Conflict erupts at Minneapolis, L.A. protests over George Floyd death

[aerius]

Is it the Corona depression or something else that caused this specific incident to erupt? Or is it basically random?

Because I'm unsure what's more horrible here rather than prior murder by cop.

Hard to say. There's certain cities/areas in the US where there's really poor relations and a lot of tension between the police and various minorities. When you have an incident like this in one of those cities it tends to go up in flames.

[Broomstick]

Is it the Corona depression or something else that caused this specific incident to erupt? Or is it basically random?

Because I'm unsure what's more horrible here rather than prior murder by cop.

I'm pretty sure the trigger here was a 9-minute long video of an unarmed, handcuffed, near-motionless black man face down on the pavement being slowly murdered by a white cop.

There may have been some other factors, like people already half-crazy from weeks of isolation, social distancing, job loss/layoffs, financial worries, and Og knows what else, but really - it was the 9 minute long video of slow murder.

[Broomstick]

The thugs have arrested a CNN reporter and crew. You don't arrest press.

Apparently, in Trumpland you do.

Also, the police were completely clueless that they were being filmed at the time.

[Tribble]

I’ve seen film crews, even in 2020 the equipment is pretty big. Anc if they were using cell phones, it’s still pretty freakin obvious when someone is recording. How could they possibly miss that?

More likely that’s the “excuse” they are making as to why they made the arrest.

[Zaune]

I'm pretty sure the trigger here was a 9-minute long video of an unarmed, handcuffed, near-motionless black man face down on the pavement being slowly murdered by a white cop.

There may have been some other factors, like people already half-crazy from weeks of isolation, social distancing, job loss/layoffs, financial worries, and Og knows what else, but really - it was the 9 minute long video of slow murder.

Which is not to say that if this act of wanton pointless cruelty hadn't happened then something equally horrible wouldn't have come along to blow the lid off. This has been building for a long time.

[Tribble]

I'm pretty sure the trigger here was a 9-minute long video of an unarmed, handcuffed, near-motionless black man face down on the pavement being slowly murdered by a white cop.

There may have been some other factors, like people already half-crazy from weeks of isolation, social distancing, job loss/layoffs, financial worries, and Og knows what else, but really - it was the 9 minute long video of slow murder.

Which is not to say that if this act of wanton pointless cruelty hadn't happened then something equally horrible wouldn't have come along to blow the lid off. This has been building for a long time.

Add to that all the other brutalities, such as a black jogger being hunted down and murdered on a whim by a bunch of white guys and cops doing nothing until they are called out on it.

Like you said, this has been building for quite awhile.

What sets this one apart a bit is how blatant the murder is - the cops knew they are being filmed by the public, they knew they were killing him and they kept at it anyways. Wanted to make sure the guy was dead, after all.

Usually cops at least try to pretend like there was more going on for plausible deniability, here they couldn’t even be bothered.

[mr friendly guy]

Meanwhile in other parts of freedom land, police shoot pepper balls at journalists covering protests into George Floyd's death.

https://www.denverpost.com/2020/05/29/d ... d-protest/

And when I say shoot, I don't mean fire randomly and just accidentally hits a journalist, I mean aim and fire. Twice.

[Eulogy]

And when I say shoot, I don't mean fire randomly and just accidentally hits a journalist, I mean aim and fire. Twice.

You know, I wonder if these chucklefucks either think their belligerence is going to drive off the people making them look bad or if they think they're not going to be reported, but either way they're simply making themselves look even worse and giving more metaphorical ammunition to the press and the protesters.

[aerius]

Protests & riots going nationwide. Police cars are on fire in NYC and Atlanta, with clashes in several other cities.
Looks like 1992 all over again, with the potential for things to get way worse.

[Ralin]

You know, I wonder if these chucklefucks either think their belligerence is going to drive off the people making them look bad or if they think they're not going to be reported, but either way they're simply making themselves look even worse and giving more metaphorical ammunition to the press and the protesters.

Well for one thing if they do this and get away without consequences afterwards they've established their authority to do so that much more firmly.

[Jub]

As usual in times like these there are posts floating around social media one such posts says:

Every time a cop kills someone there's always someone saying 'oh no, he wouldn't want all this rioting and looting'

For future reference, if I'm ever choked to death for 8 minutes by a cop for no reason, please burn down the police station.

I reposted it with the following:

I support peaceful action, but there are times when your friends and family are dying and the murders are getting off because they're white or in uniform, and peace is no longer an option. Sadly that is where the US has been for a long while now, this uprising much like the one in LA all those years ago is a wake-up call. The powers that be should listen instead of using force and intimidation to suppress this.

Most of the people out there marching and being gassed, beaten, and hosed wish they could just go home knowing that what happened to Treyvon Martin, George Floyd, and too many others won't happen again. Until that happens I hope more police are forced to flee their homes and more precincts are burned. This is what happens when you ignore men trying to kneel in protest.

And, if things ever get to where they are in the US and any of my visible minority friends come to harm via police action (or gross inaction) I'd have to think long and hard about not burning down a police station myself. I hope that if I am unfortunate to go out via police officer while doing nothing hostile that my friends will think those same angry bitter thoughts.

I'm not out protesting right now, because Vancouver isn't there just yet. They're restrained enough that they only beat and abuse the homeless, ignore calls that aren't in the most upper-crust neighborhoods, and generally work through benign neglect rather than active malice. If that changes, well I can get some baggy clothes and a mask and mix things up with the best of them.

[loomer]

Floyd's killer has been arrested, but the uprising continues. As Zaune said, this isn't just about Floyd's murder - it's about every murder and abuse at the hands of the State that justice wasn't delivered on, and the empty promise of 'let's talk it over and sort it out'.

[mr friendly guy]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/furious-d ... oyds-death

CNN's building has been attacked.

TYT has an interesting take on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAL1r2vAEvc

Basically Cenk's argument is that CNN doesn't stand up for the people, it stands up for the establishment, so it shouldn't be surprising. Don't know enough about internal American politics to have a strong opinion one way or the other.

[loomer]

The Pentagon is preparing to deploy federal military police to Minneapolis.

[loomer]

Portland's protestors have set fire to the Justice Center. Gee, I wonder why they might have rage for that particular institution?

[loomer]

Unfortunately it's looking like the Secret Service have successfully dispersed the crowd trying to storm the White House, but we'll see if they regroup. They were dispersed earlier today as well.

[Broomstick]

Protests & riots going nationwide. Police cars are on fire in NYC and Atlanta, with clashes in several other cities.
Looks like 1992 all over again, with the potential for things to get way worse.

Nope, looks like the late 1960's again. Remember, we also started having political assassinations in those decades - a president, presidential candidate, civil rights leaders. Not to mention attempted political assassinations that didn't quite kill the target, and, oh yes, dogs, firehoses, and occasional death for unarmed and non-violent protesting civilians.

I don't like violence, I'm a chicken-shit that doesn't want to die bleeding out in the street, but this has been a long time coming and if takes some violence to make real changes in our fucked-up, so-called "system" then so be it.

[Broomstick]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/furious-d ... oyds-death

CNN's building has been attacked.

TYT has an interesting take on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAL1r2vAEvc

Basically Cenk's argument is that CNN doesn't stand up for the people, it stands up for the establishment, so it shouldn't be surprising. Don't know enough about internal American politics to have a strong opinion one way or the other.

Either that, or it was just a prominent landmark to attack. Or attacking a news media giant is certain to get you publicity.

[Broomstick]

The Pentagon is preparing to deploy federal military police to Minneapolis.

If that happens the situation will definitely end in tears.

Typcial Trump - how dare the little people and peons protest arbitrary execution by their betters?

[Broomstick]

Unfortunately it's looking like the Secret Service have successfully dispersed the crowd trying to storm the White House, but we'll see if they regroup. They were dispersed earlier today as well.

Daaaaaamn.... looks like I picked the wrong day for a newsfast yesterday....

[Agent Sorchus]

Just a quick note that the CNN building in atlanta also has a police precinct inside it apparently, just to confuse the matter. And looking at the graffiti that is in use on at the entrance to the CNN building it is heavily anti-cop. Also if my quick survey of google street view is any good the entrance that has been shown graffiti'd is the probable entrance to the police precinct.

So not journalists being attacked but the corporate center hosting police offices.

[loomer]

Two feds have been shot in Oakland, one killed.

[loomer]

The governor of Minnesota is alleging that protestors have been using IEDs.

[Zaune]

The governor of Minnesota is alleging that protestors have been using IEDs.

I guess all those surplus MRAPs are going to turn out to be useful after all.

[Ziggy Stardust]

You know, I wonder if these chucklefucks either think their belligerence is going to drive off the people making them look bad or if they think they're not going to be reported, but either way they're simply making themselves look even worse and giving more metaphorical ammunition to the press and the protesters.

Well for one thing if they do this and get away without consequences afterwards they've established their authority to do so that much more firmly.

Exactly this. It's fascism 101.