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US in crisis - Black Lives Matter Fallout - National and local responses

What the WH wanted and what they got - no additional 10 K active duty troops, and that request got denied. Military does not like being a pawn in T’s political games.

The White House wanted to have 10,000 active duty troops on the streets of Washington and other cities earlier this week to quell protesters, but Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint of Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley pushed back at the use of any active duty troops, according to a senior defense official.

Esper did move approximately 1,600 active duty troops to be in the Washington, DC, region to respond if needed but the approximately 5,000 National Guard troops already there never needed assistance and the active troops began to leave Thursday night.

A second defense official said Milley strongly felt the threshold – informally described as dire circumstances – for calling in active duty troops could not be met, opening the door to whether such a potential presidential order would be legal.

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Orders 10,000 troops to march on Washington while he hid in the bunker. Such cowardice. :roll_eyes:

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White House almost completely surrounded by more than a mile of fencing

In total, Google Maps analysis suggests, roughly 1.7 miles of fencing now surrounds the White House, forming a gigantic metal cocoon. There are only two portions of the White House perimeter, on the northeast and northwest corners, that do not have additional fencing and concrete barriers.

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Oh shit, now I finally understand Samuel Beckett

Anti-fa is short for anti-fascism or anti-fascist. It’s a name they gave to some of the counter-protestors that would show up at alt-right aka white nationalist demonstrations and marches.

Anti-fa or anti-fascism is more of a philosophy than a group. For example, I’m anti-fascism but that doesn’t make me anti-fa. Mostly it’s people who hate the nazi like behavior of the Alt-right and are protesting the idea of white nationalism in America. 1st amendment rights apply to both kinds of protesting and counter protesting. I don’t know who they were waiting for, Godot? :woman_shrugging:t2:

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Good one…you’ve raised the literary bar!!!

Good assessment…

And easy for Trumpers to pin them as the ‘terrorist’ group, to see that it is an idea more than a group, and it is an opening for the Alt-right to get their licks in.

Of course it all becomes ‘theatre of the absurd,’ with cheeto-head just saying the ‘word’ and all truth scatters to the wind. :grin:

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Essentially they created a Thoughtcrime because they consume media that is not based in fact. It’s unreal, unreal…I mean look at all these people waiting because of a fictional narrative. Blows my mind :exploding_head:

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Ok…National Guard will be withdrawing…WH is still fortified.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2020/06/07/dc-protests-sunday-george-floyd/

Live updates: President Trump announces he has ordered National Guard to begin withdrawing from Washington; more demonstrations underway

• Organizers with Black Lives Matter in the District painted “Defund the Police” on 16th Street NW near the section in front of the White House that D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) renamed “Black Lives Matter Plaza” a day earlier.

•The ninth day of massive protests in the District saw numerous demonstrations across the city — including along the U Street corridor, the Lincoln Memorial, Freedom Plaza and Capitol Hill — over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, and the Trump administration’s militant approach to the unrest that has gripped cities across the country.

President Trump tweeted Sunday that he will order National Guard troops to start the process of withdrawing from Washington

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As Trump blames antifa, protest records show scant evidence

President Donald Trump has characterized those clashing with law enforcement after George Floyd’s death under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer as organized, radical-left thugs engaging in domestic terrorism, an assertion repeated by Attorney General William Barr. Some Democrats, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, initially tried to blame out-of-state far-right infiltrators for the unrest before walking back those statements.

There is scant evidence either is true.

The Associated Press analyzed court records, employment histories, social media posts and other sources of information for 217 people arrested last weekend in Minneapolis and the District of Columbia, two cities at the epicenter of the protests across the United States.

Rather than outside agitators, more than 85% of those arrested by police were local residents. Of those charged with such offenses as curfew violations, rioting and failure to obey law enforcement, only a handful appeared to have any affiliation with organized groups.

Those charged with more serious offenses related to looting and property destruction – such as arson, burglary and theft – often had past criminal records. But they, too, were overwhelmingly local residents taking advantage of the chaos.

Social media posts indicate only a few of those arrested are left-leaning activists, including a self-described anarchist. But others had indications of being on the political right, including some Trump supporters.

And there it is… overwhelmingly local residents, some taking advantage of the chaos, others peacefully protesting police violence.

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We have a country protesting over the violence and prejudice against people of color, and each time these horrendous incidents happen, police reform is very slow to change, particularly due to the Police union system which will fight back against changing their ways.

Systemic racism, and entrenched power centers makes for little change. Change comes in huge outpourings such as this week long protests. But will their be retaliation and arbitration that goes nowhere? Corruption begets corruption and so on…

These are all questions we as a nation need to ask leaders, ourselves and force an answer.

While rates of union membership have dropped by half nationally since the early 1980s, to 10 percent, higher membership rates among police unions give them resources they can spend on campaigns and litigation to block reform. A single New York City police union has spent more than $1 million on state and local races since 2014.

In St. Louis, when Kim Gardner was elected the top prosecutor four years ago, she set out to rein in the city’s high rate of police violence. But after she proposed a unit within the prosecutor’s office that would independently investigate misconduct, she ran into the powerful local police union.

The union pressured lawmakers to set aside the proposal, which many supported but then never brought to a vote. Around the same time, a lawyer for the union waged a legal fight to limit the ability of the prosecutor’s office to investigate police misconduct. The following year, a leader of the union said Ms. Gardner should be removed “by force or by choice.”

Politicians tempted to cross police unions have long feared being labeled soft on crime by the unions, or more serious consequences.

When Steve Fletcher, a Minneapolis city councilman and frequent Police Department critic, sought to divert money away from hiring officers and toward a newly created office of violence prevention, he said, the police stopped responding as quickly to 911 calls placed by his constituents. “It operates a little bit like a protection racket,” Mr. Fletcher said of the union.

A spokesman for the Minneapolis Police Department said he was unable to comment.

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.”

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Fuji suspends bike sales to US police after violence against protestors


Colin Powell says he will vote for Biden over Trump

How Trump’s failed ‘maximum pressure’ tactics could inspire a pre-election provocation

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/how-trumps-failed-maximum-pressure-tactics-could-inspire-a-pre-election-provocation/2020/06/07/512a816a-a674-11ea-b619-3f9133bbb482_story.html

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This is a seismic shift in how the George Floyd killing has affected Americans and the subsequent fallout - 80% feel the country is spiraling out of control.

T’s numbers continue to drop but not in his handling of the economy, even with falsified employment numbers.

Americans by a 2-to-1 margin are more troubled by the actions of police in the killing of George Floyd than by violence at some protests, and an overwhelming majority, 80%, feel that the country is spiraling out of control,

Eighty percent feel country is spiraling out of control, according to Wall Street Journal/NBC poll

WASHINGTON—Americans by a 2-to-1 margin are more troubled by the actions of police in the killing of George Floyd than by violence at some protests, and an overwhelming majority, 80%, feel that the country is spiraling out of control, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

The poll also reveals striking partisan divides in how Americans view a pair of unfolding national crises, including the unrest sparked by the killing of Mr. Floyd, the black Minneapolis man who was in police custody, and the coronavirus pandemic, responsible for more than 109,000 fatalities in the U.S.

Nearly three-quarters of Democrats, 74%, said it may take the next year or even longer to curb Covid-19 and return to work as normal. By contrast, among President Trump’s strongest supporters within the Republican Party, 32% said the coronavirus is already contained.

About half of all Republicans, 48%, said they were more concerned about the protests than the circumstances of Mr. Floyd’s killing, while 81% of Democrats held the opposite opinion.

Those crises appear to have had little impact on Mr. Trump’s standing. His job approval rating stood at 45%, down 1 percentage point from April, according to the poll. His 7-point deficit against Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden remained unchanged. Mr. Biden had 49% support, with 42% for Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump’s biggest advantage over Mr. Biden continued to surround economic issues. When asked who would be best at cutting the unemployment rate and getting people back to work, Americans picked Mr. Trump, 48% to 35%. A similar share said Mr. Trump would be better at dealing with the economy. Mr. Trump held a slight advantage, 43% to 40%, on the question of dealing with China.

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So Sen Romney (R-UT) marches…he’s stuck his neck out before and he can do it again.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t17n6uz43bk5u0e/Screenshot%202020-06-07%2014.52.08.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/75avhfe302em9ta/Screenshot%202020-06-07%2014.55.44.png?dl=0

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BARR: Well, the message is sometimes communicated by the media. I didn’t see any video being played on the media of what was happening Friday, Saturday and Sunday–

MARGARET BRENNAN: But- but this confluence of events–

BARR: All I heard- all I heard was comments about how peaceful protesters were. I didn’t hear about the fact that there were 150 law enforcement officers injured and many taken to the hospital with concussions. So it wasn’t a peaceful protest. We had to get control over Lafayette Park, and we had to do it as soon as we were able to do that.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But you understand how these events appear connected? The timing of this–

BARR: Well, it’s the job of the media to tell the truth. They were not connected.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well this is what I’m asking you. Did you know when you gave the green light for these actions to be taken that the president was going to be going to that very same area for a photo op?

BARR: I gave the green light at two o’clock. Obviously, I didn’t know that the president was going to be speaking later that day.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You had no idea?

BARR: No. No, I did not.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you see–

BARR: The go ahead was given at two o’clock. And to do it as soon as we were able to do it, to move the perimeter from- from H Street to I Street.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re both Catholic. I know you’re observant. You’re a devout Catholic. Archbishop Gregory of Washington condemned what happened by gassing peaceful protesters.

BARR: There- there was no gas.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Is- is doing- is what we saw there doing what you meant when you were on that call with governors and you said to dominate the streets? Is that what law enforcement is supposed to be taking away from this?

BARR: No, on the contrary. My point to the governors and what I was saying was that it’s important when you’re dealing with civil disturbances to have adequate forces at hand and out and about so you can control events and not be controlled by events. And that it’s more dangerous for everybody if you have these wild melees with thinly-manned police lines running after protesters with batons and that and that it’s important that adequate forces on the street. And so we’re encouraging them where they were stretched thin to call out National Guard, if necessary, to restore order. That’s what I was talking about. I would say that- that this particular- police have to move protesters, sometimes peaceful demonstrators, for a short distance in order to accomplish public safety. And that’s what was done here.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So there was nothing that you think should have been done differently in hindsight?

BARR: Well, you know, I- I haven’t studied the- the events retrospectively in detail, but I think in general, you had the qualified law enforcement officials with shields warning and moving a line slowly. They had mounted officers moving slowly, directing people to move. And most people complied.

MARGARET BRENNAN: All right, Mr. Attorney General, we have more questions for you, but I’m told we’re out of time.

BARR: Thank you.


Another part of the conversation = re: Insurrection Act and projectiles ie tear gas

MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you about some of the events of the week. On Monday, Lafayette Park was cleared of protesters. You’ve spoken about this. The federal agents who were there report up to you. Did you think it was appropriate for them to use smoke bombs, tear gas, pepper balls, projectiles at what appeared to be peaceful protesters?

BARR: They were not peaceful protesters. And that’s one of the big lies that the- the media is- seems to be perpetuating at this point.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Three of my CBS colleagues were there. We talked to them.

BARR: Yeah.

MARGARET BRENNAN: They did not hear warnings. They did not see protesters–

BARR: There were three warnings.

MARGARET BRENNAN:–throwing anything.

BARR: There were three warnings given. But let’s get back to why we took that action. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, OK, there were violent riots in- at Lafayette Park where the park police were under constant attack at the- behind their bike rack fences. They were battling over the fences. They were trying to get entry. They were throwing bricks and inflammable liquid at the police. One fifth of the- there have been 750 officers hurt in the last week. One fifth of those have been in Washington, D.C… Most of those have been federal officers at Lafayette Park. On Sunday, things reached a crescendo. The officers were pummeled with bricks. Crowbars were used to pry up the pavers at the park and they were hurled at police. There were fires set in not only St. John’s Church, but a historic building at Lafayette was burned down.

MARGARET BRENNAN: These were things that looters did.

BARR: Not looters, these were- these were the- the violent rioters who were- dominated Lafayette Park.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But what I’m asking about–

BARR: They broke into the Treasury Department,

MARGARET BRENNAN: --on Monday when it was a peaceful protest.

BARR: I’m going to- let me get to this, because this has been totally obscured by the media. They broke into the Treasury Department, and they were injuring police. That night,–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Sunday night?

BARR: Sunday night, the park police prepared a plan to clear H Street and put a- a larger perimeter around the White House so they could build a more permanent fence on Lafayette.

MARGARET BRENNAN: This is something you approved on Sunday night?

BARR: No. The park police on their own on- on Sunday night determined this was the proper approach. When I came in Monday, it was clear to me that we did have to increase the perimeter on that side of Lafayette Park and push it out one block. That decision was made by me in the morning. It was communicated to all the police agencies, including the Metropolitan Police at 2:00 p.m. that day. The effort was to move the perimeter one block, and it had to be done when we had enough people in place to achieve that. And that decision, as I say, was communicated to the police at 2:00 p.m… The operation was run by the park police. The park police was facing what they considered to be a very rowdy and non-compliant crowd. And there were projectiles being hurled at the police. And at that point, it was not to respond–

MARGARET BRENNAN: On Monday, you’re saying there were projectiles–

BARR: On Monday, yes there were.

MARGARET BRENNAN: As I’m saying, three of my colleagues were there.

BARR: Yeah.

MARGARET BRENNAN: They did not see projectiles being thrown–

BARR: I was there.

MARGARET BRENNAN: --when that happened.

BARR: I was there. They were thrown. I saw them thrown.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And you believe that what the police did using tear gas and projectiles was appropriate?

BARR: Here’s- here’s what the media is missing. This was not an operation to respond to that particular crowd. It was an operation to move the perimeter one block.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And the methods they used you think were appropriate, is that what you’re saying?

BARR: When they met resistance, yes. They announced three times. They didn’t move. By the way, there was no tear gas used. The tear gas was used Sunday when they had to clear H Street to allow the fire department to come in to save St. John’s Church. That’s when tear gas was used.

MARGARET BRENNAN: There were chemical irritants the park police has said–

BARR: No, there were not chemical irritants. Pepper spray is not a chemical irritant.

It’s not chemical.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Pepper spray, you’re saying is what was used–

BARR: Pepper balls. Pepper balls.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Right, and you believe that was appropriate. I just I want to play this–

BARR: Well, first the- the attorney- yeah, well, I- I think as I understand it, the Park Police and the Secret Service, they were the ones who carried out the movement of the crowd back one block. And I think they used their standard crowd control protocols.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So if all- if all of that’s true, why didn’t this happen at another time of day? Why did it have to happen in the middle of the day, just moments before the president gives a press conference and then walks to the area where the protesters had been standing?

BARR: Well–

MARGARET BRENNAN: Why not do it in the middle of the night when the crowd thins? Move the perimeter?

BARR: Well, in the middle- in the middle of the night, the night before, which was Sunday, the law enforcement contingent was spent. They had lost 60 officers. In fact, in order to make the movement the next day, they had to bring in Virginia police departments to supplement units that were there, we had to build up enough people to control the situation and move it out. We were trying to do it as quickly as possible. After two o’clock, I heard that there was a point at which there were 300 protesters and- and the line could be more easily moved. But we didn’t have the- the trained crowd control people in place to do it. And officers have to sleep. So on Sunday, it was a period where we were bringing in the required elements to do this and to back it up and to make sure if things got out of hand, we had adequate people there to deal with it. So as soon as the elements were in place, it was done. It was- it was handled by the park police officers, the tactical commander, and as soon as they felt they could.

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Wow…that is change!!

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Video by Meidas Touch:

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Majority of the Minneapolis City Council pledges to dismantle the Police Department.

Nine members — a veto-proof majority — of the Minneapolis City Council pledged on Sunday to dismantle the city’s Police Department, promising to create a new system of public safety in a city where law enforcement has long been accused of racism.

Saying that the city’s current policing system could not be reformed, the council members stood before hundreds of people who gathered late in the day on a grassy hill, and signed a pledge to begin the process of taking apart the Police Department as it now exists.

For activists who have been pushing for years for drastic changes to policing, the move represented a turning point that they hoped would lead to a complete transformation of public safety in the city.

“It shouldn’t have taken so much death to get us here,” Kandace Montgomery, the director of Black Vision, said from the stage at the rally. “We’re safer without armed, unaccountable patrols supported by the state hunting black people.”

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He is deeply off…and hitting repeat.

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Dems taking a knee…and a symbolic gesture as well as introducing legislation in the House
for a “Justice and Policing Act.” It is meant to retrain and curtail police brutality and be in direct opposition to T’s position of ‘dominate’ and be a “Law and Order” nation.

The Senate will not pass it…but Dems are putting a line in the sand on where they stand.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer were joined by two dozen lawmakers in Congress’ Emancipation Hall – named in honor of the slaves who helped erect the US Capitol in the 18th century.

They knelt for eight minutes and 46 seconds to mark the length of time a white police officer pinned his knee on the neck of the 46-year-old Floyd, whose death in Minneapolis May 25 unleashed mass protests against racial injustice.

Pelosi and the other senior Democratic leaders, accompanied by members of the Black Congressional Caucus, said their bill aimed to create “meaningful, structural change that safeguards every Americans’ right to safety and equal justice.”

The legislation seeks to “end police brutality, hold police accountable, improve transparency in policing,” a statement said.

The “Justice and Policing Act,” which introduced in both chambers of Congress, would make it easier to prosecute officers and rethink how they are recruited and trained.

Its chances of passage in the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority, is highly uncertain.

President Donald Trump, who is running for re-election in November, has accused his Democratic rival Joe Biden of seeking to “defund the police” while casting himself as the “law and order” president.

https://news.yahoo.com/democrats-knee-us-congress-george-floyd-tribute-154636468.html

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