The George Floyd/Black Lives Matter protests and police conduct

[BIGREDIOWAN]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/floyd-family-autopsy-could-help-100537184.html

 

Not only will it create confusion, but if the Minneapolis PD has allowed the use of "neck restraints" and has a policy on it and this officer was working within this policy.......it's going to be a possible problem for the prosecution. And I'm still in shock that MPD would allow this use of force practice because it's insane to me to kneel on someone's neck like that. 

[Moiraine]

12 minutes ago, Born N Bled Red said:

What the hell is happening, and where did all those idiots stating they were going to stand up to Dictatorship becuz they had to wear masks go? A National Guard platoon marching down residential streets and firing on people on their own property is something I never thought I would see.

 

 

It's amazing how many people are saying some form of "they should have gone inside when they were told." They were on their own porch and there was a FAQ posted that this was fine.

 

I mean, it's cliche, but...

 

This is America.

 

It's American to disobey orders like this.

[knapplc]

There is a HUGE overlap on the Venn diagram of people who 1) refuse to wear masks and demanded the country be "reopened" and 2) people who think the protesters should "go home" and have no right to be on the street.

 

The hypocrisy is astounding, but completely lost on them. Masks/Social Distancing = Government Oppression. Citizens exercising their right to protest = If they don't want to get gassed they should stay inside.

 

Bonkers, man.

[Born N Bled Red]

3 minutes ago, knapplc said:

There is a HUGE overlap on the Venn diagram of people who 1) refuse to wear masks and demanded the country be "reopened" and 2) people who think the protesters should "go home" and have no right to be on the street.

 

The hypocrisy is astounding, but completely lost on them. Masks/Social Distancing = Government Oppression. Citizens exercising their right to protest = If they don't want to get gassed they should stay inside.

 

Bonkers, man.

 

Every American has the right to peacefully protest. Given the destruction that has occurred, I could potentially understand (very unlikely, but a case could be made) deploying guard units to keep the peace. But I don't care what race you are, what religion you follow, or which way you vote, national guard members sweeping residential streets, should make everyone stop dead in their tracks and condemn that deployment. If they can do that now, its not a far leap to deploy them on election day to "keep the peace at the polls." How long until we are rounding up protesters or confining them to designated zones, or worse. At present, this is not the land of the free, and the home of the brave. America is having an existential crisis, and for the first time I am legitimately scared of what the future might hold. 

[Moiraine]

15 minutes ago, knapplc said:

There is a HUGE overlap on the Venn diagram of people who 1) refuse to wear masks and demanded the country be "reopened" and 2) people who think the protesters should "go home" and have no right to be on the street.

 

The hypocrisy is astounding, but completely lost on them. Masks/Social Distancing = Government Oppression. Citizens exercising their right to protest = If they don't want to get gassed they should stay inside.

 

Bonkers, man.

 

 

Or you know, just hang out on their own porch.

[DevoHusker]

1 hour ago, RedDenver said:

 

 

I hope no one thinks that the launcher is being pointed at the little girl and her father...angles matter ffs 

[DevoHusker]

1 hour ago, Enhance said:

Perhaps I'm crazy, but...

 

I've seen this phone a couple of times now today and I don't think it's showing what it purports to be showing. The depth of field of the person with the child and the officer holding the gun seem quite different to the point that I think the officer is pointing that gun several feet to the left of that protestor.

 

Anybody else see/think that?

 

yes 

[Guy Chamberlin]

I watched two hours of CNN coverage last night and have read all the threads on Facebook and HuskerBoard, and I have yet to see anyone mention the single most chilling thing Donald Trump said or did yesterday:

 

Mr. Trump said he is mobilizing "all available federal resources — civilian and military — to stop the rioting and looting, to end the destruction and arson, and to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans, including your Second Amendment rights." The Justice Department reiterated that sentiment in a statement later.

 

Of all the things to mention in a short statement, Of all the sacred Rights that could be cited in this American moment.

 

The President just sent a clear message to his supporters that he has their back if they want to bear arms on his behalf. 

[knapplc]

11 minutes ago, DevoHusker said:

 

I hope no one thinks that the launcher is being pointed at the little girl and her father...angles matter ffs 

 

I think that's exactly what the photographer is implying in his tweet, but he knows better, having taken the shot.

 

Perhaps he's just referring to the symbolism. That would be the most charitable interpretation of his comment.

 

Of all the things we've heard about these past few days, police targeting children is not one of them. While it may be an interesting image, I don't think it's "powerful" because it doesn't convey what he seems to be implying.

[BigRedBuster]

 

[Cdog923]

22 minutes ago, DevoHusker said:

 

I hope no one thinks that the launcher is being pointed at the little girl and her father...angles matter ffs 

 

Quick, look above you. 

[knapplc]

A caricature that is, sadly, all too real.

 

 

 

 

Quote

 

“Wow. Cops killed a black man. Look at this video, he was begging for his life and they were laughing."

"That's terrible. But fortunately, they can be prosecuted for murder.

"Oh, my. You're new to America, aren't you? The prosecutor will decline to indict."

"What? Why?"
"Prosecutorial discretion."

"Uh…ok, that's…not great. They can be fired, at least."

"The police union will fight for their right to stay on the job; 50-50 they get reinstated with back pay."
"That's messed up. Still, that's the union's job. Uh, can they be sued?"

"Of course."

"Great, let's do that."
"The courts will determine that because there was no clearly established constitutional right to not be strangled to death by a knee in Minneapolis in late May, the cops get qualified immunity and your case is thrown out."

"You're just making this up." “
"Google 'qualified immunity'."

"What the f#&%? I'm going to protest."

"Will you do it properly?"

"Ugh, 'properly'. Yes. Me and my friends will organize regular peaceful protests in multiple cities."

"Nobody will care, it won't make the news."
"We'll get athletes to join in; they're visible."

"You will offend people's divine right to watch sports without thinking about uncomfortable issues like people getting murdered."

"That sounds like something I don't care about."
"That's the spirit. Of course, your poster-child athlete will be blackballed from the sport and the others won't dare continue."

"Mother—"

"Another man just got killed by cops. No arrests, no firings."

"I'm going to vote every clown that enables this out."
"By an incredibly unfortunate coincidence, every voter registration center in your vicinity is permanently closed. The closest one is an hour drive away."

"I can't really afford to take time off work, but this is life and death. I'll go"

"I hope you can afford the fee."
"Now I *know* that's illegal! It's a poll tax!"

"You should try suing."

"I'm about to break some things!"
"This immediate resort to violence is proof that you are not really dedicated to resolving the issue, but instead are simply using it as an excuse to indulge in your criminal instincts. Fortunately, we have cops to handle that sort of behavior."

 

 

And a follow-up tweet from another person:

 

 

 

[RedDenver]

17 minutes ago, knapplc said:

 

I think that's exactly what the photographer is implying in his tweet, but he knows better, having taken the shot.

 

Perhaps he's just referring to the symbolism. That would be the most charitable interpretation of his comment.

 

Of all the things we've heard about these past few days, police targeting children is not one of them. While it may be an interesting image, I don't think it's "powerful" because it doesn't convey what he seems to be implying.

The power is in the symbolism between the protesters and the militarized police. The photographer issued another tweet to try to clarify:

 

[TGHusker]

I heard a talk guy on the radio this morning mock this, but I think the step of taking a knee showed true strength and empathy

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/chief-police-i-knelt-george-floyd-show-people-i-serve-ncna1221466

 

 

Quote

 

By Eric S. Clifford, chief of police, Schenectady, New York

On Sunday, something amazing happened: Hundreds of people came to the Schenectady Police Department upset, scared and confused about what is happening in America and in our community. And I knelt to listen, and we heard each other.

I first saw the video of George Floyd being killed on social media on Thursday, May 28. My immediate reaction was that the officer involved had done something horrible and would need to be held accountable; I was thinking like a police chief.

 

 

and this

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article243193151.html

[knapplc]