Ongoing U.S Police Brutality and Corruption Discussion Thread

"Destination looting?"

They stopped the Santa Monica freeway to keep people out.

xpost yeah just saw that on their site. i've set up monthly in case there's any lull.

katherine, if you're into it this one has a lot more to raise for rebuilding efforts https://www.welovelakestreet.com

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2020/05/mapping-police-killings-black-americans-200531105741757.html

this map is insane. obviously the main story is the insane racism that makes you 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police if you're black, but fuck me even if you reduced the numbers of black victims to equal the number of white people this would still be WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE BEING MURDERED BY THE STATE! WITHOUT TRIAL! i could never live in the US, fucking hell.

See also: https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/

2.5 times seems low tbh

It does seem low

you people should have sick days and free healthcare as well btw jesus

good idea

i know what you all mean is that 2.5 times is probably lower than the reality, but 2.5 times is not 'low'

you people should have sick days and free healthcare as well btw jesus

― plax (ico), Sunday, May 31, 2020 6:50 PM

DON: well, yeah

Downtown LA

Completely peaceful protest at #PershingSquare in #DTLA . Cops ran their car into a protester for no apparent reason and then got the hell out fast. #BLACK_LIVES_MATTER pic.twitter.com/EBQfdF1LvJ

— Laura Shapiro (@PsychopompStdio) May 31, 2020

2.5 doesn’t reflect the many other ways black people are disproportionately targeted by police/the criminal justice system

xp, will visit the link (I'm inside because I'm on rush deadline but already donated the paycheck for it, it seemed like the only justifiable thing to do with it)

BREAKING: The L.A. County sheriff says he'll enact a countywide curfew in effect from 6 p.m. today until 6 a.m. tomorrow https://t.co/9Xzc2YARWO

— KTLA (@KTLA) May 31, 2020

Things just got nasty in Ft. Lauderdale.

Apparently the stuff going on by me was, for lack of a better term, organized crime, a convoy of cars and U-Hauls opportunistically hitting various spots en masse, clearing out the stores, and then zipping out of there to the next target before the police could respond. Regardless, we now officially have a curfew where we are, not that I had anywhere to go after 9, anyway.

Chicago announced suspension of all public transportation at 6:15 pm...effective 6:30 pm. I can only assume that the announcement of a 8 pm curfew yesterday at around 8:15 (followed by suspension of transit, leaving people stranded in the city) contributed to what went down in the city last night, so let's see what comes of this boneheaded decision.

From a reporter friend of mine who was there last night:

People, please don't spread conspiracy theories or let your friends do the same. No, Lightfoot did not create a curfew to "trap" protestors downtown so the CPD can have their way with them. Shame on these memes for only inciting more paranoia and violence. The trains, LSD southbound, and river bridges are shut down to prevent more hordes from coming IN. I got out easily by heading north. There are plenty of arteries to get out of the city in all directions and THEN grab a bus, cab, uber, whatever. I know it's exciting to imagine that city hall and the CPD have conspired because they are hellbent on thuggery, but let's not go there.

He also wrote:

Finally, it was most distressing to go online and read all these couch radicals spouting off about what they “heard” happened and how the CPD and Lori Lightfoot were conspiring to club the righteous. A guy on Twitter asked how I would even know that the protestors were trying to torch the paddy wagon with two cops inside. Well, because I was standing next to the woman who told the crowd to step away from the vehicle because "we're gonna set it on fire" into her megaphone, buddy.
This is where we are in America. The internet has successfully destroyed the notion of objective truth, reasonable dialogue, and critical thinking. That’s why 45 is so good at what he does. Spreading online speculation is just as dangerous as any of his tweets because it just thickens the discord. And it's a shame because so much is at stake. It’s why we’re getting nowhere in solving any of this tragedy. But I guess you feel that already too.

the helicopters they are a-roarin'

I know it's exciting to imagine that city hall and the CPD have conspired because they are hellbent on thuggery, but let's not go there.

Forgive me but wouldn't this be…not unprecedented for Chicago

FTR, I wasn't asserting any conspiracies, just a lack of mindful planning/forewarning and the potential adverse effects thereof.

George Soros has already come up in two arguments tonight. man this guy is powerful!!! someone needs to stop him

maybe 1500 people peacefully massed at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, still weird to see large groups of people in public

i see that was part of a larger protest movement that's taken over manhattan bridge, cops appear to mostly be treating this more hands off now

Thousands of people are shutting down Manhattan Bridge. Beautiful.#BlackLivesMatter #GeorgeFloydProtestspic.twitter.com/e8OgsP71Qt

— Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran) June 1, 2020

Orlando tear-gassed again for no real reason after 3 hours of incident free protesting (I wasn't there, but a friend of a friend posted a video).

here's another view of that lone LAPD SUV at Pershing Square trying to disperse people, or injure or murder them, or whatever they were trying to do (it's unclear)

DTLA protest in Perishing Square TODAY. Cop car runs over two individuals during a peaceful protest and rapidly drives off. These are the “tenacious” “strong willed” protectors of the #LAPD?

This was caught on video from a friend who lives above the park. pic.twitter.com/YMXSTHmyNk

— ang (@nothing2promote) May 31, 2020

The Cincinnati police pulled down the American flag at the justice center and replaced it with the thin blue line. Infuriating. Picture from a friend. pic.twitter.com/1bM0ovH0T6

— ✌Pokes✌ (@P0kes) May 31, 2020

somebody fucking burn that goddamn thing and put it out in a cop's right eye

a friend of a friend started pushing Soros conspiracy theories and used not just one but two satire articles within 5 minutes as evidence.

starting to think The Onion should be allowed to have a monopoly on news satire and ban all the other sites. not cos of irresponsibility, but cos they're not funny.

san francisco protesters at city hall have been chanting for police to take a knee, they should take a knee

in the jaw

Like...these cops actually want people to assault other cops, right? That's what they're going for here?

they're getting ready to swear out their complaints abt 'lacerations'

xxxp I saw photos of that happening today I think in Portland OR? not kidding.

Video shows protesters tossing water bottles at police AFTER officer shoved head of woman already on the ground, according to @WPLGLocal10 news cast. #FortLauderdale #GeorgeFloydProtests pic.twitter.com/uyoFGXMLEM

— Martin Vassolo (@martindvassolo) May 31, 2020

I don't want to hate the police. but they should show some humility

respect us

I don't ever want to see that fucking cop flag again

our sovereign authoritah

so tired of winning

my hometown rules

I like hearing that Portland police officers were taking a knee today with the protesters

At least two white Boston cops took a knee. The March from Nubian Square to the State House looked beautiful, but things have gone south in the late hours. Looting and confrontations galore.

Wtf but also lol

lmao - the alt-right are now circulating images of who they believe to be "antifa organizers" that are just the indie rock band The National pic.twitter.com/tTUDWKKJII

— Cole Sansom, gnocchi enthusiast (@coolsandstorm) May 31, 2020

scrolling twitter and seeing all the unprovoked violence from police esp. targeting media it's hard not to feel like what's happening is an explicit consolidation and strengthening of fascism as the organizing principle of the country and it's scaring me.

I like hearing that Portland police officers were taking a knee today with the protesters

― Dan S, Sunday, May 31, 2020 8:14 PM (twenty-four minutes ago)

yeah that's why they do it, you like hearing it. Then minutes or hours later it's back to tear gas, rubber bullets, and kettling. PPD of all outfits doesn't deserve your well-wishes.https://www.ilxor.com/ILX/NewAnswerControllerServlet#fh

oops

anyway cops kneeling, being pals, locking arms, is propaganda, nothing more, and don't fall for it

I guess. I want to believe Santa Cruz is an oasis

on the other hand there's a lot of insecurity on display from the cops and like a few hundred protesters made the president go into a fucking bunker. so maybe the fact that they have to run cars into crowds and shoot rubber bullets at journalists means they don't have that much more to stand on? that they're actually pretty weak?

in any case i have a feeling this is just the beginning.