2020 Protests megathread

[Badger]

People keep beating around the bush. Want the broader solution to this crisis in twenty words or less?

Police have to be made to fear maintaining the status quo more than they fear change. Until or unless that happens, cops are going to behave as they've been behaving, and protests are going to continue to occur as they have. When/if cops are just as fearful (or more) of losing their jobs, pensions and families in the middle of the night due to their homes getting firebombed as they are fearful of somebody looking at them funny in the street while they are armed with surplus DOD gear, change will happen. Until then, social, political and cultural gravity will continue to apply here and the status quo will reign.

 

I mean this might be the answer if your ultimate goal is open conflict with the government, and if so good luck with that sh*t lmao.

I guarantee that reprisals against police (as well as the disgusting implication here that random police officers families are fair targets for firebombing as political pressure???) will not garner you any sympathy and simply if anything will make the police more likely to fly off the handle in intense situations. Be careful with what you wish for.

Holy f****** s***. This is unreal.

Worrying about losing their jobs and even their pensions because they have to deal with real oversight boards with teeth, sure. That's an obvious and natural solution. Trying to cosplay Che Guevara and extol the firebombing of police officers homes and their families is, literally, monsterous.

I would like to think that you're simply joking as you typed that, but your bile is all too real.

That's disgusting Griffin. And let's not forget that every a****** trying to justify violence, from the far left to the far-right, inevitably uses, or rather misuses that Thomas Jefferson quote as piss poor justification. I can't tell you how disappointing it is to see and usually well spoken poster join their ranks.

[T'Chenka]

This is the legacy of the Unarmed Modern Left: it can't hold authoritarians to account for s[inks]t. MLK and Gandhi tactics are worthless in 21st century America.

A lot of the modern left is authoritarian itself, but they don't believe in gun ownership.

[Ye We Can]

People keep beating around the bush. Want the broader solution to this crisis in twenty words or less?

Police have to be made to fear maintaining the status quo more than they fear change. Until or unless that happens, cops are going to behave as they've been behaving, and protests are going to continue to occur as they have. When/if cops are just as fearful (or more) of losing their jobs, pensions and families in the middle of the night due to their homes getting firebombed as they are fearful of somebody looking at them funny in the street while they are armed with surplus DOD gear, change will happen. Until then, social, political and cultural gravity will continue to apply here and the status quo will reign.

 

I mean this might be the answer if your ultimate goal is open conflict with the government, and if so good luck with that sh*t lmao.

I guarantee that reprisals against police (as well as the disgusting implication here that random police officers families are fair targets for firebombing as political pressure???) will not garner you any sympathy and simply if anything will make the police more likely to fly off the handle in intense situations. Be careful with what you wish for.

And I thought the people comparing the looting to the Boston Tea Party were mouth breathers.  You're advocating for terrorism as much as Trump was when he talked about killing terrorists families. Even if you absolutely believe they're all terrible people you're getting into Robespierre territory.

You wanna go full weather underground, whatever. But you'll deserve everything you'll get in the end.

[Adam Griffin]

People keep beating around the bush. Want the broader solution to this crisis in twenty words or less?

Police have to be made to fear maintaining the status quo more than they fear change. Until or unless that happens, cops are going to behave as they've been behaving, and protests are going to continue to occur as they have. When/if cops are just as fearful (or more) of losing their jobs, pensions and families in the middle of the night due to their homes getting firebombed as they are fearful of somebody looking at them funny in the street while they are armed with surplus DOD gear, change will happen. Until then, social, political and cultural gravity will continue to apply here and the status quo will reign.

 

I mean this might be the answer if your ultimate goal is open conflict with the government, and if so good luck with that sh*t lmao.

I guarantee that reprisals against police (as well as the disgusting implication here that random police officers families are fair targets for firebombing as political pressure???) will not garner you any sympathy and simply if anything will make the police more likely to fly off the handle in intense situations. Be careful with what you wish for.

Holy f****** s***. This is unreal.

Worrying about losing their jobs and even their pensions because they have to deal with real oversight boards with teeth, sure. That's an obvious and natural solution. Trying to cosplay Che Guevara and extol the firebombing of police officers homes and their families is, literally, monsterous.

I would like to think that you're simply joking as you typed that, but your bile is all too real.

That's disgusting Griffin. And let's not forget that every a****** trying to justify violence, from the far left to the far-right, inevitably uses, or rather misuses that Thomas Jefferson quote as piss poor justification. I can't tell you how disappointing it is to see and usually well sooken poster join their ranks.

My words are simple and accurate. I can't help it that spaces like these are filled with people who are either privileged, want to maintain the status quo but insist on virtue-signaling for "reform" in the most minute sense to get a pat on the back, or advocate for one-way authoritarianism that benefits the right.

If you or anybody else thinks that cops are going to stop abusing the public because people protest peacefully or ask nicely, then you're absolutely deluded. All anybody has to do is look at the plethora of videos from the last week of them gassing, beating, arresting and killing peaceful protesters, journalists and anybody else who crosses their vision when they go red-eyed.

It's either them being forced to heel, or us. If you disagree, or think there is some magic third way (but I repeat myself), you endorse what is happening now because what is happening now is the only outcome of such. Peacefully whining isn't going to change anything. Voting isn't either (practically every single one of these cities where the cops are raging are Democratic-controlled, and have been for ages). If putting the fear of god into the security apparatus isn't a viable strategy, then pray tell why you and so many others enabled a party for so long that insists the 2nd Amendment exists for that very reason?

[Ye We Can]

People keep beating around the bush. Want the broader solution to this crisis in twenty words or less?

Police have to be made to fear maintaining the status quo more than they fear change. Until or unless that happens, cops are going to behave as they've been behaving, and protests are going to continue to occur as they have. When/if cops are just as fearful (or more) of losing their jobs, pensions and families in the middle of the night due to their homes getting firebombed as they are fearful of somebody looking at them funny in the street while they are armed with surplus DOD gear, change will happen. Until then, social, political and cultural gravity will continue to apply here and the status quo will reign.

 

I mean this might be the answer if your ultimate goal is open conflict with the government, and if so good luck with that sh*t lmao.

I guarantee that reprisals against police (as well as the disgusting implication here that random police officers families are fair targets for firebombing as political pressure???) will not garner you any sympathy and simply if anything will make the police more likely to fly off the handle in intense situations. Be careful with what you wish for.

Holy f****** s***. This is unreal.

Worrying about losing their jobs and even their pensions because they have to deal with real oversight boards with teeth, sure. That's an obvious and natural solution. Trying to cosplay Che Guevara and extol the firebombing of police officers homes and their families is, literally, monsterous.

I would like to think that you're simply joking as you typed that, but your bile is all too real.

That's disgusting Griffin. And let's not forget that every a****** trying to justify violence, from the far left to the far-right, inevitably uses, or rather misuses that Thomas Jefferson quote as piss poor justification. I can't tell you how disappointing it is to see and usually well sooken poster join their ranks.

My words are simple and accurate. I can't help it that spaces like these are filled with people who are either privileged, want to maintain the status quo but insist on virtue-signaling for "reform" in the most minute sense to get a pat on the back, or advocate for one-way authoritarianism that benefits the right.

If you or anybody else thinks that cops are going to stop abusing the public because people protest peacefully or ask nicely, then you're absolutely deluded. All anybody has to do is look at the plethora of videos from the last week of them gassing, beating, arresting and killing peaceful protesters, journalists and anybody else who crosses their vision when they go red-eyed.

It's either them being forced to heel, or us. If you disagree, or think there is some magic third way (but I repeat myself), you endorse what is happening now because what is happening now is the only outcome of such. Peacefully whining isn't going to change anything. Voting isn't either (practically every single one of these cities where the cops are raging are Democratic-controlled, and have been for ages). If putting the fear of god into the security apparatus isn't a viable strategy, then pray tell why you and so many others enabled a party for so long that insists the 2nd Amendment exists for that very reason?

Yes FBI, this post right here

That's not the point and you know it.  I'm taking issue with your assertion that a police officer's FAMILY is a legitimate target for violence, even if I believed that the police were evil. That's utterly disgusting.

Even worse in a way that you probably don't even believe in it to actually do it yourself. Just another edgy keyboard warrior on the internet.

[Adam Griffin]

People keep beating around the bush. Want the broader solution to this crisis in twenty words or less?

Police have to be made to fear maintaining the status quo more than they fear change. Until or unless that happens, cops are going to behave as they've been behaving, and protests are going to continue to occur as they have. When/if cops are just as fearful (or more) of losing their jobs, pensions and families in the middle of the night due to their homes getting firebombed as they are fearful of somebody looking at them funny in the street while they are armed with surplus DOD gear, change will happen. Until then, social, political and cultural gravity will continue to apply here and the status quo will reign.

 

I mean this might be the answer if your ultimate goal is open conflict with the government, and if so good luck with that sh*t lmao.

I guarantee that reprisals against police (as well as the disgusting implication here that random police officers families are fair targets for firebombing as political pressure???) will not garner you any sympathy and simply if anything will make the police more likely to fly off the handle in intense situations. Be careful with what you wish for.

Holy f****** s***. This is unreal.

Worrying about losing their jobs and even their pensions because they have to deal with real oversight boards with teeth, sure. That's an obvious and natural solution. Trying to cosplay Che Guevara and extol the firebombing of police officers homes and their families is, literally, monsterous.

I would like to think that you're simply joking as you typed that, but your bile is all too real.

That's disgusting Griffin. And let's not forget that every a****** trying to justify violence, from the far left to the far-right, inevitably uses, or rather misuses that Thomas Jefferson quote as piss poor justification. I can't tell you how disappointing it is to see and usually well sooken poster join their ranks.

My words are simple and accurate. I can't help it that spaces like these are filled with people who are either privileged, want to maintain the status quo but insist on virtue-signaling for "reform" in the most minute sense to get a pat on the back, or advocate for one-way authoritarianism that benefits the right.

If you or anybody else thinks that cops are going to stop abusing the public because people protest peacefully or ask nicely, then you're absolutely deluded. All anybody has to do is look at the plethora of videos from the last week of them gassing, beating, arresting and killing peaceful protesters, journalists and anybody else who crosses their vision when they go red-eyed.

It's either them being forced to heel, or us. If you disagree, or think there is some magic third way (but I repeat myself), you endorse what is happening now because what is happening now is the only outcome of such. Peacefully whining isn't going to change anything. Voting isn't either (practically every single one of these cities where the cops are raging are Democratic-controlled, and have been for ages). If putting the fear of god into the security apparatus isn't a viable strategy, then pray tell why you and so many others enabled a party for so long that insists the 2nd Amendment exists for that very reason?

Yes FBI, this post right here

That's not the point and you know it.  I'm taking issue with your assertion that a police officer's FAMILY is a legitimate target for violence, even if I believed that the police were evil. That's utterly disgusting.

Even worse in a way that you probably don't even believe in it to actually do it yourself. Just another edgy keyboard warrior on the internet.

Yeah, I didn't advocate anything. I simply said what the future of change on this broader injustice would resemble if it happened; a very matter of fact assessment based on the notion of fear (as I articulated prior) rather than action. Perhaps that one example was over the line, but it illustrated the point I was making quite well (so much that plenty of y'all have your panties in a wad, missing the broader point - deliberately, of course). I fully expect all of this to be over in a few days because, well *looks at America, and especially the protesters*. I've been very clear about that. You are a bad-faith actor in this discussion anyway, so debating the finer points is ultimately pointless regardless.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

I just woke up. Am I right that Trump got people tear gassed for a photo op in front of a church and held the bible upside down?

Episcopal bishop on President Trump: ‘Everything he has said and done is to inflame violence’

President Trump had just visited St. John’s Episcopal Church, which sits across from the White House. It was a day after a fire was set in the basement of the historic building amid protests over the death of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis police.

Before heading to the church, where presidents have worshiped since the days of James Madison, Trump gave a speech at the White House emphasizing the importance of law and order. Federal officers then used force to clear a large crowd of peaceful demonstrators from the street between the White House and the church, apparently so Trump could make the visit.

“I am outraged,” Budde said in a telephone interview a short time later, pausing between words to emphasize her anger as her voice slightly trembled.

Yes to tear-gassing protesters for a photo-op. I'm not sure whether the bible was upside-down or not, but either way it seemed really big compared to his hand for some reason.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

https://twitter.com/KatiePavlich/status/1267607363533578246

Maybe, just maybe people are expecting more out of the president of the United States than they are a handful of looters and arsonists. But you do you.

It's the waving around a bible as an obvious stage prop, after having peaceful protesters tear-gassed (and then reportedly having the area swept by the military) that gets me. How can anyone take him as anything more than an evil huckster?

[Former President tack50]

People keep beating around the bush. Want the broader solution to this crisis in twenty words or less?

Police have to be made to fear maintaining the status quo more than they fear change. Until or unless that happens, cops are going to behave as they've been behaving, and protests are going to continue to occur as they have. When/if cops are just as fearful (or more) of losing their jobs, pensions and families in the middle of the night due to their homes getting firebombed as they are fearful of somebody looking at them funny in the street while they are armed with surplus DOD gear, change will happen. Until then, social, political and cultural gravity will continue to apply here and the status quo will reign.

At the end of the day, policemen are just agents of the state. There are lots of ways that change can happen, even if cops disagree with it.

The power to change things lies within the hands of city council members and state legislators for the most part.

Make bill reforms so that policing is forced to be more gentle, bad policemen can be prosecuted and fired more easily, etc. There are tons of ways to change things that do not involve a revolution.

In fact, given Minneapolis is a 70%+ D city I wonder why the City council isn't passing or discussing ordinances that would fix the problems with policing in the city. Same for the Safe D states with protests like say, California or New York.

[afleitch]

https://twitter.com/KatiePavlich/status/1267607363533578246

Maybe, just maybe people are expecting more out of the president of the United States than they are a handful of looters and arsonists. But you do you.

It's the waving around a bible as an obvious stage prop, after having peaceful protesters tear-gassed (and then reportedly having the area swept by the military) that gets me. How can anyone take him as anything more than an evil huckster?

Because much of American Political Christianity is reduced to performance art.

[SevenEleven]

This is the legacy of the Unarmed Modern Left: it can't hold authoritarians to account for s[inks]t. MLK and Gandhi tactics are worthless in 21st century America.

A lot of the modern left is authoritarian itself, but they don't believe in gun ownership.

This isn't true. Most of the left don't want the general public or cops to have access to military style assault weapons. None cares if you have a shotgun or a bandgun. Or a squirt gun for that matter.

[Adam Griffin]

People keep beating around the bush. Want the broader solution to this crisis in twenty words or less?

Police have to be made to fear maintaining the status quo more than they fear change. Until or unless that happens, cops are going to behave as they've been behaving, and protests are going to continue to occur as they have. When/if cops are just as fearful (or more) of losing their jobs, pensions and families in the middle of the night due to their homes getting firebombed as they are fearful of somebody looking at them funny in the street while they are armed with surplus DOD gear, change will happen. Until then, social, political and cultural gravity will continue to apply here and the status quo will reign.

At the end of the day, policemen are just agents of the state. There are lots of ways that change can happen, even if cops disagree with it.

The power to change things lies within the hands of city council members and state legislators for the most part.

Make bill reforms so that policing is forced to be more gentle, bad policemen can be prosecuted and fired more easily, etc. There are tons of ways to change things that do not involve a revolution.

In fact, given Minneapolis is a 70%+ D city I wonder why the City council isn't passing or discussing ordinances that would fix the problems with policing in the city. Same for the Safe D states with protests like say, California or New York.

That was part of my original point (as I alluded to later): virtually all of the on-camera brutality this week - including the obvious catalyst - is occurring in Democratic-dominated cities. Minneapolis if I recall correctly is a 100% Democratic city council...and yet, nothing. Inaction stems from antiquated views on "tough on crime" political benefits by old-school politicians, historically-strong white ethnic correlations between Democratic machinery and police unions [in larger cities] and warped representation in primaries versus general elections, just to name a few variables.

Obviously this problem is bad everywhere, but the amount of reform via elected officials between D & R-controlled areas is marginal at best.

When Bill freaking DeBlasio threatens to veto police reform in New York City, you know just how immovable these forces are and how meaningless the chants of "vote!" are on this issue.

[Donald Trump’s Toupée]

YOUR FREEDOM ENDS WHEN YOU INFRINGE UPON THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF OTHERS.
LAW AND ORDER!

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

YOUR FREEDOM ENDS WHEN YOU INFRINGE UPON THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF OTHERS.
LAW AND ORDER!

I'd like to think Americans have the right to not have their airways restricted for eight minutes.  

*Also watch the caps-lock.  Mods don't like it. 

[Virginiá]

Make bill reforms so that policing is forced to be more gentle, bad policemen can be prosecuted and fired more easily, etc. There are tons of ways to change things that do not involve a revolution.

You can't force all these cops to be more gentle. Much of what they are doing is already against regulation or straight up illegal, and that's the point. They don't care. They haven't for a long time. Some of these cops are simply not redeemable as they have spent too long in a system that allows them to act as an unaccountable occupying force. The only solution for these people is to fire them and prosecute whoever was involved in police brutality of the likes we're seeing.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Somehow this was the first association that came to my mind after hearing of Trump's speech:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqwIh6jzPHI

[afleitch]

This has been an interesting thread;

One side posting videos of looting and property destruction.

The other posting videos of state oppression, attacks on peaceful protesters and the press.

[IceAgeComing]

YOUR FREEDOM ENDS WHEN YOU INFRINGE UPON THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF OTHERS.
LAW AND ORDER!

I fear this might be one big waste of time but its worth trying

https://twitter.com/jackmjenkins/status/1267664350522810368?s=20

In what world is the police forcibly expelling ministers and congregants of a church from the land of their own church with tear gas and rubber bullets aiding "the rights and freedoms of others" in any way?  Indeed it strikes me as being the definition of the state violating freedom of religion and assembly: violating the sanctity of a church (which no matter if you are a believer or not is a major thing that needs to be considered) and also driving people off of their private property so that someone can do an unauthorised press conference there is like the sort of thing you'd see in some dictatorship, not what is supposed to be the biggest democracy in the world.

[American2020]

According to Ben Norton

https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1267663168710598661

[Middle-aged Europe]

According to Ben Norton

https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1267663168710598661

While the recent pictures coming out of America are certainly disturbing for a democracy, the "one of the most authoritarian countries" assessement makes me cringe a bit. Obviously, he has never been to Turkmenistan, North Korea, or Saudi Arabia.

[emailking]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1267808120136511489

[Middle-aged Europe]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1267808120136511489

I'm waiting for the inevitable Trump tweet that merely consists of:

"DOMINATION!"

It is only then that Trump will finally have completely his transformation into a 1930s serial villain.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1267808120136511489

I'm waiting for the inevitable Trump tweet that merely consists of:

"DOMINATION!"

It is only then that Trump will finally have completely his transformation into a 1930s serial villain.

Or this dystopian alternate history.

[NeederNodder]

https://twitter.com/FOXNashville/status/1267570523632013312?s=19

https://twitter.com/Oregonian/status/1267282082532741121?s=19

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1267306821947097088?s=19

Obviously those police officers are outliers, because many on this site claim that most/all cops are bad and evil 🤷‍♂️

These gestures are a step in the right direction, but why aren't we seeing officers openly commit to defunding and demilitarizing their departments? If they really want to be apart of solving this systemic problem, they wouldn't just be kneeling and saying a nice speech while minutes later deploy teargas and rubber bullets to these people (which is getting more clear that they've been using on violent and peaceful demonstrations).

>I want police to be more professional, better trained, and better able to screen out undesirable recruits
>Why haven't police committed to defunding themselves!?

Do people actually believe this tf

Police departments don't need military grade equipment to protect and serve their communities while other departments (especially housing, health services and education) need it more right now than ever. Kneeling and raising fists with protesters are just photo-ops if they aren't ready to fundamentally change themselves.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

https://twitter.com/Joyce_Karam/status/1267643462779916290