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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAmerican Police Are At War With Democracy Itself
American schoolchildren learn at an early age that the federal government has three branches intended to check and balance each other: legislative, executive and judicial. Over the past two weeks, we have witnessed a fourth unelected branch assert its supremacy over all others: the police.
The protests that have swept U.S. cities began as a denouncement of police brutality. But what is happening in our streets has become a political power struggle over the legitimacy of democratic government itself. On one side are the police, asserting the right to ignore any command from democratically elected officials if they so please. On the other side are the people, demanding democracy and respect.
Police in city after city have made it very clear that they simply do not care if they are exposed as lawless brutes. On Thursday night alone, police in Buffalo, New York, shoved a 75-year-old man to the ground and left him motionless, blood spilling from his ear and pooling around him, while police in Indianapolis groped a womans breasts and beat her savagely with batons. Images of police cruelty and contempt for the law poured out of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and several other cities.
The police violence is not restricted to Black protesters, or even protesters in general. On Saturday night, officers in Brooklyn brutalized a hospital worker walking home from his job of managing the COVID-19 crisis, leaving his hospital ID smeared with blood. Police are arresting journalists, legal observers and even food deliverers all of whom are permitted to be on the streets after locally imposed curfews just for doing their jobs.
More
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/american-police-are-at-war-with-democracy-itself_n_5eda78b4c5b637a3e777a768
Let's toss another story in here
Videos Show Cops Slashing Car Tires at Protests in Minneapolis
After long nights of tear gas and rubber bullets, some protesters, news crews, and medics in Minneapolis last weekend found themselves stranded: The tires of their cars had been slashed.
In a city upended by protests about police brutality after the death of George Floyd, many assumed protesters were to blame. But videos reveal a different culprit: the police.
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After long nights of tear gas and rubber bullets, some protesters, news crews, and medics in Minneapolis last weekend found themselves stranded: The tires of their cars had been slashed.
In a city upended by protests about police brutality after the death of George Floyd, many assumed protesters were to blame. But videos reveal a different culprit: the police. In the videos, officers puncture tires in a K-Mart parking lot on May 30 (below) and a highway overpass on May 31 (above). Both areas briefly turned into police staging grounds near protest hot spots.
In the videos, officers puncture tires in a K-Mart parking lot on May 30 (below) and a highway overpass on May 31 (above). Both areas briefly turned into police staging grounds near protest hot spots.
The officers appear to be state troopers or county police, though its not clear from the videos. Neither the Minnesota State Patrol nor the Hennepin County Sheriffs Office responded to requests from Mother Jones. The Minneapolis Police Department and Minnesota National Guard denied involvement.
Link to tweet
https://www.motherjones.com/anti-racism-police-protest/2020/06/videos-show-cops-slashing-car-tires-at-protests-in-minneapolis/
FirstLight
(13,360 posts)And the militarized Police are not our friends
2naSalit
(86,650 posts)I suppose it will come down to National Guard and military taking them down when they start the real rampage.
FirstLight
(13,360 posts)There's #BLM and Allies, peaceful demonstrators
There's White Militia - and those are both pro and anti- govt/police
There's police and those that think "domination" is the key (some of those ARE in the Military too)
There's those who want to watch it ALL burn (anarchists, etc)
when things start to really boil over, it's going to be difficult to tell who is on what "side" and it's gonna be dangerous for ALL
2naSalit
(86,650 posts)sakabatou
(42,159 posts)LiberalArkie
(15,719 posts)pnwest
(3,266 posts)Enlightenment vs Fascism at this point. November 2020 will decide the winner, and Americas future. It pains me to think that trump WILL be remembered as the man who changed America. If he wins in Nov, full-on fascism will be brought to bear. Fully installed, implemented and institutionalized. If he loses in Nov, it will be a national rejection of trumpism, fascism, nationalism, white supremacy and Republican lawlessness... I think there will be sweeping Democratic legislation and action that will cause America to emerge from this crisis of identity more fully Democratic, enlightened and hopeful than ever before. Either way, its being brought about by trump, and I hate that he will be known as a nation-changer.
Fascism is coming for America. We have one chance to rebuff it. The time is now.