2020 Protests megathread

[NOVA Green]

https://twitter.com/patrickgiqueer/status/1267277654832615426

This reminds me of two things:

1.) Bob Dylan: "Subterranean Homesick Blues"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGxjIBEZvx0

"Johnny's in the basement
Mixing up the medicine
I'm on the pavement
Thinking about the government
The man in the trench coat
Badge out, laid off
Says he's got a bad cough
Wants to get it paid off
Look out kid
It's somethin' you did
God knows when
But you're doing it again
You better duck down the alley way
Lookin' for a new friend
A man in the coonskin cap, in the pig pen
Wants eleven dollar bills, you only got ten
Maggie comes fleet foot
Face full of black soot
Talkin' that the heat put
Plants in the bed but
The phone's tapped anyway
Maggie says that many say
They must bust in early May
Orders from the D.A. Look out kid
Don't matter what you did
Walk on your tip toes
Don't tie no bows
Better stay away from those
That carry around a fire hose
Keep a clean nose
Watch the plain clothes
You don't need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows
Oh, get sick, get well
Hang around a ink well
Hang bail, hard to tell
If anything is goin' to sell
Try hard, get barred
Get back, write braille
Get jailed, jump bail
Join the army, if you fail
Look out kid
You're gonna get hit
But losers, cheaters
Six-time users
Hang around the theaters
Girl by the whirlpool
Lookin' for a new fool
Don't follow leaders, watch the parkin' meters
Oh, get born, keep warm
Short pants, romance
Learn to dance, get dressed, get blessed
Try to be a success
Please her, please him, buy gifts
Don't steal, don't lift
Twenty years of schoolin'
And they put you on the day shift
Look out kid
They keep it all hid
Better jump down a manhole
Light yourself a candle
Don't wear sandals
Try to avoid the scandals
Don't want to be a bum
You better chew gum
The pump don't work
'Cause the vandals took the handles"

2.) Bush Senior showing up in Panama after the US Invasion of Panama where he is met with massive demonstrations and the tear gas fired by Panamanian Forces, next door to a large working-class barrio which had been virtually destroyed by US Military actions, got caught up in the Tear Gas which was fired at the protesters.

[Adam Griffin]

https://twitter.com/MatthewBorgard/status/1267297260251025408

STOP RESISTING

[Person Man]

https://twitter.com/patrickgiqueer/status/1267277654832615426

My heart weeps for those who aren't adapted to survive is has come. Live is getting harder. I can't imagine how hard it is for people that are this stupid.

[Pyro]

Situation in NYC on the Manhattan Bridge. Peaceful protesters are being trapped by the NYPD and are blocked off from going home. 5,000 of them held hostage indefinitely.

https://twitter.com/NoahHurowitz/status/1267984209743876096

[NOVA Green]

Situation in NYC on the Manhattan Bridge. Peaceful protesters are being trapped by the NYPD and are blocked off from going home. 5,000 of them held hostage indefinitely.

https://twitter.com/NoahHurowitz/status/1267984209743876096

Yeah--- do a Civil Rights Movement gig of Non-Violent Civil Disobedience and continue to block the bridge, fill up the jails and released on tickets which will get dropped once the lawyers get involved.

There are a lot of ways to shut things down in the United States, and in my book this would be a textbook 101....

All that being said, in many places peaceful protesters attempting to block Freeways have been met with use of crowd control techniques, including Tear Gas, which is currently in violation of International Law....

[Elgato1978]

It maybe convenient to make posts with Joe Biden and suburban women. The fact is, we need to understand what really needs to happen. While we have the activism which brings the drama and media attention this needs. A lot of times people forget the need for the political side or a direction. Otherwise we are left with episodic cases like these with all the focus and direction of a “ occupy” movement.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Great find! Thanks!

[Estrella]

6 Atlanta officers have been charged in violent tasing incident

Arrest warrants have been issued for six Atlanta police officers who were caught on video tasing two college students Saturday. The students were stopped for violating curfew, Georgia’s Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard Jr. said Tuesday.

The officers stand accused of aggravated assault, illegally pointing a taser, and criminal damage to property, said prosecutors. Video of the brutal arrest went viral over the weekend, leading to the firing of two officers involved; three others were placed on desk duty.

Be afraid, cops. Be very afraid. Accountability is coming.*

* This offer may not apply in every jurisdiction. For more information, please call 1-800-THEY-WILL-GET-JUST-A-SLAP-ON-THE-WRIST-ANYWAY.


Still, whatever ends up happening with this case, it shows an important symbolic change in policy.

[Bojack Horseman]

https://twitter.com/MatthewBorgard/status/1267297260251025408

Sic semper tyrannis

[T'Chenka]

https://twitter.com/MatthewBorgard/status/1267297260251025408

Sic semper tyrannis

"Ever thus to deadbeats, Lebowski"

[Oryxslayer]

https://twitter.com/DerekRMazzeo/status/1268018919115296768?s=20

Example #318 that Orange County is now Democratic.

[Estrella]

https://twitter.com/MatthewBorgard/status/1267297260251025408

Sic semper tyrannis

Et tu, teargas?

[NOVA Green]

Watching the Police Chief of the Santa Cruz PD live on TV regarding the kneeling and joining with protesters on MSNBC....

[CookieDamage]

Watching the Police Chief of the Santa Cruz PD live on TV regarding the kneeling and joining with protesters on MSNBC....

Let's see if he peppersprays them or lobs teargas once the cameras off.

[NOVA Green]

Watching the Police Chief of the Santa Cruz PD live on TV regarding the kneeling and joining with protesters on MSNBC....

Let's see if he peppersprays them or lobs teargas once the cameras off.

Schools out for Summer....

Trust me unrest would be much higher in concentrations of University and Campus based Populations throughout America, had it not been for COVID-19 and suspension of Spring classes throughout the entire West Coast.

Almost like a blessing for Trump in 2020 compared to Nixon after Kent State Unrest IMHO....

Know my West Coast Cities....   

[Rover]

I have not seen this point being made. But honestly, I don't see many of those small businesses that have been destroyed or looted surviving this. And to those who say insurance companies are going to cover it up, you clearly don't know how insurance companies work.
Many small businesses are already struggling due to the covid19 lockdown and the economy being paused. I work as an accountant at a bank in Worcester county, MA, we've had many business owners asking for loans and advice in how to maintain their businesses, many were on the brink.
I've seen many pics and vids of entire blocks in LA, NYC and other cities, and it's not just high brand shops, it's barbers, ethnic supermarkets, small DIY shops, and others all lotted and smashed.

I see the argument being made over and over all over social media, "yeah, yeah the insurance industry gonna em all", many of those insurance companies will go bust before they're able to afford the cost of damage being done.

With that being said, I do expect both states and federal governments to bailout most of those businesses or at least introduce some sort of package. But we also have to bear in mind the full economic fallout of covid19 is yet unknown. Many economists are predicting it would be as bad as the great depression of the 1930s. A few weeks ago the Financial Times newspaper warned we might be heading towards the worst economic recession since the great frost of 1709.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Looks like Mark Esper could be gone soon...

Esper on Trump church photo-op: I thought we were going to 'talk to the troops'

In an exclusive interview, Esper also said he had "no idea" about the plan to use force to disperse protesters ahead of Trump's staged visit to St. John's Episcopal Church.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he was given no notice before President Donald Trump led him and other senior administration officials to St. John's Episcopal Church for a widely criticized photo opportunity.

"I thought I was going to do two things: to see some damage and to talk to the troops," Esper said Tuesday night in an exclusive interview with NBC News.

Esper said he believed they were going to observe the vandalized bathroom in Lafayette Square, which is near the church.

"I didn't know where I was going," Esper said. "I wanted to see how much damage actually happened."

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-s-church-photo-op-took-defense-secretary-esper-gen-n1222391

[Meclazine for Israel]

Many small businesses are already struggling due to the covid19 lockdown and the economy being paused. I work as an accountant at a bank in Worcester county, MA, we've had many business owners asking for loans and advice in how to maintain their businesses, many were on the brink.

As a small business owner, I don't think many of the protesters have a clue how thin the line is when running a successful business. Many think it us just a bucket of endless cash from which the business owners can put their hand in. But it is actually a balancing act, and these events will tip the business off its axis.

[Annatar]

Small businesses going bankrupt is an unfortunate result of the riots but one point I would make is most of these businesses that are being looted happen in be in areas that vote heavily democratic, many of these businesses are owned by people from ethnic groups that vote democratic, and many of these business owners no doubt vote for the democratic party which is the party whose mayors preside over the failure to control the riots and whose elected officials by and large are pro protest and anti police.

So to some extent these business owners brought this upon themselves by voting the way they vote, but nonetheless they should be assisted somewhat financially speaking to recover. 

[Rover]

Small businesses going bankrupt is an unfortunate result of the riots but one point I would make is most of these businesses that are being looted happen in be in areas that vote heavily democratic, many of these businesses are owned by people from ethnic groups that vote democratic, and many of these business owners no doubt vote for the democratic party which is the party whose mayors preside over the failure to control the riots and whose elected officials by and large are pro protest and anti police.

So to some extent these business owners brought this upon themselves by voting the way they vote, but nonetheless they should be assisted somewhat financially speaking to recover.  

I don't know whether to take this comment seriously or not? But with all due respect that's just Bullsh!t! The Democrats didn't cause covid19, they didn't kill George Floyd and the riots are being conducted by some lawless thugs.

[Person Man]

I support the protesters and all, but does anyone else find this to be actual insanity after they have been barking at anyone who’s came within 2 meters of another person for the last 3 months?

Believe science. Listen to experts.

It's an awful situation. It's a tough decision to make between your short-term an long-term welfare.

[Badger]

Attorney General Barr ordered authorities to clear protesters near White House, DOJ official says.

Attorney General William Barr on Monday evening ordered authorities to clear a crowd of protesters that had gathered near the White House, according to a Justice Department official, minutes ahead of President Donald Trump's televised address from the Rose Garden.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/02/politics/barr-protests-white-house/index.html

Is this even under the authority of the attorney general?

Probably not. But when is that ever stopped anyone in the Trump Administration, or again, any of their supporters from backing him just the same?

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

I support the protesters and all, but does anyone else find this to be actual insanity after they have been barking at anyone who’s came within 2 meters of another person for the last 3 months?

Believe science. Listen to experts.

It's an awful situation. It's a tough decision to make between your short-term an long-term welfare.

Yeah. Sort of like it was for the small business owners out there protesting last month before they lost their businesses and all economic security and their allies protesting on their behalf. Or in other words, something that was much more urgent to address for their long term welfare. Not that I'd be caught dead in that movement either.

[💥💥 brandon bro (he/him/his)]

I support the protesters and all, but does anyone else find this to be actual insanity after they have been barking at anyone who’s came within 2 meters of another person for the last 3 months?

Believe science. Listen to experts.

It's an awful situation. It's a tough decision to make between your short-term an long-term welfare.

I agree.

People should play a conversation in their head with a black person (or if you are a masochist, a white liberal) where you tell them not to protest because of COVID concerns. It's very difficult, mostly because it's hard not to give the impression that you don't think of police violence as a serious issue.

Now, state/local governments and public health experts are supposed to have these difficult conversations. It's a necessary part of their duty and their public authority. But, this sort of leadership is made much harder for them by the fact that they represent bodies earning low trust from black audiences. Public health experts have very few black people among their ranks and science in general is a field with a tragic history of upholding racism. State and local governments have a myriad of reasons for having low trust within the black community, including obviously having deep ties with police forces.

I wouldn't be surprised if part of the calculus here was that elevating COVID above the protests was an effort to prevent any black trust in these institutions from fully collapsing.

[Annatar]

Small businesses going bankrupt is an unfortunate result of the riots but one point I would make is most of these businesses that are being looted happen in be in areas that vote heavily democratic, many of these businesses are owned by people from ethnic groups that vote democratic, and many of these business owners no doubt vote for the democratic party which is the party whose mayors preside over the failure to control the riots and whose elected officials by and large are pro protest and anti police.

So to some extent these business owners brought this upon themselves by voting the way they vote, but nonetheless they should be assisted somewhat financially speaking to recover.  

I don't know whether to take this comment seriously or not? But with all due respect that's just Bullsh!t! The Democrats didn't cause covid19, they didn't kill George Floyd and the riots are being conducted by some lawless thugs.

These riots are taking place mainly in cities run by democrats, it is the failure of officials in the Democratic Party to control the riots which is obvious, I don’t see how anyone could dispute that point. Furthermore it is liberals who vote democratic, journalists etc  who have been making excuses and trying to provide cover for the riots. The people who are rioting themselves are obviously democratic supporters, demographically they are mostly young white leftists and poor African Americans, 2 groups that vote democratic.

As for the murder of George Floyd, it was a tragedy but the claim black men are targeted by police which is what protesters are claiming is nonsense. Only 23% of people shot dead by police in recent years have been black despite blacks committing 53% of all homicides and 60% of robberies in 2018. Furthermore, a police officer is 18.5x more likely to be killed by a black man than an unarmed black man is by the police. 

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/the-myth-of-systemic-police-racism-11591119883

The whole idea the police kill black men at higher rates relative to the crime they commit is nonsense, if anything the police kill fewer blacks relative to the amount of crime they are committing relative to other races.