George Floyd death

[OrbitalDawn]

Thread up over 200 clips already, including this doozie, perfectly illustrating the protesters' point.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1268200800649707526

 

[Fulcrum29]

@Fulcrum29

View attachment 850689

I have heard this now so many times in various variations, but some protesters seemed to have lost the message somewhere along the way, maybe next time direct it those who don't value other lives.

 

[Pegging]

Thread up over 200 clips already, including this doozie, perfectly illustrating the protesters' point.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1268200800649707526

Just been through a few and it’s mostly over dramatic twits trying to get hit.
Like the twits running in front of police cars.

 

[TysonRoux]

Sports stars and federations speak up in solidarity over George Floyd killing

Several high-profile sports stars and ruling bodies have come out in solidarity against the brutal killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd by police, which has sparked nationwide protests in the …

www.dailymaverick.co.za

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Shot: "Looters broke into a Soho Rolex store during rioting and stole $2.4 million worth of watches, police sources said Monday"

Chaser: "But the store’s spokesman said “no watches of any kind were stolen, as there weren’t any on display in the store. There were simply windows broken and some vitrines smashed.”

 

[Emjay]

Oh look, Emjay lying again. True to form, eh?

Oh weird, ignoring evidence showing shootings don't correlate with crime rates again.

You are trying to justify what is happening here.

Blacks commit more violent crime. You are the one ignoring the evidence.

Let's do a little math. Pure maths.

Expanded Homicide Data Table 6

ucr.fbi.gov

Population figures are from 2017 pulled from Wikipedia. Demographics are as follows: 73% white. 13% black.

1 in 77 838 whites commit homicide.
1 in 12 783 black commit homicide.

Blacks commit homicide at six times the rates of whites.

You are against racial profiling, but literally advocate for the profiling of victims vs shooters when it's the police doing the shooting. We need more data. Not less.

 

[Pegging]

The dumbass better not say all forests matter otherwise he will be out of a job.

Maybe this is what the mass shyte poster is trying to get at.

And yes it is a Democrat

https://twitter.com/x/status/1267846514979876864

 

[Emjay]

Thing is, they know this. They deliberately chose not to escalate when it was right wing protesters, even when they literally shut down a State legislature, the seat of democrat rule.

These protests they continually and deliberately escalate.

The strong right-wing lean of police forces generally plays a role here.

And you are purposefully obfuscating the fact that these protests did not escalate into complete mayhem where people have been beat, countless businesses ransacked, indiscriminate shooting into crowds and innocent bystanders murdered.

You are a bad person for not being able to call this out for what it is.

 

[Techne]

Maybe this is what the mass shyte poster is trying to get at.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1267846514979876864

Well the mass shyte posters better get on their knees otherwise they are promoting institutionalised racism.

 

[Emjay]

Did you read his other tweets about how cops who assault people act with impunity, how if the police don't like what he does as a Councilmember they deliberately take longer to respond in his ward to emergencies etc.?

Does not change the fact they are trying to abolish the police and implement their own form of policing. Believe it or not, I do want this to happen.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

You are trying to justify what is happening here.

Keep lying, Em. I haven't once justified any looting or rioting. I'd ask you to substantiate the claim, but you won't.

You are against racial profiling, but literally advocate for the profiling of victims vs shooters when it's the police doing the shooting. We need more data. Not less.

That's not what racial profiling is, good grief.

And you are purposefully obfuscating the fact that these protests did not escalate into complete mayhem where people have been beat, countless businesses ransacked, indiscriminate shooting into crowds and innocent bystanders murdered.

You are a bad person for not being able to call this out for what it is.

Yes, the cops didn't escalate those protests by repeatedly attacking protesters, assaulting bystanders and journalists. Odd that, ain't it? They even let them take over a State legislature with zero pushback.

Countless examples of cops deliberately, and unprovoked, doing that in these protests.

And no, the looting and rioting is reprehensible, counter-productive and anyone involved should be prosecuted.

 

[TysonRoux]

Trump's religious photo-ops aren't about piety. They're about power

President Trump's recent visits to a church and a Catholic shrine capture his approach to religion: He readily uses religious symbols to fight a winner-take-all culture war.

us.cnn.com

For nearly 200 years, St. John's Episcopal Church has welcomed presidents from the White House across the street.

But where other presidents came to pray, Donald Trump came to pose.

Protected by a phalanx of heavily armed officers, Trump walked across Lafayette Square to the church after nearby protesters were gassed and forcibly moved.

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump visit Saint John Paul II National Shrine onTuesday in Washington.


For several minutes, he stood in front of St. John's holding the Scriptures aloft, brandishing a Bible like a salesman in a bad infommercial.
It was another "Oh my God, is this really happening?" moment in an administration that has provided a plethora of them.

President Donald Trump holds a Bible as he stands outside St. John's Church across Lafayette Park from the White House on Monday.

To many Christians, even conservatives ones, Monday's stunt was surreal, even sacrilegious. "Blasphemy in real time," one bishop tweeted.

Blasphemous or not, the moment perfectly captured Trump's approach to religion. He relies more on images than substance, prefers demonstrations of power over piety, and readily uses religious symbols to fight a winner-take-all culture war.

He has taken credit for people saying "Merry Christmas," a nonsensical claim that is nonetheless hyped as a victory in the "War against Christmas."

He has turned the National Prayer Breakfast into a gripe fest, settling scores with political rivals and mocking entertainers.

He has insulted religious leaders who dare challenge him, including the Pope.
These brouhahas aren't distractions from Trump's larger message to conservative Christians. They are the message. He is the strongman willing to fight for them, a modern Constantine the Great.

And he expects conservative Christians to fight for him.

The President and his political advisers have grown concerned about his standing slipping with religious conservatives on his handling of the coronavirus, people familiar with the matter say.
And that, as much as anything, may have prompted the photo op at St. John's.

Some evangelicals say they like a tough-guy president

This President has shown little, if any, interest in personal piety, famously saying that he has never asked God for forgiveness, a cornerstone of Christianity. He rarely attends church outside of Christmas and Easter.

But to white Christians who felt their influence dip during the Obama administration, Trump has been a godsend.
One praised the way he held the Bible "like a boss" in Lafayette Square.
"I will never forget seeing [Trump] slowly & in-total-command walk ... across Lafayette Square to St. John's Church defying those who aim to derail our national healing by spreading fear, hate & anarchy," tweeted Johnnie Moore, the president of the Congress of Christian Leaders and a member of Trump's evangelical advisory committee.

 

[Emjay]

The top minds of mybb are going to come at you, no way the FBI are as good as the MyBB detectives.

Like this is top of the minds stuff:

Not only are white supremacists involved in the violence and property damage at the protests, but it’s clear that they are working multiple strategies to leverage the chaos into what they hope will be a democracy-destroying race and civil war.

From this article that keeps getting quoted:

Evidence mounts of far-right extremists’ violent chicanery at police protests around the nation

Far-right groups spread disinformation and stoke tensions at anti-police brutality rallies. Learn how this impacts your community.

m.dailykos.com

Or:

Boogaloo Bois

Denver Police Seized Assault Rifles from Anti-Government Gun Activists at Friday Night Protest

During a vehicle search near the downtown Denver protest on Friday evening, police officers seized several military-style assault rifles from anti-government gun enthusiasts who call themselves "Boogaloo Bois." Most peaceful...

coloradotimesrecorder.com

This "Boogaloo Boi" is wait for it, wait, ANTI-GOVERNMENT.

Other evidence are some tweets of Proud Boys tweeting they are going to join the riots. Yet we have posted FACES of far leftists who have been spotted at these riots.

Gaslighting and lies everywhere.

 

[Emjay]

Keep lying, Em. I haven't once justified any looting or rioting. I'd ask you to substantiate the claim, but you won't.

That's not what racial profiling is, good grief.

Yes, the cops didn't escalate those protests by repeatedly attacking protesters, assaulting bystanders and journalists. Odd that, ain't it? They even let them take over a State legislature with zero pushback.

Countless examples of cops deliberately, and unprovoked, doing that in these protests.

And no, the looting and rioting is reprehensible, counter-productive and anyone involved should be prosecuted.

There is the denunciation. Only when confronted. At least you can do a bit better than your Democratic leaders.

Weird. I saw many, many people looting and committing acts of violence when there were no cops around. Tell me. The dead cop, was he provoking the rioters by defending property? Guess he deserved it, huh?

Take over a State Legislature? Did they harm anyone in doing so? Did they set building alight with people in them on their way to the Legislature? What about beating up people in the streets defending their property? Please, show us some footage.

Stop with your endless whataboutisims.

 

[Emjay]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1268294779974094856

 

[OrbitalDawn]

There is the denunciation. Only when confronted. At least you can do a bit better than your Democratic leaders.

Weird. I saw many, many people looting and committing acts of violence when there were no cops around. Tell me. The dead cop, was he provoking the rioters by defending property? Guess he deserved it, huh?

Take over a State Legislature? Did they harm anyone in doing so? Did they set building alight buildings with people in them on their way to the Legislature? What about beating up people in the streets defending their property? Please, show us some footage.

Stop with your endless whataboutisims.

I called them scumbags on Tuesday already, liar. But I see you don't even try to substantiate your claim, predictably.

And hilarious that you whine about whataboutism immediately after injecting your own whataboutisms. Classic Emjay.

 

[Emjay]

I called them scumbags on Tuesday already, liar. But I see you don't even try to substantiate your claim, predictably.

And hilarious that you whine about whataboutism immediately after injecting your own whataboutisms. Classic Emjay.

Comparing your example to the current situation is not a whataboutisim.

And talking about not substantiating your claims, you are not either. In the eyes of the law, agitation is not a valid defense. Stop trying to place blame for violence on others.

Dirty cops should be fired. Violent protesters should be dispersed and then thrown into jail. Not bailed out by celebrities either.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

For anyone interested, Reuters did an excellent investigation into the invented legal doctrine of 'qualified immunity' and how it basically allows cops to act with impunity.

For cops who kill, special Supreme Court protection

The U.S. high court's continual refinement of an obscure doctrine called qualified immunity has made it harder to hold police liable for excessive force.

www.reuters.com

 

[Emjay]

Let's take out the unions. Seems like they are the ones keeping these dirty cops around.

How Police Unions and Arbitrators Keep Abusive Cops on the Street

Officers fired for misconduct often appeal the decision and get reinstated by obscure judges in secretive proceedings.

www.theatlantic.com

Police Unions and the Problem of Police Misconduct (Updated)

The available evidence suggests that police unions are a major obstacle to holding rogue police officers accountable.

reason.com

This seems like a good place to start. And should be an easy compromise, hey @OrbitalDawn?

Limiting (if not eliminating) qualified immunity would certainly help (though there's a reasonable debate whether this is more properly done through legislative reform than through the courts). On the other hand, the effects of eliminating qualified immunity may be limited if police departments indemnify their officers. Should qualified immunity be limited, you can be sure such protection will immediately rise to the top of the agenda for every police union in the country.

If one wants to tackle the structural obstacles to holding rogue police officers accountable, it seems to me one has to address the power of police unions. As a Reuters report from a few years back documented, police union contracts in major cities routinely include provisions that erase disciplinary records and obstruct meaningful discipline (let alone prosecution) of police officers who abuse their authority.

 

[OrbitalDawn]

Random paramilitary dudes around. No badges, no insignia, no uniform, no law enforcement branch indication.

I'm sure all those folks who were apoplectic about Jade Helm will be around shortly.

Oh, and an expansion of another law enforcement agency's surveillance powers. Folks concerned about FISA abuse to be along shortly.

The DEA Has Just Been Authorized to Conduct Surveillance on Protesters

The Justice Department gave the agency the temporary power “to enforce any federal crime committed as a result of the protests over the death of George Floyd.”

www.buzzfeednews.com

The Drug Enforcement Administration has been granted sweeping new authority to “conduct covert surveillance” and collect intelligence on people participating in protests over the police killing of George Floyd, according to a two-page memorandum obtained by BuzzFeed News.