricter than that. If a cop saw the murder from a distance and the murderer and the public were unaware of the bystander cop's presence, then I still want it to be a crime for the bystander cop not to intervene.
posted by jedicus at 11:25 AM on May 27, 2020 [3 favorites]


could be anyone, really

I mean, it really could. A lot of these cro-mangon fucks look alike and they're pretty proud of that.
posted by deadaluspark at 11:27 AM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


One of our State Representatives here in Florida shared an interesting take: People protesting the police murdering a man get bathed in tear gas, while people being aggressive to the point of inducing the fear of violence to bystanders while openly carrying boner crutches (aka guns) because they were sad they couldn't get a haircut are left in peace.

What the fuck, America?
posted by wierdo at 11:27 AM on May 27, 2020 [42 favorites]


Mod note: One deleted; sorry, I do get that it's coming from good intentions, but let's not steer this into imagining how a hypothetical white ally might've taken a heroic action to save George Floyd. That particular framing ends up taking things in a weirdly white-ally-centric direction. Fine to talk about actions to take generally.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 11:28 AM on May 27, 2020 [14 favorites]


Mpls Police Union President says the individual in that photo is not Officer Chauvin.

The individual wearing a Make Whites Great Again hat in another widely circulated photo is also apparently not Officer Chauvin.

Rest in Power, George Floyd.

.
posted by lord_wolf at 11:31 AM on May 27, 2020 [10 favorites]


"...and he has a 'cops for trump' shirt on, with silhouette of minnesota." could be anyone, really

Everyone on that stage with Trump is a Minnesota Cop (this was at a rally that Trump held less than a year ago in support of Bob Kroll). So yeah, could be a lot of people, and I think I've seen that picture debunked, though it could be just that he's somewhere else in that picture.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:31 AM on May 27, 2020 [4 favorites]


I mean, do we need more proof that he's racist? I think we have enough proof that he's racist.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:34 AM on May 27, 2020 [10 favorites]


I can't get past the differences between the Minneapolis BLM protest and anti-lockdown protestsSalon; Amanda Marcotte; May 27, 2020 • 'In Minneapolis, police tear-gas unarmed protesters opposing racist violence — but armed Trumpers get the red carpet'
The bigger picture is clear: The police showed up in Minneapolis looking for a fight and were ready to use even the slimmest excuses in order to unleash violence on protesters who weren't armed and didn't injure anyone. (And some of whom were literally children.) But in Ohio and Michigan and other places, anti-lockdown protesters literally showed up to threaten politicians with an implicit message of violence by performing their paramilitary cosplay — and police did nothing.
posted by ZeusHumms at 11:37 AM on May 27, 2020 [65 favorites]


anti-lockdown protesters literally showed up to threaten politicians with an implicit message of violence by performing their paramilitary cosplay — and police did nothing.

$10 says that half the people "performing their paramilitary cosplay" were fucking off-duty cops. They don't eat their own, despite being rats.
posted by deadaluspark at 11:39 AM on May 27, 2020 [30 favorites]


Also, even though they were paramilitary cosplayers their guns were still loaded. The police aren't going to fuck with a group who are already heavily armed. Even the feds don't want to fuck with people who are heavily armed unless absolutely necessary. They're outnumbered by weapons. When a weapon is an abstract concept on an unarmed black man it's a lot easier to be cavalier about lethal force. When you have the overwhelming firepower to quickly murder a single unarmed suspect there's very little risk in an extended firefight and injury so they go ahead and escalate. Having dozens of semi-automatic wielding nutjobs around you changes the calculus.

For a control I wonder what would happen if black people were armed to the fucking hilt with assault rifles in a similar display. Would racism or self-preservation win the day? Smart money is on racism though.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 11:55 AM on May 27, 2020 [5 favorites]


For a control I wonder what would happen if black people were armed to the fucking hilt with assault rifles in a similar display. Would racism or self-preservation win the day? Smart money is on racism though.

This is not an abstract hypothetical. It happened. It went much as you might expect.
posted by RolandOfEld at 11:58 AM on May 27, 2020 [22 favorites]


For a control I wonder what would happen if black people were armed to the fucking hilt with assault rifles in a similar display. Would racism or self-preservation win the day? Smart money is on racism though.

You just literally described how gun control started in California. The Black Panthers were numerous and had guns, and that just wasn't okay for the fearful white conservatives, so despite all their bleating about the second amendment, they'll drop it in a heartbeat if it means the "wrong" people have access to weaponry.
posted by deadaluspark at 11:58 AM on May 27, 2020 [28 favorites]


I've long said that to get gun control approved in most states all you have to do is hand out free shotguns to poor/brown folks and the homeless.
posted by aramaic at 12:00 PM on May 27, 2020 [8 favorites]


At least in South Africa, the country was openly apartheid. We really need a Truth and Reconciliation style reform in the USA but how do we get there when 50% of the country are self-deluding racists?

If anyone doubts the reasons for Klobuchar's mealy mouthed comments, she likely remembers the Obama/Gates debacle where Obama dared suggest a white cop might not be always right and suffered a 7% approval decline.
posted by benzenedream at 12:01 PM on May 27, 2020 [14 favorites]


I understand the argument about the police meekly allowing armed right-wing protesters to intimidate the government while attacking peaceful left-wing protesters at the drop of a hat, but according to the summary at the anarchist site It's Going Down linked in the original post, the police did not start firing tear gas until *after* a small group of protesters broke the front window of the 3rd Precinct headquarters.

After first marching to the site of Floyd’s murder, the crowd kept the protest moving and marched on the 3rd police precinct, located in a highly residential and commercial area. After surrounding the building, the front window of the precinct was busted out and people began to write slogans on police cars and building walls, while others pelted the remaining windows with eggs and other projectiles. People then began attempting to break out more windows before being repelled by police tear gas from officers inside the building.

I think the first police car was destroyed around this time as well. Then:

During this chaos, various “peace police” attempted to contain the crowd, trying to get them to stop attacking police property, yet these cries fell almost completely on deaf ears. A large group of police wearing gas masks then were successful in pushing the crowd away from the building, and also towards the police parking lot, where people began to tear open fences to vandalize and attack a variety of police vehicles; breaking out windows, mirrors, popping tires and spray painting slogans.

Enraged, police then began shooting massive amounts of projectile weapons and tear-gas into the parking lot, pushing people onto the adjacent street, and away from their vehicles. Unicorn Riot reported on the ground that these tear-gas canisters led to a series of small fires, which were quickly put out by demonstrators, who also threw the tear gas back towards the police. Officers also shot off large amounts of “marker rounds,” which left large blotches of paint behind when fired; marking an individual for possible later arrest.


Anyway, I make no excuses for the insane police over-reaction and question whether tear gassing a crowd is *ever* a proper response to property damage, but after reading a number of first-hand accounts from the left and watching the Unicorn Riot footage, it seemed worth noting that the smashed police station windows and at least one police car came before the tear gas attacks.
posted by mediareport at 12:08 PM on May 27, 2020 [7 favorites]


If anyone doubts the reasons for Klobuchar's mealy mouthed comments, she likely remembers the Obama/Gates debacle where Obama dared suggest a white cop might not be always right and suffered a 7% approval decline.

This isn't just her being political, though that alone is pretty abhorrent. (She gets like 80% of the vote I think she can afford a temporary 7% drop.) She has a long history of being entirely shitty on race and police violence.
posted by graventy at 12:08 PM on May 27, 2020 [15 favorites]


...the police did not start firing tear gas until *after* a small group of protesters broke the front window of the 3rd Precinct headquarters.

This is incorrect. The protest started at 38th and Chicago, and tear canisters were shot there - reports indicate that it was in response to water bottles being thrown. After they tried to disperse the crowd at 38th and Chicago, the protest moved to the 3rd Precinct, where things got rougher and there was more tear gas. One way to tell is that it started raining halfway through the protest - there's pictures of tear gas being dealt with before the rain started, all of the 3rd precinct pictures are in the rain.
posted by dinty_moore at 12:15 PM on May 27, 2020 [32 favorites]


When the cops are murdering people with impunity, why should we give one flying fuck about the property they've expropriated from minorities and the poverty stricken (often one and the same) through civil forfeiture, taxes, eminent domain, and targeted ticketing/policing?

Take it fucking back. If that means burning it to the fucking ground, so be it. The cops fucking started this by murdering someone. If they didn't want this to happen, they could have, you know, not fucking murdered someone and then backed up the murderer by protecting their property (which, just personal opinion is worth less than a human life is, and I'm sick as living fuck of this country acting like property is worth more than human life) instead of just throwing the guys ass in fucking jail.

Isn't this the rhetoric they always spit at us? If we had just followed the law bad things wouldn't have happened to us? Yeah, if they had just FOLLOWED THE LAW all this could have been avoided, all the property destruction and worry that people were going to take loaded weapons from cop cars (which is the main claim the city is giving for the violence against protestors).

I concur, fucking burn it to the ground.
posted by deadaluspark at 12:22 PM on May 27, 2020 [65 favorites]


How come the people who have a state sanctioned monopoly on violence aren't expected to be professional and deescalate situations. "Oh they were just responding to protesters". What? If you can't be cool and composed about it why the hell should we trust you with the responsibility to possibly use lethal force? It's just a dick waving contest by proxy. A show of force to try and force submission to authority.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 12:23 PM on May 27, 2020 [39 favorites]


It's like as soon as black people start to be perceived as uppity by white people the cognitive faculties and prefrontal cortex of said white people just vanish and they become fine with things like street justice, vengeance, and general poor quality policing.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 12:28 PM on May 27, 2020 [8 favorites]


I wasn't aware of the tear gas at 38th and Chicago, thanks, dinty_moore (although it doesn't appear to be raining in the Unicorn Riot footage outside the precinct at 1:19:43, when it appears the first objects start being thrown at the front window and the crowd starts cheering).

Thanks for the reminder, though, that I'm trying to piece things together from afar, relying on first-hand accounts, so if anyone knows of more of those, please feel free to post them.
posted by mediareport at 12:28 PM on May 27, 2020 [5 favorites]



When the cops are murdering people with impunity, why should we give one flying fuck about the property they've expropriated from minorities and the poverty stricken (often one and the same) through civil forfeiture, taxes, eminent domain, and targeted ticketing/policing?


I agree completely, and don't think property damage is *ever* a reason for using tear gas against a crowd.
posted by mediareport at 12:29 PM on May 27, 2020 [4 favorites]


...the police did not start firing tear gas until *after* a small group of protesters broke the front window of the 3rd Precinct headquarters.

This is incorrect. The protest started at 38th and Chicago, and tear canisters were shot there - reports indicate that it was in response to water bottles being thrown.


Just to be even more precise, the water bottles being thrown were in response to a person being murdered while handcuffed in broad daylight on suspicion of passing a counterfeit bill.

So put that all in order:
1) a property crime is followed by
2) a murder is followed by
3) a thrown water bottle is followed by
4) tear gas is followed by
5) a broken window is followed by
6) way the fuck more tear gas.

Note the escalations from every odd number (action by not-cops) to every even number (action by cops). The protestors are being remarkably the fuck gracious in constantly doing less than is done to them.
posted by Etrigan at 12:29 PM on May 27, 2020 [83 favorites]


I wasn't aware of the tear gas at 38th and Chicago, thanks, dinty_moore

Fact checking myself, it looks like it was folks being maced, not tear gassed.

Not that it's that much better.

(I was also looking for the video of the woman talking and then suddenly tear gas fills the screen, but unable to find it right now)
posted by dinty_moore at 12:35 PM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Speaking of which, protesters are back at the 3rd precinct.

Cup foods was closed today, owner has apparently been getting nonstop death threats.
posted by dinty_moore at 12:47 PM on May 27, 2020 [7 favorites]




Cup foods was closed today, owner has apparently been getting nonstop death threats.
posted by dinty_moore at 3:47 PM on May 27 [1 favorite +] [!]


Is there anything legit or official to make sure their business stays safe and they aren't losing money?
posted by FirstMateKate at 12:51 PM on May 27, 2020 [4 favorites]


don't think property damage is *ever* a reason for using tear gas against a crowd

I should qualify that; I can envision scenarios of racists running riot where I imagine I'd want to see tear gas used. I admit this makes me somewhat inconsistent in my beliefs and am ok with being that amount of imperfect.
posted by mediareport at 12:52 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


Protestors are also doing a good old fashioned siege of the murderer's home.

Personal consequences for cops are literally the only thing that will change shit. Direct Action gets things done.
posted by deadaluspark at 12:52 PM on May 27, 2020 [20 favorites]


I'm hearing conflicting accounts- wasn't Cup Foods responsible for calling the cops in the first place? Shouldn't we want them shut down?
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 12:54 PM on May 27, 2020 [3 favorites]


I should qualify that; I can envision scenarios of racists running riot where I imagine I'd want to see tear gas used. I admit this makes me somewhat inconsistent in my beliefs and am ok with being that amount of imperfect.

I don't think it disqualifies it. I think you're just practicing the paradox of tolerance. To protect a tolerant society, one must be intolerant of the intolerant.

In other words, it is not inconsistent at all.
posted by deadaluspark at 12:54 PM on May 27, 2020 [9 favorites]


I'm hearing conflicting accounts- wasn't Cup Foods responsible for calling the cops in the first place? Shouldn't we want them shut down?
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 3:54 PM on May 27 [+] [!]

It was cup foods that released the video footage that proves that Floyd was not resisting arrest prior to the cell footage we have. They did stick their neck out in that regard.
posted by FirstMateKate at 12:56 PM on May 27, 2020 [4 favorites]


I mean, I'm not super worried about cup foods closing for good - they really don't have any competition, and I get the impression that about half of the people who are angry at cup foods are angry at them for calling the cops while allowing a good amount of other shady shit go down in their store (though if I remember from retail, calling the cops for forgery is something you kind of have to do if you don't want to be held liable for it). But I am worried about their workers, not to mention the other shops that are down the same block.

Anyway, the woman talking in front of cup foods before hearing shots and then running video I was thinking of - still not tear gas, still the police using violence to control a nonviolent crowd.
posted by dinty_moore at 12:58 PM on May 27, 2020 [6 favorites]


It was cup foods that released the video footage that proves that Floyd was not resisting arrest prior to the cell footage we have. They did stick their neck out in that regard.

actually that was dragon wok
posted by dinty_moore at 12:58 PM on May 27, 2020 [10 favorites]


I stand mistaken
posted by FirstMateKate at 12:59 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


For a control I wonder what would happen if black people were armed to the fucking hilt with assault rifles in a similar display. Would racism or self-preservation win the day? Smart money is on racism though.


I get where you're coming from, but asking POC to carry the burden of arming themselves is not the answer here.

1. POC carrying weapons are about a million times more likely to be shot and killed by law enforcement than white people
2. Even if enough POC band together to arm themselves and make the cops fearful of murdering people with impunity, it's going to lead to either Reagan-in-California gun control, or to escalated militarization of an already pretty fuckin' militarized police department
3. Asking communities of color to be responsible for undoing decades of escalating police brutality, when they have consistently been the main target of that brutality despite bearing no blame for it, is, uh... kind of retrograde, and exactly the sort of thing people talk about when they talk about white people absolving themselves of guilt around systemic racism
posted by Mayor West at 12:59 PM on May 27, 2020 [46 favorites]


If people really think its that easy for minorities, who are often living in abject poverty, to go buy a gun, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.

Especially when the background check gets you almost definitely put on a list of people who are known to own weapons, thus giving cops just one more reason to come at you guns blazing and ask questions later.

Buying a gun is literally too costly for those in poverty (they are fucking expensive), and is genuinely a factor that INCREASES the risk of getting shot by a cop, not decreases.

Philando Castile (another citizen of Minnesota) learned that the hard way.
posted by deadaluspark at 1:04 PM on May 27, 2020 [15 favorites]


Mod note: Please drop the hypothetical about "what if the positions were reversed" re heavily arming black protesters. Nobody is really proposing this should be done -- for reasons that should be really obvious and are discussed above. Entertaining this further as if it were either a fun abstract exercise or a real tough-guy plan is ignoring all that context. So please drop it.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 1:13 PM on May 27, 2020 [10 favorites]


Delete if this is a further derail, but the whole "modern black panthers" hypothetical has been done and only resulted in the FBI classifying armed black people as a new terrorist group.
posted by benzenedream at 1:21 PM on May 27, 2020 [5 favorites]




AOC tweeting about George Floyd's murder:
I’ll just say it: a lot of politicians are scared of the political power of the police,and that’s why changes to hold them accountable for flagrant killings don’t happen. That in itself is a scary problem.

We shouldn’t be intimidated out of holding people accountable for murder.
What a reasonable and hard-to-disagree-with statement that I am nevertheless sure will provoke paroxysms of outrage from the usual suspects.
posted by Nerd of the North at 1:25 PM on May 27, 2020 [20 favorites]


"[Officer] Thao is then shown moving away from his colleagues to tell the crowd to “get back on the sidewalk.” As he moves toward them, one of the bystanders points out that Floyd no longer seems to be moving. A short time later, paramedics arrive and put him onto a gurney and into a waiting ambulance. Floyd was taken to HCMC, where he died at 9:25 p.m. The cause of his death is “pending further testing and investigation” by multiple agencies, according to the medical examiner." (Star Tribune)

Given that HCMC has been in bed with the police for years (see: Minneapolis police directed paramedics to inject suspects with ketamine to subdue them/create memory loss), I doubt the time and place of Mr. Floyd's death.

Previously in Minneapolis: "To subdue [28-year-old David] Smith, the officers [Timothy Gorman and Timothy Callahan] forced Smith onto his stomach, then placed a knee in his back and held him down for about four minutes;" "The Hennepin County medical examiner’s office said Smith died of “mechanical asphyxia” caused by prone restraint. He ruled Smith’s death a homicide;" - Star Tribune, "Minneapolis pays $3 million in police misconduct case" The payout to the family of David Smith was the second-largest for police misconduct in Minneapolis history, June 1, 2013
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:26 PM on May 27, 2020 [19 favorites]


Smart money is on racism though.

White people dropped a literal bomb on a city because of this.


Philadelphia or Tulsa?
posted by Catblack at 1:27 PM on May 27, 2020 [6 favorites]


A good video to have on hand when the moderate white people in your life tell you that while this is sad, the police had to respond to George Floyd the way they did, that there's no other way for police to subdue and interact with suspects: Vacationing Swedish police officers break up fight on NY subway, treat man saying he can't breathe like an actual human being.
posted by lord_wolf at 2:01 PM on May 27, 2020 [24 favorites]


I do not want to derail, please delete if necessary. This is something I've wondered about for a while: what does an ethical responsible private security force for a neighborhood look like? If I'm a business and want to genuinely help my community, how would I put together something like this? A solid ROE and transparent responsibility mechanisms are part of it, and community outreach and involvement. Security people and bodyguards with guns are obviously legal and widely used, but what would someone do to not devolve into Pinkertonism?
posted by Evilspork at 2:08 PM on May 27, 2020 [6 favorites]


According to the fire department report (link to PDF in article), George Floyd was already unresponsive and pulseless when they caught up* with the ambulance. They must have waited for a doctor at HCMC to officially pronounce death.

*Implied sketchiness in article about the emergency assistance call priority level being understated. If the ambulance/fire engine had got there sooner and got that knee off Floyd's neck, could he have lived? We may never know.
posted by Flannery Culp at 2:10 PM on May 27, 2020 [7 favorites]


It's not at all uncommon for the actual declaration of death to take place at a hospital when a person is recently deceased from traumatic injury. If a shooting victim bleeds out on the way to the hospital, it's not any less of a murder than if they are declared dead on scene by a coroner or whatever.
posted by wierdo at 2:39 PM on May 27, 2020 [5 favorites]


what does an ethical responsible private security force for a neighborhood look like

It looks like colorless green ideas sleep furiously
posted by Ahmad Khani at 2:44 PM on May 27, 2020 [30 favorites]


Yeah only a doctor and a few other select people (coroner, some nurses) depending on the state can declare time of death. EMS usually can’t.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 2:44 PM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]




wierdo, YCPR: I guess I'm more used to the 'pronounced dead' phrasing in that situation, rather than the 'died at' in the article.
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:03 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


what does an ethical responsible private security force for a neighborhood look like?

This is a paradox. Public policing is already difficult enough to not be an agency of white supremacist capitalism without the introduction of a profit motive.

If I'm a business and want to genuinely help my community, how would I put together something like this?

If you are a business and you want to genuinely help your community, help your workers start a union and donate money to political leadership that redistributes wealth and disempowers the police.
posted by Ouverture at 3:45 PM on May 27, 2020 [30 favorites]




If you are a business and you want to genuinely help your community, help your workers start a union and donate money to political leadership that redistributes wealth and disempowers the police.

That is already part of the business plan, yes, but we don't have time for rational ideas.
posted by Evilspork at 3:58 PM on May 27, 2020


Twitter video: The city of Minneapolis is literally BUILDING AN ENTIRE WALL around the 3rd Police Precinct on Minnehaha Avenue.

Once again, they could just.... arrest the guy. That's all they have to do to stop a lot of this.

De-escalation is not in their vocabulary. While people not putting up with shit anymore makes me happy, the fact that this will lead to more and more violence because the police refuse to learn their fucking lesson is god damned horrific and sickening.

(just to be clear, the lesson they should be learning is "follow the same god damned laws you enforce or expect the same consequences")
posted by deadaluspark at 3:59 PM on May 27, 2020 [12 favorites]


Officer Derek Chauvin has engaged the legal services of Tom Kelly; Kelly was the lawyer for St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez, who was acquitted in the shooting death of Philando Castile in nearby St. Paul in 2017. Yanez attorneys want to bring up Philando Castile's driving record (May 11, 2017). Another Kelly request in that case: "Asking that potential jurors fill out jury questionnaires before the trial is officially set to start so the defense can 'conduct independent background checks'."
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:18 PM on May 27, 2020 [4 favorites]


@odinsdream:
"Sorry, this content isn't available right now
The link you followed may have expired, or the page may only be visible to an audience you're not in. "

I know you already apologized, but figured I'd shoot out the specific error in case anyone knows how to fix it.
posted by deadaluspark at 4:28 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


the terms of the police union contracts make it expensive/difficult for them to be permanently fired.

So I have heard this a lot as though it came down from passive voice, like, police unions just come forward with contracts and somehow these poor city officials were helpless to resist them. But huh, funny, somehow that isn't the case with literally every other union in this country. The question that needs to be asked is not just "why do police union contracts protect bad cops" but: why the fuck do public officials sign contracts that let police murder citizens with impunity?

And like: what they're doing would be war crimes if they were done overseas. Why the fuck aren't they crimes here?
posted by corb at 4:45 PM on May 27, 2020 [52 favorites]


Good article in Slate discussing the possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court may revisit its 1982 invention of the absurd "qualified immunity" test for police, which requires victims to demonstrate that a very similar offense had previously been "clearly established" by a court as a violation of the Constitution. The bar is obscenely high:

The addition of a “clearly established” requirement has transformed Section 1983 into a rubber stamp for egregious police misconduct. It is almost always possible for a judge to insist that a right is not “clearly established” because there is no precedent with the exact same facts. Two cases from 2017 illustrate the absurdity of this rule.

In one, a court granted qualified immunity to Deputy Richard Sylvester, who shot a man to death in his own apartment for no reason. Why? The victim had no “clearly established” right not to be murdered in his home by a cop. In the other, a court granted qualified immunity to Officer Terence Garrison, who let his police dog maul a homeless man whom he knew to be innocent. The court explained that the victim had no “clearly established” right not to be randomly disfigured by a police dog...

The fight against out-of-control qualified immunity has produced a flood of appeals that force SCOTUS to confront the consequences of its own handiwork. On May 18, the court turned away three of these appeals, including a jaw-dropping case in which police were granted qualified immunity after literally stealing $225,000. (There is no clearly established right not to be robbed by cops, the court held.) But there are still 10 on the docket.


So it appears we may see the sluggish SCOTUS hivemind recognize that maybe they fucked this one up.

Bonus link in the piece to The Appeal: Qualified Immunity: Explained
posted by mediareport at 4:51 PM on May 27, 2020 [17 favorites]


Yeah, I really think US folk have a damaged (literally due to trauma) understanding of use-of-force and as a result don't see these responses as the absolute batshittery that they are.

I blame police procedural scripted television. I truly fucking do.
posted by deadaluspark at 4:53 PM on May 27, 2020 [50 favorites]


And like: what they're doing would be war crimes if they were done overseas. Why the fuck aren't they crimes here?

These crimes and worse are done overseas. And they aren't crimes here for the same reason as they aren't crimes abroad: it's a feature, not a bug.

Imperialism abroad always comes back to victimize the already marginalized at home. The militarization of the police has to come from somewhere, after all.

I blame police procedural scripted television. I truly fucking do.

Absolutely.

Similarly, the TV show 24 was cited by Scalia as a justification for torture.
posted by Ouverture at 5:03 PM on May 27, 2020 [24 favorites]


@TheQueerCrimer is live-tweeting the police radio again. It's just one window into what's happening, but it's a useful one.
posted by mediareport at 5:03 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]




There's a video of looting now. It will lead the TV news tomorrow, I guarantee.
posted by mr_roboto at 5:09 PM on May 27, 2020 [5 favorites]


Hennepin County Public Safety live dispatch feed, for folks who want to listen themselves.
posted by mediareport at 5:16 PM on May 27, 2020


Anyone have a link to an on the ground livestream of the protests?
posted by Ahmad Khani at 5:16 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


Some pictures from today. 3rd Precinct.
posted by dinty_moore at 5:19 PM on May 27, 2020




Anyone have a link to an on the ground livestream of the protests?

Here's one. Streetview with protesters facing a row of cops. Just watched a girl get maced by a cop from a foot or so away; it didn't look like she was doing anything other than yelling.

Here's the local ABC affiliate; it's pretty banal aerial footage and you have to listen to reporters fill airtime instead of hearing from protesters themselves, but it's something.
posted by mediareport at 5:36 PM on May 27, 2020 [4 favorites]


Meanwhile because I had to get into it with half a dozen non-Black people who were trying to be all woke by sharing memes with photos of Kaepernick next to photos/stills from George Floyd's lynching, please share to similar friends Blue Telusma's Five Things To Consider Before Sharing Trauma Porn On Social Media: Like I mentioned earlier, trauma porn always seems to be the most rampant when it’s a Black or brown body being maimed, murdered, abused or exploited. From the death of Emmett Till to the shooting of Nipsey Hussle, there is always this undercurrent of detached fascination when the life of a Black person is cut short and there’s evidence to show them at the moment their future is taken away.

I could write a whole stand-alone piece on why that is, but in short – if you support, champion, or are yourself a member of the Black community, it would behoove you not to feed into a dynamic that makes the world accustomed to seeing us as nothing more than slain cattle.

posted by TwoStride at 5:37 PM on May 27, 2020 [15 favorites]


Thank you, mediareport.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 5:39 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


Also because Minneapolis apparently cannot even take one single day off: White Guy Calls 911 About Black Men Using Minneapolis WeWork Gym
posted by TwoStride at 5:40 PM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Wow. Just now, flash bombs and tear gas into protestors just standing there, chanting "hands up don't shoot".
posted by Ahmad Khani at 5:42 PM on May 27, 2020 [5 favorites]


Aggregated stream from multiple sources including police radio: here
posted by wordless reply at 5:43 PM on May 27, 2020 [3 favorites]


Also because Minneapolis apparently cannot even take one single day off: White Guy Calls 911 About Black Men Using Minneapolis WeWork Gym

Tom Austin has a whole history of being racist, and also his former business partner is now denouncing him via voicemail.
posted by dinty_moore at 5:54 PM on May 27, 2020 [7 favorites]


overheard:
"so many people got fired from corona… we got ALL the time"
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:00 PM on May 27, 2020 [7 favorites]


Apparently 114K watching one of the livestreams. Pigs now asking one another on the radio if they need to take the crowds' barricade down.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:08 PM on May 27, 2020 [4 favorites]


The President of the University of Minnesota just announced the school will cut some of its ties to the Minneapolis Police Department:

Today I am announcing two immediate changes regarding our relationship with MPD.

First, I have directed Senior Vice President Brian Burnett to no longer contact the Minneapolis Police Department for additional law enforcement support needed for large events such as football games, concerts, and ceremonies. Second, I have directed University Police Chief Matt Clark to no longer use the Minneapolis Police Department when specialized services are needed for University events, such as K-9 Explosive detection units.


That first one is gonna hurt. No more extra jobs for MPD cops at football games.

Oh, also, Tom Austin's company just lost its lease in the building where he challenged the black men in the gym.
posted by mediareport at 6:11 PM on May 27, 2020 [38 favorites]


I was just about to post about the U of MN. That's going to be a big blow for them. Good.
posted by Gray Duck at 6:14 PM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


cops on radio now calling for "three triple chase" (type of tear gas) and "everyone has to don their mask"… one now repeatedly saying "deliver"
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:15 PM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Wow - trigger warning on that Unicorn Riot feed. There appear to be grievously injured protestors.
posted by GalaxieFiveHundred at 6:16 PM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Not sure why it matters but I sometimes have better luck with the Unicorn Riot feed when I view it on Twitter than when I go directly to the Periscope site. At the moment both are hanging up for me. That one injury sounded really bad, though.
posted by mediareport at 6:17 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


I totally understand. It was just by chance that I happened to click onto the feed right after what I can only assume was the cops firing a couple of grenades into a crowd. ACAB doesn't cover it.
posted by GalaxieFiveHundred at 6:28 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


On the split feed here, apparently a cop just drove into some protestors in Los Angeles. There's an ambulance on the scene
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:29 PM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Mod note: One comment deleted. Being furious with the MPD is totally understandable; using misogynistic/homophobic insults to express that sucks, please avoid.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:30 PM on May 27, 2020 [9 favorites]


This is going to be a very ugly night. Right now reminiscent of Ferguson 2014
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:51 PM on May 27, 2020 [4 favorites]


I laughed when Jenn from Unicorn Riot talked about the people "interacting with the Target and with the materials inside the Target." But the message was clear: they make no judgments about the folks taking things from stores. Niko, the main cameraman/narrator on the Minneapolis feeds, had some thoughtful things to say about "protest police" yesterday - i.e., the folks among the activists who try to stop vandalism, implying they don't respect the choice of tactic of folks who feel the need to vent rage more aggressively. But I couldn't help think about what one of the "protest police," a young black woman activist, said on camera soon after, while holding up her arms in front of the precinct (1:23:50 timestamp in the post's first link):

"Black people are already at risk. By everybody doing this shit, who do you think they're going to target first?" I think it's a fair point, and worth noting that both her and the other "protest police" at 1:30:25 saying "Go home! This is not ok!" as she stood in front of the smashed police car, were both young black women.

Anyway, wordy derail. I'm sure folks like Niko and Jenn have read and thought about this stuff a lot more than I have; these are old arguments. I just wanted to say I appreciate the way they talk about them.
posted by mediareport at 6:54 PM on May 27, 2020 [15 favorites]


Cops now using rubber bullets--been confirmed by those on the ground. Exceptionally trigger-happy. People on the streets just standing around, chanting. One cop in a gas mask just now seen laughing.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 7:08 PM on May 27, 2020 [3 favorites]


Apropos of nothing, I looked up the Boston Massacre on Wikipedia today. Tell me you don’t see the parallels.

We teach kids those protesters were heroes. I know what I’ll be teaching my boys about this.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 7:48 PM on May 27, 2020 [7 favorites]


I hope some of these protesters have read up on Hong Kong and adopted some of their tactics for neutralizing tear gas.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 7:50 PM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Uh, anyone hear anything about the homeless encampment that's a block away from where this is all going down? This is a lot of smoke/chemicals to deal with.
posted by dinty_moore at 7:50 PM on May 27, 2020 [4 favorites]


stream round up: I currently have two. Unicorn Riot and lucky43113
posted by Ahmad Khani at 7:52 PM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Y'all, the local ABC affiliate's stream is about as perfect an example of middle class handwringing as you can find - tons of judgment about looting ("this doesn't honor George Floyd" said the white reporter, with sadness in his voice), "how can this be our community," etc etc... It's quite a contrast.
posted by mediareport at 7:56 PM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


ABC affiliate going back to regular news now.
posted by mediareport at 7:59 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


On one livestream there's talk of the cops having been authorized to use lethal force. Is this why ABC cut back to regular news??
posted by deadaluspark at 7:59 PM on May 27, 2020 [4 favorites]


We got more calls for Triple Chase and demands to "deliver."
posted by deadaluspark at 8:04 PM on May 27, 2020


They're back. The lady anchor at ABC is so appalled at what the inside of that Target looked like.
posted by mediareport at 8:06 PM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Certain groups of protestors trying to move forward because one group of cops is confirmed to be out of tear gas and is currently unable to be resupplied.
posted by deadaluspark at 8:11 PM on May 27, 2020


Anyone have a stream? Mine are all down
posted by Ahmad Khani at 8:20 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


lucky is back.
posted by deadaluspark at 8:22 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


What's really fucked is these cops are gonna get fat fucking paychecks for this overtime.

All this destruction that could have been avoided if they just had arrested Chauvin. They're tearing apart the city for no good fucking reason.

I'm 100% talking about the cops. They're driving the destruction by being completely unreasonable and attacking civilians standing up against brutal fucking murder and they're busy getting fucking paid.
posted by deadaluspark at 8:29 PM on May 27, 2020 [32 favorites]


Anyone have a stream? Mine are all down

Seen suggestions that the cops are using a Stingray or similar to capture and block phone signals.
posted by chappell, ambrose at 8:31 PM on May 27, 2020 [5 favorites]


Police are investigating a homicide.. Pawn shop owner apparently shot and killed someone they suspected of looting their store.
posted by dinty_moore at 8:36 PM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Why does the lucky stream have beavis and butthead samples on it? Is this a type of livestreaming bombing or something?
posted by tiny frying pan at 8:49 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


Ah, some moralizing assholes (three white guys) now on the lucky43113 livestream, complaining about property damage, "once you break something you've crossed the line," etc. Guy asked for venmo money, too, right at the beginning of his broadcast
posted by Ahmad Khani at 9:05 PM on May 27, 2020 [2 favorites]


Ugh. Any other streams? CNN and major outlets aren't even reporting on this.
posted by tiny frying pan at 9:07 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


seems he stopped his stream and lucky is on to others…
posted by Ahmad Khani at 9:14 PM on May 27, 2020


Unicorn Riot is back up.
posted by transitional procedures at 9:19 PM on May 27, 2020




Maybe Biden will reconsider her for VP. I'm OK with that.
posted by Windopaene at 10:14 PM on May 27, 2020 [5 favorites]


I've been watching the Unicorn Riot feed. This is way bigger than I thought a couple of hours ago.
posted by Catblack at 10:54 PM on May 27, 2020


I’ll just say it: a lot of politicians are scared of the political power of the police -AOC

Can someone explain to me the mechanics of the political power of the police? Is it as simple as the voting power of the the police force and immediate family? Is it more complex, like relationships police build with judges and prosecutors? Giving local civil leadership's priorities the slow-walking treatment or bureaucratic sabotage when they're displeased?

Or is it more sinister: the police department is like a crew, functioning as a gang not only trained in violence and armed, but able to take advantage of the cloak of civil legitimacy to make threats of violence against civil authority itself... just on the line between understandable and plausibly deniable...

I'd like to understand how people who are supposed to be employees of civil authorities end up wagging the dog.
posted by wildblueyonder at 12:25 AM on May 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


The whole government is a crew, with factional conflict among the bosses. The enforcers and one of the factions tend to align more favorably, but the other faction must also rely on the same enforcers, having no other enforcers to hand, and therefore can't afford to alienate the enforcers too much.

You can see a hint of the idea of other enforcers when occasionally the FBI can be induced to go against local police, but the FBI is tiny in comparison and the local police are decentralized.
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 12:42 AM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


From halfway around the world, I watch with horror and mourn the death of a good man.

.

The system is irreparably broken.
posted by daybeforetheday at 3:05 AM on May 28, 2020


The system is.
We either work to change it or we don't.
If we change it, we have a different system.
We either work to change it or we don't.
Repeat forever because there's no 'all done.'
posted by kokaku at 3:57 AM on May 28, 2020


'Unbelievable devastation': 1 dead as Floyd protests boil over again (Minnesota Public Radio, 05/28/2020)
posted by ZeusHumms at 6:32 AM on May 28, 2020


That apartment complex - under construction, now burned - was to have had 190 affordable units. I live 7ish miles north and could see the glow last night.
posted by Gray Duck at 6:52 AM on May 28, 2020


Violent protests over death of George Floyd leave widespread damage across south Minneapolis (Fox9 News, 05/28/2020)

Has drone footage from this morning.
posted by ZeusHumms at 6:54 AM on May 28, 2020


As far as mainstream news sources, KMSP (the local ABC affiliate) has a strong conservative bias - their website is usually the first updated with breaking news, but it often comes with regrettable headlines and Trump ads - while Fox 9's coverage is comparatively even-handed. MPR and WCCO (local CBS) are my usual go-tos, although the head of the MPD union is married to a WCCO reporter, so their coverage of police matters has its own issues.

That said, all of them are leaning into "regrettable behavior on both sides" today, with differing amounts of emphasis on the disproportionate police response to protestor behavior.
posted by Flannery Culp at 7:05 AM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


It looks like most of the damage was along lake street and a little north of it - but was for miles along lake street. I'm selfishly glad about this because two of my favorite stores are just across the street from the Target (moon palace books and the hub), but Lake Street has a lot of small, minority-owned stores that were already hurting due to the pandemic. I keep on thinking of more and more places to check to see if they're okay.

Like, obviously, stores are less important than human life, and I'm still sick thinking about what this tear gas exposure might mean for covid chances, how jails are covid epicenters, and how our hospitals are already at capacity, and nobody has gotten back to me about the giant homeless encampment that was right down the street from that target the last time I checked. But I'm going to spend a few minutes worried about what this means for the future of south minneapolis, and public health concerns about grocery stores getting more crowded.

For locals, the city council person for the ninth ward (where the third precinct is located) is Alondra Cano. She's kind of useless as a councilperson but likes being an activist, so maybe that will help in our favor. (The city council person for where George Floyd was killed is Andrea Jenkins, who is awesome and has generally been on it since the beginning)
posted by dinty_moore at 7:31 AM on May 28, 2020 [6 favorites]


The AntiFash Gordon twitter account recommends donating to the Minnesota Freedom Fund if you want your money to go directly to bail out those arrested in Minneapolis.
posted by mediareport at 7:35 AM on May 28, 2020 [6 favorites]


The saddest part is that all of this rioting would have been avoided if only Derek Chauvin, the "alleged" murderer, was brought into custody for arraignment in a timely manner.
posted by mikelieman at 7:51 AM on May 28, 2020 [5 favorites]




If everyone reading this thread donated $5-20 to the bail fund, we could probably get a bunch of humans released from jail today.
posted by mediareport at 7:53 AM on May 28, 2020 [7 favorites]


The saddest part is that all of this rioting would have been avoided if only Derek Chauvin, the "alleged" murderer, was brought into custody for arraignment in a timely manner.

Nah, the saddest part is the cops not protecting the city while protecting the murderer in his home.
posted by deadaluspark at 7:53 AM on May 28, 2020 [10 favorites]


@mediareport

Got a link to that bail fund??
posted by deadaluspark at 7:54 AM on May 28, 2020


Michael Lansing:
Here's a singular and incomplete historical perspective on the events here in Minneapolis, which reflect both national trends of white supremacy and a particular, local history of the same. A thread. (1)
(Twitter; ThreadReaderApp)
posted by ZeusHumms at 7:54 AM on May 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


Derek Chauvin lives in Oakdale, a suburb about 15 miles east of Minneapolis, if that means anything to anyone.
posted by ZeusHumms at 7:56 AM on May 28, 2020


Got a link to that bail fund??

It's in my comment previous to the one you saw, but here: Minnesota Freedom Fund. For what it's worth, I've been following AntiFash Gordon for a while, and trust their information a lot. If they say this bail fund is legit, it's legit.
posted by mediareport at 7:59 AM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


Oakdale is an unremarkable second-ring suburb of St Paul, overall economically mixed though stratified by neighborhood, less wealthy and conservative than neighboring Lake Elmo and Woodbury. The real issue is, why are cops in general not required to live in or at least adjacent to their city/county of employment and be actual members of the community they supposedly serve?
posted by Flannery Culp at 8:00 AM on May 28, 2020 [10 favorites]


... why are cops in general not required to live in or at least adjacent to their city/county of employment and be actual members of the community they supposedly serve?

This, thisthisthis. My folks were both teachers in MPS and were HUGE on living in the community in which they taught. My mother would even bring her kindergarten classes on a tour of our house so that they could "See where the Teacher lives, right down the street". They WANTED kids to see them at the park with their own kids, walking the dog, at the grocery store, etc. They're part of the community.

I believe it's in the best interest of the community to have public servants - police, teachers, politicians - live in the communities which they serve. Having people come in to work and then go home to the outer burbs when done doesn't promote their place in the community. Granted, we do have an affordable housing issue here in Minneapolis. There's a lot wrong right now.
posted by Gray Duck at 8:18 AM on May 28, 2020 [20 favorites]


@mediareport:

Thank you. Money added to the bail fund from here. Sorry for missing the original link, I'm just waking up right now...
posted by deadaluspark at 8:19 AM on May 28, 2020


Ooh, there's now a match if you post your donation in this Twitter thread, so you can double your bail fund contribution.
posted by mediareport at 8:26 AM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


... why are cops in general not required to live in or at least adjacent to their city/county of employment and be actual members of the community they supposedly serve?

My cynical, former Chicagoan take is that you then just get neighborhoods on the edges of the city limits filled with racist white cops (with some teachers and firefighters mixed in)
posted by dinty_moore at 8:28 AM on May 28, 2020 [7 favorites]


Chicago requires CPD officers to live in the city. A lot of them live in Mount Greenwood, a neighborhood at the very edge of the city limits which is essentially a white enclave suburb in all but legal status. It's the only area in the entire city that voted for Trump.

The problem isn't that cops don't live in the communities they police, it's that they don't want to.
posted by theodolite at 8:30 AM on May 28, 2020 [26 favorites]


From 2014: Chart of the Day: Police In-City Residency by Race (Bill Lindeke, Streets.mn)
posted by ZeusHumms at 8:33 AM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Ooh, there's now a match if you post your donation in this Twitter thread, so you can double your bail fund contribution.

While this seems great in theory, this feels like a way to set up my long-dormant Twitter profile to be endlessly harassed by trolls who will use that thread for targeting people who support the protestors.

I mean, I just went through this in Washington only weeks ago where some shitstain posted every person who reported a business violating the Stay at Home order, leading to endless harassment of everyone who bothered to do their civic duty and help protect others.

I'll just leave mine anonymous in the meantime, for the sake of privacy...
posted by deadaluspark at 8:35 AM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


From 2015: How many Twin Cities cops live where they work? (Jon Collins, MN Public Radio News)
posted by ZeusHumms at 8:35 AM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Imani Gandy on twitter:

People out here crying about a fucking Target. Is that Target your brother? Shut up about the fucking Target.

Did a Target raise you? When your parents were tragically killed in a car crash, did a Target adopt you? Are you the tiny Pizza Hut in Target?

Is that why you’re on god’s green internet crying about a goddamn Target?

Target told me last week it never really loved you. You can stop crying about the fucking target

posted by mediareport at 8:53 AM on May 28, 2020 [71 favorites]


Crowdsourced list of places that were hit, for locals wondering what's likely to be open and what's not. Looks like it's mostly focusing on Minnehaha and points east, I haven't heard that much about places west (except Lake and Hennepin, which was hit but also doesn't have that many local stores).
posted by dinty_moore at 9:13 AM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


a neighborhood at the very edge of the city limits which is essentially a white enclave suburb in all but legal status

I get this, but it still seems better than living miles away in a car-dependent suburb. You used to get bonus points on a St Paul city job application for being a city resident - not sure if that's still true, but it would be a small good step.

Anyway, enough policy spitballing, back to actual events in progress.
posted by Flannery Culp at 9:17 AM on May 28, 2020




A friend of mine lives in Minneapolis and was at the protests. She was hit by a rubber bullet and has a petty big bruise on her calf and is lucky it didn't hit anything vital.

Peaceful protests were met with disproportionate force by the police and I suspect the purpose was to escalate and create riots. They didn't respond to the armed MAGA cultists with even 1/1000th the aggression they met BLM with.

I can't help but think that rioting is actually the only way to make progresses. If it costs a city tens of millions in property damage maybe that will finally start holding police accountable and stem the violence. It is a damming condemnation of America that I have no hope at all the ongoing murder of black people is sufficient to create change and that it takes damage to things white Americans stir evidently value above back lives, like big box retail stores, to bring even the faint hope of an end to the slaughter.
posted by sotonohito at 10:06 AM on May 28, 2020 [24 favorites]


In the press conference just now the chief of police kept tone-deafly saying “I can't allow criminal activity!” referring not to cops murdering people, of course, but to property damage.
posted by XMLicious at 10:11 AM on May 28, 2020 [7 favorites]


Why Break Windows?

As this excellently points out: we have a fucking national legend that glorifies looting and vandalizing British property. So we can STFU forever about who will think of the Autozone??!
posted by nakedmolerats at 10:13 AM on May 28, 2020 [22 favorites]


why are cops in general not required to live in or at least adjacent to their city/county of employment and be actual members of the community they supposedly serve?

I think many of them do, but the problem is micro neighborhoods. If you’re adjacency to a county that encompasses a city, you’re not really living even kind of in the same place.
posted by corb at 10:20 AM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


There must be a complete and thorough investigation into what occurred in the civilian-involved inventory displacement at that Target.

(performed by the friends of the individuals in the video footage)
posted by Riki tiki at 10:21 AM on May 28, 2020 [9 favorites]


Apparently the first one to break a window of the AutoZone was a guy in a gas mask in an all-black outfit including a hooded coat and an umbrella. Photos and video here. Reddit is speculating, as it does.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 10:28 AM on May 28, 2020 [17 favorites]


Even the bystanders are yelling "Are you a cop?"

The gas mask is a $300 respirator, often used by police. Sketchy as fuck.
posted by Windopaene at 10:42 AM on May 28, 2020 [14 favorites]


Background info on the looted Target seen in many videos from last night.
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:44 AM on May 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


Beyond being a Target that all the locals hate, it really doesn't help that the NAME OF THE PLACE is "Target."

Kind of asking for it if you ask me.
posted by deadaluspark at 10:46 AM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


Y'all, I appreciate the pushback on blaming the protesters, but also at least half of the larger groceries in South Minneapolis look like they're closed or damaged for the time being, and there's still a pandemic going on where we should, in theory, be social distancing. So it's not just as easy as 'Target doesn't care about you'; I am seriously worried about crowds and empty shelves on the groceries that are left and am planning on driving out to buy groceries in a second ring suburb so I'm not part of the problem. But I have a car and I can do that. That is definitely not the case for everyone in the area.

It's part of the reason why I'm not quick to wish for Cup Foods to close - they're the main place to get cheap groceries in the area (there's an organic fruit stand about eight blocks north, a co-op five blocks west, neither are what I'd consider inexpensive). Secure package delivery, checks cashing, selling phone cards - there are other places that are around that offer some of these services, but the neighborhood is pretty low on places that offer all of them and also feel welcoming to everybody. Cup Foods can be sketchy at the best of times but it's better than nothing.
posted by dinty_moore at 10:47 AM on May 28, 2020 [5 favorites]


@dinty_moore

These are excellent points. These problems need to be laid on the backs of the fucking police force who caused this by refusing to arrest a murderer.

Literally, this wouldn't have happened if he had been arrested. So hand-wringing about this needs to be properly directed (not insinuating you're misdirecting it, you're obviously not, just something to keep in mind.).

If the cops REALLY cared about any of these fucking businesses or the citizens that work at them, they would have just arrested the murder & co. instead of protecting their fucking precinct while the entire city around it burned.
posted by deadaluspark at 10:49 AM on May 28, 2020 [21 favorites]


On a different note, got word that police were clearing out the homeless encampment near the Sabo bridge. Not sure where they're getting relocated to, if anywhere specific.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:06 AM on May 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


On a different note, got word that police were clearing out the homeless encampment near the Sabo bridge.

Shock Doctrine. Do all the politically unpalatable things during a crisis. This was part of the polices plan all along, no doubt.
posted by deadaluspark at 11:07 AM on May 28, 2020 [10 favorites]


deadaluspark - this is the homeless encampment that was a block away from the fires and was subjected to whatever fumes the autozone burning gave off, not to mention leftover tear gas. If this was part of the cop's original counterprotest plans, they would have rousted the encampent the first day. It's not that I trust the cops to roust the homeless in an ethical and humane manner, but 'burning autozone and tear gas and fire' isn't a safe combination, either.

(folks who are care the homeless are also asking if anyone has some spare time and lives in the area if they could help document the move)
posted by dinty_moore at 11:16 AM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


I think many of them do, but the problem is micro neighborhoods. If you’re adjacency to a county that encompasses a city, you’re not really living even kind of in the same place.

I know this is how Chicago works, for ex.
posted by PMdixon at 11:23 AM on May 28, 2020


I think that's a reasonable take, but I meant that the polices plan was to escalate until there was massive destruction, and then use the destruction as an excuse to do things like... move a homeless camp they didn't like already.

No, maybe it wasn't "planned" that AutoZone burned down, (I mean unless you for sure think that guy in a gas mask was an agent provocateur) but now they have an EXCUSE to do something they might have not gotten away with so easily without community response two weeks ago.

That's rather the point. If they had done it yesterday, the protestors would have potentially been involved and trying to stop it from happening.

Now that its a fucking disaster area, it's literally a convenient excuse to just shuffle them all off to somewhere else, "for their safety."

However, I appreciate your reasoned take, especially from someone who is much, much closer to the actual situation than I am.
posted by deadaluspark at 11:24 AM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Apparently the first one to break a window of the AutoZone was a guy in a gas mask in an all-black outfit including a hooded coat and an umbrella. Photos and video here. Reddit is speculating, as it does.

+

Even the bystanders are yelling "Are you a cop?"

The gas mask is a $300 respirator, often used by police. Sketchy as fuck.



I was watching the protests last night live, via livestream.

The autozone fire was unusual. I say this as someone who has been at and participated in many protests, as well as observed from a distance.

It was kitty corner to the police station, which protestors (perhaps ~200?) had surrounded. All of a sudden, on my stream, there were calls of a 'fire' at the autozone amongst the crowd. Almost all fled the station, to the autozone.

The cops then "re took" the area out front of the station as people had retreated.

Fire department took about 10 min to arrive. By then, fire was significant. But before the FD arrived, about a dozen police vehicles blockaded the front of the autozone. It was bizarre to see, and had the effect of restabishing a perimter. They then provided cover for the FD, which actually put the FD at greater risk (and works to create news stories about the FD being targeted by protestors, when the target was actually the cops).

This is not conspiracy, just speculation. I look forward to seeing what more arises from this.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 11:27 AM on May 28, 2020 [15 favorites]


Honestly, the weirdest thing I've seen so far is that the two nodes seem to be Hennepin and Lake and Minnehaha and Lake. This might be due to incomplete information, but Hennepin and Minnehaha are three miles away from each other.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:30 AM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


I keep thinking about Trump's speech to a class of graduating cops, back in 2017:
Like when you guys put somebody in the car and you’re protecting their head, you know, the way you put their hand over? Like, don’t hit their head and they’ve just killed somebody—don’t hit their head. I said, you can take the hand away, O.K.? [laughter, applause]
It's hard to imagine someone joking to a class of chuckling firefighters about how cool it is when people burn to death, or yukking it up with at a medical school graduation about overdose victims. But the culture of policing is the exact inverse of what it should be. It's a gang for creeps with Punisher bumper stickers who want to carry a gun around and hurt people. Maybe there are individual cops who joined because they wanted to protect and serve. But when I see the laughter and cheering in that video, I don't know if I can believe that, or if the decent people are able to keep their jobs, or their souls.
posted by theodolite at 11:33 AM on May 28, 2020 [32 favorites]


Looting is continuing in Saint Paul...by the Midway Cub. I am listening to the SPPL scanner...through the Scanner Radio app on my phone. Officer says "they are smashing windows with crowbars", officer is asking for "pepper ball approval", I can hear the crowd in the background.
posted by Gray Duck at 11:44 AM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]


Rosedale Center is shutting down, also protesters shut down the Midway Target in St. Paul. Another protest in front of Mike Freeman's home in South Minneapolis. All St. Paul Walgreens shutting down.. Minnesota Senate being evacuated.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:46 AM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


By the Target also, I hear. There's a SPPD district substation right between those, so things could escalate quickly.
posted by Flannery Culp at 11:46 AM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]




Capitol Complex (right down from the St Paul stores mentioned above) employees have been told to leave immediately and not report back until further notice. Luckily almost nobody is there because it's closed to all but very essential employees already.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 11:48 AM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]


I work in a building downtown (or at least did until Coronavirus; been WFH exclusively since March), one of the big ones, right next to City Hall/the county Govt Center. We just got word that they're clearing out the building and buttoning it up in case of potential trouble.
posted by COBRA! at 11:56 AM on May 28, 2020


I mean unless you for sure think that guy in a gas mask was an agent provocateur

I think that's a 95% certainty. Look at that behavior - by himself, casual, with a gas mask and hammer, smashing a window? Folks immediately asking who he is and filming him because he stands out so much? I mean, it's over 50% certain for sure.

I watched the livestreams continuously last night and the fires were shady as fuck.

Well...this is the best footage I've seen: At 34:19 on Niko's feed from last night, you can see and hear a woman in a white shirt pointing and saying "The Autozone's on fire!" Niko runs to the front of the store and at 34:48 you get the first glimpse of the smoke and flames, which already includes someone pointing a fire extinguisher at the flames to put them out. They walk away; someone throws something at the windows and then someone else in a black shirt runs up with another fire extinguisher at 35:06 and tries to put the flames out. It doesn't work (aim for the bottom of the fire, people). Soon after, the fire starts to rage out of control.

That's the only footage I've seen of the start of the fire, but I really hope we see more footage of the Autozone window smasher from folks who were there at the time.
posted by mediareport at 11:57 AM on May 28, 2020 [8 favorites]


(and in the middle of this, That Fucking Kmart is just fine. . .)
posted by dinty_moore at 12:01 PM on May 28, 2020 [7 favorites]




Has anyone heard from Frowner lately? I understand they're in Minneapolis.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 12:07 PM on May 28, 2020 [13 favorites]


I just talked to my folks - they live a few blocks from Mike Freeman (county attorney) and know him as a dog walker in the neighborhood. A crowd is gathering there but nothing too raucous. My mother, of course, is most concerned about the dog.
posted by Gray Duck at 12:18 PM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


Has anyone heard ANY explanation for why he hasn't been arrested yet? The mayor and city council person have both called for his arrest. I really don't understand. The video was pretty clear. Am I missing something?
posted by Bacon Bit at 12:19 PM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


Has anyone heard ANY explanation for why he hasn't been arrested yet? ... Am I missing something?

Who's going to arrest him?
posted by Etrigan at 12:20 PM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]


Mike Freeman has to charge him before they can arrest him.
posted by dinty_moore at 12:21 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


If I murdered someone in broad daylight in front of dozens of witnesses they wouldn't have to wait for a prosecutor to issue charges before arresting me.

Why are the rules different for a cop?
posted by sotonohito at 12:46 PM on May 28, 2020 [30 favorites]


"We've arrested this guy and have X hours to either charge or release him" is definitely a thing in Mpls, for anyone wondering if this is hinging on Freeman or (state AG) Ellison.
posted by Flannery Culp at 12:49 PM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]


The reason I’ve heard for lack of charge or arrest is that there hasn’t been an autopsy yet. No idea if this is the case.

Our city is burning. I don’t have words to describe the pain that I’m seeing. I happened to briefly meet George’s fiancée last year at a school play (and just today learned of the connection). My heart breaks for her, for his family, for our raging city. I think this will continue until these officers are charged.
posted by sucre at 1:30 PM on May 28, 2020 [17 favorites]


The reason I’ve heard for lack of charge or arrest is that there hasn’t been an autopsy yet.

Excuse, not a reason.
posted by Etrigan at 1:39 PM on May 28, 2020 [7 favorites]


Agreed. Absolutely.
posted by sucre at 1:40 PM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]


Every minute these guys aren't under arrest is another minute for them to get their stories straight. They'll get to trial, the video evidence will be suppressed because it's simply too damning to include as part of a fair trial, and four cops will all take the stand to offer a second-for-second identical version of events that somehow justified murdering this man. The jury will acquit because, hey, all four cops said the same thing after being brought in and during trial, so how could they be lying? We've seen this happen time and time again.
posted by 0xFCAF at 1:43 PM on May 28, 2020 [18 favorites]


The FBI should be making a briefing on the case soon - streamed here on youtube - right now it's just an empty podium. It's quite windy out there so it might be hard to hear.

Edit: they're testing the mic right now, so perhaps they're going to get started shortly.
posted by Gray Duck at 1:45 PM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]


Protestors Criticized For Looting Businesses Without Forming Private Equity Firm First

The Onion remains the only true news source.
posted by Etrigan at 1:56 PM on May 28, 2020 [53 favorites]


Has anyone heard ANY explanation for why he hasn't been arrested yet? ... Am I missing something?

Who's going to arrest him?


I hear citizens' arrest is the thing to do in Georgia.
posted by Evilspork at 2:04 PM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


All I want to get into here is that I'm really disgusted by a lot of white liberals' reactions in the past 24 hours.... and I can probably just ctrl-c this comment for a whole lot of future use.
posted by nakedmolerats at 2:06 PM on May 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


Don't forget that the cops have formed a barricade at the offending officers home, all riot geared up and trying their best to look frightening. It's them vs us.
posted by Sphinx at 2:28 PM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


Far-right ‘boogaloo’ militants have embedded themselves in the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis: ‘They want their civil war’Alternet/Raw Story; Jordan Green; May 28, 2020
Just as many states are reopening their economies — and taking the wind out of the conservative protests — the boogaloo movement found a new galvanizing cause: the protests in Minneapolis against the police killing of George Floyd.
posted by ZeusHumms at 2:34 PM on May 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


Governor Tim Walz signed an executive order, calling on the Minnesota National Guard “to help protect Minnesotans’ safety and maintain peace in the wake of George Floyd’s death.”
[...]
“The demonstration last night became incredibly unsafe for all involved,” Walz said. “The purpose of the National Guard is to protect people, to protect people safely demonstrating, and to protect small business owners.”
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:40 PM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]


FBI stream (link) has started...hasn't really inspired much confidence so far.
posted by wordless reply at 3:00 PM on May 28, 2020


Yeah this whole conference is a big nothing. We actually got a "thoughts and prayers".
posted by Gray Duck at 3:10 PM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]


"there is other evidence that does not support a criminal charge"

They've cooked up the excuse already. This is from the fucking prosecutor???

It's a bunch of mealy mouthed bullshit begging people to not harm property.

We're begging them to stop fucking harming lives. Something is fucking WRONG here.
posted by deadaluspark at 3:14 PM on May 28, 2020 [16 favorites]


This press conference is complete bullshit. "Please stop breaking our stuff and stealing from our stores, we're scared." "Oh, why isn't the policeman not in jail? No comment."

Utter fucking bullshit, but I shouldn't have had any faith that this time just might be different.
posted by Sphinx at 3:23 PM on May 28, 2020 [5 favorites]


Here's an idea for police reform I just had, after reading that Chauvin was involved in another suspect's death in 2006. I'm calling it the Bee Sting Rule. You know how bees can only sting once, and then they die? Here's the rule: if you're a cop, and you kill someone, for any reason at all, you can no longer be a cop. The circumstances are irrelevant. If the person you killed was Hans Gruber, good for you, you're a hero, now go do something else. Yes, yes, it would be great if we could look at each case and decide if the shooting was justified, but that's clearly not working in this system where the police investigate themselves and play softball with the prosecutors. You want to kill someone, you better be really, really sure you're doing the right thing.
posted by theodolite at 3:24 PM on May 28, 2020 [34 favorites]


doing the right thing.

Uhm. Phrasing?

In other words, this isn't a really new conversation.

Maybe murder that is state sanctioned is the actual problem.
posted by deadaluspark at 3:33 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Domestic violence victims might disagree with such a broad statement.
posted by Windopaene at 3:34 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Domestic violence victims might disagree with such a broad statement.

As a domestic violence survivor, I am happy to elaborate that the police have never been useful to me once in my entire life, nor in the lives of literally any other domestic violence survivor that I know or have known. The police commit domestic violence at astonishing rates in their own lives, and are generally more sympathetic to the perpetrators than the victims.
posted by corb at 3:41 PM on May 28, 2020 [84 favorites]


Google "Cops 40%" for more information on DV in their ranks.
posted by porn in the woods at 3:46 PM on May 28, 2020 [11 favorites]


Do we really need to be rehashing "police protect capital, not people" again?

Didn't we just all watch a press conference where every figure treated property as more valuable than human life?

Didn't we just watch several city blocks burn burn while the police precinct in the center of it is still standing?

What the fuck does it take to get that they're not actually here for us?

How many babies need to get maimed from flashbang grenades thrown into cribs during no-knock raids on the wrong houses that people understand that they give no fucks about human life, and any "help" they give is incidental.

When my friend had a mental breakdown and tried to commit suicide, the police "saved" her by breaking down her door and taking her to the hospital to be admitted to inpatient. They just left her apartment wide open, her dog left cowering, all alone. Basically, if I hadn't been around and knew what was going on, they would have just left a disabled woman's pet and belongings to whoever the hell felt like it (a woman living off of SSI, in poverty, no less), because their responsibility ends at throwing her into an inpatient facility.
posted by deadaluspark at 3:48 PM on May 28, 2020 [19 favorites]


I see so many ways that this can go forward that fucking terrify me. They will not give up authority easily.

Shit.
posted by mr_roboto at 3:52 PM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


They will not give up authority easily.

I mean, that is the name of the game when it you're dealing with Authoritarianism, which is basically the political philosophy of all cops.

It would have to be. How the fuck else you explain not needing to know the law to enforce it, but if you don't know the law and break it as a citizen, you're fucked. Beyond that, if they arrest you for something they THINK is a crime but isn't, well OOPSIE POOPSIE it's all okay, because they're not expected to know! American policing is literally a Kafkaesque nightmare of authoritarianism.

It's been authoritarianism for a long, long time.
posted by deadaluspark at 3:55 PM on May 28, 2020 [10 favorites]


When my friend had a mental breakdown and tried to commit suicide, the police "saved" her by breaking down her door and taking her to the hospital to be admitted to inpatient. They just left her apartment wide open, her dog left cowering, all alone.

wow, thats unbelievable

(that they didn't also shoot the dog i mean)
posted by entropicamericana at 3:57 PM on May 28, 2020 [11 favorites]


I found this Twitter thread, mainly about the need to abolish qualified immunity but also containing other fixes that should be made in law enforcement, to be worthwhile.
posted by rewil at 3:58 PM on May 28, 2020 [6 favorites]




Mod note: A few comments deleted. Friendly reminder that we don't need to debate the "what might go wrong if all police literally disappeared tomorrow" question, that's not a real thing that's going to happen. People are speaking passionately because they're angry which is understandable. Don't treat it as debate room because it ends up being absurd. Let's give each other space in here.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 4:11 PM on May 28, 2020 [13 favorites]


Protest at the figurative border between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan; mostly white, and mostly not-white, respectively.


This was triggered by a recent local incident of police brutality, in which a black woman was repeatedly punched in the face by a white Washtenaw County sheriff's deputy. The protest is focused on the Washtenaw County Sheriff's office, which is right next to this interchange, rather than on the Ann Arbor-Ypsi border in general. According to the protest organizer, the protest expanded to shutting down the highway.
posted by Preserver at 4:34 PM on May 28, 2020 [10 favorites]


Are protests still ongoing? What's the mood on the street tonight?

Craven prosecutors...
posted by Windopaene at 4:48 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Relatively peaceful protest at the Gov't Center in Minneapolis; but Midway in St. Paul is already getting heated. MPR News reporter says that Napa on University is on fire, SPPD is on the scene.
posted by Gray Duck at 4:53 PM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


"there is other evidence that does not support a criminal charge"

Jesus, what a fucking idiot. What the hell is the point of saying that, now, without being able or willing to describe that "other evidence"? The wagon circling couldn't be more clear, and will result in more violence tonight.

What a fucking idiot.
posted by mediareport at 5:01 PM on May 28, 2020 [8 favorites]


Boy won't someone look out for the business owners in all this.

Not condoning the looting or making light of the tragedy which triggered it. However, The Root had a great The Onion-esque article about it it: White People Nationwide Mourn the Senseless Murder of a Minneapolis Target Store.
posted by fuse theorem at 5:12 PM on May 28, 2020 [6 favorites]




Freeman also had the audacity to point out that Hennepin County is the only one in Minnesota to have successfully convicted a cop for killing a civilian. Right... in the one case where a white woman was shot by a black cop. Does the name Jamar Clark ring any bells, sir?
posted by Flannery Culp at 5:15 PM on May 28, 2020 [7 favorites]


someone is going to control and police neighborhoods - it can be the police, or gangsters, or drug dealers or vigilantes or the local religious leaders - there are examples all over the world of each of these

it is excusable if we have trouble telling my 5 types of neighborhood police from each other much of the time
posted by pyramid termite at 5:16 PM on May 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


Iots of helicopters overhead.
posted by dinty_moore at 5:21 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


I was linked to some polling from 2017 about the difference between the police and the public's view on matters like racial justice. It's pretty indicative of how fucked up and deluded the cops are, in my opinion.

Police views, public views

92% of white police officers think the country has done enough to make blacks equal with whites
posted by davedave at 5:26 PM on May 28, 2020 [13 favorites]


Odinsdream and dinty_moore, apparently the phrase is “decertify the police union”.

(public fb post by Gary Schiff)

(Me: former Powderhorn board, now Kingfield resident, just watched peaceful protestors on their way to Bde Maka Ska)
posted by gregglind at 5:30 PM on May 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


Iots of helicopters overhead.

To anyone in Minneapolis with connection to the protestors. Make sure they know to all have laser pointers. A ton of laser pointers can incapacitate a police drone by overloading its sensors with too much direct light, and the pilot will be unable to keep it stable, and it will eventually crash. (I'm not advocating destruction of property, but being survielled in this environment really isn't helpful to the protestors.)

As seen in Chile.

Mesh networks to get past attempts to block cell signal coupled with encrypted messaging a la Matrix or Wire are also good suggestions. This is just a consideration since helicopters/national guard are coming in. Get ready for Raytheon crowd control shit, too. They've been waiting to bust this shit out on us since Iraq.

Stay safe everyone.
posted by deadaluspark at 5:34 PM on May 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


Iots of helicopters overhead.
[...]Make sure they know to all have laser pointers.
Shooting laser pointers at aircraft is moronic, dangerous (including to people on the ground), and rightly extremely illegal.
posted by kickingtheground at 5:37 PM on May 28, 2020 [8 favorites]


I'm exhausted.

I feel like, what can I say in this thread about George Floyd's murder and the subsequent reaction by the power structure in America that I didn't already say in threads about Mike Brown and John Crawford and Christian Cooper (thank God he's still breathing) and Ahmaud Arbery and Trayvon Martin and Tamir Rice and and and and and and and and.....

I'm a 46 year old black man. I hear things from my younger friends and relatives that make me think absolutely nothing has changed since I saw "Niggers are our slaves" spray-painted on a wall at my elementary school when I was 5 years old. Sometimes I feel like I have to be more careful around police officers now than when I was a teenager in the 90s, wearing the kind of clothing that police and bar doormen and reasonable white people would tell me -- and still claim -- codes as "ignorant violent black thug": baggy jeans, a t-shirt, Timberland knock-off boots.

I got into an extended argument recently with a friend of a friend on FB in response to the friend's post about the Central Park incident with Christian Cooper: she insisted that her read on the situation as a Republican white woman was more valid than my (and Mr Cooper's) lived experience as black men in this country and that the real crime was accusing Amy Cooper of racism. I feel like it was about the 500th time I've had an extended argument like that.

I'm so, so tired. I look at my 10 year old son and think about how I probably need to have The Talk with him now. Not only because he's about to reach the age where Officer Friendly stops seeing him as a cute young lad and starts seeing him as Black Thug Thief Gangster #1 straight out of central casting, but because the way things are, maybe
one of these days when I jog through my 95% white neighborhood, I might get Ahmaud Arbery'ed and not be around to talk to him in a few years.

I'm so tired, y'all.
posted by lord_wolf at 5:45 PM on May 28, 2020 [144 favorites]


Just wanted to bump up the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which has a bail fund open to donations.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:02 PM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


To circle back to Totally-Not-A-Cop Window Smasherson, was literally anyone else holding an open umbrella up?

Three-ish minutes later on that stream the people protesting at the autozone get hit with beanbags but not the buy with the big umbrella held up like baby's-first-spy-thriller-signal, smashing windows.
posted by Slackermagee at 6:20 PM on May 28, 2020 [7 favorites]




Metrotransit is not running through the weekend. Target, Walgreens and CVS (I believe) are all closed throughout the city. Postal service is suspended through the south metro. This is not great for anyone who needs medication.
posted by dinty_moore at 6:32 PM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]




Hey, lookee here: more video of protesters confronting the man with the gas mask and black umbrella who was the first to smash in the Autozone windows with a hammer.

He's a cop. I bet you. He's a cop.


Indeed. This could be a good open source investigation for Bellingcat.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:35 PM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


On the possible cop window smasher: I do recall seeing one cop standing amongst the others out front of the precinct but in plain clothes (I think he did have a polce branded sweater on, and that's it). Might be worth looking into as a point of comparison.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:38 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


I find it odd that local news has not broken into regular coverage for these events, but I guess I don't know what the bar is for breaking news anymore.

Peter Cox at the Saint Paul midway branch of the protest.

Evan Frost in downtown Minneapolis (the main event)
posted by Think_Long at 6:42 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Yeah, the guy with the umbrella... I've been reading speculation on him all day. I think he's a cop, too.
posted by Catblack at 6:45 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Looks like the fence around the cop station is now coming down

(I don't understand why silly sound effects are playing. last night it was beavis & butthead; tonight, 'the purge')
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:51 PM on May 28, 2020


I'm seeing reports claiming identification of the guy as an active St. Paul cop, reportedly by his ex-wife.
Early and fast-moving, of course.
posted by CrystalDave at 6:53 PM on May 28, 2020 [8 favorites]


It's like the 10th most important thing right now but let's remember to be extremely skeptical of random online evidence and doxxing
posted by Think_Long at 7:10 PM on May 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


I actually think it's quite significant if the Minneapolis cops are acting as agent provocateurs and intentionally set fire to the AutoZone. Or, as Bree Newsome Bass just noted, "The fact that they send ops out to increase the level of property damage shows you that police violence is not even about protecting property as much as it is about the brutal political repression of Black people."

But you do you.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 7:14 PM on May 28, 2020 [33 favorites]


Unicorn Riot feed. Pawn shop on fire. Cops firing tear gas at protesters just standing and yelling at them.
posted by mediareport at 7:20 PM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


Mod note: One deleted; sorry, yeah, on balance let's not link to the thread where they're posting what's supposedly this guy's home address? There are a lot of places that do the online-detective identify stuff and sometimes they're right but sometimes they're wrong; we can wait a little longer and see if it gets confirmed. Fine to say it's tentatively a St Paul cop and discuss implications.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 7:20 PM on May 28, 2020 [8 favorites]


Also noteworthy to think through K̶a̶r̶e̶n̶'̶s̶ Amy Cooper's weaponization of her voice while on the phone with 911 (remember that?) to procure a particular response and provoke a reaction, and the possibility of police agent provocateurs in Minneapolis setting fire to the AutoZone and the subsequent request to deploy the National Guard today.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 7:35 PM on May 28, 2020 [14 favorites]


These photos capture the stark contrast in police response to the George Floyd protests and the anti-lockdown protestsVox; Li Zhou and Kainaz Amaria; May 27, 2020 • In Minneapolis, police responded to a protest about police violence with more violence.
posted by ZeusHumms at 8:07 PM on May 28, 2020 [15 favorites]


Unicorn Riot is reporting the police have abandoned the 3rd Precinct building. He's inside it now.
posted by Catblack at 8:10 PM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


The 3rd precinct building is on fire; video on local news
posted by librosegretti at 8:15 PM on May 28, 2020 [5 favorites]


Unicorn Riot broadcasting right inside and outside the precinct

Is on fire; several bullets exploded from the fire while he was inside (you could hear them exploding—sounded as though they were being shot at, but UR later clarified)
posted by Ahmad Khani at 8:17 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Is anyone inside the building on fire?
posted by NotLost at 8:23 PM on May 28, 2020


Yes, the building now occupied by protestors, several rooms on fire, alarms sounding

Unclear where the cops went
posted by Ahmad Khani at 8:25 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


The building is full of people rioting and raiding the place. Soaking wet people, because the fire set the sprinklers off.

And now, fireworks.
posted by Gray Duck at 8:25 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


A bunch of sprinklers are going off in the building and looks like people are shooting fireworks into the building.
posted by nakedmolerats at 8:28 PM on May 28, 2020


(also just fireworks in general)
posted by nakedmolerats at 8:28 PM on May 28, 2020


This is a police riot now.

Genuine question: how much power does the mayor have here? He is calling for the arrest of the officer, saying he thinks it was a murder, but beyond that he's acting helpless. Other people seem to think he's being spineless, which indicates to me that there is something more he could be doing. What is it?

Saw a twitter thread earlier saying that the mayor and the chief have likely issued instructives to the police, which are almost certainly being ignored. I can't find it now though. Is there more they could/should be doing? If so, what's stopping them?
posted by triggerfinger at 8:28 PM on May 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


Twitter thread: protests happening in other cities.
posted by mediareport at 8:34 PM on May 28, 2020 [1 favorite]


Several outside surveillance cameras are on fire.
posted by nakedmolerats at 8:38 PM on May 28, 2020


The Minneapolis ABC affiliate just ended its live reporting from the scene. They said they'd asked the police what their game plan was to contain the fires and crowd and the response from the cops was "no comment at this time."

They really had trouble grasping the point of the fireworks. "It's....almost like....they're celebrating..."

They even pulled out a "Parents do you know where your children are."
posted by mediareport at 9:09 PM on May 28, 2020 [5 favorites]


"I'm not racist."

"I'm not racist," said Sarah Braasch, who called the police on fellow Yale student Lolade Siyonbola for sleeping in their dorm's common room in 2018.

"I'm not racist," said Holly Hylton, manager of a Starbucks in Philadelphia, who called the police on Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson who were waiting for their friend to have a business meeting in 2018.

"I'm not racist," said Cleveland police officers Frank Garmback and his rookie partner, Tim Loehmann, who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice within seconds of driving up to him in a Cleveland park in 2014, for playing cops and robbers with a toy gun.

"I'm not racist", said the dispatcher at Cleveland's 911 who repeatedly asked the caller if the juvenile was black or white, and didn't tell anyone that the caller said that what Tamir was carrying was most likely a toy.

"I'm not racist", said Theodore Wafer, who shot and killed Renisha Moore in Dearborn Heights, Michigan in 2013, because she knocked on the door and he assumed it was a break-in attempt. She had been in a car accident.

"I'm not racist," said Anthony James Trifiletti, who shot and killed Douglas Lewis in Minneapolis after Lewis bumped Trifiletti's truck on May 1st.

"I'm not racist," said Officer Romero and Sgt. McNulty of the Midland, TX Police, at least 7 of whom came to Tye Anders' grandmother's house on the 16th of this month to arrest him for running a stop sign, all their guns drawn as Tye lay on the ground and didn't move. The Midland County DA, Laura Nodolf, is going to charge Tye with felony evasion.

"I'm not racist."

"I'm not racist."

"I'm not racist."

"I'm not racist."

...
posted by droplet at 9:10 PM on May 28, 2020 [61 favorites]


Does anybody know when the last time a police station in the US has been ransacked and set on fire? I'm guessing Vietnam War era but my Googling isn't bringing up much other than what is going on right now.
posted by nestor_makhno at 9:15 PM on May 28, 2020 [2 favorites]


Fuck yes burn that precinct to the ground.

I'm not a black man, and I will never have to go through what a black man goes through in the United States, but even I know that this country failed on a fundamental level to respond. Police across the country need to be taught some kind of lesson, with whatever degree of clarity required, that they are not invincible, and they have to be held accountable for acts of cold-blooded murder.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 9:25 PM on May 28, 2020 [13 favorites]


Reports of a gas line cut near the precinct. Too horrible to imagine.
posted by triggerfinger at 9:57 PM on May 28, 2020




At any rate, before the place burns down, I hope there's someone grabbing as many documents as they can carry. Never know when there might be something good in the pile.

I hope somebody managed to grab personnel files and case files
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 10:28 PM on May 28, 2020 [4 favorites]


Anyway, Trump is on Twitter threatening to have looters shot by the National Guard
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 10:31 PM on May 28, 2020 [5 favorites]


Pretty sure we can ignore Trumpy ejaculations, given that he has no ability to understand WTF is going on here, nevermind the intricacies of how the National Guard can be legally deployed.

He's losing, so he's gonna try to rile up his racist shithead base. Don't help him.
posted by aramaic at 10:37 PM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


I did see one person carrying a bin of documents when Unicorn was showing footage from inside the precinct building, but most of the people were just wandering around filming.
posted by thelonius at 10:50 PM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


Anyway, Trump is on Twitter threatening to have looters shot by the National Guard

Let him. More evidence for the human rights tribunal he'll be facing.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:55 PM on May 28, 2020 [3 favorites]


I’m a few miles southwest of where the killing occurred; it’s quiet down here minus the occasional fireworks I can hear from 6-8 miles away on Lake and in downtown. My sister and brother in law live a few miles down Hiawatha from the 3rd precinct and went over to my parent’s house after the station fell. We talked about it and while I don’t think there’s that much risk to their house, the police literally abandoning their neighborhood is a bit too much uncertainty.

I figured we were going to get a return to 1960s levels of civil unrest this year or next with Covid being the catalyst, of course I had no idea it was going to be triggered by a murder not far from my house, and this went from 0 to 100 in only 48 hours.
posted by MillMan at 10:59 PM on May 28, 2020 [14 favorites]


Has this been in the thread already?

George Floyd, fired officer overlapped security shifts at south Minneapolis club

And per this reddit post:
"An off-duty officer named Derrick Chauvin [sic] testified in support of ENR in example 67 that "ENR has one or two off-duty police officers employed on weekend nights to maintain security at ENR and to address neighborhood livability issues. On rare occasions, ENR requires more off-duty police officers in order to provide additional security. The off-duty officers that work at ENR have effective and frequent communication with the security staff."

In other words, Derek Chauvin himself has testified in court that as an off-duty officer employed by ENR, he'd have effective and frequent communication with security staff like George Floyd.
posted by Catblack at 11:03 PM on May 28, 2020 [5 favorites]


I was hoping that Chauvin knowing Floyd was the reason for the DA's hemming and hawing at the press conference. That the uncertainty they talked about was just how bad of a crime Chauvin was going to be charged with. Guess not.
posted by bink at 11:14 PM on May 28, 2020


I hope everyone is safe out there. We live in an apartment above an office, and unfortunately whoever worked downstairs today left the bright lights on. We heard a few people walk by downstairs around maybe 11pm (we can hear EVERY word outside the window), discussing what they could see through the office windows and deciding whether to break in. No good. My boyfriend was able to call the business below and they sent someone out to shut off all the lights and make the building look as unassuming as possible.

After that stressful moment, we enacted a plan to get out of here and spend the night at my dad’s in the suburbs (bags packed, all my clean underwear gathered up, my best records ready to go). He and his wife were heading from their studio back to the suburbs, and I was waiting nervously for a text to let me know they’d made it. “Just pulled up”, my dad wrote. And then I look out the window and see his Subaru parked on our dark street. JEEZ DAD!!!!!!! It feels like a war zone here and he just saunters over (with his dog!!!) like nothing is up.

Sorry for the novel. I think I needed to expend some anxious energy. It’s time to CHARGE THESE MEN.
posted by sucre at 11:37 PM on May 28, 2020 [10 favorites]


The overriding thought that comes to my mind is moral depravity, a depraved act with depraved defenders, in a depraved system.

Best wishes for the safety of everyone close to the action, at this time and always.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 12:12 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


> Anyway, Trump is on Twitter threatening to have looters shot by the National Guard

If you go to
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump
That entry has this:
This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible. Learn more
And you have to click through to see the threats:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1266231100780744704
....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:55 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


This timeline, eh?
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:55 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


please delete trump's account - please, please
posted by pyramid termite at 2:27 AM on May 29, 2020 [4 favorites]


....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!

A note:
https://twitter.com/toddzwillich/status/1266237702208282624

“When the looting starts, the shooting starts,” is a threat coined by Miami Police Chief Walter Headley, who promised violent reprisals on black protesters in 1967. He also said: “We don’t mind being accused of police brutality. They haven’t seen anything yet.”

https://twitter.com/toddzwillich/status/1266241699245768704

"Here’s a more detailed history of Miami Police Chief Robert Headley, who Trump quoted tonight. Protests against Headley’s stop and frisk policies erupted after his cops strip searched a black teenager and dangled him over a bridge".
And yes, that kind of turn of phrase is almost certainly a Miller suggestion/racist dogwhistle...although the original intent of the tweet is not so much a dogwhistle as a full fascist salute.
posted by jaduncan at 3:42 AM on May 29, 2020 [26 favorites]


CNN reporter arrested
posted by thelonius at 3:48 AM on May 29, 2020 [4 favorites]




Then they came for the reporters and after that I don't know what happened.
posted by adamvasco at 4:03 AM on May 29, 2020 [6 favorites]




Sounds like the downtown library got hit too? They were driving cop cars through a peaceful downtown protest last night indiscriminately spraying mace out the windows.

God, they'll arrest reporters before murderers on national television and there will still be people who don't care.
posted by dinty_moore at 4:23 AM on May 29, 2020 [7 favorites]


God, they'll arrest reporters before murderers on national television and there will still be people who don't care.
A Mississippi mayor whose remarks about the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody is refusing calls to resign, including from his own town’s board of aldermen.

“Why in the world would anyone choose to become a police officer in our society today?” Petal Mayor Hal Marx tweeted Tuesday, the day four Minneapolis police officers were fired.

In a follow-up tweet, the Republican directly referenced the Floyd case, saying he didn’t see anything unreasonable: “If you can say you can’t breathe, you’re breathing. Most likely that man died of overdose or heart attack. Video doesn’t show his resistance that got him in that position. Police being crucified.
posted by jaduncan at 4:32 AM on May 29, 2020 [4 favorites]


Just came to post Tony Webster's Twitter account as a source of good info like the Vine Arts Center clip. He also links to other journalists in the city who are sending out useful updates, like Nick Woltman and this tweet from a few hours ago:

A guy with a mullet just started smashing windows at the Lake Street library. Other protesters surrounded him and demanded he stop. “That’s the library, you fuck! It’s an information source for the community,” one guy said. “Go be a fucking cop,” was the mullet’s response.

Yeah, I'm with the protest police on this one.
posted by mediareport at 4:38 AM on May 29, 2020 [21 favorites]




Buzzfeed has a detailed look at the use of knees, and chokeholds in general, by police: Experts Say George Floyd's Death Once Again Shows Police Officers Should Be Banned From Crushing People’s Necks, with cases from across the country:

However, MPD spokesperson John Elder told the Star-Tribune that the technique used by the officer on Floyd was not a department-authorized chokehold.

“In my years as an officer, that would not be what I would ever consider a chokehold,” said Elder.

posted by mediareport at 5:59 AM on May 29, 2020 [8 favorites]


Sahan Journal has an interview with the Arab-American owners of Cup Foods, the store that called 911 when it thought Floyd was using a counterfeit $20 bill.

Twitter feed of Mukhtar Ibrahim, who runs the Sahan Journal.
posted by mediareport at 6:06 AM on May 29, 2020 [7 favorites]


Derek Chauvin and the other officers with him were not detained but CNN reporters were taken in without an official charge. The system is broken. I understand the anger going on in communities right now. Justified anger.

CNN arrest link here-

posted by ascrabblecat at 6:23 AM on May 29, 2020 [6 favorites]


Word on Twitter (so, take with the usual grain of salt) is that Chauvin has decamped to a property he owns in Florida. Why a) this was allowed and b) there has been no announcement "we've issued a warrant for his arrest" when certainly that video provides probable cause and they could couch it as "to keep him in protective custody for his own safety while the investigation continues" if they really need to softball it for the press and public is left as an exercise for the reader.
posted by Flannery Culp at 6:37 AM on May 29, 2020 [12 favorites]


Trump's tweet really expresses the white supremacist position held by so many "not racist" white people clearly and unambiguously.

Neither he nor the white people who agree with him would ever dream of expressing a similarly belligerent and threatening sentiment in defense of black lives and would doubtless be utterly horrified if someone said, in reference to the police, "when the killing starts the shooting starts".

Because, ultimately it appears that to huge segments of white America black lives are less valuable than consumer goods.

To them it seems entirely reasonable to threaten people committing minor property crimes with summary execution, but the idea of threatening murderous or abusive police with summary execution is beyond all standards of civility and acceptable discourse.

That's why simply saying black lives matter is revolutionary and met worry such pushback. Because to a great many of our fellow Americans black lives are less worthy of protection than a retail store.
posted by sotonohito at 6:40 AM on May 29, 2020 [55 favorites]


Are there any pictures anywhere of what the precinct looks like right now and how successfully or unsuccessfully it was burned? I saw some pics that just looked like a corner but am hearing the whole thing went?
posted by corb at 6:53 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


The whole thing is pretty much gone, yeah. Here's a video from this morning.

Migizi communication burned.
posted by dinty_moore at 6:56 AM on May 29, 2020


There's been some individual reports of white supremacist action last night, too - apparently Somali owned shops on east Franklin got looted. Have my own suspicions on mullet guy, though the downtown library was also a pretty popular spot for the police to harass Black teens and homeless folks, so.
posted by dinty_moore at 7:12 AM on May 29, 2020 [3 favorites]




Gov. Walz has a press conference scheduled for 10:30 on his YouTube channel.
posted by Flannery Culp at 7:29 AM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


I saw yesterday on Reddit (so as above, take with a grain of salt or ten) that Chauvin was home during the protests yesterday, and tried to order food delivery 3 times, but once the delivery drivers realized who they were delivering to, refused and left.

I understand the rage people are feeling during all of this. But at the same time, the destruction is heartbreaking. It’s so surreal to see your city on fire. The third precinct is one mile from where I grew up (and where I now work as a nanny). I’m wishing with all my being that Mike Freeman will make the right fucking call today. Please, dude....
posted by sucre at 7:31 AM on May 29, 2020 [8 favorites]


Quick niche update: there are reports of windows broken, water and smoke damage at the East Lake branch library. As someone who has helped with the remediation of a library post-fire, I can tell you that the majority of the damage is caused by water and smoke. Windows were also broken at the downtown Minneapolis library building. The county will be boarding up windows today at Franklin, Walker, and the downtown branch libraries. All branches were closed anyway due to COVID-19, and obviously the curbside service at East Lake has been suspended for now.
posted by Gray Duck at 7:34 AM on May 29, 2020 [5 favorites]


Google search shows Derek Chauvin’s Florida home is in Windermere. Unconfirmed but other articles also state he’s been flown there.
posted by ascrabblecat at 7:35 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


Real fuckin hard to go back to sleep when you wake up for water and the president is just casually tweeting about National Guard potentially shooting people that look like you
-@ryanbrooks 12:42 AM · May 29, 2020
This has a typo. Idc. Nothing matters
-@ryanbrooks 12:43 AM · May 29, 2020
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 7:42 AM on May 29, 2020 [8 favorites]




We Love Lake Street - a fund to let Lake Street's small businesses rebuild.
posted by dinty_moore at 8:13 AM on May 29, 2020 [3 favorites]


Live link to Walz's statement here (official channel doesn't seem to be streaming) (yes I see the irony in sending you to Coon Rapids)
posted by Flannery Culp at 8:33 AM on May 29, 2020


Minnesota Public Radio link to the guv's statement
posted by Gray Duck at 8:36 AM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


For those who aren't familiar, Walz does not generally get this (relatively) emotional - his usual demeanor does not rise above Lutheran pastor, so hearing his voice shaking is unusual.

Also he is taking the responsibility and apologizing for the CNN arrest. He's certainly not above criticism, but he's generally pretty good at being 'the buck stops here' guy I think.
posted by Think_Long at 8:42 AM on May 29, 2020 [11 favorites]


Still working my way through the thread, but thought I'd drop a link to a suitable punk klezmer anthem, Geoff Berner's Daloy Polizei (Fuck the Police).

Link to the lyrics, for those so interested.
posted by The Outsider at 8:43 AM on May 29, 2020 [5 favorites]


It's so refreshing to hear a leader take personal responsibility. I think Walz has done a good job with the COVID-19 situation (good lord, remember when THAT was the big story?) and I still think he's a good leader. One who screws up sometimes but takes responsibility for it and learns from it and moves forward with that new knowledge. That's all that I can ask.

And yeah, this is downright FIERY from him. I think I'm getting a glimpse of what it would have been like to be on the HS football team that he coached. I'd sure as hell sit up straight and play my best.
posted by Gray Duck at 8:47 AM on May 29, 2020 [6 favorites]


Man, if they let that guy flee to Florida, that would probably be literally the worst possible thing they could do right now. If not charging him yesterday was pouring gas on the fire, sending him to Florida is like turning a firehose of gas on the fire. The mind fucking boggles.
posted by triggerfinger at 8:59 AM on May 29, 2020 [11 favorites]


I do think he's being quite fiery, but I also think he is wrong. The riots do not have to be quelled before change is made. Start making changes now!

All shutting down the riots does is let White Minnesota sigh in relief and return to their Targets and normalcy.
posted by graventy at 9:01 AM on May 29, 2020 [24 favorites]


Walz is Okay (not good, not horrible), but I'm finding it really hard to care if it doesn't affect the MPD. Still glad that he's speaking (as opposed to Cano and Frey, who both seem like they're AWOL)
posted by dinty_moore at 9:04 AM on May 29, 2020


Public Safety Commissioner Harrington just used the word murder "because that's what it looked like to me" so that's something.
posted by Flannery Culp at 9:07 AM on May 29, 2020 [17 favorites]


I mean, we could just put Andrea Jenkins in charge and call it a day. That'd work for me.*

*Disclosure: I no longer live in Minnesota
posted by hoyland at 9:08 AM on May 29, 2020 [3 favorites]


Harrington really needs to get George Floyd's name correct. He kept calling him Lloyd.
posted by Gray Duck at 9:10 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


"Let my building burn, Justice needs to be served, put those officers in jail”.

Owners of the Gandhi Mahal restaurant, on the destruction of their business:

Hello everyone!
Thank you to everyone for checking in. Sadly Gandhi Mahal has caught fire and has been damaged. We won’t loose hope though, I am so greatful for our neighbors who did their best to stand guard and protect Gandhi Mahal, Youre efforts won’t go unrecognized. Don’t worry about us, we will rebuild and we will recover. This is Hafsa, Ruhel’s daughter writing, as I am sitting next to my dad watching the news, I hear him say on the phone; “ let my building burn, Justice needs to be served, put those officers in jail”. Gandhi Mahal May have felt the flames last night, but our firey drive to help protect and stand with our community will never die! Peace be with everyone. #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd #BLM


Non-Facebook link.
posted by mediareport at 9:12 AM on May 29, 2020 [67 favorites]


I know it's their mindset that's hard to break out of, but the militarisms really standout in these things - State Trooper just said that the fire department was 'shelled' last night. I mean yeah things were thrown at them and it wasn't safe, but 'shelled'?
posted by Think_Long at 9:13 AM on May 29, 2020 [18 favorites]


There’s no way the most disliked man in America right now would flee to his second address. Protests were beginning to happen there last night, articles read. Civil unrest will continue to happen until they’re all charged and detained. Civil unrest continues to spread.
posted by ascrabblecat at 9:14 AM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


Walz on people wanting to get back to normal, re: pandemic and otherwise: "Normal was not working for George Floyd pre-COVID-19 and is certainly not working now."
posted by Flannery Culp at 9:16 AM on May 29, 2020 [15 favorites]


Lisa Bender, the Minneapolis Council President, has been strangely silent throughout all of this. I just found out why...she's been out of cell phone range in the Boundary Waters since before Floyd's murder. It must have been a hell of a shock when she got back in range and her cell phone lit up...she's on her way back now.
posted by Gray Duck at 9:16 AM on May 29, 2020 [15 favorites]


Does anyone know what the huge flat building that is currently on fire is? The one they're showing alongside Tim Walz. It looks like it's across the street from Midtown Global Market but I can't tell.
posted by triggerfinger at 9:18 AM on May 29, 2020


she's been out of cell phone range in the Boundary Waters since before Floyd's murder.

I hope that's true, because folks have been angry at her silence for days now.
posted by mediareport at 9:19 AM on May 29, 2020 [3 favorites]


State Trooper just said that the fire department was 'shelled' last night.
Yeah, somehow I doubt the protesters had artillery, though I’d be down for it.
posted by corb at 9:20 AM on May 29, 2020 [8 favorites]


And pretty rich for the police to say they're being shelled when I have seen dozens of photos and videos showing police attacking peaceful protesters with pepper spray and rubber bullets. Have they considered not escalating things?
posted by triggerfinger at 9:20 AM on May 29, 2020 [21 favorites]


The riots do not have to be quelled before change is made. Start making changes now!

It seems to me the best way to quell the riots would indeed be to start make some changes.
posted by tobascodagama at 9:21 AM on May 29, 2020 [7 favorites]


she's been out of cell phone range in the Boundary Waters since before Floyd's murder.

I hope that's true, because folks have been angry at her silence for days now.


I'd also heard the rumors and wasn't sure if I believed it, but her twitter account confirms it.
posted by Gray Duck at 9:22 AM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


Does anyone know what the huge flat building that is currently on fire is?

I'm not sure which feed you're watching, but the Hi Lake shopping center is still burning so that may be what you're seeing.
posted by Think_Long at 9:23 AM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


It seems to me the best way to quell the riots would indeed be to start make some changes.

Well, the best way is to make some damn arrests. But steps toward permanent change would certainly be helpful.
posted by graventy at 9:23 AM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


I kind of love that Walz's examples of previous events that required major planning for possible riots and National Guard response are the Super Bowl and the RNC. /gallows humor
posted by Flannery Culp at 9:27 AM on May 29, 2020 [4 favorites]


Also, if you are not watching a video stream, the sign language interpreter is doing an amazing, full-body job of communication.
posted by Flannery Culp at 9:29 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


So I'm perusing my various newsfeeds and briefing emails this morning, and I see references to "George Floyd protesters" and "Protesters seeking justice for the killing of George Floyd." Some items reference "clashes between police and protesters in the wake of recent police killings of unarmed African-Americans" or "escalating tensions between law enforcement and protesters."

Then I get to the my daily briefing email from the New York Times and read "Anti-police protests became violent in both Minneapolis and Louisville last night."

Anti-police.

I mean, I guess I should be happy that the NYT is making it obvious that they're on the same side as the fascists, but at the same time, how...what's the word I'm looking for? Cold? Hard-hearted? Tone deaf?.... do you have to be to characterize the protestors' goals and intent as "anti-police" rather than pro-justice?

I searched for but did not find any reference to the "re-open" people storming legislatures and burning effigies as "anti-government" or "anti-public health and safety" in the NYT. I wonder why that is.

(Interestingly, there was one source that referred to the re-open protestors as anti-government: Oregon Live.)
posted by lord_wolf at 9:31 AM on May 29, 2020 [29 favorites]


Migizi Communications, the Native American youth support organization, reports on FB that its radio archives are safe (contra the earlier Twitter report that their archives had been lost):

Our Migizi team moved the Migizi Legacy Radio Archive yesterday out of the building. It is safe. Please know Migizi needs our help as the building caught fire early this morning. And, make no mistake, we safeguard Migizi's stories because they are the stories of resistance, hope, and justice. #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd

Donation page to help them rebuild
Another page they endorsed for donations
posted by mediareport at 9:32 AM on May 29, 2020 [25 favorites]


I live in Minneapolis. My neighbor was killed by Minneapolis police 3 years ago, and I regularly saw her killer in the skyway during his trial. As a resident who uses 38th street as their usual east-west city route, the intersection at Chicago Ave already felt militarized due to squad cars constantly idling in the Super America parking lot. A police murder at that intersection seems like an inevitable extension of that imposing police presence.

I’ve worked at three buildings along Lake Street between Chicago Ave and Minnehaha, and I don’t know if all of them are still standing (especially the one across the parking lot from the Autozone). My city councilwoman is worthless, and I don’t see her as being part of any solution. How does one force a change in leadership of a police union if the head is a fascist elected by its members? Is the only workable solution really the “defund the MPD” path? The Minneapolis 2040 development plan was one of the first of its kind to name structural racism as a focus, but I don’t recall any sections of it involving restructuring the city police forces (because in MPLS there’s not just the MPD, but also the park patrol and the university police). The destructive anger is so palpable because the underlying structures supporting the brutality of the status quo are so complicated and entrenched.

And as a person who works in public health and human services, I am so worried about the epidemiological implications of mass protests and riots during a pandemic, not to mention the destruction of grocery stores and pharmacies along major public transit corridors that residents rely on (Lake St in MPLS, Universiry Ave in St Paul). Minneapolis is already a COVID19 hotspot, and hospitals here were just starting to hit surge ICU capacity. What happens 2-3 weeks from now?
posted by Maarika at 9:35 AM on May 29, 2020 [43 favorites]


I don't know if this is too dark for metafilter, but I seriously do wonder if part of the MPD's plan is just wait it out until everyone gets covid.
posted by dinty_moore at 9:43 AM on May 29, 2020 [4 favorites]




...or until some other shiny object distracts the media coverage and they can resume business as usual.
posted by Flannery Culp at 9:49 AM on May 29, 2020 [6 favorites]


Missed the reporter asking the golden question: Why can't the suspect be held while charges are pending?

Answer: There was a lag between the 'incident' and the 'witnessing' of the crime (the release of the video). Now they have to follow the DA's arresting guidelines.

I might be misinterpreting that statement, but it's not sufficient.
posted by Think_Long at 9:50 AM on May 29, 2020 [5 favorites]


Does anyone know of a public 'twitter list' for those on the ground, reporting from Minneapolis?
posted by Ahmad Khani at 9:54 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


Is this twitter list visible: Mpls Protest Journos ?
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:59 AM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


As a non-user of Twitter, I can see it just fine. Thanks!!
posted by Gray Duck at 10:00 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


I rewound to Harrington's last statement. Think_Long's interpretation of what he said is accurate - if they'd interrupted the incident in progress an arrest could have happened, but now other legal procedure rules apply - and also that is bullshit on multiple levels.
posted by Flannery Culp at 10:01 AM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


I mean, they could have interrupted the incident in progress. THREE OTHER COPS WERE ON THE SCENE. Unfortunately two of them are assistant murderers and the last is an accomplice.
posted by graventy at 10:03 AM on May 29, 2020 [22 favorites]


I guess I should be happy that the NYT is making it obvious that they're on the same side as the fascists - posted by lord_wolf at 12:31 PM

Ford kills COVID-19 with ingenious car heater hack (Fast Company, May 29, 2020)
A software update allows Ford police SUVs to sterilize themselves.

The Times is just so much chin music; Ford's announced portable sweat boxes.
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:04 AM on May 29, 2020 [5 favorites]


Chauvin has been taken into custody by the BCA. Per presser on MPR right now.
posted by Gray Duck at 10:10 AM on May 29, 2020 [21 favorites]


Is it that they’re trying to charge them with federal crimes (civil liberties) and that takes longer? Sincere question. I know someone can be detained for a certain period before they’re released if no charges are brought against them. Seems like this is not swift enough. Bah!!!
posted by ascrabblecat at 10:11 AM on May 29, 2020


"the officer probably turned himself in" (from the MPR interview ongoing)

So it only took destroying half the city for him to think about his actions.

Also, no charges yet. Which is like.... I thought that was the excuse why they couldn't take him into custody? That he would have to be released in 48 hours without charges?

This just feels like so much biding for time while not actually doing anything meaningful about a murder.
posted by deadaluspark at 10:17 AM on May 29, 2020 [3 favorites]


Arrested, and also claimed Florida residency, not Minnesota, on the application for his real estate license.
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:17 AM on May 29, 2020 [8 favorites]


Also, remember, they still haven't charged this guy, but they already managed to arrest a CNN reported for nothing before they managed to arrest this guy with NO CHARGES.
posted by deadaluspark at 10:22 AM on May 29, 2020 [12 favorites]


Also, what's the disconnect here between cops complaining of cases "being rammed through the justice system," when we are all supposed to have "a right to a speedy trial" which is something I sure as fuck have never actually seen given to people in poverty.

Yet, when it comes to cops, they have a right to a lengthy trial? Is that it? They just want to drag it on as long as possible.
posted by deadaluspark at 10:24 AM on May 29, 2020 [4 favorites]


As a resident of Minneapolis, I'm going to allow myself a fair bit of relief from this news.
posted by MillMan at 10:25 AM on May 29, 2020 [4 favorites]


(as opposed to Cano and Frey, who both seem like they're AWOL)

Ftr, as another resident of south Mpls, I haven't felt like Frey is AWOL--I've been impressed by his press statements throughout the past two days, asking for arrests of the cops, and he apparently did a press conference last night at 1am about his decision to let the precinct building burn (per KARE)
posted by C. K. Dexter Haven at 10:29 AM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


MPR anchor Cathy Wurzer:

Here's an update on Migizi on Lake St. The historic audio tapes were saved but other things like historic photos and other material important to Native American history are gone. And the building that housed La Raza Radio, one of only Latino radio stations, burned.
posted by mediareport at 10:32 AM on May 29, 2020 [5 favorites]


Of course, ymmv. ...I may have unreasonably low expectations of mayors.
posted by C. K. Dexter Haven at 10:36 AM on May 29, 2020


La Raza Radio, owned by Maya Santamaria, who also owned El Nuevo Rodeo until earlier this year -- the nightclub where Floyd and Chauvin worked together: Santamaria still operates La Raza 95.7 FM radio station in the same building that houses El Nuevo Rodeo, but a power outage has knocked them off-air as a result of Tuesday's protests. The Latino owned business is two blocks east of where protests erupted in front of the Minneapolis Police Department Third Precinct and spilled into nearby businesses. Like their neighbors, the building's glass doors are shattered and now covered in graffiti.
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:47 AM on May 29, 2020 [3 favorites]


The Facebook page Stuff about Minneapolis (and yeah, I know, Facebook) has been posting a lot of photos and updates from residents/businesses. (Dammit, just saw that the Town Talk Diner is completely gone now...)
posted by Kat Allison at 10:53 AM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


C. K. Dexter Haven - no, that's definitely fair. I was pleasantly surprised when he called for the arrest of Chauvin when he did, I guess it was mostly the last 36 hours where it felt like I didn't hear much at all from him (though I sort of forgot about the 1am press conference).

Cano, on the other hand - where is she? Last I cound find from her is calls to protest on the 26th. Other council members- Cunningham, Jenkins, Ellison have been visible and pressing the mayor, but she's been absent - and a good portion of this is happening in her ward.

(Though really, Cano is essentially the epitome of 'you can have all of the right opinions but it doesn't matter if you don't show up to vote'. The biggest surprise about her voting to increase the police budget is that she showed up to vote for it)

Stuff About Minneapolis is also on tumblr, though the focus is a little different, and twitter.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:03 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


Minneapolis Public Schools looking to terminate their contract with the MPD.

I guess this is one way to defund the police. . .
posted by dinty_moore at 11:07 AM on May 29, 2020 [27 favorites]


Hearing charges of murder and manslaughter.....
posted by aclevername at 11:17 AM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


Third degree murder in Minnesota is the "depraved indifference to human life" one (unintentional but foreseeable death), punishable by up to 25 years in prison.
posted by Flannery Culp at 11:21 AM on May 29, 2020 [6 favorites]


Unintentional.

Unintentional.

Nah. He intended.
posted by affectionateborg at 11:38 AM on May 29, 2020 [20 favorites]


Yeah, but as far as making it stick, that seems like an appropriate and supportable charge: did Chauvin think "I will purposely kneel on this guy's neck with the intent to kill him"? Probably not (she said perhaps naively) or at least, not possible to convince a jury beyond reasonable doubt. Should a reasonable person have known that kneeling on someone's neck that long could kill them? Yes.
posted by Flannery Culp at 11:40 AM on May 29, 2020 [20 favorites]


A statement from President Obama:

I want to share parts of the conversations I've had with friends over the past couple days about the footage of George Floyd dying face down on the street under the knee of a police officer in Minnesota.

The first is an email from a middle-aged African American businessman.

"Dude I gotta tell you the George Floyd incident in Minnesota hurt. I cried when I saw that video. It broke me down. The 'knee on the neck' is a metaphor for how the system so cavalierly holds black folks down, ignoring the cries for help. People don't care. Truly tragic."

Another friend of mine used the powerful song that went viral from 12-year-old Keedron Bryant to describe the frustrations he was feeling.

The circumstances of my friend and Keedron may be different, but their anguish is the same. It's shared by me and millions of others.

It's natural to wish for life "to just get back to normal" as a pandemic and economic crisis upend everything around us. But we have to remember that for millions of Americans, being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly "normal" — whether it's while dealing with the health care system, or interacting with the criminal justice system, or jogging down the street, or just watching birds in a park.

This shouldn't be "normal" in 2020 America. It can't be "normal." If we want our children to grow up in a nation that lives up to its highest ideals, we can and must be better.

It will fall mainly on the officials of Minnesota to ensure that the circumstances surrounding George Floyd's death are investigated thoroughly and that justice is ultimately done. But it falls on all of us, regardless of our race or station — including the majority of men and women in law enforcement who take pride in doing their tough job the right way, every day — to work together to create a "new normal" in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts.


Damn I miss having him as my President.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 11:42 AM on May 29, 2020 [24 favorites]


An eloquent response from Obama, that carefully avoids calling for the arrest of the cops responsible and praises cops. Not to mention ignoring that basically no cop was brought to justice during his presidency.

But hey the words sound nice.
posted by graventy at 11:45 AM on May 29, 2020 [27 favorites]


Thank GOD Chauvin’s been charged (and Freeman hinted that the 3 other officers will likely be charged as well). But it did NOT have to take this long.
posted by sucre at 11:46 AM on May 29, 2020 [5 favorites]


Mod note: Comment removed. This is a shitty stressful situation and week, so generally I just want to both empathize with anybody having a hard time and also ask folks to try and remember to extend that that empathy all around in your commenting. If you're having an especially hard time and finding it hard to regulate, that's understandable but please take care to not get aggressive or hostile toward other folks on the site.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:55 AM on May 29, 2020 [7 favorites]


Aaaand Trump chickens out, walking away from the podium at his 45-minutes-late press event discussing Hong Kong without responding to any questions—responses which would have involved saying something about George Floyd and Minneapolis.
posted by XMLicious at 12:01 PM on May 29, 2020 [7 favorites]


I think the majority believes it was intentional- how could it not be? So, while third degree will probably be easier to determine and be found guilty, we ALL know it was intentional. Common sense and intuition tells us that. His 17 years of service tell us he knew exactly what he was doing. P.O.S. I hope more charges are brought forward. Life of solitary confinement.
posted by ascrabblecat at 12:13 PM on May 29, 2020 [5 favorites]


Nah. He intended.

Greg Fallis's latest blog post: killed by indifference
I don’t know what motivated Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who kept his knee on Floyd’s neck. How could I? But from watching the video, my sense is that Chauvin wasn’t angry. He wasn’t scared. He didn’t feel threatened. He wasn’t nervous or alarmed or even annoyed. Chauvin, to me, seemed unconcerned, not just about what was he was doing, but also to what was taking place around him. He seemed unmoved by it all.

That’s what I saw in the video. Chauvin just didn’t care. He was unmoved by Floyd’s pleas for help. He had no concern about Floyd’s well-being. Floyd simply didn’t matter; not as a suspect in a crime, not as a citizen of Minneapolis, not as a member of the public Chauvin was sworn to protect, not even as a fellow human being. Chauvin just didn’t care.
(note: the blog post includes a photo of Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd's neck)
posted by Lexica at 12:15 PM on May 29, 2020 [22 favorites]


Best comment on Chauvin's arrest I've seen so far, from the awesome Amber Ruffin (comedian, writer for the Seth Meyers Show): He's lucky he didn't arrest himself or he'd be dead.

She had another great line earlier: I wish someone would encourage me the way Trump encourages police violence.
posted by lord_wolf at 12:15 PM on May 29, 2020 [15 favorites]




This has been hard.

I'm from Minneapolis, and after moving around the country for several years I'm back home. I was living a block from Cup Foods until two months ago, had to move because I couldn't afford the rent on my own after my ex moved out. I went to high school in South Minneapolis, and grew up going to the Lake Street Target. A friend of mine from high school (local poet Bao Phi) used to work at the Cub down there. Gandhi Mahal is one of my favorite Indian restaurants, and they've been burned down.

Yesterday I went to my local Walgreens (Uptown area) to pick up my prescriptions. It's normally open 24/7, but was closed and had a couple of windows busted out. I had to go to St. Louis Park, and fortunately I have a car so that's feasible. I came home and found a dozen or so shell casings outside my apartment building, like in the street nearby - this is not normal for my neighborhood, and I can't imagine when it could have happened and I wouldn't have heard it.

I've been trying to organize folks I know to call Mike Freeman's office, but he's been leaving the phone off the hook there.

When I was 25, a cop shot me with a bunch of rubber bullets at a much more chill demonstration in California. I don't often go to demos anymore because it's too triggering and I'm also immunocompromised, so I've been staying in as much as possible since March. It's hard watching this happen, it's hard watching calls for peace and civility as though anyone has ever won their rights by sitting still and smiling and being polite, it's hard watching people get more upset about looting and broken windows than about a man being murdered in cold blood.

I'm glad Chauvin has been arrested. It's a good first step, but I'm really hoping that he gets more charges piled on, that the other three cops present are arrested as accessories, and that we have a total overhaul, including serious and ongoing investigation into white supremacist gangs inside the police force. I know I should also ask for a pony, because I'm more likely to get a pony.

I'm proud of my city for standing up for Mr. Floyd. I'm honestly really proud of my city for burning down a police station, that offered some real catharsis. I hope this becomes the standard response to cops murdering people, because nothing else seems to have any impact on them.
posted by bile and syntax at 12:18 PM on May 29, 2020 [61 favorites]


I did not mean to understate the seriousness of what Chauvin did, more allow for the small thread of hope that he was just(!) too callous to care about his actions and their likely outcome, not actively seeking to commit murder. Certainly his past actions show that is possible. I was thinking about the legal issues and my experience with how the Hennepin County Attorney's Office handles cases but do not want to take away from the seriousness and horror of George Floyd's death.
posted by Flannery Culp at 12:27 PM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


This is solidarity.

Organized labor throughout the city is banding together in solidarity against police violence in the aftermath of Floyd’s death.
posted by droplet at 12:27 PM on May 29, 2020 [33 favorites]


I haven't seen any word of any type of actions occurring tonight and I'm not seeing any reports of spontaneous confrontations like this time yesterday. Anyone heard anything? Or is the weekend looking quieter?
posted by Think_Long at 1:12 PM on May 29, 2020


Most of what I've heard has been focused on food drives and cleanups, but it might still be early.
posted by dinty_moore at 1:13 PM on May 29, 2020






“The defendant had his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in total. Two minutes and 53 seconds of this was after Mr. Floyd was non-responsive.”
Seems like second-degree, intentional murder, to me.
From the now released criminal complaint.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 1:57 PM on May 29, 2020 [14 favorites]


. . .or there could be a curfew.

Mayor Carter just announced the same for St Paul.
posted by nathan_teske at 2:06 PM on May 29, 2020


Here's a direct link to the criminal complaint against Derek Chauvin(pdf) from the Minnesota Courts' website, if the embedded version above is a hassle.
posted by mikelieman at 2:10 PM on May 29, 2020


8pm to 6am curfew, Minneapolis and St. Paul, tonight and tomorrow night.
posted by MillMan at 2:18 PM on May 29, 2020


Wonder how they're planning to enforce that.
posted by mediareport at 2:23 PM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


Oh my god. I'd somehow missed that the official autopsy - released on Tuesday when the cops/their enablers probably thought there was still a chance to salvage Chauvin's career - claims there were "no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation" and claims Chauvin's knee on George Floyd's neck was just, you know, one of three factors that contributed to his death:

The autopsy revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation. Mr. Floyd had underlying health conditions including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease...The combined effects of Mr. Floyd being restrained by the police, his underlying health conditions and any potential intoxicants in his system likely contributed to his death.

The family has hired its own medical examiner to perform an independent autopsy.
posted by mediareport at 3:03 PM on May 29, 2020 [30 favorites]


I saw that too. It sure sounds a lot like "if you're not 100% healthy it's not our fault if the cops 'accidentally' kill you."
posted by nakedmolerats at 3:30 PM on May 29, 2020 [33 favorites]


any potential intoxicants in his system

This is a tiny but important part of the coverup. Even if Floyd's toxicology report comes back sparkling clean, it's already out there in the atmosphere. Well, he might have been on drugs. I remember seeing that somewhere...
posted by Etrigan at 3:36 PM on May 29, 2020 [39 favorites]


any potential intoxicants in his system
Hence that cop's groundwork-laying “This is why you don't do drugs, kids!” admonishment to witnesses at the scene of the murder.

Hey, Amalgamated Transit Union International (the largest labor union representing transit and allied workers in the U.S. and Canada, with more than 200,000 public transit workers) has its members' backs:

“We are deeply disturbed and angered by the tragic death of George Floyd, an African-American who was held, handcuffed, on the ground by a white Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on Floyd’s neck as he pleaded, “I can’t breathe.” [...] We are calling for a full and independent investigation into Floyd’s death, and for appropriate action to be taken to ensure that justice is served.

“Furthermore, as our members – bus drivers – have the right to refuse work they consider dangerous or unsafe during the pandemic, so too Minneapolis bus drivers – our members – have the right to refuse the dangerous duty of transporting police to protests and arrested demonstrators away from these communities where many of these drivers live. This is a misuse of public transit. The Amalgamated Transit Union has a long history of fighting for social justice as well as the rights and equal treatment of all people regardless of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation.

“If any good is to come of this, we in the labor movement and the nation must unite to stop the systemic cycle of injustice, racism and hatred that plagues our country." - excerpted from a statement issued yesterday by Amalgamated Transit Union International President John Costa
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:29 PM on May 29, 2020 [38 favorites]


Kicking off in Atlanta (livestream from news helicopter)
posted by Ahmad Khani at 5:01 PM on May 29, 2020


Live on the ground in Atlanta (CBS).
posted by Ahmad Khani at 5:08 PM on May 29, 2020


LeVar Burton speaks for me about this whole week (tweet): Don't f*ck with me today, people. Today is not the day!
posted by TwoStride at 6:12 PM on May 29, 2020 [5 favorites]




I saw someone on Twitter, from Atlanta, mention that it's a frequent gathering spot for protests, so CNN wasn't necessarily the target.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:30 PM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


North Minneapolis seems to be on fire.. Not seeing anything closer.

Unfortunately, north Minneapolis is the section of the city that has the highest black population and is least likely to be given funds to rebuild.
posted by dinty_moore at 6:46 PM on May 29, 2020


Apparently in Atlanta they were throwing fireworks at police in the lobby of the CNN center.

Video I ran across on twitter here: Protesters throw lit fireworks at police inside CNN Center
posted by VTX at 7:00 PM on May 29, 2020


"The Atlanta Police Department has a precinct inside CNN Center." Scroll down through the updates.
posted by mediareport at 7:03 PM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


This has been agonizing to watch; even though I am nowhere near Minneapolis, I couldn't turn away from the Unicorn Riot livestream Thursday night. I watched for about 90 minutes. The video included a variety of interview participants, some eloquent, some less so.

An older person stated that they had apparently witnessed a person trapped in the basement of a liquor store that was on fire, pushing on the doors to attempt to escape (which apparently did not succeed).

A young woman talking about her concerns (while holding a vodka bottle under her arm) was interrupted when she suffered an accidental glancing blow to the head from an uprooted streetlight that was being dragged across the street to add to a makeshift barricade.

The backdrop for all of these scenes was an Arby's engulfed in flames.

One of my defense mechanisms is to compare current events to pop culture. While thinking about this video, I was reminded of the street interviews in the movie RoboCop, just before the police strike.

I'm pretty sure that the area depicted in the Unicorn Riot video was featured in this vintage Lizzo/Caroline Smith video, which now seems like a lost moment in time.
posted by JDC8 at 7:11 PM on May 29, 2020 [4 favorites]


I'm pretty sure that the area depicted in the Unicorn Riot video was featured in this vintage Lizzo/Caroline Smith video, which now seems like a lost moment in time.

It is. The Roberts Shoes store burned down about a year ago (I think, maybe longer? what is time?), think it was electrical. But yeah, they're walking up and down lake street, which is where Unicorn Riot is spending a lot of their time (looks like they just stopped by a fire around Park and Lake, this is a weird freaking way to test my memory of local geography, let me tell you).

If you want to see what this place looks like when it's not burning, that's a good place to start.
posted by dinty_moore at 7:20 PM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


Minneapolis really IS pretty awesome when it's not on fire.
posted by Gray Duck at 7:50 PM on May 29, 2020 [4 favorites]


There’s a ton of honking outside near my apartment, which is near the Walker. Does anyone know what’s going on?
posted by bile and syntax at 8:11 PM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


Not sure. Most of the reporting I've seen has been concentrating on the 5th precinct - 31st and nicollet. Post office getting looted. Gas station on fire.
posted by dinty_moore at 8:18 PM on May 29, 2020


What are you going to loot from the post office? Stamps?
posted by Windopaene at 8:22 PM on May 29, 2020 [3 favorites]


Apparently.
posted by dinty_moore at 8:25 PM on May 29, 2020


I do need a lot of stamps. Like, a lot.
posted by bile and syntax at 8:30 PM on May 29, 2020 [3 favorites]


"What are you going to loot from the post office? Stamps?"

The USPS stores them in these absolutely ginormous walk-in safes, like an old-timey a bank vault, because, yeah, stamps are as good as cash. (Probably casual looters will only get whatever's handy for retail at the counter.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:31 PM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


OK, stamps.

Didn't know they held that many. Could probably resell them in bulk to someone with connections. Still, wouldn't be my first choice of places to loot.
posted by Windopaene at 8:34 PM on May 29, 2020


No one is "looting" to get THINGS right now. If that's what you think is happening, please try to absorb more of what's going on.
posted by tiny frying pan at 8:36 PM on May 29, 2020 [16 favorites]


Tiny frying pan, I am literally breathing the smoke from it. How much absorbing do you want me to do?
posted by dinty_moore at 8:40 PM on May 29, 2020 [6 favorites]


Not act like people want stamps and that's why they are "looting" a post office?
posted by tiny frying pan at 8:42 PM on May 29, 2020 [6 favorites]


Tiny frying pan. I realize that. Please realize that you are talking to people who are uncomfortably close to a lot of fires, and are trying to figure out what is going on for their own safety.
posted by dinty_moore at 8:44 PM on May 29, 2020 [8 favorites]


Was replying to Windopaene.
posted by tiny frying pan at 8:48 PM on May 29, 2020


stamps are as good as cash

I suppose in a strictly legal sense this might be true, but where can I shop where stamps are legal tender? Not trying to be facetious here, but I've never heard of stamps being used as currency in the modern age (circa ~40 years).
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 8:51 PM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


Just seems like a weird place to "loot". Burn down or trash, because it's the government, OK. But loot just felt weird. Loot and burn seem different. As a resident in 1986, even though I can't find my house on google maps, it's a bummer for a great city.
posted by Windopaene at 8:52 PM on May 29, 2020


Anyway, nobody has reported anything going on at that fucking Kmart yet. So far most of the damage is north of the precinct. Police were staging at the Whittier clinic, which seems untouched so far. Constant helicopters about a mile away. Pretty big crowd at the precinct.

Alondra Cano claimed that Walz rescinded the national guard, but the state's office denies this (and Cano is kind of the worst)
posted by dinty_moore at 8:54 PM on May 29, 2020 [4 favorites]


Stay safe dinty. I'm out
posted by Windopaene at 8:55 PM on May 29, 2020


Yes, I agree. It IS super WEIRD that the media calls it "looting."
posted by tiny frying pan at 8:59 PM on May 29, 2020 [4 favorites]


No police seem to be anywhere, same with national guard, though. Multiple demonstrations in the city, police seem to be missing from all of them, making the looting worse.
posted by dinty_moore at 9:01 PM on May 29, 2020




Okay, well, breaking into buildings and torching and/or removing all valuables from them. Call it whatever you like.
posted by dinty_moore at 9:03 PM on May 29, 2020


Can't verify but looks like a protester just knocked out a cop in San Jose.
posted by mediareport at 9:06 PM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]




Shocking that the police would want to let any property damage continue. Considering they started the property damage portion of the protests. Why would they stop protesters? It helps them. It helps them with people who say oh what a shame this doesn't help doesn't honor a memory.
posted by tiny frying pan at 9:08 PM on May 29, 2020 [8 favorites]


Derek Chauvin's wife released a statement announcing she is seeking a divorce

A cynic on twitter: Sooo I know asset protection when I see it. Freeze all assets they have combined until the trial and civil suit is over.
posted by mediareport at 9:14 PM on May 29, 2020 [23 favorites]


Protesters throw what appears to be a flash-bang grenade Looked like a firework to me, a single mortar round meant to be put in a tube. Easy to purchase legally about an hour and a half away in South Carolina.
posted by achrise at 9:26 PM on May 29, 2020 [4 favorites]


"While Ms. Chauvin has no children from her current marriage, she respectfully requests that her children, her elder parents, and her extended family be given safety and privacy during this difficult time."
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:33 PM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


Protesters in Dallas got kettled and tear gassed. Later, after some of them moved onto the highway and blocked traffic, other people in their cars were seen waving guns at them. This is making me wonder if this place is too right-wing for large scale protests to be viable here.
posted by davedave at 9:38 PM on May 29, 2020 [3 favorites]


Fire at 28th and Park reaching a residential area.

Yes, and if it's any comfort, the mayor is aware of it and just tweeted:

Mayor Jacob Frey @MayorFrey
For our @minneapolisfire fighters to respond, the area of the fire must be secure so they can focus on fighting the fire without risking their own safety. We are working with the State National Guard & MN DPS – who control Incident Command tonight – to provide support in South.

9:20 PM · May 29, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
posted by Ahmad Khani at 9:38 PM on May 29, 2020


Can't verify but looks like a protester just knocked out a cop in San Jose.

That might explain the helicopter and sirens I heard when I went to the front of the house earlier.
posted by tavella at 10:02 PM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


How often do people fuck with firefighters? Even in riot situations? AFANB

Liability stuff, but weaksauce from the mayor
posted by Windopaene at 10:13 PM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


Star Tribune reporter Libor Jany: "Police say that as best as they can tell 417 businesses were burglarized, looted or damaged between 8 a.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. Friday. So far, 12 people have been booked in connection with the protests: 7 for burglary and 5 for unlawful assembly."
posted by mediareport at 10:28 PM on May 29, 2020 [2 favorites]


"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."

- John F. Kennedy
posted by droplet at 10:56 PM on May 29, 2020 [32 favorites]


Does anyone know a good source to follow the LA protests besides the LA Times?
posted by Ahniya at 10:58 PM on May 29, 2020




Google search on LA is all "police officers attacked" nonsense... No thanks
posted by Windopaene at 11:02 PM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


That's why I'm asking for better sources. On the ground ones would be ideal.

My distance from DTLA is measured in blocks. It would be good to know if I have to get out before people show up on my street.
posted by Ahniya at 11:07 PM on May 29, 2020 [3 favorites]


Gov. Walz supposed to give a speech at 1:30. National Guard apparently clearing 5th precinct. Post office entirely on fire. Atlas staffing building also on fire. As much as I was joking about the fucking Kmart earlier, I dont want it to go up in flames - way too close to a lot of residences.

28th and Park fire out. Hours of helicopters overhead stopped for a few minutes, now seem like they're back. Lots of bangs.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:23 PM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


Pretty clear that the people starting fires in Minneapolis tonight are white supremacists. Lots of reports of guys walking around with AR15s.

Ahniya, check local reporters on Twitter, they're the best resources or at least retweeting the best resource.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:27 PM on May 29, 2020 [11 favorites]


dinty_moore, do you have any suggestions? I just moved to LA and don't know any good local reporters yet.
posted by Ahniya at 11:29 PM on May 29, 2020


I don't, I'm sorry. Best of luck.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:42 PM on May 29, 2020 [1 favorite]


I haven't read any sources or accounts of anyone using stamps as currency more recent than the 19th century. Nobody is converting stamps to legal tender.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 11:44 PM on May 29, 2020


Does anyone know a good source to follow the LA protests besides the LA Times?

I was going to say, follow Matt Pearce, specifically. I always appreciate his take, since his awesome coverage in Ferguson. But he's a national reporter, not a local one, and he is at the L.A. Times, so I don't know if that's entirely prohibitive. I don't often read his stories in the actual paper, but I appreciate his Twitter feed.


... these guys are all but guaranteed employment as LEOs elsewhere.
... sadly it seems mere moral outrage is inadequate to incite change. Maybe the trick is to get some lawyer to successfully sue some locality whose LEO’s have killed someone. This would maybe lead to those LEO’s being black-balled ... and ... jesus, to even have to think of such an ass-backward way of changing the law to, simply, change so that police stop killing people.


I don't know if this was being floated as a viable idea, early in the thread, but well, they did that in Ferguson. Sadly, that absolutely did not stop police in St. Louis and its environs from killing even more people of color in the nearly 6 years since Michael Brown's death.

I am glued to coverage and discussion of the protests in Minneapolis and across the country, as someone whose life changed entirely (for the better; no regrets) in the aftermath of protests in Ferguson. My heart is with everyone protesting and everyone covering the protests, this week and tonight and as long as it goes on. Also, Pride month starts shortly, and on some level, it feels entirely fitting that this is how we're kicking it off. My pride is intersectional, always, and I stand with all of the oppressed and marginalized people of color dealing with all of this. It is beyond brave to protest in the face of tear gas at a time when everyone's lungs are threatened by the virus. I've donated to bail funds in Minneapolis and Brooklyn so far, and I'm looking for other ways to contribute.

As a result of all the accounts I followed when everything was happening in Ferguson and St. Louis back in 2014–15, nearly everything in my Twitter feed this week is about protest. Clearly I curated that right at the time. In case it's useful to anyone dealing with this for the first time in their immediate environs, a guiding principle for me since August 9, 2014, has been this: "Will I be OK with myself later if I don't take a stand against injustice during this time?"

I've long since decided that I have to follow my conscience and tell everyone I can the truth of what I see, especially as a white person who desires to foster change. I lost my last newsroom job in November 2014 in large part because of my decision to honor that and write about my experiences growing up near Ferguson, insist on fact-checking police statements that attempted to rewrite history, and speak publicly and transparently about editorial debates in my newsroom during Ferguson coverage. Again, I have no regrets. I will never regret standing up on a national stage in 2014 and saying we, as in white people, need to do better. I just wish we had in fact done better in the more than half a decade since then.

We have to keep trying. Things to look out for in coming days, in municipalities across the country: Police statements from union reps that contradict and attempt to "explain" what can be seen with the naked eye from multiple angles in videos. Strategic releases of information (already begun) in an attempt to smear the deceased. Aggressions large and small against the family of the deceased. Neighborhood rejuvenation efforts to "support" small businesses whose messages are actually dogwhistles yearning for a return to Mayberry (like the infamous I ♡ Ferguson signs and shirts that were often seen among white folks for a while). Contradictory and competing autopsy reports. Continued escalation of police militarization and tear gas and arrests of nonviolent protesters in affected areas, subjecting protesters to more danger from the virus. Additional black bloc creeps damaging property, setting fires, inciting conflict, then stepping back and letting people of color get blamed. (Not, to be clear, that damaging property is not a viable protest strategy, because it is. But a lot of the people doing that aren't doing it to truly protest and are sticking people of color with the bill for their transgressions.) Endless characterization of even peaceful protest as "the riots" and/or "looting," in the vernacular of both average white neighborhood residents and the press.

Half a decade later, so many people still characterize the largely nonviolent protests in Ferguson as the "Ferguson riots." If you care about how this sort of thing is portrayed, get ready for years of attempts to change the discourse and correct the record on what you know really happened. Seriously, my thoughts are with you. These efforts will take time. So much love to everyone going through this for the first time.
posted by limeonaire at 12:26 AM on May 30, 2020 [39 favorites]


Killer Mike of Run the Jewels was on Atlanta TV calling for calm, and for people to take the energy they have and put it into organizing and voting.

I'm so far past my ability to process all of the shit that's happening, and watching Killer Mike pleading with people to preserve the progress the city has made, while still calling down righteous condemnation of those that have created this shit that we're all living through... it's not easy, but maybe it'll help, a bit? I'm terrified of how far the inevitable backlash/crackdown is going to be if we're already at a point where cops feel free to shoot, even if non-lethal rounds, directly at journalists reporting live.
posted by Ghidorah at 12:51 AM on May 30, 2020 [13 favorites]


YT Killer Mike for anyone who has Twitter issues - it really should be seen
posted by thelonius at 12:52 AM on May 30, 2020 [15 favorites]


Gov. Tim Walz late night press conference. Summary: He is pissed. He is going to put down the riots. "Insurrection Act" (the one where the regular US military comes.)
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 1:13 AM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


As mentioned in Killer Mike’s speech, an earlier speech from the mayor of Atlanta, on telling her own 18 year old son to stay home because the streets are not safe for a young black man, and pleading with people to go home, because if she can’t guarantee her own son’s safety, what chance does she have to make sure they’re all safe too.

Jesus.
posted by Ghidorah at 1:31 AM on May 30, 2020 [15 favorites]


I was downtown in Portland until just now. I got there late, after the justice center was broken into and sacked. I’ve spent the past 3 hours getting flashbanged and tear gassed, it was absolute chaos everywhere I turned. I have multiple videos of vans filled with riot cops rolling up on me and flashbangs going off literally a few feet away from me. I’ve been going to protests for 10 years now and this was by far the most terrifying one I’ve ever experienced. Tear gas everywhere, explosions going off, it was absolute chaos.
posted by gucci mane at 3:14 AM on May 30, 2020 [31 favorites]


Protesters in Richmond set a lot of shit on fire last night as well. Richmond Times-Dispatch, /rva subreddit
posted by emelenjr at 3:38 AM on May 30, 2020


Protesters in Richmond set a lot of shit on fire last night as well. Richmond Times-Dispatch, /rva subreddit

It seems clear from Minneapolis that we should not assume protesters are setting shit on fire. It's of course possible, but north Minneapolis saw fires last night that were clearly set by... malevolent actors. (I would assume white supremacists, but I don't know that we know that. But white people were seen setting fires in overwhelmingly black neighborhoods that were other otherwise quiet.)
posted by hoyland at 3:49 AM on May 30, 2020 [29 favorites]


Yeah, still seeing the cars full of white dudes speeding down my block. Though one had 'fuck 12' graffitied on it, it was covering up other graffiti.

Family Dollar and O'Reilly auto parts still smoking a bit at 34th and nicollet. Bunch of smaller car fires around the area.
posted by dinty_moore at 3:57 AM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


hoyland, true. That was clumsy language on my part, pre-coffee.
posted by emelenjr at 4:09 AM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


Transcribed some of Killer Mike's speech below, for anyone who has difficulty with video and shitty YT captions (but watch / listen if you can, bc he's speaking truth with power).

I watched a white officer assassinate a black man and I know that tore your heart out and I know it's crippling and I have nothing positive to say in this moment cuz I don't want to be here but I'm responsible to be here. […] I'm mad as hell. I woke up wanting to see the world burn down yesterday because I'm tired of seeing black men die. He casually put his knee on a human being’s neck for nine minutes as he died like a zebra in the clutch of a lion's jaw, and we watch it like murder porn over and over again. So that's why children are burning to the ground. They don't know what else to do. And it’s a responsibility of us to make this better right now. We don't want to see one officer charged, we want to see four officers prosecuted and sentenced. We don't want to see Targets burning, we want to see the system that sets up for systemic racism burnt to the ground. […]

In this city, you can find over 50 restaurants owned by black women – I didn't say minority and I didn't say women of color – so after you burned down your own home, what do you have left but charred and ash. […] I'd like to say to CNN right now, karma's a mother. Stop feeding fear and anger every day, stop making people feel so fearful – give them hope. I'm glad they only took down a sign and defaced the building, and they’re not killing human beings like that policeman did. I'm glad that they only destroy some brick and mortar and they didn't rip a father from a son, they didn't rip a son from a mother like the policeman did. When a man yells for his mother in duress and pain and she's dead, he is essentially yelling please God don't let it happen to me, and we watch that. […]

I don't have any advice, but what I can tell you is that if you sit in your homes tonight instead of burning your home to the ground, you will have time to properly plot, plan, strategize, organize and mobilize in an effective way. And two of the most effective ways is first taking your butt to the computer and making sure you fill out your census so that people know who you are and where you are. The next thing is making sure you exercise your political bully power and going to local elections and beating up the politicians that you don't like. […]

We have to be better than this moment. We have to be better than burning down our own homes, because if we lose Atlanta what else we got? We lose an ability to plot, to plan, to strategize, to organize and to properly mobilize. I want you to go home, I want you to talk to 10 of your friends, I want you guys to come up with real solutions. I would like for the Atlanta City Police Department to bring back the community review board […] Let's get ahead of it and let's give them power. We don't need an officer that makes a mistake once, twice, three times and finally he kills a boy on national TV and the next thing you know the country is burning down. We don't need a dumbass president repeating what segregationists said, you start looting we start shooting, but the problem is some officers is black and some people gonna shoot back and that's not good for our community either. [...] We must plot, we must plan, we must strategize, organize and mobilize.

posted by inire at 4:18 AM on May 30, 2020 [37 favorites]


I'm so blown away by Killer Mike's speech. So much real anger but love and compassion at the same time.
posted by octothorpe at 5:50 AM on May 30, 2020 [7 favorites]


White supremacists dressed as Antifa. These ones were too dumb not to carry a flag. How many were smart enough not to give themselves away?

The remedy for this is for middle class white folks to show up and help. Thanks to everyone who is out there.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:53 AM on May 30, 2020 [6 favorites]


Meanwhile in the quasi-suburban residential part of St Paul, groups of young white men were speeding through the streets last night and vandalizing Highland Village. This is far enough away from the protest gatherings that there's not even the pretense of people acting out amid crowds and chaos - they're just wrecking shit and stoking outrage among the "good" citizens of HP, aka MLK's "can't we all just get along?" useless at best white folks.

I truly hope that Hennepin County will upgrade the charges against Chauvin to intentional murder since their own charging document removes any sliver of doubt that he knew exactly what he was doing and kept at it while even the other cops there said "is this necessary?" I understand their reasoning but just once would like to see a county attorney have the guts to charge high and stick to it rather than take the easier route.
posted by Flannery Culp at 6:04 AM on May 30, 2020 [8 favorites]


I think it is important to interrogate this "violence was instigated by white supremacist outsiders" narrative.

Is it really so hard to believe that the downtrodden are fucking sick and tired of this shit? Is it really so hard to believe that black people are willing to target the instruments of colonialism and capitalism within their communities? Who benefits from a narrative that positions people of colour (especially black folks) as inherently docile?

What use is a home if the police can come in, shoot you while you're sleeping, and then oops it was the wrong address? What use is a home if your kid gets killed by cops on the way home from an errand? What use is a home that you don't own, pay 50% of your income for, and it's still a shithole?

Yes there are white supremacists out there starting shit. But there is also a real righteous anger from the people and I think it's very important that those of us who are not on the ground be careful about spreading this information. (If it comforts you to think of all the "looting" as being an outside thing, ask yourself why.)
posted by buteo at 6:08 AM on May 30, 2020 [9 favorites]


Buteo, I don't think anyone here is saying black people are docile, during this uprising or in general. Metafilter skews white and also iirc has a decent population of antifascist white folks, and those are the people who have been watchdog groups for the violent white supremacists that are currently out trying to burn down black owned barbershops in north Minneapolis, Somalian convenience store owners, and otherwise attempt to use this moment to hurt black populations and communities. You're hearing more talk about white supremacist looters here because of selection bias-- you're probably hearing it from the people who have been spending the last 4 years monitoring them and going out to stop them when they go out into communities to cause harm. My twitter feed has been full of news about antifascists intercepting armed Nazis headed out to protests-- that's not because I'm under any illusion that these protests are about Nazi violence but because I follow people who are specifically dedicated to following and stopping these people because the police clearly won't.
posted by moonlight on vermont at 6:18 AM on May 30, 2020 [25 favorites]


Is it really so hard to believe that the downtrodden are fucking sick and tired of this shit? Is it really so hard to believe that black people are willing to target the instruments of colonialism and capitalism within their communities?

No, not at all. Over here though it's been pointless vandalism by white men that seems designed to stoke white residents' self-righteous moral outrage, not the kind of protests in the Midway area and Mpls.
posted by Flannery Culp at 6:20 AM on May 30, 2020 [8 favorites]


Candace Owens, who if not a Nazi is at least Nazi-adjacent, has responded to the Minneapolis Police Chief's claim that protestors in his city are not from Minneapolis by alleging that “Democrat George Soros has these thugs on payroll”.
posted by Joe in Australia at 6:39 AM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


the violent white supremacists that are currently out trying to burn down black owned barbershops in north Minneapolis, Somalian convenience store owners, and otherwise attempt to use this moment to hurt black populations and communities

I don't doubt they are, but be wary of letting your (completely justifiable) support for protesters and contempt for white supremacists lead you into constructing a nice neat narrative around this, where all the 'bad' property destruction (uninsured minority-owned businesses, affordable housing, arts centres, etc.) must have been done by white supremacists or police provocateurs and only the 'good' property destruction (police precincts, heavily insured national chain stores, etc.) was done by protesters.

Partly because shit like this is always fraught and messy, and people with good intentions and righteous fury will do things in ignorance, or by mistake, or in the heat of the moment that they might later regret, and partly because for at least some people protesting, widescale and indiscriminate property damage is the deliberate tactic, is the message, is the way they are choosing to communicate their rage and despair and demands for change. You don't have to agree with it as a tactic to recognise that it's happening and understand the reasons for it.
posted by inire at 6:42 AM on May 30, 2020 [8 favorites]


twitter: Sooo I know asset protection when I see it. Freeze all assets they have combined until the trial and civil suit is over.

We just upthread talked about the domestic violence rates of cops. What we didn’t talk about is how often police use the threat of their fellow police to keep women from leaving them. I think it’s at least 70-30 this is a real divorce that wasn’t safe before.
posted by corb at 6:43 AM on May 30, 2020 [35 favorites]


Again, I must emphasise I'm speaking with the caveat that it's not my neighborhood on fire (in fact, I haven't even heard anything about my old neighborhood, I'm hoping it retains its weird ability to be overlooked in many circumstances), but the idea of attacks by non-local white supremacists is far more scary to me than local rage. I'd like to think I understand local rage in Minneapolis.
posted by hoyland at 6:47 AM on May 30, 2020 [9 favorites]


(And, to be clear, Minneapolis itself and the Twin Cities metro more broadly has its own supply of local white supremacists. One of the bars that has burned was a known hangout for that element.)
posted by hoyland at 6:49 AM on May 30, 2020 [6 favorites]




Inire, I'm not disagreeing with anything you're saying, I'm saying that both kinds of violence are happening, that they are different, and that people working to keep white militias and boogaloo agitators in check is happening in parallel to the property destruction as a message that you're talking about, and we are hearing about the former because of the demographics of this site. I'm not sure how "selection bias means we're hearing/talking more about this specific thread of what is going on" translates to "simplifying this uprising into a neat narrative."
posted by moonlight on vermont at 6:55 AM on May 30, 2020 [3 favorites]


Peter Gowan - No, We Should Not Condemn Uprisings Against Police Murders Like George Floyd’s:
But should we care about the looting of stores like Target and Autozone?

This was the destruction of property by people enraged over the murder of an innocent black man by a white police officer. Should we, like Martin Luther King’s “white moderate,” equivocate about an anti-racist uprising?

Should we blame working-class black people for lashing out at a government and economy designed to repress, exploit, and subdue them; during a pandemic in which capitalism has made it near impossible for them to survive? Should we participate in this ritual condemnation even though our media consistently treats identical acts of property destruction by sports fans as simply revelry and exuberance, and corporate looting of working-class communities as business as usual?

No. George Floyd mattered. Black lives matter. And until we can build a movement that can defeat racism and capitalism, until working people of all races unite against capitalists and their repressive apparatus, it is a good thing that bosses, government officials, and the police who protect them are sometimes reminded that black lives matter through a little proletarian fury.

If you care about looting, turn your eyes to the militaries, the police, the pharmaceutical companies, the private equity ghouls, the landlords, the real estate speculators, and the billionaires. And demand that a world once looted from the vast majority be now returned to them.
The best piece I have seen about looting so far.
posted by Ouverture at 7:08 AM on May 30, 2020 [28 favorites]


Twitter thread reader. This thread is for those of you struggling to comprehend that the recent murders are just a fraction of racial violence in the United States. We are protesting for #GeorgeFloyd #BreonnaTaylor, #AhmaudArbery AND hundreds of years of oppression.
Let's begin your history lesson.
posted by adamvasco at 7:14 AM on May 30, 2020 [5 favorites]


Inire, I'm not disagreeing with anything you're saying, I'm saying that both kinds of violence are happening, that they are different, and that people working to keep white militias and boogaloo agitators in check is happening in parallel to the property destruction you're talking about, and we are hearing about it because of the demographics of this site. I'm not sure how "selection bias means we're hearing/talking more about this specific thread of what is going on" translates to "simplifying this uprising into a neat narrative."

Yeah, to be clear, I don't mean to say that your comment was doing that and apologies for commenting in a way that suggested it was - I should have said 'people in general' rather than 'your'. My comment above was born of watching mostly white people on twitter trying to push back against Trumpers' racist / fascist narratives re the protests by linking all the 'bad' property destruction to malicious actors (which is well intentioned but unlikely to be totally accurate and also kind of flattening / erasing one element of the political action here), but should've acknowledged you weren't doing that.
posted by inire at 7:19 AM on May 30, 2020 [3 favorites]


I don't get why these boogaloo dipshits are at the protest. What are they trying to accomplish? Do they think they're being "undercover" with their strange quasi-American flags? I'm just a guy who's read a few articles about them on the internet and even I get the Hawaiian / "big igloo" theme. So how do they think they're helping their own cause by holding signs in support of George Floyd? Serious question - I don't understand. Cognitive dissonance...

[In response to:
White supremacists dressed as Antifa. These ones were too dumb not to carry a flag. How many were smart enough not to give themselves away?

The remedy for this is for middle class white folks to show up and help. Thanks to everyone who is out there.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:53 AM on May 30 [2 favorites +] [!]
posted by Joan Rivers of Babylon at 7:29 AM on May 30, 2020


What are they trying to accomplish?

They're literally just trying to sow chaos to help spark a civil war. They literally have the same goal as Trump does in agitating them. He's just agitating them into soemthing they were already going to do anyway because they're massive pieces of shit who have a post-apocalypse fantasy hard-on thanks to the Walking Dead which has helped them firmly fantasize about killing their "zombie" neighbors for about a decade now.
posted by deadaluspark at 7:48 AM on May 30, 2020 [37 favorites]



What are they trying to accomplish?


They are race war accelerationists who think that if they egg on violent protests it will either make the army respond with bloodshed that they can join in or just have an excuse to shoot looters, protesters, or black people in general. They think pretending to be armed antifa will make the situation more likely to erupt into violence.
posted by moonlight on vermont at 7:56 AM on May 30, 2020 [37 favorites]


"Outside agitators", really?
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 8:03 AM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


So they hold flags that pretty clearly identify them as white supremacists to anybody who does ten minutes of googling? It's hard to believe they're really that stupid, but these are strange times I suppose...
posted by Joan Rivers of Babylon at 8:05 AM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


There is an exhaustive article about the boogaloo people here, which may provide more background on their goals and tactics:
https://www.bellingcat.com/ news/2020/05/27/ the-boogaloo-movement-is-not-what-you-think/
posted by the turtle's teeth at 8:07 AM on May 30, 2020 [9 favorites]




They're counting on the media to elide the differences and just cover it as a bunch of unrest and destruction. And they're almost certainly right.
posted by tonycpsu at 8:12 AM on May 30, 2020 [9 favorites]


Hoyland - I think Stevens Square is fine, the closest I've heard is that there was some looting at the clinic nearby (from a mutual friend), and white supremacists were looking to burn eat street to the south. I think it's partially most of the damage being around businesses and partially that people from outside the neighborhood are going to have a hell of a time figuring out how to get in there.
posted by dinty_moore at 8:28 AM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


but where can I shop where stamps are legal tender? Not trying to be facetious here, but I've never heard of stamps being used as currency in the modern age (circa ~40 years).

The zine community has always done this.  Cash or stamps for zines.  It's okay if you don't know about this, but this has been the norm since I've been part of the zine community in the 90s and I'm sure was normal before that.

I was going to post about Mayor Carter's statement about arrests of white folks from WI and MI, but paper chromatographologist has beaten me to it. This is absolutely consistent with the reports I've had from friends who are out and about.
posted by bile and syntax at 8:29 AM on May 30, 2020 [4 favorites]


Also a lot of them were driving huge trucks, it looks like. I don't think they could deal with the skinny one-ways, even in the summer.
posted by dinty_moore at 8:31 AM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


Some historical context from a couple of democratic politicians in the 1960s.

Outside agitators, indeed.
posted by SteveInMaine at 8:34 AM on May 30, 2020




The George Floyd killing exposes the failures of police reform:
“Reform is not the answer, we’ve been trying it for decades, and as you can see, we’re just not getting anywhere,” he said. “We need a new paradigm of policing in the United States. It needs to be completely dismantled and reconstructed, not changing a policy here or there.”

[...]

“The whole idea was that if police had implicit bias training, so more money for training police, and were using technology for more accountability, and that if police officers were more respectful when they’re interacting with the community, that that will promote a better idea of policing, and more cooperation with police,” said Nancy Heitzeg, a sociology professor at St. Catherine University in Minneapolis, who has studied the initiative.

“That was the theory,” she said. “And what does it say about the limits of reform that the city of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis police department could be part of a multi-year, multimillion-dollar national project to enhance police community relations, and after all of that, here we are?”

After years of investment in improved policing with no results to show for it, “the conversation has changed,” she added. “There’s much more of a public awareness and conversation about abolition, and what that means and what that might look like. … I think people were radicalized by Jamar Clark and Philando Castile. And then they saw the contradictions around Justine Damond.”
The white supremacist, bipartisan consensus on policing is deadly and reforms are a small bandage on systemic oppression.
posted by Ouverture at 8:45 AM on May 30, 2020 [11 favorites]


Uncle Hugos is gone. Yes, still just a building, but it sucks
posted by dinty_moore at 8:47 AM on May 30, 2020 [8 favorites]


American Indian women were disproportionately stopped, searched and arrested by police in Minneapolis in 2017:
1.42% of women in Minneapolis report their race as American Indian or Alaska Native,2 but for our data period the Minneapolis police report that 6.57% of their stops of women were Native American. This is a ratio of 4.63, meaning that American Indian women were stopped by police 4.63 times as often as they would be if their stops were proportional to their share in the city’s female population3. The ratio for American Indian men was 2.23 (3.37% of stops of men, but 1.51% of the male population). This suggests that American Indian men were also disproportionately stopped, but less disproportionately than American Indian women. The ratio for African American men was 2.55 (48.7% of stops, but 19.1% of the male population). Of all the races reported by the police, American Indian women were the most disproportionally stopped in Minneapolis.
posted by Ouverture at 8:56 AM on May 30, 2020 [7 favorites]


Uncle Hugos is gone. Yes, still just a building, but it sucks

FYI, Uncle Hugo's and its partner store, Uncle Edgar's, were leading area bookstores specializing in science fiction/fantasy and mysteries. They shared the same building.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:09 AM on May 30, 2020 [9 favorites]




I've been wondering who exactly is causing the bulk of this destruction. I have a hard time believing that the people who are protesting the police murders of black people would be the same people turning their attention to destroying entire city neighborhoods and local businesses for days on end.
posted by wondermouse at 9:21 AM on May 30, 2020 [4 favorites]


I am not a big conspiracy theorist but it seems pretty clear, looking across all the available information, that there are white supremacist agitators and what I saw called "lefty accelerationists" destroying things to. I reserve special contempt for the latter, who are making things worse for their compatriots but will always have the luxury of privilege and the ability to walk away from it all.
posted by Miko at 9:26 AM on May 30, 2020 [19 favorites]


Any more current/complete lists of good donation orgs?
posted by Evilspork at 9:33 AM on May 30, 2020


Tanisha Mallory speaks in Minneapolis last night. It's only ~3:30. Just telling the truth and mincing no words. As one of the responses I saw on Twitter last night said, "she must be protected".
posted by droplet at 9:34 AM on May 30, 2020 [5 favorites]


Uncle Hugos is gone.

Oh, fuck, no.
posted by Kat Allison at 9:58 AM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


There's a ton of activity on twitter from black folks calling out the white protesters who are primarily responsible for the smashing of local businesses, but this one is a fave.

White anarchists with hammers breaking windows, in black neighborhoods where they don't live, while whining about "protest police," are spewing bullshit.
posted by mediareport at 10:03 AM on May 30, 2020 [11 favorites]


The last DreamHaven location, the other MPLS SF bookstore, was broken into but protected by people in its neighborhood.
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:04 AM on May 30, 2020 [6 favorites]


I thought the valuable thing at post offices these days were the money orders, not the stamps.

For local LA news, look at the big TV stations like KTLA and KCBS, etc and just find whoever they have on the beat at the time and follow them. If you are worried about immediate safety issues, get the Citizen app. Read no comments on it but it'll tell you if something is nearby.
posted by feloniousmonk at 10:06 AM on May 30, 2020


I know, I know: some of the smashers are cops and right-wing fascists joining the party. But the "you're not respecting my diverse tactic" thing that Niko from Unicorn Riot seemed to be supporting not only completely ignores the carpetbagging element here that denies local voices of color but also gives cover to the white racists jumping on the bandwagon.

Grr. Raleigh's protest starts at 5pm; I'm not looking forward to seeing these assholes.
posted by mediareport at 10:06 AM on May 30, 2020 [3 favorites]


I just saw a post on my Facebook feed sharing the bookstore owner’s story, lament, and request for crowdfunding. It used the word rioters. It did not mention George Floyd’s name, police brutality, the preciousness of human life, Black Lives Matter, or even any reflections about the role of reading and bookstores in creating a more just world.

I get sadness for a business. But it reminds me of the outrage focused on the impacts on Amy Cooper’s dog. There will be time for all of that later. Right now, I’m not feeling like we need to be a space for lamentions of the loss of a business that don’t acknowledge the bigger picture.
posted by Salamandrous at 10:14 AM on May 30, 2020 [20 favorites]


Tanisha Mallory speaks in Minneapolis last night.

*Tamika* Mallory
posted by Preserver at 10:17 AM on May 30, 2020 [4 favorites]


As someone whose primary social media experience is African twitter (from various countries across the African continent and diaspora), this has been a rough night and day. Everyone is hurting.

Chairperson of the African Union Commission
I strongly condemns the murder of #GeorgeFloyd that occurred in the United States of America at the hands of law enforcement officers, and wishes to extend his deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.

In highly unusual move, U.S. diplomats in Uganda and Kenya issue public pronouncements expressing distress over the death of George Floyd.

I guess if they didn't they'd have a hard time wouldn't they? Or were they terrified of a global uprising because of the Trump Toxic UX we all have to live with these days?
posted by Mrs Potato at 10:19 AM on May 30, 2020 [4 favorites]


The Boogaloo Movement Is Not What You Think

I suppose the Slate pitch title refers to the assertion that there is not a specifically pro-race war based motive for their involvement?
posted by thelonius at 10:28 AM on May 30, 2020


I have a hard time believing that the people who are protesting the police murders of black people would be the same people turning their attention to destroying entire city neighborhoods and local businesses for days on end.
Angry people do angry things, and I think there's a ton of evidence that people protesting police murders of black people do sometimes burn things down, including beloved neighborhood institutions and whatnot. But yeah, there seems to be some white-supremacist violence and also some destruction by non-black leftists who have a deep philosophical commitment to property destruction as a tactic and a lot of willful ignorance about the power dynamics at work when non-black radicals inject violence into black-led resistance movements. Plus probably some non-black people who are just looking for an excuse to smash shit. And those people need to stop. If you want to smash shit, smash shit in your own damn neighborhood, by which I mean the neighborhood where you went to high school and/or where your parents currently live. (Because there are also power dynamics at work when non-black radicals move to predominantly-black neighborhoods and immediately claim ownership.)
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 10:32 AM on May 30, 2020 [12 favorites]




I'm not talking about sadness over a business; I understand completely the years of rage, unacknowledged hurt and ignored complaints that bring us to these moments, and posted earlier a business owner's statement, "Don't worry about us. Put those cops in jail."

But the cover for police and Nazis to provoke violence that's provided by the almost 100% white black bloc protesters who show up and casually start smashing windows in black neighborhoods is something that a lot of black folks at the protests have been talking about. Here:

What happened yesterday...mysterious white people who aren't from our communities showing up to antagonize cops & put black bodies in danger of being shot is just a continuation of the terror that this country has committed against us, no different from Rosewood or Tulsa...


Here.

Here. Etc.
posted by mediareport at 10:35 AM on May 30, 2020 [12 favorites]


Robert Evans, who works for Bellingcat and does a whole bunch of podcasts, has an episode from The Worst Year Ever on Minneapolis from Wednesday. A lot has happened since then, but he has a lot of information on early alt-right activities and a bunch of analysis of the incoherent ideas behind the boogaloo movement (such as it is). I expect he'll have update episodes next week.
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:39 AM on May 30, 2020 [5 favorites]


Salamanderous, we are also mourning our loss and trying to figure out what who needs help in our own neighborhoods. We can have space for local updates for what's standing and what's not, as much as we can have space for the speculation, the local politics, the other protests, the and general feelings of rage.

Uncle Hugo's was literally irreplaceable - it was the oldest surviving science fiction bookstore in the US, and had (along with Uncle Edgar's) a lot of old pulps that nobody bothers preserving. It sounds like insurance isn't going to cover the destruction. He could have used better phrasing. I'm not going to not mourn a place because of it.
posted by dinty_moore at 10:39 AM on May 30, 2020 [15 favorites]


I have a hard time believing that the people who are protesting the police murders of black people would be the same people turning their attention to destroying entire city neighborhoods and local businesses for days on end.

its not just murders by police is it?

in the past two months over 100,000 Americans have died, of which a disproportionate number were black

40 million Americans have applied for unemployment, countless others may not qualify, also disproportionately black

we have death, disease, destruction, poverty, violence, and pumpkinhead's fomenting of american on american violence based on race, all stirred together right now
posted by Mrs Potato at 10:42 AM on May 30, 2020 [16 favorites]


But yeah, there seems to be some white-supremacist violence and also some destruction by non-black leftists who have a deep philosophical commitment to property destruction as a tactic and a lot of willful ignorance about the power dynamics at work when non-black radicals inject violence into black-led resistance movements.

That's a lotta words to obscure "some white-supremacist violence and also some white-supremacist violence from a different faction."
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 10:45 AM on May 30, 2020 [4 favorites]


Here.

Here.

Here.
posted by mediareport at 10:48 AM on May 30, 2020 [7 favorites]



*Tamika* Mallory
posted by Preserver at 1:17 PM on May 30



I apologize for misnaming her.
posted by droplet at 10:48 AM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


we have death, disease, destruction, poverty, violence, and pumpkinhead's fomenting of american on american violence based on race, all stirred together right now

And we just added a shit ton of tear gas and hazardous waste exposure (more than usual, thanks Northern Metals Recycling) to the mix.
posted by dinty_moore at 10:55 AM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


In recognizing that there are indeed factions of white supremacists/accelerationists/people who want to watch the world burn (etc.), we have to be very careful to not elide the righteous black anger that is sometimes rightfully directed towards property destruction and looting. There's a long history of rioting from those who are on the periphery, marginalized and unheard, and simply ascribing all violence to outside actors misses the complexity of the situation.

Or as MLK said: a riot is the voice of the unheard.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 10:57 AM on May 30, 2020 [21 favorites]


I was watching Regg Inkagnedo's live stream last night, and here's where he talks about a group of white guys who are acting very out of place.
posted by Catblack at 11:51 AM on May 30, 2020 [4 favorites]


It's been interesting watching the 'outsider' narrative go from rumor to state-confirmed in the span of 12 hours. It's complicated because on the one hand it allows me to hope for the end of the destruction, but on the other hand like Ahmad khani said it also allows me to pretend that this endemic and righteous rage doesn't exist in our city.

I don't know, no good answers here.
posted by Think_Long at 11:55 AM on May 30, 2020 [7 favorites]


Also this is not the time for this but I wonder how this will affect a very specific and white portion of leftist online discourse and their calls to 'burn it all down'. Is this what they mean?
posted by Think_Long at 11:56 AM on May 30, 2020 [5 favorites]


looks like a peaceful march happening here in philly right now.

they marched to city hall, then took a socially distanced knee for 9 minutes of silence, the length of time that george floyd had that murderer kneel on his neck.
posted by lazaruslong at 11:57 AM on May 30, 2020 [13 favorites]




Direct quote from Trump via Jake Tapper's (CNN) Twitter:

"MAGA is make America great again. By the way, they love African-American people, they love black people. MAGA loves the black people.”

(Apparently at a "chopper talk" this morning in response to questions about his "MAGA Night" Tweet earlier.)
posted by soundguy99 at 12:49 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


IDK about no good answers, the destruction seems pretty straightforward to me. The undercover with the umbrella started the window breaking at the Autozone on Lake St, inciting the crowd into breaking up several big businesses in the strip mall surrounding the 3rd Precinct. Someone-- unknown if a suspicious person like Umbrella Cop or not-- burned down the unoccupied, unfinished housing project block. As per the Unicorn Riot live feed that I and a ton of other people watched in full, the next day, the very diverse but mostly black, mostly local crowd besieged the Precinct, tore down the security cameras installed to watch them, tore down the barricades around it, breached the station, and destroyed it, and set fireworks to celebrate. While they were working on burning down the station, which had a robust sprinkler system, they also tore apart an Arby's and several other businesses in that strip mall, including a liquor store, all as basically proxies for the 3rd Precinct, dismantled them, and brought the materials onto the remains of the police barricades they'd seized to keep that fire burning, with a regular rota of people standing on that barricade chanting, "I can't breathe" and raising the black power fist. This was deliberate, political, incredibly powerful property damage as a message. As the night went on, more out of town and out of state people started to show up on the stream, mostly drunk or high kids who wanted to come see the spectacle. That night, after the police retreated, there were no police in the area at all, and there were no suspicious people like the Umbrella Undercover, although one white man who seemed high or mentally ill was raving about gangs of white power bikers elsewhere in Minneapolis who wanted him to trash businesses with them. Commenters on the UR stream thought he was crazy at the time. The next day, there were more fires near protests, including some that protesters tried to put out because they were uncontrolled structure fires, and we started seeing reports of arson being committed against black businesses in neighborhoods with no protests, being carried out by trucks full of white supremacists. This isn't a single demographic of people committing property damage for one reason, but it's also not something that's impossible to puzzle out, because it was all so well documented.
posted by moonlight on vermont at 12:53 PM on May 30, 2020 [37 favorites]


Who are the assholes setting fire to our city?BringMeTheNews; May 30, 2020 • 'This is not a protest. And those perpetrating it are not protesters.'
posted by ZeusHumms at 12:58 PM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


I don't want to talk out of my ass here because I'm not in Minneapolis and have only been watching all of this on social media, but my impression was that while Umbrella Cop instigated the rioting/looting to make the protesters look bad, MPD did NOT expect that to escalate into the protesters taking control of the 3rd Precinct, and their retreat from the area on Thursday night was real.
posted by moonlight on vermont at 1:04 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


Also this is not the time for this but I wonder how this will affect a very specific and white portion of leftist online discourse and their calls to 'burn it all down'. Is this what they mean?

Judging from just my own Facebook friends, yes. Consistent and supportive.
posted by Evilspork at 1:05 PM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


I want to be at these protests. I’m also in a high-risk family for Covid and am worried about reinfection which is supposedly worse. Is there any roundup of how people can help from afar?
posted by corb at 1:38 PM on May 30, 2020 [11 favorites]


Liz Sly @LizSly (Washington Post, Beirut Correspondent)
The absence of protesters' voices in US coverage is striking. In Egypt, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon etc we sought out protesters, explained their motives, profiled them. Who are these US protesters? What are their stories? A whole piece of the story is missing.

10:31 AM · May 30, 2020·Twitter Web App
730 Retweets 1.2K Likes
posted by Ahmad Khani at 2:02 PM on May 30, 2020 [25 favorites]


(Unicorn Riot—independent, 'alternative' media, is the exception)
posted by Ahmad Khani at 2:05 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


corb,

mariame kaba posted this https://issuu.com/nlc.sf.2014 /docs/beyondthestreets_final [...]Sg-Xx0

this has also been going around my feed

https://twitter.com/kima_jones/status/ 1266818148268773376?s=20

stay safe and healthy <3
posted by moonlight on vermont at 2:27 PM on May 30, 2020 [4 favorites]


"Candace Owens, who if not a Nazi is at least Nazi-adjacent, has responded to the Minneapolis Police Chief's claim that protestors in his city are not from Minneapolis by alleging that 'Democrat George Soros has these thugs on payroll'".

Yesterday I was reading twitter threads about the umbrella guy and I was appalled at the number of tweets pushing this conspiracy theory. I assume it's direct from qanon. I don't spend that much time on twitter so I don't have a benchmark for how ubiquitous that crap is. And then there were all the people confidently asserting that middle-aged umbrella guy was antifa. All white people completely ignoring the black voices in the twitter threads.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 2:47 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


D.C. mayor spars with Trump over city police response to White House demonstrations, accuses him of using racial rhetoric (WaPo)
Bowser launched her rebuttal on Twitter, where she said about the president, “While he hides behind his fence afraid/alone, I stand w/ people peacefully exercising their First Amendment Right after the murder of #GeorgeFloyd & hundreds of years of institutional racism. There are no vicious dogs & ominous weapons. There is just a scared man. Afraid/alone.”

At a news conference in the afternoon she continued her unusually forceful criticism of the president, calling Trump’s statements “an attack on humanity and an attack on America, and they make our city less safe.” Bowser called the reference to “vicious dogs” a “not too subtle reminder to African Americans of the segregationists who let dogs out on women, children and innocent people in the South. I’m just shaken that an American president would utter such words about fellow Americans.”
Fox5DC has video and reporting on the DC protest yesterday. [rough transcript, starting approx 1:30] "Lots of chanting, lots of signs, saying "I can't breathe," and "No Justice No Peace," we did see a few relatively small skirmishes - someone did appear to be tackled by the Secret Service for instance - but overwhelmingly this crowd was passionate, they were angry, but from what we saw, with our own eyes, we were with this crowd through much of the day today - they were peaceful, protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis" and includes interviews with protesters.
posted by katra at 3:10 PM on May 30, 2020 [4 favorites]


Brandon Stahl @b_stahl
Here's what the HCSO jail records show. There are 69 cases from Friday to Saturday that were categorized as "received by jail" as of about 11 am this morning. Of those, here's the state breakdowns:

MN56
UNK 5
IL3
ARK1
MO1
IA1
Fla1
MI1
1:27 PM · May 30, 2020·Twitter Web App

Brandon Stahl @b_stahl
·
1h
So, if we drill down to arrests made by all Minneapolis-based agencies for anything related to burglary, riot or unlawful assembly, here's what we get:

MN37
MO1
ARK1
UNK 1
MI1
IL1
Fla1
Total 43
posted by Ahmad Khani at 3:23 PM on May 30, 2020 [5 favorites]


Lots of folks around the neighborhood today, more than the previous days. Some going to protests (not even sure where all of them were, 38th and Chicago, Lake and Nicollet, Lyndale and Lake), lots of folks walking to various cleanup sites this morning/afternoon. Another protest is going down 35th right now, it sounds like.

I ran into a couple neighbors this morning while bringing the trash into the garage and hooking up the garden hose (and much earlier this morning, when we were packing the car, nothing like a 4am hello), and the conversation seems to be "what the fuck" "this is a lot" "remember to do x, y, z" "I'm sorry" lather, rinse, repeat. Generally people seem like they're still around but have a go bag and are talking seriously about leaving.

My biggest worry about the 'white extremists coopting Black anger' narrative is the way it subsumes the Black anger. Yesterday there was all this talk about removing Freeman from the case and moving it to Ellison. Haven't heard that much about it today. I don't want HCMC to be a target of anger right now, but there needs to be a conversation about what we can do about that autopsy report.
posted by dinty_moore at 3:35 PM on May 30, 2020 [8 favorites]


Everyone I've run into in my neighborhood (while walking the dog, while online, etc) is stressed the fuck out. Everyone's passing on advice like "Keep your lights on all night, indoor and outdoor. Hook up your hose. Prepare/purchase a fire extinguisher." We brought our trash bins in and put carabiners on our front and back gate. My neighbor suggested I bring my flowerpots inside so that nobody can use them as weapons...still thinking about that one. I have a lot of flowerpots. I live two blocks from the fire house and police department and six blocks from the nearest main intersection with businesses. We have our hoses hooked up to the house. My geriatric German Shepherd mix knows something's up because everyone's on edge.

And the rumors. SO many rumors. Oh my gods! My neighborhood facebook group (I know, I know...) is going wild. My cousin heard that there are antifa drones in the sky right now! My hairdresser's boyfriend said that fifteen humvees with men in Nazi uniforms were seen on Central Avenue headed our way! My third grade teacher's fairy godmother saw a website that had a big circle drawn around our neighborhood with "The Purge Begins Here" written on it!! It doesn't help that we have been hearing about outside agitators boogaloo-ing in our neighborhoods all day long. They tell us to stay inside but we've had three nights of violence that seems to be completely unhindered the presence of the National Guard.
posted by Gray Duck at 4:23 PM on May 30, 2020 [10 favorites]


And: from the MN National Guard's Twitter account:

"The @MNNationalGuard is an organization of more than 13,000 Soldiers and Airmen. A full activation authorizes the Guard to activate all those who are medically fit, and not currently deployed, to support the mission to quell civil unrest.
Initial estimates are that could include between 7000-10,000 Soldiers and Airmen. That will include nearly 2,500 by tonight to support evening missions. The remainder will muster and become available during the coming days."

Dang. So, not expecting a quiet night.

Aaaaaaaaaand they just announced that they're closing the highways starting at 7pm. Pretty much everything inside the 494/694 loop.
posted by Gray Duck at 4:25 PM on May 30, 2020 [3 favorites]


No it won't be. National guard helicopters have been circling for the past hour. Interstate inbounds will be closed at 7 so expect more neighborhood traffic as people try to find their way home.
posted by Think_Long at 4:31 PM on May 30, 2020


I am not a big conspiracy theorist but it seems pretty clear, looking across all the available information, that there are white supremacist agitators and what I saw called "lefty accelerationists" destroying things to. I reserve special contempt for the latter, who are making things worse for their compatriots but will always have the luxury of privilege and the ability to walk away from it all.

It's important to remember that these specific protests and riots are happening in a liberal city, which is in a liberal state. To reserve special contempt for "lefty accelerationists" at this moment and not the liberal political power structure that has presided over decades of police brutality and broader systemic oppression of people of color in Minneapolis (and other liberal cities like New York, Los Angeles, Baltimore, and San Francisco) is a remarkable form of partisanship and privilege all on its own.
posted by Ouverture at 4:42 PM on May 30, 2020 [28 favorites]


Protestors are out in force again in Seattle, in the middle of a huge rainstorm, and have shut down Interstate 5 going both directions through the city. (I’m at home following via the news and Twitter, because, you know, COVID-19 and thunderstorms.)
posted by mbrubeck at 4:43 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


I'm pretty worried this outside agitator narrative will be used to justify cracking down on the protests in an indiscriminate and much more violent manner
posted by davedave at 4:44 PM on May 30, 2020 [13 favorites]


"... is a remarkable form of partisanship and privilege all on its own."

I'm super-uncomfortable with all this talk by white people about white people involved in destruction for numerous reasons, all of which involve taking the focus away from black people and their righteous anger and making it all about white people, as per usual.

It's shitty allyship for white radical leftists to up the stakes amongst people and neighborhoods who, unlike themselves, will suffer the blowback disproportionately—but white people focusing on that and implicitly making it about white politics is also shitty allyship.

I'm uncomfortable with the whole topic and I think those of us who are white should think carefully before we engage with it at all, and probably decide not to. There's the strong counter-argument that those of us with white-privilege need to speak up and object to other white misbehavior, but for now I'm going to mostly listen.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 5:01 PM on May 30, 2020 [11 favorites]


Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan has imposed a 5 PM curfew today and tomorrow. The curfew was announced at 4:45 PM today.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti is taking the more unusual step of closing down all COVID-19 testing in the city in order to punish people for protesting?
posted by mbrubeck at 5:02 PM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


Useful link: Buzzfeed rounding up the biggest rumors and hoaxes. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/janelytvynenko/hoax-misleading-claims-george-floyd-protests

Seems like every protest that turns into a riot has a mix of:

1. some anarchists looking to start shit ideologically
2. Some boogalooers looking to start shit cynically
3. Some cops undercover looking to shit provocatively
4. Some straight up criminals looking to steal things opportunistically
5. Lots and lots of disenfranchised black folks raging out despairingly

All of these are happening in some proportion. And while I’m sad about the chaos and the fear regular people are going through, like the man said whose store burned down: “Justice must be served.” One way or another. And it might be too late for the other.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:09 PM on May 30, 2020 [23 favorites]


I'm super-uncomfortable with all this talk by white people about white people involved in destruction for numerous reasons, all of which involve taking the focus away from black people and their righteous anger and making it all about white people, as per usual.

It's unfortunate that there's no real way to passiely indicate race on Metafilter without it being really weird, but I'm a leftist and a person of color who has been involved in protests against police brutality for almost a decade.

To echo Ahmad Khani's reply above:

In recognizing that there are indeed factions of white supremacists/accelerationists/people who want to watch the world burn (etc.), we have to be very careful to not elide the righteous black anger that is sometimes rightfully directed towards property destruction and looting. There's a long history of rioting from those who are on the periphery, marginalized and unheard, and simply ascribing all violence to outside actors misses the complexity of the situation.
posted by Ouverture at 5:09 PM on May 30, 2020 [17 favorites]


What are some of the best live-streams for events going on around the country?
posted by gucci mane at 5:16 PM on May 30, 2020


Well that escalated quickly here in Miami. People had been peacefully protesting all day, including shutting down I-95. About an hour ago, demonstrators began to gather outside MPD headquarters, blocking access to the parking garage. A bit later, a couple of cop cars were spray painted, prompting the police to lob tear gas and shoot people with rubber bullets. And now someone has set a police car on fire.
posted by wierdo at 5:25 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


..and the police are hell bent on escalating further, issuing a dispersal order allowing them to arrest anyone who remains in the area and threatening the use of further force, never mind that it was they who initiated the violence.
posted by wierdo at 5:32 PM on May 30, 2020 [3 favorites]


How to Support BLM Protesters in Every City

A roundup of resources and organizations to donate to (note: not every, despite the headline; the list needs to be expanded but this offers a start)
posted by Ahmad Khani at 5:41 PM on May 30, 2020 [9 favorites]


Philly protests escalated, city under curfew now
posted by lazaruslong at 5:43 PM on May 30, 2020


..and in the most Miami moment ever, a large fireworks display goes ahead as the cops prepare to crack heads.
posted by wierdo at 5:46 PM on May 30, 2020 [6 favorites]


I was downtown in Portland until just now. I got there late, after the justice center was broken into and sacked. I’ve spent the past 3 hours getting flashbanged and tear gassed, it was absolute chaos everywhere I turned. I have multiple videos of vans filled with riot cops rolling up on me and flashbangs going off literally a few feet away from me. I’ve been going to protests for 10 years now and this was by far the most terrifying one I’ve ever experienced. Tear gas everywhere, explosions going off, it was absolute chaos.

The mayor got pulled away from his dying mother and now we have an 8pm curfew?!
posted by aniola at 6:06 PM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


I see this is also a thing in St Paul, Minneapolis, Seattle, and Philly. Somehow I suspect a curfew is not the answer.
posted by aniola at 6:11 PM on May 30, 2020


Cleveland, too.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:12 PM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


I'm outside town tonight, going to see how much escalation we get again tonight before I decide what I'm doing tomorrow. I'm on work furlough next week, so I'm going to try assisting with cleanup where I can.
posted by MillMan at 6:20 PM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


The curfew was a fucking joke last night in Minneapolis. Now Walz is claiming that the curfew is real and lake street and north side businesses are pissed because they don't trust the city but can't protect their property either.
posted by dinty_moore at 6:21 PM on May 30, 2020 [5 favorites]


What are some of the best live-streams for events going on around the country?


Unicorn Riot is now live in Philly
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:24 PM on May 30, 2020


National Guard has been called out for Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio to enforce the curfew.

News5 story (Cleveland ABC station) - with videos - providing an example of how a peaceful protest can turn violent quickly with the actions of just a few people: The moment when a group of agitators changed the tenor of what had been a peaceful assembly
posted by soundguy99 at 6:24 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


they don't trust the city but can't protect their property either.

Can anyone trust the city to protect their lives?

Has the city released their plan to ensure that no police officer will ever again believe they can get away with murder? And what is the city's plan to ensure that "good cops" never again fail to stop a "bad cop"?
posted by mikelieman at 6:28 PM on May 30, 2020 [5 favorites]


That Cleveland link conveniently blames agitators within the protest crowd while ignoring the escalation and disproportionate response by the police to use tear gas.
posted by kokaku at 6:30 PM on May 30, 2020 [9 favorites]


Rochester New York had cop cars turned over, set on fire, Mayor Lovely Warren blamed "outsiders."
posted by valkane at 6:35 PM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


Now I'm thinking the whole country did a massive game of musical chairs so that every city could get trashed by its relative outsiders. I don't know what the fuck is going on.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 6:38 PM on May 30, 2020 [13 favorites]


That Cleveland link conveniently blames agitators within the protest crowd while ignoring the escalation and disproportionate response by the police to use tear gas.

I wouldn't say it's ignoring it, it's very clear just from watching the videos, but yes, that's a thing I've seen all day keeping an eye on protests all over the country - at the slightest provocation the police will not restrain themselves to targeting actual individual agitators, they'll break out the pepper spray and the tear gas and start hosing down the crowd indiscriminately.
posted by soundguy99 at 6:39 PM on May 30, 2020 [5 favorites]


"[St. Paul] Mayor Carter says not a lot of arrests last night but everyone arrested was from out of state."

posted by paper chromatographologist at 8:09 AM on May 30 [11 favorites +] [!]


Turns out that was wrong, per Carter himself.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 6:45 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


Essentially all these mayors and governors are talking about outside agitators, which is...odd. Of course it’s party true, I mean, I saw a truck with Texas plates posted to next door which had decals on the order of “white men for Jesus” or some such comic book level fascist BS. Is it cognitive dissonance with respect to how policing actually works in this country? Cognitive dissonance that comes with riots not seen on this scale in 50 years? Or have I just lost my cynical edge with respect to how institutions defend themselves?
posted by MillMan at 7:12 PM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


Police here in Grand Rapids just teargassed a crowd of #BLM protesters.
posted by JohnFromGR at 7:17 PM on May 30, 2020


Chicago is seeing clashes too. We're on curfew now from 9pm to 6am daily until further notice.
posted by heyho at 7:21 PM on May 30, 2020


Now I'm thinking the whole country did a massive game of musical chairs so that every city could get trashed by its relative outsiders. I don't know what the fuck is going on.

This Twitter thread offers some recent and useful historical context that might explain why these protests have been so militant.
posted by Neilopolis at 7:24 PM on May 30, 2020


That Cleveland link conveniently blames agitators within the protest crowd while ignoring the escalation and disproportionate response by the police to use tear gas.

It really didn't, though it wasn't unambiguous before the first block of ads that could make one think they had reached the end.
posted by wierdo at 7:25 PM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


Gucci mane, watching a channel called Status Coup on Youtube of the protest in DC right now.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:27 PM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


David Begnaud @DavidBegnaud
BREAKING: Mayor of St. Paul Minnesota says he was wrong this morning when he said “Every single person” arrested last night in St. Paul was from out of town. He blames inaccurate information given to him during a police briefing.
4:49 PM · May 30, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
7.6K Retweets 15.9K Likes

David Begnaud @DavidBegnaud
Local & state leaders in Minneapolis have attributed unrest & violence to people who live out of state. But @kare11 found - by going through jail records - the vast majority of those arrested for rioting, unlawful assembly & burglary are Minnesotans.
3:44 PM · May 30, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
1K Retweets 1.4K Likes

oopsie daisie! shame the horse has left the barn!
posted by Ahmad Khani at 7:29 PM on May 30, 2020 [12 favorites]


Might be a germane to return to Joshua Clover's book Riot. Strike. Riot: The New Era of Uprisings.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 7:30 PM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


Rochester's news conference was an interesting watch, as everyone from the mayor to the chief of police to the local state police major all stayed on message with the blaming of violence on outsiders... it was almost as if they had agreed on a script beforehand. But hey, that's just me being all media savvy.
posted by valkane at 7:32 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


Unicorn Riot @UR_Ninja
We’ve ended our ground reporting from Philadelphia for the night due to repeated assaults by officers on our reporter making it unsafe and impractical to continue. Our Philly staff is safe at home now but Philly Police made it clear our 1st Amendment press freedoms are suspended
7:28 PM · May 30, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
163 Retweets 361 Likes

Plus two journalists shot (with rubber bullets) in the head by police (one in Cleveland, one in Minneapolis—and she lost an eye); journalist and cameraperson targeted by police paintball/marking gun in what I recall was Louisville (video is on Twitter); CNN reporter and crew arrested. And I'm sure there's more accounts out there.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 7:35 PM on May 30, 2020 [6 favorites]


He's going to keep believing everything the cops tell him, of course, no matter how many lies they feed him.
posted by Pope Guilty at 7:36 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


That footage from Louisville of that cop going after those reporters with a paintball gun firing pepperballs, it was just, I dunno, that cop should be fired soonest.
posted by valkane at 7:41 PM on May 30, 2020 [9 favorites]


Seeing the response that is in blue cities with blue mayors with blue governors.

I'm pretty sure this is what MLK was talking about when he spoke about white moderates who prefer order to justice.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 7:47 PM on May 30, 2020 [27 favorites]


I feel like the response to the protesters at this point is just "the beatings will continue until morale improves".
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 7:48 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


Seattle Livestream
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:50 PM on May 30, 2020


The NG is using a Black Hawk helicopter to draw water from Diamond Lake to put out fires. That's a pretty cool sight.
posted by Gray Duck at 7:51 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


I went to the 5pm march in Raleigh, which started peacefully, then the march went off-route, against traffic on a one-way street with cars on it, toward the county justice building, where a standoff with cops in riot gear outside the intake entrance devolved to bricks and water bottles being thrown at the cops and cops shooting tear gas at the crowd. I didn't see the start of it, but the tension was thick and growing.

I watched folks throw chunks of concrete at the 2nd floor courthouse windows, shattering them, saw the aftermath of a guy who threw a chunk of concrete through the passenger window of a woman's car, apparently after she asked him to move out of the street (she was terrorized and shaking), watched the cops help a protester who'd apparently fainted (he was down on the sidewalk for something, I couldn't tell what, but the cries of "medic" brought a handful of police over to help), watched a heavily masked and gloved protester run to grab a newly shot tear gas can off the street and dunk it into a plastic water bottle, where it was extinguished to huge cheers from the crowd (didn't expect to see *that* in person today), then watched as a big line of riot cops and cops on horses held a corner against the marchers, while the marchers chanted and yelled for about an hour. (I'd have been more conflicted about the homophobic "you ain't shit, suck my dick" chant yelled into riot cops' faces if I hadn't seen one joyous guy selling it so fabulously, and if I hadn't just watched one of the cops on top of the justice center building spit a big gob of phlegm onto the protesters on the sidewalk below.)

There'd be a lull, then someone would toss something, or a new group of cops would walk through the crowd, and the tension would ratchet right back up. There was a peaceful protest with speakers on the other side of the building, but where I was it was furious, messy, and admittedly thrilling, until it wasn't: a woman sobbing as I pulled out my saline solution and washed the tear gas out of her eyes, or the fear in the crowd when rumor hit of a line of riot cops marching on us from behind to kettle us against the horses (untrue). I got my first taste of tear gas but not enough to cause any real pain (but just enough to think about getting a gas mask for next time). There were a few times when I thought, "this is it, one more thrown water bottle and this is going to go extremely sideways very quickly."

Then, it started to die down so I came home, and now I'm watching phase II as folks whose tactics I'm apparently not respectful enough of smash in the downtown CVS drugstore, start looting and try to set the building on fire by kicking flaming wreckage from the street through the windows. The news folks were asking "where are the police?" as the fire started to get scary inside, and then the cops came with tear gas, dispersed the crowd and put out the flames. Whew.

But it's gonna go on all night, and if I had a business downtown I'd be there, with friends, camped out, hoping someone I knew had a gun. The folks I saw this afternoon included a bunch of people who seemed ready to go once the sun set.

There are a lot of really cool local stores, museums, galleries and restaurants in that area. Part of me wants to get back down there and try to protect what I can, but a) I'm fucking exhausted and b) I really don't know what I'd do, except maybe get into situations I'm not trained to handle. So I'll collapse in bed soon, thinking about what I'm going to find left of my favorite neighborhood in town when I wake up.
posted by mediareport at 7:57 PM on May 30, 2020 [24 favorites]


Tweets from Maggie Koerth, a few minutes before this post.
We met this 20 year old from Maplewood [eastern suburb of Saint Paul, MN]. He came to fight against police brutality and government in general. He has a paintball gun and a hammer, to defend himself, he said. “My parents wanted me to fight in a war. This just isn’t the one they wanted.”

Multiple neighbors, black and white, watched that boy with the paintball gun go by. “Are you press? That’s bullshit. What does he think he’s gonna do with a paintball gun? He’s gonna get our neighborhood fucked up and then go home to wherever he lives.”
posted by ZeusHumms at 8:02 PM on May 30, 2020 [19 favorites]


This link is to another forum I post on, but it has an updated list of livestreams (sorted by location):
Current Streams Forum Post
posted by davedave at 8:07 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


"A civilian brought a hunting bow to the #slcprotest and began shooting it at protesters. He got out of his car, yelled “that’s it”, and shot into the crowd before being tackled. He was yelling and me, and then aimed his bow at a black man standing behind me. The black man saw it coming, charged, and tackled him. The SLC police retreated and allowed rioters to light the man’s car on fire."
posted by Evilspork at 8:13 PM on May 30, 2020 [28 favorites]


There are a lot of really cool local stores, museums, galleries and restaurants in that area. Part of me wants to get back down there and try to protect what I can, but a) I'm fucking exhausted and b) I really don't know what I'd do, except maybe get into situations I'm not trained to handle. So I'll collapse in bed soon, thinking about what I'm going to find left of my favorite neighborhood in town when I wake up.

Downtown Raleigh is SO SMALL. I don't know how many people know that if they haven't been there. It is a tiny urban area compared to most cities, and a significant part of it is being destroyed tonight.
posted by wondermouse at 8:14 PM on May 30, 2020 [3 favorites]


Watching news here in Louisville (in non-pandemic times I'd have been out there, but I've kept my head down all month; I'm in contact with immunocompromised folks) and was impressed by discipline at the Baxter & Highland protest, which was keeping a tight group with leaders maintaining a separation between protesters and the police line (I saw several occasions when someone moved towards police, and clearly organized groups coalesced around them and pulled them back), and then after a water bottle was thrown, the police fired gas and everything went to shit. It takes a lot of work to keep things chill and so little to fuck it up.

But tonight in spite of the curfew police seem to be mostly taking a softer touch than yesterday, and as a result the downtown protests seem to have dissipated completely. Without police escalation, the protests have been mostly calm.
posted by jackbishop at 8:20 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]




elled “that’s it”, and shot into the crowd before being tackled.

The cognitive dissonance of shouting "all lives matter" as loud as you can, then immediately drawing a hunting bow on a crowd of people.
posted by ctmf at 9:15 PM on May 30, 2020 [13 favorites]


The WTF just keeps piling up today. Jesus.
posted by Windopaene at 9:17 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


in that livestream from last night linked by Catblack above, at 5:10:50 ish, regg inkagnedo walks past uncle hugo's / uncle edgar's bookstores (the camera does not seek the facade too much but catches both pretty well about 5:12:04) and exchanges some words with another fellow standing there sadly lamenting likely spread of the fire in the dentist office adjacent to his "childhood bookstore," his "essential nerd store," as, i understand from comments of dinty_moore, ZeusHumms et al above, it ultimately did.
posted by 20 year lurk at 9:27 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


The cognitive dissonance of shouting "all lives matter" as loud as you can, then immediately drawing a hunting bow on a crowd of people.

In which we are shown that "all lives matter" does not mean all lives matter to those who use it. It's simply a clever retort to "black lives matter" that means "No, black lives do not matter". No more, no less.
posted by ctmf at 9:35 PM on May 30, 2020 [37 favorites]


There was a March in grand rapids Michigan that ended with vandalism, and setting fire to the police station. We're not that far from Minneapolis, in a lot of ways.
posted by rebent at 9:45 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]


Apparently the national headquarters of the Daughters of the Confederacy is on fire


So it's not all bad
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 10:15 PM on May 30, 2020 [46 favorites]


There’s a really easy way to stop the protests: fire the cops. All of them. They literally do nothing useful. No one would be upset.
posted by Automocar at 10:32 PM on May 30, 2020 [3 favorites]


...and at 6:10:29, the bookstores are burning.
posted by 20 year lurk at 10:34 PM on May 30, 2020 [1 favorite]


A Cheesecake Factory in Seattle got broken into and there's video of someone walking around with a whole ass cheesecake. What the actual hell.
posted by nakedmolerats at 10:38 PM on May 30, 2020 [5 favorites]


...and at 6:10:29, the bookstores are burning.

Footage of Uncle Hugo's & Edgar's in Minneapolis from Catblack's linked video.
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:39 PM on May 30, 2020


Twitter thread: Andy Rowell (ThreadReaderApp)
So the story tonight in Minneapolis, (perhaps because I follow many journalists) is media getting shot with rubber bullets, gassed, and arrested as they get between protesters and police.
(Many media were terrified of the mayhem without police presence the last two nights).
10:07 PM · May 30, 2020
posted by ZeusHumms at 10:41 PM on May 30, 2020 [5 favorites]


Cops in Seattle also still doing the knee-on-neck to protestors
posted by nakedmolerats at 11:01 PM on May 30, 2020 [3 favorites]


Direct attacks on the press seem to be intentional, since they are happening nationwide.[Twitter thread]

I'd be unsurprised if we come to find out there's a Facebook group full of cops egging each other on to attack journalists or something.
posted by wierdo at 11:25 PM on May 30, 2020 [12 favorites]


Attacking the press (witnesses), covering badge numbers, escalating conflicts across the country. I think MAGA Night means they got permission from on high to behave badly.
posted by bink at 11:29 PM on May 30, 2020 [6 favorites]


I think MAGA Night means they got permission from on high to behave badly.
there's no reason to attribute some sort of pre-organized plan to a set of actors that all have very similar beliefs and incentives. the cops are firing on the press everywhere because cops are cops no matter where they are. i know that's like a tautology, but there's literally nothing complicated about this going on, is all i'm trying to say
posted by davedave at 11:51 PM on May 30, 2020 [17 favorites]


Mirror of Gucci Mane's link https://streamable.com/u2jzoo

This is some bullshit.
posted by loquacious at 11:51 PM on May 30, 2020 [2 favorites]




Minneapolis came down extremely hard on journalists, lots of rumors of live rounds tonight too. So it's been quiet except for the occasional gunshot, but I don't know how much is also twitter being quiet, too.

Please please please let this be a watershed moment where we give up being "tough on crime"
posted by dinty_moore at 12:33 AM on May 31, 2020 [5 favorites]


Also still very worried for our homeless population, but it sounds like the midtown Sheraton is working as a temporary shelter.
posted by dinty_moore at 12:43 AM on May 31, 2020 [2 favorites]


A significant source of corrupt police power is their unions, which essentially control their respective government employers. They also have their metaphorical boots on the neck of the government and by extension the public who pays them.

When will the decertification of all police unions become a demand before protesting can end? Never? Damn. As long as politicians fear tyrannical unions, nothing can change.
posted by sylvanshine at 1:08 AM on May 31, 2020 [2 favorites]


something I always wondered, in protest reporting (formal and informal), is how “protester” maps with respect to “protestor”, and if there is (as I tend to suspect) anything to read into that.
posted by progosk at 2:19 AM on May 31, 2020


What the living fuck. I mean, nothing should fucking surprise me but Christ. They're not even moving.

@loquacious, do we know if those are live rounds?

I've got the usual white hand-wringing on FB about "murder is bad BUT OMG LOOTING SO WRONG SO SCARY". I'm about to comment on one of them that America has been on fire for decades, centuries. It's just that it takes this level of desperation for white people to fucking see it. God damn.
posted by peakes at 3:16 AM on May 31, 2020 [8 favorites]


Friday night in Brooklyn: protesters gathered near the Barclays Center Stadium. Tensions mounted and there were several scuffles between police and protesters, including one incident where an officer called one protester a "stupid fucking bitch" and shoved her hard, practically flinging her, and she hit the ground hard enough to trigger a seizure. Investigations are pending.

After things broke up at Barclay Center, the crowd moved north to Brooklyn's Fort Greene Park, where an empty police van was set on fire at one point. The protest later moved east towards the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, and tried to storm the stationhouse for precinct 88.

Last night, another pair of protests in New York tried converging on the bridge - one group in Brooklyn marched up Flatbush and headed for the bridge, and a group in Manhattan marched south and tried to cross the bridge. The Manhattan leg blocked Brooklyn-bound traffic and crossed there. At one point, two NYPD vans drove into the crowd of protesters.

...This is all in my neighborhood. I live about 15 minutes' walk from the park where the van was set on fire, and 20 minutes' walk from the Barclays Center. My roommate and I have been hunkered down both nights, and while we haven't seen or heard anything in our street (we didn't even know about the van fire until an hour later), we have both heard sirens, and some ominous pops and cracks in the distance. My roommate did some photojournalism for a while, and he's digging his camera out and may go on a walk today to see if he sees anything.

Speaking of photos - sometime on Saturday morning, someone swept up the ashes from the burnt police van and shaped them into letters spelling out "BLACK LIVES MATTER".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:44 AM on May 31, 2020 [9 favorites]


LAWYERS ASSISTING ARRESTED PROTESTORS PRO BONO: a thread

Many cities across the country represented.
posted by mediareport at 3:45 AM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


Oh, and there's been some footage of some of the goings-on in Chicago from John Cusack, who apparently slipped out to join the protests on his bike. He went unrecognized as he had a mask on due to COVID-19; and at one point was roughed up by some Chicago PD officers who saw him filming with his cameraphone.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:54 AM on May 31, 2020 [12 favorites]


"[St. Paul] Mayor Carter says not a lot of arrests last night but everyone arrested was from out of state."

He walked that statement back. It seemed pretty implausible anyways that, say, Iowans and South Dakotans were flooding into St. Paul to riot.
posted by Noisy Pink Bubbles at 4:33 AM on May 31, 2020 [2 favorites]


I've got the usual white hand-wringing on FB about "murder is bad BUT OMG LOOTING SO WRONG SO SCARY".

Be sure to point out to anyone who voted for “take the oil” that they don't actually find too much wrong with looting—in fact they hired a looter-in-chief to set the example for the rest of us.
posted by XMLicious at 4:37 AM on May 31, 2020 [7 favorites]


So many videos of police using pepper spray/mace with impunity on subdued suspects.

We need truth and reconciliation commissions.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 5:40 AM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


Transfixed in horror in front of this thread w/footage of police going absolutely apeshit throughout the US (which includes more footage from Seattle, of a cop using the same manoeuvre on a protestor/looter as was used on George Floyd until his partner intervenes while people scream at them).

Hell is empty, etc.
posted by peakes at 5:46 AM on May 31, 2020 [6 favorites]


Compilation of police misbehavior in the last few days: Police Erupt in Violence Nationwide The Atlanta video of people people getting ripped out of their car by police while being tazed and having their widows broken is particularly disturbing imho.
posted by Noisy Pink Bubbles at 5:51 AM on May 31, 2020 [13 favorites]


My friends who live inside the Atlanta city limits report that the text from the city that the curfew began at 9 got to their phones at 9:15. By the time the text went out, all MARTA trains had already stopped running. They are already only running every 20 minutes due to COVID-19. So many people were trapped away from their homes after the curfew.
posted by hydropsyche at 5:55 AM on May 31, 2020 [7 favorites]


The latest on the guy with a machete who was brutally beaten by a mob in Dallas. We don't know much but it appears he was not a store owner protecting his store, as many folks on Twitter were first reporting.
posted by mediareport at 5:56 AM on May 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


Night #2 in Richmond.

On an average night outside my house, I can hear gunshots on the opposite side of a nearby intersection, but this is nuts.
posted by emelenjr at 6:06 AM on May 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


Not like the USA as a whole was doing so great with tamping down the virus, but I'm fucking terrified how many more people will be sickened and die because of covid outbreaks directly caused by these events.
posted by lalochezia at 6:23 AM on May 31, 2020 [16 favorites]


There was a peaceful demonstration of solidarity here in Copenhagen today. Just do those of you who are suffering know that the world is watching.
posted by mumimor at 6:47 AM on May 31, 2020 [11 favorites]


The protest in Durham last night was amazing to watch. They marched through the downtown, and police had a very minimal presence, mostly in the form of directing traffic away from the protest. Eventually the protesters got to the county jail that's downtown and started yelling "we see you, we love you, you are not forgotten" to the people being held in there. You could see inmates in the windows dancing around.

I couldn't find a good video of it just now - for some reason WRAL didn't post the moving account of it that they aired right after it ended, and what's on their website now is just a mishmash of scenes - but I watched it live on TV. It was wild in the most peaceful way imaginable.
posted by bananana at 6:52 AM on May 31, 2020 [15 favorites]


Minneapolis see few reports of fires, looting after overwhelming show of force by National Guard, law enforcementMinnPost Staff; 31 May 2020

This is today's entry in a daily column summarizing local Minnesota media.
posted by ZeusHumms at 7:17 AM on May 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


My friends who live inside the Atlanta city limits report that the text from the city that the curfew began at 9 got to their phones at 9:15. By the time the text went out, all MARTA trains had already stopped running. They are already only running every 20 minutes due to COVID-19. So many people were trapped away from their homes after the curfew.

That's pretty much what happened in Miami, also. Cops started escalating just before sundown, transit shut down abruptly just as the 10PM curfew was "announced" at 9PM, but the cell phone message didn't go out until 10:30 or so.
posted by wierdo at 7:19 AM on May 31, 2020 [3 favorites]


I'm fucking terrified how many more people will be sickened and die because of covid outbreaks directly caused by these events.

I'm more terrified by how many people will be sickened and die because of the anti-lockdown protesters last month because their demonstrations encouraged other people to shirk their masks and social distancing whether or not they were at the protests.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:31 AM on May 31, 2020 [16 favorites]


Here in San Antonio a group of armed white supremacists gathered to "protect the Alamo" and, as they doubtless hoped, became a flashpoint with huge mobs of police trying to keep them and the BLM protesters apart. Cops started tossing out tear gas, firing rubber bullets, and the peaceful protest devolved into mild vandalism and some limited property damage that the people claiming they were there to "protect the Alamo" are now pointing to as evidence of their heroism and virtue.

The SAPD was out in massive numbers even at the beginning of the protest, per the chief of police and I quote him directly: "We have got a massive force that will be out there in the downtown area. We are here to ensure the right of the folks who are here to protest. We want them to exercise their first amendment rights, and in some cases out there, their second amendment rights."

I'm pretty sure it doesn't take many hundred armed, armored, and threatening, police officers to "assist" people in exercising their first amendment rights.

He also said: "The video of Mr. Floyd was sickening. That is the opinion of every major city police chief. There was no excuses -- nothing that would mitigate what was done to Mr. Floyd. That set law enforcement back eons. The delicate relationship that we have with the community is pushed back to the dark ages. Now we’ve got to work to get it back.”

So that's something. But the huge police presence at the beginning of the protest seemed like deliberate provocation to me.

There were a few broken windows, so naturally the focus of all the hand wringing on the news is on those windows.
posted by sotonohito at 7:31 AM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


guy with a machete charges after people giving them every reason to believe he would use it

Yeah, sorry, I've been immersed in this stuff so I thought that part would be old news; I just wanted to link to the latest, since there's been a lot of misinfo (he wasn't a store owner protecting his store, e.g). But come on: that's a brutal mob beating.
posted by mediareport at 7:34 AM on May 31, 2020


I'm heading downtown to help the folks who are cleaning up but a couple of Raleigh-related things:

1. We have photos of Proud Boys and Three Percenters downtown last night
2. The local alt weekly, Indyweek, had its Raleigh offices destroyed. One of the reporters was in the office when the first brick was thrown; she got out safely before most of the damage, thankfully.

3. 1 and 2 might be related. Who can tell at this point?

4. Raleigh is different. I'm sad I missed the dance party.
posted by mediareport at 7:44 AM on May 31, 2020 [7 favorites]


Mod note: A guy charging folks with a machete is fucking scary; people beating someone down is a scary ugly situation. Neither of these things is gonna get all that usefully parsed out, "mob" is not an uncharged bit of language. I don't think we're gonna get to more light with this particular back-and-forth amidst all the other stress and heartbreak and tapped nerves right now, let's just let that drop now.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:11 AM on May 31, 2020 [10 favorites]


Have you guys seen this photo of NY State Senator Zellnor Myrie being arrested at a protest? It's really fucking something.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:20 AM on May 31, 2020 [5 favorites]


I have seen AOC post on Twitter... But I haven't seen anything from major congressional leaders. Am I just missing it? Shouldn't someone be trying to be a leader, right now?
posted by meese at 8:31 AM on May 31, 2020 [3 favorites]


The BLM protest here in Grand Rapids was just about done when a separate group started vandalizing buildings, burning police cars, breaking windows (including almost all of the ground-level windows of the art museum).

Cleanup is well underway, my partner and I are heading down to help with the cleanup.

More here.

What a fucking mess. And of course blame is already being laid at the feet of BLM, when the instigators and most of the vandals were white kids.
posted by JohnFromGR at 8:32 AM on May 31, 2020 [7 favorites]


What a fucking mess. And of course blame is already being laid at the feet of BLM, when the instigators and most of the vandals were white kids.

Yep, I've seen a photo of what is clearly a white woman breaking the windows of Sundance, a restaurant downtown.
posted by LionIndex at 8:36 AM on May 31, 2020


Twitter thread collecting some of the many examples of police initiating violence and targeting press and medical workers.
posted by mbrubeck at 8:38 AM on May 31, 2020 [10 favorites]


You have to see it to believe it—a person named Cesia Abigail live-streamed an effort last night of citizens using someone’s fire hose to put out a fire at a liquor store across the street from the Market themselves.

Cesia is the owner of Abi's Cafe. Her hour-and-a-half video is an incredible documentary.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:42 AM on May 31, 2020 [5 favorites]


progosk: something I always wondered, in protest reporting (formal and informal), is how “protester” maps with respect to “protestor”, and if there is (as I tend to suspect) anything to read into that.

As a journalist, I follow Associated Press style, which is the "-er" ending -- because it's the preferred spelling in Webster's, Adam Clark Estes reported for the now-defunct Atlantic Wire in 2011:
All that said, there's an interesting little wrinkle in the grammar rules that govern words with both an -er and -or ending. According to John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, the variation tends to indicate a level of expertise.

"The suffix -er is the regular one used in English for agent nouns (nouns for people who do things, like protest)," Simpson writes in an email to The Atlantic Wire. "If we leave aside (a) words formed on verbs in -ate, where -or is normal, and (b) words in which the stem isn't a verb at all, like doctor, then I think that the general feeling is that -or implies a rather specialized, technical, or professional role (as with advisor in contrast to adviser). But I should stress that this is only a tendency--one finds instances of both spellings."
posted by virago at 8:51 AM on May 31, 2020 [7 favorites]


New Jersey police marching with protesters.
Police in South Texas handing out pizza.
Santa Cruz police chief kneels with local community.
North Dakota "OneRace - The Human Race"
All is not as broken as the White House wants it to be.
posted by adamvasco at 8:59 AM on May 31, 2020 [16 favorites]


the instigators and most of the vandals were white kids

channel 8 had a live stream of downtown last night and i watched about from 10.50 to 11.30 - and this was my impression, too

there has been something rather strange about these so called riots - it doesn't seem as though a great number of people are actually doing them and most people at the scene don't like them

it's not anything as intense as it was in the 60s

it just doesn't seem to add up
posted by pyramid termite at 9:12 AM on May 31, 2020 [1 favorite]




All is not as broken as the White House wants it to be.

Also Michigan: Genesse County Sheriff joins protestors during Flint Township march
posted by Evilspork at 9:27 AM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


I don't think this is like normal. People are up against the wall this time. What little they once had, tentatively hanging on to the edge of society, has been taken from them by capital responding to the pandemic.

How much longer can the system keep stretching as it absorbs more and more police being sadistic during these protests? While the societal contract has proven to been very elastic and resilient but it has been fraying at the edges for generations.

I feel like we're getting to what JFK prophesized.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 9:36 AM on May 31, 2020 [10 favorites]


the variation tends to indicate a level of expertise

thanks for that pointer, virago. That's actually what some instances looked/felt like, instinctively: narratives that would paint those protesting as somehow "professional" (be that trained, astroturf or just somehow other than spontaneous/authentic) often take advantage of the ambiguity and choose "protestor".
posted by progosk at 10:05 AM on May 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


Just as a small indication of how this is reverberating abroad, the better Italian media have picked up the eruption of police violence angle; also, Rome sit-in on Friday, Berlin today.
posted by progosk at 10:08 AM on May 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


I've been taking an extended break from MetaFilter – but I find myself coming back for information and, I guess, solidarity in these troubling times.

Non-US MeFites, I'd be very interested to see how this is being covered by your mainstream press. Yes, I can Google for it – but I usually don't know which news outlets are representative or widely read.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 10:22 AM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


How Western media would cover Minneapolis if it happened in another country (Karen Attiah, WaPo)
In recent years, the international community has sounded the alarm on the deteriorating political and human rights situation in the United States under the regime of Donald Trump. Now, as the country marks 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic, the former British colony finds itself in a downward spiral of ethnic violence.
posted by Flannery Culp at 10:35 AM on May 31, 2020 [37 favorites]


Non-US MeFites, I'd be very interested to see how this is being covered by your mainstream press.

From the CBC: 'Vicious dogs' and 'ominous weapons': The politics behind Trump's latest protest threats
posted by nanook at 11:02 AM on May 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


Non-US MeFites, I'd be very interested to see how this is being covered by your mainstream press.

Some random titles from my country's national news agency:

US protests live updates: The violence continues: State of siege* in 25 cities/ towns around the country. CNN: The USA on the edge of civil war.

*Legal term which doesn't seem to have a direct English equivalent; something like a mix of state of emergency/ curfew.

Subtitles:

- Violent protests take place in tens of US towns after the death of George Floyd.
- The case of the black man who lost his life while being brutally immobilized by police agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has provoked strong reactions.

Other articles linked from the page:

- Dozens of protestors, arrested after the violence in the American town of Seattle.
- Critical situation in the USA: 25 towns from 16 states in a state of emergency. The National Guard was activated.
-A threat for corrupt police. The Anonymous hacker message who have temporarily blocked the website of Minneapolis police.
- Traffic restrictions in dozens of American towns. The National Guard was mobilized, and the FBI decided to get involved.
- The situation in the USA is out of control: Chaos on the streets of several American towns, while violent protests grow.
- A new shocking image: A police car starts up/ gains speed and throws protestors to the ground in New York. Mayor: 'I whish they han't done this'.
- George Floyd's family asking for new autopsy. The official report seemed to want to exculpate the police.
- Trump scares/ tries to scare protestors: 'If they'd broken the fences at the White House, they would have found dangerous dogs and unfriendly guns'.
- USA protests: George Floyd and the policeman Derek Chauvin have been colleagues until last year'.
-PHOTO GALLERY: US protests have crossed the ocean. Europe is also beginning to boil: protests in England, Germany, and Denmark.

Other titles from various newspapers around the country:

Several US cities are under a state of siege as protests turn to civil war.

The Chaos continues in the US. Protests have happened in 32 major US cities after the murder of George Floyd (the article talks about protests igniting after 'the murder of George Floyd in cold blood. It also contains a list of towns withactive protests).

This article, entitled What happened during the last half hour of George Floyd's life, the man whose death has led to the protests in the USA, describes how George Floyd kept repeating that he cannot breathe.

Much of the rest mirrors these titles. Quite a few mention the state of siege, worries about civil war, police brutality, violent protests, and European reactions beginning. A lot of them call the murder a murder, and the protests anti-rasist.

Not much seems to be written about the other various actors, such as fascists/ opportunists.
posted by doggod at 11:02 AM on May 31, 2020 [10 favorites]


Riot or resistance? The way the media frames the unrest in Minneapolis will shape the public’s view of protestNieman Journalism Lab; Danielle Kilgo; May 30, 2020 •
'Research finds that protests about anti-black racism and indigenous people’s rights receives the least legitimizing coverage.'

My research has found that some protest movements have more trouble than others getting legitimacy. My co-author Summer Harlow and I have studied how local and metropolitan newspapers cover protests. We found that narratives about the Women’s March and anti-Trump protests gave voice to protesters and significantly explored their grievances. On the other end of the spectrum, protests about anti-black racism and indigenous people’s rights received the least legitimizing coverage, with them more often seen as threatening and violent.

Decades ago, scholars James Hertog and Douglas McLeod identified how news coverage of protests contributes to the maintenance of the status quo, a phenomenon referred to as the “protest paradigm.” They held that media narratives tend to emphasize the drama, inconvenience, and disruption of protests rather than the demands, grievances, and agendas of protesters. These narratives trivialize protests and ultimately dent public support.
posted by ZeusHumms at 11:03 AM on May 31, 2020 [15 favorites]


PS various German-language sources I looked at talk about racist police violence, curfews, anti-rasist demonstrations, demonstrations in Berlin. They also mention the danger of civil war.

Commentsections (for example on this article) also mention Trump; for example this:

'Die Proteste müssen weitergehen bis Trump zurücktritt. Jetzt gibt dieser Präsident den Demonstranten die Schuld, ohne über die Ursachen ein Wort zu verlieren.'

Protests must continue until Trump resigns. Now he is blaming protestors without mentioning the causes at all.
posted by doggod at 11:08 AM on May 31, 2020 [14 favorites]


It's always funny how things conveniently change:
WASHINGTON, April 11 (UPI) -- U.S. forces should not be blamed for the lawlessness and looting in Baghdad as it is a natural consequence of the transition from a dictatorship to a free country, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Friday at the Pentagon.

"The task we've got ahead of us now is an awkward one ... It's untidy. And freedom's untidy. And free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things. They're also free to live their lives and do wonderful things. And that's what's going to happen here," Rumsfeld said.
posted by Ouverture at 11:39 AM on May 31, 2020 [19 favorites]


Thanks doggod! I have coworkers in Cluj and I've been wondering what they'd be hearing over the long weekend.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 12:13 PM on May 31, 2020


Mass protests could cause coronavirus to spread, officials say (WaPo live blog)
“There’s going to be a lot of issues coming out of what’s happened in the last week, but one of them is going to be that chains of transmission will have become lit from these gatherings,” former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in an interview on CBS News’s “Face the Nation." [...] He also called attention to the virus’s outsize impact on black and Hispanic people, who are contracting and dying from it at disproportionate rates. Low incomes, overcrowded housing, limited access to health care and high rates of underlying conditions were all factors that put those communities at greater risk, he said. “I think it’s a symptom of broader racial inequities in our country that we need to work to resolve,” Gottlieb said.
via Drudge: LA, Seattle, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, NYC, DC, Philly, Miami, Vegas, Cleveland, Denver, Des Moines, Dallas, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Columbia, Wilmington, Portland, Phoenix, Tampa, San Fran, MORE...

George Floyd: protests and unrest coast to coast as US cities impose curfews (Guardian)
Governors of six states, including Minnesota, where Floyd died on Monday, called out national guard troops. Many cities including Atlanta, Los Angeles, Louisville, Columbia, Denver, Portland, Milwaukee and Columbus, imposed curfews in anticipation of a restless night ahead.
Guardian: "A growing number of governors, mayors and public health officials across the US are raising fears of a surge in coronavirus cases from escalating protests over the death of George Floyd. [...]
The message was echoed by Keisha Lance-Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta, who said she was “extremely concerned” about Covid-19 spreading, and that protests had distracted her from dealing with the pandemic. “I realised that I hadn’t looked at our coronavirus numbers in two days,” she told Jake Tapper, host of CNN’s State of the Union. “And that’s frightening, because it’s a pandemic, and people of color are getting hit harder.”
posted by katra at 12:21 PM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


yeah, when antifa is your adversary, guess what that makes you....
posted by OHenryPacey at 12:37 PM on May 31, 2020 [50 favorites]


Mass protests could cause coronavirus to spread, officials say

[NYC] Cop pulls mask off man, pepper sprays him in the face (WPIX, May 31, 2020)
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:46 PM on May 31, 2020 [6 favorites]


US cities assess protest damage, await another day of unrest (AP)
Disgust over generations of racism in a country founded by slaveholders combined with a string of recent high-profile killings to stoke the anger. Three months before Floyd’s death, Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot as he jogged through a Georgia neighborhood. A white father and son are charged in the slaying. The month after Arbery was killed, an EMT named Breonna Taylor was shot eight times by Louisville, Kentucky, narcotics detectives who knocked down her front door. No drugs were found in her home. Adding to that was angst from months of lockdowns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, which has disproportionately hurt communities of color, not only in terms of infections but in job losses and economic stress. [...] The scale of the protests, sweeping from coast to coast and unfolding on a single night, rivaled the historic demonstrations of the civil rights and Vietnam War eras.
Photos From the George Floyd Protests, City by City (NYT)
Protests have erupted in at least 75 cities across the United States in the days after George Floyd, a black man, died in police custody.
posted by katra at 12:47 PM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


... yeah, when antifa is your adversary, guess what that makes you....

...incapable of introspection?
posted by Evilspork at 1:11 PM on May 31, 2020 [5 favorites]


Is there any kind of centralized fund I can donate to? I want to do a matching type but so many funds everywhere need funding. I don’t know how to pick. Does anyone of a safe list of orgs to donate to ? Or is there a nationwide gofundme for those who’ve been injured cops to cover their medical treatment and recovery?
posted by affectionateborg at 1:19 PM on May 31, 2020


There needs to be a goal. 75+ cities have active protests but I don't think I've heard a concrete goal from a media source.

Is the goal disbanding the police union? Enforcing a "one and done" approach to police killings where you're off the force regardless of why you killed someone?

What's the exit ramp?
posted by Slackermagee at 1:20 PM on May 31, 2020 [3 favorites]


And if there isn't a goal, then you'll get half hearted speeches and toothless committees instead.
posted by Slackermagee at 1:22 PM on May 31, 2020 [2 favorites]


Also Michigan: Genesse County Sheriff joins protestors during Flint Township march

Similarly and happening right now - Schenectady NY police dept., together with their chief, took a knee along with the protesters and are marching with them.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:28 PM on May 31, 2020 [6 favorites]


But I haven't seen anything from major congressional leaders. Am I just missing it?

Yes. (Pelosi)

Demings: 'Long overdue' for nationwide review to address police misconduct
Florida Democratic Rep. Val Demings, a former police chief, called Sunday for all law enforcement agencies to re-evaluate standards and practices in order to address police misconduct [...] In a Washington Post op-ed last week, Demings asked her former police colleagues "What in the hell are you doing?"
Reps. Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley introduce resolution condemning police brutality after George Floyd death (USA Today, May 29, 2020)
The resolution calls for policies and reforms "at all levels of government," including improvements to independent investigations "to hold individual law officers and police departments accountable;" calling on DOJ to reaffirm its statutory authority for such investigations; and adopting "sound and unbiased law enforcement policies" to reduce uses of force that disproportionately impact "Black and Brown people and other historically marginalized communities." [...] Separately, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter Thursday calling on the U.S. Justice Department to investigate whether there’s a “pattern or practice” in the conduct of police officers involving the death of Floyd. They also called for the agency to look into patterns in the case of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, who was shot and killed by two white men, and Taylor.
Rep. Fudge on the Killing of George Floyd (May 28, 2020)
“Where is the U.S. Justice Department when you need them? How many times do Black men have to say ‘I can’t breathe’ while being restrained and posing no threat to anyone? It’s happening in communities around the country. It happened in mine as recently as 2010. When will it end?

“How many times do communities find themselves searching for answers?

“What would make anyone hold their knee on the neck of another human being for more than eight minutes? Where is the humanity? Where is the accountability? When will we see ‘justice for all?’”
Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher Statement on Killing of George Floyd (May 27, 2020)
[...] “This is yet another time that we have seen a tragic death of an African American man in the custody of police officers—or of others purporting to act in some quasi-policing capacity. That is not just the failure of justice – it is the opposite of justice.

“It is that injustice we saw in the brutal killing of Ahmaud Arbery. While I am relieved to know that his killers have now been arrested and charged, I am heartbroken for his family, for his friends, and for all who live in fear of this kind of senseless violence. While I know that the majority of people across this country agree that Mr. Arbery’s brutal killing does not represent our values as Americans, I also know that this kind of violence has a long history in our country. It is our responsibility to make sure it does not have a future. [...]
posted by katra at 1:45 PM on May 31, 2020 [14 favorites]


There needs to be a goal.

If you go to the site of any BLM chapter you will find several goals.

I don't think I've heard a concrete goal from a media source

I wonder why?
posted by Ahmad Khani at 1:46 PM on May 31, 2020 [63 favorites]


Non-US MeFites, I'd be very interested to see how this is being covered by your mainstream press.

Here, most of the coverage is descriptive and neutral, though some media (including state media) have made an effort to describe the reality for Black Americans. Some of the journalists who have been attacked by the police are Scandinavian, so that is a big story.
IMO, the press and politicians here are completely bewildered by Trump and Trumpism. Since WW2, the mainstream media and politics have admired and copied America. Everyone gets that this is no longer an option, but they don't know how to deal with it. I mentioned in another thread that we have been infested with racism for more than 20 years, but that seems to be slowly ending. (Why is a long story not for now). Another thing is that with Brexit, Denmark per necessity has moved closer to core EU, Germany and France, and they are not as close to the US.
posted by mumimor at 1:55 PM on May 31, 2020 [8 favorites]


I appreciated my Rep's response. We're a small state and he's our only Rep but, in addition to our state police condemning MN state police, it at least felt like an OK starting point. Vermont still sucks in other racial justice ways, don't get me wrong, I just appreciate that my Rep at least seems to understand institutionalized racism as a thing which will make police and criminal justice reform that needs to happen here ever so slightly less of a fucking headache.
posted by jessamyn at 1:58 PM on May 31, 2020 [5 favorites]


But I haven't seen anything from major congressional leaders. Am I just missing it?

Yesterday, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., took part in the demonstration [outside the White House] (NBC News, May 30, 2020). She's also been tweeting; 25 minutes ago: George Floyd was murdered. Every single officer involved must be held accountable.
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:01 PM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


In which we are shown that "all lives matter" does not mean all lives matter to those who use it. It's simply a clever retort to "black lives matter" that means "No, black lives do not matter". No more, no less.

I was just remarking to a colleague that in 20 years we're going to have to carefully explain to incoming college freshmen that during the turmoil of the Trump era, "Black Lives Matter" meant "All Lives Matter" and "All Lives Matter" meant "Black Lives Don't."
posted by Pater Aletheias at 2:27 PM on May 31, 2020 [65 favorites]


Again, to remind you to give the comeback "Why do they say Black lives matter, when all lives matter", tell them "Black Lives Matter is a quicker way of saying Black Lives Matter As Well"
posted by lalochezia at 2:43 PM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


Don’t Fall for the Myth of the “Outside Agitator” in Racial Justice Protests:
Why does this matter? The “outside agitator” trope is today often accompanied by a tirade against “white anarchists” or “Antifa” carrying out the rebellion — while people of color don’t. This is an attempt to isolate and weaken protesters from each other, to make the “good” protesters distrustful and paranoid about “infiltration” by white radicals. (Radicals of color, meanwhile, are nowhere to be found.) Fostering distrust among developing coalitions is a quick and easy way to ensure their swift demise.

These accusations have long popped up in response to civil rights struggles. In 1965, the White Citizens’ Council posted over two hundred billboards throughout the South attempting to discredit Martin Luther King Jr by associating him with communism. One, which shows a photo of King attending a 1957 event at the Highlander Folk School, a key training site for many civil rights activists, is titled “Martin Luther King at Communist Training School.” On the billboard, a giant, cartoonish arrow points directly to King.

[...]

In 2020, the phrase, and these tactics, have once again reared their ugly head. The myth of “outside agitators” is being simultaneously weaponized by conservatives and liberals to demean and intimidate protesters. We shouldn’t let them — it’s an accusation designed to downplay the widespread anger so many are feeling and acting on in this country.

King warned us, “We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools.”

Don’t fall for defenders of the status quo continuing to blame “outside agitators” for the rebellions sweeping the country right now — they want us to perish together as fools.
posted by Ouverture at 2:44 PM on May 31, 2020 [11 favorites]


Is there any kind of centralized fund I can donate to?

The ones I've seen mentioned most (through the black climate activism twitter) for Minneapolis are:
- Minnesota Freedom Fund
- BlackVisionsMN: donations link
- Reclaim the Block: donations link
- Dream Defenders: donations link
- Louisville Community Bail Fund

There was also this thread listing funding links for small black businesses that were damaged/destroyed.
posted by progosk at 2:50 PM on May 31, 2020 [2 favorites]


Teju Cole (30 min ago on FB):
There are a lot of people who have a lot to say right now, but who are not in conversation with you. An exchange of words is not the same as a conversation.

This is why you should be skeptical when someone says, “But that is not how to achieve your goals.” Who is speaking? A statement is potentially meaningful if it comes from someone who is with you. If it comes from someone who is not with you, it is both meaningless and dangerous.

As for the media, it reports only within the radius of its leash, focusing on smashed glass, burned buildings, and disrupted traffic. The intensity and scale of the slow violence that led to the symbolic acts of interruption in a demonstration eludes the media completely. Media language echoes that of the State. Both are interested in maintaining the State’s monopoly on violence—even symbolic violence. Hence the absurd and monomaniacal focus on broken glass.

In 1968 John Berger wrote, in an essay titled “The Nature of Mass Demonstrations,” the following helpful words:
“It is in the nature of a demonstration to provoke violence upon itself. Its provocation may also be violent. But in the end it is bound to suffer more than it inflicts. This is a tactical truth and an historical one. The historical role of demonstrations is to show the injustice, cruelty, irrationality of the existing State authority.”

In addition to being acts of truth-telling, demonstrations are acts of prophecy. On a given site, a demonstration imagines a change that until this moment was thought of as unimaginable. It doesn’t and can’t by itself bring such change into being, not usually. So, what does a demonstration “demonstrate”? It demonstrates a collective bodily imagining of that someday-to-come change. It demonstrates the persistence and unextinguished dignity of the “we” that the State has refused to see.

The demonstration occasions a reconstituted “we.” This imagining is achieved at high and sometimes shocking cost to the demonstrators. Yet, it is a cost willingly borne because the alternative—slow suffocation without voice and without end—is far less tolerable.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 2:58 PM on May 31, 2020 [51 favorites]


I keep hearing people say "this is the Upside Down."

This isn't the Upside Down.

This isn't the Bad Place.

This is so, so much worse.
posted by Kitchen Witch at 3:31 PM on May 31, 2020 [3 favorites]


This is the part of They Live where everyone puts on the sunglasses and suddenly sees things as they were all along.
posted by Flannery Culp at 3:39 PM on May 31, 2020 [19 favorites]


A Cheesecake Factory in Seattle got broken into and there's video of someone walking around with a whole ass cheesecake. What the actual hell.

right? outrageous! they could've carried two.
posted by poffin boffin at 3:40 PM on May 31, 2020 [31 favorites]


If You’re Going Out To Protest During The Pandemic, Be Careful Of The Coronavirus Risk (Buzzfeed, May 29, 2020)
Another issue is that yelling thrusts more droplets of the disease into the air, increasing the chance of infection. [Dr. John Swartzberg, whose work at UC Berkeley focuses on infectious diseases] pointed to an infamous soccer match in Italy that became the epicenter of a COVID-19 outbreak when fans in close proximity cheered on their favorite team and embraced each other when they won. “Screaming is going to expel lots more particles with a lot more force,” he said. Then there’s tear gas, a weapon used by police forces for crowd control worldwide. According to Sven Eric Jordt, associate professor in anesthesiology at Duke University, tear gas can damage the respiratory system, which the coronavirus also attacks. [...] It’s still unknown how damage from tear gas could affect someone who has COVID-19, but Jordt pointed to studies from the US Army that showed that recruits who had been exposed to tear gas were more prone to respiratory infections, like colds and the flu.

[...] [Brandon Brown, who teaches public health at the University of California, Riverside] says that protesters must be informed of the public health effects of both the pandemic and the violence against vulnerable groups in the US face. “Be aware of the disproportional death rates for African Americans, Native Americans, and Latinx people from both COVID-19 and police violence,” Brown said.
posted by katra at 4:01 PM on May 31, 2020 [3 favorites]


Today there have been mostly peaceful protest marches in Minneapolis and Saint Paul that went on to area freeways. An empty tanker truck drove into one march in Minneapolis in the past few minutes.
posted by ZeusHumms at 4:01 PM on May 31, 2020 [3 favorites]


Many thanks for sharing that, Ahmad Khani. Here's the entire John Berger essay, which is really worth reading.
posted by neroli at 4:02 PM on May 31, 2020 [7 favorites]


A Cheesecake Factory in Seattle got broken into and there's video of someone walking around with a whole ass cheesecake. What the actual hell.

But everything at Cheesecake Factory is made from whole ass


So what's really funny is, I have a friend who works at Cheesecake Factory, and she's pretty sure that was a display cake. I'm not totally certain what that means for this specific cake, but among other possibilities (like it's been sitting out under conditions that make it unpalatable or outright dangerous, or perhaps it isn't even a real cheesecake, just a decorated mock) it almost certainly tastes like ass, or it will on the way back up.
posted by limeonaire at 4:11 PM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


We just got back from the Eugene OR rally, which was both peaceful and magnitudes larger than we were expecting. We started out being able to stay 6 feet apart, but sadly as soon as we started marching it was obvious that we couldn't. Most people were wearing masks. I'm... uncomfortable about the Covid risk but also still feel like it was the right thing to be out there.
posted by nakedmolerats at 4:11 PM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


Miami has remained nonviolent so far despite some efforts at agitation by the police. We'll see if that remains the case come curfew time at 8PM. Up in Fort Lauderdale, motorcycle cops were driving at people and got water bottles thrown at them in response [Twitter link]. That, of course, led to tear gas.
posted by wierdo at 4:19 PM on May 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


An empty tanker truck drove into one march in Minneapolis in the past few minutes.

Video. Very scary but fortunately not the vision of carnage that I imagined from that description.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 4:20 PM on May 31, 2020 [2 favorites]


We started out being able to stay 6 feet apart, but sadly as soon as we started marching it was obvious that we couldn't.

I'm thinking that the "hoop skirts for social distancing" idea may have some merit to it.
posted by Lexica at 4:25 PM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


And now police (and DHS) aircraft are circling the protest area in Miami, temporarily keeping the news helicopters at a distance, though they've finally gotten close in the last minute or two.
posted by wierdo at 4:38 PM on May 31, 2020


JustSecurity.org Mia Bloom.
Far-Right Infiltrators and Agitators in George Floyd Protests: Indicators of White Supremacists.
posted by adamvasco at 4:42 PM on May 31, 2020 [6 favorites]


‘It’s a blue-soaked anger’: Amid protests, African Americans feel a private grief (WaPo)
Before the protests began, the pandemic had pushed black people and their neighborhoods to a new, accumulated levels of despair, said Eddie Glaude Jr., chair of the African American studies department at Princeton University. [...] Glaude stressed that the graphic video of Floyd’s death was a spark laid on decades of kindling. He pointed to decades of disinvestment in black neighborhoods and growing income inequality. Those conditions, in turn, exacerbated the health effects and the economic consequences of the pandemic in black communities.

“This is not 1968. This is worse. There’s a global pandemic killing people,” Glaude said. “I’m angry all the time. All the time. And it’s an anger that has a tinge of sadness to it; it’s a blue-soaked anger. The nation has faced these sorts of moments before, and our history doesn’t bode well for what we’re going to do. [...] “We blame it on Trump when in fact this is the culmination of 40 years of a particular ideology that has produced unimaginable wealth inequity and deepening racial divides and despair,” [Glaude] said. “The only thing Trump has done is broken the implicit rule of manners around how one pursues these policy initiatives. He doesn’t have a dog whistle, he has a fog horn.”
posted by katra at 4:42 PM on May 31, 2020 [11 favorites]


Chicago has suspended all CTA service.
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:43 PM on May 31, 2020


I keep hearing people say "this is the Upside Down."

Could be some bad reference to Yorktown from Hamilton...
We negotiate the terms of surrender.
I see black activists smile.
We escort their men out of out town.
They stagger home single file.
Tens of thousands of people flood the streets.
There are screams and church bells ringing.
And as our foes retreat
I hear the song white people are singing

The world is upside down
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 4:44 PM on May 31, 2020 [2 favorites]


Could be some bad reference to Yorktown from Hamilton...

My initial thought was that it was a reference to the parallel universe hellworld in the Netflix series "Stranger Things".

Sadly, the real explanation is far more banal. It is the inevitable consequence of centuries of bipartisan white supremacy and economic oppression by a country built on slavery, indigenous genocide, and imperialist repression.

Anyone who is genuinely shocked by this has been purposefully failed by this country's education system.
posted by Ouverture at 4:48 PM on May 31, 2020 [12 favorites]


Police assaulting medical tent of protesters.

I'm with NWA on this one. Fuck the police.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 5:07 PM on May 31, 2020 [22 favorites]


I was NOT on the bridge today (and I didn't even know about the semi truck until my phone started buzzing). The semi driver started out driving really fast into the crowd, but then slowed. I wonder if he changed his mind about what he was going to do? He slowed, some protesters got up to the cab and pulled him out. According to my friend, he got beat up pretty good before the police got there. It's unbelievable that nobody got seriously injured. I have to imagine that even a strong person with no physical limitations would have trouble running from a semi truck on a bridge, and then going over a fence. The police showed up almost immediately and drowned the driver (and the surrounding protesters) in a misasma of pepper spray, and took him away.

Also: the Chauvin case has been officially turned over to Keith Ellison, the MN Attorney General for prosecution.
posted by Gray Duck at 5:08 PM on May 31, 2020 [11 favorites]


For the record, what started the water bottle throwing that the cops used as an excuse to start gassing people in Fort Lauderdale was a cop randomly shoving a lady to the ground for no apparent reason.

In Miami, most seem to have dispersed around curfew time, but a few asshats tried to start some shit by breaking into a CVS. They were stopped by members of the crowd while the police watched from a few hundred feet away.
posted by wierdo at 5:55 PM on May 31, 2020 [3 favorites]






Re: the Upside Down

It is a Stranger Things reference.
posted by Kitchen Witch at 6:09 PM on May 31, 2020 [5 favorites]


Huge list of protest streams.

Thanks to everyone for the updates. Stay safe.
posted by RisforKickin at 6:12 PM on May 31, 2020 [7 favorites]


(ugh, that account I linked for the DC protest footage seems to have a nasty conservative agenda, which I missed because it's mostly in Turkish. Sorry about that.)
posted by mediareport at 6:16 PM on May 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


Is there any kind of centralized fund I can donate to?

My suggestion is to find a community bail fund, look them up on social media, and start clicking around from there. At this point, some of the bail funds are basically saturated with donations so I think it's worth spending some time trying to figure out where there might be the greatest need right now.
posted by GalaxieFiveHundred at 6:27 PM on May 31, 2020


This should be a pretty definitive list of bail funds that need your support now.
posted by GalaxieFiveHundred at 6:34 PM on May 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


I'm not far from a protest on Capitol Hill in Seattle (watching a livestream) and the BLM organizer in charge did a fucking amazing job controlling the crowd when they came up against a police barricade ready to gas them. She shouted down angry dudes ready to break shit and kicked a right wing reporter out of the crowd. I hope there a recording somewhere because she deserves all the praise and accolades.
posted by book 'em dano at 7:03 PM on May 31, 2020 [23 favorites]


Also: the Chauvin case has been officially turned over to Keith Ellison, the MN Attorney General for prosecution.

I was uneasy about how this would shake down until I checked Ellison up on Wikipedia and found this (emphasis mine):
Keith Maurice Ellison is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 30th Attorney General of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Ellison was the U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district from 2007 to 2019. He also served as the titular Deputy Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2017 to 2018. In Congress, Ellison was a vice-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a Chief Deputy Whip. He also sat on the House Committee on Financial Services. Ellison was the first Muslim to be elected to Congress and the first African American representative from Minnesota.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:18 PM on May 31, 2020 [10 favorites]


Replacing the US flag with the thin blue line flag in Cincinnati.

I was wondering when they'd finally start saying this quiet part out loud.
posted by tobascodagama at 7:33 PM on May 31, 2020 [23 favorites]


There needs to be a goal

Goals to eliminate police violence have been articulated for a long time, it's just that a lot of people weren't paying attention.

Just as one example: Campaign Zero outlines 10 categories:

1.End broken windows policing
2. Community oversight
3. Limit use of force
4. Independently investigate and prosecute
5. Community representation
6. Body cams / Film the police
7. Training
8. End For-Profit policing
9. Demilitarization
10 Fair police union contracts
posted by gwint at 7:35 PM on May 31, 2020 [40 favorites]


The Atlanta video of people people getting ripped out of their car by police while being tazed and having their widows broken is particularly disturbing imho. - posted by Noisy Pink Bubbles

Two police officers have been fired and three others placed on desk duty over excessive use of force during a protest arrest incident involving two college students, Atlanta’s mayor said Sunday (AP News, May 31, 2020) Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said at a news conference that she and police Chief Erika Shields made the decision after reviewing body-camera footage of a Saturday night incident that first gained attention from video online and on local news. [...] The video, shown on TV as captured by local reporters, shows a group of police officers in riot gear and gas masks surround a car being driven by a man with a woman in the passenger seat. The officers pull the woman out and appear to use a stun gun on the man. They use zip-tie handcuffs on the woman on the ground. The couple did not appear to be fighting police. TV reporters said the police had earlier broken glass on the car and flattened the tires.

Bottoms said the woman was released without charges. She said the man was released, too, and she’s ordering the charges against him dropped. She didn’t specify what charges he faced. She didn’t identify the students or the officers. She said she’d delayed the news conference several hours to review all the body-camera footage because she and Shields wanted to be certain about what happened.
posted by Iris Gambol at 7:37 PM on May 31, 2020 [7 favorites]




This all seems very coordinated. All the police across the whole country just coincidentally decided at the same time to attack people in broad daylight with cameras rolling, attack journalists and medical tents, and pretty much say "fuck it, gloves off"? Plus all the media focusing first on looting, non-local actors and now the "what about the social distancing" hand-wringing in a desperate attempt to not interview any protesters or you know, see what they're saying or what they want.
posted by ctmf at 8:05 PM on May 31, 2020 [17 favorites]


Seattle update: after a hour stand off of cops blocking a route downtown, the protest leaders convinced them to allow the march to go through and end at Westlake. Wow.
posted by book 'em dano at 8:18 PM on May 31, 2020 [8 favorites]


A nationwide police riot: Is our outrage about "violence" pointed at the real perpetrators? ( Andrew O'Hehir; Salon; May 31, 2020 )
[...] something has been revealed here, which even the major voices in mainstream media cannot avoid. It isn't something about the possibly excessive, possibly regrettable protests or about their ambiguous racial dynamic, issues that until Saturday seemed to dominate the chattering-class social media discourse. It's about America's police, which increasingly resemble a lawless, authoritarian third force, largely unconstrained by political leaders, heedless of their own supposed rules and internally compromised by far-right or white supremacist ideology.

What we have seen in the United States over the last 48 to 72 hours is a nationwide "police riot," a term made famous more than 50 years ago during the protests outside the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago. As David Fahrenthold and Arelis Hernández reported for the Washington Post on Sunday morning, police in Minneapolis and elsewhere sought "a forceful restoration of control," but "the effect was often the opposite, signaling disorder among those whose job it was to restore order" [...]
posted by ZeusHumms at 8:36 PM on May 31, 2020 [23 favorites]


Yeah, sounds like the Seattle protest tonight was led by cool people, who didn't take the bait, and got what they wanted. Good for us. We'll see how the rest of the night goes. While over in Bellevue, they've also got a curfew, and the Mayor said "if you violate the curfew, you will go to jail" and got NG deployed. There was some looting this afternoon in or near the mall, so...
posted by Windopaene at 9:06 PM on May 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


I was uneasy about how this would shake down until I checked Ellison

This is, generally, good news. Current Hennepin County prosecutor Freeman is very problematic in these cases. Ellison is much more likely to handle the situation properly.
posted by gimonca at 9:07 PM on May 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


yeah, when antifa is your adversary, guess what that makes you....

fa, obviously
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 9:09 PM on May 31, 2020 [1 favorite]


Right between mi and sol.
posted by bertran at 9:11 PM on May 31, 2020 [11 favorites]


Don’t fall for defenders of the status quo continuing to blame “outside agitators” for the rebellions sweeping the country right now

Within the last half hour, two white men were chased away from my neighborhood after getting caught leaving jars of gasoline in the alley.

I'm very well aware of the history behind the 'outside agitator' phrase. At the same time, we are literally at this moment trying to defend our homes from outsiders who are trying to burn them down. I'm sure you'll understand if we don't engage in a discussion around the exact phrasing of the situation tonight.
posted by gimonca at 9:16 PM on May 31, 2020 [40 favorites]


So apparently we had an 8:30 curfew in San Jose, which they apparently didn't send out a public safety alert for, and I know they know how to use that because they've used it four times in the last two months to remind me about shelter-in-place. I did get something through the voluntary everbridge alert I signed up for years ago, but only at 7:36, which would screw anyone who was depending on public transportation to get home. It definitely seems set up as a trap, to allow harassment of whoever the police choose, and it won't be well off white people in their cars that get hit.
posted by tavella at 9:27 PM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


George Floyd: US cities brace for new protests after another night of violence (Guardian)
Police have come under intense scrutiny and criticism for their actions on Saturday night, accused of heavy handed tactics, attacking protestors and arresting members of the media. [...] Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, whose district includes Minneapolis, said residents were feeling “terrorised”.

“When we see people setting our buildings and our businesses ablaze, we know those are not people who are interested in protecting black lives,” she told ABC’s This Week. But she said people were also fearful of the presence of police and national guard troops. “What we are trying to do is try to figure out something between extreme aggression and ways to figure out how to not get our city burned down. And it’s a challenge,” she said.
Facing Protests Over Use of Force, Police Respond with More Force (NYT)
Videos showed police officers in recent nights using batons, tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets on protesters, bystanders and journalists, often without warning or seemingly unprovoked. The footage, which has been shared widely online, highlighted the very complaints over police behavior that have drawn protests in at least 75 cities across the United States.

[...] Many people complained that police officers across the country treated the crowds protesting racist policing with far less respect than they did the right-wing demonstrations in recent weeks against public health lockdown orders. Experts agreed, saying research shows that the police are more likely to respond with force when they are the subject of protest, and that they respond more aggressively toward younger crowds and people of color than they do toward white and older people. [...] The militarization of the nation’s police departments in recent decades has been on full display. But such equipment and training, including armored personnel carriers and SWAT team training, have been heavily criticized for warping the relationship between the police and the communities they serve.
posted by katra at 9:29 PM on May 31, 2020 [15 favorites]


I’m in downtown Portland up on some scaffolding at the justice center. Shit loads of people here in defiance of the curfew.
posted by gucci mane at 9:36 PM on May 31, 2020 [9 favorites]


Back in 2016, Keith Ellison (now Minnesota attorney general) was endorsed by Bernie Sanders to be chair of the Democratic National Committee.
posted by NotLost at 9:40 PM on May 31, 2020 [7 favorites]


Amazing that in a country where nurses are using garbage bags and handkerchiefs as PPE, there seems to be enough money to buy lots of rubber bullets and tear gas.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:58 PM on May 31, 2020 [54 favorites]


Fun fact: his son is Jeremiah Ellison, who is the city council person you hear about literally running around putting out fires (and organizing patrols) on Minneapolis's north side.

Minneapolis doesn't have an official requirement that our congresspeople are Black Muslim folks with cool activist kids, but it's worked out so far to our benefit.
posted by dinty_moore at 10:06 PM on May 31, 2020 [21 favorites]


Amazing that in a country where nurses are using garbage bags and handkerchiefs as PPE, there seems to be enough money to buy lots of rubber bullets and tear gas.

Boy you’d think a country that can equip every cop like a soldier could equip every doctor like a doctor
posted by theory at 10:17 PM on May 31, 2020 [17 favorites]


‘Respect our city’: tension among Detroit protesters as unrest grows after dark (Guardian)
Black leaders in several cities hit by the ongoing unrest have questioned the role of white protesters who they charge have in some cases co-opted protests and put African Americans in danger. In Oakland, Cat Brooks, co-founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project, wrote on Twitter: “White people DONT get to use Black pain to justify living out your riot fantasies.”

[...] The tension is generating a discussion on how white protesters can show solidarity with African Americans. Brooks said black protesters “need allyship, not leadership. “I need white people to ask black and brown people what they want them to do, then do that,” she said. “Don’t come with your own agendas – this isn’t about you, it’s about us.”
The Times has reporters on the ground in dozens of cities across the country. Here’s some of what they are seeing. (NYT live blog)
Jack Nicas in Oakland, Calif.

Close to downtown, a few hundred protesters peacefully marched through the streets, chanting and carrying signs. Behind the diverse crowd, Donavon Butler, 33, drove a white minivan with his wife and four children inside. His 5-year-old son, Chase, hung out the back window with his right fist raised and his left hand holding a cardboard sign that said “Mama! I can’t breath. Don’t shoot.”

“The world we live in is not equal. People look at us different,” Mr. Butler said he told his son.
posted by katra at 10:20 PM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


Replacing the US flag with the thin blue line flag in Cincinnati.

I was wondering when they'd finally start saying this quiet part out loud.


considering all the ones this country has been responsible for overseas, americans are weirdly incapable of recognizing military coups even when it's happening live on their local tv news
posted by poffin boffin at 10:24 PM on May 31, 2020 [54 favorites]


Mass protests and mayhem continue into a sixth night; thousands nationwide are arrested during weekend (WaPo live blog)
Police arrested about 4,100 people in U.S. cities over the weekend, according to the Associated Press. Nearly a week after Floyd’s death, it remains unclear whether tensions nationwide are calming or escalating.
Austin police fire on protesters after a day of peaceful demonstrations
“That shook me up,” Ericka Jennings, 40, said after consoling someone who was struck by a projectile and later carried to a nearby car and whisked away. “It was peaceful and then someone threw a water bottle and they just started shooting!”

[...] Austin resident Russel Bangor, 36, said he was shocked when police fired on the protesters. “I came here expecting to hold a sign and ended up dragging injured bodies to safety,” he said. “I never expected this.”
posted by katra at 10:47 PM on May 31, 2020 [8 favorites]


Fires light up Washington DC on third night of George Floyd protests (Guardian)
[...] as the 11 pm curfew approached, tensions between protesters and police mounted. Demonstrators faced off against a line of a few hundred police supported by national guardsmen. The lights illuminating the north side of the White House, which had provided the backdrop to the face off between protesters and police, were turned off, leaving police floodlights the only source of illumination. At the same time, the police line in front of the White House advanced with tear gas rounds across Lafayette park clearing out the protesters, with intermittent sprints.

As the 11pm curfew passed, an area of a few blocks around the White House was thick with smoke. A fire was started in the basement of St John’s church, which since 1816 has been the “Church of the Presidents”. Every president from James Madison on has worshipped there. The DC Fire Service got there quickly and are reported to have put it out.

Around the corner, however, a few protesters smashed the plate glass window front of the AFL-CIO Union federation headquarters and someone started a fire in the lobby. A couple of bystanders tried to dissuade them, shouting that the “unions are on our side” but to no avail. Fifty yards away, on I St, a car was burning. There were two reports of journalists being hit with batons and non-lethal rounds.

In Georgetown, the old money neighborhood to the west of the White House, there was looting and some gunshots reported. Residents were told to stay inside. NBC aired striking footage of the Washington Monument surrounded by smoke.
posted by katra at 11:00 PM on May 31, 2020 [4 favorites]


I think the police are being as brutal as they are because to them, this is the battle dress rehearsal for November, when Trump will either have stolen the election outright, or will refuse to give up the Presidency even though he is defeated at the ballot box.

This is their big chance to beat enough fear into the population to keep us from coming out into the streets then, and they will make the most of it.
posted by jamjam at 11:50 PM on May 31, 2020 [30 favorites]


Michael Harriot, a goddamn national treasure, wrote out a short timeline of events leading to the protests across America.

After all this time, I hope that this is the moment that causes things to change. If even this isn’t enough, the force required to return to the old status quo is honestly unimaginable for me. I can’t see there being anything left of anything that is good and just if, after all of this, rather than acknowledging the need for deep systemic change, the state decides that force is the long term answer.
posted by Ghidorah at 1:05 AM on June 1, 2020 [11 favorites]


Trump fled to bunker as protests over George Floyd raged outside White House
That is a mental image for the history books. Trump bunkered up, scared shitless and hate-tweeting instead of presidenting. You sort of knew this would happen at some point.
“They let the ‘protesters’ scream and rant as much as they wanted, but whenever someone got too frisky or out of line, they would quickly come down on them, hard – didn’t know what hit them,” Trump said.

“If they had [breached the fence],” the president continued, “they would have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen. That’s when people would have been really badly hurt, at least.”
It's like a mash-up of the Wizard of Oz and a little boy in a schoolyard screaming that his dad can beat up your dad.
posted by mumimor at 1:13 AM on June 1, 2020 [15 favorites]


mumimor, this tweet by a Dutch politician is concerning
posted by Mrs Potato at 1:20 AM on June 1, 2020


William Saletan, writing in Slate:
There’s no mystery left about the president’s views on cops. He loves them when they’re targeting minorities. But when they investigate him or his friends, he calls them dirty. He’s not interested in order, justice, or the rule of law. He’s not even interested, as a matter of principle, in defending the police. He’s interested in corrupting them.
posted by Nerd of the North at 1:30 AM on June 1, 2020 [23 favorites]


Mrs Potato, Geert Wilders is famous all over Europe for his islamophobia and xenophobia and politically belongs in the European alt-right. He's Dutch Trump.
posted by sukeban at 1:35 AM on June 1, 2020 [9 favorites]


From The Guardian: 'He is a destroyer': how the George Floyd protests left Donald Trump exposed
Not even Trump’s harshest critics can blame him for a virus believed to have come from a market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, nor for an attendant economic collapse, nor for four centuries of slavery, segregation, police brutality and racial injustice.
But they can, and do, point to how he made a bad situation so much worse. The story of Trump’s presidency was arguably always leading to this moment, with its toxic mix of weak moral leadership, racial divisiveness, crass and vulgar rhetoric and an erosion of norms, institutions and trust in traditional information sources. Taken together, these ingredients created a tinderbox poised to explode when crises came.
Trump, they say, was uniquely ill-qualified for this moment. He tried to wish away the threat of the coronavirus and failed to prepare, then paid no heed to how communities of colour bore the brunt of its health and economic consequences. As unrest now grips dozens of cities, he speaks an authoritarian language of “thugs”, “vicious dogs” and “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”.
Note that this is not an editorial or opinion piece, but a journalist reporting. He is paraphrasing "Trump's critics", but there is no other side here. And even for The Guardian, the language is harsh.

We need someone to show leadership now, and I can't see who that someone might be. It's depressing.
posted by mumimor at 2:14 AM on June 1, 2020 [21 favorites]


Geert Wilders gonna Geert Wilders. Little shit's been in an EU parliamentary coalition with Marine Le Pen since 2013 and is a well-known Islamophobe and racist. He's widely despised outside right-wing populist ("populist") circles and unlikely to convert anyone to his viewpoint who isn't already a fan. But I agree the fact there are fans at all, and that they do support this kind of police violence against people they don't like, is certainly not cause for optimism over here in the Old World.

That being said, most of Europe really does not share his views, at least not in this case.
posted by peakes at 3:09 AM on June 1, 2020 [5 favorites]


Bellingcat has identified and collected multiple instances of US law enforcement deliberately targeting journalists during the protests against the killing of George Floyd.
posted by adamvasco at 3:29 AM on June 1, 2020 [21 favorites]




That is a mental image for the history books. Trump bunkered up, scared shitless and hate-tweeting instead of presidenting.

Wasn't there some sort of Internet meme not that long ago, involving a national leader having a mental breakdown in a bunker?
posted by gimonca at 4:04 AM on June 1, 2020 [12 favorites]


Wasn't there some sort of Internet meme not that long ago, involving a national leader having a mental breakdown in a bunker?

I would LOVE someone to do a version of the DOWNFALL meme using audio from some of Trump's press conferences.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:11 AM on June 1, 2020 [10 favorites]


*Some* of Trump’s allies?!

I mean, shit, I’ve seen them spouting their bullshit, but I always just figured it was cynicism and a desire for continued profiteering informing their every move. I can’t imagine belief being a motivating factor in the actions of anyone in this god forsaken administration.
posted by Ghidorah at 4:40 AM on June 1, 2020 [1 favorite]


This isn’t really about the president.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 4:57 AM on June 1, 2020 [5 favorites]


thanks for the Geert wilders update guys... and the links to show that this crap isn't going to become a EU pandemic. As a Finnish WoC I'm terrified of what the internet can spread
posted by Mrs Potato at 4:59 AM on June 1, 2020 [1 favorite]


Ah fuck
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:31 AM on June 1, 2020 [2 favorites]


NYT has reconstructed the events that led to George Floyd’s death [CW: violence]. This is the most complete timeline I’ve seen so far.
posted by joethefob at 5:32 AM on June 1, 2020 [5 favorites]


Among today's front page headlines in the print edition of the Star Tribune is "Neighbors protect, serve one another" (on a story about neighborhood watches, cleanup, etc) right next to this photo of three cops in riot gear converging on two kneeling protestors with their hands up. Go editorial juxtaposition.
posted by Flannery Culp at 6:47 AM on June 1, 2020 [7 favorites]


A man was shot and killed after shots were fired toward Louisville Metro Police Department officers and National Guard members while trying to disperse a crowd following protests, LMPD said Monday.
A global pandemic killed hundreds of thousands of people after Donald Trump was elected President.

Can you see what I fucking did there?
posted by fullerine at 7:23 AM on June 1, 2020 [11 favorites]


Unicorn Riot is both a 501c(3) nonprofit and, if trump gets his way, a designated terrorist organization.

Interesting times.
posted by joeyh at 7:36 AM on June 1, 2020 [2 favorites]


Mod note: One deleted; wrong thread
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 7:55 AM on June 1, 2020


I woke up to a text from a good friend who's a photojournalist for NBC News in LA and was shot by law enforcement in the arm last night while covering the protests. His arm is very broken but thankfully he's alive. I feel like we're at a tipping point in this country at this moment. It's either chaos or justice and sea change. I hope it's the latter.
posted by photoslob at 8:13 AM on June 1, 2020 [21 favorites]


The National Guard and Louisville Police fired into a crowd last night and killed someone.

According to the Louisville Police chief. I’m betting it was one of his though.
posted by corb at 8:29 AM on June 1, 2020 [5 favorites]


Guardian: Obama offers advice to protesters while condemning violence
Barack Obama (@BarackObama)

I wrote out some thoughts on how to make this moment a real turning point to bring about real change––and pulled together some resources to help young activists sustain the momentum by channeling their energy into concrete action. https://t.co/jEczrOeFdv June 1, 2020
How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change (Barack Obama, Medium)
Ultimately, it’s going to be up to a new generation of activists to shape strategies that best fit the times. But I believe there are some basic lessons to draw from past efforts that are worth remembering. [...]

I recognize that these past few months have been hard and dispiriting — that the fear, sorrow, uncertainty, and hardship of a pandemic have been compounded by tragic reminders that prejudice and inequality still shape so much of American life. But watching the heightened activism of young people in recent weeks, of every race and every station, makes me hopeful. If, going forward, we can channel our justifiable anger into peaceful, sustained, and effective action, then this moment can be a real turning point in our nation’s long journey to live up to our highest ideals.

Let’s get to work.
posted by katra at 8:41 AM on June 1, 2020 [8 favorites]


Ed O'Keefe @edokeefe
JUST IN: President Trump unloads on the nation's governors on a call, calls on them to step up enforcement: "You have to dominate, if you don’t dominate you’re wasting your time. They’re going to run over you, you’re going to look like a bunch of jerks. You have to dominate."
Reminds me of Innuendo Studios video on conservatism and hierarchies.
the answer is always more discipline
I'm so tired. We've been thinking the answer is more discipline for millennia. It never works. It never fucking works.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 8:43 AM on June 1, 2020 [21 favorites]


I feel like we're at a tipping point in this country at this moment. It's either chaos or justice and sea change. I hope it's the latter.
and
We've been thinking the answer is more discipline for millennia. It never works. It never fucking works.

I was personally ashamed of my inability to stand up and leave my house on Saturday - overwhelmed by footage, feeling stressed from issues at work, massive rain coming down in Seattle, no transportation I felt comfortable using to get downtown from outside the city limits.

But I don't think the sea change is going to come until we see bigger protests across the country, ongoing. And shaming government leaders with footage of how discipline/violence fails every time. I hope I can be a part of it this week.
posted by SoundInhabitant at 8:52 AM on June 1, 2020 [4 favorites]


Tom Cotton @TomCottonAR
US Senate candidate, AR

And, if necessary, the 10th Mountain, 82nd Airborne, 1st Cav, 3rd Infantry—whatever it takes to restore order. No quarter for insurrectionists, anarchists, rioters, and looters.
This man, absent a god damned miracle, will be a US fucking Senator again come November 3rd. Nobody will even blink at his calls for indiscriminate murder against the citizens he serves. Just vote for your team, the war crimes are just part of the fucking game.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 8:52 AM on June 1, 2020 [30 favorites]






Guardian: Obama offers advice to protesters while condemning violence

What a difference 5 years makes:
President Barack Obama on Tuesday condemned the "criminals and thugs who tore up" the city of Baltimore on Monday night, after rioting and looting paralyzed the city and overwhelmed local officials.
posted by Ouverture at 9:30 AM on June 1, 2020 [6 favorites]


Your Childhood Pet Rock Not to get too despairing or mind ready, but I think you're wrong.

I don't think the people voting for Trump, Cotton, et al are just mindlessly voting for their team and basically indifferent to the war crimes. I think that to many of them the war crimes are the goal.

Not that they just favor war crimes as a general policy, but because they are believers in a different vision of America. They think that only white, English speaking, people can be truly, genuinely, American and that all other groups are inherently inferior and subordinate. They see the protests against police violence as a threat to white supremacy and want it put down with maximum force and violence to cow non-whites into submission and acceptance of their subordinate status.

In my former hometown, Amarillo TX, a person posted that if any "unnecessary" protests came to Amarillo he intended to ram the protesters with his truck and drink Scotch from the skulls of the dead while their families watched. Yes, that's actually what he said I'm not exaggerating or engaging in hyperbolic paraphrasing.

I don't think all the Cotton/Trump/Republican voters are quite so bloodthirsty, but the vocal and belligerent support of white supremacy and a desire for a brutal suppression of the protests is not incidental to their support for Trump and Cotton and the like.

A great many support Trump and Cotton because Trump and Cotton support brutal suppression of dissent. They may not be enthusiastic and bloodthirsty and may instead see it as an unfortunate necessity, but to believe that this is just team politics and they're cruelly indifferent to war crimes seems foolishly optimistic.

We're seeing the same dispute playing out now that has played out through American history and has never really been resolved. Is America to be a melting pot where everyone can become American, or is America to be a white Christian ethnostate? If we mistake people who believe the latter for people who are merely confused or overly supportive of their team and willfully ignorant of what their team does we make ourselves unable to deal with the real problem because we're fighting a phantom.
posted by sotonohito at 9:30 AM on June 1, 2020 [23 favorites]


Video of a group of white people confronted after handing out bricks while driving through a black neighborhood.

@freeyourmindkid has been continuing their Twitter thread of reports and footage of black protesters confronting white people smashing things at protests and in black neighborhoods. Text taken from the tweets:

A white agitator begins to take a hammer to the sidewalk and a group of Black Lives Matters protesters detains him and gives him over to law enforcement. Notice how one of the Black men who helped detain him is almost arrested himself.

Two young white women break a window in Madison, Wisconsin and are immediately told to stop by Black Lives Matter protesters.

A group of Black men in Minneapolis attempt to prevent a group of White men from further vandalizing a building, and demands that they apologize for making Black people look bad.

Etc.
posted by mediareport at 9:32 AM on June 1, 2020 [32 favorites]


And, if necessary, the 10th Mountain, 82nd Airborne, 1st Cav, 3rd Infantry—whatever it takes to restore order. No quarter for insurrectionists, anarchists, rioters, and looters.

I just want to take a physical copy of the laws of land warfare and beat him with them, which probably means I'm not in a good frame of mind to deal with this constant escalation from shitheads across the country. Though I also want to do that with all the cops shooting civilians and medics.
posted by corb at 9:36 AM on June 1, 2020 [11 favorites]


Tom Cotton @TomCottonAR
US Senate candidate, AR

And, if necessary, the 10th Mountain, 82nd Airborne, 1st Cav, 3rd Infantry—whatever it takes to restore order. No quarter for insurrectionists, anarchists, rioters, and looters.
This man, absent a god damned miracle, will be a US fucking Senator again come November 3rd. Nobody will even blink at his calls for indiscriminate murder against the citizens he serves. Just vote for your team, the war crimes are just part of the fucking game..


I'm curious what he said about the right wing armed militia that took over the national park a few eons ago.
posted by srboisvert at 9:38 AM on June 1, 2020 [12 favorites]


Barr getting the JTTF after "antifa".

So I guess we're going to see left wing dissidents start to get rounded up. This starts feeling more and more like we're hurtling to some kind of end game.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 9:39 AM on June 1, 2020 [17 favorites]


They're intentionally forcing either revolution or surrender to facism. No middle.
posted by ctmf at 9:45 AM on June 1, 2020 [16 favorites]


Trump sounds like a beleaguered Ceaucescu or Khaddafi.
posted by dmh at 9:55 AM on June 1, 2020 [4 favorites]


That Barr statement scares the hell out of me.
posted by meese at 9:57 AM on June 1, 2020 [12 favorites]


Barr's statement apparently came during a phone call that Trump had with the nation's governors, where he basically lectured them for being "weak". Illinois' governor spoke at one point, calling for more leadership at the national level, and Trump responded that "I don't like your rhetoric that much either, you could have done a lot better on coronavirus."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:03 AM on June 1, 2020 [6 favorites]


Ooh.

And apparently there are now some Facebook employees that are speaking out in opposition to Zuckerberg's not doing diddly-squat to rein in Trump's social media posts.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:08 AM on June 1, 2020 [5 favorites]


This isn’t really about the president.

Trump has declared war on peaceful Americans from his underground bunker. While it isn't about him, specifically, it kind of is about exercise and abuses of power by him, as well as others.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:10 AM on June 1, 2020 [8 favorites]


Barr getting the JTTF after "antifa".

Barr puts the blame on "groups of outside radicals and agitators." "Outside agitators" is a very loaded term, and Barr, who was born in 1950, knows exactly what he's doing by invoking it.
posted by jedicus at 10:19 AM on June 1, 2020 [14 favorites]


198 methods of Nonviolent action - Gene Sharp
posted by adamvasco at 10:26 AM on June 1, 2020 [8 favorites]


Trump is extremely dangerous to the US in the Nero sense. Barr is extremely dangerous to the US in the Heinrich Himmler sense. I am not being hyperbolic.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 10:31 AM on June 1, 2020 [44 favorites]


Trump has declared war on peaceful Americans from his underground bunker. While it isn't about him, specifically, it kind of is about exercise and abuses of power by him, as well as others.

As mentioned before, many of the instances of police/white supremacist violence that people have protested over the last 8 years have happened in liberal cities and liberal states (and before Trump was in office). It may feel like a million years ago, but Black Lives Matter formed during Obama's second term.

Trump's reaction is uniquely horrifying, even for a conservative, but people of color being brutalized by the police, vigilantes, and the larger capitalist system has been the American way of life since long before Trump was born.

To reduce this down to a conservative or Trump issue is to reduce away the deaths of Eric Garner, Oscar Grant, Ezell Ford, Bettie Jones, Philando Castile, and countless others who lived in the most "liberal" cities in America.

An absence of Trump or even the GOP will not stop these atrocities from happening again.
posted by Ouverture at 10:45 AM on June 1, 2020 [35 favorites]


Well, I'm out of LA. Police behaving badly on live camera, attacking peaceful kneeling protestors while letting looters run wild in Santa Monica in broad daylight. Long Beach police chief admitting he thought people wouldn't take advantage of the protests to commit crimes. Protestors with signs trying to stop looters and being attacked for it. I bailed for a family member's place out of the county.

Our current political leadership is incompetent, playing game for personal power and to advance their violent, anti-American ideologies, or both. Vote them all out.
posted by Ahniya at 10:47 AM on June 1, 2020 [9 favorites]


Minneapolis police rendered 44 people unconscious with neck restraints in five years (NBC, June 1, 2020) Since the beginning of 2015, officers from the Minneapolis Police Department have rendered people unconscious with neck restraints 44 times, according to an NBC News analysis of police records. Several police experts said that number appears to be unusually high. Minneapolis police used neck restraints at least 237 times during that span, and in 16 percent of the incidents the suspects and other individuals lost consciousness, the department's use-of-force records show. [...]

Police define neck restraints as when an officer uses an arm or leg to compress someone's neck without directly pressuring the airway. [...] A Minneapolis city official told NBC News Chauvin's tactic is not permitted by the Minneapolis police department. For most major police departments, variations of neck restraints, known as chokeholds, are highly restricted — if not banned outright.[...] The version of the Minneapolis Police Department's policy manual that is available on-line, however, does permit the use of neck restraints that can render suspects unconscious, and the protocol for their use has not been updated for more than eight years.
--
Unconsciousness, achieved via chokeholds or ketamine.
--
Before George Floyd’s Death, Minneapolis Police Failed to Adopt Reforms, Remove Bad Officers (The Marshall Project, May 27, 2020)
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:00 AM on June 1, 2020 [21 favorites]


Use of force criticized in protests about police brutality (AP)
While the protests and subsequent police interactions may be shocking to some, many African Americans aren’t surprised because they’ve endured police brutality for decades, said Chris White, director of the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality, “What’s happening, it’s the way American society has always been,” White said.
posted by katra at 11:07 AM on June 1, 2020 [6 favorites]


A bunch of conservative folks freaked out last night over an twitter account with an antifa username that said it was time to storm residential neighborhoods and such. Maybe something about white people? It also misspelled the "matter" in #BlackLivesMatter.

Anyway, turns out the account only had 100 followers and was created in May of this year. But it sure got the conservative Facebook crowd excited.

I'm trying to encourage people to turn introspective with their catchphrase of "don't believe everything the media tells you" but it doesn't always take.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 11:18 AM on June 1, 2020 [4 favorites]


Maybe people need to get excited.
posted by ctmf at 11:21 AM on June 1, 2020 [1 favorite]


As the George Floyd protests continue, let's be clear where the violence is coming from (Rebecca Solnit, US columnist at The Guardian, June 1, 2020) Using damage to property as cover, US police have meted out shocking, indiscriminate brutality in the wake of the uprising
A Minneapolis nursery school teacher told me that earlier this week: “My brothers-in-law in Minneapolis were participating in the hosing-down of an active fire in the lot next to their house (a bank). These were community members keeping the fire from reaching their homes. Fire and police were not on the scene until many hours later, being occupied elsewhere … But the MPD police did stop by at one point in the middle of the night to throw teargas into the midst of the neighbours doing this work, and to shoot rubber bullets at the guys spraying the fire down.”

A dozen years ago, when I wrote a book about civil society response to urban disaster, I learned the term “elite panic”. It describes how the authorities often respond in an emergency – not by protecting and aiding the public but by seeking to control and repress us, protecting nothing but their own power and position. Police across the country seem to be doing this and more, demonstrating the same impunity the killers of George Floyd seemed to be counting upon.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:32 AM on June 1, 2020 [48 favorites]


Misinformation about the extent of unrest in Washington, D.C., surges across Twitter (WaPo / Houston Chron reprint)
Misinformation about the extent of the unrest in Washington, D.C. and false claims about widespread communications outages burgeoned on Twitter Monday, making the #DCblackout hashtag into a nationwide trend on the platform. Started by an account with just three followers, the hashtag exploded in popularity, generating about half a million tweets in its first nine hours after being created. The thread swelled with untrue claims that authorities had somehow blocked protesters from communicating from their smartphones in order to crack down on the unrest, which included looting and some fires. [...] the degree of mayhem described by tweets using #DCblackout went far beyond reality. [...] Joan Donovan, director of the Technology and Social Change Research Project at Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media Politics and Public Policy, said that people promoting the hashtag apparently wanted want to distract the public from the actual aims of the protesters.
posted by katra at 11:49 AM on June 1, 2020 [6 favorites]


I'm trying to encourage people to turn introspective with their catchphrase of "don't believe everything the media tells you" but it doesn't always take.

I'm confused by this take. Yes, we should all be discerning of the media. But a Twitter account with 100 followers is not "the media," right? Now, it is all too easy for people to use Twitter accounts and other absolutely biased, non-factual, agenda-pushing sources to further their own chaotic ends due to how difficult it is for your average person not having the tools or ability (or time or inclination, frankly) to background/fact check a random twitter assertion that your friends are amplifying as something important to listen to. I see Twitter messages screenshotted and shared out of context all the time. If it's in my belief zone and I don't have the ability or inclination to dig in on a single tweet to try to source its authenticity then...yeah, it's gonna work. And that has nothing to do with "the media." But it has everything to do with our distrust of the media being an excellent tool to keep us ignorant and conspiracy minded. And it has everything to do with how terrible Twitter is, especially as it is now with all voices having the ability to be amplified regardless of merit.
posted by amanda at 11:55 AM on June 1, 2020


But a Twitter account with 100 followers is not "the media," right?

Correct. I skipped the part where conservative media was shouting about it, and that's what I meant. As much as people in my life tell me to watch for media bias, those same people still fall for click-bait very easily.

If only the people I don't see eye-to-eye with could have excellent media literacy. But maybe that's the problem. /derail
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 12:00 PM on June 1, 2020 [1 favorite]


As cities burned night after night and images of violence dominated television coverage, Trump’s advisers discussed the prospect of an Oval Office address in an attempt to ease tensions. The notion was quickly scrapped for lack of policy proposals and the president’s own seeming disinterest in delivering a message of unity. (AP News, June 1, 2020)
--
Heather Cox Richardson, Letters from an American, May 31, 2020: A curfew goes into effect at 11:00 tonight in Washington, D.C. For the past several days, trouble has begun as peaceful protesters go home, leaving the streets to those spoiling for a fight. As 11:00 hits, crowds around the White House are setting fires and attempting to break into the White House grounds.

Just before the curfew, the lights that usually illuminate the outside of the White House were turned off.
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:14 PM on June 1, 2020 [7 favorites]


A study indicates that half the Twitter accounts pushing for reopening the country are (Russian) bots. This is a populist far-right agenda that has gotten a lot of traction in the media and with some voters; bots seem to have the desired effect. It seems all but certain that they are being redirected to further pollute discourse and destabilize the country, in furtherance of the longer-term campaign to keep their agent in office.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 12:15 PM on June 1, 2020 [10 favorites]


"“You’re making yourself look like fools,” he told the governors, chiding them for not all calling out the National Guard.

Taking over a call that was supposed to feature Vice President Mike Pence, who has been praised in his efforts to forge relationships with governors during the coronavirus pandemic, Mr. Trump said that Minnesota had become “a laughingstock all over the world.” The president had just spoken with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia before addressing the governors."

(Link: NYT)
posted by One Thousand and One at 12:40 PM on June 1, 2020 [18 favorites]


Darius Kazemi, renowned bot expert, has broken down the recent "50% of COVID traffic is Russian bots" news and pointed out flaws in methodology (there's a lot).
For example, have you ever used the "Share this" button on an article? Botometer says you're probably a bot then!
"Foobar12345678", that looks pretty suspect, right? Turns out that's what Twitter assigns new accounts, and you have to dig around in settings to figure out how to request a custom handle now.
Are you tweeting in anything but English? Probably a bot then, Botometer says! (It also says not to trust it with non-English accounts, but if you're just feeding in a hashtag, you're not excluding them properly)
Like I'm looking at an account that is a very nice Black South African lady who is just responds with lots of emoji to cheer on other Black women who are doing well in their careers. Tagged as a bot in the training set
Any account that posts ANYTHING in some kind of creole or patois, forget about it, that gets tagged as a bot by college students. I think it's because they see a kind of English hybrid they've never seen before and assume that it's gibberish, like a language algorithm gone wrong.
PSA: in 2020, if you see an account posting a random-looking image with the caption "bomboclaat" and you are alarmed that it might be nefarious -- that's not a bot. That's just someone who is cooler than you
btw I've doubled the size of my audit set and the 5% figure for One Piece Treasure Island crossposters continues to hold. We may live in a world where a One Piece mobile game affected the results of hundreds of social science papers about the bot menace
Here's an example of a "cyborg" type account. Part automated, part "natural", all real person. This is a very sincere mom with a very real facebook account who crossposts to twitter but occasionally logs in to twitter to cheer on her favorite sports teams
posted by CrystalDave at 12:48 PM on June 1, 2020 [16 favorites]


another point of contention that’s making Green Voices of Colour Twitter rounds: the police squads who are photographed kneeling together with protesters, have subsequently had no trouble turning violent on those same protesters, not long after the photo-op. The fact that this seems to be happening in more than one city has organizers warn of a concerted image strategy...
posted by progosk at 12:56 PM on June 1, 2020 [15 favorites]


given that the United Nations Charter of founding is based on anti-fascism, and they are the ANTIFA HQ, I await further developments with great curiousity.
posted by Mrs Potato at 1:07 PM on June 1, 2020 [8 favorites]


the police squads who are photographed kneeling together with protesters,

They killed George Floyd (and David Smith) by kneeling on him.

I'd say the symbolism of kneeling is mixed.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 1:08 PM on June 1, 2020 [12 favorites]


Oh I guarantee you that Trump, Barr, Bolton et al would gladly run the UN out of the US if they could.
posted by OHenryPacey at 1:09 PM on June 1, 2020 [4 favorites]


the police squads who are photographed kneeling together with protesters, have subsequently had no trouble turning violent on those same protesters, not long after the photo-op. The fact that this seems to be happening in more than one city has organizers warn of a concerted image strategy...

Reductress has noticed the trend.
posted by tobascodagama at 1:11 PM on June 1, 2020 [6 favorites]


Mod note: Not sure what is happening in this thread but super cryptic and graphic comments aren't okay here.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:21 PM on June 1, 2020 [5 favorites]


David McAtee lies dead in Louisville.

He was murdered by PD and NG who unloaded in a general direction upon "hearing a shot".

He was sheltering his niece.

His body was left lying in the street.

No one person who murdered him had a body cam on.

Fuck the police.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 1:27 PM on June 1, 2020 [44 favorites]




The Thin Blue Line idea goes back way before 2016. "Blue Lives Matter" goes back before 2016. The call is coming from inside the fucking house, y'all.
posted by tobascodagama at 1:38 PM on June 1, 2020 [10 favorites]


Some odds and ends from Louisville, now reeling from last night's killing:

There is no body-cam footage of David McAtee's murder. This appears to be the proximate cause of the firing of the police chief.

Metro Council President David James, who had hitherto seemed like a rational human being with a vague respect for the intelligence of other human beings, has put forward the notion that the police fired tear gas at protestors because they had "leaf blowers loaded with bleach". Everyone who has deigned to acknowledge this claim has pointed out that that's not how leaf blowers, bleach, or "loading" work.
posted by jackbishop at 1:43 PM on June 1, 2020 [16 favorites]


Mod note: It's been getting crappy in here, several comments that were not trying to make the thread better nixed over the last while. Let's try harder to keep this thread focused on tracking and talking about what's going on with Minneapolis, protests and related events in the US, other cases of police violence and murder, and get away from reflexive squabbling or snarking at each other or jockeying over which take is the correct one.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:44 PM on June 1, 2020 [7 favorites]


The Thin Blue Line is an old concept but the corrupted American flag variant goes back to 2014.
posted by Pope Guilty at 1:45 PM on June 1, 2020


The police chief who was "fired" had already announced his retirement effective June 30th, so not sure how much of a punishment this will be.
posted by Roommate at 1:48 PM on June 1, 2020 [3 favorites]


I hope that in the coming days and weeks we get some solid data-driven reporting about the timelines of the various protests/violence/looting across the country. Right now I am seeing a ton of speculation and misinformation. The various videos people are capturing on the scene are more helpful, but it's still "a white guy broke a car window" which doesn't tell you much about whether he was motivated by white racism, leftist accelerationism, Russian Twitter bots, or what. We probably won't ever know everything, and the point is to solve the underlying problems with police brutality, institutionalized racism, etc.

Having said that, I'd love to see a fact-checked roundup of:

* Timelines and spread of protests across the country.
* Who organized the protests and how did they spread? Is there evidence that they spread mainly on social media, and if so, are there any known bots involved (I'm guessing not on the bots)?
* What's the relationship between time of day and the type of action?
* What was the range of police response strategies and how does that correlate to level of violence?

Etc. etc. I've talked to enough people so far to realize that each person is selectively accepting anecdotes that fit their agenda and rejecting ones that don't.
posted by freecellwizard at 1:51 PM on June 1, 2020 [4 favorites]


I am not an American and cannot begin to comprehend why this arsehat isn't locked up.
Brenden Dilley Is Just Waiting Until Trump ‘Gives Us the Green Light’ to Start Gunning Down Protesters
posted by adamvasco at 1:57 PM on June 1, 2020 [6 favorites]


Here is a facebook post from a medic in Austin who was shot by rubber bullets in the hands which were above her head while she was escorting a group who were bringing a man over to police (at their direction) who had been shot in the back of the head by them and was bleeding out. (TW, it's heartbreaking and graphic and there's video of the event in the comments.)
posted by Catblack at 2:06 PM on June 1, 2020 [12 favorites]


medic in Austin

To paraphrase a person on Twitter I can't find the source to, blue mayors are all "you've been heard, curfew is in two minutes, and we've given the police new aerodynamic clubs to beat with".
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 2:13 PM on June 1, 2020 [3 favorites]


Tear Gas Doesn’t Deploy Itself:
Save for the rare clip of someone like Cornel West speaking God’s honest truth on CNN, mainstream media coverage of the nationwide protests against racist policing largely follows the same rules: mealy-mouthed language when describing police violence; clear, active language when describing confrontation initiated by protesters; and a both-sides approach to escalation that frames militarized police and protesters with lighters and water bottles as equally positioned. Responding over the weekend to a particularly egregious example of this kind of reporting, Vox writer Katelyn Burns observed: “Dang where did the pepper spray come from?”

Coverage tends to look like this because the media focuses on looting and property destruction to entice viewership and fulfill the outrage cycle, but also because mainstream news outlets are institutions that often have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo when it comes to policing, racist violence, and other systems that are disproportionately deadly for Black people and people of color. They don’t want to lose their imagined sense of objectivity or piss off their older white viewers, and so they do everything they can to talk around the elephant in the room: Police are, and have always been, violent as hell. As 60 Minutes correspondent and former Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery put it, because so few people in America fully understand how its history of racism is ongoing and not locked in the past, “it’s impossible to say objectively true, historically neutral things grounded in research, reporting & expertise without a large swath of [people] (including journalists) interpreting them as ‘political opinions.’”
The New Republic has been publishing some fantastic writing on all of this so far.
posted by Ouverture at 2:19 PM on June 1, 2020 [19 favorites]


According to the passive voice we have sentient pepper spray rising up against protesters.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 2:21 PM on June 1, 2020 [7 favorites]


The Double Standard of the American Riot:
Since the beginning of this country, riots and violent rhetoric have been markers of patriotism. When our Founding Fathers fought for independence, violence was the clarion call. Phrases such as “Live free or die,” “Give me liberty or give me death,” and “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God” echoed throughout the nation, and continue today. Force and violence have always been used as weapons to defend liberty, because—as John Adams once said in reference to the colonists’ treatment by the British—“We won’t be their Negroes.”

Black rebellion and protest, though, have historically never been coupled with allegiance to American democracy. Today, peaceful demonstrations and violent riots alike have erupted across the country in response to police brutality and the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Yet the language used to refer to protesters has included looters, thugs, and even claims that they are un-American. The philosophy of force and violence to obtain freedom has long been employed by white people and explicitly denied to black Americans.

Think back to March 5, 1770, when Crispus Attucks, a man of African and Native American descent, became the first casualty of the American Revolution. Attucks was one of a handful of protesters killed by British forces during the Boston Massacre. The lawyer tasked with defending the British soldiers in their American criminal trial was none other than Adams. When presenting his case, Adams described the men those soldiers killed as “a motley rabble of saucy boys, negroes and molattoes [sic], Irish teagues and outlandish jack tarrs.” He built his defense of the British soldiers on the charge that Attucks struck the first blow and led the “dreadful carnage.” Adams concluded that the “mad behavior” of Attucks provoked the soldiers’ response, saying that Attucks’s group was “under the command of a stout molatto fellow, whose very looks, was enough to terrify any person.” Some 250 years later, Adams’s words still underline a central truth in American disobedience: Freedom through violence is a privilege possessed only by whites. Seminal moments in U.S. history that historians have defined as patriotic were also moments that denied patriotism to black people.
posted by Ouverture at 2:31 PM on June 1, 2020 [30 favorites]


Black Lives Matter By the Serious Eats Team.
These past four years, we've been seeing a lot of really surprising media taking a stand against racism and bigotry. Like Teen Vogue, and Buzzfeed. And now Serious Eats, who are also examining their own bias. I hope this is a sign of a coming sea change, but it might as well be another aspect of the dangerous polarization of American society.
I don't know, from the outside, the Republican position on all of this seems indefensible. But obviously some people are defending it.
posted by mumimor at 2:48 PM on June 1, 2020 [5 favorites]


According to the passive voice we have sentient pepper spray rising up against protesters.

Tweeted by the NYT:
Minneapolis: A photographer was shot in the eye.

Washington, D.C.: Protesters struck a journalist with his own microphone.

Louisville: A reporter was hit by a pepper ball on live television by an officer who appeared to be aiming at her.
I'm honestly surprised to see that last one.
posted by Lexica at 2:51 PM on June 1, 2020 [5 favorites]


The Rioters Aren’t Here to Convince You:
A more reductive but commonly expressed version of this claim holds that rioters are insincerely committed to their alleged grievances. They’re burning buildings; therefore, they don’t actually care about racist law enforcement — or so the reasoning goes. But the notion that even the most disruptive and lawless manifestations of unrest haven’t sought to establish an alternative social order seems easily refuted; the most politically significant example of property destruction last week was the siege and incineration of the Minneapolis Police’s 3rd Precinct. In almost every city where rioting has occurred, the consistent theme has been the targeting of police vehicles for wreckage and officers for pelting with projectiles. This is not the behavior of people trying to make friends on Capitol Hill or endear themselves to the median white voter. Given decades of precedent and the immediate precipitating factors — a police officer kneeling fatally on the neck of a gasping black man, a pandemic that’s killed thousands of people and cost millions their jobs, an upswell of police violence against unarmed protesters — these riots are more likely an effort to upwardly redistribute the contempt that the current order and its guardians have shown toward them. Individual motives no doubt vary. But generally, the target seems less positive attention from skeptics and undecided voters than negative attention from police and representatives of the governing order.

This isn’t to say that the unrest is defined by ideological, strategic, or even demographic uniformity. Despite the absence of precise statistics, it’s apparent from documentary evidence that the rioters aren’t all black or even all nonwhite; that a majority of demonstrators practicing principled nonviolence exists alongside a small minority of anarchist and other black-bloc rioters practicing principled destruction; that many of their less ideologically committed compatriots have turned to arson and looting after recalculating what the law’s demonstrations of illegitimacy mean for how much they’re required to respect it. Perhaps some of them are agents provocateurs. It seems almost certain that there’s a generational component, as well — an outcry from young people facing recent history’s most dismal economic prospects at the hands of their elders.
posted by Ouverture at 2:57 PM on June 1, 2020 [11 favorites]


A couple brave kids facing violence together from the WH militia.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:58 PM on June 1, 2020 [4 favorites]


Sorry if this was mentioned already; I didn’t see it above. The independent autopsy requested by Floyd’s family has shown that asphyxiation was his cause of death.
posted by sucre at 3:06 PM on June 1, 2020 [14 favorites]


@carvellwallace May 30, 2020
just want to point out that in a demonstration against police brutality, police are not law enforcement, they’re counter protesters.

maybe that perspective will help someone you love make sense of what we’re seeing
These videos show the police aren’t neutral. They’re counterprotesters. - "Their interests are fundamentally at odds with those of the protesters, who want to see them stripped of their power to harass, assault, and even kill people with impunity. And it’s clear from the events of recent days that police are willing to use more violence to defend that power."
posted by the man of twists and turns at 3:08 PM on June 1, 2020 [33 favorites]


I'm honestly surprised to see that last one.

The NYTimes has some coverage of targeted violence towards journalists by police. I wonder if there is any internal dialog within the media in response to police violence, if members of the press are now starting to rethink the wisdom of how much assistance they gave to help install Trump in 2016.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 3:10 PM on June 1, 2020 [4 favorites]


Any more current/complete lists of good donation orgs?

The Minnesota Freedom Fund is now asking for donations to be directed to funds in need in other areas, here's a handy thread of those.
posted by progosk at 3:11 PM on June 1, 2020 [1 favorite]


JUST IN: President Donald Trump is considering invoking a 213-year-old federal law that would allow him to deploy active-duty U.S. troops to respond to protests in cities across the country, according to people familiar with internal discussions.@MeetThePress
posted by entropicamericana at 3:27 PM on June 1, 2020 [3 favorites]




This address from Trump is so sickening to watch. It's his own poor attempt at the Reichstag Fire in real time.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 3:47 PM on June 1, 2020 [12 favorites]


Just want to drop a photo of white nationalist Celtic crosses on broken windows of a queer bar in Raleigh. The proud boys are out there, make no mistake.
posted by Snowishberlin at 3:52 PM on June 1, 2020 [9 favorites]


This man is mad and must be stopped.

So I'm not the only one that got ultrafascist chills from watching that address?
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 3:52 PM on June 1, 2020 [10 favorites]


I had nightmares for weeks after the 2016 election. That speech was one of them.
posted by theodolite at 3:56 PM on June 1, 2020 [4 favorites]


SOMEONE JUST HACKED THE CHICAGO POLICE SCANNER AND IS PLAYING CHOCOLATE RAIN

i guess they must have gotten sick of "fuck the police"
posted by pyramid termite at 3:57 PM on June 1, 2020 [1 favorite]


That happened yesterday in Chicago...unless they did it again?
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:10 PM on June 1, 2020


Mr. Trump said that Minnesota had become “a laughingstock all over the world.”

Via Trumps projection mirror, we know that means Trump himself has become a laughing stock all over the world. Got his feelings hurt and now he's lashing out.

What proportion of the military is black?
posted by ctmf at 4:19 PM on June 1, 2020 [4 favorites]




I just watched police in DC smash an Australian news camera into the cameraman’s face on live television.

What the fuck is happening?

Why are mayors allowing the police to attack journalists?

This feels like a true line has been crossed and I don’t like where any of this is going.
posted by Automocar at 4:23 PM on June 1, 2020 [15 favorites]


Automocar, where did you see that footage?
posted by escape from the potato planet at 4:27 PM on June 1, 2020


I don't think mayors are "allowing." The police have mutinied and initiated a coup, nationwide.
posted by ctmf at 4:29 PM on June 1, 2020 [23 favorites]




From: Trump Calls Protesters ‘Terrorists’ and Urges Governors to Seek ‘Retribution’
In a briefing with reporters after the call, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that the president’s laughingstock comment, Mr. Trump called on him to speak. Mr. Walz said he thanked the president and defense secretary for their support, but disagreed with his assessment.
posted by ZeusHumms at 4:36 PM on June 1, 2020 [2 favorites]


That church photo op was remarkably terrible, even by his standards. He must think religious people are all morons. I mean, wow, anyone with an ounce of sincere Christian belief should be offended by that.
posted by aramaic at 4:44 PM on June 1, 2020 [10 favorites]


I wish MeFi still allowed images so I could post the photo of my friend's very broken and deformed arm. He works for NBC News and is one of the most professional journalists I've ever met. The LAPD shot him on purpose because he dared to record them responding to looting in Santa Monica. He won't be able to work anything but the desk for months. Fuck the police.
posted by photoslob at 4:45 PM on June 1, 2020 [44 favorites]




I don't think mayors are "allowing." The police have mutinied and initiated a coup, nationwide.

I mean I take your point but if that’s true then mayors in every city where police have attacked journalists should go on television/livestream and issue orders to immediately stop targeting journalists. If the pigs openly refuse, then at least we know where we’re at as a society.
posted by Automocar at 4:56 PM on June 1, 2020 [16 favorites]


U.S. police have attacked journalists at least 100 times in the past four days (Laura Hazard Owen, NiemanLab)
“Although in some incidents it is possible the journalists were hit or affected accidentally, in the majority of the cases we have recorded the journalists are clearly identifiable as press, and it is clear that they are being deliberately targeted.”
A number of efforts are underway to try to track the attacks on journalists, which are often first documented on Twitter.

[...] This post is being updated regularly.
posted by katra at 5:00 PM on June 1, 2020 [22 favorites]


- Mr. Trump said that Minnesota had become “a laughingstock all over the world.”

-- Via Trumps projection mirror, we know that means Trump himself has become a laughing stock all over the world. Got his feelings hurt and now he's lashing out.

Chinese state media has mocked President Donald Trump over the ongoing George Floyd protests, with one newspaper editor telling the commander-in-chief not to "hide behind" law enforcement. (Newsweek, June 1, 2020) As demonstrations against police brutality have spread to cities across the U.S. in the wake of Floyd's death, Chinese propaganda outlets have called instances of rioting "retribution" for American support of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters. The state mouthpieces have also called on U.S. politicians to solve problems in America before "trying to create new problems" in other countries.

"Mr. President, don't hide behind the Secret Service," Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin tweeted on Saturday. "Negotiate with them, just like you urged Beijing to talk to Hong Kong rioters." Xijin later peddled an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory that "Hong Kong rioters" had infiltrated the U.S. and were the "mastermind of violent protests" impacting cities across the country.
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:01 PM on June 1, 2020 [5 favorites]


There are now two all white armed vigilante groups roaming Fishtown with the blessing of the philly police
posted by adamvasco at 5:02 PM on June 1, 2020 [8 favorites]


While the destruction and violence of the past days make me sad, and the execution of George Floyd just gutted me, I hope the demonstrations help further the recognition of BLM's capacity and legitimacy as political stewards, and does not further the recognition of whatever white & black stragglers might antagonize in the back or in the front or on the left or on the right. I hope a new clade of leadership emerges from this.
posted by dmh at 5:13 PM on June 1, 2020 [2 favorites]


That church photo op was remarkably terrible, even by his standards.

“When fascism comes to America, it will come wrapped in the flag and waving a cross.” — Sinclair Lewis
posted by Ahmad Khani at 5:16 PM on June 1, 2020 [28 favorites]


Black man escapes police custody. Instant reaction by police is not to chase him but to attempt to shoot him in the back while he flees (with non-lethal rounds). Via Mc Hammer’s Twitter account......because 2020.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 5:23 PM on June 1, 2020 [9 favorites]


Carmel [Indiana] to sue Minneapolis to recover protection expenses (WISH-TV, 1 June 2020)
Carmel’s mayor announced Monday the city plans to sue Minneapolis for negligence so the Hamilton County city can recover expenses for protecting itself as a result of police actions in Minnesota.

Mayor James Brainard said in a news release, “but for the negligence of the police department in that city, many communities, including Carmel, would not have incurred the costs of responding to the resulting riots and looting.”
posted by ZeusHumms at 5:31 PM on June 1, 2020 [11 favorites]


I used to joke that if I could back in time to about 1996 or so here in Austin, I would tell past me to invest all my meager savings in houses in certain areas of town so that I would reap enormous rewards come the early years of the 21st century as those places become real estate hotspots.

Now I think that if I could go back and share a message with late 1990s me, it would be "Get the fuck out of the United States."

Here's something I've been thinking about lately: in the wild, carefree days of my youth, I went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans for about 6 years straight from 1995 - 2001. In addition to all the incredible fun things I saw and experienced there, two things stand out light in of recent events:

1) Many, many times, I saw police restrain drunk and belligerent young males, without choking them or beating them. If police *had* to use the methods Floyd's murderers used -- as conservatives and moderates often argue -- then there should have been scores or even hundreds of deaths each year.

2) Many, many times, I saw officers control drunken, rowdy crowds without using rubber bullets and tear gas. If police *had* to use the methods conservatives and moderates -- and the President and the AG -- argue that they *must* use against masses of people at these protests, then there should have been hundreds of deaths each year at Mardi Gras.

But there weren't. And I think we all know why: if it was observed that police were killing at will during Carnival, gassing people, and injuring reporters and the elderly and children, well, NO would have had to say goodbye to that vital tourist money.

It's almost like when there's a proper incentive and oversight, we can get the kind of policing that makes sense; but when there's not, well, we get fascists.
posted by lord_wolf at 5:40 PM on June 1, 2020 [55 favorites]


That church photo op was remarkably terrible, even by [Trump's] standards.

He didn't even carry the Bible during the walk over to the church; some White House staffer managed the prop and then handed it to him to wave around like some phony backwoods preacher shouting "Repent!" And for that the Park Police used horses and tear gas to push a crowd of peaceful protesters out of Lafayette Park. Despicable.
posted by carmicha at 5:45 PM on June 1, 2020 [12 favorites]


Mariann Edgar Budde is a national treasure.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 5:47 PM on June 1, 2020 [1 favorite]


Instead of tweeting this, I wish Poniewozik would just pin it up in a break room where NYTimes news editors will see it every day.
"One of the most important things for news outlets to do, especially now, is to say what's going on in plain English. This is that":
Police Clear Protestors With Tear Gas So Trump Can Pose By Church
posted by theory at 6:12 PM on June 1, 2020 [19 favorites]


A guy who has totally held a Bible before

What is the desired message of Trump waving a bible around like it was a bidding card at an auction? I watched the video and it's like he was afraid it God was going to smite him or something for holding it.

I wish MeFi still allowed images so I could post the photo of my friend's very broken and deformed arm.

It's just inline images that aren't allowed. You can still upload it to twitter, imgur, flickr, tumblr, google, facebook, etc. and then link to it here. Imgur allows for deep linking so just the image is shown, no ads or screen wrapper or navigation buttons or anything.
posted by Mitheral at 6:17 PM on June 1, 2020 [2 favorites]




Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde began
are these (bio/cnn) the links you meant to post, mikelieman?
posted by 20 year lurk at 6:47 PM on June 1, 2020


On this horrible attacking the press situation. What are "the rules". When everyone is carrying a camera, who is the press? Credentialed? Are the Unicorn Riot people "Press"? Watching the philly stream the other night, which ended to being unsafe, just seems like a dude with a phone. The cop shooting the woman with the pepper ball, who I assume had a full camera crew and a big microphone in hand, is obvious bullshit, but what are the rules regarding the press?

We are all the press now, aren't we?
posted by Windopaene at 6:49 PM on June 1, 2020


Mod note: Bunch of comments deleted. This really isn't about Biden and the primaries. Please don't go down the apparently-irresistible path of making this about whether people now must support Biden. Justinian: leave this alone.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 6:54 PM on June 1, 2020 [17 favorites]


Beside the 1st, being press doesn't provide any sort of statutory protection (most places; I understand that there are some exceptions related to access some places). Generally though in a society with an effective free press the people in power attempt to not directly piss them off because a vendetta from main stream news outlet could be extremely damaging.

Trump has been attempting to discredit the press and of course the vast majority of US Press is very police friendly. Be interesting to see whether more press outlets start flexing those muscles and being more critical of the President and Police now that it's their ox being more directly gored.
posted by Mitheral at 7:00 PM on June 1, 2020 [1 favorite]


We are all the press now, aren't we?

Freedom of the Press is the right for every individual to use a printing press or modern analogous means to distribute information.
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 7:00 PM on June 1, 2020 [4 favorites]


The Chief of the LAPD, Michael Moore, blamed the PROTESTERS for the death of George Floyd a short while ago. Make it make sense. And the mayor's just standing there letting him lie.

The police are running some of these cities. Finally, people will see.
posted by droplet at 7:05 PM on June 1, 2020 [4 favorites]


He didn't even carry the Bible during the walk over to the church; some White House staffer managed the prop

A reporter yelled out, "Is that your Bible?" He responded, "It's a Bible."
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 7:06 PM on June 1, 2020 [13 favorites]


Bowser, council members slam federal authorities for clearing out protesters before curfew (WaPo live blog)
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) strongly criticized the move by federal authorities Monday evening to forcefully clear the area around Lafayette Square, which appeared to be done so that President Trump could walk through the park to stand in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church, which was damaged in a small fire on Sunday night. “I imposed a curfew at 7 pm,” Bowser wrote on Twitter. “A full 25 minutes before the curfew & w/o provocation, federal police used munitions on peaceful protestors in front of the White House, an act that will make the job of @DCPoliceDept officers more difficult. Shameful! DC residents — Go home. Be safe”

Police in the park fired flash-bang explosives into a crowd of protesters on H Street NW, along with tear gas and rubber bullets, and then a mounted line of police pushed through the crowd, forcing them two blocks away from the park. [...] The leaders of the church said they were unaware that the president was using the church for an apparent photo opportunity. Members of the D.C. Council joined Bowser in criticizing the federal actions. “These actions are sickening,” Council Member David Grosso (I-At Large) wrote on Twitter. “Protesters are calling for an end to violence by police and the state and the President is throwing gas on the fire by calling them terrorists and sending the military into our city to enforce the mayor’s curfew.”
posted by katra at 7:07 PM on June 1, 2020 [7 favorites]


Good way to not keep being mayor of LA I'd think. Just, wtf is happening?
posted by Windopaene at 7:08 PM on June 1, 2020


Finally, people will see.

People gonna start seeing they're being attacked deliberately. Lot of guns in this country. I predict some dead cops in the real near future, and that's when it's going to get much worse.
posted by ctmf at 7:08 PM on June 1, 2020 [3 favorites]


Beside the 1st, being press doesn't provide any sort of statutory protection

42 U.S. Code § 1983. Civil action for deprivation of rights
Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured [...]
18 U.S. Code § 242. Deprivation of rights under color of law
Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, [...] shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.
posted by katra at 7:16 PM on June 1, 2020 [3 favorites]


what are the rules regarding the press?

Not sure what rules you're asking about, but on a federal level at least, the freedom of the press is essentially the same as the freedom of speech enjoyed by all people. Some states have passed shield laws that afford certain protections to members of the press. There are also credentialing organizations that give out press passes to their members to allow them to access areas that the rest of the public cannot. On Capitol Hill, for example, members of the press galleries can walk the hallways of Congress freely, and in NYC the city gives out working press cards that allow recipients to cross police and fire lines.
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 7:19 PM on June 1, 2020 [3 favorites]


Mod note: Deleted a few comments about what turned out to be a scam, per request
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 7:34 PM on June 1, 2020 [1 favorite]




‘The terror of wearing both a press badge and black skin’: Black journalists are carrying unique burdens (WaPo / LMTonline reprint)
“It feels like a weight because then you are tasked also with explaining and extrapolating on black pain for oftentimes a white audience,” said MSNBC correspondent and “Into America” podcast host Trymaine Lee. “And you’re not fully sure anyone even truly understands. . . . And you still have to be objective, and you have to make sure that you’re being clear-eyed and honest and sober for the people, because the people also rely on us to tell the truth, to tell the story. And that’s a weight that I’m not sure if other journalists just carry.”

[...] After a black CNN correspondent, Omar Jimenez, was arrested on live television while covering Minneapolis protests Friday morning, many journalists praised him for his poise during that moment. PBS White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor did the same — but “did he really have a choice?” she wondered ruefully. “Do most black folks have a choice in moments like that?” she wrote on Twitter. “Is it safe to voice even justified concern when authority figures have decided you are a problem?”

[...] The NABJ has started asking African American reporters to share stories of mistreatment in the field during these protests, while also encouraging news managers to be sensitive to the additional stress their black employees are experiencing. Informal networks exist for journalists to support one another, and new ones have emerged on social media; a freelancer started a GoFundMe to pay for black journalists’ mental health costs. Some newspaper employee unions have also issued statements acknowledging the acute pain felt by black colleagues.
posted by katra at 7:48 PM on June 1, 2020 [12 favorites]


The cop shooting the woman with the pepper ball, who I assume had a full camera crew and a big microphone in hand, is obvious bullshit, but what are the rules regarding the press?

Perhaps the police could refrain from attacking noncombatants, and then they would be sure not to be hitting the press. Just spitballing here.
posted by corb at 8:18 PM on June 1, 2020 [67 favorites]


Am reminded of this...

"You can, blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire..
Once the flame, begins to catch, the wind will blow it higher"

"And the eyes of the world, are watching now. Watching now..."

A shame Trump and the authoritarian ghouls don't give a shit.
posted by Windopaene at 8:20 PM on June 1, 2020 [6 favorites]


Agreed corb. Would be nice when all the headlines start calling these "Police Riots"
posted by Windopaene at 8:21 PM on June 1, 2020 [9 favorites]


De-escalation Keeps Protesters And Police Safer. Departments Respond With Force Anyway:
...There’s 50 years of research on violence at protests, dating back to the three federal commissions formed between 1967 and 1970. All three concluded that when police escalate force — using weapons, tear gas, mass arrests and other tools to make protesters do what the police want — those efforts can often go wrong, creating the very violence that force was meant to prevent. For example, the Kerner Commission, which was formed in 1967 to specifically investigate urban riots, found that police action was pivotal in starting half of the 24 riots the commission studied in detail. It recommended that police eliminate “abrasive policing tactics” and that cities establish fair ways to address complaints against police.

Experts say the following decades of research have turned up similar findings. Escalating force by police leads to more violence, not less. It tends to create feedback loops, where protesters escalate against police, police escalate even further, and both sides become increasingly angry and afraid.
posted by Ouverture at 8:48 PM on June 1, 2020 [28 favorites]


Police turn more aggressive against protesters and bystanders alike, adding to disorder (WaPo, May 31, 2020 / MSN reprint)
Federal authorities urged local officials Sunday to crack down harder on rioters after American cities were rocked by fiery spasms of violence and vandalism, part of a nationwide wave of protests over police misconduct.

[...] In Minneapolis, videos posted online showed police officers yelling, “Light ’em up!” before firing paint projectiles at residents as they stood on a front porch of a home. No one in the group appeared to be seriously injured. Edward Maguire, a professor at Arizona State University who recently published a guidebook on police crowd-control procedures, said this incident was especially egregious because officers fired potentially dangerous rounds at people who posed no threat. “Everything that police do in these types of situations should be aimed at de-escalation, and that is a really, really stunning example of escalation,” he said.

“You cannot be shooting projectiles at human beings, unless you have a really good reason to do so.” Watching the events of Saturday night, Maguire said he felt as if police chiefs across America had read his guidebook to crowd control — and decided to do the opposite. “I’m just seeing examples all over the country right now of bad policing,” he said. “Poorly conceived strategies for how to handle protests.”
posted by katra at 8:56 PM on June 1, 2020 [12 favorites]


US cities see fresh protests after George Floyd's death ruled homicide (Guardian)
Cities witnessed another night of protests despite widespread curfews as sporadic unrest continued across the US one week after George Floyd’s death, which autopsies on Monday ruled was a homicide. From New York to Washington DC and from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, many communities enacted curfews on Monday, in some cases giving residents just hours’ or minutes’ notice.

In Philadelphia, where the mayor announced a 6pm curfew with about half an hour’s warning, emergency alerts went off in unison on demonstrators’ phones – but they remained undeterred, chanting, “Whose streets? Our streets.” [...] In Philadelphia police fired teargas and rubber bullets as a large group of protestors blocked a highway. The confrontation came after the national guard stationed vehicles downtown and officials limited public transit during a third night of curfew.
Philadelphia protesters are gassed on I-676, leading to ‘pandemonium’ as they tried to flee (Philly Inquirer)
They flooded the Vine Street Expressway late Monday afternoon with fists and voices raised — thousands waving signs, kneeling on the asphalt, bringing to a halt one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares. Black, white, and brown, many of them younger adults, they shouted out cries, the same ones heard for days in Philadelphia and across the country, for racial justice and an end to police brutality.

Then, officers launched tear gas onto the marching crowd, sending the protesters scrambling up the banks on both sides of the highway as gas filled the air. Within minutes, videos and images of people screaming, trapped, and desperate to escape flooded social media. The gassing and the chaotic swarm it caused created one of the starkest moments in Philadelphia of the last three days — outraging and stunning protesters who said their demonstration was peaceful. The melee, an hour before the city’s 6 p.m. curfew was set to take hold [...] further enraged protesters who, as in previous days, had used largely nonviolent demonstration to call for change in the wake of the death of George Floyd, the black man who died last week after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck.
posted by katra at 9:08 PM on June 1, 2020 [6 favorites]


“You cannot be shooting projectiles at human beings, unless you have a really good reason to do so.” Watching the events of Saturday night, Maguire said he felt as if police chiefs across America had read his guidebook to crowd control — and decided to do the opposite. “I’m just seeing examples all over the country right now of bad policing,” he said. “Poorly conceived strategies for how to handle protests.”
For example, last night in Portland I basically had to fight my way out of downtown. This is what I was up against. Every block I went, a van full of riot police would come by and throw flash grenades and tear gas and start shooting at us with either rubber bullets or pepper rounds, which you can hear occurring in that video around the 25 second mark. This happened to me and others for roughly 15 blocks. Most of the people at this point were trying to get out of downtown because there was no longer much of a protest, but it’s hard to do that when you run down a street and block by block you are attacked by these roving vans of riot police with ranged weaponry. We were being systematically hunted. I had to take cover behind cars and anything that would give me protection before taking off running again. It was mayhem. Everyday has gotten worse. I’m not downtown today because I’m resting my body, it’s a bit beaten up. Good exercise though!!
posted by gucci mane at 9:10 PM on June 1, 2020 [52 favorites]


Bishop overseeing church in shock over Trump photo-op

Trump never asked permission to use the church in his weird photo-op. The bishop is pretty pissed about it.

Barr was there. This was immediately after they used the military to violate people's first amendment rights to peacefully protest, clearing Lafayette square. I don't like how cozy Barr is, you can see him there, just grinning. I've been around tear gas, you would still be able to smell it in the air where they are. I'm reminded of that sinister chuckle when he said 'history is written by the winners!' after intervening in the Flynn case. That man is dangerous, he is going to contest the election results, I know it in my bones.

The absurdity of Trump holding a bible up in the air, in front of a boarded up church where he wasn't invited, with the smell of tear-gas is in the air. As people are protesting for justice, with his tame AG beside him, he promises more injustice.
posted by adept256 at 9:40 PM on June 1, 2020 [39 favorites]


Verso books is letting people download ebooks of The End of Policing for free.

Here's the description:
Recent years have seen an explosion of protest against police brutality and repression—most dramatically in Ferguson, Missouri, where longheld grievances erupted in violent demonstrations following the police killing of Michael Brown. Among activists, journalists, and politicians, the conversation about how to respond and improve policing has focused on accountability, diversity, training, and community relations. Unfortunately, these reforms will not produce results, either alone or in combination. The core of the problem must be addressed: the nature of modern policing itself. “Broken windows” practices, the militarization of law enforcement, and the dramatic expansion of the police’s role over the last forty years have created a mandate for officers that must be rolled back.

This book attempts to spark public discussion by revealing the tainted origins of modern policing as a tool of social control. It shows how the expansion of police authority is inconsistent with community empowerment, social justice—even public safety. Drawing on groundbreaking research from across the world, and covering virtually every area in the increasingly broad range of police work, Alex Vitale demonstrates how law enforcement has come to exacerbate the very problems it is supposed to solve.

In contrast, there are places where the robust implementation of policing alternatives—such as legalization, restorative justice, and harm reduction—has led to reductions in crime, spending, and injustice. The best solution to bad policing may be an end to policing.

posted by davedave at 9:49 PM on June 1, 2020 [23 favorites]


"I've talked to enough people so far to realize that each person is selectively accepting anecdotes that fit their agenda and rejecting ones that don't."

I, for one, do not fucking care anymore, if I ever did. It's all a distraction to be talking about "outside agitators", not matter who they are.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 10:19 PM on June 1, 2020 [9 favorites]


If the police choke me to death for no reason you have my blessing to burn down the fucking police station in my honor.

It's insulting to suppose the anger isn't real, it must be outside influence.
posted by adept256 at 10:30 PM on June 1, 2020 [44 favorites]


Police as being the responsible party does seem to be gaining traction. But in our current environment, pointing out when white males, not fitting the "Antifa" profile are instigating shit. Can't hurt. The outside agitators line will always be used by the right to dismiss the violence, but, it does give BLM some cover, doesn't it?

As a vague phrase, "outside agitators" is bullshit. But when you can show they are alt-right shitbags, undermines the "official" "causes", I think that's good.
posted by Windopaene at 10:31 PM on June 1, 2020 [4 favorites]


A bit more on those Australian journalists - ABC.net.au link
"In a democratic society, the role of the media is critical and it's important that the media are able to report on events, including crises such as we're seeing in the United States, free from harassment.
"And the violence that has occurred towards members of the media, Australian media and domestic media as well, with tear gas being fired, with media being assaulted, is completely unacceptable." (Anthony Albanese- opposition leader, calling for the Australian Ambassador to make an official complaint.)

The Australian ABC is also hosting a live blog covering events. Just now reporting on the Confederate monument in Birmingham coming down.
posted by freethefeet at 10:33 PM on June 1, 2020 [3 favorites]


America is seeming less and less like a "democratic society" every day.
posted by Windopaene at 10:39 PM on June 1, 2020 [4 favorites]


How a City Once Consumed by Civil Unrest Has Kept Protests Peaceful (NYT)
The 12,000-person protest on Saturday afternoon brimmed with rage [...] [b]ut there were no protest-related arrests during the weekend. Tires were slashed on squad cars, but none were set ablaze and no storefronts were smashed. The most prominent graffiti, a message scrawled on a courthouse in spray paint — “WE LOVE U GEORGE” — had been power-washed clean by Sunday afternoon. [...] In Newark, some protesters danced as they marched for hours through the commercial and municipal hub of the city, with [Newark’s mayor, Ras] Baraka leading the way. [...] Newark is not the only community that, so far, has remained relatively calm. Protesters in other cities, including Camden, N.J., and Flint, Mich., held similarly peaceful rallies, and Newark’s march was not without moments of confrontation. [...] the simmering tension never reached a flash point — a victory that city officials and residents attributed to a combination of tactical decisions, community and political leadership and the still-raw memory of 1967. Mr. Baraka, an African-American former high school principal whose father, the poet Amiri Baraka, was brutalized by the police in July 1967, invoked those dark days during a speech before the march as he urged only peaceful protest.

The director of the Newark Police Department, Anthony F. Ambrose, who is white, made a tactical decision not to position police officers in military-style gear along the route. And members of the Newark Community Street Team, an entity formed six years ago to de-escalate violence in the city, and other community groups were deployed throughout the crowd to try to isolate those intent on destruction. But in more than a dozen interviews, protesters and city leaders said it was the potent determination of predominantly young African-American members of the Newark community — many of whom have had past run-ins with the police — who stood in the way of widespread destruction. “It was a combination of anarchists and opportunists waiting for a window to be broken so they could go in and grab something,” said Aqeela Sherrills, the director of the 50-person street team. “But I tell you: The community wasn’t having it.” At one point during the march, protesters lit an American flag on fire in the middle of Broad Street as a young white man used a bat to strike a window of a Dunkin’ Donuts store, witnesses said. “He hit the window one time and there was like 20 people standing in front of him,” Mr. Sherrills said.
posted by katra at 10:53 PM on June 1, 2020 [20 favorites]


Every day that passes, it seems to me that the police are doing a greater and greater share of the rioting, even just taking what I read in the newspaper at face value.

Also, Marco Rubio is a lying piece of shit. He tried to justify the full Trumpal assault on the DC protesters this evening by claiming that they shouldn't have been out there anyway "because of the curfew." The curfew that wouldn't take effect for another half hour. We really are in the stupidest timeline when even the facists can't get their lines right.
posted by wierdo at 10:57 PM on June 1, 2020 [9 favorites]


Status update from Seattle, first SeattlePD's claim
@SeattlePD - Today at 9:31 PM
Incident commander at demonstration on Capitol Hill is declaring the incident a riot. Crowd has thrown rocks, bottles and fireworks at officers and is attempting to breach barricades one block from the East Precinct.
Video response:
@izaacmellow - Today at 9:49pm
@SeattlePD oh really? you want a link to the stream where the huge chunk prior to this moment was 100% peaceful?
this is a POLICE RIOT.
#seattleprotest
#fuckthepolice
#blacklivesmatter
Another angle from up above which catches the whole thing really well
posted by CrystalDave at 11:08 PM on June 1, 2020 [13 favorites]


"What did you expect? I don't know why we're so surprised. When you put your foot on a man's neck and hold him down for three hundred years, and then you let him up, what's he going to do? He's going to knock your block off." - Lyndon Baines Johnson Regarding rioting (1968), as quoted in Judgment days: Lyndon Baines Johnson, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the laws that changed America (2005), by Nick Kotz
posted by adept256 at 11:32 PM on June 1, 2020 [16 favorites]


I predict some dead cops in the real near future

Welp, since I wrote that, now I've seen two videos so far tonight of cops getting hit by cars. They both look like they lived, though.
posted by ctmf at 11:49 PM on June 1, 2020 [1 favorite]


San Diego Police Ends Use of Controversial Carotid Restraint Following Protests (CBS News, June 1, 2020) "I started evaluating this policy last week following the terrible events in Minneapolis and believe now is the right time to make this change," [San Diego Police Chief David] Nisleit said. "Effective immediately, I have placed a stop on the use of the carotid restraint among our police department. I have heard from the community, and the department wants to work toward strengthening our community partnerships to keep all San Diegans safe."
--
Before his decision, earlier today: Black Community Leaders Condemn Police Tactics Used During San Diego, La Mesa Protests (NBC News, June 1, 2020) The group argued that it was police officers that increased tensions during the mostly peaceful demonstrations to a point where tear gas, flashbangs and rubber bullets were deployed on the crowds. "The change was when [demonstrators] ended their march at the Hall of Justice and the San Diego Police Department marched 50 uniformed, combat armored troops, basically – they looked like troops. I’m a Marine Veteran, I can tell you, they looked like troops – into a confined space," said San Diego Democratic Chair Will Rodriguez-Kennedy.

They called for every city in San Diego County to create a community review board that could analyze current police practices and hold malpractices accountable, and to end the use of the carotid restraint, a neck restraint meant to be more humane than a chokehold but that has been criticized for being used more frequently on people of color. [... ] Later in the day, SDPD Police Chief David Nisleit said the department would immediately ban the use of the carotid restraint. Community members have been demanding its end since he took the role as chief two years ago.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:52 PM on June 1, 2020 [6 favorites]


Previously (over the last two years): Group calls on San Diego police to stop use of carotid restraint hold (ABC News, March 13, 2018) Some believe maneuver can result in chokehold. One group, the Racial Justice Coalition, gathered at the meeting and demanded the police department stop its use of the carotid restraint maneuver. The group argued that the hold can be used incorrectly, resulting in a chokehold.
San Diego police one of last big city departments to use chokehold restraint (KUSI, March 27, 2018)
San Diego police to adopt some policy changes regarding ‘carotid restraint’ hold, but won’t ban its use (October 31, 2018)
San Diego Police leaders defend use of controversial neck restraint (KUSI, May 20, 2019)
Group Calls for Ban of Neck Restraints Used by Law Enforcement (NBC News, September 30, 2019) Those who oppose the use of choke holds and other neck restraints say they are disproportionately used on minority groups. SDPD used carotid restraints over 570 times between 2013 and 2018, according to data gathered in a public records request. The past two years of data shows almost a quarter of all those restrained were black, though black or African Americans only make up 6 percent of [San Diego's] population.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:53 PM on June 1, 2020 [4 favorites]


Another angle from up above which catches the whole thing really well.

This clip really illustrates that tear gas grenades aren't just about tear gas. They're also grenades. The police shelled that crowd, knowing that people could be killed or seriously wounded. JFC.
posted by GalaxieFiveHundred at 12:01 AM on June 2, 2020 [15 favorites]


When you put your foot on a man's neck and hold him down for three hundred years, and then you let him up, what's he going to do? He's going to knock your block off."

While this needs to be the answer to anyone trying to limit all this to the finer points of “carotid restraint” (the existence of the term is just chilling), it seems this quote (thanks for posting, adept256) was read very carefully by police chiefs, just focusing the wrong part to inform their action.
posted by progosk at 12:52 AM on June 2, 2020 [5 favorites]


This clip really illustrates that tear gas grenades aren't just about tear gas. They're also grenades.

This. So much this. Those flash grenades are just low yield grenades with sparkle powder and just as fatal at close range.
So yeah, grenades and chemical weapons against the general population.
Despicable.
posted by sexyrobot at 2:44 AM on June 2, 2020 [8 favorites]


A humble request: if folks are going to post "I saw a video/broadcast/etc. of X happening", can you please try to include a link to what you actually saw? Rumors are already flying like crazy. It's hard to vet the accuracy and significance of reports without any kind of sourcing.

Just my 2c.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 3:29 AM on June 2, 2020 [28 favorites]


Cops getting hit by a car happened here in Buffalo. There are threads on r/buffalo with different videos of the incident from multiple angles.

The Buffalo News crime reporter reports that an unidentified law enforcement contact is saying that the people in the relevant SUV had been shot in an unrelated incident and don't appear to have been attacking cops.

One of the videos posted to r/buffalo shows how the cloud of tear gas made it impossible for the cops or driver to see each other until a collision was imminent.

Cops are alive and in hospital.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 5:12 AM on June 2, 2020 [1 favorite]


https://prospect.org/justice/defund-our-punishment-bureaucracy/:
Between 1993 and 2012, real per capita spending on our punishment bureaucracy grew by 40 percent nationwide, according to an analysis of Bureau of Justice Statistics data by President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers. That same report estimated that the combined costs of policing, courts, and corrections account for around half of all direct local government spending. Overlapping jurisdictional responsibilities make direct comparisons difficult, but in some cities—including Memphis and Oakland—police departments can account for around 40 percent of spending. A 2017 report analyzed budgets in 12 metropolitan jurisdictions and found that police spending “vastly outpaces expenditures in vital community resources and services”—amounting to as much as $772 annually per resident, in Baltimore.
Staggering.
posted by Ouverture at 6:18 AM on June 2, 2020 [9 favorites]


I don't know how many people here have seen The Miami Model, but more people should (the documentary veers into protest porn a bit, but it's still worth the watch). The playbook the police have been using during these protests and during the original BLM protests in 2014 has been exactly the same. Kettling people in and then ordering a crowd to disperse after all dispersal routes have been blocked in particular is part of the playbook that we've been seeing over and over again this weekend. The cops don't care about keeping the peace, they only care about asserting dominance, and that's what their tactics are designed to do.
posted by tobascodagama at 6:48 AM on June 2, 2020 [36 favorites]


Speaking of asserting dominance:

The most chilling aspect of Trump’s Monday night crackdown on law-abiding protesters (Matthew Yglesias, Vox, 1 June 2020)
Trump’s politics are full of ... dominance rituals. To verbalize agreement with Trump because you genuinely agree with what he says proves nothing — it’s willingness to say things that neither you nor anyone else believes that truly proves your devotion.

[...] on questions of process, there is seemingly no line he won’t cross. [...] he does not accept a distinction between the legitimate uses of the regulatory state and his personal political interests.
All of which led to this tweeted White House video.
posted by ZeusHumms at 7:08 AM on June 2, 2020 [9 favorites]


Indianapolis has had several days of protests since the weekend. I was there Saturday and from my perspective, the protest leaders implored the downtown marchers to remain peaceful, but the police started the violence by deploying tear gas.

There were also rumors of armed white supremacists acting as provocateurs. I can't confirm that fact but I did see a white man with an assault rifle slung across his chest walking away from the tear gas when I was picking up my car to leave the area.
posted by Gelatin at 7:10 AM on June 2, 2020 [4 favorites]


World's reaction to US weaves solidarity, calls to change

That's an Australian news source. There are protests in Berlin, The Hague, London, Rio. And Auckland, in New Zealand. That last one is possibly the only virus-safe place to protest. Berliners are scolding Americans for their racism. Berlin... well, all of those places have a superlative history of racism.

I've hesitated for quite some time over what to write next.

The Germans have a unique insight into where racism leads. We all know where they went. It was a hell of a fight. If they have something to say about it, they have the freedom to say it.
posted by adept256 at 7:14 AM on June 2, 2020 [8 favorites]


All of which led to this tweeted White House video.

I had to rewind one portion about four times because - in the portion where he is returning to the White House, he walks past a row of police in riot gear holding shields, and I swear that the first few times I watched, it looked like a row of Roman Centurian cosplayers.

Whether that is misperception is born of a fluke of my own brain function or born of "well, the way things are going it's actually plausible Trump would like those optics" is a choice I leave to the reader.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:31 AM on June 2, 2020 [5 favorites]


It was a good speech. I hope it does some good.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 7:41 AM on June 2, 2020 [1 favorite]


Mod note: One comment deleted. We are not starting the same fight about Biden in here for pity's sake.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 7:43 AM on June 2, 2020 [12 favorites]


...all the comment said was that Biden gave a good speech. They weren't starting a fight.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 7:45 AM on June 2, 2020


No no it was without context but I don't think everyone knew it was going on. LobsterMitten was 100% correct and I wrote a bad comment even if I did it in good faith.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 7:46 AM on June 2, 2020 [3 favorites]


All of which led to this tweeted White House video.

I had to rewind one portion about four times because - in the portion where he is returning to the White House, he walks past a row of police in riot gear holding shields, and I swear that the first few times I watched, it looked like a row of Roman Centurian cosplayers.


Response tweet/video with the Imperial March.
posted by ZeusHumms at 7:49 AM on June 2, 2020 [2 favorites]


Full speech is up.

One for the ages.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 7:52 AM on June 2, 2020 [4 favorites]


it looked like a row of Roman Centurian cosplayers.

The ones with the face shields up have light reflecting from the face shields in a way that makes it look a little like a crest on their heads.

Trump’s politics are full of ... dominance rituals. To verbalize agreement with Trump because you genuinely agree with what he says proves nothing — it’s willingness to say things that neither you nor anyone else believes that truly proves your devotion.

I've long felt this was the only rational explanation for the apparent low quality of his hair.
posted by Slothrup at 7:53 AM on June 2, 2020 [7 favorites]


We Are Asking the Police to Do too Much:
But while de Blasio is feckless, he’s no outlier. Since Minneapolis police killed George Floyd and sparked a national wave of unrest, many Democrats in positions of power were more eager to delegitimize or shut down protests than they were to challenge the police. In Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz claimed, without offering proof, that outside agitators had inflamed his state; and in the city of St. Paul, the Democratic mayor claimed, falsely, that most of the protesters his cops had arrested came in from out of state too. The mayor, Melvin Carter, later blamed the police for misleading him. In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti has called for the National Guard; since protests began, the police in his city have arrested motorists at random and fired rubber bullets and tear gas into crowds.

It is easy and, for liberals, ideologically convenient to blame Donald Trump for emboldening the police. The president is a racist, shaped by an unshakable conviction in the innate criminal tendencies of black and brown people. But the problem is much bigger, and much older, than the Trump presidency. Democrats might lack the specific ethno-nationalist predilections of the GOP, but when it comes to the police, the parties are both subservient. Minus a few critics, stashed in various levels of power, Democrats and Republicans alike have surrendered civilian power to the police.

[...]

Police departments don’t write laws. They can’t cut spending on welfare, and schools, and health care. Politicians did that, have been doing it for decades. But as the state atrophies, it leaves behind absences. Lawmakers rely on the police to fill in the gaps, which are now so large they resemble horizons. It can be difficult to imagine that we could ever be anything more than what we are now, and hardly anyone in power seems willing to try. Cop unions push for more money and for fancier weapons and against criminal-justice reforms that would decrease the demand for their services.

Both parties are too happy to concede. After heavy lobbying from the New York City police, de Blasio and his traditional nemesis, Governor Cuomo, both supported a bill reversing bail reforms that helped keep poor New Yorkers out of jail. In May, de Blasio introduced a budget that would cut funding for the Department of Education by $827 million. The NYPD, meanwhile, can expect a cut of just $23.8 million the same year.

[...]

A moral and cultural failure does exist. But the architects of broken-windows policing misidentified its source, and so do their descendants. Did the people fail the state or did the state fail the people? The liberal politician might concede the latter. He may even approve some new welfare spending or, in the case of de Blasio, experiment with programs like universal pre-K. On the subject of the police, and incarceration, they advocate body cameras and civilian review boards. But that’s often where they stop. The police still know they can beat, shoot, and kill with almost complete impunity in blue and red states alike. Mayors like de Blasio will defend them and repeat their version of events to the press. Governors like Cuomo will give them more money. Democratic voters will nominate the architect of the 1994 crime bill to be president. Matters will go on as usual — unless protesters force a true reckoning.

To those who oppose it, this reckoning will always look violent, opportunistic, unnecessary. But nothing else has worked. Voting in Democrats didn’t keep George Floyd alive. It didn’t save Eric Garner here in New York. The protests that erupt daily in Brooklyn, and Minneapolis, and Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, started with the police and with their enablers in office. They follow decades of dysfunction, institutional decay, and neglect. Stoked again by the pandemic, and by mass unemployment that lawmakers could address if so moved, protesters strike at the American order itself. The police, they know, exist to keep them in line, and in place.
posted by Ouverture at 8:11 AM on June 2, 2020 [23 favorites]


Why are mayors allowing the police to attack journalists?

Addendum to 23skidoo's excellent post: Cops are taking steps to hide their identity. They're taking off the identifying information that's supposed to be on their uniforms. Even if someone gets good video, it's probably impossible to pin down a cop who's de-identified himself and turned off his body cam. You'd have to get an incredibly clear shot of the face, have the cop be visually distinct from everyone else in their precinct, and also have a department sympathetic to your complaint (which is why I think we'll see visibly minority cops get scapegoated if at all possible, but that's another comment). This is fairly typical behavior of brutal cops. Creating even a tiny shred of doubt and then taking advantage of the goodwill extended to them by their fellow citizens to get off scot free.

Look, I am much less anti-cop than many people here. But we can not give them the benefit of the doubt at this point. Effective and non-brutal policing requires a ton of training to go against human instincts and a culture that supports that. Instead, US cops get training and a culture that reinforces all the nasty, violent impulses inherent in human nature. They are now acting on that training by taking deliberate steps to escalate until they feel like they are in control - that's the actual language they are using. The fact that they have never and should never be in control doesn't impinge on their individual or collective consciences. They think they have the right to control us, and they are doing everything they think they can get away with to assert that control.
posted by Ahniya at 8:12 AM on June 2, 2020 [28 favorites]


But we can not give them the benefit of the doubt at this point.

Treat it as spoliation of evidence.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 8:14 AM on June 2, 2020 [4 favorites]


Mod note: Friendly reminder, let's please aim to keep pullquotes/excerpts from links to around two paragraphs; it's fine to summarize the other points; super long pullquotes can be a problem for mobile users etc and they tend to get longer and longer.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:19 AM on June 2, 2020 [4 favorites]


No reason that policy couldn't demand the officer being clearly identified. Say a requirement to wear an arm band with their badge number in a large font. Or numbers stuck to their body armour like those police legends.

But of course that requires enforcement with teeth and like body cams that are never on when something "controversial" happens police penalties aren't high enough for policy violations.
posted by Mitheral at 8:30 AM on June 2, 2020 [3 favorites]


Policy already does require all those things.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:33 AM on June 2, 2020 [8 favorites]


Small rally in Sydney, Aus tonight, c. 1000 people. Interesting because it was in large part a result of teenagers on tik-tok and the like, and the organised left only came onboard later. Unusually large amount of coverage, cameras everywhere.

A larger rally/vigil is planned for Saturday.
posted by Acid Communist at 8:36 AM on June 2, 2020 [3 favorites]


Tanker truck’s last delivery before near miss was to a Black owned south side gas station, whose owner is sticking up for the driver • Hanna Black, Minnesota Reformer; June 2, 2020 •
'36Lyn Refuel Station is a black owned business beloved on the south side and the tanker driver was helping him out.'
posted by ZeusHumms at 8:40 AM on June 2, 2020 [2 favorites]


I think it's a tremendous problem that pigs can cover their badge numbers and turn off their body cams and no other pig says boo about it. If a coworker pulls shit against policy I don't go along with it. Why do they? (Rhetorical question; I know why.)
posted by Automocar at 8:41 AM on June 2, 2020 [19 favorites]


Connolly requests Secret Service documents on clearing protesters before Trump church visit (WaPo live blog)
Calling the use of tear gas and rubber bullets an “unwarranted attack on peaceful demonstrators,” [Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), chairman of the House Oversight subcommittee with jurisdiction over the nation’s capital,] requested documents related to the clearing of protesters that immediately preceded President Trump’s visit to St. John’s Church. “While the Secret Service is tasked with protecting the President of the United States, it is not a tool of fascism, and the conduct and operations of the Secret Service cannot be allowed to infringe upon the constitutional rights of the American people for the purposes of serving the President’s personal vanity,” he wrote in a letter to Secret Service Director James Murray. In addition to documents related to the church visit, Connolly requested communications about employees who objected to “the targeting of peaceful protesters,” as well as Secret Service policies about the treatment of peaceful protesters.
Pelosi reads from the Bible and calls for ‘a time to heal’
She read from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, “A Time for Everything,” and from a speech that President George H.W. Bush delivered in 1992 after video emerged of Los Angeles police officers beating Rodney King. “Let’s focus on the time to heal,” Pelosi said. [...] The House speaker said she has asked the Congressional Black Caucus to pull together recommendations for legislation to deal with police brutality in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. “We’re looking to them,” she said of the CBC.

Meanwhile, during remarks Tuesday on the Senate floor, Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) referred to Monday night’s episode outside the White House while arguing that Trump was behaving like a dictator. “After the president’s reality show ended last night, while the nation nervously watched the chaos that engulfs us, President Trump probably laid in bed pleased with himself for descending another rung on the dictatorial ladder,” Schumer said. He chided his Republican colleagues for remaining silent about the actions of “a vindictive president who demands they never criticize.”
posted by katra at 8:45 AM on June 2, 2020 [9 favorites]




That ain't it, Speaker.
posted by tonycpsu at 8:57 AM on June 2, 2020 [7 favorites]


I saw a photo this morning that's making some of the phrases in this thread really stand out to me:
when police escalate force — using weapons, tear gas, mass arrests and other tools to make protesters do what the police want — those efforts can often go wrong, creating the very violence that force was meant to prevent

“I’m just seeing examples all over the country right now of bad policing,” he said. “Poorly conceived strategies for how to handle protests.”

The director of the Newark Police Department, Anthony F. Ambrose, who is white, made a tactical decision not to position police officers in military-style gear along the route.

"The change was when [demonstrators] ended their march at the Hall of Justice and the San Diego Police Department marched 50 uniformed, combat armored troops, basically – they looked like troops. I’m a Marine Veteran, I can tell you, they looked like troops – into a confined space," said San Diego Democratic Chair Will Rodriguez-Kennedy.
Here's the photo of SF City Hall lit up for Pride with what looks like an entire company's worth of cops in riot gear posted in front. That doesn't look like representatives of our government willing to listen to citizens petitioning for redress of grievances. That looks like a military unit just itching to engage.
posted by Lexica at 9:13 AM on June 2, 2020 [11 favorites]




That ain't it, Speaker.

It’s always good to get a little reading in when one doesn’t have anything more important to do.
posted by MrBadExample at 9:17 AM on June 2, 2020 [3 favorites]


As Geralt of Rivia would say,
Fuck.

You may not want accelerationism, but looks like we’re all getting it anyway.
posted by bjrubble at 9:26 AM on June 2, 2020 [3 favorites]


Republicans are saying that Trump exhibited great courage ...

in walking across the street from his house in spite of his bone spurs.
posted by JackFlash at 9:30 AM on June 2, 2020 [5 favorites]


US cities erupt in more violence amid threats from Trump (AP)
American cities erupted in violence and destruction in a seventh straight night of unrest, with several police officers shot or run over, amid boasts and threats from President Donald Trump to send in troops to “dominate the streets.” [...]

The death toll from the unrest rose to at least nine, including two people killed in a Chicago suburb. More than 5,600 people nationwide have been arrested over the past week for such offenses as stealing, blocking highways and breaking curfew, according to a count by The Associated Press.
George Floyd protests around the US: what is happening? (Guardian)
Monday night saw continued peaceful protests and violence in many major US cities. Here’s an at-a-glance guide
‘In Every City, There’s a George Floyd’: Portraits of Those Speaking Out (NYT)
The people giving voice to their anger are individual pieces of a movement, like drops of water to a wave. Their strength is in cohesiveness. Yet they are strangers, divided by geography, age, color and experience.
posted by katra at 9:33 AM on June 2, 2020 [4 favorites]


That ain't it, Speaker.

A white landlord with a net worth of $100m reading from a Christian bible in front of three(!) 'Murican flags in a well-staged photo/vid-op is certainly something that sends a message to a movement made up of a multi-ethnic, working-class, mixed-faith (and no-faith) people angry at what America has become.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 9:37 AM on June 2, 2020 [21 favorites]


That photo op was very explicitly targeting the same people that Trump was flailing at, specifically to peel some of them away from his lunacy.

...but hey, go ahead and completely cede that voting bloc if it helps you feel purer, it worked out so terribly well for you last time.
posted by aramaic at 9:48 AM on June 2, 2020 [11 favorites]


Here's a crowdsourced list of police brutality at protests over the last week, with links to photos/video for each incident.
posted by theodolite at 9:49 AM on June 2, 2020 [8 favorites]


That photo op was very explicitly targeting the same people that Trump was flailing at, specifically to peel some of them away from his lunacy.

Wow, the bus she called to rally the twelve remaining Reagan Democrats in this country must have a real nice suspension to handle everybody else getting thrown under it.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 9:56 AM on June 2, 2020 [21 favorites]


She's the Speaker of the House of Representatives and if the only power that confers on her is the power to make a photo op there's no point in anything, pack it up, we're done here.
posted by Pope Guilty at 9:57 AM on June 2, 2020 [8 favorites]


pretty good footage of clearing of lafayette square in dc last night for presidential campaign video & bible brandishing from news 9 australia's Amelia Adams here (i was inclined to disagree with some of her commentary, but suffered it for her camera). dc police chief says says that the metropolitan police department did not participate in that "presidential movement," during mayor's press conference. footage shows officers -- or armored persons at least -- with ACPD on their helmets; not immediately evident what that signifies.
posted by 20 year lurk at 9:58 AM on June 2, 2020 [1 favorite]


> ...but hey, go ahead and completely cede that voting bloc if it helps you feel purer, it worked out so terribly well for you last time.

Please tell us more about a voting bloc that can be moved by both Donald Trump's Strongman Jesus act and San Francisco Liberal Nancy Pelosi's aping of it, then go watch Joe Biden's speech linked above, in which he manages to make a strong and unequivocal statement against police brutality and Trump's authoritarianism without normalizing his behavior.
posted by tonycpsu at 10:00 AM on June 2, 2020 [13 favorites]


footage shows officers with ACPD on their helmets; not immediately evident what that signifies.

Arlington Officers Ordered to ‘Immediately Leave D.C.’
Officers in ACPD helmets could be seen in photos and video (below) assisting with the forceful removal of protesters from around St. John’s Church, an action that involved the deployment of tear gas.
...
“Appalled mutual aid agreement abused to endanger their and others safety for a photo op,” Garvey wrote just before 9 p.m., about two hours after the incident. “We ordered @ArlingtonVaPD to immediately leave DC.”
posted by the man of twists and turns at 10:01 AM on June 2, 2020 [6 favorites]


Mod note: People, drop the Pelosi-worst-or-best thing. We have done this so many times, please don't take this thread to that same place yet again.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 10:02 AM on June 2, 2020 [16 favorites]


sorry, meant to link mayor Bowser's presser. here.
posted by 20 year lurk at 10:06 AM on June 2, 2020


Birmingham's mayor follows through on agreement with protestors to remove 115 year old confederate monument within 24 hours if they stop attempting to knock it down. City of Birmingham will pay $25K fine to the State for violation of Alabama Monuments Preservation Act. There is no further penalty and no mechanism in place to force re-erection of the monument. Crowd funding has raised $50K+ to pay the fine.

Also being removed as part of the base are a Bible and Confederate flag placed there when the monument was setup.
posted by Mitheral at 10:23 AM on June 2, 2020 [41 favorites]


'Words of a dictator': Trump's threat to deploy military raises spectre of fascism (David Smith, Guardian)
Ron Wyden, a Democratic senator for Oregon, tweeted: “The fascist speech Donald Trump just delivered verged on a declaration of war against American citizens. I fear for our country tonight and will not stop defending America against Trump’s assault.” Kamala Harris, a Democratic senator for California, told the MSNBC network: “These are not the words of a president. They are the words of a dictator.”
Democratic leaders condemn Trump for crackdown on protesters near White House (CBS News)
"At this challenging time, our nation needs real leadership," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. "The president's continued fanning of the flames of discord, bigotry and violence is cowardly, weak and dangerous." [...] Mr. Trump's visit to the so-called "Church of the Presidents" was denounced by Democrats who said his comments mirrored those of a dictator. Pelosi and Schumer accused the president of further dividing the country. "At a time when our country cries out for unification, this president is ripping it apart," they said. "Tear-gassing peaceful protestors without provocation just so that the president could pose for photos outside a church dishonors every value that faith teaches us." The pair of Democratic leaders called for Mr. Trump and law enforcement to "respect the dignity and rights of all Americans." "Together, we must insist on the truth that America must do much more to live up to its promise: the promise of liberty and justice for all, which so many have sacrificed for — from Dr. King to John Lewis to peaceful protesters on the streets today," they said.
WATCH: Pelosi says death of George Floyd in police custody was ‘murder’ (PBS, May 28, 2020)
posted by katra at 10:27 AM on June 2, 2020 [4 favorites]


"With whom are many US Police Departments Training? With a Chronic Human Rights Violator—Israel." Amnesty International (2016)
When the U.S. Department of Justice published a report Aug. 10 that documented “widespread constitutional violations, discriminatory enforcement, and culture of retaliation” within the Baltimore Police Department (BPD), there was rightly a general reaction of outrage.

But what hasn’t received as much attention is where Baltimore police received training on crowd control, use of force and surveillance: Israel’s national police, military and intelligence services.

Baltimore law enforcement officials, along with hundreds of others from Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, Arizona, Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Georgia, Washington state as well as the DC Capitol police have all traveled to Israel for training. Thousands of others have received training from Israeli officials here in the U.S.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 10:31 AM on June 2, 2020 [13 favorites]


Seriously, what the hell Arlington PD. They were generally an okay police department when I lived there. I mean, I'm glad the county board is pulling them out, but that doesn't change the fact that the officers were just fine with teargassing peaceful protesters, which doesn't bode well for anyone in their own county.
posted by tavella at 10:36 AM on June 2, 2020 [1 favorite]


Here are responses from Senate Republicans compiled by Casie Hunt of NBC News:

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., on the president’s photo op at St. John’s last night: “Didn’t really see it.”
Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., does not respond when asked if what the president did last night was appropriate. Her spokesman handed me his card.
Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan. “I don’t have any comment on that.”
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., does stop to talk and says “we all could” do better when asked if POTUS could do better
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah. “I didn’t watch it closely enough to know.”
Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo.: “Sorry, I’m late for lunch.”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., walks by without saying anything.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska: What we saw last night “was not the America that I know.”
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska: Walks by with no response.
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio: “I’m late for lunch.”
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., doesn’t stop at cameras here on the Hill. Told reporters he’s already “said too much,”
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 10:40 AM on June 2, 2020 [18 favorites]


Those same Republicans could have removed Trump from power scant few weeks ago, but chose not to, so if it's starting to dawn on them that he's sinking their party, all I can say is, good.
posted by Gelatin at 10:43 AM on June 2, 2020 [17 favorites]


Biden’s response is excellent.
posted by Sublimity at 10:56 AM on June 2, 2020 [1 favorite]


Providence, Ri had a peaceful protest organized by Black Lives Matter of about 2000 people on Saturday.

Last night, there was another protest at the large mall downtown. Organized on social media and starting at midnight, by 2am it escalated into breaking windows and some looting across the downtown.
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:01 AM on June 2, 2020 [1 favorite]


Not sure if this is on topic anymore, but:

Embracing religious themes, Trump visits John Paul II shrine • AP News; Jonathan Lemire, Jill Colvin, and Darlene Superville; 2 June 2020 •
President Donald Trump toured a Catholic shrine on Tuesday in his second straight religious-themed appearance [...] Critics said the president was misusing religious symbols for partisan purposes. The White House said Trump and first lady Melania Trump were observing a “moment of remembrance,” laying a wreath in a quiet visit to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine. [...]

Washington Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory said he was “baffled” by Trump’s visit to the shrine and called it “reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles, which call us to defend the rights of all people even those with whom we might disagree.”
He's shameless in targeting his base.
posted by ZeusHumms at 11:13 AM on June 2, 2020 [11 favorites]


Former Commanders Fault Trump’s Use of Troops Against Protesters (NYT)
Retired senior military leaders condemned their successors in the Trump administration for ordering active-duty units on Monday to rout those peacefully protesting police violence near the White House. [...] Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote on Twitter that “America is not a battleground. Our fellow citizens are not the enemy.” And Gen. Tony Thomas, the former head of the Special Operations Command, tweeted: “The ‘battle space’ of America??? Not what America needs to hear … ever, unless we are invaded by an adversary or experience a constitutional failure … ie a Civil War.” [...] Earlier in the day, Mr. Esper joined the president’s call with governors and said, “We need to dominate the battlespace” — a comment that set off a torrent of criticism.

[...] The Air Force’s top enlisted airman took to Twitter to express his anger. “Just like most of the Black Airmen and so many others in our ranks … I am outraged at watching another Black man die on television before our very eyes,” Kaleth O. Wright, the chief master sergeant of the Air Force, said in a Twitter thread, citing the names of black men who died in police custody or in police shootings. “I am George Floyd … I am Philando Castile, I am Michael Brown, I am Alton Sterling, I am Tamir Rice.”
posted by katra at 11:15 AM on June 2, 2020 [11 favorites]


Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., doesn’t stop at cameras here on the Hill. Told reporters he’s already “said too much.”

He is apparently referring to his statement this morning, when he said, "If your question is, Should you use tear gas to clear a path so the president can go have a photo opp, the answer is no."
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 11:33 AM on June 2, 2020 [20 favorites]


Those same Republicans could have removed Trump from power scant few weeks ago, but chose not to, so if it's starting to dawn on them that he's sinking their party, all I can say is, good.

They've known it all along. "I haven't seen the tweet" has been said more times in DC over the last five years than "Go Nats". They know that no reporter is going to call them liars to their faces, and there will be a fresh new issue in three days anyway.
posted by Etrigan at 11:39 AM on June 2, 2020 [10 favorites]


Zeushuman :He's shameless in targeting his base.

Except the Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition crowd hate Catholics almost as much as they hate Muslims. Episcopalian are next on the list of pagan infidels that can’t be trusted.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 11:52 AM on June 2, 2020 [9 favorites]


This googledoc rounds up some information/timing/location for BLM protests in Canada.
posted by Rumple at 11:54 AM on June 2, 2020 [3 favorites]


Except the Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition crowd hate Catholics almost as much as they hate Muslims.

Less true than it used to be; there's a weird rightwing ecumenicalism of intolerance featuring the likes of Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney. I've always found the willingness of Mormon and Catholic (and a few Jewish) conservatives to sign onto the Republican agenda perplexing: these guys have to know, based on the evidence of the last century or so, that if the right wing establishes their dreamed-of theocracy, they aren't getting a seat at the table.
posted by jackbishop at 12:03 PM on June 2, 2020 [8 favorites]


I won't say that TPTB in Miami are doing the right thing, but they are making some effort to deescalate and distance themselves from Trump, despite being mostly Republicans.

A BOP riot squad showed up overnight, supposedly to "help" on the streets. They were told to go home and most apparently are being sent away. BOP has kept some in the area, claiming they are only being used inside Federal facilities in the area. Whether the imported accelerationist narrative is true or not it seems to have created a desire to avoid escalation on the part of the city and the protesters here.
posted by wierdo at 12:06 PM on June 2, 2020


TPTB = the powers that be
BOP = Bureau of Prisons

I think?
posted by mediareport at 12:09 PM on June 2, 2020 [1 favorite]


Sorry, yes, someone in the federal government thought it would be appropriate to deploy Bureau of Prisons riot squads on city streets. Thankfully not everyone is as stupid as Trump.
posted by wierdo at 12:12 PM on June 2, 2020 [4 favorites]


And Bill Barr is taking the fall [Twitter link] for ordering the gassing of peaceful protesters in DC so Trump could have his photo op.
posted by wierdo at 12:27 PM on June 2, 2020 [5 favorites]


The Political Elites’ Pointless Calls for More Leadership:
A demand for More Leadership is essentially meaningless without substance or denoting any particular kind of action at all. It tells us nothing about what sort of solutions you want your leaders to enact, or even what problem you really want to solve. It’s a half-step more sophisticated than saying someone should do something about all the problems. This is why Swisher’s proposal is so poor: It would accomplish little more than shine people on that something was being done. A bipartisan group of former presidents Saying Something would give the false impression that Saying Something is all that needs to happen for us to make change or simply move on. The fires might be put out for a time, but the kindling would remain.
posted by Ouverture at 12:29 PM on June 2, 2020 [7 favorites]


>Embracing religious themes, Trump visits John Paul II shrine

>He's shameless in targeting his base.


His base are evangelicals and he's not worried about their support. Here he's targeting suburban white women that he's been losing - yesterday Episcopals and today Catholics.
posted by JackFlash at 12:31 PM on June 2, 2020 [6 favorites]


And Bill Barr is taking the fall [Twitter link] for ordering the gassing of peaceful protesters in DC so Trump could have his photo op.

He's not taking the fall, he's bragging. He saw in the Republican Senators' feckless dodging of the question that he won't face the slightest consequence from them, so he's taking the credit so Trump knows that Barr is still a loyal soldier.
posted by Etrigan at 12:34 PM on June 2, 2020 [21 favorites]


Another Republican senator who has no problem with Trump's actions: Arkansas' Tom Cotton, who tweeted that Trump should deploy the 101st Airborne. (That's the same division that Eisenhower sent to desegregate Little Rock's Central High School in 1957.)

Cotton also tweeted that military should give 'no quarter' to 'Antifa terrorists.' Lawyers were quick to point out that no quarter orders are a war crime.
posted by box at 12:39 PM on June 2, 2020 [14 favorites]


Fair point, Etrigan, but it does open up the possibility of future consequences given his admission. Sadly, there are far more contingencies between here and there for me to have much confidence that consequences can be imposed. I have a small amount of hope given that at least a few officers in some cities are seeing consequences for their actions. It's not enough, by any means, but it is more than we have seen in the past.
posted by wierdo at 12:42 PM on June 2, 2020 [1 favorite]






And Bill Barr is taking the fall

NYT is saying that Hope Hicks hatched the plan to go to the church. Bill Barr executed security for the operation.

Yes, Hope is back again.
posted by JackFlash at 12:58 PM on June 2, 2020 [3 favorites]


Hicks was re-hired in February and returned to the White House in March; she was meant to be working out of Kushner's office and focusing on the fall election. (Trump looks to Hope Hicks as coronavirus crisis spills over, Politico, April 29, 2020) Hicks also thought Trump should be the center of the daily coronavirus task force meetings.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:09 PM on June 2, 2020 [4 favorites]


Riots, White Supremacy and Accelerationism (Daniel Byman, Lawfare, Jun. 1, 2020)
Accelerationism relies on a spiral of violence, and law enforcement must redouble efforts to ensure that white supremacists do not fan the flames. This involves increased efforts to disrupt white supremacist networks, monitor their activities to the extent the law allows, and ensure that resources and legal authorities are sufficient to confront the danger. It also requires educating law enforcement officers about white supremacist groups and making sure that the public is aware that white supremacist violence will not be tolerated—an important step toward reassuring communities that see Floyd’s death as yet another sign that the police cannot be trusted.

The task, however, goes beyond law enforcement. For accelerationism to succeed, traditional politics must fail. Dialogue, compromise, and steady (if often too slow) progress are its enemies.
Peaceful George Floyd protests around the US – in pictures (Guardian), As chief of police, I knelt for George Floyd to show the people I serve that black lives matter (Eric S. Clifford, NBC News Opinion), Los Angeles police take a knee with Floyd demonstrators (AP), U.S. senator wants defense bill to ban use of military against peaceful protests (Reuters), U.S. lawmaker prepares bill aiming to end court protection for police (Reuters)
posted by katra at 1:21 PM on June 2, 2020 [6 favorites]


A Minneapolis councilmember on the MPD (excerpts from his Twitter thread - read the entire thing):

The Police Federation should not be thought of as a union. ... Instead, they distort hard-earned labor laws to defend indefensible behaviors. ..The crisis we’re in this week has been an implied threat hanging over the city during union negotiations, discipline proceedings, and budget hearings for years. ... Politicians who cross the MPD find slowdowns in their wards. ... We pay dearly for public safety: $195 million a year plus extensive, expensive legal settlements. That should buy us more than a protection racket ...

What people in the streets have won is a permanent, generational change to the mainstream view of policing.... several of us on the council are working on finding out what it would take to disband the MPD and start fresh with a community-oriented, non-violent public safety and outreach capacity ... The whole world is watching, and we can declare policing as we know it a thing of the past, and create a compassionate, non-violent future.

posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 1:29 PM on June 2, 2020 [34 favorites]


As chief of police, I knelt for George Floyd to show the people I serve that black lives matter (Eric S. Clifford, NBC News Opinion)
Los Angeles police take a knee with Floyd demonstrators (AP)


Please stop posting propaganda advancing the "not all cops" bullshit. There is video all over the internet of pigs taking the knee and then brutalizing protesters minutes later.

ACAB. No exceptions.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 1:44 PM on June 2, 2020 [37 favorites]


This article has some concrete, actionable suggestions about what Democrats could do, both at the national and state level. Given their track record on racial justice, and their record as an opposition party during the Trump presidency, I'm not exactly optimistic they'll do any of this. But it's still worth knowing what some policy options are, at least theoretically, in my opinion.

10 Things Dems Could Do Right Now -- If They Actually Wanted To Stop Trump’s Power Grab
posted by davedave at 1:52 PM on June 2, 2020 [10 favorites]


It also requires educating law enforcement officers about white supremacist groups and making sure that the public is aware that white supremacist violence will not be tolerated

snort

If anyone in law enforcement needs educating about white supremacist groups... lets just say they would be spectacularly bad law enforcement professionals even apart from the violence. This is not a training issue, it's a conduct one.

And it's really hard to "make sure the public is aware" of something that isn't true by any objective measure.
posted by ctmf at 1:55 PM on June 2, 2020 [3 favorites]




That reads as akin to
It also requires educating law enforcement officers about white supremacist groups domestic abusers and making sure that the public is aware that white supremacist domestic violence will not be tolerated

In other words, we have to fix the call coming from inside the house first. Expecting a group notorious for white supremacist recruitment/infiltration to police white supremacists is a non-starter. (above and beyond general "enforcing white supremacy as a societal norm", even)
posted by CrystalDave at 2:01 PM on June 2, 2020 [2 favorites]


Interesting Twitter thread from Steve Fletcher, Minneapolis City Councilperson from Ward 3.

A highlight:

"I don’t know yet, though several of us on the council are working on finding out, what it would take to disband the MPD and start fresh with a community-oriented, non-violent public safety and outreach capacity."

The Minneapolis City Council just might be crazy brave enough to try something like this. Remember, this is the crew that passed Minneapolis 2040, ending single-family zoning throughout the city. They lean liberal and definitely open to new ideas. I don't know if it'll go through, but I'm glad to hear that it's being discussed.
posted by Gray Duck at 2:15 PM on June 2, 2020 [25 favorites]


snort

I think the advocacy is about the need to increase awareness about the operation of white supremacy in what some might otherwise see as simply violence, and that there is a need for more people to better understand and respond to the institutionalized racism that fosters and supports the violence. It is one of the main points of these massive protests, and from my view, it doesn't seem funny at all.

In other words, we have to fix the call coming from inside the house first.

Yes.

Please stop posting propaganda advancing the "not all cops" bullshit. There is video all over the internet of pigs taking the knee and then brutalizing protesters minutes later.

In the context of the essay posted in the comment, the idea is that it undermines the campaign of white supremacists. I've also previously noted examples of police using non-militarized tactics, e.g. in Newark and elsewhere, and the point is that there are other ways to respond to the protests. From my view, but not providing legal advice, the fact that alternatives exist means there can and should be civil and criminal consequences for police brutality and violence, as well as other major reforms that legislators are currently working on.
posted by katra at 2:21 PM on June 2, 2020 [12 favorites]




In the context of the essay posted in the comment, the idea is that it undermines the campaign of white supremacists.

The cops are the white supremacists! How is this so hard to understand?
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 2:23 PM on June 2, 2020 [26 favorites]


Aerial photo of George Floyd's memorial at 38th and Chicago.

It's a powerful image. It reminds me how often some site gets designated the "center" of the US for population or geographic center or some such random statistic and they put a marker down to commemorate it. Except this time it's the epicenter for pain and suffering...and hope for change.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 2:33 PM on June 2, 2020 [3 favorites]


Committee to Protect Journalists: At least 125 press freedom violations reported over 3 days of U.S. protests.
Incidents can be submitted to US Press Freedom Tracker which at present has details of incidents up to May 30th.
posted by adamvasco at 2:34 PM on June 2, 2020 [4 favorites]


The cops are the white supremacists! How is this so hard to understand?

Quoted for truth.

It's an objective fact that Black folks in the US (on average) have less income, less wealth, poorer health outcomes, lower life expectancy, worse schools, etc.

What do you think accounts for that?

If you said "a complex patchwork of unjust law and policy"...then you're right, but you haven't connected all of the dots yet.

Who enforces those laws?

When the power structure itself is built to maintain white supremacy (and to make any challenge to it impossible), then the foot soldiers of the power structure are white supremacists.

It's not just about killer cops. I mean, it is about that – very much so. But they're just where the rubber hits the road, so to speak. The tip of a big, ugly iceberg.

The whole damn system is guilty as hell.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 2:38 PM on June 2, 2020 [22 favorites]


I think the advocacy is about the need to increase awareness about the operation of white supremacy

Yeah, katra, I get you but awareness is not the problem. They're aware. They're damn well aware. Some are the white supremacists, some are complicit, and some are afraid to stand up. But there's nobody unaware.
posted by ctmf at 2:38 PM on June 2, 2020 [4 favorites]


(Like, murder cops aren't a bug in an otherwise sound system. They're a feature of the system. They are the system working exactly as intended.)
posted by escape from the potato planet at 2:42 PM on June 2, 2020 [9 favorites]


The cops are the white supremacists! How is this so hard to understand?
Newark, a city of 282,000, is about half African-American, 36 percent Hispanic and 10 percent white. Its police department, which remains bound to a federal consent decree linked to past abuses, is about 84 percent black or Hispanic, officials said.
It's not at all hard to understand, though. We live in a society that is sick with white supremacy, and we have to figure out how, during the Trump Administration, to survive. I don't have the privilege to prioritize pithy slogans over the hard work of undoing centuries of injustice, but I do wish you all the best, because this same-team punching and trying to explain it to me like I'm some kind of stupid obviously works so well.
posted by katra at 2:42 PM on June 2, 2020 [29 favorites]


From a 2018 report on NJ police forces:
[The Newark police] department uses force at higher rate than 255 [other NJ] police departments

Based on population, a black person in Newark is 133% more likely to have force used on them than a white person.

Based on arrests, a black person in Newark is 203% more likely to have force used on them than a white person.

73.5% of the subjects of police force and 76.8% of people arrested in Newark are black
Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 3:03 PM on June 2, 2020 [8 favorites]


Re: police kneeling, it might be useful to recall this tidbit from the DC police attack yesterday before Trump's photo op:

When they knelt — as officers across the country have been doing to show solidarity with demonstrators — the crowd cheered. But protesters soon realized they were kneeling only to put on gas masks.

Minutes later, law enforcement officers fired at the gathered ­masses. Rubber bullets hit protesters who were standing atop a bathroom that had been burned the night before. One person fell from the structure. People ran down 16th Street, trying to flee the chemical canisters spewing gasses that left them coughing. Some stopped running when they started vomiting. Others yelled “Walk! Walk!” in attempts to avoid a stampede.


There are plenty of examples online of cops kneeling and praying with protesters just before attacking them with tear gas. Sometimes it's different cops than the ones kneeling, at another location, sometimes the same cops at the same place a short while later. The cops involved in the example above surely had a good laugh in the locker room taking off their riot gear. So yeah, I'm not an "All Cops Are Bastards" guy, but many, many, many, many are bastards, and posting their public relations photo ops while they crush peaceful dissent might not be received the way you think it will.
posted by mediareport at 3:07 PM on June 2, 2020 [7 favorites]


Mod note: Glegrinof, katra, misc. assembled folks: let's ease back a little and try not to have this escalate into a fight. It's possible to agree on goals, disagree on some of the details, and just have a conversation from a personal perspective (or set it down as an I've Said My Piece thing if that's feeling difficult) and not make the thread a heated personal exchange. Let's do that.
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:10 PM on June 2, 2020 [7 favorites]




When they knelt — as officers across the country have been doing to show solidarity with demonstrators — the crowd cheered. But protesters soon realized they were kneeling only to put on gas masks.

During the Bonus Army Demonstration, when Hoover ordered Douglas MacArthur & George S. Patton to disperse the settlement in Anacostia Flats the demonstrators initially cheered, thinking the army had come out in support of their position, as they were themselves veterans.

Instead the army fired on them, gassed them, and sent bulldozers into the camps. An infant was blinded and someone else killed.
posted by absalom at 3:33 PM on June 2, 2020 [9 favorites]


murder cops aren't a bug in an otherwise sound system. They're a feature of the system. They are the system working exactly as intended

From KRS-One's 1993 song "Sound of da Police":

Now here's a likkle truth, open up your eye
While you're checkin' out the boom-bap, check the exercise
Take the word overseer, like a sample
Repeat it very quickly in a crew, for example
Overseer, overseer, overseer, overseer
Officer, officer, officer, officer
Yeah, officer from overseer
You need a little clarity? Check the similarity!
The overseer rode around the plantation
The officer is off, patrollin' all the nation
The overseer could stop you, "What you're doing?"
The officer will pull you over just when he's pursuing
The overseer had the right to get ill
And if you fought back, the overseer had the right to kill
The officer has the right to arrest
And if you fight back they put a hole in your chest
(Woop!) They both ride horses
After 400 years, I've got no choices
posted by lord_wolf at 3:41 PM on June 2, 2020 [32 favorites]


Mod note: Comment and a couple replies deleted, one reply left up because I think pushback on the sentiment was merited. Please reload to make sure you aren't replying to deleted stuff.
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:49 PM on June 2, 2020 [2 favorites]


From the Minneapolis city council member's twitter thread that was posted earlier:

Politicians who cross the MPD find slowdowns in their wards. After the first time I cut money from the proposed police budget, I had an uptick in calls taking forever to get a response, and MPD officers telling business owners to call their councilman about why it took so long.

2:52 PM · Jun 2, 2020


Remember this tweet over the coming months. When things calm down and go back to whatever passes for normal now, police departments all over the country are going to be doing things like this to extract revenge on anyone who tries to rein in their power or hold them accountable for what's happened this week. Please don't fall for it or let others around you fall for it.
posted by GalaxieFiveHundred at 3:58 PM on June 2, 2020 [52 favorites]


Dan Friedman from Mother Jones
I asked for more details on what agency they are from, if they are detailed to or just temporarily protecting DOJ. They just kept repeating they’re with DOJ. Asked me why I wanted to know.
These guys said they’re with “the federal government.”
these guys say only that they’re with “The Department of Justice.”
Under Armour and sneakers = Private contractors.
posted by adamvasco at 5:16 PM on June 2, 2020 [10 favorites]


Unicorn Riot @UR_Ninja
In a milestone achievement for student organizers, the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education has voted this afternoon to terminate SRO officers inside schools as well as the Minneapolis PD contract.
5:23 PM · Jun 2, 2020·Twitter for Android
10 Retweets 42 Likes
posted by Ahmad Khani at 5:24 PM on June 2, 2020 [15 favorites]


During the Bonus Army Demonstration

TIL. Thanks, absalom.
posted by gwint at 5:30 PM on June 2, 2020 [2 favorites]


Lincoln Memorial epitome of Liberty and rule of Law
Obscured faces and all unit markings and identifiers seemingly removed.
posted by adamvasco at 5:31 PM on June 2, 2020 [5 favorites]


Hundreds of National Guard troops flow into D.C. from around the country (WaPo)
But some states with Democratic governors declined to send National Guard troops. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said he refused for several reasons. “It was not requested by the mayor of Washington D.C.,” he said. [...] And finally, he said: “I am not going to send our men and women in the uniform of a very proud National Guard to Washington for a photo op.” Democratic governors in New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware also turned down requests for National Guard troops. [...] D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said she had not requested any help from outside the city. Bowser said she has been pushing back on Trump’s attempts to deploy thousands, including active duty military, to quell unrest in Washington.” We don’t want the armed National Guard, armed military and we don’t want any of those things on D.C. streets,” she said.
Live updates: Thousands of protesters gather across D.C. on fifth day of demonstrations (WaPo live blog)
The city’s 7 p.m. curfew came and went with no movement by the massive crowd or the massive showing of federal law enforcement officials on the other side of the fencing.

[...] Dagoberto Acevedo, 24, of Fairfax, said he was here on Monday night when the police began to push protesters away from the park. During a skirmish, as officers rushed forward and protesters ran, Acevedo tripped. A federal police officer in riot gear raised his baton, he said. And a boy he didn’t know — just 14, he later learned — threw his body between them.

“After that,” Acevedo said, “I’ll be out here every day trying to help protect people.”
posted by katra at 5:37 PM on June 2, 2020 [6 favorites]


I'm equal parts scared shitless about what's going to happen in D.C. tonight and really upset that I can't go protest.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:44 PM on June 2, 2020 [5 favorites]


Here's a Miami Herald article describing how things escalated in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday night. [TW: graphic photos of an injury caused by a cop shooting a woman in the face with a foam round]

There is zero question that the cops were directly and immediately responsible and that they violated department policy on use of force when they did so. How about "no quarter" for bad cops, you tough guy politicians?
posted by wierdo at 5:46 PM on June 2, 2020 [1 favorite]


Bill de Blasio Has Failed:
De Blasio is one of the most perplexing elected officials in America, incapable of making the right choice even when it’s staring him in the face and everyone is screaming in his ear to just do it. Close the schools. Stay home, don’t go to the gym. And speak up against police brutality, as you did in the past—the police are going to loathe you either way. De Blasio has had a mixed record in office, but he will always be remembered for his cravenness and his stupidity in this moment, when New York needed him most.
Bill de Blasio is a daily living example of just how far gradual electoralism won't get people of color.
posted by Ouverture at 5:55 PM on June 2, 2020 [13 favorites]


Obscured faces and all unit markings and identifiers seemingly removed.
posted by adamvasco at 8:31 PM

... like how Lincoln arrived in Washington

(hey Adam:)
posted by clavdivs at 5:56 PM on June 2, 2020 [3 favorites]


As Roger Murtaugh said..

"I'm getting too old for this shit" (in the middle of a pandemic)

Stay safe and fight on
posted by Windopaene at 6:05 PM on June 2, 2020


Also: 700 members of the 82nd are at Joint Base Andrews and Fort Belvoir. 1,400 more soldiers are ready to be mobilized within an hour. Soldiers are armed and have riot gear. They also were issued bayonets—standard issue but some feel could be inflammatory
posted by adamvasco at 6:06 PM on June 2, 2020 [5 favorites]




wapo is all i've found yet, odinsdream. would welcome more. this feed is no regg inkagnedo.
posted by 20 year lurk at 6:08 PM on June 2, 2020 [1 favorite]


But some states with Democratic governors declined to send National Guard troops.

This is the shit that frightens me. This federal troop deployment is 100x worse then say Detroit, 67'. LBJ looks sane. He said the last thing you want is regular troops policing American cities or to the effect. The transcripts from that time from his library are interesting.

History has proven, when police and civic/ municipality join the protest, it is THE seed to sow for change.
posted by clavdivs at 6:12 PM on June 2, 2020 [2 favorites]


Some streams (usually 9 simultaneous feeds, on rotation) here: https://www.twitch.tv/woke/
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:17 PM on June 2, 2020 [3 favorites]


Some streams (usually 9 simultaneous feeds, on rotation) here: https://www.twitch.tv/woke/

Thanks, I hate it. But actually, thanks.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 6:28 PM on June 2, 2020


Also: 700 members of the 82nd are at Joint Base Andrews and Fort Belvoir. 1,400 more soldiers are ready to be mobilized within an hour. Soldiers are armed and have riot gear. They also were issued bayonets—standard issue but some feel could be inflammatory

worth noting that Twitter thread is chock full of military personnel all saying no the fuck it isn't standard issue
posted by lazaruslong at 6:32 PM on June 2, 2020 [12 favorites]


MOSHPXT and The Zach and Matt Show are both livestreaming from DC right now. (I was able to track them down from the Twitch stream that Ahmad posted.)
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:33 PM on June 2, 2020 [1 favorite]


Why the policing problem isn’t about “a few bad apples”:
Black and brown people experience very different treatment from the police than white people do, and it’s so endemic that the police just can’t help themselves. I thought the most compelling example of that was how differently the CNN reporters were treated in Minneapolis. A white CNN reporter is basically on the same ground, doing the same thing — while cops roll up on the black reporter and arrest him, cops go to the white reporter and say, “We’d like you to move, please,” and he says, “Okay.” But he doesn’t move as far as they would like and they say, “Could you please move some more?” And he says, “Sure.”

The thing that’s so revealing about that is that it all happens on national television, at a rally about excessive force and racist policing. I could just imagine, at the roll call that morning for the officers, when they’re getting their instructions from the sergeant, the sergeant says, “Okay, guys, we know that we’re guarding this rally about police brutality and discriminatory enforcement; let’s not be racist, don’t be racist, it’s really important that we not be racist today.” And they still can’t help themselves.
posted by Ouverture at 6:37 PM on June 2, 2020 [22 favorites]


worth noting that Twitter thread is chock full of military personnel all saying no the fuck it isn't standard issue

Standard issue if this was 1862 maybe.
posted by Justinian at 6:39 PM on June 2, 2020 [5 favorites]


and something called ruptly is streaming from the perimeter at lafayette square. (wapo and MOSHPXT both ended)
posted by 20 year lurk at 6:40 PM on June 2, 2020






Fox5DC is live on the ground in DC (currently showing previous footage but they appear to have at least two reporters reporting live)
posted by katra at 7:05 PM on June 2, 2020 [1 favorite]


Pastors on the steps of St John's Church (Twitter)

“God is always on the side of the oppressed. Mr. President, I promise your hands are too small to box with God.”
posted by Glinn at 7:23 PM on June 2, 2020 [15 favorites]


“Are You Prepared to Kill Somebody?” A Day With One of America’s Most Popular Police Trainers(motherjones)

This is David Grossman. Unicorn Riot have obtained a copy of his training manual The Bulletproof Warrior. From the bio:

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman retired from the Army after 23 years experience in leading US soldiers worldwide. Today he is the director of the Killology Research Group.

...

Col. Grossman is a former West Point psychology, Professor of Military Science, and an Army Ranger who has combined his experiences to become the founder of a new field of scientific endeavor, which has been termed "Killology."


Just to be clear, killology is a not a science. The rest of the manual is equally perplexing, there's blurry brain scans that prove video games turn children into murderers, bible quotes justifying killing. It's profoundly disturbing, and this guy isn't some fringe whackjob, his seminars are very popular and there's an even chance the LEO you see today has received some of this training.

Thanks to Robert Evans at behindthebastards.com for the links, check out his podcast about the aptly named Grossman. The man that teaches our cops to kill.

Robert is joined by Jack O'Brien to discuss David Grossman, director of the Killology Research Group. More than a hundred police departments, and thousands of police officers, have taken Grossman’s courses over more than twenty years.

posted by adept256 at 7:28 PM on June 2, 2020 [32 favorites]


worth noting that Twitter thread is chock full of military personnel all saying no the fuck it isn't standard issue

Also reports of soldiers refusing to report for duty.
posted by mediareport at 7:32 PM on June 2, 2020 [9 favorites]


From The Guardian: "The FBI found no indication of antifa involvement in Sunday’s violence, according to reporting in the Nation."
The FBI report, however, states that “based on CHS [Confidential Human Source] canvassing, open source/social media partner engagement, and liaison, FBI WFO has no intelligence indicating Antifa involvement/presence.” The statement followed a list of violent acts like throwing bricks at police and the discovery of a backpack containing explosive materials, which were flagged by the FBI under a “Key Updates” section of the report.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 7:35 PM on June 2, 2020 [10 favorites]




"Killology."

what the fuck
posted by andraste at 7:37 PM on June 2, 2020 [15 favorites]


Chant directed at cops at the Oakland protest: "QUIT YOUR JOB!"
posted by mediareport at 7:38 PM on June 2, 2020 [11 favorites]


Steve King just lost his primary. Happy fucking day in IA. One of my wife's best friends, she lives in his district so I sent her a hearty congratulations now that she won't be represented by an overt white supremacist.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 7:40 PM on June 2, 2020 [42 favorites]


what the fuck

Just like the weapons, vehicles, and tactics, the ideology behind white supremacist empire will always come back home.
posted by Ouverture at 7:42 PM on June 2, 2020 [4 favorites]


Here's a google doc with livestreams from all around the country. It's updated frequently. Or, at least, the person maintaining it will be doing so all night.
posted by davedave at 7:46 PM on June 2, 2020 [3 favorites]


There's a standoff between police and protesters happening on New York's Manhattan Bridge right now - protesters who came walking over the bridge from Brooklyn have been met with a huge wall of cops on the Manhattan side, saying that they can't leave the bridge because it's after curfew. This has been going on for an hour now.

There are police on the Brooklyn side too, but it's unclear whether they will allow people to get off the bridge on that side. Police have also been reported to be blocking access to subways, and Uber and Lyft have also ceased operations because of the curfew.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:46 PM on June 2, 2020 [5 favorites]


So Blackwater is trending on twitter with speculation that Private Military Contractors Mercenaries are being deployed in DC. Anyway to verify this either way? Is there any mechanism where mercenaries can legally patrol the streets of America?
posted by Mitheral at 7:49 PM on June 2, 2020 [4 favorites]


I can't think of a more blatant example of kettling than blocking both ends of a bridge.
posted by adept256 at 7:51 PM on June 2, 2020 [18 favorites]


Anyway to verify this either way?

It's only speculation because there are feds with no identification being deployed and they're either not disclosing who they represent or saying they answer to the DOJ.

So it's either going to be US Marshalls, some form of USM, or PMCs. Given Erik Price (brother of Betsy DeVos) has been skulking around the halls of the White House it's entirely plausible Academi is the source.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 7:53 PM on June 2, 2020 [5 favorites]


WUSA9 also live on the ground in DC.
posted by katra at 8:03 PM on June 2, 2020


Please don't link directly to images – it removes the context.

That one came from Martha Raddatz's Twitter feed (she's with ABC).

FWIW, someone claiming to be former Air Force says: "Guys, their name tags are under the Kevlar. Branches are easily identifiable based on their uniforms and ranks. They are all displaying Air Force ranks"

And they definitely have insignia if you zoom in, although I don't know what they are.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 8:06 PM on June 2, 2020 [1 favorite]


Mod note: One comment removed; if there's not enough to link to any verification of a thing, please hold off on just saying a thing happened. Shit's scary and bad stuff is plausible but the internet can also churn up lots of bullshit out of confusion or malintention, let's not be a vector for it if we can help it.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:11 PM on June 2, 2020 [3 favorites]


These are the presumptive mercenaries that are trending on my twitter; not the guys occupying the Lincoln Memorial.
posted by Mitheral at 8:14 PM on June 2, 2020 [3 favorites]


This is the breaking story about a police shooting in Brooklyn. and this is the video on twitter that purports to show it. Information is sparse but there is official confirmation of an officer involved shooting and one death.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 8:16 PM on June 2, 2020 [1 favorite]


These are the presumptive mercenaries that are trending on my twitter; not the guys occupying the Lincoln Memorial.

Saw speculation earlier (sorry, i've lost the tweet) that those are Bureau of Prison guys.
posted by sporkwort at 8:23 PM on June 2, 2020






Reverend describes being pushed out from church for Trump photo-op(cnn youtube)

Rev. Gini Gerbasi, the rector at St. John's Episcopal Church of Georgetown, said she was at the scene when police fired smoke canisters and pepper balls to disperse the crowds so that President Donald Trump could walk over to the church and take photos.

So he wasn't invited to be there, didn't ask permission to be there, and violently expelled the clergy to be there.
He had to get the Reverend out of the way with mounted police and grenades. She was treating people effected by tear gas. So he could take a photo holding a bible.

I can't even. Is smiting still a possiblity? Jesus wept.
posted by adept256 at 10:04 PM on June 2, 2020 [38 favorites]


Is there any mechanism where mercenaries can legally patrol the streets of America?

Barr controls the DoJ, Betsy DeVos is the lead mercenary's sister, and the Supreme Court's independence was broken once former justice* Kennedy's son handed the president* billion-dollar loans via Deutsche Bank. Congress is mostly quiet and neutered. All the gears are in motion for mercenaries to take over the United States.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 11:26 PM on June 2, 2020 [13 favorites]



Is there any mechanism where mercenaries can legally patrol the streets of America?

no, unless you mean mass deputization on a county level.

So the Education secretary and her brother are going to control the streets and schools of America? (rhetorical)

pacing in this thunderstorm I picked this out


'Still the sirens'

Still the sirens
stitch the night air with terror —
pierce hearing’s membranes
with shrieks of pain and fear:
still they weave the mesh
that traps the heart in anguish,
flash bright bars of power
that cage memory in mourning and loss.

Still sirens haunt the night air.

Someday there will be peace
someday the sirens will be still
someday we will be free.

-Denis Brutus, 'poetry and protest':1989
(from my copy that Denis read from in 06' when I met him)
posted by clavdivs at 11:52 PM on June 2, 2020 [7 favorites]


Chaos in downtown Portland rn follow @IWriteOK on twitter (Robert Evans) for updates.
posted by gucci mane at 11:59 PM on June 2, 2020


@GrahamBrookie, Twitter, June 1: For those keeping score at home:

The President refused to invoke the Defense Production Act to mobilize and save lives quickly against COVID-19.

But he didn't hesitate to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act to deploy the military on American streets against protests.

[Brookie is the director and managing editor of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab; he's also been a National Security Council staffer and an Obama aide]
--

Senator Elizabeth Warren, her husband Bruce Mann, and their dog Bailey joined protestors outside the White House today: "She briefly paused after a protestor asked her why President Trump had the military positioned there."Because he’s wrong," said Warren, who was wearing mask. "He is imposing violence on our people. People are here to protest peacefully." [...]

"Warren was one of many lawmakers to condemn the show of force from law enforcement [last night]. She also called for Attorney General William Barr's impeachment after reports surfaced that he had ordered the removal of demonstrators. "The President of the United States tear-gassed peaceful protestors in order to clear the way for a useless photo-op outside the White House—just after vowing to activate the military against our own people," Warren said on Twitter Monday. "Lives and our democracy are in danger."" (The Hill, June 2, 2020)
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:22 AM on June 3, 2020 [19 favorites]


I'm watching the Woke twitch, and they've got a couple of people who are streaming from above the police from their apartments in Seattle, as well as some down on the street. That was an insane amount of tear gas they shot at the crowd (and was thrown back at them.) There was no warning given that I heard, but now they are ordering people to disperse. They also have 40+ police on bicycles who are rushing in after the tear gas volleys to arrest.

The sight from above of the police formed up on the rainbow painted crosswalks on Capital Hill is surreal.
posted by Catblack at 12:28 AM on June 3, 2020


CatBlack: There was maybe one or two water bottles lobbed from the back of the protest side, and that kicked off tear gas (source: was watching the stream all evening, since it's ... 3 miles? 4 miles? away). It was pretty damn disproportionate, for sure.

That said, watching the later parts of the stream from media streamers on the ground... it was less violent than I've come to expect. A low bar, but it seems the SPD may only have scuffed their heel on it, stepping over.
posted by ChrisR at 12:32 AM on June 3, 2020


I have linked below two rolled tweet threads by Jared Sexton of The Muckrake regarding the cult of white supremacy that has permeated this country in its current form since long before the Civil War, and is the main contributor to attacks on protesters fighting for black civil rights.

Sexton was raised in this cult, escaped it, and researched it for an upcoming book, American Rule: How A Nation Conquered The World But Failed Its People. I know many people know him on MetaFilter, but I hadn't seen these two links shared here yet.

Link 1

Link 2
posted by droplet at 12:43 AM on June 3, 2020 [14 favorites]


More in food news: If the Building Burns, Well, We’ll Figure It Out
Amid the protests in Minneapolis, Tomme Beevas has turned his restaurant into a hub for protection and supplies.

posted by mumimor at 1:07 AM on June 3, 2020 [5 favorites]


Racist death threats in Minneapolis and the community standing together against it.


"Neighbors were targeted with letters threatening to burn down their homes if they didn't take down their Black Lives Matter signs"

I am still shockable apparently.
posted by Salamandrous at 2:19 AM on June 3, 2020 [8 favorites]


Remember this tweet over the coming months. When things calm down and go back to whatever passes for normal now

I've seen a few "looks like Sarah Kendzior called it after all..." in Twitter circles I wouldn't have expected, these last two days - so here's today's episode of Gaslit Nation, with her and Andrea Chalupa's take on the coming months...
posted by progosk at 3:44 AM on June 3, 2020 [2 favorites]




Elizabeth Warren, her spouse, and her dog were able to walk right up to St. John's church and talk to the protestors, no tear gas (or any other kind of gas that causes people to fall down unable to see or breathe) necessary.
posted by hydropsyche at 4:50 AM on June 3, 2020 [9 favorites]


Elizabeth had to ask herself, would Trump gas a dog?

I mean, you'd hope not.
posted by adept256 at 5:02 AM on June 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


Apologies if I get the facts wrong, as Twitter baffles me even at the best of times....

So, as I understand it, ordinarily the fans of various K-Pop groups go berserk trying to promote hashtags supporting their favorite bands, trying to drive up traffic and make those hashtags "trending". But this weekend, they've all decided to use their Twitter power in service of Black Lives Matter instead - by all agreeing to table their fan activity and promote the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag instead. They've also spammed a Dallas crime tips app when they heard it was soliciting "illegal activity" at the protests, and when white supremacists started promoting the hashtag "WhiteLivesMatter", they stepped in and used it to promote their favorite K-Pop bands, thus rendering the hashtag effectively meaningless.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:53 AM on June 3, 2020 [23 favorites]


Bailey Warren: I’m a dog. i showed up. Trump licked his butt in a bunker
posted by Flannery Culp at 6:12 AM on June 3, 2020 [5 favorites]


So, as I understand it, ordinarily the fans of various K-Pop groups go berserk trying to promote hashtags supporting their favorite bands, trying to drive up traffic and make those hashtags "trending". But this weekend, they've all decided to use their Twitter power in service of Black Lives Matter instead
I believe they were responsible for Blue Lives Matter trending this morning.
Nothing but pictures of Squirtle and Crazy Frog.
posted by fullerine at 6:17 AM on June 3, 2020 [14 favorites]


So, as I understand it, ordinarily the fans of various K-Pop groups go berserk trying to promote hashtags supporting their favorite bands, trying to drive up traffic and make those hashtags "trending". But this weekend, they've all decided to use their Twitter power in service of Black Lives Matter instead

Politics make strange bedfellows. So far this week, police radio frequencies in Chicago have been jammed with "Chocolate Rain" and "Fuck The Police," courtesy of a newly-resurgent Anonymous. Dallas published an app meant for (illegal) anonymous reporting of protester activity, which Kpop promptly flooded and DOSed completely. Pat Robertson denounced Trump for not acting Christ-like. All we need now is for Eurovision to start crank-calling Mitch McConnell late at night, and the summoning ritual will be complete.
posted by Mayor West at 6:59 AM on June 3, 2020 [35 favorites]


Minneapolis & Outside Agitators - Naomi Kritzer; June 3, 2020
In summary: the protests are not remotely the result of outside agitators. The Minneapolis police are terrible and there’s years of fury built up at their ability to just abuse people for no reason and with no consequences. The arsons, on the other hand: Minneapolis residents are furiously angry about the murder of George Floyd, but they are not burning down Black neighborhoods in response. That’s being done by outsiders.
posted by ZeusHumms at 7:03 AM on June 3, 2020 [20 favorites]


Your Childhood Pet Rock: "Anyone who wants to match my $27 would be greatly appreciated. Do nothing Democratic Party members like Engel have to go."

Late to the party but challenge accepted, with love and solidarity from Minneapolis.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 7:05 AM on June 3, 2020 [2 favorites]


Copied from elsewhere:

Why did the chicken cross the road?

For a photo op in front of St. Johns.
posted by Catblack at 7:20 AM on June 3, 2020 [45 favorites]


I don't think it is a winning strategy for Trump to be arguing with the press about the exact chemical composition of the gas while he reminds everyone over and over that "Trump gassed his own people."
posted by JackFlash at 7:50 AM on June 3, 2020 [11 favorites]


Particularly when the crux of the argument seems to be, "no, we didn't use tear gas, we used something worse, so stop calling it tear gas".

Compared to CS or CN gas, the OC gas in question also causes swelling the mucus membranes lining your airways so you can't breathe. Rather on the nose, giving the triggering event here.

Here's an old DOJ document explaining the differences.
posted by bcd at 8:03 AM on June 3, 2020 [6 favorites]


@LilNasX the time has arrived
Mike Hixenbaugh @Mike_Hixenbaugh · 19h
Cheers rose up from the crowd as these dudes rolled up. Clip-clip-clip-clop.
Protesters ride through Houston on horseback (NYT, Jun. 2, 2020)
A group of men on horseback rode through downtown Houston today in a peaceful protest of George Floyd’s death.
/obligatory
posted by katra at 8:09 AM on June 3, 2020 [16 favorites]



Here's an old DOJ document explaining the differences.


that DOJ document describes it as beneficial that OC causes more pain for "compliance" by "agitated" subjects than CS or CN

weaponized capsaicin should only used defensively as a less-lethal weapon when someone's life or limb is genuinely threatened, not as an area denial weapon to protect property or ffs on legal civilian protestors or fucking bystanders.
posted by lalochezia at 8:21 AM on June 3, 2020 [11 favorites]


Add this to the "upside of property destruction" ledger:

@PhillyNewsGuy: #BREAKING Statue of former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo has been removed from the Municipal Services Building less than a week after Mayor @JimFKenney said he is expediting its removal. @CBSPhilly #RizzoStatue

Philadelphians of a certain age will remember Rizzo as Philly's Rudy Giuliani, but somehow more racist and brutal toward people of color.
posted by tonycpsu at 8:27 AM on June 3, 2020 [9 favorites]


legal civilian protestors or fucking bystanders.

I like the phrase, "Unarmed non-combatants." As in, "The violent police thugs began the riot by firing rifles and grenades at unarmed non-combatants"...
posted by mikelieman at 8:29 AM on June 3, 2020 [14 favorites]


@robwormald [twitter thread]
Lots of military aircraft flying above the United States at this moment. I'm a bit of a plane geek so here's some things that might be interesting / useful / fucking dystopian.

~50 at the moment. Some of these are prob routine flights, but some of them are pretty much not
posted by the man of twists and turns at 8:54 AM on June 3, 2020 [4 favorites]


Minneapolis Police Use Force Against Black People at 7 Times the Rate of Whites (NYT)
About 20 percent of Minneapolis’s population of 430,000 is black. But when the police get physical — with kicks, neck holds, punches, shoves, takedowns, Mace, Tasers or other forms of muscle — nearly 60 percent of the time the person subject to that force is black. And that is according to the city’s own figures. [...] All of that means that the police in Minneapolis used force against black people at a rate at least seven times that of white people during the past five years.

[...] The disparities in the use of force in Minneapolis parallel large racial gaps in vital measures in the city, like income, education and unemployment, said David Schultz, a professor at Hamline University in St. Paul who has studied local police tactics for two decades. “It just mirrors the disparities of so many other things in which Minneapolis comes in very badly,” Mr. Schultz said.
Police marching with protesters: how some cities got it right and others didn't (Guardian, Jun. 2, 2020)
In Camden, police officers train in simulators that include racial bias testing, and commanders watch body-camera footage regularly and analyze officer behavior. Last year, the Minneapolis commissioner, John Harrington, who oversees community policing, even consulted with the Camden police to learn their protocols.

But truly reforming the police often takes more than training, said Sam Sinyangwe, a data scientist and activist who co-founded Campaign Zero, a platform which tracks the impact of police violence and possible solutions. “Even if you have a police chief or mayor who cares, they don’t always have the power to hold the officers accountable,” he said. There are a few policies that Sinyangwe said the evidence supports. There is not enough data, Sinyangwe said, to say that anti-bias training and classes are a solution. Instead, he points to strong restrictions on how police can use force, curbing the military-grade weapons distributed to the police and cracking down on police union contracts.

There is also an increasingly important conversation about defunding the police, which lawmakers such as Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez have resurfaced this week. The $6bn New York police department, for example, is bigger than the city’s budget for many housing, education and health initiatives.
posted by katra at 9:02 AM on June 3, 2020 [15 favorites]


"God give him strength! He’s doing a Jericho walk!’”
How the fuck do you even begin to deal with this level of insanity? (spoiler - Florida):
“My mother started crying. She comes from Pentecostal background, and she started speaking in tongues. I haven’t heard her speak in tongues in years,” he said. “I thought, look at my president! He’s establishing the Lord’s kingdom in the world.”
posted by adamvasco at 9:33 AM on June 3, 2020 [5 favorites]


Esper breaks with Trump, opposes using military for protests (AP)
Esper said the Insurrection Act, which would allow Trump to use active-duty military for law enforcement in containing street protests, should be invoked in the United States “only in the most urgent and dire of situations.” He declared, “We are not in one of those situations now.”

[...] Esper, in his Pentagon remarks, strongly criticized the actions of the Minneapolis police for the incident last week that ignited the protests. In their custody, a black man, George Floyd, died after a white officer pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for several minutes. Esper called the act “murder” and “a horrible crime.”
'It just doesn't seem right': Pentagon officials on edge over military leaders' dealings with Trump (Politico, Jun. 2, 2020)
Defense Department officials say they are increasingly uncomfortable with the more prominent role the U.S. military is playing in tamping down violent protests breaking out all over the U.S., and the growing tendency of the president to call on the troops for domestic missions ranging from border security to law enforcement. [...] But a Republican congressional staffer and combat veteran, who asked for anonymity to speak freely, said the damage may already be done. Esper and Milley “have squandered the moral legitimacy of a nearly 245-year-old institution in a single farcical late spring promenade,” the staffer said. “They have no honor and to hell with them both."
posted by katra at 9:39 AM on June 3, 2020 [14 favorites]


(The two threads from Jared Sexton that droplet linked above are really, really worth reading.)
posted by LooseFilter at 9:46 AM on June 3, 2020 [3 favorites]


But a Republican congressional staffer and combat veteran, who asked for anonymity to speak freely, said the damage may already be done. Esper and Milley “have squandered the moral legitimacy of a nearly 245-year-old institution in a single farcical late spring promenade,” the staffer said. “They have no honor and to hell with them both."

It's hard to disagree. It's also hard to read their comments any differently than all those times when, say, Susan Collins expressed "deep concern" about Trump and then votes to do whatever she just expressed "deep concern" about.

The best way to express your sincerely held concerns about doing something sketchy is to not do that thing.
posted by tobascodagama at 9:50 AM on June 3, 2020 [25 favorites]


But a Republican congressional staffer and combat veteran, who asked for anonymity to speak freely, said the damage may already be done. Esper and Milley “have squandered the moral legitimacy of a nearly 245-year-old institution in a single farcical late spring promenade,” the staffer said. “They have no honor and to hell with them both."
posted by katra at 9:39 AM on June 3 [1 favorite +] [!]


In addition to the other descriptives, this man is a coward who lacks the strength of his alleged convictions. This is not the time nor the situation to ask for anonymity IMO.
posted by OHenryPacey at 9:52 AM on June 3, 2020 [8 favorites]


Fuck all of these anonymous memoir writers. Resign, obstruct, or fight back you damn cowards.
posted by benzenedream at 9:59 AM on June 3, 2020 [11 favorites]


The more voices speaking out, the more supported and comfortable people will feel speaking out under their own names.

It's very difficult to be a trailblazer. It's much easier to sign something that you have heard supported by multiple other people, even anonymous ones. I welcome all administration voices opposing our current corrupt regime.
posted by Ahniya at 10:07 AM on June 3, 2020 [11 favorites]


A saying from the Xerox generation, maybe: "There's one typewriter, and a thousand copiers."

I'm glad to hear Rizzo's statue is being taken down earlier than planned. I hope the mural in the Italian Market goes, next. We had a recent thread on this, and the culture of violence he pushed upon black Philadelphians as police commissioner in the late 70s ultimately lead to the city dropping a bomb on an entire neighborhood block.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:17 AM on June 3, 2020 [5 favorites]


But a Republican congressional staffer and combat veteran, who asked for anonymity to speak freely, said the damage may already be done. Esper and Milley “have squandered the moral legitimacy of a nearly 245-year-old institution in a single farcical late spring promenade,” the staffer said. “They have no honor and to hell with them both."

It's telling that the American military's moral legitimacy had been preserved during centuries of war crimes and millions of PoC deaths (including against indigenous people in America), but it was squandered in one night when that force was deployed against American citizens, especially white ones.

Better late than never and all that, but damn.
posted by Ouverture at 10:39 AM on June 3, 2020 [26 favorites]


The Rizzo statue was always so maddening because of Kenney's insistence that it was extraordinarily difficult to remove for... reasons... (like he literally said it was bolted down like lol dude someone in an F150 pickup could pull that thing down, bolts aren't magic and you don't need to find a wizard to cast an anti-bolt spell) but once protesters started descending on Center City every day for a week, it suddenly got removed overnight in like an hour. Time and time again, people have to push very, very hard against ostensibly friendly elected officials in order to make said elected officials do literally the easiest thing imaginable to placate at least some of the protesters, and time and time again said elected officials fail the test miserably.

But hey, Nikil Saval beat Farnese in the primary, so that's something.
posted by Automocar at 10:42 AM on June 3, 2020 [15 favorites]


From Buzzfeed, "The DEA Has Been Given Permission To Investigate People Protesting George Floyd’s Death":
The Drug Enforcement Administration has been granted sweeping new authority to “conduct covert surveillance” and collect intelligence on people participating in protests over the police killing of George Floyd, according to a two-page memorandum obtained by BuzzFeed News.

[...]

Attorney General William Barr issued a statement Saturday following a night of widespread and at times violent protests in which he blamed, without providing evidence, “anarchistic and far left extremists, using Antifa-like tactics,” for the unrest. He said the FBI, DEA, US Marshals, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives would be “deployed to support local efforts to enforce federal law.”

Barr did not say what those agencies would do, however.
And here is the link to the 2-page memorandum. An excerpt (all typos mine):
Under 21 U.S.C. §878(a)(5), however, the Attorney General is authorized to designate DEA to perform other law enforcement duties as he may deem appropriate. Accordingly, in order for DEA to assist to the maximum extent possible in the federal law enforcement response to protests which devolve into violations of federal law, DEA requests that it be designated to enforce any federal crime committed as a result of protests over the death of George Floyd. DEA requests this authority on a nationwide basis for a period of fourteen days.

If this request is granted, DEA Special Agents and Task Force Officers will, as necessary: (1) conduct covert surveillance and protect against threats to public safety; (2) share intelligence with federal, state, local, and tribal counterparts; (3) if necessary, intervene as Federal law enforcement officers to protect both participants and spectators in the protests; and (4) if necessary, engage in investigative and enforcement activity including, but not limited to, conducting interviews, conducting searches, and making arrests for violations of Federal law.
Trump is bad but largely incompetent; Barr is bad but also apparently very competent. He's doing exactly what he said he'd do: directing every resource under DOJ jursidiction against the protestors.
posted by mhum at 10:45 AM on June 3, 2020 [26 favorites]


Lots of military aircraft flying above the United States at this moment.

Even if the aircraft aren't military, it's draining and unpleasant to have them circling overhead all day. This is a screenshot of what the CHP plane was doing all day. I didn't screenshot the path of the OPD helicopter that was up too, but it was much the same.
posted by Lexica at 10:51 AM on June 3, 2020 [2 favorites]




(CNN)President Donald Trump sought to explain his presence in an underground White House bunker during clashes outside the residence on Friday as an "inspection," rather than a retreat for his own safety, telling a radio interviewer Wednesday he was only in the safe room for a "tiny" amount of time.
"They said it would be a good time to go down and take a look because maybe sometime you're going to need it," Trump said, casting the episode as an appraisal of his security logistics rather than an emergency.


Just a tiny amount of time. For an inspection. Presumably to make sure there were Sharpies and legal pads and bottled water at every seat -- just in case.

He's such a tiny little man with an outsized Napoleon ego. He will lie about even the tiniest threats to his manhood.
posted by JackFlash at 11:20 AM on June 3, 2020 [19 favorites]


Seven days in Minneapolis: a timeline of what we know about the death of George Floyd and its aftermath ( MinnPost | Greta Kaul | 05/29/2020 ) Updated through Mon. June 1.
posted by ZeusHumms at 11:33 AM on June 3, 2020 [3 favorites]


Donald Trump sought to explain his presence in an underground White House bunker during clashes outside the residence on Friday as an "inspection," rather than a retreat for his own safety, telling a radio interviewer Wednesday he was only in the safe room for a "tiny" amount of time.

Trump's obvious lie verifies how stung he is at how the world perceives his cowardice. Good.

"They said it would be a good time to go down and take a look because maybe sometime you're going to need it," Trump said, casting the episode as an appraisal of his security logistics rather than an emergency.

Even his lie is a tell of his cowardice, implying as it does that "a good time" to assess the bunker coincides with the protest near the White House.
posted by Gelatin at 11:41 AM on June 3, 2020 [5 favorites]


Mod note: Gentle suggestion, let's consciously keep the focus on the protests and the police violence stuff, and not drive off toward the well-worn "trump sucks" path.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 11:46 AM on June 3, 2020 [6 favorites]


An excellent thread by Boots Riley on how closely connected capitalism is to racism:
Because the source of the crime isn’t in the Black communities other POC communities, or even White working class communities- the source of the crime is on 5th ave, in Bel Air, and silicon valley.

But, since the racist ideas about Black people and other POC- as I laid out above- are necessitated by capitalism, the job of the police in the Black community is functionally one of a combatant against the community.
My biggest hope is that more people are able to connect their anti-racism with anti-capitalism and anti-imperialism in order to make real changes in the lives of people of color in America and abroad.
posted by Ouverture at 11:55 AM on June 3, 2020 [29 favorites]


Customs and Border Patrol predator drone performing surveillance over Minneapolis. Which is totally fine and part of their regular operations according to CBP spokesperson.
"... CBP AMO [Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations] routinely conducts operations with other federal, state, and local law enforcement entities to assist law enforcement and humanitarian relief efforts. AMO carries out its mission nationwide, not just at the border, consistent with federal laws and policies. During humanitarian missions AMO regularly deploys the unmanned aircraft system to assist FEMA in assessing hurricane affected areas, in coordination with the National Weather Service to capture imagery of storm impacted areas, and with federal, state and local partners to conduct search and rescue missions, in addition to its law enforcement mission," the spokesperson added.
So if a hurricane breaks out or someone goes missing CBP is on the job and ready to help.

He will lie about even the tiniest threats to his manhood.

The man can't help lying. The Washington Post has revealed a double whammy of Trump committing voter fraud by registering to vote with an out of state address (a felony people have been charged with in Palm Springs where Trump is registered), and then by correcting his paperwork to list Mar-a-lago as his residence. The problem is he agreed in writing when Mar-a-lago was converted to a private club from a residence he agreed no one would live there and no one would be permitted to stay more than 21 days spread over 3 nonconsecutive stays. (Trump has stayed there dozens of times accumulating over a 100 days at the club since becoming president).
posted by Mitheral at 11:57 AM on June 3, 2020 [14 favorites]


boots is a treasure. I got to meet him and Tom morello on a social justice living wage tour thingy they did back in....2007? 2008? Great guy.
posted by lazaruslong at 12:07 PM on June 3, 2020 [6 favorites]


Political Polls @PpollingNumbers
"Do you think the anger that led to these protests are justified?"
Justified 78%
Not Justified 18%

"Given the events around George Floyd, including the burning on a police precinct is..."
Justified 54%
Not Justified 38%

National @MonmouthPoll
3:08 PM · Jun 2, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
3.8K Retweets 9.5K Likes
posted by Ahmad Khani at 12:27 PM on June 3, 2020 [23 favorites]




Just something to keep in mind from the last Republican administration:

Rumsfeld: Looting is transition to freedom
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:34 PM on June 3, 2020 [15 favorites]


"Given the events around George Floyd, including the burning on a police precinct is..."
Justified 54%
Not Justified 38%


HOLY SHIT
posted by Automocar at 12:35 PM on June 3, 2020 [16 favorites]


"Given the events around George Floyd, including the burning on a police precinct is..."
Justified 54%
Not Justified 38%

HOLY SHIT


That's what I came here to say. And also: fuck yes.
posted by schadenfrau at 12:39 PM on June 3, 2020 [15 favorites]


The armed forces guarding the newly enlarged perimeter around the White House can't be identified. So, perhaps one should ask the DC police who those unidentified armed forces are? No, you don't understand: The DC Police (or at least whoever is running their Twitter feed) don't know either. All they can say is "The officers in the video are not members of our agency. They appear to be with Federal Law Enforcement."
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 12:44 PM on June 3, 2020 [11 favorites]


It is a mendacious rephrasing of the actual poll!

B7A. Given what happened, do you think the actions of the protestors were fully justified, partially justified, or not at all justified?

Fully justified 17%
Partially justified 37%
Not at all justified 38%
(VOL) Depends on which protests 4%
(VOL) Don’t know 1%
Not aware [of protests] (from B7) 3%
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 12:51 PM on June 3, 2020 [5 favorites]


you are probably correct that there would a lower positive response if the poll had simply asked if burning down the precinct was justified. however, the poll itself specifically mentions the burning in the immediately preceding question: Have you heard about the protests across the country, including the burning of a police precinct in Minneapolis, in reaction to a recent incident where a black man died when a police officer kneeled on his neck, or have you not heard about this?

Monmouth's own write-up at your link phrases it in a similarly 'mendacious' fashion: Only 17% of the public says that the actions of protestors, including the burning of a police precinct, sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police are fully justified, but another 37% say they are partially justified.

the majority indicated that actions including burning a police precinct can, in principle, be justified. like, under what circumstances would a majority of people indicate that actions including burning down a hospital or fire station could be justified?
posted by logicpunk at 1:19 PM on June 3, 2020 [2 favorites]


Yeah, it's really not cool to lump "completely justified" and "partly justified" as simply "justified". Let's look at the real good news from this poll:
A majority of Americans (57%) say that police officers facing a difficult or dangerous situation are more likely to use excessive force if the culprit is black, compared to one-third (33%) who say the police are just as likely to use excessive force against black and white culprits in the same type of situation. The current findings represent a marked change in public opinion from prior polls. In a poll of registered voters taken after the police shooting of Alton Sterling in Louisiana in July 2016, just 34% said blacks were more likely to be subject to excessive force while 52% said they were just as likely as whites. In December 2014, after a grand jury declined to indict a New York City police officer in the chokehold death of Eric Garner, the results were 33% more likely and 58% just as likely."
Protests work.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 1:21 PM on June 3, 2020 [3 favorites]


It is a mendacious rephrasing of the actual poll!

The traditional mantra of pollsters is that if you allow them to formulate the questions, they can deliver any result you want to hear. Changing the questions post facto is doing this on the easy setting.

Right now tens of millions of Americans have lost their livelihoods in the last few months. If you polled a representative sample of the population and asked, “Should there be more financial aid for those in danger of losing their homes?” and you got 75% giving some degree of support, it would be disingenuous to publish that as “75% support increasing welfare payments.”
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:22 PM on June 3, 2020 [2 favorites]


the majority indicated that actions including burning a police precinct can, in principle, be justified.

I can't agree with your reading. The words "in principle", or anything at all similar, are not present in the wording of the question or the possible responses. "Partially justified" means "partially justified", not "can be justified in principle".

This is not a rhetorical point. I am not saying this because I enjoy dunking on the anti-police protesters or police abolition. But we need to be clear about just how many other Americans actually believe that burning the precinct building was justified, not just how many we hope would believe it. If the majority of Americans really do agree with burning down a police precinct in this instance, then we should seize the opportunity and press for major policing changes, up to and including abolition. But if only 17% of Americans think that way, then we still have a lot of work to do on the ground level.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 1:39 PM on June 3, 2020 [3 favorites]


Fuck. The New York. Times.
Individual journalists are not responsible, they're not uniformly awful and a damned sight less awful than things like WSJ, etc etc but first we have the garbage headlines of the past few days and now they're platforming Tom Cotton? COME ON
posted by peakes at 1:51 PM on June 3, 2020 [17 favorites]


I can't agree with your reading. The words "in principle", or anything at all similar, are not present in the wording of the question or the possible responses. "Partially justified" means "partially justified", not "can be justified in principle".


I'm not going to defend the poll itself or how the questions were presented - I will agree that throwing in the precinct burning with other actions sheds more heat than light.

I'd guess that most people consider certain acts to be completely unjustifiable - there is no set of circumstances under which performing the act could be even partially justified, i.e., they cannot be justified in principle.

But if something can be partially justified, than it is justifiable. Justifiability is yes/no. The words "in principle" don't have to appear verbatim.
posted by logicpunk at 2:07 PM on June 3, 2020


From Obama.org: Anguish and action
We work to help leaders change their world—and the world needs changing. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the loss of far too many Black lives to list, have left our nation anguished and outraged. While now is a time for grief and anger, it is also a time for resolve. Find resources below to learn what you can do to create a more just and equitable world.
Includes link to MBK Alliance Town Hall livestream (YouTube)
President Obama joins Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, President of Color of Change Rashad Robinson, Minneapolis City Council Representative Phillipe Cunningham, and MBK Columbus Youth Leader Playon Patrick, in a conversation moderated by Campaign Zero co-founder Brittany Packnett Cunningham.
posted by ZeusHumms at 2:25 PM on June 3, 2020 [2 favorites]


Obama is being the sage elder we need right now. The man knows how to put things in perspective and give us hope that things aren't just going to shit.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 2:31 PM on June 3, 2020 [4 favorites]


On Unicorn Riot: The Tiny Media Collective That Is Delivering Some of the Most Vital Reporting from Minneapolis (The New Yorker)
Unicorn Riot—its members claim they chose the cryptic name for its pure euphony—does reporting across the country, but it was founded in a particular powder keg. “Minneapolis has a very contentious past with the police,” Niko Georgiades told me. A citizen of the city, Georgiades and six colleagues founded the horizontally organized group in March of 2015. That November, a black man named Jamar Clark was shot to death by the Minneapolis Police Department, and Unicorn Riot’s ground team covered the reaction to the killing—and the subsequent shooting of Black Lives Matter protesters by white supremacists—twenty hours a day. In 2016, outside of St. Paul, a police officer shot and killed a black man named Philando Castile at a traffic stop, within forty-five seconds of approaching his car. Unicorn Riot covered the Clark and Castile deaths in a way that earned local respect: these are not haughty correspondents parachuting in but people tethered to the community. Though Georgiades often goes into the field alone, he is rarely a solitary presence. This past Friday, he was shooting video in the smoldering streets when he happened upon a familiar source. At the end of the interview, she said, “I love you,” and he said, “I love you, too.” These are not connections or exchanges you can see on CNN or terrestrial local-news stations.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 2:34 PM on June 3, 2020 [24 favorites]


This has been an active afternoon!

The charges against Chauvin have been elevated to Murder II
The other three ex-officers have been detained and charged with aiding and abetting murder
The ACLU has filed a class-action lawsuit against the Minneapolis Police Department on behalf of journalists who were targeting and attacked.
A Minneapolis woman has filed a class-action lawsuit against the City of Minneapolis on behalf of peaceful protestors who were injured by MPD officers who sprayed chemical irritants out of moving cars.
The Minneapolis Park Board (Minneapolis parks are governed by an autonomous group, it's kind of weird) is likely to vote to cut ties with the MPD. Word is that Park Police will become Park Rangers.
Minneapolis Public Schools severs ties with the Minneapolis Police Department by unanimous vote (okay this happened last night, not this afternoon)

I gotta say it was a good day
posted by Gray Duck at 2:35 PM on June 3, 2020 [42 favorites]


Your Childhood Pet Rock: “Obama is being the sage elder we need right now. The man knows how to put things in perspective and give us hope that things aren't just going to shit.”
I turned it off after he both-sidesed for the cops.
posted by ob1quixote at 2:47 PM on June 3, 2020 [12 favorites]


I turned it off after he both-sidesed for the cops.

Yeah, that's classic Obama for you. He's the best president of my lifetime so far, no contest, but that doesn't make his compulsive centrism any less frustrating.
posted by tobascodagama at 2:51 PM on June 3, 2020 [19 favorites]


He didn't both sides the cops. He acknowledged that a portion of cops do want things to change and do better. He didn't say all police. He didn't say what they've done is good.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 3:06 PM on June 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


He looks for consensus where people can agree. That's how he works. That's how he built his whole coalition. It's vulnerable to one side being completely obstinant but he is nothing but consistent in trying to at least listen to the concerns of as many stakeholders as possible.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 3:07 PM on June 3, 2020 [12 favorites]


I turned it off after he both-sidesed for the cops.

This was posted today by a local, rural police chief here in Maine.
posted by anastasiav at 3:14 PM on June 3, 2020 [3 favorites]


I have marched at too many protests against police brutality (and war crimes) during the Obama years to feel anything other than deep antipathy, disgust, and distrust towards him and any other leader who thinks reforms are all we need.

As I posted earlier, please do not think more leadership is what we need:
The liberal amnesia over Bush (and his father) should not obscure how little the other former presidents might have to offer here. Barack Obama was president when Michael Brown’s killing led to the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and when Freddie Gray’s death at the police’s hands led to unrest in Baltimore. (At the time, Obama condemned the “criminals and thugs” who looted and destroyed property in Baltimore.) Obama was undoubtedly a better leader than Trump, in both actions and words. It’s very likely that Trump’s predecessor, with his more humane rhetoric and his soothing voice, is exactly the leader that people are imagining, if only because the obvious contrast lives so rivetingly in our short-term memory.

Yet Obama’s statesmanship did not save those lives or the lives of unarmed black people who have been shot by police since then. His ability to speak and make the nation listen did not make the cops listen—which should tell you something about the limitations of the bully pulpit. The solution to this crisis is not to cry out for a leader to quiet the disruption. It’s for the protesters to get what they want. That means throwing this current crop of so-called leaders out, not asking for them to sing us back to sleep.
posted by Ouverture at 3:18 PM on June 3, 2020 [23 favorites]


"Rumsfeld: Looting is transition to freedom"

You really need to read this paragraph to get the full irony:
"While no one condones looting, on the other hand, one can understand the pent-up feelings that may result from decades of repression and people who have had members of their family killed by that regime, for them to be taking their feelings out on that regime," he said. "And I don't think there's anyone in any of those pictures ... (who wouldn't) accept it as part of the price of getting from a repressed regime to freedom."
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 3:34 PM on June 3, 2020 [40 favorites]


> Esper breaks with Trump, opposes using military for protests (AP)

Esper, on thin ice with the White House, reverses decision on troop deployments
Defense Secretary Mark Esper abruptly reversed a decision to order active-duty troops home from the national capital region on Wednesday, capping a roller-coaster eight hours that have raised new questions about whether the beleaguered Pentagon chief will keep his job.
Military acronym of the day:

MRE: Meatloaf Ready to Eat
posted by tonycpsu at 3:42 PM on June 3, 2020 [5 favorites]


As I posted earlier, please do not think more leadership is what we need

THANK YOU

I am so fucking tired of this call for more leadership. It is so pervasive. I am not singling out Biden here, just the most recent example, but I tried to start watching some speech or ad by him recently and the first line was something like

"America is crying out for leadership"

and I literally said out loud in my bathroom 'fuck you' and closed the video.

I am not in need of leadership thank you. There's about a million people out there in the streets being interviewed by people like Unicorn Riot that seem like pretty fucking good leaders to me. America is crying out for JUSTICE.
posted by lazaruslong at 3:50 PM on June 3, 2020 [81 favorites]


here, take all my favorites
posted by Ahmad Khani at 4:00 PM on June 3, 2020 [6 favorites]


James Mattis Denounces President Trump, Describes Him as a Threat to the Constitution (The Atlantic)

“Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people—does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us,” Mattis writes. “We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.”
posted by valkane at 4:09 PM on June 3, 2020 [15 favorites]


Esper, on thin ice with the White House, reverses decision on troop deployments

This, combined with the NYPD unions asking Trump to send in the military, has me more scared than I've ever been. More than when it looked like we were going to war with Iran, which was...Christ that was this year, wasn't it.

He's got 5 months to bring the military completely to heel, and he's already got them on the ropes. And if the officers who do oppose him resign, he'll have plenty of Dominionist nazis to promote in their place, because we fucking let Dominionist nazis in the fucking military.
posted by schadenfrau at 4:20 PM on June 3, 2020 [9 favorites]


If it's on the tip of your tongue: Jim Mattis, the Marine general who resigned as secretary of defense in December 2018 to protest Trump's Syria policy. Mattis is pro-demonstrations: Trump's former defense secretary Mattis blasts president as a threat to American democracy (USAToday, June 3, 2020)

Mattis took particular aim at the White House's decision on Monday to forcibly clear protesters from a park in front of the White House, so that Trump could walk across the street and pose with a Bible in front of a historic church, saying it was an abuse of power. Noting his own oath to uphold the Constitution when he first joined the military, Mattis wrote: "Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens – much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside."

He said the protesters are "rightly demanding" equal justice under the law and urged Americans not to be distracted by a small number of "lawbreakers" who have used the protests to engage in looting and other violence. "It is a wholesome and unifying demand – one that all of us should be able to get behind," Mattis said. "The protests are defined by tens of thousands of people of conscience who are insisting that we live up to our values—our values as people and our values as a nation."
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:24 PM on June 3, 2020 [10 favorites]


I mean, ok, but he resigned. Can't do shit now. And there are currently troops with no military insignia or badges in the capitol who refuse to identify themselves or say who they report to.
posted by schadenfrau at 4:34 PM on June 3, 2020 [5 favorites]




Mod note: Quick note that there is a post specifically about Mattis's statement now, so probably any in-depth discussion should go there. And a general reminder on that front to try not to let this wander too far into the weeds of tangential Trump admin or election or etc. news; obviously some of that still connects but we don't this turning into a catch-all thread rather than staying focused on Floyd, Minneapolis, protests, etc.
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:57 PM on June 3, 2020 [5 favorites]


Statement from Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (The Carter Center is based in Atlanta), June 3, 2020. In part:

Since leaving the White House in 1981, Rosalynn and I have strived to advance human rights in countries around the world. In this quest, we have seen that silence can be as deadly as violence. People of power, privilege, and moral conscience must stand up and say “no more” to a racially discriminatory police and justice system, immoral economic disparities between whites and blacks, and government actions that undermine our unified democracy. We are responsible for creating a world of peace and equality for ourselves and future generations.

We need a government as good as its people, and we are better than this.
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:26 PM on June 3, 2020 [15 favorites]


If you, like me, didn’t know much about the new abolitionist movement, you might find this twitter thread of articles about abolishing the police and prisons as interesting, as, I did.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:17 PM on June 3, 2020 [8 favorites]




Evidence mounts of far-right extremists' violent chicanery at police protests around the nation.
posted by adamvasco at 6:51 PM on June 3, 2020 [10 favorites]


They appear to be with Federal Law Enforcement.

FLE. Revolting.

Those are Nazis.
posted by sexyrobot at 7:30 PM on June 3, 2020 [2 favorites]


And the Trump campaign just changed his MAGA hats to camo and is now referring to supporters as the "Trump Army." Totally not concerning at all.
posted by adamvasco at 7:32 PM on June 3, 2020 [5 favorites]


That camo hat's been in the Trump store for a bit (on the second page of "newest to oldest" hats). The choice of a black male model for the "Cops for Trump" hat strains belief.
posted by Iris Gambol at 7:41 PM on June 3, 2020 [3 favorites]


It's 31th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre today.

Resurfaced Trump interview about Tiananmen Square massacre shows what he thinks of protests

Mr Trump gave an interview with Playboy magazine that was positioned as a tease of a future in politics. He said wasn't impressed with the Soviet Union or former President Mikhail Gorbachev, who lost control of Russia because he didn't have a "firm enough hand".

When asked by Playboy writer Glenn Plaskin if he meant a "firm hand as in China", Mr Trump said the Chinese government almost blew it when students poured into Tiananmen Square.

"Then they were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength," he said.

"That shows you the power of strength. Our country is right now perceived as weak... as being spit on by the rest of the world."


Yeah, Playboy. It figures.

In another thread I made a little list of the years we've had in 2020:

1998 - impeachment
1919 - pandemic
1929 - depression
1967 - civil rights protests

And we're only six months in, what could be next? 1989? How many more years can 2020 go on for?
posted by adept256 at 7:45 PM on June 3, 2020 [19 favorites]


At least according to Revelation 13:5 we only have three more weeks of Trump's shit.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 7:47 PM on June 3, 2020 [8 favorites]


Hennepin County Folks - there is a signature drive to recall Mike Freeman at 34th and Dupont (the Unitarian Church). Runs until 7pm daily. Try to bring your own pen.

South Minneapolis earlier today.

A collection of some of the art commemorating George Floyd that's appeared on boarded up Uptown Businesses (okay, techncally Hennepin, Lyndale, and Nicollet from about 24th to Lake Street).
posted by dinty_moore at 7:47 PM on June 3, 2020 [7 favorites]


1998 - impeachment
1919 - pandemic
1929 - depression
1967 - civil rights protests

And we're only six months in, what could be next? 1989? How many more years can 2020 go on for?


1814 - Burning of White House
1850 - President dies in office of GI disorder
1861 - Civil War
posted by benzenedream at 8:04 PM on June 3, 2020 [6 favorites]


If you wanna make cops turn on each other for the betterment of humanity, just make cop pension funds liable for unlawful use of force judgments by their beneficiaries.
posted by aramaic at 8:07 PM on June 3, 2020 [55 favorites]


NYT sources are burning bridges.

Couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of fascist adjacents.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 8:10 PM on June 3, 2020 [20 favorites]


Seven reforms needed now to loosen the grip of the Minneapolis Police Federation on the city it is holding hostage • Javier Morillo; Minnesota Reformer; June 3, 2020

It's somewhat specific to Minneapolis, but could inspire ideas appropriate for other communities.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:10 PM on June 3, 2020 [7 favorites]


And we're only six months in, what could be next? 1989?

I'm hoping history steals some trends from 2006-2008 myself.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:11 PM on June 3, 2020


The New York City Public Advocate position is second in line to the mayorship. Today our Public Advocate, Jumaane Williams, tweeted -

I can't believe what I just witnessed & experienced. The force used on nonviolent protestors was disgusting. No looting/no fires.Chants of "peaceful protest"

@NYPDnews
was simply enforcing
an ill advised curfew
What happened was completely avoidable

I'm so ashamed of
@NYCMayor


ASHAMED. That seems like a really big deal.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:55 PM on June 3, 2020 [9 favorites]


Something beautiful and positive. Chills. Crying.

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday Live in Washington, DC

0 views, I just found this in a random thread on reddit. People marching and singing.
posted by loquacious at 10:12 PM on June 3, 2020 [7 favorites]


Can someone help me archive that last link? I'm trying to figure out how to trigger the archive.org link for backup or some other mirror host. Thank you. It's sooooo good.
posted by loquacious at 10:15 PM on June 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


On the less positive side, unmarked riot geared and refusing to self identify forces in DC from Bureau of Prisons. (Fed BoP)


https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/unmarked-police-officers-dc-riots-bureau-of-prisons-riot-squads/65-bc1c42a7-b05b-490c-9dab-eebb1b1bba20


(Broadcast TV link!)
posted by loquacious at 10:29 PM on June 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


NYT sources are burning bridges.

It took me embarrassingly long to figure out that there were not, in fact, bridges on fire in NYC.
posted by Margalo Epps at 10:29 PM on June 3, 2020 [28 favorites]


Lean on Me on the streets in DC.

Music and song is power.

Chanting is marching.

Dance is unity and strength.

STAY THE FUCK UP AND STRONG.
posted by loquacious at 11:27 PM on June 3, 2020 [3 favorites]


A Moment of National Shame and Peril—and Hope

"To even the casual observer, Monday was awful for the United States and its democracy. The president’s speech was calculated to project his abject and arbitrary power, but he failed to project any of the higher emotions or leadership desperately needed in every quarter of this nation during this dire moment. And while Monday was truly horrific, no one should have been surprised. Indeed, the moment was clarifying in so many ways.

So, what is to be done? At nearly the same moment that Americans were being beaten near the White House on behalf of their president, George Floyd’s brother Terrence Floyd visited the site of George’s murder. Overcome with grief and anger, he loudly upbraided the crowd for tarnishing his brother’s memory with violence and looting. And then he told Americans what to do: vote. “Educate yourselves,” he said, “there’s a lot of us.” So, while June 1 could easily be confused with a day of shame and peril if we listen to Donald Trump, if instead we listen to Terrence Floyd, it is a day of hope. So mark your calendars—this could be the beginning of the change of American democracy not to illiberalism, but to enlightenment. But it will have to come from the bottom up. For at the White House, there is no one home."

"John Allen is president of the Brookings Institution, a retired U.S. Marine Corps four-star general, and former commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces in Afghanistan."

posted by anastasiav at 11:30 PM on June 3, 2020 [6 favorites]


The armed forces guarding the newly enlarged perimeter around the White House can't be identified. So, perhaps one should ask the DC police who those unidentified armed forces are? No, you don't understand: The DC Police (or at least whoever is running their Twitter feed) don't know either. All they can say is "The officers in the video are not members of our agency. They appear to be with Federal Law Enforcement."

By the way, DC police have had nothing to add on Twitter to this cryptic assessment from 12+ hours ago. Yeah, we are in a timeline where an unidentifiable armed force is surrounding the White House and it is like the ninth-biggest story of the day. But remember when Obama wore a tan suit and Fox ran it as breaking news for seventeen days?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:52 AM on June 4, 2020 [24 favorites]


Garrett Haake, the MSNBC reporter who tweeted to DC 5-0 in the first place, seems to have some sources that they are Bureau of Prison and possibly “19th special forces group airborne.”

This is fine.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:59 AM on June 4, 2020 [4 favorites]


By the way, DC police have had nothing to add on Twitter to this cryptic assessment from 12+ hours ago. Yeah, we are in a timeline where an unidentifiable armed force is surrounding the White House and it is like the ninth-biggest story of the day. But remember when Obama wore a tan suit and Fox ran it as breaking news for seventeen days?

Were it not for the fact they wouldn't bother to enforce the law, I'd suggest that some DC resident should make a complaint about a suspicious group of armed men surrounding the WH who are not actively identifying themselves but are in breach of DC open carry rules.
posted by jaduncan at 3:35 AM on June 4, 2020 [20 favorites]


50 Protest Murals in the Twin Cities: plywood washing on boarded windows.

There's been some chatter about somehow preserving these windows for the future. I'm sure that some institution will give them a good home. For now, the art's on the streets.
posted by Gray Duck at 5:14 AM on June 4, 2020 [8 favorites]


Gray Duck (an excellent MN username) - the MN historical society has said they have their curators working on it.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 5:33 AM on June 4, 2020 [3 favorites]


I dunno. Prison guards surrounding the White House sounds long overdue to me.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 6:50 AM on June 4, 2020 [13 favorites]


Were it not for the fact they wouldn't bother to enforce the law, I'd suggest that some DC resident should make a complaint about a suspicious group of armed men surrounding the WH who are not actively identifying themselves but are in breach of DC open carry rules.

Quite a few have in the responses to Haake’s original tweet to the DC police. My best guess for the lack of further action is that it is connected to the District’s peculiar jurisdictional subjugation to the federal government.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:54 AM on June 4, 2020 [1 favorite]


Apparently Trump is now building a wall around the White House.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:20 AM on June 4, 2020 [7 favorites]


Apparently Trump is now building a wall around the White House.

Such a fearsome little man...
posted by mumimor at 7:31 AM on June 4, 2020


If you wanna make cops turn on each other for the betterment of humanity, just make cop pension funds liable for unlawful use of force judgments by their beneficiaries.

If memory serves me correctly, to do so one would have to do away with the odious "qualified immunity" doctrine SCOTUS created out of thin air to shield police from accountability. (Which of course and predictably encourages bad behavior.)

Given the authority that citizens delegate to police, they should be more, not less, vigilant about respecting citizens' Constitutional rights, and there should be no tolerance at all for police acting deliberately to violate those rights.
posted by Gelatin at 7:36 AM on June 4, 2020 [8 favorites]


Apparently Trump is now building a wall around the White House.

Gods below, what a coward.
posted by Gelatin at 7:37 AM on June 4, 2020 [8 favorites]


They're building a green zone?
posted by Slackermagee at 7:47 AM on June 4, 2020 [6 favorites]


The linked video of the fencing is on 17th St, just west of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, part of the White House complex. The building is huge and sits between 17th St and the White House. I'm not bothered by the fencing, except that they are positioning it to block half the sidewalk. There are literally thousands of more significant issues. Specifically in terms of the protests near the White House: the violence used against peaceful protesters, and closing down increasingly large previously public areas. I'd be fine with 50 foot clear fencing around the entire White House complex as long as the areas outside the fence remained open.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:12 AM on June 4, 2020 [1 favorite]


You mean all this time we could have erected a few miles of wire fencing around Trump instead of messing with 3,145 km of US border wall?
posted by Mitheral at 8:25 AM on June 4, 2020 [21 favorites]


(The two threads from Jared Sexton that droplet linked above are really, really worth reading.)
posted by LooseFilter at 9:46 AM on June 3 [3 favorites +] [!]

This is an interesting commentary on that. (Not really, it's an interview with James Baldwin, but it confirms some of Jared Sexton's theory. It's also very much of it's time)
posted by mumimor at 9:48 AM on June 4, 2020 [3 favorites]


They're building a green zone?

Karl Sharro: "US politicians believe so much in equality that they treat the US like they would a foreign country."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:58 AM on June 4, 2020 [7 favorites]


Hasan Minhaj of Patriot Act (and formerly of The Daily Show) has some strong words. (YouTube link)
posted by lauranesson at 10:07 AM on June 4, 2020 [7 favorites]


You mean all this time we could have erected a few miles of wire fencing around Trump instead of messing with 3,145 km of US border wall?

I'm vaguely reminded of this joke.
posted by jackbishop at 10:26 AM on June 4, 2020 [3 favorites]


“I realized that when I was very young—that whatever he was looking at, wasn’t ME.”

Holy shit, that Baldwin interview is from 1960 and his insights, verbatim, remain true to this day.

We must do better than this.
posted by LooseFilter at 10:33 AM on June 4, 2020 [5 favorites]


that Baldwin interview is from 1960 and his insights, verbatim, remain true to this day.

As does MLK's Letter from Birmingham Jail, written in 1963, before I was born.

We must do better than this.

Which is what King was saying more than 50 years ago.
posted by Gelatin at 10:41 AM on June 4, 2020 [4 favorites]


Minnesota Public Radio is carrying special coverage of George Floyd's memorial service right now.
posted by ZeusHumms at 11:06 AM on June 4, 2020 [7 favorites]


It's on the CBS local affiliate too.
posted by pianoblack at 11:10 AM on June 4, 2020 [3 favorites]




well, that's one campaign promise come true--he's building a wall to protect americans from criminals and rapists.

More the reverse, I'd say.
posted by Gelatin at 11:51 AM on June 4, 2020 [5 favorites]


Movement to defund police gains 'unprecedented' support across US (Guardian)
Government officials have long dismissed the idea as a leftist fantasy, but the recent unrest and massive budget shortfalls from the Covid-19 crisis appear to have inspired more mainstream recognition of the central arguments behind defunding. “To see legislators who aren’t even necessarily on the left supporting at least a significant decrease in New York police department [NYPD] funding is really very encouraging,” Julia Salazar, a New York state senator and Democratic socialist, told the Guardian on Tuesday. “It feels a little bit surreal.”
U.S. spends twice as much on law and order as it does on cash welfare, data show (WaPo)
The Minneapolis agency takes up 30 percent of the city budget, Brooklyn College sociology professor Alex Vitale told the Guardian. “Instead of giving them more money for pointless training programs, let’s divert that money into building up communities and individuals so we don’t ‘need’ violent and abusive policing.”

The tension between funding law enforcement and social services is at the heart of many of the calls for reform. Spending data compiled by Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman for their book “The Triumph of Injustice” underscores the scope of the issue: The United States spends more than twice as much on law and order as it does on cash welfare programs. [...] The coronavirus pandemic exacerbated this dynamic: Cities facing steep revenue declines are trying to decide which services to cut to remain solvent, and mayors are often hesitant to cut law and order spending. However, there are signs that the protests spawned by Floyd’s killing, which have morphed into a national movement against police brutality, are altering this dynamic.
posted by katra at 11:57 AM on June 4, 2020 [18 favorites]


U.S. spends twice as much on law and order as it does on cash welfare, data show (WaPo)

And for all that money, if your house or car get burglarized, the police are likely to shrug and not even attempt to investigate.
posted by Gelatin at 12:33 PM on June 4, 2020 [35 favorites]


Ah, memories. 20 years ago my car was stolen from a poorly lit parking lot in an iffy part of town while I worked late. The responding Minneapolis PD officer shrugged, said someone probably was moving and took it for that, took my information and left. Two weeks later an impound lot called to say "hey, are you going to pick this thing up or not?" It had been recovered within a day or two but MPD never bothered to tell me. I expect not much is different now.
posted by Flannery Culp at 12:44 PM on June 4, 2020 [22 favorites]


Same as when my house was broken into and robbed. The patrolman took forever to show up and then we still had to wait around not touching anything and feeling violated while we waited for the investigator to arrive. They took our statement, bagged some evidence and then told that they'll call some pawn shops and swab for DNA but it's likely that nothing will come of it.

At the time I shrugged it off as there just being a lot of problems but it hit me yesterday that the more obvious conclusion that our tax dollars would have been better spent on things like UBI and rehab than the useless fucking cops. And at least in my case the impression I got was that the police were doing the best they could with the resources they have and wished they could do more.
posted by VTX at 12:57 PM on June 4, 2020 [8 favorites]


George Floyd memorial: family call for 'change to narrative on race' amid sobs and rage (Guardian)
The service began with a scripture reading and a prayer urging healing, accompanied by impassioned calls for reform and a “change to the national narrative on race”.

[...] The family’s lawyer, Benjamin Crump, said at the service that the fight for justice would have to go on “inside the courtroom and outside the courtroom”. It was revealed that Floyd had tested positive for coronavirus in April but Crump said that wasn’t what killed him. “It was that other pandemic that we’re far too familiar with in America, that pandemic of racism and discrimination that killed George Floyd,” he said.
Sharpton decries oppression of black Americans at George Floyd’s memorial: ‘Get your knee off our necks’ (WaPo)
The Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the civil rights organization National Action Network, took the stand at the service to call Floyd’s death emblematic of the oppression black Americans have faced since the nation’s founding. “George Floyd’s story has been the story of black folks,” Sharpton said. “Ever since 401 years ago, the reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed to be, is you kept your knee on our neck. We were smarter than the underfunded schools you put us in, but you had your knee on our neck. We could run corporations and not hustle in the street but you had your knee on our neck.”

“What happened to Floyd happens every day in this country — in education, in health services and in every area of American life,” Sharpton said. “It’s time for us to stand up in George’s name and say ’Get your knee off our necks.’” He said now is the time for sweeping change in America. “There’s a difference between those calling for peace and those calling for quiet,” he said.
posted by katra at 1:04 PM on June 4, 2020 [4 favorites]


if your house or car get burglarized, the police are likely to shrug and not even attempt to investigate

When my house was burgled the police took careful notes. They seemed genuinely excited when they thought they'd found fingerprints. Everyone knew that there was very little hope of finding the thief, but they were sympathetic and seemed to be doing their best.

I don't think it will take a great leap of the imagination to guess my skin colour and socioeconomic status. In my city there have been murders that received less police attention than my break-in.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 1:11 PM on June 4, 2020 [20 favorites]


Joke about the new White House wall all you want, but it reads to me as a sign that much worse is to come.
posted by wondermouse at 1:40 PM on June 4, 2020 [7 favorites]


"Over the past week, against the backdrop of a global pandemic that has further exposed the gross inequalities in our society, and following news of the horrific killings of yet again more African Americans, we have been inspired to see thousands of peaceful protesters speaking out and taking to our streets. This is why we at UCLA are nothing short of outraged to learn that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) had used the Jackie Robinson Stadium parking lot to process arrests of protesters earlier this week. [...]

"For many years, UCLA has leased Jackie Robinson Stadium on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs property near our campus. City agencies have typically asked for our permission as a lessee to allow them to use the parking lot in emergency situations, including as a Los Angeles Fire Department staging site during recent wildfires and as a COVID-19 testing site. In this case, the LAPD sought and received similar permissions from the VA to use the stadium parking lot as a staging area, which we knew about and failed to stop. We were never informed that it would also be used to process arrests. But allowing the LAPD to use the space even for staging during these recent protests was a mistake. Especially disturbing are reports that in the midst of a pandemic, which has already disproportionately harmed communities of color, the arrests on Monday were handled in a way that violated Los Angeles County’s own guidelines on physical distancing and face coverings."

- From "A Violation of Our Values," Campus Update, UCLA Office of the Chancellor, June 3, 2020

Currently, UCLA is putting together a task force on structural racism; "We have already instructed the LAPD that it may not use any property UCLA owns or leases for the purpose of processing arrests and staging until the task force confronts the hard questions, such as, “In what situations, if any, should we permit nearby police departments to ever use our property in response to protests?”"
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:03 PM on June 4, 2020 [8 favorites]


Blue state, blue city:
Breaking: NYS Judge James Burke rules NYPD can now keep anyone (peaceful protestors arrested for curfew and criminal looters) detained for over 24 hours given these are extraordinary times. “It’s a crisis within a crisis", he said. "All writs are denied, BK, BX and manhattan"
posted by Ouverture at 2:09 PM on June 4, 2020 [16 favorites]


When All of This Is Over: On the Narrative of Protest and Progress (R. Eric Thomas, ELLE, Jun. 3, 2020)
I wonder if part of the problem with reaching, or even visualizing, an end is that over and over we're told that we've reached the happy conclusion when really we're being held in place. Take the Los Angeles Insurrection that followed Rodney King's beating at the hands of the police. It took place in South-Central, including Watts, a neighborhood that was also decimated by an uprising in 1968, after Marcus Frye and his mother Rena Frye had an altercation with police. After the Watts uprising, the city formed a commission to investigate the causes of the uprising and to suggest solutions. The 110-page McCone Commission report highlighted decades of institutional racism and subjugation of the Black residents of Watts, resulting in a population already decimated by poverty and racially-motivated police brutality before the uprising began. Among other initiatives, the Commission recommended educational programs, improved police-community ties, increased housing, job-training projects. However, in 1990, 25 years after the uprising in Watts, members of the Commission expressed dismay to the Los Angeles Times that most of their recommendations had not been enacted and prospects for the residents of Watts remained largely as dire. Two years later, the insurrection after the King verdict would again plunge the area into turmoil, prompting George H. W. Bush's speech, which would, 28 years after that, be quoted by Speaker Pelosi during another insurrection.

There is an idea popular in the predominant narrative of the United States—which is to say the narrative almost entirely constructed by the white imagination—that we have moved beyond the struggles of the past. This is particularly true around issues of race, where the work of activists like Martin Luther King, Jr., Angela Davis, and Marsha P. Johnson, and legislation like the Civil Rights Act are defined as plot points hurtling us to a triumphant climax. But the lived experience of many people in this country, across many generations, reflects a different reality. In this reality, the work of those activists and hundreds like them have produced clear positive results but the larger structure of white supremacy and structural oppression remains intact. We can't claim to be in the same story if we aren't heading toward the same end. When we say, "When all of this is over," do we mean the end of a white supremacist society? And if so, how much are we willing to do to get there? How much of the story that we're in are we willing to divest from? And how long are we willing to work for it? The end can't be a return to normal. Normal is where we are.
posted by katra at 2:12 PM on June 4, 2020 [11 favorites]




Blue state, blue city:

NY judge rules NYPD can keep protest detainees over 24 hours:
Judge Burke ruled in favor of the NYPD because of the coronavirus pandemic. "Therefore, I find it is necessary because we are in a crisis caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic which prevents live arraignments, which in turn requires virtual arraignment which causes delay."
Arrested Protesters Say They’re Being Kept In Overcrowded Pens, Fear Coronavirus Could Spread Inside Holding Cells (CBSNY, Jun. 3, 2020)
Activists are criticizing the NYPD, saying the department’s decision to arrest protesters for misdemeanors rather than issuing tickets is creating a potentially life-threatening situation. “Our clients are very worried about that. We have seen that jails have been incubators and epicenters of this virus,” said Corey Stoughton, with the Legal Aid Society.
posted by katra at 2:37 PM on June 4, 2020 [8 favorites]




Klobuchar has a lot of nerve being at George Floyd’s funeral

I agree.

Barring support for a clear platform of police abolition, anti-capitalism, anti-imperialism, and reparations, I do not think any politician should be showing their face at funerals of people killed by white supremacy.

Absolutely perverse and insulting.
posted by Ouverture at 2:41 PM on June 4, 2020 [14 favorites]


The wording in the text of that DeBlasio linked article seems appallingly pro-police... Maybe a better link can be found?
posted by Windopaene at 3:07 PM on June 4, 2020 [6 favorites]


Anyone know how to get a mayor to resign, and then get the new mayor to break the police unions while defunding the shit out of the largest, most terrifying police force in the world? Asking for a city
posted by schadenfrau at 3:13 PM on June 4, 2020 [33 favorites]


An armed and uniformed man fell into formation with the National Guard in downtown Los Angeles; troops spotted irregularities in his clothing and gear, and turned him into the local police early Tuesday morning. The suspect had arrived via Uber, and was dropped off directly across from LAPD HQ. Here's what's catching my eye: some reports note that one of his weapons, an assault rifle, was "a "ghost gun' - a homemade weapon without a serial number" and say he's former military. [In particular, Stars and Stripes has him as an Army vet.]

Other outlets (including Fox) elide those details entirely. And at CBS: "While investigators are still looking into the incident, at this time it does not appear that Mr. Wong intended to harm anyone,” [Los Angeles Police Department Officer Drake] Madison said."
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:35 PM on June 4, 2020 [11 favorites]


In regards to chancellor Block's "A Violation of Our Values" letter quoted upthread. I'm glad that UCLA is going to take action to clarify the purposes it will allow Jackie Robinson Stadium to be used for but it strikes me that UCLA could clean the mess in it's own police department first.
posted by rdr at 3:46 PM on June 4, 2020


WTF, de Blasio? On Saturday the cops arrested his daughter Chiara, for protesting; on Sunday, the NYPD's Sergeants Benevolent Association posted an image of the arrest report, which included her home address, on Twitter -- and still he defends them? It's only making me consider the composition and characteristics of the dirt the NYPD's collected concerning this mayor.
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:50 PM on June 4, 2020 [23 favorites]


Seconding what Windopaene is pointing out, the framing in that link about people turning their back on the mayor is decidedly anti-protester (and I'm not going to quote it here for that reason).
posted by kokaku at 3:55 PM on June 4, 2020 [3 favorites]


Police arrest tactics at protests add to virus risk (Politco)
In New York, Milwaukee, Cincinnati and Washington, D.C., civil rights groups are filing lawsuits and exploring other legal steps if police don’t take measures to protect detained protesters. In these cities, and many more across the country, demonstrators have been held for hours, packed together in cells with little room to social distance or access to running water, civil rights attorneys said. Most have ultimately been released with a summons — leading to demands that police refrain from detaining people when they could give a ticket instead.

[...] More than 100 people arrested in New York City were detained for hours with little access to water to wash their hands and no ability to socially distance, according to one suit filed by Legal Aid Society. Late Thursday, a state judge ruled that police could detain people for more than 24 hours without seeing a judge, saying coronavirus made delays unavoidable. The Legal Aid Society said it was disappointed in the ruling but was holding off on an appeal because there has been some progress made in getting people released swiftly. [...] The ACLU of Ohio, the National Lawyers Guild, the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office and other groups vowed in an open letter Tuesday to hold the police accountable for allowing arrestees to be “exposed to COVID-19 risk.”
posted by katra at 3:57 PM on June 4, 2020 [5 favorites]


A federal jail inmate in New York City died Wednesday after correctional officers sprayed him with pepper spray, the Bureau of Prisons said. Officers sprayed Jamel Floyd, a 35-year-old black man, after he barricaded himself in his cell at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center and broke a cell door window with a metal object, the agency said. (Time, June 4, 2020, AP Reporting) Floyd’s mother said her son suffered from asthma and diabetes and that jail officials were aware of his health conditions. “They maced my son,” Donna Mays told the Daily News. “They murdered my son.” [...]

Floyd died amid a lockdown at federal jails nationwide spurred by protests and violence over the May 25 death of George Floyd and special procedures because the coronavirus pandemic, such as requiring inmates to wear masks.
--
[Six inmates and 40 staff members at this jail have tested positive for coronavirus. In a statement, the BOP said there were no indications Floyd's death was related to coronavirus, and that "[p]epper spray was deployed and Floyd was removed from his cell,” as he was potentially harmful to himself and others. He was later found unresponsive by medical staff; they called an ambulance and also "started life-saving measures." Floyd was pronounced dead at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn.]
--
NY Daily News, June 3, has a source saying Jamel Floyd's death was caused by a heart attack.

--
"A raging white man with Wolverine-style blades caught on video threatening Black Lives Matter protesters on a Queens overpass, then trying to run them down with his SUV, surrendered to authorities Thursday, officials said." (NY Daily News, June 4, 2020) [Video at the link; former neighbors say the 54-year-old's a hard-drinking, anti-government, Facebook-ranting Trump fan who once threatened them with a machete.]
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:54 PM on June 4, 2020 [14 favorites]


AP News, June 4, 2020 - Bail was set at $750,000 each for 3 Minneapolis ex-officers accused of aiding and abetting in death of George Floyd, and defense attorneys are arguing that two of the three officers were "were rookies barely off probation" during the murder: [Thomas Lane's attorney, Earl] Gray said Thursday that all Lane did was hold Floyd’s feet so he couldn’t kick, and he underlined that the criminal complaint says Lane asked Chauvin twice if they should roll Floyd over and expressed concern that Floyd might be in delirium. He said Lane performed CPR in the ambulance.

“What was my client supposed to do but follow what his training officer said? Is that aiding and abetting a crime?” Gray asked.

Gray and [J. Alexander] Kueng’s defense attorney, Tom Plunkett, asked the court for lower bail, saying their clients had been police officers for just four days when Floyd was killed. Police records indicate that while the men were rookies, they had more experience than a handful of days on the force. According to their records, they joined the department in February 2019 and became full officers in December. Minneapolis officers must serve a year on probation and spend time in field training with a more senior officer before they are fully qualified.
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:07 PM on June 4, 2020 [6 favorites]


What was my client supposed to do but follow what his training officer said

Oh, the just following orders defense; let's see how that works.

I can't help but think that Jamel Floyd might still live if BoP staff weren't strutting around DC in tact gear.
posted by Mitheral at 5:18 PM on June 4, 2020 [15 favorites]


sorry all, that was on me for picking that link from the boro park news which, in hindsight, i would expect no less of.

i was actually at the protest and booing myself, and went to look for a link without really reading the first part of the article which i wholeheartedly agree is full of gross framing. I apologize for this lack of judgement and the derail its caused.

I dont endorse their anti-protestor, pro cop shit, or the mayor showing up and opening his mouth at the event.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 5:28 PM on June 4, 2020


worth noting that Twitter thread is chock full of military personnel all saying no the fuck it isn't standard issue

Not only is it not the fuck standard issue, I spent a long time in the military and never once saw an Army-issue bayonnet outside of basic training. The armory at every post I've been on didn't have them. They're not for crowd control even in an active warzone! Literally the only reason there could even conceivably be soldiers being issued bayonnets is if someone who had watched too many movies had given an order to 'send the soldiers with bayonnets'.

*breathes into a paper bag of basically anger*
posted by corb at 6:29 PM on June 4, 2020 [46 favorites]


all Lane did was hold Floyd’s feet so he couldn’t kick, and he underlined that the criminal complaint says Lane asked Chauvin twice if they should roll Floyd over and expressed concern that Floyd might be in delirium. He said Lane performed CPR in the ambulance

As with people who are not cops, that's an argument to make at sentencing.

Under the law (AIUI, IANAL) in states I've lived, the only way out of felony murder is to cease cooperating in the underlying act and immediately notify the authorities, say by broadcasting a call for assistance in stopping a murder in progress over the radio conveniently located on the officer's chest.
posted by wierdo at 6:32 PM on June 4, 2020 [17 favorites]


cop essentially murders 70-year-old man on camera in buffalo

cw: blood, serious injury, likely death
posted by entropicamericana at 7:13 PM on June 4, 2020 [11 favorites]


If Chauvin was responsible for training others, that tells you a whole lot right there.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 7:14 PM on June 4, 2020 [14 favorites]


Official statement on that Buffalo police murder:
Police say a 5th person was arrested during a skirmish with other protesters and also charged with disorderly conduct. During that skirmish involving protesters, one person was injured when he tripped and fell.
I want to be very clear, don't watch that video if you don't want to see someone likely dying. (good time to check your Twitter autoplay settings, for that matter)

Fuck.
posted by CrystalDave at 7:28 PM on June 4, 2020 [6 favorites]


Protesters sue Trump and Barr over ousting from Lafayette Square (Politico)
Several protesters who were forcibly cleared from an area near the White House to make way for a presidential photo-op are suing President Donald Trump and other officials, arguing they violated the protesters' constitutional rights. The protesters, along with the Washington, D.C., chapter of Black Lives Matter, filed the suit against Trump, Attorney General William Barr, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the heads of law enforcement who engaged in a now-famous altercation Monday. [...] They are suing for violation of First Amendment rights to free speech and assembly, as well as Fourth Amendment rights to freedom from unreasonable seizure.
ACLU suing Trump over assault on peaceful protesters near White House (Guardian)
According to a release from the ACLU of the District of Columbia, the lawsuit filed on behalf of Black Lives Matter DC and individual protesters accuses Trump and the other officials are accused of “violating their constitutional rights and engaging in an unlawful conspiracy to violate those rights”. The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the law firm of Arnold & Porter also filed the suit.

[...] Scott Michaelman, the legal director for the ACLU of the District of Columbia, said: “The president’s shameless, unconstitutional, unprovoked and frankly criminal attack on protesters because he disagreed with their views shakes the foundation of our nation’s constitutional order. “And when the nation’s top law enforcement officer becomes complicit in the tactics of an autocrat, it chills protected speech for all of us.” Ben Wizner, the director of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, said lawsuits would be filed across the US, where “law enforcement armed with military weaponry are responding with violence to people who are protesting police brutality.”
posted by katra at 7:31 PM on June 4, 2020 [7 favorites]


Erie County Executive says the man is in stable condition.
I've seen videos of the incident in front of Buffalo's City Hall in which an older protester appears to have been shoved by police, fell backwards and suffered a serious head injury. It sickens me. I've confirmed he is at ECMC in stable condition. My thoughts are with him now.

posted by Brainy at 7:40 PM on June 4, 2020 [8 favorites]


Please Stop Showing the Video of George Floyd’s Death (Melanye Price, NYT Opinion, Jun. 3, 2020)
I don’t know if it’s ethical, though, to repeatedly show and share what are essentially snuff films with African-American protagonists. [...] The trigger warnings and pensive tones do not make up for the fact that black life is being snuffed out over the left shoulders of well-coifed news anchors without any accountability for the actions we have all witnessed. Also, statements of personal outrage attached to a retweet do not outweigh the harm of the constant barrage of these images.

I have never turned on the news and accidentally watched a white child being shot and killed. Right after the 911 era, the news media had robust public conversations about why they refused to show beheadings and other killings of Americans by terrorists overseas. Why isn’t there a similar crisis of conscience with videos of the killings of black people? [...] I see no benefit to being ambushed by scenes of black death every time I turn on the TV. Anyone who needs one more video to believe the injustices around us, either refuses to learn or is content with the violence. #BlackLivesMatter is a call for everyone to take greater care with black lives. The deceased in these videos are sons, daughters, mothers and uncles. They are each more than their deaths and should not be used as tools of instruction to teach lessons that are already familiar to us. There must be some new rules of engagement around these videos.
posted by katra at 7:42 PM on June 4, 2020 [34 favorites]


Two of the officers involved in the Buffalo incident have been suspended, according to a tweet from a reporter in Buffalo.
posted by nubs at 8:00 PM on June 4, 2020 [3 favorites]


read: "on paid vacation 'til this blows over"
posted by entropicamericana at 8:05 PM on June 4, 2020 [21 favorites]


Other news-related twitters here in Buffalo are saying that it's unpaid vacation this time
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 8:17 PM on June 4, 2020 [2 favorites]


Digging around the links about Trump being sued, I came across the BLM DC v. Trump complaint. It's brutal.
posted by mikelieman at 8:50 PM on June 4, 2020 [2 favorites]


Just FYI re the assaulted man in Buffalo: "Stable condition" only means that his heart and lungs are still functioning. This injury could end up putting him in a coma or worse, given the gentleman's age. We can only hope for the best.

The only reason why those two cops got suspended is because Cuomo also saw the video and said something. The BPD were going to continue with their "tripped and fell" lie until then. And frankly, it should be that entire phalanx of cops suspended without pay. Not only did they ignore the man, they pushed civilians away who were trying to get to him and help him.
posted by droplet at 8:57 PM on June 4, 2020 [25 favorites]


'Listen to the oppressed': protesters stay the course as cities ease curfews (Guardian)
On the country’s west coast, the Los Angeles mayor, Eric Garcetti, announced he would lift the city’s curfew, which had done little to dissuade demonstrators in recent days. [...] The mayor’s announcement came after the LA county sheriff, Alex Villanueva, released a statement saying his department will stop enforcing a curfew. The decision to lift the curfew came as a lawsuit brought by the ACLU called the measure “draconian” and a violation of first amendment rights.

[...] Felisa, a nurse and activist from Brooklyn, said she and her daughter marched for the first time for the memorial. She passed out voter registration forms and masks. “I’m here as a parent of the movement,” she said. “I’ve seen gang violence, the crack epidemic, the heroin epidemic – all the things they’ve blamed the black community for.” Her daughter, 18 and a chemical engineering student, said she had seen five shootings in New York this year, one of which was in her neighborhood this week. “Even though I’m getting my college education, that won’t save me from an officer wanting to take my life,” she said. There had been protests for many years but none like this one, she said. “Now see what happens when you don’t listen to the oppressed.”
Trump Agrees to Send Home Troops From Washington, Easing Tensions With the Pentagon (NYT)
Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper initially tried to send home a small portion of the 1,600 active-duty troops on Wednesday, only to have Mr. Trump order him to reverse course during an angry meeting. The president finally acquiesced on Thursday, according to an administration official who asked not to be named discussing internal deliberations, but it did not appear the two men spoke directly. [...] What appeared on Thursday to be an uneasy truce between the White House and Pentagon did not mean that the conflict was over.
posted by katra at 8:59 PM on June 4, 2020 [5 favorites]


Law Enforcement Seizes Masks Meant To Protect Anti-Racist Protesters From COVID-19 • Ryan J. Reilly; Huffington Post; June 4, 2020 •
The masks, reading “Stop killing Black people,” were meant to quell the spread of the coronavirus, which has disproportionately affected Black Americans.

The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) spent tens of thousands of dollars on the masks they had planned to send all over the country. The first four boxes, each containing 500 masks, were mailed from Oakland, California, and were destined for Washington, St. Louis, New York City and Minneapolis [...]

But the items never left the state. The U.S. Postal Service tracking numbers for the packages indicate they were “Seized by Law Enforcement” and urge the mailer to “contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for further information.” [...]

It’s not entirely clear what law enforcement entity seized the masks or why.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:10 PM on June 4, 2020 [31 favorites]


I keep thinking of the famous quote from general David Morrison "the standard you walk past is the standard you accept" and every one of those Buffalo cops should be fired, after the main one is jailed.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 9:11 PM on June 4, 2020 [35 favorites]


Digging around the links about Trump being sued, I came across the BLM DC v. Trump complaint. It's brutal.

From the complaint:
On June 1, prior to the violent attack on the demonstrators, President Trump had a conference call with governors. On this call, he urged the governors to take much harsher action, “dominate your city and your state.” He then issued an ominous warning of what was to come in a few short hours: “In Washington we’re going to do something people haven’t seen before."

You have to hand it to Trump. He isn't bashful. He always tells you exactly what crimes he is going to commit. This was a criminal conspiracy involving the U.S. President and U.S. Attorney General Barr.
posted by JackFlash at 9:12 PM on June 4, 2020 [21 favorites]


Anyone who needs one more video to believe the injustices around us, either refuses to learn or is content with the violence.

I think this is a statement a very well informed person would make, which ignores the large number of people who avoid the news whenever possible. If you are in the choir, this is not who is being preached to. A lot of white people did not believe stories about police brutality until they were presented with video evidence that was at odds with the official statements of the police (I was one - the video of Walter Scott was what kind of cracked my disbelief that killing and framing of African Americans was rampant).
posted by benzenedream at 10:59 PM on June 4, 2020


> You have to hand it to Trump. He isn't bashful. He always tells you exactly what crimes he is going to commit. This was a criminal conspiracy involving the U.S. President and U.S. Attorney General Barr.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/06/04/trump-tiananmen-square-protests-lafayette/
The next year, a 43-year-old New York City real estate mogul gave his thoughts on the massacre to the magazine Playboy. “When the students poured into Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government almost blew it,” Donald Trump said.

“Then they were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength. Our country is right now perceived as weak … as being spit on by the rest of the world,” the future president continued.
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:03 PM on June 4, 2020 [9 favorites]


Yep.

Not appropriate for that thread though. Keep such posts here. Apparently.

Our president is OK with aggressively putting down anyone who challenges state power. Regardless of what our constitution says. Scary times.
posted by Windopaene at 11:29 PM on June 4, 2020 [1 favorite]


Surprising relatively few who have been to Palmer, Alaska: Palmer, AK police chief placed on leave for inappropriate social media posts critical of Black Lives Matter movement.
posted by Nerd of the North at 1:39 AM on June 5, 2020 [3 favorites]


cop essentially murders 70-year-old man on camera in buffalo

cw: blood, serious injury, likely death


The two who finally go over and check on him are wearing different body armor. Are they National Guard?
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 3:50 AM on June 5, 2020


Movement to defund police gains 'unprecedented' support across US (Guardian)

Seems to me Emerson wrote that “every reform was once a private opinion.”
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:14 AM on June 5, 2020 [5 favorites]


Minneapolis City Council to vote Friday on first changes to police
Representatives for the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and city elected officials were working Thursday to negotiate a stipulated temporary restraining order that will mandate some immediate changes and also set a timeline for the state’s investigation into whether the Minneapolis Police Department engaged in racial discrimination over the past 10 years.

...Council Member Jeremiah Ellison, one of the most vocal critics of the city’s response to the protests and riots that followed Floyd’s death, tweeted Thursday: “We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.”

[City Council President Lisa] Bender, a few hours later, issued her own tweet repeating that message and adding that they will “replace it with a transformative new model of public safety.”
posted by Flannery Culp at 5:43 AM on June 5, 2020 [12 favorites]


The two who finally go over and check on him are wearing different body armor. Are they National Guard?

Obviously not qualified to ID them myself but official word is state police.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 6:11 AM on June 5, 2020


Not only is it not the fuck standard issue, I spent a long time in the military and never once saw an Army-issue bayonnet outside of basic training. The armory at every post I've been on didn't have them. They're not for crowd control even in an active warzone! Literally the only reason there could even conceivably be soldiers being issued bayonnets is if someone who had watched too many movies had given an order to 'send the soldiers with bayonnets'.
I don't doubt the experience of folks like corb, quoted above, but I'm curious when or where it changed.

My personal experience is ancient now, and not American. In the late 80s C1 bayonets were still standard issue, right alongside your FN C1A1, rifle in the Canadian Army. Even more directly, they were used against protesting Mohawk civilians during the Oka Crisis in 1990. A 14 year old girl, carrying her 4 year old sister, was stabbed in the chest by a soldier with a fixed bayonet and very nearly died. I was out of the military by then, but the press contact for that regiment, who was on TV nightly for weeks, was a friend I'd trained with.

So—perhaps it's just that much has changed in 30 years, or perhaps bayonets were standard in Canada more recently, but it all still seems vividly fresh.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
posted by bcd at 6:23 AM on June 5, 2020 [3 favorites]


In the US Army, the move away from bayonets* happened as part of the post-Vietnam reckoning/reassessment. They're just not useful in offensive combat operations, and that's pretty much all the US Army has wanted to train for over the last 50 years. Even when unarmed combat training was re-initiated in the 2000s, the instruction began and ended with "This is useful only to keep you alive long enough for your buddy to arrive with a rifle."

* -- They're still used in training exercises at various levels, but to train aggressiveness, not to train bayonet proficiency per se.
posted by Etrigan at 8:15 AM on June 5, 2020 [5 favorites]


Memories, today is a holiday here, and I'm just randomly YouTubing. This video makes GW Bush look intelligent and compassionate, in comparison with Trump. I'm just putting it in here as a reminder of normalcy, because I think many of us don't really remember how things were supposed to be. (I won't forget the Bush war crimes).
The trumpists are relying on us all being numbed, gaslighted and confused. A relative of mine asked why David McAtee was even out there cooking when he should be in his home and afraid. They have already accepted the conditions imposed on us by the orange fascist, even as they oppose him.
posted by mumimor at 8:15 AM on June 5, 2020 [3 favorites]


Sooo about that "antifa is destroying our cities" message.. [Daily Beast]
For all the implications by President Trump and Attorney General William Barr that “antifa” “terrorists” have hijacked protests against institutional police racism, none of the 22 criminal complaints representing the first wave of protest charges mention antifa in any way.

One case references anarchism as a motivating ideology, not anti-fascism. Another high-profile one in Las Vegas references the so-called “Boogaloo” far-right trend of provoking a race or civil war.
The article also talks about the unusual frequency of people being charged federally for looting and vandalism and the tortured logic being used by federal prosecutors to establish federal jurisdiction. In one case, the only justification is that the suspect has a cell phone and Facebook account. Consistency in anything but his goals continues to elude AG Barr.
posted by wierdo at 8:34 AM on June 5, 2020 [16 favorites]


NYC has essentially suspended habeus corpus
posted by Noisy Pink Bubbles at 8:52 AM on June 5, 2020 [9 favorites]


In the US Army, the move away from bayonets* happened as part of the post-Vietnam reckoning/reassessment.

Makes sense. Thanks, Etrigan.
posted by bcd at 9:01 AM on June 5, 2020


“What was my client supposed to do but follow what his training officer said? Is that aiding and abetting a crime?” Gray asked.

The coercive powers of superiors are insane. That's why in many professions there are restrictions built in to ethics codes and regulations to try to ensure that coercive power can't be used in a nefarious way. Also, it sucks that he had to make the choice between standing up and doing what's right and not just losing a livelihood but putting a target on the back of himself that very powerful people will try to hit. After seeing what happened to Adrian Schoolcraft I don't know if I could make the decision to go against my superiors. If I'm being truly honest with myself I don't think I could have the courage in the moment to stand up. I'd probably try and get through the incident and then quit immediately after. It's like that Mighty Mighty Bosstones song, "Impresion That I Get": Might be a coward, I'm afraid of what I might find out.

I don't think putting Thomas Lane in prison will accomplish anything restorative. It's purely punitive. Maybe that's what we need right now, I'm not the one to say. But in what I, as a person who wants to see the prison industrial system consigned to history, believe I don't think that it deters anything. I don't think putting people in a choice between being Schoolcraft and prison is right. The problem is the system has no outlet for any sort of speaking out safely. There are not lawmakers and powerful people that will come to the concrete defense of those who do speak out. Always they assure and give lip service. Where is the backup? Thanks for putting it in the suggestion box, we'll look into it, have a nice life being harassed and assaulted by cops at every opportunity.

One thing we need to address is how whistle blowers in the case of police misconduct are treated because I think we're too far gone to reasonably expect any sort of individual to stand up to the apparatus. They need additional protection under the law. I'm talking enhancements on corruption statues for intimidating whistle blowers either under or outside the color of law. A local cop reports his sergeant for racism and brutality? Have the state cops come in, hell, have the fucking FBI come in and scrutinize any incident that involves a whistle blower with a fine toothed comb and either get those fuckers off the force or put those fuckers away. They also need financial assistance to ensure they can move to different areas in the state or even a full blow witness protection program to get them out of state and far away from their retributioners.

Anyway, I do think Thomas Lane should be facing something like involuntary manslaughter rather than felony murder, I do think he should get probation if he co-operates with putting his coworkers behind bars, and I do think that law makers need to be serious about protecting those who speak out against such a brutal and relentlessly vengeful system.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 9:48 AM on June 5, 2020 [8 favorites]


‘Black Lives Matter’: In giant yellow letters, D.C. mayor sends message to Trump (WaPo)
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser renamed the street in front of the White House “Black Lives Matter Plaza” on Friday and emblazoned the slogan in massive yellow letters on the road [...] Local artist Rose Jaffe said she and others joined city work crews to paint the giant slogan, starting around 4 a.m. The art will take up two blocks on 16th Street NW, between K and H streets, an iconic promenade that leads directly north of the White House. [...] Shortly after 11 a.m., a city worker hung up a “Black Lives Matter Plz NW” sign at the corner of 16th and H streets NW. Bowser (D) watched silently as onlookers cheered and the song “Rise Up” by Audra Day played from speakers.

“In America, you can peacefully assemble,” she said in brief remarks to the crowd. [...] “There was a dispute this week about whose street it is, and Mayor Bowser wanted to make it abundantly clear whose street it is and honor the peaceful demonstrators who assembled Monday night,” said John Falcicchio, the mayor’s chief of staff.
posted by katra at 9:53 AM on June 5, 2020 [19 favorites]


> ‘Black Lives Matter’: In giant yellow letters, D.C. mayor sends message to Trump (WaPo)
Bowser’s proposed budget increases funding for traditional policing while cutting spending on programs to reduce violence through community-based intervention initiatives.

“This is performative and a distraction from her active counter organizing to our demands,” the group said on Twitter. “Black Lives Matter means Defund the police.”
I kind of hate the word "performative", because it is often used in a way that assumes the person using that label has insight as to the state of mind of the person whose actions they're describing. Here, though, we have a very clear example of a symbol, albeit a powerful one, being passed off as a substitute for action.
posted by tonycpsu at 10:10 AM on June 5, 2020 [21 favorites]


‘I cannot stand it’: family of Louisville man shot dead by police speak out (Guardian)
This time, Deonte Hollowell, a professor at Louisville’s Spalding University who studies the relationship between African American communities and the police, says he’s hopeful that the protest movement will lead to change. “I think it’s possible because I think there’s so many people that are passionate about not just getting justice for YaYa and Breonna, but changing the system,” he said. But, he added, there’s a lot of work to be done before anger on the street will lessen. “I don’t think at this point the anger is going anywhere until those officers are arrested,” he said. “And even then, there’s so many other layers to this that that would be a satisfactory situation, but it wouldn’t be the end by any means. And I think that most people, or many people, that are protesting understand that.”

[...] Cherrie Vaughn, 42, was nearby at the shuttered Kroger gas station where she had been leading prayer groups following McAtee’s death. She said she had faith that the upheavals being witnessed in Louisville and around the country would lead to lasting change – not only as far as the relationship between African American communities and police, but as far as equity and opportunity. “I feel like right now the world is at a turning point,” she said. “We’ve been saying it for so long, we’ve been saying it for so long, we’ve been saying it for so long and now we’re at this brick wall and it has to come down.”
posted by katra at 10:14 AM on June 5, 2020 [5 favorites]


The fence is expected to stay up through next Wednesday [June 10] , the Secret Service said, citing "necessary security measures." (CNN, June 4, 2020): "These closures are in an effort to maintain the necessary security measures surrounding the White House complex, while also allowing for peaceful demonstration," a US Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement.

"The areas, including the entire Ellipse and its side panels, roadways and sidewalks, E Street and its sidewalks between 15th and 17ths Streets, First Division Monument and State Place, Sherman Park and Hamilton Place, Pennsylvania Avenue between 15th and 17th streets, and all of Lafayette Park, will remain closed until June 10," according to the statement.
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:29 AM on June 5, 2020 [1 favorite]


I kind of hate the word "performative", because it is often used in a way that assumes the person using that label has insight as to the state of mind of the person whose actions they're describing. Here, though, we have a very clear example of a symbol, albeit a powerful one, being passed off as a substitute for action.

It's already being discussed in the other thread, but Bowser was sued by BLM DC for running her own oversight-free stop-and-frisk program. "Performative" doesn't even begin to describe the disgusting hypocrisy of what she's doing, especially since it's intended for an audience of one that will never ever heed those words.
posted by Glegrinof the Pig-Man at 10:33 AM on June 5, 2020 [11 favorites]


I kind of hate the word "performative", because it is often used in a way that assumes the person using that label has insight as to the state of mind of the person whose actions they're describing. Here, though, we have a very clear example of a symbol, albeit a powerful one, being passed off as a substitute for action.

I fully support the protest against the grotesque deficiencies in Bowser's proposed budget, and having grown up in DC and watching my former city under attack by president Trump, I also celebrate the massive symbolic protest made by Mayor Bowser, including because it opens another avenue to hold Bowser accountable. From my view, it's not performance, it's a promise. I also want real, sustainable, and long-term change, so I am looking for ways to build bridges and strengthen alliances during an acutely stressful and frightening time.
posted by katra at 10:50 AM on June 5, 2020 [17 favorites]


Thomas Lane should be facing something like involuntary manslaughter rather than felony murder

He certainly has the best case of the four. On the other hand, Lane is the one who pulled a gun on Floyd while he was still sitting in the car and forced him out of the vehicle, so one could argue without that initial escalation none of the rest of this would have happened.
posted by Flannery Culp at 10:58 AM on June 5, 2020 [10 favorites]


UN experts condemn modern-day ‘racial terror’ lynchings in US (Guardian)
A group of 66 United Nations human rights monitors have issued a devastating critique of what they call modern-day “racial terror” lynchings in the US in the form of state-sponsored police violence against black Americans. The group released two joint statements on Friday, prompted by the wave of protests against police brutality that has swept the nation in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. The action marks an almost unparalleled outpouring of criticism by the UN’s independent body of human rights experts. Rarely have so many come together to speak as one voice. The language they deploy is also highly unusual in its excoriating critique of what the monitors state is the “fundamental racial inequality and discrimination that characterize life in the United States for black people”.

Most piercingly, the experts make a direct link between police killings of unarmed African American men today with the spate of thousands of racial lynchings that terrorized black communities in the era of segregation. “African Americans continue to experience racial terror in state-sponsored and privately organized violence … In the US, this legacy of racial terror remains evident in modern-day policing.” [...] The group of 66 experts, known as “special rapporteurs” in the UN system, also have unbridled words for Donald Trump. They heavily criticize his threat to deploy the US military against peaceful protesters as well as his glorification of violence in a tweet in which he said “when the looting starts, shooting starts”. The UN monitors state: “The response of the president of the United States to the protests has included threatening more state violence using language directly associated with racial segregationists from the nation’s past. We are deeply concerned the nation is on the brink of a militarized response that re-enacts the injustices that have driven people to the streets to protest.” [...] They also note that the coronavirus pandemic has ripped through African American and Latino communities in the US, producing a death rate three times that of white people. They also point to “staggering police and military budgets” at a time where healthcare, education, housing and pollution prevention are all suffering depleted resources.
posted by katra at 11:12 AM on June 5, 2020 [14 favorites]


“Turn your back! Turn your back!” some shouted. Many in the crowd did turn their backs. The booing was so loud that de Blasio was forced to end his speech shortly after he began, and then disappeared from the podium.

There seems to be quite a slant to the editorializing in that article.
posted by amanda at 11:14 AM on June 5, 2020


That piece is in a Brooklyn neighborhood publication; from 'Power to the people': Floyd's brother talks at NYC memorial, Associated Press, June 4, 2020: "De Blasio spoke at Floyd’s memorial, with the crowd booing and heckling from the moment he arrived, shouting over him as he urged that Floyd’s death not be in vain."
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:42 AM on June 5, 2020 [1 favorite]


The Fence has acquired the nickname "Babygate" on Twitter, and I can't say I disagree with that.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:13 PM on June 5, 2020 [24 favorites]


Tom Cotton: And, if necessary, the 10th Mountain, 82nd Airborne, 1st Cav, 3rd Infantry—whatever it takes to restore order. No quarter for insurrectionists, anarchists, rioters, and looters.

Turns out the New York Times didn't just print Tom Cotton's screed inviting violence, they solicited the piece, inviting Cotton to write about the similar violent tweets he had been putting out.

Publisher Bennet admitted that the opinion page had seen Cotton’s tweets on the subject and "we did ask if he could stand up that argument. I’m not sure we suggested that topic to him but we did invite the piece."

Really, cancel your subscription. NYT chose to amplify the violence.
posted by JackFlash at 12:13 PM on June 5, 2020 [36 favorites]


Demonstrators vow to sustain momentum until change happens (AP)
By early afternoon, demonstrations resumed for an 11th day around the country with continued momentum as the mood of the protests largely shifted from explosive anger to more peaceful calls for change. Formal and impromptu memorials to Floyd stretched from Minneapolis to North Carolina, where family were gathering Saturday to mourn him, and beyond. Services were planned in Texas for the following week.

[...] And in a sign the protesters’ voices were being heard, more symbols of slavery and the Confederacy came down. Alabama’s port city of Mobile removed a statue of a Confederate naval officer early Friday after days of protests there, while Fredericksburg, Virginia, removed a 176-year-old slave auction block from downtown after several years of efforts by the NAACP. Other Confederate symbols have come down around the South in recent days as calls to remove them intensified during protests over Floyd’s death. [...] Community activists are working to convert anger and grief into long-term action. [...] “We are taking more of the strategy of: ‘How do we actually invest people’s energy beyond protesting?,’” said Tifanny Burks, a community organizer. “We are thinking long term.”
Pentagon disarms guardsmen in Washington, D.C., in signal of de-escalation (WaPo)
The Department of Defense, led by Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, appears to have made the decision without consulting the White House, where President Trump has ordered a militarized show of force on the streets of Washington D.C. [...] Trump specifically had encouraged the National Guard to be armed. [...] Military leaders at the Pentagon are aware of the risks of armed guardsmen stepping in to a role traditionally played by police in an American city. In 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard who were called in to help control antiwar protests at Kent State University opened fire on demonstrators, killing four students and wounding nine others.
Washington DC mayor calls on Trump to pull troops and federal forces out of city (Guardian)
In her letter, Bowser pointed out that the Washington metropolitan police had not carried out a single arrest at the demonstrations since Wednesday night, and she was ending the state of emergency in the district. “Therefore I’m requesting that you withdraw all extraordinary federal law enforcement and military presence from Washington DC,” the mayor told Trump.
posted by katra at 12:21 PM on June 5, 2020 [10 favorites]


Trudeau is currently attending the rally in Ottawa on Parliament Hill. He's nodding along and clapping to the speeches and the chants. He was confronted with a cry of "stand up to Trump."
posted by sardonyx at 12:35 PM on June 5, 2020 [5 favorites]


And he's wearing a mask.
posted by sardonyx at 12:36 PM on June 5, 2020 [1 favorite]


Tucked toward the end of an article about two members of the South Carolina National Guard injured by storm lightning in D.C. early this morning:

[T]he largest activation of National Guard troops in history. (MilitaryTimes.com, June 5, 2020) As of Friday morning, 85,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen were activated for domestic operations across the United States, according to the National Guard. That surpasses the roughly 51,000 Guard members who were activated during the 2005 Hurricane Katrina response. There are now more than 110,000 Guard men and women engaged in homeland and overseas missions.
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:37 PM on June 5, 2020 [5 favorites]


One of the nice things is Trudeau isn't there making a speech. It's an obvious photo op and he can't really stop media from highlighting him but he isn't there at the front of the crowd or in other ways making it about him.
posted by Mitheral at 1:13 PM on June 5, 2020 [3 favorites]


Thomas Lane should be facing something like involuntary manslaughter rather than felony murder

Sure, if he agrees to cooperate with the prosecution, I think his actions on the scene merit some leniency. But if he chooses to coordinate his defense with the other three, he can rot.

As it was on May 25th, the choice is his.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 1:29 PM on June 5, 2020 [6 favorites]


He is keeping a low profile (or as low as the leader of a country can do). CBC's Hannah Thibedeau has been interviewing people in attendance, and asked them what they thought about the PM showing up and all of them responded that they didn't realize he was there.
posted by sardonyx at 1:29 PM on June 5, 2020 [3 favorites]


57 of Buffalo's cops resigned in protest for their two colleagues being merely SUSPENDED for their depraved indifference toward human life.

Fuck 12.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 3:06 PM on June 5, 2020 [21 favorites]


^ Sounds like a convenient excuse to avoid future financial and legal liability:
A copy of an email that Evans sent members on Friday morning suggests that the resignations may also have been driven by concerns over the officers’ legal defense fund. Evans warned that due to financial considerations, the union may not cover legal costs for Emergency Response Team members that arise because of the ongoing protests.
They didn't quit their jobs, they just resigned their posts in that special unit. So not just gross behavior that's supportive of obvious brutality, but also cowardice and flight at the first sign of any accountability for their actions.
posted by LooseFilter at 3:13 PM on June 5, 2020 [31 favorites]


Whatever gets them off the street.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 3:18 PM on June 5, 2020 [4 favorites]


From an email to the PBA by president John Evans:

"[The officers] do not deserve to be villified [sic] and treated like criminals for simply following orders."

Are the Nazi comparisons valid yet?
posted by J.K. Seazer at 3:19 PM on June 5, 2020 [26 favorites]


Twitter thread with comments from Minneapolis City Council members on defunding the police.

Minneapolis generally has a weak mayor/strong city council, but I'm still enjoying the extent that the mayor has been deemed irrelevant for these measures.
posted by dinty_moore at 3:50 PM on June 5, 2020 [3 favorites]


'Revolting': Trump condemned for saying George Floyd is praising US economy (The Guardian, June 5, 2020) The president attempted to take a victory lap after a better-than-expected jobs report showed the national unemployment rate falling to 13.3% last month, with 2.5m jobs gained. But there was a slight uptick in African American joblessness. In White House remarks that folded digressions within digressions, Trump declared: “Today is probably, if you think of it, the greatest comeback in American history.”

Speaking after the 10th night of mass anti-racism protests across the country, Trump suggested that Floyd, who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes, would be happy about the figures. “Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this a great thing that’s happening for our country,” he said. “There’s a great day for him. It’s a great day for everybody. It’s a great day for everybody. There’s a great, great day in terms of equality.”
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:41 PM on June 5, 2020 [7 favorites]


Video of armed Black Panthers joining and protecting the Black Lives Matter protests in Atlanta, Georgia.
posted by adamvasco at 4:42 PM on June 5, 2020 [14 favorites]


Las Vegas: [FBI] Anti-terrorist unit arrests far-right followers at US protest (Al Jazeera, June 4, 2020) A charge sheet said the three men's initial plan was to "firebomb" a power station to distract authorities as they incited a riot. They also intended to take Molotov cocktails to a Black Lives Matter protest.
--
The suspects were arrested on May 30, and allegedly belong to the "Boogaloo" movement -- here's an Al Jazeera primer from earlier today.
--
More on the federal and state charges at Joint Terrorism Task Force Charges Three Men Who Allegedly Sought To Exploit Protests In Las Vegas And Incite Violence (United States Attorney's Office, District of Nevada, press release, June 3, 2020, at justice.gov)
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:12 PM on June 5, 2020 [8 favorites]


Unfortunately, the "New Black Panthers" who have shown up at the Atlanta protests are problematic as fuck. As much as I enjoy the spectacle of white supremacists trembling in the face of black people armed with long guns, I am not comfortable with an army of armed anti-Semites marching through my town, either.

SPLC has further explanation
posted by hydropsyche at 5:29 PM on June 5, 2020 [21 favorites]


jesus christ, that SPLC article. what the fuck.
posted by lazaruslong at 6:07 PM on June 5, 2020 [5 favorites]


Speaking after the 10th night of mass anti-racism protests across the country, Trump suggested that Floyd, who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes, would be happy about the [employment] figures. “Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this a great thing that’s happening for our country,” he said. “There’s a great day for him. It’s a great day for everybody. It’s a great day for everybody. There’s a great, great day in terms of equality.”

Uh, Donald? Did you happen to notice that the May unemployment rate for whites was down but for blacks was up? George Floyd is supposed to be grateful for that? Great day for equality? Dumb ass Trumpers will just gobble up that lie.
posted by JackFlash at 6:20 PM on June 5, 2020 [4 favorites]


Of course, ymmv. ...I may have unreasonably low expectations of mayors.
Consider this statement that the mayor1 of Montevallo Alabama posted to her Facebook page. I'm not going to put any pull-quotes here because it's worth reading in its entirety. Also, her posted statements and policies regarding COVID-19 efforts, local outreach, census compliance, and local law enforcement in Montevallo are outstanding examples of what local city governments should be aspiring to, IMHO.

Montevallo, by the way is a relatively small (7,7 square miles) town with a population of just over 6000 people located about 30 miles south of Birmingham. It's the home of the University of Montevallo, where the mayor is on the faculty in the College of Education.

I have two children that are UM graduates, and they both have high opinions of the town in general and mayor Cost in particular. My daughter recently told me that if she absolutely HAS to live in Alabama, then Montevallo is the only place she'd pick, adding that it's one of the few places she has lived where she doesn't particularly fear the police.
posted by TwoToneRow at 6:52 PM on June 5, 2020 [6 favorites]


Another day, another peaceful protest in Miami.

Citing vague concerns of "increasing unrest," the county mayor decided to do the submarine curfew thing again, announcing a 10PM curfew county-wide after 9PM. By the time the media got the message, there was less than half an hour remaining.

I'm beginning to think the unrest he's talking about is MDPD threatening to riot or something.
posted by wierdo at 7:36 PM on June 5, 2020 [4 favorites]


Mod note: Deleted a couple explaining a joke; you can memail each other if necessary!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 8:43 PM on June 5, 2020 [1 favorite]




Bennet admitted that the opinion page had seen Cotton’s tweets on the subject and "we did ask if he could stand up that argument. I’m not sure we suggested that topic to him but we did invite the piece."

Bennet's first defense was that he didn't read the piece. Now we find out he solicited it? I almost felt bad for the 25-year-old junior staffer who handled whatever editing the piece received, then saw that he wrote for conservative outlets like The Weekly Standard and National Review before getting hired by the Times. Oh joy. At best, this seems a case of bad mentoring, maybe?

If fact-checking op-eds - which is already supposed to be happening, according to the NYT's own policies - becomes a rigorous standard from now on that would be a nice silver lining to this awful cloud. Finally, be sure to read this from the letter 500 employees signed to their bosses:

For instance, Cotton writes that Antifa has “infiltrated protest marches to exploit Floyd’s death for their own anarchic purposes.” In fact, we have reported that this is misinformation. Though Cotton claims protesters have been primarily responsible for violence, our own reporting shows that in many cities police have escalated violence. Other claims, like that the “riots were carnivals for the thrill-seeking rich,” are not backed up by fact. At one point, Cotton misquotes the U.S. Constitution...

In publishing an Op-Ed that appears to call for violence, promotes hate, and rests its arguments on several factual inaccuracies while glossing over other matters that require—and were not met with—expert legal interpretation, we fail our readers.

posted by mediareport at 9:52 PM on June 5, 2020 [10 favorites]


I took the night off because I’ve run roughly 30 miles over 6-hour spurts over the past week or so, and my legs are wrecked! But I’m following @IwriteOK and @MrOlmos on twitter for live updates for what is going on downtown in Portland. Looks like things heated up when people began taking down the fence in front of the justice center and it just went off from there. Lots of tear gas again and roaming riot police, typical Portland cop riot. Good times!
posted by gucci mane at 12:38 AM on June 6, 2020 [4 favorites]


I need a fucking gas mask bro for real 😩
posted by gucci mane at 12:50 AM on June 6, 2020 [5 favorites]


A friend posted screen grabs from the Times slack channel yesterday showing a Times picture editor bringing up how problematic the piece was and his unhappiness to be looking for photos to go with it. To say no one read the Op-Ed or it wasn't given consideration is BS.
posted by photoslob at 8:19 AM on June 6, 2020 [2 favorites]


A federal judge ruled late Friday night that the Denver Police Department must stop using “chemical weapons or projectiles against peaceful protesters” after four protesters filed suit against the city of Denver.

“If a store’s windows must be broken to prevent a protestor’s facial bones from being broken or eye being permanently damaged, that is more than a fair trade,” U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson wrote. “If a building must be graffiti-ed to prevent the suppression of free speech, that is a fair trade. The threat to physical safety and free speech outweighs the threat to property.”
(Washington Post, 3:44am on their live feed.) The Denver Post covers some specifics on the ruling.
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:50 AM on June 6, 2020 [34 favorites]


Does anyone know what the legal basis is for the curfews? The only thing I could find this morning that really even obliquely mentioned the subject was this NY Post article (blech).

Advocacy groups plan to sue the city for First Amendment violations if Mayor Bill de Blasio does not immediately lift his controversial 8 p.m. curfew.
...
They note that a similar case filed in Southern California resulted in the lifting of curfews in Los Angeles and San Bernardino.


That second line has me thinking that my instinct is correct and these curfews are essentially bullshit. But I don't know. I'm glad they're being challenged though.
posted by GalaxieFiveHundred at 9:19 AM on June 6, 2020


Bill Barr is now trying to walk back his order to attack the peaceful protestors at the White House. He says he told them "to get it done" but he did not tell them "to go do it."

The "will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest" defense.

It's amusing how these men who want to project strength and dominance and decisiveness resort to such pitifully cowardly and childish lies for their actions.
posted by JackFlash at 9:46 AM on June 6, 2020 [21 favorites]


Portland Mayor Tells Cops to Stop Using Deafening Sound Cannon to Break Up Protests

Good links about Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD). Plus this:

Though Portland’s police department has been instructed to limit its use of these sound cannons, protestors elsewhere have ample reason to remain on guard for them. A similar-looking auditory device was spotted in Orlando, Florida on Friday, and the makers behind LRADs, Genasys Inc., claimed in a press release this week that police departments across the country are deploying them.
posted by mediareport at 9:59 AM on June 6, 2020 [4 favorites]


unclear how, when the guy in charge identifies an objective and says "get it done," that differs from giving an order.

an interesting question: chain of command among the melange of lawless organizations purporting to be law enforcement.
posted by 20 year lurk at 10:00 AM on June 6, 2020 [9 favorites]


And it isn't just a metaphor. Barr literally had the police drive off the meddlesome priests at the church before Trump's photo op.
posted by JackFlash at 10:03 AM on June 6, 2020 [31 favorites]


Protests about police brutality are met with wave of police brutality across US (Guardian)
Use teargas, batons, pepper spray, fists, feet and vehicles against protesters sparks lawsuits and international condemnation
In most cases, however, no action has been brought against officers or police departments. Seeking to change this, the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the Minneapolis police, accusing them of attacking journalists during protests, and is taking similar action in LA.

On Friday, Black Lives Matter, the ACLU and other civil rights groups brought a separate lawsuit against Trump and the attorney general, Bill Barr, over the police response to the protest in Washington DC. “Across the country, law enforcement armed with military weaponry are responding with violence to people who are protesting police brutality,” said the ACLU’s Ben Wizner. “The first amendment right to protest is under attack, and we will not let this go unanswered.”
In protests against police brutality, videos capture more alleged police brutality (WaPo, Jun. 5, 2020 / MSN reprint)
The scale of the use of force is illustrated vividly on Twitter, in postings by Durham, N.C., lawyer T. Greg Doucette. He began collecting videos of police use of force from Minneapolis, numbering them and connecting them so readers could see that it wasn’t just one police officer or one time. He started with 10. Then the list grew, with videos from cities all over the country. [...] A video widely circulated on social media — No. 294 on Doucette’s list — shows the officer striking a protester in the head with his baton Monday, and another officer holding the man’s head to the ground with his knee. The victim, 21-year-old college student Evan Gorski, was charged with assaulting a police officer. He was released Wednesday after prosecutors reviewed the video. Gorski was hospitalized and required staples in the back of his head, said his lawyer, Jonathan Fineberg. [...] Fineberg is collecting evidence to file a lawsuit against the Philadelphia Police Department.
Previously: Los Angeles City and County Sued by ACLU Over Curfews (NBC LA)
posted by katra at 10:33 AM on June 6, 2020 [16 favorites]


Protesters gather for massive day of rallies in D.C. (WaPo)
Demonstrators streamed into downtown Washington on Saturday for what officials said could be the biggest collection of day-long local protests so far over police brutality and racial oppression in the United States. [...] Numerous rallies were unfolding across the District throughout the day, from the Lincoln Memorial, to Freedom Plaza, to Capitol Hill.

Lafayette Square, where a heavy security fence blocked any approach to the White House, a block away, was again an early focal point Saturday. The scene of violent confrontations between police and protesters last week, it was calm, and the fence was hung with protest signs, an American flag, and a torn yellow strip of police tape that read: “Crime Scene.”
WATCH LIVE: Crowds building in D.C., racial justice protest expected to draw 100,000+ (ABC7)
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told reporters Friday that local officials were projecting between 100,000 and 200,000 protesters.
Live updates: Protesters pour into D.C. over death of George Floyd; downtown streets closed to traffic (WaPo live blog)
About a dozen demonstrations run by as many organizations or individuals are planned. Unlike other large-scale demonstrations the District hosts, no one person or organization is leading Saturday’s events.
posted by katra at 10:57 AM on June 6, 2020 [3 favorites]


Pittsburgh Post-Gazette accused of censoring articles on protests and police abuses
Journalists at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette are accusing the newspaper of removing and censoring on Friday two online articles that reported on protests and police brutality, soon after the paper told a black reporter she could no longer cover local protests over George Floyd’s death because of a viral tweet.

Post-Gazette journalist Ashley Murray tweeted Friday night to note that the link to an article she had written earlier was not working, and she had informed the newspaper, according to the Pittsburgh City Paper, who first reported on the incident.
<NYT> something something diversity of opinion something something censorship is bad </NYT>
posted by tonycpsu at 11:24 AM on June 6, 2020 [10 favorites]


Guardian: "Protests in Washington D.C. are beginning to swell. [...]
Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) Downtown Washington is one giant protest zone right now, crisscrossed with a multitude of marches—some organized, others the result of an on-the-spot call to walk. Thousands are moving through Foggy Bottom chanting “prosecute the police” and unswayed by the summer-like heat. pic.twitter.com/Xs27H357BK June 6, 2020
Guardian: "In New York, thousands of people have marched from outside the National Black Theatre on 5th Avenue in Harlem up Lennox Avenue to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture about a mile away. [...]
Nina Lakhani (@ninalakhani) Beautiful peaceful march up Lennox Avenue #ProtestHarlem #BlackLivesMatter
pic.twitter.com/vdd4cWcPtH June 6, 2020
Guardian: "More video from huge protests in Philadelphia:
NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) Thousands of people in Philadelphia continue to protest racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd. Crowds in Center City stretched from the steps of the Art Museum and past the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. https://t.co/LlmPCHjz7Q pic.twitter.com/6YJT2DvCW7 June 6, 2020

And Chicago: [...]

Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) And a big one in Chicago. https://t.co/Qx581cBMMf pic.twitter.com/RjkuBJrfTY June 6, 2020
posted by katra at 12:16 PM on June 6, 2020 [3 favorites]


What a show of armed forces in Washington, deployed against citizens
posted by Mrs Potato at 12:19 PM on June 6, 2020 [3 favorites]


Re: U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson, ruling to sharply limit the use of tear gas and rubber bullets by Colorado cops (NPR, June 6, 2020). Jackson was an Obama nominee to that court, confirmed by the Senate in 2011. The ruling highlights the importance of judicial appointments. Sen. McConnell (R-KY) has dedicated himself to packing the courts: “Leave no vacancy behind”: Mitch McConnell remains laser-focused on judges amid coronavirus (Vox, May 4, 2020) "Armed with a Republican majority in the Senate and the ability to blow up longstanding rules of the upper chamber — such as the amount of time required for debate on each nominee — the Kentucky lawmaker has helped shepherd through judges in rapid succession. As of this week, McConnell has helped confirm 51 circuit court judges and 139 district court judges while Trump has been in office. That’s a notable uptick in pace, particularly when it comes to the former: During President Barack Obama’s two terms in office, the Senate confirmed 55 circuit court judges in total." [Emphasis mine]
--
Example: McConnell's work to advance his 38-year-old protégé, Justin Walker. Last October, Walker, a conservative who clerked for Anthony Kennedy and Brett Kavanaugh, was Senate confirmed (50-41) as a district judge for the Western District of Kentucky (Courier-Journal), though the American Bar Association deemed him unqualified to be a federal judge (Courier-Journal). Months later, "Trump" nominated Walker to the DC Court of Appeals, adding to accusations that McConnell's been pressuring judges into early retirement to secure their seats with conservative appointees (The Hill, May 5, 2020). This time, the ABA rated Walker as well-qualified: "The standing committee explained in a May 5 letter to committee leaders that the rating of an appellate-level nominee is 'focused differently.'" As of two days ago, in the midst of pandemic, ongoing demonstrations, and a military-occupied city, McConnell eyes advancing Justin Walker nomination next week (Politico, June 4, 2020), as "The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Walker’s nomination to the D.C. Court of Appeals along party lines Thursday."
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:21 PM on June 6, 2020 [8 favorites]


Ty katra for the link - yeah Philly protests are huge right now
posted by lazaruslong at 12:28 PM on June 6, 2020 [1 favorite]


Mod note: Gentle note, let's take care not to steer in the direction of general Trump/GOP news. Let's keep the focus in this thread on the protests. Thanks.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 12:37 PM on June 6, 2020 [3 favorites]


Journalists at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette are accusing the newspaper of removing and censoring on Friday two online articles that reported on protests and police brutality, soon after the paper told a black reporter she could no longer cover local protests over George Floyd’s death because of a viral tweet.

The Post -Gazette management has told a second black reporter that he is not allowed to cover the protests. The reporter, Michael M. Santiago, won a Pulitzer Prize last year for his work on the Tree of Life shooting.
posted by octothorpe at 12:58 PM on June 6, 2020 [14 favorites]


Banksy supports Black Lives Matter with latest artwork (Guardian)
The graffiti artist wrote in an Instagram post: “At first I thought I should just shut up and listen to black people about this issue. But why would I do that? It’s not their problem, it’s mine. “People of colour are being failed by the system. The white system. Like a broken pipe flooding the apartment of the people living downstairs. The faulty system is making their life a misery, but it’s not their job to fix it. They can’t, no one will let them in the apartment upstairs. “This is a white problem. And if white people don’t fix it, someone will have to come upstairs and kick the door in.”
posted by katra at 1:11 PM on June 6, 2020 [13 favorites]


No police in sight at Lafayette Square, and few anywhere else (WaPo live blog)
After more than a week of shouting and chanting at officers and military police lined up at Lafayette Square, protesters at the White House on Saturday peered through the chain-link fence and saw no one on the other side. No riot gear, no officers, no military police. Instead of shouting over the fence, they gathered in a semicircle around speakers talking into megaphones.
Tens of thousands turn out for huge protests across US (Guardian)
In Washington, predicted to be the scene of the biggest protests, thousands gathered at numerous rallies, from the Lincoln Memorial, to Freedom Plaza, to Capitol Hill. The atmosphere was peaceful and full of chanting and shouting, though there was a heavy security presence, including members of the national guard. The White House also now stands behind a new, reinforced fence, lending an element of siege to a presidency, city and country in turmoil after a fierce debate about racism and police brutality was triggered by Floyd’s death. [...] In New York City, multiple protests emerged in the late morning, as they have every day for more than a week. A group of teachers marched in downtown Manhattan holding up a banner that read “Black Students Matter” and signs demanding an end to the school-to-prison pipeline. A planned demonstration packed Washington Square Park with thousands later in the afternoon. Protests in many other cities are proceeding as the day continues. In Philadelphia, thousands gathered at the Philadelphia Art Museum for a demonstration. Protestors shouted “No justice, no peace! No racist police!” Huge crowds were also seen in Chicago and San Francisco early in the afternoon. While previous days of protests have seen violent crackdowns from police against protestors, Saturday’s huge demonstrations have so far appeared peaceful as huge crowds move through their city’s streets.

In North Carolina, a hearse carrying Floyd’s body arrived Saturday morning for a public viewing of his casket and private memorial held in Hoke county in the southern state. Hundreds of people from the area came to pay their respects. A group of mourners on horseback visited the church in tribute to Floyd. [...] The governor of North Carolina ordered flags to be raised at half-staff on Saturday in Floyd’s honor.
posted by katra at 1:35 PM on June 6, 2020 [5 favorites]


Providence had 10,000+ in a totally peaceful protest Friday. The police avoided escalation, despite the looting on Monday, and the organizers worked to ensure a good outcome. Also, it was the first PVD protest in awhile with majority youth participation. I’m worried about a COVID spike n two weeks, but, besides that, it’s good.
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:43 PM on June 6, 2020 [8 favorites]


Sea of defiance: Melbourne turns out for black lives

The protests in the USA have prompted large demonstrations across Australia, in solidarity with Americans and calling for action on police and other violence against Indigenous Australians.

The Sydney protest went ahead but IMO was somewhat subdued after initially being blocked over COVID-19 fears. I have read that no arrests were made in Melbourne despite the heavy police presence (by Australian standards); I don't know about elsewhere. The organisers may subsequently be fined for facilitating a breach of social distancing rules, which: fair enough. I saw a lot of masks in the reporting and the protests were held outdoors, but we don't actually have an explicit right of assembly or protest in Australia.

Thirty years ago we held a Royal Commission - a sort of super-charged government inquiry - into the notoriously high rate of Indigenous deaths in custody. Of the 99 deaths (over approximately ten years) within its remit, the Commission found that
"... the immediate causes of the deaths do not include foul play, in the sense of unlawful, deliberate killing of Aboriginal prisoners by police and prison officers.
I think the words “immediate” and “deliberate” deserve heavy emphasis: at least some of the deaths were due to untreated injuries. People arrested often have existing injuries or other conditions; arrestees are frequently injured during the process of arrest and confinement; inmates often receive injuries at the hands of officers or other prisoners; and Indigenous persons are both arrested and incarcerated at dramatically higher rates than other Australians. The death rate per incarceration has fallen since then; I understand that the absolute number of Aboriginal deaths in custody has risen; draw your own conclusions.
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:04 PM on June 6, 2020 [7 favorites]


I'm more than blown away by the breadth and range of the protests this week. I mean there were a few hundred people protesting in Irwin, PA today which is 95% white. There have been protests in all 50 states; I'm fairly old and I don't remember anything like this. This feels very different.
posted by octothorpe at 3:15 PM on June 6, 2020 [13 favorites]


We had a few hundred in Wilmington, MA on Thursday as well - another super, super white community, next door to the one I live in. Mine also had a pretty large protest that day - that I apparently missed because I was in Wilmington at the time. I went expecting it to be small and half-hearted, and ended up moved to tears several times by both the number of people who came out and the passion of both the speakers and protestors.
posted by invincible summer at 3:30 PM on June 6, 2020 [3 favorites]


Tens of thousands turn out for huge protests across US (Guardian)

Updated: Hundreds of thousands turn out for huge protests across US

Thousands march through Florida’s cities, demanding change (AP)
During a break in the rain Saturday, several hundred protesters sat in an intersection in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida and chanted against racism. “No KKK no racist USA,” the crowd yelled. It was one of dozens of mobilizations in Florida against police brutality, sparked by the death of George Floyd, who died May 25 at the hands of police in Minneapolis.
Protests after Floyd’s death reach rural America (Politico)
Demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd have spread well beyond major urban centers to cities and towns across rural America. [...] Events in Boise were among demonstrations in more than 350 cities across the U.S. since Floyd’s death, many in urban areas such as New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. But the protesters’ message against racism and police abuse has resonated in smaller cities and towns like Boise as growing minority communities begin to find their voice. “The history of movements for racial equality in rural America has been overlooked. When people think of the rural West, especially, they tend to think of white communities,” said Steven Beda, a University of Oregon professor who researches rural protest movements. “Many communities of color have long and important histories in these rural communities.” [...] Beda said demonstrations in areas not known as metropolitan melting pots show the long history of the fight by people of color for labor and civil rights in towns where minorities are sometimes an invisible but vital force of rural life. [...] “I hope these protests in smaller cities do bring visibility to some of the challenges and inequities that communities of color in rural areas face,” Beda said. “I hope it gets us beyond this dichotomy we draw between urban and rural America when we think about race.”
posted by katra at 4:38 PM on June 6, 2020 [6 favorites]


Miami-Dade police just couldn't help themselves. They declared a small group of people still hanging around after the protest at FIU ended an unlawful assembly for no particular reason and decided it was necessary to smash a newspaper photographer and a woman running away into a wall.

The other protests in the area (City of Miami and another in Miramar, just over the county line) today seemed to have little police presence and no violence whatsoever.

I don't think it could appear any more predatory given they waited until there was no longer a large group to respond to their violent outburst.
posted by wierdo at 5:17 PM on June 6, 2020 [9 favorites]


From an email to the PBA by president John Evans:

"[The officers] do not deserve to be villified [sic] and treated like criminals for simply following orders."

Are the Nazi comparisons valid yet?


Yeah, this line of defense didn't work at Nuremberg, but maybe they're hoping courts have gotten more authoritarian-friendly since the antifa craze of the forties has blown over.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:30 PM on June 6, 2020 [9 favorites]


I see folks talking about the president saying It's a great day for George Floyd, looking down from heaven, and a lot of disagreement about it, but I can't seem to find a video of the entire speech. I can never find the actual thing said, and so many newspapers "write" articles where they just dice the content up, and throw it in quotes. Gah.
posted by rebent at 7:44 PM on June 6, 2020


I linked the "It's a great day" Guardian coverage upthread; C-Span has the entire rambling presser from Friday morning.
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:27 PM on June 6, 2020 [1 favorite]


I'd be interested to know what people here think of the reform ideas in this Twitter thread. I think (perhaps wishfully) the vast majority of them could garner public support fairly easily.
posted by wierdo at 8:28 PM on June 6, 2020 [1 favorite]


i believe it is this june 5 press conference in the rose garden, rebent. (president horrorshow hits the screen about 29:14). the statement in question occurs shortly after 51:04, when the president returns from some tangents about dominating the streets to flatly reading some sort of prepared text; then the "hopefully george is ..." extemporaneity begins.

(on preview: try Iris Gambol's link and skip ahead about 22 minutes from the time he takes the mic.)
posted by 20 year lurk at 8:33 PM on June 6, 2020


Also, everyone should hear Nucleus Shelton leading a march in song through the streets of Miami.

It makes it all the more infuriating that, as this was happening, MDPD was preparing to take their frustration out on a few people standing on a sidewalk.
posted by wierdo at 8:55 PM on June 6, 2020 [6 favorites]


I see folks talking about the president saying It's a great day for George Floyd, looking down from heaven, and a lot of disagreement about it, but I can't seem to find a video of the entire speech.

I watched The Act of Killing a while ago, the scene with the real-life state sanctioned murderers imagining how their victims will thank them for being murdered (!) stuck with me. I never thought I would see a US President doing the same thing -- Trump is basically saying George Floyd is in heaven thanking Trump for the good economy (which is another lie). What a sick bastard, he never fails to go lower than you could expect.
posted by benzenedream at 9:19 PM on June 6, 2020 [5 favorites]


The LEGO store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan was broken into on June 1 [slide 31 at the Gothamist]; on June 2, it appeared that the LEGO company responded thusly: Lego Pulls Advertising for Police-Related Toys, Donates $4 Million to Fight Racism and Inequality (Vulture, June 3, 2020). But LEGO intended to pull digital advertising only, and by "pull" it meant temporarily pause. An article at trade magazine The Toy Book posts the original June 2 morning email sent to LEGO affiliates (subject line "LEGO - FEW PRODUCT REMOVALS ASAP!" and listing more than 30 LEGO building sets and Minifigures representing police, firefighters, etc., including the City Donut Shop set, featuring Police Officer “Duke DeTain” and “Crook” Minifigures, and "the adult builder LEGO Creator version of The White House"); after the flurry of confusion expressed by affiliates and fans alike, primarily online, LEGO responded to the Toy Book's request for comment: “We requested that our affiliate partners refrain from posting promotional LEGO content as part of our decision to respect #BlackOutTuesday and pause posting content on our social media channels in response to the tragic events in the US. We regret any misunderstanding and will ensure that we are clearer about our intentions in the future.”

The article has photos and video of the store damage, a timeline of virtual bewilderment, and notes, "LEGO published a message on its social platforms at 12:24 p.m. ET on June 3. LEGO says that it 'will donate $4 million to organizations dedicated to supporting black children and educating all children about racial equality.'" Finally, an Official LEGO Tweet on June 4: "We’ve seen incorrect reports saying we’ve removed some LEGO sets from sale. To be clear, that is not the case and reports otherwise are false. Our intention was to temporarily pause digital advertising in response to events in the US. We hope this clears things up."
--

Police in New York Are Defying State and City Orders to Wear Masks (Time, June 5, 2020) Under internal protocol, New York City police officers are mandated to wear masks during the pandemic, according to NYPD Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters Oleg Chernyavsky. “If they’re interacting with the public, they’re obligated to wear masks,” Chernyavsky said at a virtual May 22 public safety committee hearing, which was video-recorded. “We follow the direction from the Department of Health.”

Tens of Thousands March Through Rainstorm With 2 Nights Left of NYC Curfew (NBC, June 6, 2020) In total, more than 2,000 people have been arrested over the course of New York City's week-long protests.
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:53 PM on June 6, 2020 [5 favorites]


I'm more than blown away by the breadth and range of the protests this week. I mean there were a few hundred people protesting in Irwin, PA today which is 95% white. There have been protests in all 50 states; I'm fairly old and I don't remember anything like this. This feels very different.
I've been pretty upset this week by all of the violence and by news of an acquaintance's suicide (which brought back painful memories of a suicide by someone much closer that I'm still not over and maybe never will be..) so it was a really welcome bit of good news for a change to attend our local protest and find maybe 200 people in attendance.

That might not sound like a lot but there are only around 12,000 people who live here year round and this year we don't have any of the summer visitors or seasonals you might expect in another year. Between the rally attendees lining both sides of the main road and passing motorists who honked and waved in support I'd say at least 5% of our local population made at least some show in support of equal justice and an end to police violence.

And yes, there were a few assholes like the ones in the truck with the giant Trump banner but the crowd who were gathered were peaceful, positive, and represented a pretty decent cross-section of the community including crusty verging-on-geezers such as myself, many young families, and a notable and vocal contingent from our Alaska Native community.

I like to think that if the message has caught on enough that we can turn out a couple hundred people in Ketchikan, AK, this issue at least has some hope of achieving a positive result.
posted by Nerd of the North at 9:57 PM on June 6, 2020 [15 favorites]


Our little town is having a demonstration/rally tomorrow. It's going to be so hot. We're planning on taking a truckload of water bottles to hand out, and plan on going back after the rally to clean them all up.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 11:29 PM on June 6, 2020 [3 favorites]


Very satisfying video of the Minneapolis mayor getting shamed by demonstrators
posted by Noisy Pink Bubbles at 2:20 AM on June 7, 2020 [3 favorites]


The Floyd protests are the broadest in U.S. history — and are spreading to white, small-town America:
The scale of the protests is unprecedented
Two of us, Chenoweth and Pressman, have been gathering data on protests across the country, while the other, Putnam, studies political mobilization in Pennsylvania.

Our preliminary data shows that far more places have held protests already than held Women’s Marches in January 2017. That March occurred in 650 locations — and then had more participants than any other single-day demonstration in U.S. history. This time, few people had time for advance planning, amid a pandemic that has kept many Americans out of public spaces. And so the breadth of the protests is significant.
posted by octothorpe at 6:20 AM on June 7, 2020 [7 favorites]


Rome's piazza del Popolo saw about 3 thousand full-voiced people fill it (thanks to social distancing) this morning. Coordinated chants, poignant addresses, insistant churchbells, nine minutes of silent kneeling, plus a couple of crowd-wide chants of "siamo tutti antifascisti" (see this full video of the protest at 01:06:00), which don't precisely transalte to "we are all ANTIFA", but... you get the gist.
posted by progosk at 6:51 AM on June 7, 2020 [8 favorites]


Bristol UK: We just took down the fucking statue.
Some background, though as a commenter said on Twitter "Most of the words on Wikipedia other that 'slave trader' are redundant".
posted by adamvasco at 7:31 AM on June 7, 2020 [3 favorites]


Here's a video of the slave trader Colston's statue hitting the dirt
posted by Myeral at 8:10 AM on June 7, 2020 [1 favorite]




Google Maps quick on the update
posted by fullerine at 8:58 AM on June 7, 2020 [4 favorites]


The cops are seeking revenge. 30 Seattle PD dragged a women out of her car in front of her 9 year old to arrest her for "assauting an officer" at a protest 2 days prior. One of the cops was supposedly the man she "assaulted" and was showing off a "wound". 30 cops- the woman was screaming "Please don't shoot us" and "My baby's in the car" She's been arraigned in court- the cops are citing a meme on her facebook as proof she's dangerous. I don't know if there's a bail fund for her yet- this is super messed up.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 9:18 AM on June 7, 2020 [26 favorites]


Very satisfying video of the Minneapolis mayor getting shamed by demonstrators

Context: Marchers call for defunding Minneapolis Police Department • Minnesota Public Radio; Tim Nelson; June 6, 2020
But Mayor Jacob Frey — who walked out to address the crowd as they stopped near his home — said Saturday that he does not support abolition of the department.

"I am absolutely for a massive shift, a structural shift in how the police department functions, I'll say it again," he said, as some in the crowd chanted, "Resign." "And as for abolishing the entire police department — no, I'm not, and I'll be honest about that, too."

After Frey spoke, the crowd chanted “Go home, Jacob.” Frey said he understood the crowd's disappointment with his stance.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:32 AM on June 7, 2020 [6 favorites]


Evan McMuffin, former presidential candidate, on Twitter:
As we unite around the equal worth of black lives, the president would like to divide us on calls to defund the police. I don't support the latter, but I'm not going to let that stop me from standing shoulder to shoulder with anyone whose rights are being systematically violated.
i.e., I want to get credit for vaguely being against Trump and for black people, without actually doing anything. My answer to that:
What *are* you going to do then? "Standing shoulder to shoulder" how? Tell me an actionable, measurable thing you want to do. Because it sounds like "do nothing but express concern"

Defund police is a SMART goal. What's yours?
posted by ctmf at 9:32 AM on June 7, 2020 [9 favorites]


And that's what I'd ask Jacob Frey, too. Ok, what's your counter proposal? Massive shift, structural shift... what exactly? What does that mean. You better get some real actions to talk about real fast because "defund/abolish police" is something we can do right now and if you can't do better than that, we're going to.
posted by ctmf at 9:37 AM on June 7, 2020 [5 favorites]


The cops are seeking revenge.

See also: @spekulation:
It's confirmed. Seattle Police just arrested the man who filmed them macing a little girl last week. I don't believe in coincidences. They are targeting protesters, this is the second in 24 hours. Huge shows of force both times. I would be lying if I said I wasn't terrified.
posted by ctmf at 9:44 AM on June 7, 2020 [24 favorites]


@nowhannahwon
Lol, Seattle is ALREADY under a consent decree.

See how effective reforms are?

#DefundThePolice #DefundSPD
posted by ctmf at 9:48 AM on June 7, 2020 [10 favorites]


Lol, Seattle is ALREADY under a consent decree.

Seattle PD: We were only under a consent decree for being violent and racist. Nobody said anything about intimidation and white people.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 9:50 AM on June 7, 2020 [3 favorites]


'George Floyd happens every day': activists seek justice for police killings the media forgot (Guardian)
“Anytime we step out in somebody’s name, we’re stepping in everybody’s name,” said Cat Brooks, an organizer with Oakland’s Anti Police Terror Project (APTP). “Black people and brown people are very clear that George Floyd happens every day.” [...] “Right now, there’s a window of opportunity for changes to take place from this very tragic event,” said Cephus “Uncle Bobby” X Johnson, founder of the Love not Blood Campaign, an organization that supports families who have lost members to police violence. “The only way we are going to change this whole thing is to get rid of the way police agencies operate and create a new system,” Johnson continued.

[...] “The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) signed on to this and they’re all still standing behind the officers who killed Mario Woods,” said Lizzie Buchen, director of the ACLU of California’s Criminal Justice Project in reference to the 2016 shooting death of 26-year-old Woods by SFPD. None of the officers were charged in his death. “It just rings so hollow when they condemn an act like what we saw in Minneapolis,” she continued. “Progress means police having a smaller role in government and shifting resources from police into community-based initiatives that actually would support community wellbeing.” “That era of reform is a failed approach. We need complete transformation,” echoed Jose Bernal, a longtime Bay Area organizer and activist. “Defunding the police means the difference between life and death.”
'Buildings matter': Philadelphia newspaper editor resigns after headline sparks uproar (Guardian, Jun. 6, 2020)
The newspaper announced on Saturday that Stan Wischnowski, 58, was stepping down as senior vice-president and executive editor, after apologizing on Wednesday for the “horribly wrong” decision to use the headline “Buildings Matter, Too” on a column Tuesday. suggesting an equivalence between the loss of buildings and the lives of black Americans.

The tone-deaf headline, suggesting an equivalence between the loss of buildings and the lives of black Americans, prompted a public denouncement from staff. The features reporter Brandon Bell wrote on Twitter that he was calling in “sick and tired” to work on Thursday. About 30 members of a staff of about 210 skipped work for the same reason, a spokesman said. Bell was among those who distributed an open letter of protest, saying African American journalists were tired of careless mistakes that made it harder to do their jobs and, at worst, put lives at risk. “We’re tired of shouldering the burden of dragging this 200-year-old institution kicking and screaming into a more equitable age,” the letter read. “We’re tired of being told to show both sides of issues there are no two sides of.”
posted by katra at 9:52 AM on June 7, 2020 [8 favorites]


The cops are seeking revenge.

Here in Pittsburgh too. TLDR: women who witnessed and filmed police firing on peaceful protesters were arrested for alledgedly throwing water bottles from their balconies but police have zero evidence of that.
posted by octothorpe at 10:01 AM on June 7, 2020 [10 favorites]


Desperate to prove everyone right about them.
posted by ctmf at 10:06 AM on June 7, 2020 [4 favorites]


Raleigh Cops Discharge Flashbangs at Staff of LGBT Bar for Aiding Protesters in Their Parking Lot (Eater.com, June 3, 2020) Tim Lemuel, the owner of the bar Ruby Deluxe, told WRAL that he had been standing in front of his business to deter vandals, working with employees to clean up shattered glass and graffiti — including, he alleged to the N&O, what appeared to be a spray-painted white power symbol — from the previous night. They had also set up a street medic station in the parking lot, where they passed out water, first aid supplies, hand sanitizer, and snacks to protesters [...] “I was in the Army for eight years, so the bangs didn’t bother me, but my staff were scared out of their minds,” Lemuel said. “If you’ve never been in that situation it appears like you’re going to be killed.”
--
Police say Lemuel's station supplied protestors who later committed criminal acts; Lemuel says the deputies observed the goings-on in the bar's parking lot for hours, as the bar is cater-corner to the Wake County Sheriff's Office: "During the seven hours, they had, you know, every opportunity to come down and check on us, see what was going on or tell us their concerns,” said Lemuel, who has owned Ruby Deluxe for five years. “They just chose not to. And at some point they just went straight for guns blazing.” (The News & Observer, June 2, 2020)
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:09 AM on June 7, 2020 [12 favorites]


Guardian: "Alicia Garza, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter, has appeared on NBC’s Meet The Press to discuss calls to defund the police.
She said that such calls do not mean abolishing law enforcement but rather investing money in other areas. “When we talk about defunding the police, what we’re saying is invest in the resources that our communities need,” she said. “So much of policing right now is generated and directed towards quality of life issues ... But what we do need is increased funding for housing, we need increased funding for education, we need increased funding for the quality of life of communities who are over-policed and over-surveilled.

“... Black Lives Matter is not just a radical idea … everyone can agree that we don’t have the things that we need to live well, and that we are using policing and law enforcement in a way that far exceeds its utility.”
Guardian: "Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik offers a counterpoint to US attorney general William Barr’s assertion that systemic racism does not exist in American law enforcement: Racism in America is not the exception – it's the norm (Nesrine Malik, Guardian Opinion)
posted by katra at 10:15 AM on June 7, 2020 [5 favorites]


Duty to intervene: Floyd cops spoke up but didn’t step in (AP)
“This is a lesson for every cop in America: If you see something that is wrong, you need to step in,” said Joseph Giacalone, a former New York police sergeant who now teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “There are a lot of gray areas in policing, but this was crystal clear. … You’re better off being ostracized by the group than going to prison for murder.”
What Is Qualified Immunity, and What Does it Have to Do With Police Reform? (Nathaniel Sobel, Lawfare, Jun. 6, 2020)
The protests ignited by the killing of George Floyd have put a spotlight on the legal doctrine of qualified immunity. While qualified immunity is not at issue in the prosecution of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and the three other former officers who face criminal charges stemming from Floyd’s death, it is one of many structural factors that make it difficult to hold police officers accountable for wrongdoing. While Lawfare contributors have occasionally discussed qualified immunity in the past, this post provides answers to some key questions that have arisen in light of the current national conversation.
The United States’ Racial Justice Problem Is Also an International Human Rights Law Problem (E. Tendayi Achiume, Just Security, Jun. 5, 2020)
A now widely articulated criticism or concern is that the legal and policy frameworks that are supposed to provide accountability for and prevent racially discriminatory police misconduct are themselves part of the problem. As Fourth Amendment expert Devon Carbado has highlighted, U.S. constitutional doctrine, for example, “expressly authorizes or facilitates the very social practice it ought to prevent: racial profiling.” Law will not end structural racial injustice — but it can and should play an important part in the process. At the very least, law should not be part of the problem, and in the United States it clearly is. Part of the thought and action to chart solutions to this problem should include greater attention and commitment to the United States’ existing racial justice and equality legal obligations under international human rights law.
posted by katra at 11:04 AM on June 7, 2020 [6 favorites]


A protest march in Toronto yesterday saw thousands of protesters who marched to the US consulate and peacefully knelt in front of it. Many stores downtown boarded up their plate glass windows in anticipation of possible damages.

No reports of any damage or mass arrests, but one counterprotester who turned up in blackface screaming about his right to do so was arrested by police in charges of breaching the peace. Video shows him to be very confrontational with protesters but in the middle of a crowd, no one struck him (people did yell back at him, though).


Thousands of protesters of colour and their allies and the biggest problem came from from one racist asshole. It's almost like an illustration of something.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:43 AM on June 7, 2020 [11 favorites]


i think there are a lot of mayors and city councils out there right now who don't actually know if they have control of their PD. The Seattle mayor put a moratorium on "tear gas" so in Barr-like hair splitting malicious compliance, they used pepper spray instead.

This is a "re-establish command" situation. No action will be taken without my personal say-so. No arrest, no detention, no use of force. Non-compliance will be automatic cause for discipline. Yes, that will cause a delay. I have my cell phone.

The alternative is they're ordering this, but I don't believe that. I think it's the police choosing to follow the union and the private cop social media egging on instead of the elected authority.
posted by ctmf at 11:48 AM on June 7, 2020 [16 favorites]




Raleigh Cops Discharge Flashbangs at Staff of LGBT Bar for Aiding Protesters in Their Parking Lot

Iris Gambol, that is the bar I posted a picture of upthread (which I don't know how to link to). The vandalism was Saturday 5/30 and the follow-up flashbangs were the following night. I've been protesting almost every day since.
posted by Snowishberlin at 12:14 PM on June 7, 2020 [5 favorites]


Thank you, Snowishberlin! Linking your 6/1 comment, which I'm sorry I'd missed, with the Twitter photo (also putting post here on Thread reader). I don't know how the outlets are describing that paint as "allegedly" or "appearing to be" a white power symbol (and WRAL doesn't mention it at all).
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:31 PM on June 7, 2020 [1 favorite]


Minneapolis city council announces plans to disband the police. Mayor's opinion not required.
posted by dinty_moore at 2:02 PM on June 7, 2020 [39 favorites]


Two Buffalo Police ERT members say resignation was not in solidarity with suspended officers

In which unnamed riot squad officers claim they resigned (from the squad, not the force) because the union refused to foot the bill for their legal aid. Then the union twisted it into a "solidarity" thing.

Allegedly the reason the union won't pay for the legal costs is they don't have enough money. Which suggests a pressure point: run the union out of money, the cops won't stick with them.
posted by ctmf at 2:15 PM on June 7, 2020 [20 favorites]


Minneapolis city council announces plans to disband the police. Mayor's opinion not required.

I saw the title, which includes the phrase "members of the Minneapolis city council, and thought "damn I bet it's only a handful of them though." First sentence? "On Sunday afternoon, a veto-proof majority of Minneapolis City Council members will announce their commitment to disbanding the city’s embattled police department, which has endured relentless criticism in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, on May 25." I mean holy shit.
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:52 PM on June 7, 2020 [29 favorites]


Is there any previous history in the US of disbanding the police (like, within the past century)? I’m very curious about how that sort of thing is done.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 3:00 PM on June 7, 2020 [2 favorites]


commitment to

"Commitment to" is not action. It's a start, though. Probably a lot of legal stuff will have to be changed, powers granted in charters, job position descriptions, etc. Minneapolis might have to pay a lot of people to sit around with stripped powers until they can actually be dissolved.

Whether they follow through remains to be seen, but it's a lot stronger statement than anyone else in the country has been willing to make.
posted by ctmf at 3:01 PM on June 7, 2020 [7 favorites]


I used to work for an ngo that did work to help post-conflict countries rebuild, and one of the major planks was called security sector reform - ie reform of the police and military. So it is an area in which a lot of both practical and academic work has been done. Just not here.

(And the irony of working for a US-based org that did this type of work exclusively abroad, often in countries the US helped wreck, is not lost on me - there's a reason I left international development - but still, some useful lessons are there if we look.)
posted by showbiz_liz at 3:07 PM on June 7, 2020 [12 favorites]


Mitt Romney joins BLM DC march

We'll see how and if he follows up, but it gives me just a touch more hope.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 3:14 PM on June 7, 2020 [6 favorites]


I'm very interested in how the Minneapolis City Council thing is going to shake out w.r.t. MPD's union(s). I wonder if "There IS no MPD anymore", was ever contemplated in their contracts.
posted by mikelieman at 3:18 PM on June 7, 2020 [3 favorites]


I can imagine police, I can imagine no police; I find it hard to imagine a safe transition between the two. But the status quo is intolerable: there must be radical change, even if the present police force plays a spoiling role.
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:20 PM on June 7, 2020 [4 favorites]


Camden, New Jersey disbanded its force and devolved the powers to the county.

Garden city, Mo. Bonus pic of their mayor sporting a rockin mohawk in the article.

There have been a few also where the police force was essentially a shakedown racket and were dissolved by the Feds.
posted by Mitheral at 3:24 PM on June 7, 2020 [5 favorites]


This is like the second time I've had to give credit to Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney: not a total asshole.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 3:43 PM on June 7, 2020


Five years ago, in Louisiana: Sorrento Town Council dissolves troubled Police Department (The Advocate, May 20, 2015) The town Police Department, once responsible for serving and protecting this small Ascension Parish community for nearly 60 years, is officially closed for business. With zero fanfare or reaction from residents gathered at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, council members unanimously adopted an ordinance closing the scandal-plagued department effective immediately.
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:44 PM on June 7, 2020


This is like the second time I've had to give credit to Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney: not a total asshole.


I disagree with giving white men more credit than they deserve. The credit should instead go to Black Lives Matter, for becoming a movement so mainstream that even a Republican senator is willing to show some token measure of support for it.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 3:49 PM on June 7, 2020 [67 favorites]


Camden, New Jersey disbanded its force and devolved the powers to the county.

I lived in Lake Worth, FL for a while, and we had no local police force. The Palm Beach County Sheriffs took over policing duties. (They were... not great. They'd routinely follow me when I was biking home to my apartment from the grocery in the Hispanic neighbourhood only to break off as soon as they pulled along side and noticed I was white. I don't know whether or not there used to be a Lake Worth PD, though; if there was, for all I know they were even worse.)
posted by tobascodagama at 3:56 PM on June 7, 2020


Yes, walking is good, but not quite the level of "doing something" a billionaire white guy with influence in his political party is capable of. Appreciate the gesture, no cookie yet.
posted by ctmf at 3:57 PM on June 7, 2020 [7 favorites]


Not to be too cynical, but is it support in principle, or more just an assessment that Trump is flaming out and he has another chance? At some point the Republicans will need a nice respectable alternative to perpetuate their tax cutting goals.

"Corporations are people too," runs much deeper in him than, "Black Lives Matter". He's firmly of the 'racism is a useful tool for controlling the proles' stripe, which means if the tool isn't working anymore he can put it aside.
posted by bcd at 4:00 PM on June 7, 2020 [10 favorites]


James Bennet has resigned as NYT Opinion Editor following the Tom Cotton debacle.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 4:16 PM on June 7, 2020 [26 favorites]


no cookie yet
I was mean. He doesn't appear to be asking for one, and he's welcome. It's more than nothing.
posted by ctmf at 4:22 PM on June 7, 2020 [3 favorites]


James Bennet has resigned as NYT Opinion Editor following the Tom Cotton debacle.

It was a good firing/resigning and long overdue. He didn't fact-check Cotton's lie-filled op-ed, when it was a stated policy of the paper to do so.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 4:28 PM on June 7, 2020 [7 favorites]


He didn't fact-check Cotton's lie-filled op-ed, when it was a stated policy of the paper to do so.

Worse, he didn't even read it.

This is the "you had one job" zone.
posted by Rumple at 4:34 PM on June 7, 2020 [13 favorites]


Yes; I'm not sure I believe his excuse, but failing to do your "one job" is itself a fireable offence.

For what it's worth, though, people who repost racist stuff on Twitter often use "I didn't read the article" as an excuse, which is basically an acknowledgment that they didn't care. In this case he knew he was publishing an article touching on racial issues that was written by a racist Republican; by failing to review it he demonstrated that he just didn't care what Cotton might say.
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:54 PM on June 7, 2020 [8 favorites]


The Trump Regime Is Beginning to Topple (Franklin Foer, Atlantic, Jun. 6, 2020)
[Gene] Sharp distilled what he learned into a 93-page handbook, From Dictatorship to Democracy, a how-to guide for toppling autocracy. Sharp’s foundational insight is embedded in an aphorism: “Obedience is at the heart of political power.” A dictator doesn’t maintain power on his own; he relies on individuals and institutions to carry out his orders. A successful democratic revolution prods these enablers to stop obeying. It makes them ashamed of their complicity and fearful of the social and economic costs of continued collaboration.

Sharp posited that revolutionaries should focus first on the regime’s softest underbelly: the media, the business elites, and the police. The allegiance of individuals in the outer circle of power is thin and rooted in fear. By standing strong in the face of armed suppression, protesters can supply examples of courage that inspire functionaries to stop carrying out orders, or as Sharp put it, to “withhold cooperation.” Each instance of resistance provides the model for further resistance. As the isolation of the dictators grows—as the inner circles of power join the outer circle in withholding cooperation—the regime crumbles. This is essentially what transpired in Ukraine in 2014. [...] It is astonishing how events in the U.S., despite all the obvious imperfections of the analogy, have traced the early phases of this history. [...] it’s possible to see how elites, in the course of just a few days, have begun to withhold cooperation, starting with the outer circles of power and quickly turning inward. [...] As each group of elites refused Trump, it became harder for the next to comply in good conscience. In Sharp’s taxonomy, the autocrat’s grasp on power depends entirely on the allegiance of the armed forces. [...] on Wednesday, the president’s very own secretary of defense explicitly rejected Trump’s threat to deploy active-duty military officers to American streets. It’s among the most striking instances of an official bucking a president in recent decades. [...] As each defector wins praise for moral courage, it incentivizes the next batch of defectors.
posted by katra at 6:00 PM on June 7, 2020 [25 favorites]


Maybe Bennet and Bret Stephens can treat each other to lunch or something.
posted by valkane at 6:01 PM on June 7, 2020 [1 favorite]


In this case he knew he was publishing an article

He read it. Note he didn't express any surprise about what it said, make any statements of dismay, discipline any of the editorial staff who did read it... basically nothing that indicated it wasn't exactly what he asked for. It's not like he expected a cake recipe and got a fascist manifesto. There's probably an email trail with his name all over it.
posted by ctmf at 6:33 PM on June 7, 2020 [8 favorites]


There is very little doubt in my mind that Sulzberger pushed that article and that Bennet simply failed to say no sufficiently strongly to keep it out of the paper.

Saying he didn't read it is saying that it wasn't his to read — which is more than enough of a failure of courage to resign over.
posted by jamjam at 6:55 PM on June 7, 2020




Lol, Seattle is ALREADY under a consent decree.
The situation here in Seattle has really driven home the need for abolition.

Not only is SPD already under a consent decree, but we’ve already implemented six of the eight policies recommended by Campaign Zero. Our mayor is a lesbian former Obama official. Our chief of police is a black woman. Our city council consists of 8 democrats and 1 socialist; two thirds are women, more than half are people of color. The police department is successfully recruiting and hiring POC. On paper, compared to the average US city, Seattle might look like a progressive fantasyland. And yet.

To anyone who thinks that policing could be fixed if we just had the right people in charge, if we just put more rules in place, if we just enacted the right slate of incremental reforms: Look at Seattle, and then say that again.
posted by mbrubeck at 8:03 PM on June 7, 2020 [56 favorites]


…and in a press conference going on right now, Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan promises to “halt expansion” of SPD’s budget for facilities/technology/weapons. *laugh-sob*
posted by mbrubeck at 8:12 PM on June 7, 2020 [5 favorites]


Linda Tirado, the photojournalist permanently blind in her left eye since being shot by a police projectile in Minneapolis on May 29th, posts to Twitter today (also via Thread reader app):

So there’s like eight of us that lost an eye during these protests and we’re starting to find and talk to each other and it is *hilarious*

Three of us are going camping to clear our heads a bit and just process together and god bless the internet that makes that possible

(Anyone else in the club is welcome just we haven’t been able to talk to them yet, but imagine if this turns into like some kind of police-related blindness event in the woods)

posted by Iris Gambol at 8:21 PM on June 7, 2020 [27 favorites]


Hannah Natanson, Washington Post reporter, on Twitter, June 7 - The fence outside the White House has been converted to a crowd-sourced memorial wall — almost like an art gallery — to black men and women who lost their lives at the hands of police. Hundreds are strolling, looking, adding names and paintings and posters. (Tweet, video at Thread reader app)
Replies:
@constablec29 - Turning a deterrent to democracy into a monument for it. The fence is now a monument meant for the Smithsonian.
@MadisonKittay - I'm laughing because Trump spent millions to put up a spite fence and ended up giving taxpayers two miles of art space.
@RockyMountViews - I love this. Trump's fence is now a message board.
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:55 PM on June 7, 2020 [30 favorites]


To anyone who thinks that policing could be fixed if we just had the right people in charge, if we just put more rules in place, if we just enacted the right slate of incremental reforms: Look at Seattle, and then say that again.

We need something. We (Seattle) had a very literal epidemic* of mass shootings in late January and early February. Ensuring public safety of some kind is a requirement that needs to be met in a civilized society. Other countries have found ways to do this without abolishing police or giving them free leeway to brutalize the public.

* - choosing my words carefully, as gun ownership infects the United States as much as SARS-CoV-2 virus, causing the same death-dealing disease outcome (whether it be death by gun or COVID-19).
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 9:07 PM on June 7, 2020 [4 favorites]


But the rest of the world isn't America.

Fucking guns. Fucking Virus. Fucking police.

We are as liberal as you can get, and yet, SPD...

Stay safe. We got this?
posted by Windopaene at 10:26 PM on June 7, 2020


So the question is, are our police effective at stopping violence? Or would a different system be more effective, given the same resources? After all, the mass shootings you mention are all ones that the police didn’t prevent. The countries who have eliminated or nearly eliminated mass shootings largely haven’t done it by having more (or more heavily-armed or expensively-funded) police.

Many of the demands of the abolition and defunding activists – like separating armed response from other types of security and investigation activities – would leave us with something closer to the law enforcement systems of many of those other countries you talk about. I’m not saying we need to stop enforcing laws and keeping people safe. I’m saying we need to start doing it better, which requires new structures that aren’t ever going to grow out of our existing police forces.

(Maybe some police/prison abolitionists would say my position isn’t truly abolition. I dunno. There are a lot of different views out there. But I am pretty sure that incremental reform has been tried, and has failed repeatedly.)
posted by mbrubeck at 10:41 PM on June 7, 2020 [4 favorites]


So there’s like eight of us that lost an eye during these protests and we’re starting to find and talk to each other and it is *hilarious*

Less-lethal weapons can blind people even when aimed at protestors' feet, because oddly-shaped projectiles bounce in unexpected ways, but they're much less likely to cause eye injuries when used according to directions. These cops are trying to blind people. There has to be an end to qualified immunity so they and their enablers can be prosecuted for their reckless or malicious behaviour.
posted by Joe in Australia at 10:56 PM on June 7, 2020 [17 favorites]


As a Seattle resident. Last year, someone shot someone in the head outside of a 7-11 about a mile and a half away from where I live. A few hours later, a bunch of heavily armed officers, with dogs, and helicopters, arrived on my cul de sac. And then proceeded to search my neighbors yard with said dogs, and heavily armed police. We were texting our neighbors, who were freaking the fuck out.

I had to go pick my kid up from school, so, as a freaky looking dude, I had to both make sure the cops didn't kill me, but also, get in my car and drive past them. I was glad they were there. But, had to make sure they wouldn't see me as a threat and kill me.

This timeline...

Also, fuck 12
posted by Windopaene at 11:05 PM on June 7, 2020 [3 favorites]


Denver police ban chokeholds, require officers to report when they point gun at someone (Denver Post, June 7, 2020) SWAT officers also will now be required to turn on their body-worn cameras during tactical operations

As demonstrators marched for the 11th day, Denver police brass on Sunday announced changes to the department’s use-of-force and body camera policies [...] Elisabeth Epps, who resigned from the Denver Police Department’s use of force advisory board after police used tear gas and less-lethal projectiles on protesters in the early days of the demonstrations, said the changes are common-sense measures that the board previously had requested.

“This shows me that a week of protest did more than 18 months of conversation,” she said Sunday. Still, she said banning chokeholds in all situations was a small step in the right direction. “These things are the lowest hanging fruit,” she said. “It doesn’t demonstrate a commitment to real change. … It is not radical to ban a chokehold.”
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:31 PM on June 7, 2020 [7 favorites]


To be clear, I really wanted incremental reform to work. Just a couple of years ago, I poured my heart (and volunteer hours, and money) into the successfull I-940 campaign to reduce police violence in Washington state. I do hope that it does some good somewhere.

But I think about three decades of police reform since the Rodney King riots in 1992, and wonder how much progress we’ve really made. What would I consider real progress?
  • Are abusive cops consistently prosecuted and convicted for their crimes?
  • Do good cops reliably testify against bad cops who break the law?
  • Are there fewer white supremacist extremists on police forces?
  • Do black men now have less reason to fear the police?
None of this seems like too much to ask for. Really, it’s the bare minimum we should expect from the justice system of a democratic society. But after 28 years of national conversation about police brutality, not only are we not winning by these measures, we don’t even seem to be on a path that leads to winning.

Cops around the country have spent this month showing they don’t believe elected officials or laws can control them. When the police department as an entity thinks it is outside the law, it can’t be reformed by rules and regulations. Defunding the police, in this case, is not an extreme measure. It’s the only power that the people have to defend themselves.
posted by mbrubeck at 11:45 PM on June 7, 2020 [40 favorites]


Denver police ban chokeholds

Chokeholds were already banned in New York City when Eric Garner was killed. It took over 5 years to have the officer who killed him fired. He was never indicted.

Without enforcement mechanisms, changes to policy are nice, but don't change anything. I was at a street training yesterday organized by Raleigh PACT (Police Accountability Community Taskforce), which has been working since 2016, when the organizer's son was killed by cops, to get our city council to take action. She was very clear that the "8 Can't Wait" points are mostly useless without enforcement mechanisms - like citizen review boards with subpoena power.
posted by mediareport at 4:00 AM on June 8, 2020 [19 favorites]


The June 7th 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' dedicated an entire episode to the current topic of the police (YouTube).

It ended by showing an extended cut from "How Can We Win" (YouTube), which connects a lot of things together.
posted by ZeusHumms at 5:15 AM on June 8, 2020 [2 favorites]


When McDonalds sells a Fuck The Police burger I'll buy two. Until then I don't want to hear corporate PR that isn't backed by substantial money and sincere effort. It was bullshit when they did it about the virus and it's double bullshit now.
posted by adept256 at 5:37 AM on June 8, 2020 [9 favorites]


Do good cops reliably testify against bad cops who break the law?

If they don't, they aren't good cops.
posted by jaduncan at 5:41 AM on June 8, 2020 [9 favorites]


Protests have been ongoing in Indianapolis, where a young African-American man named Dreasjon Reed recently was killed by police for no apparent reason (and which is close to my home town of Louisville, still reeling from the police shooting of Breonna Taylor during a home invasion -- sorry, "no-knock" warrant).

But since the violence last weekend, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has taken a lighter hand, and the protests have remained peaceful, including Saturday's, which was one of the largest in years and which my children and I attended (masked, of course). In fact, my older child has been volunteering as a medic at the protests.

By the way, the local paper's article implies heavily that the police were at fault for last weekend's violence, which is interesting, as the Indianapolis Star tends to tilt right. The police didn't incite violence Saturday despite the protesters deliberately violating an 8 pm curfew.
posted by Gelatin at 6:00 AM on June 8, 2020 [3 favorites]


Racial issues faced by black quarterbacks (wikipedia)

Though opportunities have mostly opened up in the modern era, the ratio of black quarterbacks remains disproportionate to the overall ratio of black players, as 67% of NFL players are black, yet only 17% of quarterbacks are.

Huh. The person with the most important position is usually white.

Tyrod Taylor unfiltered: 'When we win, everything's great. When we lose, they want to crucify me.'

“It’s always going to be twice as bad just because of who I am – an African-American quarterback,” Taylor says, echoing a familiar refrain among people of color, regardless of professional status. “Look across the league, man. We’re held to a certain standard. We almost have to be perfect.”

Pressed on the subject, he continues.

“I wouldn’t say it’s just an African-American quarterback thing. It’s an African-American athlete thing – or just an African-American thing,” he says, “And that’s not anything I just found out. It’s been that way since I was a kid.”


And when they do get to be quarterbacks, they are held to a different standard. Strangely, the photograph accompanying that 2017 article shows Tyrod kneeling, head in hand.

That's what Kaepernick was blacklisted for, and it's become a symbol. The parallel of a black man kneeling peacefully against oppression, and a white man kneeling violently for oppression. That's going to be in the history books, and Colin deserves all the statues people will make of him.

So why didn't the NFL commissioner apologize to him? He didn't even say his name. Then I heard some commentator suppose that he may not have the support of the owners. The owners, the white men who own teams of black men, might not support an apology. Say his name. Say 'Colin Kaepernick was right'. Then give him the money he would have earned and have him cosign every decision the NFL makes henceforth.

And words are not enough. We're past that. As I said a moment ago, substantial money and sincere effort, or your apology is just more bullshit.
posted by adept256 at 6:40 AM on June 8, 2020 [9 favorites]


When McDonalds sells a Fuck The Police burger

Fuck the police comin' straight from the underground!
A 1/4 lb patty grilled golden brown
And not the other color, like them pigs all pink
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 8:21 AM on June 8, 2020 [11 favorites]


Straight off the grill, crazy motherfucker named Whopper
From BK where the burgers are proper
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 8:52 AM on June 8, 2020 [10 favorites]


When protesters cry ‘defund the police,’ what does it mean? (AP)
Supporters say it isn’t about eliminating police departments or stripping agencies of all of their money. They say it is time for the country to address systemic problems in policing in America and spend more on what communities across the U.S. need, like housing and education. [...] The group MPD150, which says it is “working towards a police-free Minneapolis,” argues that such action would be more about “strategically reallocating resources, funding, and responsibility away from police and toward community-based models of safety, support, and prevention.”

[...] President Donald Trump and his campaign view the emergence of the “Defund the Police” slogan as a spark of opportunity during what has been a trying political moment. Trump’s response to the protests has sparked widespread condemnation. But now his supporters say the new mantra may make voters, who may be otherwise sympathetic to the protesters, recoil from a “radical” idea. Trump ramped up his rhetoric on the issue on Monday, tweeting: “LAW & ORDER, NOT DEFUND AND ABOLISH THE POLICE. The Radical Left Democrats have gone Crazy!”

[...] “It is clear that our system of policing is not keeping our communities safe,” Lisa Bender, the [Minneapolis City Council] president, said. “Our efforts at incremental reform have failed, period.” Disbanding an entire department has happened before. In 2012, with crime rampant in Camden, New Jersey, the city disbanded its police department and replaced it with a new force that covered Camden County. Compton, California, took the same step in 2000, shifting its policing to Los Angeles County.
posted by katra at 8:58 AM on June 8, 2020


Fuck the police, Arby's says it with authority
Curly fries and Horsey Sauce are our priority
posted by box at 9:15 AM on June 8, 2020 [7 favorites]


And words are not enough. We're past that. As I said a moment ago, substantial money and sincere effort, or your apology is just more bullshit.

After the NFL announcement, I commented in a conversation that Kaepernick should get his job with full back pay, and someone's excuse was that he was now too old to QB. Some sports fans are next-level on missing the point.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 9:25 AM on June 8, 2020 [5 favorites]


Mod note: Y'all know how much a fan of goofy riffing I am but let's not get out of hand in here, this thread's already long and is tracking a lot of stuff.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:30 AM on June 8, 2020 [2 favorites]


Wow, wow. Amazing detail out of Seattle (FB post)
posted by Glinn at 10:05 AM on June 8, 2020 [22 favorites]


“strategically reallocating resources, funding, and responsibility away from police and toward community-based models of safety, support, and prevention.”

I can't be the only one who doesn't actually know what this means? If somebody gets murdered, who investigates the murder and apprehends the murderer? Wouldn't whoever does that start being referred to as the police since they are filling the role previously filled by the police?

If we as probably necessary disband the current problematic departments (which yes is most of them) and start from scratch by hiring and training from the ground up under a new model , that organization now responsible for arresting criminals and investigating crimes is gonna be called the police department since they fulfill the role of the police department, even if it looks almost nothing like the current incarnations (and everybody seems to agree that they should be very different than the current incarnations.).
posted by Justinian at 10:15 AM on June 8, 2020 [3 favorites]


Congress is attempting to respond:
The Justice in Policing Act would limit legal protections for police, create a national database of excessive-force incidents and ban police choke holds, among other changes, according to an early draft. It is the most ambitious change to law enforcement sought by Congress in years.
...
The package would also change “qualified immunity” protections for police “to enable individuals to recover damages when law enforcement officers violate their constitutional rights,” it says.
Lisa Mascaro, the Associated Press (Seattle Times link)
posted by Margalo Epps at 10:21 AM on June 8, 2020 [4 favorites]


justinian, this is a pretty good writeup from Bridget Eileen Rivera

maybe the only responsibility of police is investigating murders and everything else is handled by different, more attuned departments
posted by kokaku at 10:23 AM on June 8, 2020 [6 favorites]


thanks kokaku!
posted by Justinian at 10:24 AM on June 8, 2020


“strategically reallocating resources, funding, and responsibility away from police and toward community-based models of safety, support, and prevention.”

I can't be the only one who doesn't actually know what this means?


It means if I get separated from my daughter in a crowd, the people that show up to help me find her aren't armed to the teeth. If the neighbors complain about the music, armed psychopaths don't visit your party. The entitled of the world don't get to invoke violent goons because you're having a barbecue in the park. And a million other occasions where adding a bunch of heavily armed racists will only make things worse.
posted by adept256 at 10:38 AM on June 8, 2020 [53 favorites]


When someone calls for a wellness check we don't send armed police to determine that "Yep, she's dead now".

In BC are transit cops are armed because they are police and provincial regulations require they be armed. Why are either of those things true. Why does a person whose overwhelmingly vast interactions and job duties involve interacting with transit riders need a handgun? Almost by definition they are in built up areas with ready access to regular police services. Last time BC Transit cops shot and killed someone he a) wasn't on transit and b) had already stabbed himself 14 times. Many BC transit cops don't even carry a less often lethal option like a tazer.

I think one of the problems is that 120 years ago transportation networks were poor and many communities were small. Which meant that it was desirable to have a local enforcement officer but it was far from a full time job. So they got loaded with public service functions because police had high availability (we see something similar in my area where firefighters are assuming some low level EMT/paramedic functions because they have a lot of perceived downtime). So we send cops in the middle of the night instead of social workers to see if someone is all right and invariably wellness check subject get shot.

Trump ramped up his rhetoric on the issue on Monday, tweeting: “LAW & ORDER, NOT DEFUND AND ABOLISH THE POLICE. The Radical Left Democrats have gone Crazy!”

That in itself is a pretty big Overton shift from a debate that would otherwise be how much to increase funding and how much military hardware is appropriate for police to receive each year.
posted by Mitheral at 11:06 AM on June 8, 2020 [10 favorites]


Democrats unveil ambitious plan for police reform: 'This is a first step' (Guardian)
“We cannot settle for anything less than transformative structural change,” said the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, the most powerful Democrat in Congress, drawing on the nation’s history of slavery. Before unveiling the package, House and Senate Democrats including Chuck Schumer, Congressman Jim Clyburn, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, Senator Kamala Harris and Senator Cory Booker, held a moment of silence at the Capitol’s Emancipation Hall, reading the names of Floyd and others killed during police interactions. [...]

Representative Karen Bass, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, which is leading the effort, called it bold and transformative. “The world is witnessing the birth of a new movement in this country,” Bass said. “A profession where you have the power to kill should be a profession where you have highly trained officers that are accountable to the public,” she added. The legislation would ban chokeholds by police, including the one used for Floyd, set up a national database for tracking police misconduct and would bar types of “no-knock” warrants, according to an early draft. The bill also aims to make it easier to pursue legal damages when police violate civil rights, stop racial profiling and racial bias in policing, and limit the transfer of military hardware to police forces. However, the package stops short of fulfilling calls by leading activists to defund the police, a push to dismantle or reduce financial resources to police departments that has struck new intensity in the weeks of protests since Floyd’s death.
posted by katra at 11:10 AM on June 8, 2020 [6 favorites]


Philly police commander seen beating protesters faces aggravated assault charges (WHYY.org, Philadelphia PBS and NPR member station, June 5, 2020) The officer facing charges is Staff Inspector Joseph Bologna Jr, who has a history of misconduct and is linked to past corruption scandals. [...]

In one video, Bologna can be seen batoning a protester on Monday evening near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, shortly after demonstrators were controversially tear gassed near I-676. In another video, posted Tuesday, he is captured tackling a woman to the ground, as a previously peaceful demonstration on Market Street erupts into chaos. [...] In 2014, Bologna was cited for “failure to supervise” four narcotics officers who were accused with lying and theft chronicled in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Daily News series “Tainted Justice.” Subsequently reassigned to lead the 19th District in West Philadelphia, Bologna oversaw a tactical squad that would go on to garner a high volume of misconduct complaints.

After reviewing video, prosecutors charge police inspector instead of protester (CNN, June 5, 2020) The unidentified student suffered "serious bodily injury, including a large head wound that required treatment in a hospital while under arrest, including approximately 10 staples and approximately 10 sutures," [Philadelphia District Attorney Larry] Krasner's office said. Philadelphia police arrested the student protester and detained him for more than 24 hours and referred him to the district attorney for prosecution. But after prosecutors reviewed the video and other evidence, Krasner declined to charge the student and charged Inspector Bologna instead.

Dozens of Philadelphia officers applauded their department’s staff inspector Monday as he left a Fraternal Order of Police lodge to turn himself in on allegations of assaulting a protester last week. (WaPo, June 8, 2020). A GoFundMe page for Bologna had collected more than $22,000 as of Monday morning [...] The FOP lodge is also selling T-shirts to support Bologna.
--
Staff Inspector Joseph Bologna is a decorated, 31-year veteran of the Philadelphia police department.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:16 AM on June 8, 2020 [12 favorites]


Full text of the Justice in Policing Act of 2020. Though yesterday The Hill reported Congressional Black Caucus chair says 'a lot of' House GOP interest in police reform bill, I'm not seeing any (R) names in the co-sponsor roll call. Perhaps the House GOP is preparing their own separate-but-just-as-good reform bill.

...reading the names of Floyd and others killed during police interactions

In the last five years alone, police have shot and killed 5,400 people (WaPo, June 8, 2020) in the US. Check your local department at mappingpoliceviolence.org, after noting the site's police killings definition for the data.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:36 AM on June 8, 2020 [6 favorites]


According to the report mentioned in this tweet, more than half of murders involving cops aren't recorded as such.
posted by graventy at 11:52 AM on June 8, 2020 [2 favorites]


But since the violence last weekend, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has taken a lighter hand, and the protests have remained peaceful

It's a testament to law enforcement PR skills (your tax dollars at work) that I see this restated over and over again, across the country, consistently and thoroughly. It's just simple enough to prevent making the connection:

By the way, the local paper's article implies heavily that the police were at fault for last weekend's violence

These two sentences were separated here by only a personal anecdote, but that's enough to preserve the official line (nothing personal!). However, all you have to do is swap the order of their appearance and Occam leaps out from behind the curtain.
posted by rhizome at 12:10 PM on June 8, 2020 [3 favorites]




Luckily it's not up to the president, or Trump would have jumped on it already.
posted by rhizome at 12:18 PM on June 8, 2020 [1 favorite]


rhizome, I am not sure I understand your comment. I doubt it's a testimony to police PR skills that there's an increasing perception -- heavily implied by the local conservative-leaning paper -- that the violence in Indianapolis' downtown last Saturday night was the police's fault. To the point that the Indianapolis mayor addressed the protesters a week later and promised to hear their concerns, and has clearly instructed the police to use restraint -- or someone has, as they did nothing in response to protesters deliberately violating curfew.

As to personal anecdotes, I wasn't present at the exact spot when the police began firing tear gas last Saturday, but I was close enough to get a lungful of the stuff, and my perception is that the police definitely attacked the protesters on, at best, a flimsy pretext if any at all. I don't see how that's echoing any official line.
posted by Gelatin at 12:20 PM on June 8, 2020 [4 favorites]


The PR win is being allowed to imply the reverse of cause and effect, as DeBlasio tried to do. "Protest has been more non-violent, so we were able to back off on the aggression"
posted by ctmf at 1:38 PM on June 8, 2020 [2 favorites]


Biden campaign opposes calls to 'defund the police'

Someone needs to explain it to Biden like, "Think about how all those expensive, ineffective school teachers were fired and we created Charter schools filled with cheaper teachers and no union? It's like that. Cheaper cops and no union. Taxpayer saves money. Better services, etc..."

Yeah it's horseshit, but it's horseshit you can sell to his generation.
posted by mikelieman at 1:41 PM on June 8, 2020 [7 favorites]


Biden campaign opposes calls to 'defund the police' ... Someone needs to explain it to Biden

Yes, but who's going to to explain it to the swing voters? It might be good policy, but it's a horrible campaign slogan. if you have to explain it, you're losing.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 1:46 PM on June 8, 2020


The PR win is being allowed to imply the reverse of cause and effect, as DeBlasio tried to do. "Protest has been more non-violent, so we were able to back off on the aggression"

I didn't read the Indianapolis Star as implying that point and I certainly wasn't. To the contrary, the Star -- which, again, tilts conservative -- implied that the police had provoked the earlier violence by noting that since the police were no longer responding to peaceful protesters with violence, there was no widespread violence -- which the previous weekend smashed windows all over downtown -- at all.

(No doubt the fact that police in places like Buffalo told lies about committing assault on innocent civilians that were swiftly contradicted by unassailable video evidence has something to do with this perception; police are losing credibility to the point where they can't have their police riot and their law-and-order reputation too.)

For the Star to take that position, obvious as it is, means the Indianapolis police, like departments everywhere, are losing the PR competition and badly. Let them try to save face with a phony justification; since no one is convinced, it's tantamount to an admission of fault.
posted by Gelatin at 1:50 PM on June 8, 2020 [4 favorites]


Some historical context on protests: @michaelharriot on how the widely known "facts" of historical protests are wrong. Threadreader. CW: attempted murders, false convictions of rape, KKK, and bombings.
posted by Mitheral at 1:56 PM on June 8, 2020 [8 favorites]


I suspect that the two things that will get the cops under control are ending qualified immunity and ending the cozy relationship between cops and prosecutors.

Miami has had a civilian oversight panel for a very long time now. They even had subpoena power for a while, until a combination of new state laws and adverse court rulings stripped that away. Even so, Miami's very own J. Edgar Hoover remains the head of the police union and harasses anyone who criticizes him with impunity, including physically stalking women who speak up about being abused by the police. He's also been caught falsifying police reports, among several other criminal acts.

Our long-time prosecutor has never seen fit to charge him, so he has held on to his position despite nearly everyone in town thinking he's a piece of shit who should have been fired a decade ago. With that context, it's pretty easy to see why cops think they can get away with just about anything. Union contracts insulate them from consequences to their job and cozy relationships with prosecutors insulate them from the criminal charges that are the only means to impose consequences.
posted by wierdo at 2:36 PM on June 8, 2020 [4 favorites]


Scott Walker (SLTwitter) wants to know everyone's opinions on defunding or reforming the police. There are still 17 hours left to vote and people are very helpfully leaving educational comments in the replies. (I'm mostly not being sarcastic about that last part.)
posted by cooker girl at 2:48 PM on June 8, 2020


Journalist @DonovanFarley, while covering last night's protest, beaten and sprayed with crowd control sized mace at point blank range after coming to the assistance of man having his neck kneeled on by Portland cops. Video of the beating/spraying.
posted by Mitheral at 3:16 PM on June 8, 2020 [10 favorites]


To emphasize my earlier point, this (unrolled) Twitter thread documents some of the shocking behavior that has gone unprosecuted and some more run of the mill malfeasance.

This is what we are up against no matter what happens to the police departments themselves.
posted by wierdo at 3:26 PM on June 8, 2020 [8 favorites]


Twitter video of a police officer in Bristol, UK, supporting BLM protests and removal of the Colston statue
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:34 PM on June 8, 2020


Not the Onion
Kushner: The law enforcement community heard the cries from the community, saw the injustices in the system that needed to be fixed and they responded by coming together to fix it. (Video)
The Cheeto calls Kushner his star at the end.
posted by Mitheral at 3:45 PM on June 8, 2020 [6 favorites]


Portland police chief resigns amid George Floyd protests (AP)
The ACLU of Oregon has called on Portland police to end the use of tear gas, impact weapons and flash bang devices. “We join the protesters in calling for a new approach in our community, and demanding that we uphold the rights of people who have historically had their rights and humanity denied,” the rights group said Sunday.

Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who is African American, slammed the recent police response to some protests. “I’m incredibly troubled by the excessive force used nightly by PDX police since the protests began,” she said. “The videos and painful firsthand accounts of community members getting tear gassed and beaten by police for exercising their 1st Amendment rights should be concerning for us all.”
posted by katra at 4:13 PM on June 8, 2020 [8 favorites]


^Portland's police chief was a white woman, Jami Resch; the new police chief is Chuck Lovell, a black man. An 18-year veteran of the department, the former lieutenant Lovell "led a new Community Services Division as an acting captain. The division includes the Behavioral Health Unit, a community engagement officer, a new homeless community liaison and a new civilian community engagement specialist. Resch said she considered the community’s needs and believed the change was necessary. "I have asked Chuck Lovell to step into the role as chief of the Police Bureau,'' she said at a noon news conference. "He’s the exact right person at the exact right moment.'' "(Oregon Live, June 8, 2020)

Six months ago, Resch replaced Portland’s first African American female police chief, Danielle Outlaw. (Lovell had been Outlaw's executive assistant.)
Outlaw became Philadelphia's police commissioner in February.
AP journalist punched while walking with police commissioner (AP, June 5, 2020) An Associated Press photographer on assignment was attacked Thursday afternoon by a passerby while the journalist crossed the street with Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw and Mayor Jim Kenney.
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:19 PM on June 8, 2020 [4 favorites]


Police slashed the tires of multiple cars parked near the protests in Minneapolis, including some belonging to journalists. At first they denied it, but now Anoka county and the State patrol admit to it. They claim it was to stop them being used in attacks. They also say the tires were deflated, but they were actually slashed, i.e. vandalized. Liars
posted by soelo at 8:43 PM on June 8, 2020 [26 favorites]


^More on that story at Mother Jones, two days ago, before they copped to doing it. Article closes with:
“We’re so busy, it’s just unbelievable,” said a tow truck driver in an interview from the K-Mart parking lot with Andrew Kimmel, formerly the head of BuzzFeed’s video team. The towing company had received “call after call after call.” Asked whose cars were being towed, the tow truck driver said, “Everybody. Medics over there. News crews. Random people that were just here to protest and—tires slashed.”
- On Friday, Fredericksburg, Virginia finally removed its 800-pound slave auction block after years of deliberation (CNN, June 8, 2020), & Gov. Ralph Northam announced plans to remove a statue honoring Confederate Gen. Robert R. Lee from Richmond's historic Monument Avenue (CNN, June 4, 2020) -- but this afternoon, a Richmond judge has issued a temporary injunction barring the state from taking down the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue for 10 days (Richmond Times-Dispatch). The United Daughters of the Confederacy removed its statue from Old Town Alexandria.

-- A man who drove his pick-up truck into a crowd of peaceful protesters in Richmond, Virginia over the weekend is an admitted leader of the Ku Klux Klan, according to prosecutors. (USA Today, June 8, 2020).
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:19 PM on June 8, 2020 [7 favorites]


The money quote from the Richmond Lee statue removal:

(From the unnamed judge)

“It is in the public interest to await resolution of this case on the merits prior to removal of the statue by defendants, and the public interest weighs in favor of maintaining the status quo,” the injunctIon reads.
posted by Windopaene at 9:50 PM on June 8, 2020 [3 favorites]


My incomprehension at the continued existence of the statues in Richmond, Va is bottomless. I think I understand string theory better. But there it is, some people really do think ... well, fuck knows. I do know that if I still lived in RVA, I would be sorely tempted to get some tow-ropes and a truck and some 4am morning would rip the fucker down. Because it is so profoundly, ‘monumentally’ perverse. Fucking America, so damn complicated.
posted by From Bklyn at 11:18 PM on June 8, 2020 [3 favorites]


Speaking of status quo: In a statement on its Facebook page, the Monument Avenue Preservation Group described William Gregory, the plaintiff in the case, as a “descendant of a donor of the Lee Monument fund.” The monument was unveiled in 1890.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:18 PM on June 8, 2020 [1 favorite]


It should be made clear the tire slashing wasn't just a random thing (at least not all of it); it was ordered by their commander. The excuse is complete bullshit on top of that. Even if you buy the premise you only need to flatten two tires to disable a vehicle. Doing all 4 is 100% punitive.
posted by Mitheral at 11:28 PM on June 8, 2020 [21 favorites]


Trump knows that terrorizing black people is about soothing white anxieties
By Paul Butler/WaPo
Looking back, the days before the spectacle in Lafayette Square — the days before the coronavirus pandemic, especially — seem impossibly sunny, idyllic even, a dream in primary colors. You could walk on the street without a mask or a curfew, and there were jobs you could go to and restaurants where you could eat. Crime was near record lows, and the economy was booming. Children went to school.
But the 45th commander in chief of the United States knew better: “This American carnage stops right here and stops right now,” President Trump proclaimed in his inaugural address. If you were one of the white people he was talking to, maybe you didn’t know whether to be afraid — What carnage? How did I miss it? — or relieved. In any event, the new president planned to stop it “right here” and “right now.” Trump was at once the oncologist who diagnosed the cancer and the surgeon who cut it out.
Those of us who carry the scars of American history in our DNA, though, we knew. Trump meant that he was coming for black and brown people, and he was going to make a performance of it. We were responsible for the “crime and gangs and drugs that have … robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.” We were not the people who “will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement.” We were, instead, their targets.
posted by mumimor at 2:00 AM on June 9, 2020 [9 favorites]


re: Linda Tirado
I just tried to call one of the other people who lost an eye and I got a message back “protesting right now phone battery low call later”

Idk who thought we’d stop but lol fuck y’all we’re going harder
This is the ground shifting beneath us in real time:
YES, police are more likely to use excessive force against African Americans:

***post-Eric Garner (2014): 33% of Americans, 26% of whites

***post-George Floyd (2020): 57% of Americans, 49% of whites
posted by kliuless at 2:45 AM on June 9, 2020 [27 favorites]


This is the ground shifting beneath us in real time

I think it's because this time, the revolution has been televised. It was much easier to disbelieve things when we didn't have bystanders' footage and CCTV coverage of the events. And police behaviour has been so erratic and so violent that the usual excuses don't work any more. Some of it is simply crazy - like, the MPD slashing people's tires? Who would have imagined something like that? It's obviously not justifiable, even at the "police are only human" level where police violence becomes OK if they're angry enough. I feel that it's a tipping point. Police are losing the plausible deniability that let them get away with things.
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:07 AM on June 9, 2020 [20 favorites]


Police are losing the plausible deniability that let them get away with things.

Hopefully soon police will lose the qualified immunity that lets them get away with things.
posted by Gelatin at 5:15 AM on June 9, 2020 [23 favorites]




Trump is speculating that the incident in Buffalo, where a 75-year-old man was shoved to the ground by police, was "a set up."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:30 AM on June 9, 2020 [5 favorites]


That the man in question was an ANTIFA agent, no less.
posted by Gelatin at 7:34 AM on June 9, 2020


Police are at this Christian Neal MilNeil's house right now in Portland, Maine threatening to arrest him for tweeting about cops. Not good.
posted by adamvasco at 7:54 AM on June 9, 2020 [8 favorites]


Please note, Trump is not speculating, but quoting propganda pushed by an OANN "reporter", Kristian Rouz, a Russian national who also writes for Kremlin-owned Sputnik.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:59 AM on June 9, 2020 [12 favorites]


Police are at this Christian Neal MilNeil's house right now in Portland, Maine threatening to arrest him for tweeting about cops. Not good.
posted by adamvasco at 7:54 AM on June 9 [+] [!]


Surely this...
posted by mumimor at 7:59 AM on June 9, 2020 [2 favorites]


Everyone reporting on the Federal Court ruling on Denver Police seems to quote different parts. This seems to be the ruling in its entirety.
posted by Margalo Epps at 10:35 AM on June 9, 2020 [2 favorites]


I just spent some time watching clips of police brutality. It really looks like Germany in the thirties. Old people, unarmed women, disabled people, press, all being attacked. The police have made themselves into Trump's brownshirts.
That's not to say there was no police brutality before Trump. There was, and there has been for all of modern history. It's that the police have completely understood that now they are the president's men, enforcers of his project.
And on the other hand, it's also clear that they understand more and more that if they loose this battle, they may loose everything. What we have all seen now can not be unseen. They have to "win" with Trump, because the alternative looks more and more like defunding the police. So they escalate the violence as the protestors de-escalate and grow in numbers. Is that a succesful strategy? I hope not.
posted by mumimor at 10:53 AM on June 9, 2020 [23 favorites]


Oh, and another article on what defunding the police could actually look like and what it would mean. (The Stranger, a Seattle weekly newspaper.)
posted by Margalo Epps at 11:01 AM on June 9, 2020 [2 favorites]


It's that the police have completely understood that now they are the president's men, enforcers of his project.

ding ding ding winner winner chicken dinner

84% of officers responding to a poll supported Trump prior to the election. 50% of those supported him primarily because of his (anti-immigrant, racist) policies.
posted by benzenedream at 11:48 AM on June 9, 2020 [7 favorites]


Biden campaign opposes calls to 'defund the police'

The Biden campaign's policy apparently takes several paragraphs of explanation to arrive at the conclusion that yes, we do need to fund/strengthen other social institutions so that our approach to social problems isn't focused on administering beatings or other punishments.

Since the phrase "defund the police" also takes several paragraphs of explanation to arrive at a similar conclusion, I guess that's fair, if not efficient.
posted by wildblueyonder at 11:52 AM on June 9, 2020 [2 favorites]


A few days back I posted a link to armed Black Panthers in Atlanta and someone posted that they were problematic.
Turns out that they are, but not for the reason given. They were all actors.
posted by adamvasco at 12:16 PM on June 9, 2020 [15 favorites]


In case anyone was wondering about whether the Park Police have said anything about their 2017 shooting of unarmed driver Bijan Ghaisar, since it's now been 891 days, which one might think would be sufficient time to respond to the repeated demands for information from Bijan's family, Congressional leaders from both parties, and local courts: the answer is still no.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 12:30 PM on June 9, 2020 [1 favorite]


They were all actors.

Since it's not in the Threadread version: the author has just signalled that the third IG he "identified" is not of the woman who marched in that group.

posted by progosk at 12:49 PM on June 9, 2020 [2 favorites]


So they escalate the violence as the protestors de-escalate and grow in numbers. Is that a succesful strategy? I hope not.

Gandhi's ahimsa based strategy worked well enough to capture international attention in a time of world war. Of course, he was on the "grow in numbers" side of history.

mumimor's comment above makes it clear that we're now in the midst of choosing which side of history we want to end up at, as opposed to the old "choice" of "with us or without us" -- dudes, wtf are you trying to pull against more than 75% of the world's population? we see you clearly.
posted by Mrs Potato at 2:12 PM on June 9, 2020 [2 favorites]


I didn't read the Indianapolis Star as implying that point and I certainly wasn't. To the contrary, the Star -- which, again, tilts conservative -- implied that the police had provoked the earlier violence by noting that since the police were no longer responding to peaceful protesters with violence, there was no widespread violence -- which the previous weekend smashed windows all over downtown -- at all.

Implied! That's the testament! That they can't just come out and say it. If right now you're thinking, "well gosh, baby steps," what does it take, other than reporting? Violence = police, there is no other conclusion. Eliding responsibility is kowtowing. Journalism in general is pretty sketchy about their descriptors these days, but facts is facts: cops are doing the thing, and papers are calling it something else. I've been starting to call it "officer-involved shooter'ing" when papers use law enforcement-preferred (and supplied) terms to mask responsibility.
posted by rhizome at 2:43 PM on June 9, 2020 [2 favorites]


NYPD union head demands respect.

"It's not what we do, it's not what police officers do"

We're telling you it IS what police officers do. Every day, and hundreds of times in the last few days. Your stubborn refusal to hear that is the problem.
posted by ctmf at 2:43 PM on June 9, 2020 [25 favorites]


Black Lives Matter sues over violent Seattle police tactics (AP)
A Black Lives Matter group sued the Seattle Police Department Tuesday to halt the violent tactics it has used to break up largely peaceful protests in recent days. Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County filed the emergency lawsuit in U.S. District Court. “These daily demonstrations are fueled by people from all over the city who demand that police stop using excessive force against Black people, and they demand that Seattle dismantle its racist systems of oppression,” Livio De La Cruz, board member of Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County, said in a written statement. “It is unacceptable that the Seattle Police Department would then respond to these demonstrations with more excessive force, including using tear gas and flashbang grenades.”

[...] The lawsuit alleged that the use of chemical agents and less-lethal projectiles police violated the Fourth Amendment’s protections against excessive force as well as the First Amendment’s free speech protections. It also said the use of tear gas and pepper spray was especially reckless during a respiratory pandemic and could increase risks related to COVID-19. “On an almost nightly basis, the SPD has indiscriminately used excessive force against protesters, legal observers, journalists, and medical personnel.” the lawsuit states. [...] The lawsuit seeks an order blocking the Seattle Police Department and other agencies that are supporting it from continuing to use the less-lethal and chemical weapons on the protesters. Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County is represented by the ACLU of Washington, Korematsu Center at Seattle University School of Law, and the law firm Perkins Coie.
via the ACLU of Washington: Complaint - Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County v City of Seattle
posted by katra at 3:36 PM on June 9, 2020 [12 favorites]


OMG.

@shaneferro reproduces an advisory message from the aptly named Patrick Lynch, head of the NYC Police (Patrolmen's) Benevolent Association.

I read it in full, while chortling, but here are some excerpts. Emphases in the original:
Police officers across our country are under attack by extremists who seek to destroy everything we stand for, destroy all the good we do for our communities and - in too many cases - physically attack and injure us.... you are hearing the rabid calls to defund law enforcement, strip us of our rights and imprison us for doing what our city's leaders sent us out to do.
[...]
We are alone and under siege. What do we do?
[...]
DO NOT DO ANYTHING MORE THAN YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DO BY LAW OR DEPARTMENT REGULATIONS. You are NOT RESPONSIBLE for providing political cover to 1 Police Plaza or City Hall.
[...]
We recommend deactivating all social media profiles, or at least removing any personal information or information that identifies you as a member of law enforcement.

You should also expect that any use of force will be criminalized, even and especially when you are following the directions of police and elected leaders.... Before using any form or force ask yourself: is it worth getting locked up for this?
I mean, these are all good things, especially if "social media" includes the notorious private chat groups that have frequently been found to contain racist, profane, and even illegal advice. Lynch's conclusion is the real problem: "Our solidarity is our greatest strength, and the greatest safety measure we have is each other." He's not talking about physical safety on patrol; he's talking omertà.
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:48 PM on June 9, 2020 [31 favorites]


NYPD union head demands respect.

Watching that, I had deja-vu. Then I realized I had seen it before on TV.
posted by mikelieman at 4:47 PM on June 9, 2020 [2 favorites]


You are NOT RESPONSIBLE for providing political cover to 1 Police Plaza or City Hall.

Wait, since when have they been "providing political cover?" What's going on there, exactly?
posted by rhizome at 5:47 PM on June 9, 2020 [5 favorites]


Yeah there's a string begging to be pulled. For example, Mr. Lynch?
posted by ctmf at 6:49 PM on June 9, 2020 [3 favorites]


Still a little over the top with transparent us-vs-them mongering. They want to kill your whole family and burn your dog!!!!

At this point, it's like willfully missing the point that that's what the problem is, that us-vs-them mentality.
posted by ctmf at 7:01 PM on June 9, 2020 [5 favorites]


New York passes bill to unveil police discipline records (AP)
New York state lawmakers repealed a decades-old law Tuesday that has kept law enforcement officers’ disciplinary records secret, spurred by the national uproar over the death of George Floyd. The measure to make officers’ records and misconduct complaints public is among several police accountability bills racing through the state legislature. Lawmakers passed other bills that would provide all state troopers with body cameras and ensure that police officers provide medical and mental health attention to people in custody. Many of those bills were first proposed years ago, but got new momentum after huge protests nationwide condemned police brutality.

[...] Eliminating the law, known as Section 50-a, would make complaints against officers, as well as transcripts and final dispositions of disciplinary proceedings, public for the first time in decades. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has recently supported reforming the law, has said in the wake of the protests that he will sign the repeal. [...] “This is no time for rejoicing,” said State Senator Kevin Parker, a Democrat representing parts of Brooklyn. “This bill has been around for over a decade … And the only reason why we’re bringing it to the floor now because the nation is burning.”
posted by katra at 7:44 PM on June 9, 2020 [19 favorites]


A Black Lives Matter group sued the Seattle Police Department Tuesday to halt the violent tactics it has used to break up largely peaceful protests in recent days.

Seattle Police launched chemical weapons at medics treating protesters wounded by police, which is effectively a Geneva-standard war crime where medical neutrality is concerned. Beyond civil suits, it seems like Mayor Durkan should resign, immediately, and be thankful she'll never be charged by an independent, international tribunal. She either directed the police to attack people providing humanitarian aid, or she has no control over the police. Either way, her career is over.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 8:38 PM on June 9, 2020 [29 favorites]


'Cops' TV show canceled amid unrest over death of George Floyd

Taberski and his team detailed instances where people were coerced into signing waivers and how production allows police to edit and remove anything that might paint them in a negative light.

30 years of propaganda. It's hard to fathom how much damage that's done. Taberski has a podcast Running from COPS about this show.

After 30 years on television, COPS has evolved into a constant messaging machine about policing in America. Running from COPS is the result of an 18-month investigation and delves deep into how the show actually gets made, how much control police departments really have over the final product, and the harrowing stories of the people who have ended up on camera.

As appalling as the final product is, the behind-the-scenes activity is so much worse than you'd imagine. People's live are ruined by this show, not as an unforeseen consequence, but as an integral part of the process. I think in the future we'll cringe at how we had a reality TV show following cops arresting people and it ran for thirty damn years before the networks realized that shit is fucked up.

I'd like to see a class action suit, it's not difficult to see how rights were violated there. A fucking reality tv show! It's not beyond reason to suppose that show has shaped the culture that's left us here. It bothers me that there won't be any accountability past cancelling it and moving on.
posted by adept256 at 9:41 PM on June 9, 2020 [29 favorites]


If they kept all the background footage, it would make for an interesting re-edit. Not suggesting naming it PIGS, but not-not-suggesting.
posted by Marticus at 10:53 PM on June 9, 2020 [4 favorites]


Glad to hear Cops is being cancelled. I am keen to see Border Force go the same way. Revolting propaganda, which has been of course state funded
posted by Myeral at 5:20 AM on June 10, 2020 [6 favorites]


How Public Opinion Has Moved on Black Lives Matter
NYTimes, so perhaps paywalled
American public opinion can sometimes seem stubborn. Voters haven’t really changed their views on abortion in 50 years. Donald J. Trump’s approval rating among registered voters has fallen within a five-point range for just about every day of his presidency.

But the Black Lives Matter movement has been an exception from the start.

Public opinion on race and criminal justice issues has been steadily moving left since the first protests ignited over the fatal shootings of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. And since the death of George Floyd in police custody on May 25, public opinion on race, criminal justice and the Black Lives Matter movement has leaped leftward.

posted by mumimor at 7:25 AM on June 10, 2020 [6 favorites]


George Floyd and Derek Chauvin "bumped heads" while working at nightclub, former coworker says

Which of course is a terrible headline .. Both-siding what is clearly just more Chauvin being a racist piece of garbage.
posted by cirhosis at 11:14 AM on June 10, 2020 [2 favorites]


The Story Has Gotten Away from Us, Betsy Morais and Alexandria Neason, CJR, JUNE 3, 2020
For the most part, journalism has decided that the coronavirus and the killing of George Floyd, a forty-six-year-old Black man, in Minneapolis, are two distinct stories. That’s fiction.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:14 AM on June 10, 2020 [4 favorites]


Intelligence Bulletin Warning of Protest-Related Violence Makes Little Mention of 'Antifa' (ABC News), in which we learn from an FBI/DHS/National Counterterrorism Center report titled "Domestic Violent Extremists Could Exploit Current Events to Incite or Justify Attacks on Law Enforcement or Civilians Engaged in First Amendment-Protected Activities," that
"The greatest threat of lethal violence continues to emanate from lone offenders with racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist ideologies and [domestic violent extremists] with personalized ideologies.”
and, via a footnote,
"Some anarchist extremists self-identify as ‘Antifa,’ a moniker for anti-fascist that is also used by non-violent adherents. Identifying with ‘Antifa’ or using the term without engaging in violent extremism may also be constitutionally protected.”
Per ABC, this is the only time the word 'antifa' appears in this document.
posted by box at 11:34 AM on June 10, 2020 [10 favorites]


'Riots', 'mobs', 'chaos': the establishment always frames change as dangerous (Keisha N Blain and Tom Zoellner, Guardian Opinion)
While many politicians and pundits have attempted to dismiss the current uprisings as “riots” – intimating that they are mere free-for-alls that lack purpose – that could not be further from the truth. Many of the uprisings that white Americans and Europeans have historically termed “riots” were, in fact, concentrated efforts to overturn systems of oppression in the United States and across the globe.

This was certainly true for the leaders and participants of the Haitian revolution, which erupted in 1791 and brought an end to slavery in Haiti. The Black men and women who gained their freedom from the French were regarded as troublemakers and agitators. Not surprisingly, the events that unfolded during the Haitian revolution were regarded by white observers as chaotic – Thomas Jefferson wrote to his daughter in March 1791 that the rebels were “a terrible engine, absolutely ungovernable”. But this organized force, aligned for a simple cause, led to the founding of the first republic governed by former slaves who had emancipated themselves. “We are ready to die for liberty,” the Haitian rebels cried at the battle of Crête-à-Pierrot. [...] In all these rebellions, enslaved people understood realpolitik as well as any diplomat. The power structure does not agree to reform itself out of benevolence. There is instead a cost/benefit analysis at work. At some point, the trouble and expense of maintaining a clearly broken system outweighs the costs of reform and concession. [...] These and other resistance efforts to the unjust system of slavery were seen by many as chaotic – and as riots that caused great disturbance in local communities. Yet they had structure and logic behind them, even when others could not see them. This is also true for today’s uprisings against police violence. While many have described these events as “riots” lacking any basis and purpose, the activists who led these protests aim to disrupt a system of American policing that targets Black people and other people of color. Their motives are as plainly unriotous as those of any of the historic revolts in the Americas.
posted by katra at 12:14 PM on June 10, 2020 [10 favorites]


Can people in Minneapolis verfiy:

I've heard that a statue of Columbus in Minneapolis was torn down, and I've been able to verify that. However, I've also heard that there is a petition to replace that statue with a statue of Prince - and I haven't been able to verify that but would like to very much so I can sign that petition as well.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:36 PM on June 10, 2020 [5 favorites]


Yeah, Live PD was pretty horrible to watch. Good riddance.
posted by Windopaene at 10:05 PM on June 10, 2020


Seattle police continue to prove everyone right about them
posted by ctmf at 10:52 PM on June 10, 2020 [5 favorites]


George Floyd and Derek Chauvin "bumped heads" while working at nightclub, former coworker says

Which of course is a terrible headline .. Both-siding what is clearly just more Chauvin being a racist piece of garbage.


In a normal case that would have a good chance of upping the charge to first degree murder, that is if it's true and it can be proven. I doubt that they'll amend the charges because Chauvin was a police officer and it will be hard enough to get a conviction on second degree. murder.
posted by rdr at 11:23 PM on June 10, 2020 [2 favorites]


David Pinney, who claimed that Derek Chauvin knew George Floyd, now says that he was wrong; he had mistaken Floyd for another African American employee. It's a weird correction given that he earlier claimed Floyd was his direct superior, and that they had worked together.
posted by Joe in Australia at 12:37 AM on June 11, 2020 [3 favorites]




Given that the House is bound to adopt this language, let's see if Trump is willing to veto the defense appropriation. Fascinating that the Senate makes a shot across his bow like that.
posted by Gelatin at 8:57 AM on June 11, 2020 [6 favorites]


General Mark Milley on his appearance with Trump after the church protest gassing: “I should not have been there...It was a mistake.”. Link is to CNN video clip they titled "Top general apologizes ..." which doesn't actually happen. The general acknowledges the mistake and brief discusses why it was a mistake.
posted by Mitheral at 9:33 AM on June 11, 2020 [6 favorites]


NC resident here: Please can we rename Fort Bragg to Fort Hillary? Ok not really, but oh the trolling ...
posted by freecellwizard at 12:01 PM on June 11, 2020 [6 favorites]


The US Military Fort renaming got me thinking about the US Navy and the naming of aircraft carriers after presidents. Googling turned this up from six months ago:

The third Ford Class CVN will be named Enterprise. What a glorious name with a great history any Sailor will be proud of. We have other names with similar pedigrees that would serve our nation and its Navy well.

In our stable, waiting for the call are – in no specific order and missing a few great names; Hornet, Langley, Ranger, Wasp, Kitty Hawk, Constellation, Saratoga – or my personal favorite, Shangri-La.

Our military soaks in politics enough in today’s information society. Let’s give them a break when they’re underway. If not, we’re less than a decade away from a USS Clinton, USS G.W. Bush, USS Obama, or USS Trump.


And this too. Both articles have a range of comments.

Are there any "automatic" naming conventions that go with being President? Future proofing this sort of thing seems worth thinking about - in 50 years, serving on the USS Donald J Trump may or may not seem like a great thing. Mind you, the Navy did have a missile sub "The Robert E. Lee" as recently as 1983.
posted by Rumple at 12:32 PM on June 11, 2020 [1 favorite]


(Not that I'm volunteering to do it, but the military-bases-named-after-Confederates thing is pretty far afield from Minneapolis, and might be better as its own post, which might include links such as Gen. David Petraeus' 'Take the Confederate Names Off Our Army Bases' (The Atlantic) and the AP's 'Trump: No Change at Bases Named for Confederate Officers.')
posted by box at 12:42 PM on June 11, 2020 [3 favorites]


Chicago Cops. Caught on video.
CHICAGO (WLS) -- US Congressman Bobby Rush said several Chicago police officers were "relaxing" in his campaign office while nearby areas were being looted.

The incident occurred at his office at 54th Street and Wentworth Avenue on June 1. Congressman Rush his office was burglarized and afterward discovered video tape of the officers in his office.

Rush said about several police officers were lounging in his office lounging and relaxing.

"They even had the unmitigated gall to make coffee for themselves and to pop popcorn, my popcorn, in my microwave while looters were tearing apart businesses. Within their sight and within their reach."
posted by Glinn at 1:01 PM on June 11, 2020 [11 favorites]


They even had the unmitigated gall to make coffee for themselves and to pop popcorn, my popcorn, in my microwave while looters were tearing apart businesses.
But if we abolish cops, who will stop crime?!
posted by tobascodagama at 1:13 PM on June 11, 2020 [14 favorites]


The US Military Fort renaming got me thinking about the US Navy and the naming of aircraft carriers after presidents.

I'd love to see the ass end of a CVN with MOTHER OF EXILES or NAT TURNER on it
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 1:14 PM on June 11, 2020 [6 favorites]


They even had the unmitigated gall to make coffee for themselves and to pop popcorn, my popcorn, in my microwave.

There's a word for that. It's called looting.
posted by JackFlash at 1:38 PM on June 11, 2020 [24 favorites]


I talked to someone in Raleigh who stayed up all night at a friend's downtown business on May 30th, when the worst of the window-smashing happened, and he says he watched as a van pulled up and parked on the street next to the business he was guarding, a group of men got out, unloaded a bunch of tools, and proceeded to break into the business next door. A large group of police officers 50 yards away watched and did nothing. The men robbed the store, loaded their van and drove away with no attempt to stop them.
posted by mediareport at 2:28 PM on June 11, 2020 [6 favorites]


Congressman Bobby L. Rush, in office since 1993, long-time civil rights activist, co-founder of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers in 1968, who tweeted last December 4: 50 years ago today, my friend & fellow founder of the Illinois Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton, was assassinated by the Chicago Police Department while sleeping in his West Side apartment. However, you can kill a revolutionary, but you cannot kill a revolution... (Thread reader roll link)

@RepBobbyRush, June 11, 2020 - STOP POLICE LYNCHINGS.
@RepBobbyRush, June 1, 2020 - We are living in a police state.
@RepBobbyRush, June 1, 2020 - Too many people care more about property damage than they do about the bodily damage being done to black Americans across the country.
@RepBobbyRush, June 1, 2020 - At 11:00 am CT, I will be joining @ellisonreport on @onwurd to discuss what can be done at the federal level to prevent the modern day lynchings of African-Americans happening across the country.

on June 1, Chicago cops looted the office of that Bobby Rush.
posted by Iris Gambol at 2:51 PM on June 11, 2020 [26 favorites]


Link is to CNN video clip they titled "Top general apologizes ..." which doesn't actually happen.

"Never apologize" has been a hallmark of manliness for a long time. You're pushing against 400 years of tradition
posted by rhizome at 3:05 PM on June 11, 2020


the Navy did have a missile sub "The Robert E. Lee" as recently as 1983.

And a Stonewall Jackson through 1995.
posted by ctmf at 4:14 PM on June 11, 2020 [1 favorite]


Trump Praises National Guard Troops Cracking Down on Minneapolis Protests, Rioters: ‘Like a Knife Cutting Butter’ (Mediaite; KJ Edelman; Jun 11th, 2020)
“We’re dominating the street with compassion because we are saving lives,” Trump claimed. “We’ve saving lives, we’re saving businesses, we’re saving families who are working hard.”
He seems to get off on scenes of violence and strength and dominance, as if those were the only things he could emotionally relate to.
posted by ZeusHumms at 4:25 PM on June 11, 2020 [6 favorites]


I think the above comes from an event today in Dallas, Texas, referenced below.

Trump snubs Dallas’ top law enforcement officials, all black, for talk about policing and race in Dallas • Dallas Morning News; Todd J. Gillman and Gromer Jeffers Jr.; June 11, 2020 • 
The exclusion from a roundtable on police-community relations [hosted in Dallas, headlined by Trump] brought a sort of resigned condemnation from Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot. Without himself or Dallas Police Chief U. Reneé Hall or Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown, he said, “of course [Trump] would not be getting the full picture of advice from law enforcement. I don’t know who he’s going to get it from. I mean, we are the people on the ground.”
posted by ZeusHumms at 4:36 PM on June 11, 2020 [5 favorites]


^Because his only setting is 'worsen': Why Donald Trump's 'Juneteenth' speech will be a disaster (CNN, June 11, 2020) Tulsa was the site of one of the most vicious acts of racial violence in American history when, in 1921, a mob of white people attacked a section of the city known as Greenwood or "Black Wall Street" and murdered hundreds of African Americans. (The event was the basis for HBO's "Watchmen" series.) And June 19, which has become commonly known and celebrated as Juneteenth, or Emancipation Day, commemorates the anniversary of the reading of the General Orders, No. 3, which officially informed slaves that they were free. [...]

"The African American community is very near and dear to his heart," said White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday of Trump's planned Tulsa rally on Juneteenth. "He's working on rectifying injustices. ... So it's a meaningful day to him and it's a day where wants to share some of the progress that's been made as we look forward and more that needs to be done."
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:51 PM on June 11, 2020 [12 favorites]


Because his only setting is 'worsen'

Republicans announce Trump convention events will move to Jacksonville (WaPo / reprint)
Trump is set to give his speech on Aug. 27 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, a venue in downtown Jacksonville that can accommodate roughly 15,000 people. [...] The timing of the speech raised concerns, because it will be given on the 60th anniversary of Jacksonville’s Ax Handle Saturday, when a mob of about 200 whites attacked black demonstrators who had been trying to desegregate lunch counters in the city via a series of peaceful sit-ins. After about two weeks of protesting, a group of white men, armed with ax handles and baseball bats, beat the protesters.

[...] “Because of what is happening in this city at this particular time, they should encourage the president not to come here,” NAACP President Isaiah Rumlin told Jacksonville’s News 4 station on Thursday.
posted by katra at 6:23 PM on June 11, 2020 [2 favorites]


Mod note: Gentle nudge, let's not allow the focus to shift to Trump in here.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 6:39 PM on June 11, 2020 [4 favorites]


Way earlier in the thread, I mentioned that Minneapolis's Third Precinct was near a homeless encampment, which was then cleared out by police after the Precinct and nearby shopping center was set on fire. On May 29, a nonaffiliated group of people called up the owners of the former Sheraton near the Midtown Global Market (which was under attack by white agitators almostly nightly and surrounded by burned buildings) and got the owner to agree to let them convert it to a homeless shelter - taking in over two hundred people with an all volunteer staff. That lasted until Tuesday morning, when there was a drug overdose and the hotel's owner made the decision to evict.

Further twitter thread. Max Nesterak has been covering this story pretty closely.
posted by dinty_moore at 8:05 PM on June 11, 2020 [3 favorites]


A now-fired criminal cop likely framed George Floyd for drug possession in Houston in 2004; officials sent Floyd a letter about the matter in March 2019, mailed to his address of record from 2014 (his late mother's home in Texas). "The Monster Cop Who Encountered George Floyd in Houston," Years before a monster cop in Minneapolis cut George Floyd’s life tragically short, Gerald Goines carried out an insidiously routine bit of police misconduct in Houston on Floyd (The Daily Beast, June 11, 2020) "Goines had been the one and only witness when he arrested Floyd back on Feb. 5, 2004, for supposedly providing him with less than a gram of cocaine. The prosecutor originally offered Floyd two years in prison if he pleaded guilty. Floyd balked, but finally agreed when the offer was reduced to 10 months. Had he gone to trial, he would have faced serious time. And, as in any case based solely on the word of the arresting officer, it would have come down to whom the jury was going to believe: He said, Cop said.

"Goines’ veracity in general was called into question after he was arrested last year. He was alleged to have cited a fictitious informant in securing a search warrant for a house where there was supposed drug dealing. The ensuing raid resulted in Dennis Tuttle and his wife, Rhogena Nicholas, being shot to death by police, who also killed their dog. No drugs were found. The couple seems to have been wholly innocent.[...] The Harris County district attorney subsequently sought to overturn 73 cases in which Goines was the only person who witnessed the supposed transaction."
--
Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg's office mailed that notification, which Floyd may never have seen; her office also identified "91 people who were convicted as the result of search warrants where Goines was the affiant. That brings the total to 164." Ogg, who attended the funeral on Tuesday, described Floyd as one of Goines' victims: “He would have been entitled to relief, and posthumously we can’t necessarily grant that, but I’m going to see what we can do.”
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:11 PM on June 11, 2020 [26 favorites]


Judge orders Seattle to stop using tear gas during protests (AP)
A U.S. judge on Friday ordered Seattle police to temporarily stop using tear gas, pepper spray and flash-bang devices to break up largely peaceful protests, a victory for groups who say authorities have overreacted to recent demonstrations over police brutality and racial injustice. [...] U.S. District Judge Richard Jones sided with a Black Lives Matter group that sued the Seattle Police Department this week to halt the violent tactics it has used to break up protests.

[...] The judge said those objecting to the police tactics make a strong case that the indiscriminate use of force is unconstitutional. Jones said weapons like tear gas and pepper spray fail to target “any single agitator or criminal” and they are especially problematic during the coronavirus pandemic. “Because they are indiscriminate, they may even spill into bystanders’ homes or offices as they have done before,” Jones wrote.
via the ACLU of Washington: Order Granting Temporary Restraining Order
posted by katra at 5:37 PM on June 12, 2020 [12 favorites]


Rubber Bullets and Beanbag Rounds Can Cause Devastating Injuries (NYT)
The rubber bullets — as well as tear gas, flash-bangs and beanbag rounds — that protesters around the country have faced in marches against racial injustice, have been deemed “nonlethal weapons” by law enforcement officials and the military, who use them regularly around the world. But research increasingly shows they can seriously injure and disable people — and sometimes even kill. A 2017 analysis published in the British Medical Journal of several decades of the use of rubber bullets, beanbag rounds and other projectiles during arrests and protests found that 15 percent of people who were injured were left with permanent disabilities and 3 percent of those who were injured died. Of those who survived, 71 percent had severe injuries, with their extremities most frequently impacted.

[...] Ernesto Rodriguez, chief of the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, said even the term “less lethal” was misleading. “We can call it ‘less lethal’ but maybe it needs a different name because it gives us a false sense of security, that it can be fired on people and it’s going to be OK, but what we’re finding out is sometimes it’s not OK,” he said. “Sometimes it does cause some pretty severe damage.” He continued: “Honestly, I question their use in situations that are against unarmed people.”
Rubber bullets can be deadly, experts say (ABC News / MSN, Jun. 9, 2020)
In the U.S., the Minneapolis Police Department now faces an ACLU class-action lawsuit from a reporter who says he was shot with a rubber bullet while covering the demonstrations.
via the ACLU: Goyette v. City of Minneapolis Complaint
posted by katra at 7:55 PM on June 12, 2020 [11 favorites]


17 people were killed in Northern Ireland by rubber bullets. We've known they can kill for a long time.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 7:25 AM on June 13, 2020 [7 favorites]


Yes, the police knew that rubber bullets can kill this entire time, yes.
posted by tiny frying pan at 9:11 AM on June 13, 2020 [11 favorites]


So did the Americans who were loud in protest at such things. How do you think we got them to stop?
posted by lesbiassparrow at 10:35 AM on June 13, 2020


I don't understand that comment?
posted by tiny frying pan at 10:38 AM on June 13, 2020


I was stating that yes, we've known for a long time that "non-lethals" can be lethal. The police knew when they adopted those weapons and used them for the 1st time. They knew all along. Including deciding to use the phrase, "non-lethal."
posted by tiny frying pan at 10:40 AM on June 13, 2020 [2 favorites]


My point was that this was something that was very well publicised regarding Northern Ireland in the US press when it was happening. The murder of Irish people by rubber bullets was something used to fundraise for Northern Ireland and Irish Republican causes all over the East Coast. So it seems mad to me that suddenly it is new information to some of the press and the public. That's all.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 11:05 AM on June 13, 2020 [8 favorites]


Atlanta Police Chief Resigns After Police Shoot And Kill Black Man (NPR, June 13, 2020); several hours earlier: Georgia NAACP Calls for the Immediate Resignation of APD Chief Erika Shields, with a summary of police violence in Atlanta over the past two weeks, and linking to a petition. Atlanta protesters block interstate, set fire to cars at fast-food restaurant where police killed black man (CNN, June 13, 2020)

Shields served as chief for less than four years; she'll remain with the city in an undetermined role. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms accepted the resignation, and said that interim Corrections Chief Rodney Bryant would serve as interim police chief until a permanent replacement is found. (WABE.org, June 13, 2020)

As Atlanta Nears Adopting Budget, Mayor Commits To Funding Police (WABE.org, June 12, 2020) The mayor says she’ll divert resources from the Department of Corrections to social services. “More than a year ago, I signed legislation to begin reforming our approach to public safety through a collaborative process to close and reimagine ACDC [Atlanta City Detention Center] as a resource for empowering our communities,” the mayor said in a press release Friday. [...]

Originally, the Department of Corrections was nearly $19 million in the proposed 2021 budget. On Friday, the mayor announced that she’s added an amendment to the budget to slash funding to corrections to about $4 million, making it less than 1% of the city’s proposed budget. Most of that money in the original proposal will be moved to the Office of Constituent Services, according to the mayor’s office. The city is set to adopt the 2021 budget this month. The fiscal year budget starts July 1.
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:30 PM on June 13, 2020 [5 favorites]


Martin Gugino, 75-year-old protester pushed in Buffalo, has brain injury, fractured skull (USA Today, June 11, 2020)
--
The United States Secret Service said Saturday that one of their agents had used pepper spray to clear protesters from Lafayette Square ahead of President Donald Trump’s photo op, reversing an earlier statement claiming that no one from the agency had done so. (NBC News, June 13, 2020)

The Secret Service statement is the latest reversal from a law enforcement agency on what happened on the evening of June 1 outside the White House grounds. Statements from law enforcement officials have frequently contradicted what protesters and on-the-ground reporters say happened and what many people witnessed happen on live TV.
--
Authorities investigating 2 separate deaths of Black men found hanging in California (USA Today, June 13, 2020) As the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department launched an investigation into the hanging death of a Black man in Palmdale, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said on Saturday there were no indications of foul play in the hanging death of another Black man in Victorville last month. Palmdale is about 60 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Victorville is about 50 miles east of Palmdale.
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:56 PM on June 13, 2020 [8 favorites]


The unmitigated gall to claim it was suicide by both men hanging from trees in this moment in time. Its a test of white supremacy in action.
posted by Mrs Potato at 8:48 AM on June 14, 2020 [17 favorites]


Fox News reports on the infighting among activists in Seattle's Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. They tell us many are rebelling against leadership from Raz Simone, by citing a disturbing complaint from a subreddit, where user Kasplorge:
“I didn’t vote for Raz. I thought we were an autonomous collective? An anachro-syndicalist commune at the least. We should take turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week. But of course all the decisions of that officer would have to be ratified at a special bi-weekly meeting by a simple majority in the case of internal affairs, or a 2/3 majority in the case of more major issues. Raz can’t simply expect to wield supreme executive power just because someone threw a sword at him.”
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:49 AM on June 14, 2020 [13 favorites]


Fox News removes manipulated images from coverage of Seattle protests (WaPo, Jun. 13, 2020)
The misleading material ran alongside stories about a small expanse of city blocks in Seattle that activists have claimed as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. [...] The occupation has been peaceful, with activists from around the city visiting the car-free streets for political speeches, concerts and free food. But Fox’s coverage contributed to the appearance of armed unrest. [...] The conservative news site, in coverage that labeled Seattle “CRAZY TOWN” and called the city “helpless,” also displayed an image of a city block set ablaze that was actually taken in St. Paul, Minn. [...] The use of the deceptive material marked a new chapter in an ongoing debate over synthetic media, which includes both sophisticated, computer-generated “deepfakes,” as well as more rudimentary mash-ups that still may mislead the public.

“These are shallow fakes, really basic manipulation,” said Emerson Brooking, a resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab. “What I fear is that many people seeing them, especially people already primed to believe the worst about the protests, will take that to be reality and think there are heavily armed, antifa super-soldiers patrolling the streets.” The episode unfolded as Trump and his political allies escalated their attacks on antifa, a loose collection of anti-fascist protesters who have played no organized role in the unrest, according to a review of charges filed so far in connection with the protests, which have at times tipped into turmoil. False online warnings about antifa’s planned invasion of cities large and small — incubated on fake Twitter accounts and in private Facebook groups — have brought armed residents to the streets and forced local law enforcement to mobilize in response. [...] “We have no evidence that antifa are in any way involved in the ongoing protests,” said Patrick Michaud, a Seattle police spokesman.
posted by katra at 9:27 AM on June 14, 2020 [5 favorites]


Fox News Mocked After Mistaking Monty Python Joke for Seattle Protest Infighting
It looks like Fox News needs to brush up on its movie knowledge.

During a story about the Seattle protests that aired live Friday night, Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum reported on a Reddit post she said was evidence of infighting among activists involved in the city’s so-called “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.” There was just one problem: The post was clearly a joke referencing one of the most famous scenes from the 1975 comedy classic “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”
posted by Lexica at 9:28 AM on June 14, 2020 [18 favorites]


There's a meme going around that hurr blurr Antifa is spending squillions of dollars to bail out rioters but raising nothing to help rebuild damaged businesses. My reply was that I found three different fundraisers in seven seconds on Google; my question here for people following this more closely is if there's a larger list of individual crowdfunding or organizations available for people to refer and donate to. Thank you, and stay safe!
posted by Evilspork at 12:55 PM on June 14, 2020


I mean also like why would anticapitalists be making fundraisers for capitalist business bosses? There's a ton of fundraisers for the workers of those buildings.
posted by corb at 2:30 PM on June 14, 2020 [7 favorites]


Fox News Mocked After Mistaking Monty Python Joke for Seattle Protest Infighting

Wait till they find out #CHOP's two weapons are fear and surprise and a ruthless efficiency.
posted by ctmf at 2:34 PM on June 14, 2020 [17 favorites]


Three weapons, fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, and an almost fanatical devotion to Raz Simone...
posted by Windopaene at 3:32 PM on June 14, 2020 [10 favorites]


I mean also like why would anticapitalists be making fundraisers for capitalist business bosses? There's a ton of fundraisers for the workers of those buildings.

Not for the corporate entities, but for the small businesses having to fight to get restitution from the insurance-industrial complex.
posted by Evilspork at 5:10 PM on June 14, 2020 [1 favorite]


Every insurance policy I've had excludes losses resulting from war, riots, or civil unrest. I'm not shedding any tears over a Target or a Wal-Mart getting sacked or burned, but I am concerned about small businesses, which are often owned by people of moderate means. Even fast food restaurants are mostly operated by franchisees, who often only have one or two stores.

When they also happen to be owned by minorites, it starts to look an awful lot like yet another round of having their shit taken away the moment they begin to claw their way out of the morass of racist shit that holds them back, just like Tulsa.

In the cases where it is white people doing the looting and burning, whether they are local leftists or racist accelerationists from somewhere else it doesn't just look the same, it literally is the same shit, just wearing a different mask. The result is the same: destroying whatever the community has been able to build for itself despite the barriers set in their way.
posted by wierdo at 6:04 PM on June 14, 2020 [6 favorites]


Racial Justice Groups Flooded With Millions in Donations in Wake of Floyd Death (NYT)
Progressive and racial justice groups have seen a cascade of donations since George Floyd’s death and the ensuing protests.
ActBlue, the leading site to process online donations for Democratic causes and campaigns, has experienced its busiest period since its founding in 2004, far surpassing even the highest peaks of the 2020 presidential primary season. (ActBlue confirmed that racial justice causes and bail funds had led the way.) The site’s four biggest days ever came consecutively this month as it processed more than $250 million to various progressive causes and candidates in two-plus weeks, according to a New York Times analysis of the site’s donation ticker.

[...] At the forefront of the giving wave were bail funds, as millions of Americans spontaneously gave money to ensure that any protesters who were arrested in clashes with the police got out of jail quickly. Leaders of two national networks said bail funds had received a combined $90 million over two weeks — an astonishingly large sum for a cause that had operated at the periphery of politics only recently. [...] Crowdsourced memorial funds for the families of Mr. Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, who was gunned down this year in Georgia, and Breonna Taylor, who was killed by the police inside her home in Louisville, Ky., have amassed more than $23 million. The Floyd memorial broke GoFundMe’s record for most contributions, with nearly 500,000. [...] Unicorn Riot, an alternative media company that closely covered the early Minneapolis protests, blew past an initial $5,000 online fund-raising goal by a factor of 100, raising $570,000, according to the site’s online tracker.
posted by katra at 10:00 PM on June 14, 2020 [9 favorites]


Went down to Cap Hill this afternoon, figured it would be good to let people know what it looked like. Zero weapons anywhere visible. Nobody is checking IDs. there may be a volunteer on hand offering masks though.
The Fire Dept and the Parks Dept were onsite. Garbage is not piling up anywhere. Food, clothing, and other items are being handed out gratis.

It's basically a giant block party. Tons of people milling around, watching performances and speeches or hanging out. Tons of street art, painted in broad daylight. Many, many visitors. The atmosphere is generally quite calm.
posted by StarkRoads at 11:06 PM on June 14, 2020 [14 favorites]


An Insatiable Rage

By Charles M. Blow/NYTimes
People are marching as a way of screaming, a way of exhaling pain, as an enormous group catharsis.

This isn’t only about the pain of police brutality, it’s about all the pain. This is about all the injustice and disrespect and oppression. This is about ancestry and progeny.
In fact, with every word of solidarity, with every overture by governments and companies, with every new law passed or reform instituted, the cry draws strength, because these actions are all acknowledgment that those in pain have been right all along, that all of their heretofore unheard and unheeded protestations had been wrongfully ignored.

People are in the streets because their backs have too long borne the weight of racism, or because for too long they have averted their eyes from it.

Black people are saying: “See me! See what you have done to me and continue to do to me. Stand naked in your sin, and stare, unflinching, at your reflection. You did this.”

They are saying, “Stop killing us!”

And in that, they mean killing in every conceivable way.
posted by mumimor at 3:03 AM on June 15, 2020 [10 favorites]


Tens of thousands across US march in support of black trans people (Guardian)
Tens of thousands of people rallied across the US on Sunday, to campaign for the rights of black transgender people – a group particularly at risk of violence and of being killed. In New York City, thousands of people gathered at the Brooklyn Museum to demand fair treatment for black trans people, while an estimated 25,000 marched along the Hollywood Walk of Fame in an “All Black Lives Matter” demonstration. The rallies, which also took place in Chicago, San Antonio and Boston, came after two black trans women were killed in the space of 24 hours last week. [...] “Black trans lives matter,” [Layleen] Polanco’s sister, Melania Brown, told the crowd. “My sister’s life mattered. All of the loved ones we have lost, all of these beautiful girls that we have lost. Their lives matter. We have to protect them.”

Organizers said 15,000 people attended the [Brooklyn] rally, which came two days after the Trump administration finalized a regulation which will erase Obama-era protections for transgender Americans against discrimination in healthcare. “We can’t just talk about trans people when they’re dying,” Eliel Cruz, one of the co-organizers of the event and a director at the NYC Anti-Violence Project, told CNN. “But what are we doing actively and intentionally to create space for them to be safe and well?”
posted by katra at 11:01 AM on June 15, 2020 [5 favorites]


Black Lives Matter protester hailed as hero for saving suspected far-right demonstrator in London melee (WaPo)
The British tabloids, even the right-wing ones, called Hutchinson a “hero,” and accolades poured forth on social media from politicians and ordinary folk. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said, “Patrick Hutchinson’s instincts in that moment represent the best of us.” [...] In an interview with Britain’s Channel 4, the personal trainer and grandfather said he arrived at the scene to see the man on the ground, under attack by protesters.

Hutchinson and his mates formed a cordon around the man. “If the other three police officers that were standing around when George Floyd was murdered had thought about intervening, and stopping their colleague from doing what he was doing, like what we did, George Floyd would be alive today still,” Hutchinson said, referring to the unarmed black man in Minneapolis who died May 25 after a police officer put a knee to his neck for almost nine minutes. “I just want equality for all of us. At the moment, the scales are unfairly balanced, and I want things to be fair for my children and my grandchildren,” Hutchinson told broadcasters.

[...] David Lammy, a Labour politician and author of a 2017 review of inequality in the British criminal justice system, said action was needed, not more reports. “He’s announced a commission, behind a paywall, in the Telegraph, buried in the middle of yet another article about Churchill. If he was serious, why are there no details?” Lammy told the BBC. “Get on with the action, legislate, move — you’re in government, do something.”
posted by katra at 11:27 AM on June 15, 2020 [1 favorite]


^If you don't subscribe to the Washington Post -- after "Hutchinson and his mates formed a cordon around the man," Patrick Hutchinson hefted the injured man across a shoulder and carried him out of harm's way: “It was the right thing to do,” Hutchinson told Reuters TV on Monday. “We didn’t want the narrative changed and the focus taken away from what we are all fighting for, and that’s true equality.” Article, Reuters photo
--
Seven Minneapolis police officers have resigned. Another seven officers are in the process of filing separation paperwork, and several others had to be talked out of leaving. In an e-mail to supervisors earlier this month, a senior MPD official suggested that some officers had simply walked off the job in protest. (Star Tribune, June 13, 2020) The department currently has about 850 officers, almost 40 short of the number authorized for this year, [spokesman John] Elder said, adding that a class of 29 recruits is expected to graduate and hit the streets later this summer. [...] A marked shift in public attitudes toward the profession, coupled with low pay and high turnover, has driven a 25-year low in applicants. [...]

A police spokesman on Friday said that the departures would not affect the quality of public safety services.
posted by Iris Gambol at 6:16 PM on June 15, 2020 [2 favorites]


Seven Minneapolis police officers have resigned. Another seven officers are in the process of filing separation paperwork, and several others had to be talked out of leaving.

Fuck 'em, let them go. If their reaction to the slightest bit of oversight is to quit, then their entire reason for joining the force was based on the bad behavior the residents want to eliminate. "Why even get dressed for work if I can't kill people at my whim?"

I mean jeez, someone should probably look into those 14 officers' histories of contact with the public.
posted by rhizome at 7:11 PM on June 15, 2020 [16 favorites]


I should have kept reading.

A marked shift in public attitudes toward the profession, coupled with low pay and high turnover, has driven a 25-year low in applicants. [...]

Fewer armed officers on the streets is exactly what (I interpret) people are asking for. This is a perfect development! Let things shake out and shift budgets around so that the city has the coverage for unarmed contacts with the public, and then give the much-smaller armed police force a raise for being the ones who stayed around for the right reasons.
posted by rhizome at 7:14 PM on June 15, 2020 [9 favorites]


A police spokesman on Friday said that the departures would not affect the quality of public safety services.

Lol, careful, police spokesman. You just said those positions were not necessary. Guess you can afford a corresponding reduction in FTE then? Thanks for helping us with the defunding thing.
posted by ctmf at 8:51 PM on June 15, 2020 [15 favorites]


Also, I just solved your recruiting problem. No positions, no recruiting needs. You're welcome.
posted by ctmf at 8:54 PM on June 15, 2020 [1 favorite]


[...] David Lammy, a Labour politician and author of a 2017 review of inequality in the British criminal justice system, said action was needed, not more reports. “He’s announced a commission, behind a paywall, in the Telegraph, buried in the middle of yet another article about Churchill. If he was serious, why are there no details?” Lammy told the BBC. “Get on with the action, legislate, move — you’re in government, do something.”
Yeah, I have a feeling the Tories aren't going to be fully committed to their commission.
The new government commission on racial inequalities is being set up by a No 10 adviser who has cast doubt on the existence of institutional racism and condemned previous inquiries for fostering a “culture of grievance”, it has emerged.

Munira Mirza, the head of the No 10 policy unit, is leading much of the work to form the commission on race and ethnic disparities announced by Boris Johnson on Sunday
Hey, at least it wasn't Trevor Phillips
It is understood that Mirza has said she hopes to recruit Trevor Phillips as part of the commission. Phillips, a former chair of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, would be a controversial choice, having previously referred to UK Muslims as being “a nation within a nation”.
Oh ffs.
posted by fullerine at 10:19 PM on June 15, 2020 [3 favorites]


Munira Mirza is one of the Spiked crowd, and has written articles with titles like "The myth of institutional racism", "Stop pandering to Muslims", and "Diversity is divisive". If you wanted the commission to conclude that there are no racism problems here, she'd be an excellent candidate.
posted by doop at 12:13 AM on June 16, 2020 [5 favorites]


More details about the night of Floyd's murder. A police dispatcher who had a live feed on Chauvin's camera called a supervisor to report on what was happening, and a firefighter on scene called 911 saying, “I literally watched police officers not take a pulse and not do anything to save a man, and I am a first responder myself, and I literally have it on video camera,” said the unnamed firefighter, according to a transcript reviewed by the Star Tribune. “I just happened to be on a walk so, this dude, this, they [expletive] killed him …”
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:06 AM on June 16, 2020 [15 favorites]


What else has that 911 operator seen on live feed over their career that was reported and what was done about it? I'm a wee bit heartened to hear that there are people who are doing the right thing but I'm curious where on the spectrum of corruption/brutality that this is investigated/stopped/seen as a problem? Surely there are steps before murder that need to be acknowledged. I'm horrified at having anyone's face pressed to concrete. I'm horrified at needless escalation and badgering. Is the MPD horrified? Are we?
posted by amanda at 8:26 AM on June 16, 2020 [2 favorites]


Protestor in critical condition after being shot by counter protestor following escalating altercation in New Mexico. Protestors were demanding the removal of a statue of a conquistador, slaver and war criminal Juan de Oñate, first colonial governor of New Mexico.
posted by Mitheral at 8:37 AM on June 16, 2020 [4 favorites]


What else has that 911 operator seen on live feed over their career that was reported and what was done about it? I'm a wee bit heartened to hear that there are people who are doing the right thing but I'm curious where on the spectrum of corruption/brutality that this is investigated/stopped/seen as a problem?

Maybe we can save this hand-wringing for the defunding debate. Maybe I've been watching too much "I Am A Killer" on Netflix, but the feeling I get is that the charges should be upgraded even higher.

Protestor in critical condition after being shot by counter protestor following escalating altercation in New Mexico.

The videos in that Twitter thread are illustrative. I realize in New Mexico the chances are higher than other places, but if charges are brought against anybody other than the shooter then we'll know that we're going to need a lot more pressure to abolish bad law enforcement procedures. New patterns, new practices.
posted by rhizome at 11:06 AM on June 16, 2020 [1 favorite]


NYPD to disband plainclothes anti-crime units, after ‘disproportionate percentage of complaints and shootings’ (NY Daily News, June 15, 2020) The high-risk units — one for each of the city’s 77 police precincts and nine Police Service Areas that cover public housing — will be disbanded and all 600 cops reassigned, the city’s top cop announced Monday.

‘Seismic Shift’: NYPD Disbands Controversial Anti-Crime Unit Involved In Many Shootings (Forbes, June 16, 2020) NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said at a press conference on Monday: “I think it's time to move forward and change how we police in this city. We can do it with brains, we can do it with guile, we can move away from brute force.” Officers in all precincts will be reassigned in efforts to focus America’s largest police department on “community policing.” Shea indicated that crime-fighting efforts will shift more toward using technology, intelligence, data and video, and do away with targeted raids. “This is 21st-century policing,” he said.

NYC’s top cop quietly disbands little-known unit that gathered info on community issues, sparking criticism (NY Daily News, June 16, 2020) About a month before the George Floyd protests roiled the city, the NYPD’s top cop quietly disbanded a little-known but key unit that provided a politically safe back-channel for activists to get information more directly to the police commissioner, the Daily News has learned. Police Commissioner Dermot Shea’s decision to abruptly shut down the so-called liaison unit and transfer cops assigned there has struck some in the department as shortsighted given the unrest following Floyd’s death and sharp criticism of the NYPD. Shea has yet to explain the move.
--
The liaison unit was created by Commissioner Kelly in the mid-2000s. From Kelly's 2015 autobiography Vigilance: My Life Serving American and Protecting Its Empire City: We also created a new Liaison Unit that reported directly to me. The unit was composed of police officers with direct lines of communication to the African American, African, Haitian, Asian, Jewish, Muslim and LGBT communities. I met with these officers on a weekly basis. The Daily News spoke with an anonymous Kelly staff member: "The former member said Kelly was so wary of some of his borough commanders that he’d send his staff into neighborhoods at night looking for problems. Then he’d call in the commanders and grill them about what his staff found."
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:14 PM on June 16, 2020 [5 favorites]


Sorry, the Daily News has a paywall; excerpt from the first article, which goes into some detail about the "anti-crime" unit's crimes: Anti-crime unit officers are often thought of as the “cowboys” of the NYPD’s police precincts, and their officers frequent targets for police misconduct and false arrest lawsuits. Daniel Pantaleo, the plainclothes officer who put Eric Garner in a fatal chokehold on Staten Island in 2014, was assigned to an anti-crime unit. Pantaleo was fired last year. And the two officers who shot and killed 16-year-old Kimani Gray in Brooklyn in 2013 because they thought the teen had a gun were also assigned to an anti-crime unit. The officers, who cuffed Kimani as he lay dying in the street, were never indicted. The city later paid his family $250,000 to settle a lawsuit.

Another anti-crime unit cop, David “Bullethead" Grieco, from the 75th Precinct, has been sued nearly three dozen times. As of last December, the city had paid more than $500,000 to settle 17 suits against him.

Here Are NYC's Most Sued Cops Who Are Still On The Job, According To New Public Database (Gothamist, March 7, 2019): Nicknamed "Bullethead" by the Daily News, Grieco's lengthy history of allegedly violating the civil rights of Brooklyn residents has come up in 32 known lawsuits, at a cost to taxpayers of $343,252. He has been accused of putting a minor in a chokehold, threatening to arrest an aspiring rapper if he didn't freestyle for him, and bursting into a home without a warrant and hauling six-year-old twins to a police precinct. [...] In addition to being the city's second most frequently sued cop, he's one of the NYPD's top overtime earners — in 2017, he pulled in $73,000 in overtime, bringing his total salary to $190,000.
--
The 'new public database" is the Legal Aid Society's CAPstat: NYC Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Data, 2015 to June 2018. See also The Chicago Reporter's Settling for Misconduct; NJ.com's Force Report (every local police department in N.J.). Gov. Cuomo signed new justice-related laws at the end of last week (AM NY), including ending "Police Secrecy Law 50-A," which shielded police personnel records from public view. More than 50 Brooklyn cops have been sued at least four times, data shows (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 8, 2019); Brooklyn cops who were sued the most also raked in overtime pay, study says (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 2, 2019); Repeal of 50-a may prompt release of district attorneys’ problem cop lists. (Queens Daily Eagle, June 16, 2020)
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:56 PM on June 16, 2020 [13 favorites]


Re: DA's lists
“There’s no legal reason to continue withholding that information.”

eeee-yeahhhh that's a sticky one. The District Attorney's Office is a public agency, so the public should have the right to see the records. On the other hand, just because you've pissed off a DA before doesn't automatically make you a bad person. Without specific criteria to be added to the list, an actual investigation, and other process safeguards, that list itself seems kind of legally shaky. "substantiated misconduct" seems safe; "we think he's a liar (but didn't prosecute him for perjury)" not so much.

I mean, I would like to know that information, and it couldn't happen to a more deserving group of people. It just seems dangerous in concept, that's all.
posted by ctmf at 3:45 PM on June 16, 2020 [1 favorite]


It also seems like it would fall under attorney "work product" privilege, to the extent I understand that? (which may be not at all) Do they lose that once they share that information with each other?
posted by ctmf at 3:51 PM on June 16, 2020


Senate Republicans' policing bill designed more to screw Democrats than save Black lives • Joan McCarter; Daily Kos; June 17, 2020 •
[...] McConnell has recognized that he can use the urgency of this moment to screw Democrats. He's going to hold a vote on the Republican bill next week, but he made it clear in the announcement of that legislation Wednesday morning that it's really a dare to Democrats to oppose it and prevent it from advancing to a full vote. Because the bill does nothing to stop police brutality, it likely won't get Democratic support.

McConnell showed his hand on this by letting Sen. Lindsay Graham loose in a snarling performance that was remarkable even for him, and wildly inappropriate for this issue. His only purpose there was to attack Democrats and suck up to Trump. [...]
posted by ZeusHumms at 1:31 PM on June 17, 2020 [4 favorites]


Ex-Atlanta cop charged with felony murder in Rayshard Brooks’ death, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 17, 2020. [Summary: Garrett Rolfe, the Atlanta police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks, has been charged with felony murder. Rolfe, who was fired, faces a total of 11 charges; the other officer at the scene, Devin Brosnan, who was put on administrative duty, has been charged with aggravated assault and two counts of violations of oath of office. (Brosnan agreed to be a state's witness.) The felony murder charge, in Georgia: A person convicted of the offense of murder shall be punished by death, by imprisonment for life without parole, or by imprisonment for life.]
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:54 PM on June 17, 2020 [10 favorites]


McConnell showed his hand on this by letting Sen. Lindsay Graham loose in a snarling performance that was remarkable even for him, and wildly inappropriate for this issue. His only purpose there was to attack Democrats and suck up to Trump. [...]

Maybe I'm seeing the wrong video but I don't see any snarling here?
posted by LizBoBiz at 1:43 AM on June 18, 2020 [2 favorites]


CREW [Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington] Requests National Guard Records on Trump Hotel Protection - Press Release, FOIA request (PDF)
During recent protests against the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers Floyd, Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to guard his DC Hotel, but not nearby national monuments, raises concerns that Trump is once again grossly abusing his presidential power to benefit his personal business.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:35 AM on June 18, 2020 [8 favorites]


Garrett Rolfe, the Atlanta police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks, has been charged with felony murder. Rolfe, who was fired, faces a total of 11 charges

All Rolfe has to say in court is that Brooks fired the taser at him, and he was worried about Brooks incapacitating him and taking his gun. That will probably lead to an acquittal. I guess that's when the real rioting starts?
posted by Pruitt-Igoe at 11:14 AM on June 18, 2020


All Rolfe has to say in court is that Brooks fired the taser at him

I'm unclear as to the timeline. Is this the taser that had already been discharged into Brooks? Do they have multiple barrels?
posted by mikelieman at 11:29 AM on June 18, 2020




City buildings in Louisville are being boarded up. Some speculation this means they will not be filing charges against the police who murdered Breonna Taylor and are expecting rioting.
posted by sotonohito at 1:24 PM on June 18, 2020 [2 favorites]


All Rolfe has to say in court is that Brooks fired the taser at him, and he was worried about Brooks incapacitating him and taking his gun. That will probably lead to an acquittal.

Which is bullshit on its face. The video shows the shots were fired from several paces away and there was a second officer behind him. That officer is just going to let Brooks tase Rolfe, back track, seize his gun and then shoot him with it?

Stepping back there was no real reason to throw Brooks to the ground when he started running. He was detained for DUI not murder or something and he was running away from his car. Let him run, put out a warrant, and swing by his house in a few days to arrest him. Hell Brooks was so drunk he fell asleep while in the drive thru lane. It's likely he would have passed out in a couple blocks as soon as the adrenaline wore off. Drive around after the tow truck gets there and you'll probably find him.
posted by Mitheral at 1:40 PM on June 18, 2020 [12 favorites]




City buildings in Louisville are being boarded up. Some speculation this means they will not be filing charges against the police who murdered Breonna Taylor and are expecting rioting.

Fuck this for so many reasons. Passing on to friends who are on the ground in Louisville and are actively protesting.
posted by RolandOfEld at 5:45 PM on June 18, 2020 [3 favorites]


Why Are NYPD Cruisers Playing the Ice Cream Truck Jingle? (Atlas Obscura, June 16, 2020)
In early June, an ice cream truck jingle rang out in Brooklyn, yet it drew no children, produced no soft serve, and evoked no nostalgia. It was midnight, and it came from an unmarked NYPD cruiser.

It was the third night of an 8 p.m. citywide curfew, issued by Mayor Bill de Blasio, ostensibly to curb looting and violence. Despite the order, peaceful protests continued well past 8 p.m. It was around 11 p.m. in the historically Black neighborhood of Crown Heights that police officers descended upon a group of protesters headed home. Sounds from the street brought Taylor, who wished to have his last name redacted, and many of his neighbors to their porches and windows.

“At least six cop cars showed up, and a few dozen cops in full riot gear popped out with their batons and started tackling and aggressively detaining the protesters,” says Taylor. “It was just sheer violence.” He says neighbors broke out in Black Lives Matter chants while the arrests took place, such as the call-and-response “No justice! No peace!” In response, says Taylor, the police taunted the neighbors. “They were yelling back, like, ‘Is that all you got?’”

The cruisers dispersed around midnight, though one unmarked car remained in front of Peter Chinman’s apartment. “They couldn’t start their car, and all the people in the surrounding buildings started really jeering at them,” he says. When they finally got the engine running, however, they made a curious exit. “They drove off giving everyone the middle finger, while playing the ice cream truck song.” A video of their departure taken by a separate witness and posted on social media immediately garnered thousands of likes and comments.
[...]
So, why are police officers blasting this jingle from their cruisers in predominantly Black neighborhoods? As of the time of publication, the NYPD has refused multiple requests to comment. But with the nation in the midst of a racial reckoning, it may be illuminating to look at the melody’s place at the intersection of ice cream and Black history.
[...]
The tune many recognize as “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” first reached American shores with an influx of Scots-Irish immigrants in the 1700s; it was originally a fiddle song called “The Rose Tree.” Early Americans took kindly to the meandering melody, and by the early 1800s it became “Turkey in the Straw,” a playful exploration of rural Appalachian life. The jingle was borrowed again later in the century for an altogether new, and uniquely American form of entertainment: traveling blackface minstrel shows.
[...]
So is the NYPD playing this storied jingle as a joke, by coincidence, or as an obscure dog whistle? A quick survey of officers’ sense of humor suggests it could be the latter.

The NYPD’s challenge coins—small, members-only medallions bearing departmental insignias and slogans—offer a look at both a rich trove of departmental inside jokes and how they view the civilians in their jurisdictions. East Harlem’s 25th Precinct covers several drug-treatment clinics, an area they call “Zombieland.” The Bronx’s 42nd Precinct depicts themselves (“Warriors of the Wasteland”) as muscle-laden vikings beating criminals with spiked bats.* A “Justified 4X” coin pays homage to “supercop” Ralph Friedman, who killed four people on duty between 1970 and 1984, one of whom was a burglary victim who called the police for help.
Yeah, ACAB.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:23 PM on June 18, 2020 [14 favorites]


U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday threatened unspecified action against any protesters at his weekend Tulsa, Oklahoma, re-election rally in a warning that his campaign said was not directed at peaceful demonstrators. (Reuters, June 19, 2020) “Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis. It will be a much different scene!” Trump tweeted. Marc Lotter, a spokesman for Trump’s campaign, said Trump was referring to agitators and not peaceful protesters. [...]

The Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist who was scheduled to keynote a Juneteenth event in Tulsa later on Friday, called Trump’s tweet “provocative” and “disrespectful,” especially following the recent deaths of Floyd and another African-American man, Rayshard Brooks, in Atlanta. “To have a threat like that you’re provoking an incident, and you’re provoking an interaction that is unnecessary,” Sharpton told MSNBC in a separate interview.
--
Marc, the man began with "Any protestors".
--
Tulsa police asking everyone to avoid downtown this weekend, if possible (KTUL, June 18, 2020)

Curfew now in place in area around Tulsa's BOK Center (Tulsa World, June 19, 2020) The curfew is the result of an executive order from Mayor G.T. Bynum, which cites both local and nationwide unrest in recent weeks as the rationale for the curfew. “I have received information from the Tulsa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies that shows that individuals from organized groups who have been involved in destructive or violent behavior in other states are planning to travel to the City of Tulsa for purposes of causing unrest in and around the rally,” the order states. [...]

The people camped outside the BOK Center waiting to get into the rally were being moved out. Police posted information about the curfew about 45 minutes before it took effect.
--
Tulsa Police on Twitter, June 18, 7:16 pm : After the rally there is a continued curfew from Saturday, June 20, 2020 until 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 21, 2020. See the restrictions in the Executive Order.

Tulsa Police on Twitter, June 18, 7:16 p.m.: If people refuse to leave the area, they may be cited or arrested. This is an unprecedented event for the City of Tulsa and has hundreds of moving parts, we are asking for everyone’s help in making this a safe event for all citizens.
--
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:55 AM on June 19, 2020


Office of the Mayor, City of Tulsa, Executive Order 2020-11: Order Declaring a Civil Emergency and Restricting Access

WHEREAS, crowds in excess of 100,000 people are expected in the vicinity of the rally during the timeframe beginning June 18, 2020, and ending June 21, 2020; and

WHEREAS, public protests have been planned in response to the rally; and;

WHEREAS, civil unrest has erupted during and surrounding protests within the City of Tulsa during the month of June 2020, resulting in multiple unlawful assemblies and multiple incidents of violence and property damage throughout the City and causing four individuals to be charged with felony Incitement to Riot while other such incidents continue to be investigated for similar felony charges; and

WHEREAS, civil unrest has erupted during and surrounding protests throughout the United States since approximately May 31, 2020, and groups in other states have engaged in extremely violent and destructive behavior including arson and malicious injury to both public and private property, murder, assault and battery and murder of police officers, and other similar criminal behavior; and...
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:57 AM on June 19, 2020 [8 favorites]


murder of police officers

Unsure why this is plural. Of course, the only cop killed during the uprising was by a right-wing, "Boogaloo" gunman. Which was first paraded around by Ohio's Jim Jordan as an example of left-wing violence.
posted by Ahmad Khani at 12:16 PM on June 19, 2020 [9 favorites]


Widely-circulated FaceBook misinformation? Post inflates number of police killed in connection to protests (PolitiFact, June 10, 2020) Claim, as of that date: "More than 20 police officers are dead now because of the riots;" rated as false. "The Officer Down Memorial Page, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring local active duty law enforcement officers, lists nine law enforcement officers who have died nationwide since protests began. According to the website and news reports, none were related to the Floyd protests."
--
Demonstrators protest Trump's speech at West Point graduation (June 13, 2020) The march also supported the causes of Black Lives Matter, including calls for an end to police brutality, which have been prominent in protests across the country since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.
--
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY-18) sent a letter to the secretaries of the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense, co-signed by 21 other members of Congress, June 18, excerpted: Dear Secretary Esper and Secretary McCarthy: As members of Congress we are proud of the history and reputation of the United States Military Academy (“USMA” or “West Point”). It is because of that deep respect for the school and its mission, we believe we must correct the hurtful and outdated practice of honoring at West Point certain Americans who engaged in armed rebellion against the United States in support of racism and slavery. Today, there are a variety of USMA buildings and facilities named after Confederate generals and others who betrayed their Country during the Civil War. This should not be. [...]

It goes without saying that we have the utmost respect for the work that you do, developing leaders of character, with a passion for service to our country. Included in these outstanding cadets are Black men and women ready to serve and we owe it to them to ensure that their learning and training environment is as welcoming and inclusive as possible. It is past time we make these changes that will move our country in the direction towards healing and reconciliation. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter and we look forward to assisting you in whatever fashion possible to remove these negative symbols from this revered institution.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:36 PM on June 19, 2020 [3 favorites]


Iris Gambol: Office of the Mayor, City of Tulsa, Executive Order 2020-11: Order Declaring a Civil Emergency and Restricting Access

Tulsa rescinds curfew ahead of Trump rally (The Hill, June 19, 2020)
Officials in Tulsa, Okla., on Friday rescinded a curfew initially put in place in the area around the arena where President Trump is set to hold a campaign rally Saturday evening.

The decision marked a reversal, apparently at the president's urging, from less than 24 hours earlier when the mayor declared a civil emergency and imposed a curfew for Friday and Saturday night near the BOK Center, the rally venue, in an effort to deter unruly protests.
Meanwhile, in Colorado: Bans on chokeholds, mandated cams & more: Governor signs police reform bill into law -- The bill passed in the wake of the death of George Floyd addresses police use of force and accountability standards. (9News)
"We’ve been working on police accountability legislation for decades, but have never had the support to get it done," said Rep. Rhonda Fields, one of the bill's sponsors. "However, the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd ignited something in this country that created an unstoppable wave – providing us with the momentum we needed to finally deliver on this policy."

The Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity (SB20-217) contains several provisions discussed in recent years to address police use-of-force and accountability standards. Among the provisions would be mandated body-worn camera usage and disclosure of footage by local departments and the Colorado State Patrol, a ban on chokeholds and the ability to sue officers directly for their conduct.
[...]
In the final vote last week, 11 Republicans joined all Democrats in passing the measure. Polis officially signed it into law Friday morning and was joined by the bill's sponsors, Senate President Leroy Garcia ( D-Pueblo), Sen. Rhonda Fields (D-Aurora), and Reps. Leslie Herod (D-Denver) and Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez (D-Denver).

“Generations of Coloradans and communities across the country have been waiting far too long for this historic moment,” said Herod.“One-hundred fifty-five years after slavery ended in the Confederacy, it’s clear we have more work to do to end the systemic racism and injustice that is pervasive in our society.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:23 PM on June 19, 2020 [5 favorites]


someone should probably look into those 14 officers' histories of contact with the public.

It probably won't be good. I didn't realise this was the MPD (On edit, wrong MPD):

Jun 15, 2017

MPD congratulates and thanks long time police officer John Balcerzak on his retirement. Balcerzak was elected president of the Minneapolis Police association in 2005. You probably don't recognize the name but you'll likely remember his most infamous interaction of May 17, 1991 when Balcerzak and his partner, despite the pleas of two African-American women who had called 911, returned 14 year old Konerak Sinthasomphone, drugged and bleeding from head and rectum, to the man he had escaped from. The man who had imprisoned, drugged, sodomized and drilled a hole into Sinthasomphone's head. Jeffery Dahmer would go on later than night to torture, kill and dismember Sinthasomphone.
Balcerzak's and Gabrish's positions and roles within the Milwaukee Police Department were terminated[4] after their actions were widely publicized, including an audiotape of the officers making homophobic statements to their dispatcher and cracking jokes about having reunited the "lovers". The officers had never checked the boy's ID or verified his identity. The officers did not check Dahmer's identification; had they done so, they would have discovered that Dahmer was a sex offender previously convicted for molesting Sinthasomphone's older brother.[5] The city of Milwaukee later paid the boy's family a sum of $850,000 to settle a lawsuit over the police's handling of the situation.[6]

Both officers later appealed their termination. Judge Robert J. Parins decided the case and ruled in favor of the officers, allowing them to be reinstated.[7]
Konerak Sinthasomphone was Loation but had resided in the US for 10 years and spoke fluent English (when not drugged and brain injured). Dahmer subsequently killed four other people before being arrested.
posted by Mitheral at 5:11 PM on June 19, 2020 [9 favorites]


Protesters in Raleigh have torn down parts of confederate monuments at the state capitol. Weird things have happened in this capital city over the past 24 hours, but these were good ones.
posted by Snowishberlin at 7:42 PM on June 19, 2020 [2 favorites]


Here's a completed livestream of the events in Raleigh from local activist Kerwin Pittman; things really heat up around 58 minutes when a protester climbs the obelisk and starts trying to push off one of the 2 Confederate soldier statues near the base (there's another soldier at the top of the 75-foot-tall obelisk who remains in place). The ropes come out to pull the first statue down around 1:03:00; the second statue follows soon after. Pittman follows the crowd as it drags the statues through the street and then - this was so shockingly powerful to watch over the net as it happened live - THEY HANG ONE OF THE STATUES FROM A LAMP POST at the corner of Hargett Street, which in the early 20th century was the site of Raleigh's "Black Main Street," filled with Black-owned businesses.

The rope broke as they tried to hang the 2nd statue, so they dragged that one up the steps of the county courthouse and deposited it in front of the courthouse doors. It's all on the video (along with an earlier fight between different protest factions that I still can't figure out but shit happens I guess).

The obelisk and statue on top are still there, along with the TO OUR CONFEDERATE DEAD plaque near the bottom that I suspect isn't long for this world. Plus, there are other monuments to racism on the capitol lawn, including a statue of the viciously white supremacist governor Charles Aycock, who worked for years to make sure Black citizens were denied the right to vote at the turn of the 20th century.

There are also a bunch of groups in Raleigh actively working to change police policies, with only a little help from a middle-of-the-road, complacent mayor and city council, but that work is much slower and less viscerally stimulating. God I fucking loved watching those statues come down.
posted by mediareport at 9:26 PM on June 19, 2020 [10 favorites]


I'm not sure whether this fits here, but today Verso emailed about Frederic Gros' book Disorder, and I found the preface, though written about the gilet jaunes, to be pretty apropos for the US's current protests. "Kant put forward the thesis that a revolution basically always succeeds. This success, however, did not consist in the extent of the remedies provided for the suffering that provoked it, but in the collective ‘enthusiasm’ that was aroused for a time, stemming from the rediscovery by a people, in fervour, emotion and anger, of its capacity to decide its own destiny and its essential ability to live freely and with dignity."
posted by mittens at 8:38 AM on June 20, 2020 [1 favorite]




(oop, state workers, probably, not city; it's state property)
posted by mediareport at 9:53 AM on June 20, 2020


Two shot, one killed in the CHAZ/CHOP area last night. There's good coverage from Capitol Hill Seattle Blog.

The city council member for the district involved, Kshama Sawant, has a statement which includes this:
Though we await confirmation of the details of the killing, there are indications that this may have been a right-wing attack. If so, this would not be the first such attack on the Capitol Hill Black Lives Matter protest. As many recall, an armed man drove into the protest action on June 8, and shot black activist Dan Gregory, who had heroically intervened to stop the driver.
The whole statement from Decriminalize Seattle is great. Here's the last paragraph:
We don’t yet know who was responsible for last night’s violence. It could have been carried out by people who know each other, or it could have been carried out by a stranger. We know that most violence occurs between people who know each other, such as family members, romantic partners, and neighbors, and that policing and criminalization are ineffective at preventing or addressing it. We also know that racism and sexism are the causes of enormous violence, and that police violence is a part of that, not a solution. Whatever the cause of last night’s shooting, real solutions do not look like continuing to fund and support the police. If we want to stop violence, we need to resource people and communities in a way this City has never committed to doing. We need people housed, we need people fed, we need healthcare for all, we need childcare for all, and we need real investments in the programs and communities that are developing to replace police responses to violence.
posted by bcd at 7:34 PM on June 20, 2020 [7 favorites]


Ramsey County corrections officers of color say they were barred from guarding Derek Chauvin:
As Chauvin arrived, all officers of color were ordered to a separate floor, and a supervisor told one of them that, because of their race, they would be a potential “liability” around Chauvin, according a copy of racial discrimination charges obtained by the Star Tribune.
Defunding the police is a good place to start, but the whole carceral state needs the same treatment.
posted by bcd at 7:42 PM on June 20, 2020 [23 favorites]


Defunding the police is a good place to start, but the whole carceral state needs the same treatment.

this. this. this. this.
posted by lazaruslong at 10:45 PM on June 20, 2020 [4 favorites]


Ramsey County corrections officers of color say they were barred from guarding Derek Chauvin

Obviously the reassignment was inspired by racism, but I wonder if the superintendent might have been genuine when he said he did it to "protect and support" the Black officers: not because of their precious fee-fees, but in order to avoid potential reprisals from their fellow officers if they were thought to have mistreated Chauvin in any way. I mean, that's the sort of allegation I would expect Chauvin or his attorney to make, and it would be potentially explosive.
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:01 PM on June 21, 2020


in order to avoid potential reprisals from their fellow officers if they were thought to have mistreated Chauvin in any way. I mean, that's the sort of allegation I would expect Chauvin or his attorney to make, and it would be potentially explosive.

What kind of mistreatment are they expecting -- someone to kneel on Chauvin's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds?
posted by benzenedream at 10:00 PM on June 21, 2020 [4 favorites]


They don't want Chauvin to stub his toe while being transported and be able to make a fuss about a "racist" BIPOC cop trying to break his foot or something. It is an extremely plausible series of events that would lead to unrest and the down side is he's only looked after by white officials. They aren't saying they fear BIPOC would do something to Chauvin; they are saying Chauvin would use any negative interaction, real or imaginary, to loudly proclaim "reverse-racism" mistreatment. Seems prudent.
posted by Mitheral at 11:47 PM on June 21, 2020 [3 favorites]


Precisely. "And that, Your Honor, is why it is too dangerous for my client to be confined while awaiting trial."

Under these circumstances an allegation of mistreatment would be the gift that keeps on giving: it supports an application for bail; discredits any unfriendly testimony from Black officers; and can be the basis for a claim that Chauvin's life would be threatened in prison. I'm not saying that the superintendent was motivated by a disinterested wish that justice be done, but protecting his Black officers from a potentially malicious accusation would have the same effect.
posted by Joe in Australia at 12:14 AM on June 22, 2020


discredits any unfriendly testimony from Black officers; and can be the basis for a claim that Chauvin's life would be threatened in prison

It doesn't discredit testimony from any officers. American prisons are dangerous places and typically the court doesn't give a shit. Maybe they might pretend to care in this case since it has a really high profile but not enough to influence the bail amount which has already been set, by the way, at $1 million.

Chauvin owns two properties with his soon to be ex-wife and he's been a police officer for almost two decades. Normally Chauvin would have to come up with $100,000 cash to bail out. I'd think that he should be able to get that together. Either he's not interested in bailing out, the legal wrangling with his wife is preventing him from accessing their cash, or bail companies want more than 10% to underwrite his bail.

I agree that Chauvin could make noise about mis-treatment by black officers. That would be really stupid. He was a cop so even though he murdered someone on camera he might get off. A cop that murdered a black man on camera, caused a lot of people headaches, and starts getting into shit with black officers, he still might get off but it would be harder.
posted by rdr at 3:48 AM on June 22, 2020 [1 favorite]


New Mexico: Lawmakers pass bill that requires body cameras for officers (KRQE, June 22, 2020)
The bill is endorsed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Right now, several departments across the state don’t have body cameras and this bill would change that.

“Senate Bill 8 requires all law enforcement agencies in New Mexico to create their own policies and procedures to enact body-worn cameras for their officers,” said Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena (D-Mesilla).

Under this bill, law enforcement officers would have to turn on their cameras while they’re responding to a call or interacting with the public and would not be allowed to turn off their cameras until the interaction is complete. This bill also states that if a law enforcement officer uses illegal force and does not intervene if they see other officers using illegal force, they would lose their law enforcement certificate.
Emphasis mine, because FUCK YES.

Here's the page for the bill. It's short and sweet, to my non-legally trained eyes.

There are also some teeth to turning off the body camera or deleting footage before 120 days, but Chauvin stared at a camera while killing George Floyd. Cameras don't protect people, and they haven't been great tools to hold police accountable. But losing their law enforcement certificates, and not being able to get them back unless exonerated in court? And holding by-stander cops ALSO accountable? Yes, please!
posted by filthy light thief at 9:41 PM on June 22, 2020 [13 favorites]


But losing their law enforcement certificates, and not being able to get them back unless exonerated in court?

This is essentially the status quo, isn't it? Officers are fired and reinstated so often I think it's a part of the process. In fact, My understanding is that, at least in some departments, "fired" just means you chose to use your own lawyer rather than submitting to Internal Affairs and using the union lawyer. It also absolves the department from making press statements about the case. "You'll have to talk to the prosecutor or defendants lawyer, not us," as well as installing "former officer" in press stories.

Yea, though the officer is charged, and the first thing his lawyer does is file for a summary judgement for qualified immunity, which is usually granted, and which constitutes "exonerated in court." Maybe "exoneration" seems like a high standard because actual trials are so rare with police, but there is already due process, but it just so happens that the whole thing is usually dispensed with a short exchange of paperwork.

No, it has to be easier to permanently decertify cops. More things should be felonies when committed by police. Clawing back pensions (or matching) should be more prevalent. Maybe misdemeanor convictions (a la pleading down from a felony) should have some repercussion, like removing their gun for some period. How about if an officer's body cam does not record a use of force incident by their hand, the officer is not presumed to be telling the truth and the department is required to proceed adversarially? I'm sure I have a lot of technical points of law wrong here, but hopefully the sentiment comes through.

The police have dictated what the police are allowed to do, and it makes sense, since they have a lot of lawyers combing through all of the possible loopholes and restrictions to come up with policies, but they work for the people and the people's voice has been quieted for a long time. It's time for there to be fewer reasons for people with guns to interact with the public, and greater responsibilities when doing so. The people put food in the mouths and clothes on the backs of every officer and their family, and I think it's time for more subordination to that relationship.
posted by rhizome at 10:20 AM on June 23, 2020 [5 favorites]


MPD Chief Arredondo has issued a statement. As quoted by the Strib: "Mr. George Floyd's tragic death was not due to a lack of training — the training was there. This was murder — it wasn't a lack of training. This is why I took swift action regarding the involved officers' employment with MPD."

More from the article:
(Rondo = Chief A's nickname)
Afsheen Foroozan, who chairs the Police Conduct Oversight Commission, could not immediately be reached for comment. Commission member Abigail Cerra said she couldn't speak for the commission, but as a lawyer and individual she said she was "stunned" by the statement.

"As a prosecutor I would jump on that, calling Rondo as a witness and having Rondo testify about the training that was provided, how often it was provided, testifying as to which officers attended the training," Cerra said.

Cerra, who, along with the Star Tribune, filed public records requests for the training data, said she still hasn't received a response from the MPD and wants to see the records.
posted by Flannery Culp at 11:44 AM on June 23, 2020 [5 favorites]


Colorado Passes Historic, Bipartisan Policing Reforms To Eliminate Qualified Immunity - "Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed into law Senate Bill 20–217 (“SB-217”), otherwise known as the Law Enforcement Integrity and Accountability Act. SB-217 includes a range of major policing reforms, including a ban on the use of chokeholds, limits on when police are allowed to shoot at fleeing suspects, and requirements that officers use body cameras and that departments release the footage within 45 days. But perhaps most notably, the law ensures that police officers in Colorado will not be able to avoid liability for their misconduct due to the unlawful shield of qualified immunity."

-The Most Common Defenses of Qualified Immunity, and Why They're Wrong
-Yes, Abolishing Qualified Immunity Will Likely Alter Police Behavior
-JUSTICE Act Fails To Address Qualified Immunity, But Many Republicans Are Still Interested
posted by kliuless at 9:22 PM on June 23, 2020 [9 favorites]


I had been a little puzzled by the reporting on SB-217, but it's really quite a remarkable piece of legislation, particularly the new CRS 13-21-131 (page 12 here), which creates a new civil action for deprivation of state constitutional rights (essentially a state equivalent of the federal section 1983, complete with an improved analog to the federal section 1988 attorneys' fees provision). This has revolutionary potential, and I hope it gets traction elsewhere.

It seems like less adventurous states could reach a similar result more efficiently by simply waiving qualified immunity (since QI derives from the state's sovereign immunity), thus simply restoring the existing federal cause of action to its proper function. But who knows what the Supremes would do with that.
posted by Not A Thing at 9:41 PM on June 23, 2020


Minneapolis Police Sergeant Amy Hedberg speaks out against a Minneapolis residency requirement, citing the 'dangers' of having to live in the city.

I've been frequently impressed over the last month at how often the police themselves are making the case for police abolition.
posted by dinty_moore at 6:16 AM on June 24, 2020 [25 favorites]


Elsewhere, even Bob "cops' rights uber alles" Kroll, head of the Mpls police union, concedes firing Chauvin was justified.
posted by Flannery Culp at 6:46 AM on June 24, 2020 [3 favorites]


Flannery Culp: Cerra, who, along with the Star Tribune, filed public records requests for the training data, said she still hasn't received a response from the MPD and wants to see the records.

I wonder if it might be in the recent BlueLeaks data dump/hack.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:41 PM on June 24, 2020 [1 favorite]


My Family Saw a Police Car Hit a Kid on Halloween. Then I Learned How NYPD Impunity Works (from ProPublica)

"Afterward, I tried to find out more about what exactly had happened and whether officers would be disciplined. There was footage and plenty of witnesses, and I happen to be an investigative journalist. I thought there was at least a chance I could get answers. Instead, the episode crystallized all of the ways in which the NYPD is shielded from accountability."
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:19 AM on June 25, 2020 [6 favorites]


The House just passed a sweeping police reform bill - "What's in Democrats' police reform bill."
  • Revising federal law on criminal police misconduct and qualified immunity reform
  • Ban no-knock warrants in drug cases at the federal level
  • Ban chokeholds at the federal level
  • Establish a national registry of misconduct by law enforcement officers
  • Require states to report use of force to the Justice Department
  • Mandate racial bias training at the federal level
  • Require that deadly force be used only as last resort
  • Make lynching a federal crime
  • Require police to use more body and dashboard cameras
  • Limit the transfer of military equipment to local police departments
House approves sweeping police reform package that would ban chokeholds, end qualified immunity after George Floyd death - "While Democrats had the numbers in the House to easily pass the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, its future remains uncertain as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already said the Republican-controlled chamber would not take up the legislation... Democrats have expressed optimism that the House legislation along with ongoing protests would put pressure on Republicans, forcing them to the negotiating table."

also btw... posted by kliuless at 10:49 PM on June 25, 2020 [10 favorites]


Hold Police Accountable by Changing Public Tort Law, Not Just Qualified Immunity (Paul Stern, Lawfare, Jun. 24, 2020)
While a great deal of recent writing has focused on the inequity created by qualified immunity, it is important to keep in perspective the extent to which its elimination could serve as a meaningful reform mechanism. The U.S. Supreme Court has historically drawn a sharp distinction between constitutional torts, such as excessive force, and common-law torts, such as assault, battery and negligence. Many acts of police wrongdoing may not constitute constitutional violations and thus would not be addressed by reforms to qualified immunity. Accountability would then have to stem from state tort law.

Consequently, to the extent that public tort law can serve as a viable mechanism for law enforcement accountability, eliminating statutory privileges and indemnification regulations may serve as a greater vehicle for reform than qualified immunity. That is not to suggest that the federal government cannot play a role in promoting reform. However, when it comes to federal statutes, Congress should once again examine the Federal Tort Claims Act instead of focusing solely on actions based on 42 U.S.C. § 1983 as a means of initiating law enforcement accountability.
posted by katra at 11:29 AM on June 26, 2020 [5 favorites]


what the shit

St. Louis Mayor broadcasts names and addresses of people who wrote in in favor of defunding police. Oh, but she apologized.
posted by ctmf at 8:49 PM on June 26, 2020 [6 favorites]


Senator Kamala Harris becoming Vice President is extremely disturbing to me: "During her tenure, Harris was 'tough-on-crime' in every regard except, notably, police brutality. Harris refused to launch an independent investigation into the tragic police murder of Manuel Angel Diaz despite getting urged by thousands to do so."

Would the world lose anything if simply became radioactive to be a prosecutor for the purposes of running for office until we fix policing?

Like, we can single out Harris, but my guess is that the incentives of the system for any prosecutor probably bend them the wrong way, and we're just better off not electing people who for whatever reason see that as their ticket into political life.
posted by wildblueyonder at 10:48 PM on June 26, 2020


Not that I think this is likely ( for one the right is going to hold Jussie Smollett around her neck until the day she dies) but I would be okay voting Kim Foxx into higher office, as long as there was someone similar to replace her as cook county state's attorney.). There's probably a few others out there.
posted by dinty_moore at 4:39 AM on June 27, 2020


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