The Black Lives Matter movement

barstein · 2020-07-18T15:22:47.872Z

mobile.twitter.com

Donovan “It was the blurst of times” Farley 💻🐒 (DonovanFarley)

These guys are pointing guns at every car and person in the area. Random car drives by? Ten long guns aimed at them. https://t.co/DR8rc5yNnp

8:46 AM - 18 Jul 2020 310 170

twitter.com

Donovan “It was the blurst of times” Farley 💻🐒 (DonovanFarley)

There is a storm trooper for every protester. What a joke.

8:47 AM - 18 Jul 2020 130 18

twitter.com

Donovan “It was the blurst of times” Farley 💻🐒 (DonovanFarley)

And then? Naked Athena appeared and the little boys didn’t know what to do. https://t.co/Elo69SsV0t

8:52 AM - 18 Jul 2020 1.8K 800

barstein · 2020-07-18T15:26:00.192Z

Thread:

twitter.com

"Rabbit = good friend" Smith 🐇 (Noahpinion)

What worries me most about Trump's Little Green Men in Portland isn't the probably-unlawful arbitrary detention -- that sucks, but it's also kind of par for the course. What worries me the most is that now Trump has a well-armed unaccountable paramilitary force at his command.

6:54 PM - 17 Jul 2020 630 170

From the thread:

Obviously all of these agencies – ICE, CBP, BOP, DEA, ATF, etc. – existed before, and sometimes acted with impunity.

What has changed is now that all of the relevant agencies are acting as a single unified force. That is new, and should be a cause for worry.

magnet · 2020-07-18T15:41:47.939Z

inactive_user:

How is this not front-page news literally everywhere?

Front page of NY Times and WaPo today:

nytimes.com

Federal Agents Unleash Militarized Crackdown on Portland

Federal authorities said they would bring order to Portland, Ore., after weeks of protests there. Local leaders believe the federal presence is making things worse.

Washington Post

Portland officials decry aggressive tactics of federal agents in their city

“I was terrified” says man who was apprehended, driven away in an unmarked minivan, then later released by Customs and Border Protection agents.

sillhouette · 2020-07-18T16:25:22.688Z

Lawfare says

Lawfare – 17 Jul 20

What the Heck Are Federal Law Enforcement Officers Doing in Portland?

There are a few answers, but a lot more questions.

MikeOberly · 2020-07-18T16:32:00.417Z

The answer is DJT tried to get the military to be his puppet in DC, and they backed away. But he has a true puppet in the mickey mouse paramilitary umbrella under DHS.

MrGrumpy · 2020-07-18T16:54:47.132Z

I know federal troops can protect federal properties but it certainly appears they’ve far exceeded that; is there anything the House can do to rein in these goons? Funding, fining the acting department chairs? I honestly don’t know.

(I know our Putin-back corrupt regime willfully ignores court rulings but maybe fining and enforcing unpaid fines with jail time might work but I don’t know if the House has that kind of power.)

KevinC · 2020-07-18T16:55:12.857Z

So, I remember turning to a friend and remarking that Homeland Security sounded like something straight out of an authoritarian police state when it was formed. I’m sure I was hardly alone in that observation, but it’s interesting to see it didn’t even take 20 years for it to become reality.

scottagibson · 2020-07-18T17:03:01.545Z

KevinC:

So, I remember turning to a friend and remarking that Homeland Security sounded like something straight out of an authoritarian police state when it was formed. I’m sure I was hardly alone in that observation, but it’s interesting to see it didn’t even take 20 years for it to become reality.

I have hated it from the start for that reason. I’m sure it sounded better in the original German.

MrGrumpy:

I know federal troops can protect federal properties but it certainly appears they’ve far exceeded that; is there anything the House can do to rein in these goons? Funding, fining the acting department chairs? I honestly don’t know.

The House could deny funding to DHS, but not very soon. Or they could launch impeachment proceedings against the principals.

RichVR · 2020-07-18T17:04:16.956Z

scottagibson:

I have hated it from the start for that reason.

Same here.

Rward · 2020-07-18T19:05:16.983Z

IF (big if) the police were not “on their side”, could they arrest the federal troops?
(I have no idea how this stuff works)

sillhouette · 2020-07-18T19:18:20.337Z

Friend posted article on FB:

Business Insider

Federal officers Trump sent to Portland teargassed protesters despite being...

Trump ordered the federal government to intervene — against state and city politicians' wishes — as protests have continued in the city for weeks.

Reply 1:

Good for trump for not backing down at lease he’s got a back bone

Reply 2:

Good! They deserve it

scottagibson · 2020-07-18T19:39:41.295Z

Rward:

IF (big if) the police were not “on their side”, could they arrest the federal troops?

I am not a lawyer, but I think a Portland cop could walk up to one of these guys as they are snatching someone and demand to see some ID. I doubt it would go well in practice, so probably they won’t.

JoshL · 2020-07-18T19:47:12.804Z

“You have to wear a mask!”

Idiots: Tyranny!

“Unidentified federal agents are disappearing people from the streets of U.S. cities”

Same idiots: Good!

inactive_user · 2020-07-18T19:50:41.137Z

It’s almost like it’s not about lAw aNd oRdeR

sillhouette · 2020-07-18T19:56:19.302Z

twitter.com

Garrett M. Graff (vermontgmg)

Angry about Portland? Remember none of the DHS leaders were Senate confirmed. We have an acting Sec, acting Dep Sec, acting head of CBP, acting head of ICE. It’s been that way for over a *year*.

1:44 AM - 18 Jul 2020 64K 24K

Alstein · 2020-07-18T20:07:11.247Z

I’d acquit in this scenario, and I think it’s gonna take some cop killers being acquitted for things to change, though it might just cause the police to shoot more.

Djscman · 2020-07-18T20:09:40.853Z

scottagibson:

but I think a Portland cop could walk up to one of these guys as they are snatching someone and demand to see some ID.

Per the local journo’s Twitter thread that featured the naked protestor, it looks like the Portland PD is still fine with charging into crowds. I don’t know if they would lift many fingers to get in the way of the feds snatching and grabbing.

twitter.com

Donovan “It was the blurst of times” Farley 💻🐒 (DonovanFarley)

.@alex_zee on the charge and she makes a good point that I hope the talking haircuts who just started caring about this understand: Portland police was doing fine with the brutalizing on their own. twitter.com/alex_zee/statu… twitter.com/alex_zee/statu…

Alex Zielinski @alex_zee

I can’t emphasize this enough: These are not federal police. This is how Portand officers treat their own. https://t.co/mkKSVZxG5F

9:39 AM - 18 Jul 2020 530 150

scottagibson · 2020-07-18T20:10:13.044Z

I’m not surprised.

barstein · 2020-07-18T20:45:09.243Z

Rward:

IF (big if) the police were not “on their side”, could they arrest the federal troops?
(I have no idea how this stuff works)

scottagibson:

I am not a lawyer, but I think a Portland cop could walk up to one of these guys as they are snatching someone and demand to see some ID. I doubt it would go well in practice, so probably they won’t.

Elsewhere I saw it suggested that a fast way to start challenging this stuff in court would be to have State forces arrest a few of these wannabe brownshirts and then make them prove their authority in court. Even if such arrests and charges were not 100% legit, it would still probably be a good place to start. That and lawsuits.

inactive_user · 2020-07-18T21:28:59.669Z

barstein:

Elsewhere I saw it suggested that a fast way to start challenging this stuff in court would be to have State forces arrest a few of these wannabe brownshirts

Bold of you to assume the mayor or governor has any authority over the brownshirts.

I wish I were kidding 😓