2020 Protests megathread

[Crumpets]

If you're voting Green, or voting Lib, or abstaining, or some other masturbatory action, that says everything about you.  You pretend to care about black lives.  You pretend to listen to what they have to say.  But when given the option to actually help them, at the cost of nothing but your precious ego, you proudly say "nope, can't help you with that one chief."

Do you actually care about black lives or do you just want to act sanctimonious toward a bunch of people who have empathy (something all people should have regardless of political affiliation) for an innocent person whose life was taken by police just because they aren't voting for your preferred candidate? You can miss me with that bullsh-t, "chief".

Also, judging by the responses in this thread the left-wing non-Biden supporters are some of the most upset by George Floyd's death and the ongoing police brutality (certainly more than the right-wing cop apologists).

I just want to throw out a note from my own life in this regard. I had a nice conversation with a friend of mine today who is a Libertarian and who said she plans to leave her presidential ballot blank in November (she doesn't live in a swing state). Despite us being in pretty different places politically, we're on pretty much the exact same page in supporting the protests, and she has gone a step further than a lot of people I know and is directly contacting her local police stations with her concerns and ideas for reform. Just because you don't agree with a lot of protesters on who to vote for doesn't mean you can't try to support their cause and just because you can't show up for a demonstration or don't feel safe or comfortable doing so doesn't mean you can't make a difference some other way.

[Crumpets]

https://twitter.com/TheOnion/status/1267946660598079488

[Crumpets]

Is it just me or does it not appear that the total amount of protesters on the streets today in many cities (Boston, NYC, LA, DC, etc) significantly larger than they were the past few days?

I think that is true. Over the weekend and even yesterday when the narrative was "race riots," a lot of normies didn't want to be associated with it, especially in the middle of a pandemic. Now the narrative seems to have shifted to "last one to the revolution is a rotten egg" which, for better or for worse, is a lot better motivator.

[Crumpets]

Oh honey...

https://twitter.com/Communications/status/1268233544066883585

[Crumpets]

Military Dictatorship:

Fitting imagery for the Lincoln Memorial.

I am angry that the camouflage is mixmatched

If they actually wanted to camouflage themselves at the Lincoln Memorial, they should all just be wearing matching polos and khakis with schoolbags and selfie sticks.

[Crumpets]

James Mattis Denounces President Trump, Describes Him as a Threat to the Constitution

James Mattis, the esteemed Marine general who resigned as secretary of defense in December 2018 to protest Donald Trump’s Syria policy, has, ever since, kept studiously silent about Trump’s performance as president. But he has now broken his silence, writing an extraordinary broadside in which he denounces the president for dividing the nation, and accuses him of ordering the U.S. military to violate the constitutional rights of American citizens.

“I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled,” Mattis writes. “The words ‘Equal Justice Under Law’ are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court. This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding. It is a wholesome and unifying demand—one that all of us should be able to get behind. We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers. 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.” He goes on, “We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution.”

“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.”

Remember when he was "Mad Dog Mattis" and he was going to unshackle America's armed forces from their sissy liberal restrictions?

[Crumpets]

https://twitter.com/RosaGoldensohn/status/1268711808807981056

If it's a hyperpartisan attack, is he alleging the questioner is a Republican or is he saying he is?

[Crumpets]

https://twitter.com/KING5Seattle/status/1269840386559787008

[Crumpets]

https://twitter.com/FrankLuntz/status/1270015144337141760

Funny how cops being more overtly violent against both blacks and whites the past couple weeks has drawn more whites into recognizing that cops disproportionately mistreat blacks. I imagine the thought process went something like "I suspect police may mistreat minorities, but I don't really see it and I generally trust the cops in my town" to "Wow, look at those cops mistreating those (white) protestors. If they can get away with that, maybe they are actually targeting blacks all those times I've heard about it."

[Crumpets]

Translating for all those red-blooded Americans who can't be bothered to learn a commie language like Mexican:

"Ancient black is brutally gulped for having a shirt with the American flag.

Are killed some of the others in cifras record every year in the E²U². It's a reality which NOBODY can negate.

Black Lives Matter exists only as an arojenized army against the whites. So of clear."

You're welcome.

[Crumpets]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1270333484528214018?s=20

Trump suggests that Buffalo police pushing a 75 year old man to the ground, giving him a concussion and lacerations on his head, was justified because he may have been trying to singlehandedly destroy the police. A worthy adversary indeed, but no match for the police in riot gear with weapons!

Wow, Trump is actually getting ratioed. For all the insanity he posts, that's actually pretty rare for him.

[Crumpets]

So... sounds like Stephen Miller is the one writing Trump's address. Should be good. Any prop bets?

[Crumpets]

The "security" forces of the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone are this rapper named Raz Simone and a bunch of his buddies.  He had a bunch of guns, gave them to his buddies, and they're patrolling the place.  Last night they beat the s**t out of some guy and threatened to kill him over some graffiti.

https://gofile.io/d/IffAr1

As you can see from that video, this isn't some anarchist paradise.  It's a bunch of people standing in the street fighting with each other.

Do people live in that area?
Like normal people who don't care besides instagram.

It's right between a commercial area and a residential area. I'm pretty sure there are some apartments above the stores and maybe some adjacent houses. But really, I imagine anyone who chooses to live at 12th and Pine is probably pretty cool with having this going on downstairs.

[Crumpets]

Crosspost from AAD

I made my own pilgrimage to the CHAZ today. Here were my general observations:

- The very first sign I saw something was going on was two pro-Trump counter-protesters, waving giant Trump flags. If they are safe just a block or two away, the danger is probably pretty overstated.
- I saw only two armed people in total and they were both outside of the CHAZ. I got the impression from the people around talking with them that they might have either been counter-protesters or Boogaloo Boys or something along those lines. There was also an SUV with "QAnon" written on it, so they may also be of that persuasion.
- The social distancing situation was much better than I had been anticipating. It was not difficult at all for me to navigate the place while staying (more or less) 6 ft away from other people. There were definitely crowds where people were bunched together, but you could avoid them if you just wanted to pass through. If estimate over 95% of poeople there were wearing masks.
- There were yuppie women walking their dogs and parents with their kids in Radio Flyer wagons walking around. Again, no sense of violence or tension at all.
- The businesses seemed okay - no broken windows or fires that I saw. I wouldn't necessarily want to commute through there if big crowds weren't my thing and I might not want some of the more vulgar graffiti on my business without someone talking to me, but at the same time, I saw absolutely no sign of the "abuse" and "extortion" of local businesses that have been reported on some places.
- Bgwah posted above some of the medical volunteer vehicles, which I hadn't heard of and which were interesting to see in person. The one I saw looked pretty reminiscent of some of the first responder vehicles I've seen in Syria, albeit with a cardboard license plate that read "BLM"

All in all, as Bgwah noted, it doesn't feel hugely different than that part of town usually does if the roads are closed. If anything, it felt a bit less chaotic than when I've been there for music festivals or Pride. Sure there was an edge to the atmosphere, but I really can't say I saw anything that really shook me or struck me as truly reprehensible. It's not my thing, and I'm not going to be moving there any time soon, but if I had a choice between the CHAZ and the constant clashes that were going on before it was established, I'd take the CHAZ any day. I don't know whether it will go down the Zucotti Park path or the Freetown Christiania/Exarcheia path, but I lean towards the former. I'm not going to lead the push to try to take it down, though.

I took some pictures which I posted on the AAD thread, for anyone who wants to check them out.

[Crumpets]

https://komonews.com/news/local/fewer-than-1-of-seattle-protesters-test-positive-for-coronavirus

Fewer than 1% of Seattle protesters test positive for coronavirus

SEATTLE - Fewer than 1% of the thousands who got tested after attending Seattle protests were positive for coronavirus, according to UW Medicine.

The Seattle Mayor's Office released the results Friday and said in a prepared statement that the mostly negative test results should come as a relief to the many people who have participated in the series of protests since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.