2020 Protests megathread

[DabbingSanta]

It's nice that things are mostly peaceful right now and the police will soon be held accountable for their actions. With that being said, a lot of people in this movement have alternative goals that go well beyond the scope of "black lives matter", like abolishing capitalism. Protests attract a lot of nutters!

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/billscher/status/1269370804996898816

[GP270watch]

Trump and Barr looking for ANTIFA phantoms, meanwhile:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/cole-carini-virginia-man-inspired-by-incel-killer-elliot-rodger-was-making-bomb-feds

On June 2, Cole Carini of Richlands, Virginia, showed up at the Clinch Valley Medical Center with a missing hand. Several fingers on Carini’s other hand were also gone, and he had shrapnel wounds to the neck and throat. A local sheriff’s deputy arrived to interview Carini, who claimed his gruesome injuries were the result of a gardening accident.

But something didn’t add up. Police, who knew Carini, 23, had previously been convicted on explosives charges, got a search warrant for his home and called in the FBI.

Basically some crazy Incel was plotting to blowup "hot cheerleaders" because he couldn't have them.  He instead blow off his hands and disfigured himself.

[SteveRogers]

Tom cotton was(half) right.
The proper path to deal with riots and protests was to send in the military with riot gear and tell cops to stand down. Cops have an obvious interest in opposing any reform while said reforms would likely not touch the military yet we still need some semblance of order to protect areas from the rioters.

Police just aren't trained to deal with events of this scale because they are so rare while the military is. People are flipping out because they think sending in the military means machine gunning everyone or blowing everyone away with tanks.

It really depends on who is commanding the military and what you think their orders would be if assigned to crowd control. It is probably true that military units are trained for better trigger discipline than local cops and are better trained to adhere to strict rules of engagement. So if the military were sent in with strict orders to keep the peace and not use force unless attacked first, then yes, the military might respond better than how we’ve seen some of the local police respond to protestors. If, on the other hand, Trump were to send in the troops with orders to “dominate,” then that would be... bad.

[Santander]

https://twitter.com/Trevornoah/status/1269291643842289666?s=20

For you white people who don't understand.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

What it means to "send in the military" is highly relevant. Sending it in to crush protestors is beyond the pale. But sending it in to end looting - all while leaving protests in peace - is on a very different level.

And if the state governors deem that necessary, they can ask for it. But for some reason, even red state governors seem disinclined to put ultimate responsibility for their citizens safety in the tiny, cowardly, whining, orange hands of Donald J. Trump.

[Frodo]

Here is a preview of policing reforms we could see happen next year if Democrats were to win control of both Congress and the White House this November:

Congress crafts police reform legislation in response to police violence

In widespread protests across the country following the police killing of George Floyd, demonstrators are demanding that Congress take action to make police departments more accountable and to curb racial violence. Federal lawmakers are beginning to craft their legislative response. Congress is so far considering around a dozen proposals.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that a new initiative would be introduced next week to end racial profiling and excessive use of force by police officers. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is leading the effort to put forward measures on police reform and will be introducing a package on Monday.

Congresswoman Karen Bass, the chairwoman of the CBC, told CBS News' Major Garrett that police accountability was the "number one issue" with policing. She said that she expected the final package to incorporate several reforms, including a bill proposed by Representative Hakeem Jeffries that would ban police chokeholds. Jeffries, the chairman of the House Democratic caucus, introduced the legislation in 2015, after the killing of Eric Garner who, like Floyd, said, "I can't breathe" as he was placed in a chokehold.

"I'm inclined to push the envelope as far as we can because we have a moment now," Bass said.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Here is a preview of policing reforms we could see happen next year if Democrats were to win control of both Congress and the White House this November:

Congress crafts police reform legislation in response to police violence

In widespread protests across the country following the police killing of George Floyd, demonstrators are demanding that Congress take action to make police departments more accountable and to curb racial violence. Federal lawmakers are beginning to craft their legislative response. Congress is so far considering around a dozen proposals.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that a new initiative would be introduced next week to end racial profiling and excessive use of force by police officers. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is leading the effort to put forward measures on police reform and will be introducing a package on Monday.

Congresswoman Karen Bass, the chairwoman of the CBC, told CBS News' Major Garrett that police accountability was the "number one issue" with policing. She said that she expected the final package to incorporate several reforms, including a bill proposed by Representative Hakeem Jeffries that would ban police chokeholds. Jeffries, the chairman of the House Democratic caucus, introduced the legislation in 2015, after the killing of Eric Garner who, like Floyd, said, "I can't breathe" as he was placed in a chokehold.

"I'm inclined to push the envelope as far as we can because we have a moment now," Bass said.

Kind of sad that you need the Democrats to win control of both Congress and the White House in the first place to solve obvious problems that tens of thousands or people are protesting in the streets.

[Meclazine for Israel]

I don't know why you have to link videos about indigenous people being drunk and the media doesn't report on that like they don't report on that for every single group.

That is blatantly false. Not only will the media report the same incidents of racism if the perpetrator is white, they will ask for more detailed stories of racism to present next to keep the narrative alive:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-06/coronavirus-woman-racist-attack-in-melbourne/12216854?nw=0

As evidence of this, simply try and find one published media story of an Aboriginal person being racist towards an Asian person.

It is a corollary of a media narrative. All this change argued for the "Deaths In Custody" debate was worked on 30 years ago.

Just basic facts.

Western Australia has implemented the vast majority of the recommendations from The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC) (1987–1991) in the 1990's with great success.

An Aboriginal "Death in Custody" includes person(s) who crash their vehicle whilst being pursued by Police at the time of death.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/oct/18/hes-come-to-grief-inquest-investigates-death-of-indigenous-man-following-police-chase

This guy died at his own hand speeding in an unregistered car, and it has been counted as a "Death in Custody". Police did not know the race of the person driving the car.

56% of all Aboriginal "Deaths in Custody" are in this category.

It is clear that the current debate is based on pure emotion and romanticism associated with media saturation of the US situation.

The point is that the Australian media are blind to the actual reality of day-to-day stats whilst trying to feed us with a "George Floyd"-like story line.

95% of the protests are borne out of COVID-19 and George Floyd issues.

I am against people using these protests as an opportunity to bignote themselves on Instagram for likes. It detracts from the legacy of the individual concerned.

[T'Chenka]

https://twitter.com/Trevornoah/status/1269291643842289666?s=20

For you white people who don't understand.

Wow, what an HP that woman is. She also made some extremely good points mixed in with her disgusting justifications of anarchy, denial of the black-owned businesses that have been destroyed, and grouping of races into one hivemind. "YOU broke the contract!" I am not a cop, I'm a liberal white guy with mixed race kids that owns a shoe store that has to file for bankrupcy now (not literally me). She can F off

[Gass3268]

https://twitter.com/learyreports/status/1269429803662409731?s=20

[Santander]

Wow, what an HP that woman is. She also made some extremely good points mixed in with her disgusting justifications of anarchy, denial of the black-owned businesses that have been destroyed, and grouping of races into one hivemind. "YOU broke the contract!" I am not a cop, I'm a liberal white guy with mixed race kids that owns a shoe store that has to file for bankrupcy now (not literally me). She can F off

You don't understand the suffering of black Americans, then.

[Adam Griffin]

Trump and Barr looking for ANTIFA phantoms, meanwhile:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/cole-carini-virginia-man-inspired-by-incel-killer-elliot-rodger-was-making-bomb-feds

On June 2, Cole Carini of Richlands, Virginia, showed up at the Clinch Valley Medical Center with a missing hand. Several fingers on Carini’s other hand were also gone, and he had shrapnel wounds to the neck and throat. A local sheriff’s deputy arrived to interview Carini, who claimed his gruesome injuries were the result of a gardening accident.

But something didn’t add up. Police, who knew Carini, 23, had previously been convicted on explosives charges, got a search warrant for his home and called in the FBI.

Basically some crazy Incel was plotting to blowup "hot cheerleaders" because he couldn't have them.  He instead blow off his hands and disfigured himself.

Imagine how repressed he'll be a decade from now!

[T'Chenka]

Wow, what an HP that woman is. She also made some extremely good points mixed in with her disgusting justifications of anarchy, denial of the black-owned businesses that have been destroyed, and grouping of races into one hivemind. "YOU broke the contract!" I am not a cop, I'm a liberal white guy with mixed race kids that owns a shoe store that has to file for bankrupcy now (not literally me). She can F off

You don't understand the suffering of black Americans, then.

"Is it possible to learn this suffering?"

"...not from a liberal."

[Blue3]

https://twitter.com/Trevornoah/status/1269291643842289666?s=20

For you white people who don't understand.

Wow, what an HP that woman is. She also made some extremely good points mixed in with her disgusting justifications of anarchy, denial of the black-owned businesses that have been destroyed, and grouping of races into one hivemind. "YOU broke the contract!" I am not a cop, I'm a liberal white guy with mixed race kids that owns a shoe store that has to file for bankrupcy now (not literally me). She can F off

Talk about missing most of the points.

[NOVA Green]

Thousands marching down MLK Drive as we speak to join Thousands of other protesters gathered in downtown Portland, Oregon, as we speak...

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/live-updates-day-9-of-protests-continue-in-portland/283-389ea53f-b3bd-4e6c-a9d6-28e622aab258

[Frodo]

Now he looks like on the outside what he always looked like on the inside. 

[Frodo]

Here is a preview of policing reforms we could see happen next year if Democrats were to win control of both Congress and the White House this November:

Congress crafts police reform legislation in response to police violence

In widespread protests across the country following the police killing of George Floyd, demonstrators are demanding that Congress take action to make police departments more accountable and to curb racial violence. Federal lawmakers are beginning to craft their legislative response. Congress is so far considering around a dozen proposals.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that a new initiative would be introduced next week to end racial profiling and excessive use of force by police officers. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is leading the effort to put forward measures on police reform and will be introducing a package on Monday.

Congresswoman Karen Bass, the chairwoman of the CBC, told CBS News' Major Garrett that police accountability was the "number one issue" with policing. She said that she expected the final package to incorporate several reforms, including a bill proposed by Representative Hakeem Jeffries that would ban police chokeholds. Jeffries, the chairman of the House Democratic caucus, introduced the legislation in 2015, after the killing of Eric Garner who, like Floyd, said, "I can't breathe" as he was placed in a chokehold.

"I'm inclined to push the envelope as far as we can because we have a moment now," Bass said.

Kind of sad that you need the Democrats to win control of both Congress and the White House in the first place to solve obvious problems that tens of thousands or people are protesting in the streets.

We certainly can't rely on the Republican Party.  Hell, we're still struggling to get the anti-lynching bill (a no-brainer, one would think) out of Congress and onto the President's desk after over a century of dithering and delay, thanks to a single Republican senator who, I presume, is relying on the racism and apathy of his Kentucky constituents to protect him electorally.  If Republicans can't rally against lynching, what hope is there that they will support common-sense policing reforms? 

[Estrella]

CNN: Minneapolis mayor booed by protesters after refusing to defund and abolish police

While on surface it sounds reasonable that, instead of defunding and/or abolishing the PD, a better solution would be a non-destructive reform, this ignores the fact that almost all attempts at such reform were sabotaged by the police unions and individual cops themselves - just as an example, see the resignation of 57 officers of Buffalo PD after two of their colleagues got in trouble for beating up a protester on camera and lying about it. Mayor Frey might well think that he will be able to appease and coax the PD into reforming itself. Perhaps he's afraid of a confrontation and a possible rise in crime due to police going on a (official or unofficial) strike. And maybe he genuinely thinks that the protesters are wrong and there is no racism or brutality problem within Minneapolis police.

In other words, he's either a moron, a wuss, a collabo or all three.

[T'Chenka]

https://twitter.com/Trevornoah/status/1269291643842289666?s=20

For you white people who don't understand.

Wow, what an HP that woman is. She also made some extremely good points mixed in with her disgusting justifications of anarchy, denial of the black-owned businesses that have been destroyed, and grouping of races into one hivemind. "YOU broke the contract!" I am not a cop, I'm a liberal white guy with mixed race kids that owns a shoe store that has to file for bankrupcy now (not literally me). She can F off

Talk about missing most of the points.

All of her points were on key, but then her interpretation of what is and isn't an appropriate reaction to that reality were trash. She "gets it", yes.

[Middle-aged Europe]

More than 10,000 overwhelmingly peaceful protestors went to the streets in D.C. yes, supplemented by tens of thousands more in other American (and non-American) cities.


Donald Trump's Twitter reaction to it was:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1269451304503574528?cxt=HHwWgIC8iYrP_...


For some unspecified reason, he assumes that 10,000 people are are fewer than "anticipated" and that this is in particular a good thing. In essence, what he primarily seems to care about is that people "stop complaining".

As of now, he has yet to follow the bipartisan example of his predecesors Carter, Clinton, Bush Jr., and Obama and adress the issues brought forward by the protestors - namely police brutality and racism - and more importantly propose solutions to these problems. So far, his "answer" to police brutality only seemed to amount to: The blacks got jobs now.


He most likely omits to adress these issues because he assumes that it would be unpopular with his base. This is underlined by another of his tweets from yesterday:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1269396484048465921?cxt=HHwWgsC17Y3Y5...


It's doubtful that he ever saw himself in that role in the first place, but he definitely has abdicated the position of President of the United States by now. He's the President of the Republican Party, not of the U.S.

If I were trying to be subversive I'd say that the logical conclusion is that the non-Republican portion of the U.S. population needs to have its own, seperate government. To some extent this is already the case due to the institution of federalism, with state governors largely deviating from Trump policies not only during the current protest wave, but also during the preceding COVID lockdowns. The question is whether America can continue to avoid the constitutional crisis that would inevitably result when the increasing dissonance between federal and state governments could no longer be glossed over.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

More than 10,000 overwhelmingly peaceful protestors went to the streets in D.C. yes, supplemented by tens of thousands more in other American (and non-American) cities.


Donald Trump's Twitter reaction to it was:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1269451304503574528?cxt=HHwWgIC8iYrP_...

It's more of that lovely Trumpian binary thinking: fewer people than expected (whatever that means) = I win. 

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Basically some crazy Incel was plotting to blowup "hot cheerleaders" because he couldn't have them. He instead blow off his hands and disfigured himself.

Am I a sociopath for laughing?

[pbrower2a]

Yet another casualty, as a young woman is in deep despair as a protester shot and killed her sister

https://nypost.com/2020/06/03/sister-of-iowa-woman-shot-dead-sobs-in-heartbreaking-video

Terrorism is defined by three elements:

1. Violence (or the threat of violence), and
2. against civilians, for
3. political reasons.

Call it what it is: This is domestic terrorism.

Anyone causing death and destruction right now is simply a terrorist.

I’m very disappointed with this nation.

As I said about the ex cop getting killed, her life is worth 100% as much as Floyd's, there's no reason you should care less about her dying than Floyd. That's 17 deaths at these things in ten days. At least one other person will probably get killed tomorrow and every day this continues. The focus should be on deescalation right now and then resuming peaceful protests when order is restored. Floyd died and he is one guy. More people have died at the protests and communities are being completely destroyed with the arson and looting. The protests and worse than the thing they're protesting about at this point.

The legal system does not recognize one life more worthy than others based on ethnicity, religion, age, economic status, etc.

It is not up to the State to determine when protests are to be allowed for the convenience of that State. If such were a valid criterion, then no protest would ever be lawful unless a demonstration perhaps of the Greatness of the Leader.

Those who commit arson, looting, assault, or property damage at a demonstration are appropriately treated in accordance with criminal law.  Such people need be aware of surveillance cameras ... and the commonplace presence of smart phones that contain cameras. Nothing says that protesters sympathize with criminality.  I would know what to do with any photo or footage that I took that involves someone breaking into a store window, torching a car, or beating someone up. 

[Fuzzy Bear Loves Christian Missionaries]

newsweek.com/trump-right-demand-law-order-america-opinion-1509174?utm_source=pushnami&utm_medium=Push_Notifications&utm_campaign=automatic

There continues to be much criticism and outrage over President Trump's response to the growing unrest in America. But what people fail to understand is that the enemy is not simply at the gates—it is inside the castle running amok.

The American public, and indeed the wider world, should not want a president who stands idly by as radical political groups, perhaps used as the pawns of others, attempt to violently overthrow the freedoms, norms and values of the most powerful country on earth.

Absolutely true.