Ongoing U.S Police Brutality and Corruption Discussion Thread

Fuji’s core values have always been rooted in supporting communities and organizations that are making real change at home and abroad.

To hear that there are instances where bicycles have been used as a weapon against those who are vulnerable, those speaking out against the unjust treatment of people of color, and those standing alongside them advocating change, has deeply upset our community, our company and the heart of the Fuji brand. We support many diverse organizations and athletes--not for marketing stories, but because we truly want to make a difference in our community. To have these efforts overshadowed by cases of violence with bicycles is unacceptable.

We have seen instances in the last week where police have used bicycles in violent tactics, which we did not intend or design our bicycles for. We had always viewed the use of our bicycles by police, fire, security and EMS as one of the better forms of community outreach. Community police on bikes can better connect with and understand the neighborhood, facilitating positive relationships between law enforcement and the citizens they are sworn to serve and protect.

In an effort to make real change, we are beginning a dialogue with police departments nationwide to address how bikes are used in police activity and to ensure that police’s on-bike training reinforces that bicycles are not a weapon against our community. At this time, we are suspending the sale of Fuji police bikes until a conversation with these departments has occurred and we are confident that real change is being made.

We also must stand together against the mistreatment and abuse of the Black and Brown community. We will continue to look within our company and our core values to do better because our Fuji family deserves better. We stand with you and look forward to doing our part to do better.

BikeCo,LLC: North American distributor of Fuji Bicycles.

Dumb Racist Cop 2: Supporting Boogaloo

ladies and gentlemen, Joey Baloney. fuck him.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/philly-police-inspector-charged-beating-protester

What will you do now that you’ve asked for the public’s help and found out he was a cop? Hi, retired Deputy Chief John Damskey! Did I mention his son, Michael, is a cop? pic.twitter.com/uBoOBSYW7P

— Alex (@anywayalexx) June 5, 2020

I'm shocked!! Shocked, I tell you!!

― frogbs, Friday, June 5, 2020 2:14 PM bookmarkflaglink

others were saying it was some other guy, so i'm not sure which one is true yet

― contorted filbert (harbl), Friday, June 5, 2020 2:19 PM bookmarkflaglink

Wasn't a cop. I wish Twitter sleuths would quit peddling bullshit.

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/george-floyd-protests-06-06-20/h_e4a64a9f87dee241b0145ecf722cf4ed

and that's even a different name from the "some other guy" i had seen, lol

I thought it was Steve Carrell at first glance

There's rightful furor in Orlando over one of our commissioners now. Patty Sheehan was the city's first openly gay commissioner, has been lauded in the past in the Orlando Weekly, and been awarded Best Local Leader by LGBTQ publication Watermark. She was a highly loved frequent guest of the Orlando International Fringe Festival, which features thousands of progressive artists of all races and backgrounds.

My friend, a playwright, used to write her into his scripts. She is a huge voice in the LGBTQ community.

She was completely silent on George Floyd. Social media on her personal and public pages went dark. No public statements either. Whereas she had been posting publicly on COVID-19 on a daily basis.

Someone texted her asking her why she was silent, and she said his killing was a murder, she felt it was unsafe to protest, and "an eye for an eye makes a whole world blind", and made a snarky remark about how her leadership didn't seem to be wanted, so she was listening.

Then, a few days later, she made an angry post on another site saying "WE GET IT, you're angry", and repeated the "eye for an eye" quote, defending law enforcement.

Last night, she posted on FB an explanation of her silence, saying she couldn't protest due to being high risk (which, ok, but that doesn't explain the public silence).

She offered a weak show of support but again, said she'd be refusing to make any sweeping statements about law enforcement.

Orlando is lighting her up on her post. I think her re-election is doomed. It's sad....but she's lost trust

It’s really disappointing when leaders don’t understand that silence is a signal. There’s also plenty of ways to communicate the significance of this moment without attacking any group specifically. Police retraining on de-escalation and racial bias is an easy win. Just legislate that shit.

Man who trains San Jose police about bias severely injured by riot gun during George Floyd protest: https://abc7news.com/san-jose-police-george-floyd-protest-bay-area-shot-by-during/6234212

They shot him in the groin and he might not be able to have kids. Damn.

unsurprising fact about the president of the Minneapolis police union:

A few days after prosecutors in Minneapolis charged an officer with murder in the death of George Floyd, the president of the city’s police union denounced political leaders, accusing them of selling out his members and firing four officers without due process.

“It is despicable behavior,” the union president, Lt. Bob Kroll, wrote in a letter to union members obtained by a local reporter. He also referred to protesters as a “terrorist movement.”

Mr. Kroll, who is himself the subject of at least 29 complaints, has also chided the Obama administration for its “oppression of police,” and praised President Trump as someone who “put the handcuffs on the criminals instead of us.”

Police retraining on de-escalation and racial bias is an easy win.

I think it's pretty clear that retraining gets you nowhere if there are no serious repercussions for ignoring your training and taking actions that are against the stated policies of the department. It just tells cops that whatever the trainer says can be forgotten as soon as you walk out of the room.

It’s really disappointing when leaders don’t understand that silence is a signal. There’s also plenty of ways to communicate the significance of this moment without attacking any group specifically. Police retraining on de-escalation and racial bias is an easy win. Just legislate that shit.

yup

Join our statement, #8CantWait is a toothless set of demands that doesn't target fundamental ways & racist underpinnings that govern policing. It serves as a valve to release pressure & distracts from the movement to #Defundthepolice & end the violence and killings of Black ppl pic.twitter.com/zWsiobr9Kk

— LA CAN (@LACANetwork) June 6, 2020

So which one of the million dork-ass elite-approved tweaks would have stopped this? Training? An oversight board? Open forums about race?

The problem is so far beyond that and if you can’t see it, that’s on you. pic.twitter.com/kQQGPbBItr

— Mass for Shut-ins (is a podcast) (@edburmila) June 5, 2020

I thought it was Steve Carrell at first glance

Carrell is definitely rich and powerful enough to set up somebody else to take the fall

The crowd in Philly is...unfathomable? I can’t even guess. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/02ZIcyTXW5

— Bradford Pearson (@BradfordPearson) June 6, 2020

Union Park today (site of the Pitchfork Festival):

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EZ18KC-WsAUyLcs?format=jpg&name=large

Conflicted. Amazing to see solidarity. Terrified because of the likely Covid outbreak.

Better for this cause than for, like, Surfer Blood.

Some 150-200 people at a BLM rally in Vidor, an East Texas town that’s infamously associated with racism and the Klan pic.twitter.com/Txf9iqvwOs

— Christopher Hooks (@cd_hooks) June 6, 2020

Dang @ Vidor

The guy in the Watt jersey made me wonder where JJ was on this

I’m sorry you feel that way. I spoke on it 2 days ago and I’ll speak again now. I think it was disgusting and impossible for anyone to defend. The situation could have been remedied many other ways and those responsible should be held accountable. George Floyd should be alive. https://t.co/03bdTJk2QJ pic.twitter.com/M4VyR9oIQE

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) May 29, 2020

Oh that's a TJ Watt jersey

pic.twitter.com/EB8boqAGdm

— TJ Watt (@_TJWatt) June 3, 2020

Woke Watts

https://twitter.com/greg_doucette
^rounding up video instances of police brutality during the protests, currently above 350

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YmZeSxpz52qT-10tkCjWOwOGkQqle7Wd1P7ZM1wMW0E/htmlview?usp=sharing
^spreadsheet of same with links

if you have people in your life who don't think cops are being violent out there, pass this their way.

holy shit I've never seen a politician humiliated like this

The mayor of Minneapolis — @Jacob_Frey — was just chewed up and spat out by protesters pic.twitter.com/JDy1qyB2wH

— Raheem Kassam (@RaheemKassam) June 7, 2020

awesome

that is amazing just as a flex

not awesome

wrong

fuck these equivocating scum

well it's no "yes"

he's one of the better big city mayors, he's not the enemy

the enemy is cops and anyone who protects them from consequences including bootlicking coward mayors cough Jenny Durkan cough

meanwhile

Over our company’s history, we have built an environment where we take care of each other, build strong relationships and value respect for all people. As I did in my note on Saturday, I want to thank our 400,000-plus associates for helping to uphold our values. Diversity and respect for all people are core to who we are as an Orange-Blooded family. We do not support discrimination in any form, period.

https://corporate.homedepot.com/newsroom/message-craig-menear-%E2%80%93-racial-equality-justice-all

"we don't support discrimination, we're just giving billions to Trump"

meanwhile:

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/20/lowes-funds-25-million-in-grants-to-help-minority-businesses-reopen.html

CEOs just love to refer to their 400,000 lackeys as "a family". They'll do it at the drop of a hat. Who the fuck besides CEOs thinks anyone buys into that shit? It's like a bad joke, but it's so much more. It's an insult to his employees, who have real families and sure as hell know the difference.

Lol my company pulls that shit all the time

wait, don't understand. people are trashing Jacob Frey but promoting Home Depot and fucking LOWE'S?

is home depot in charge of the murderous cops in the city that they run i can't remember

I don't think making fun of bullshit corporate speak is promoting Home Depot?

we should focus our rage on mayors and cops but there is no need to praise home depot or lowe's

Cheering the Lowe's promotion is pretty credulous but they are the best employer of their type (vs Home Depot, Menard's etc.), as low a bar as that is

is home depot in charge of the murderous cops in the city that they run i can't remember

― Clay, Saturday, June 6, 2020 10:38 PM bookmarkflaglink

How Murderers Get More Done

it is funny when huge businesses decide to give money to help small businesses. cute.

lol neanderthal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycPDM8OVqLI

i think the people in that video have decided whether jacob frey is the enemy or not

apologies for the Lowes link, it was intended as a counterpoint to the HD nonsense

milo where do you live? Just knowing Menards, I thought that was regional

an Orange-blooded family makes me think HD is a Trumpany