The Shooting Gallery: Police Violence MEGATHREAD

[Syt]

Video here:

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/george-floyd-protest-updates-05-28-20/h_4ed08403663fa4ed3518221d0f2a1552

The crew was reporting on street closures. The reporter is calmly asking the police where they would like the team to move, and that they'd go wherever they like while they sweep the area. Somehow that led to the crew being arrested. The studio crew says the crew stood where they were instructed to be previously.

[Grey Fox]

And we argued that the USA wasn't a failed state.

[garbon]

And we argued that the USA wasn't a failed state.

So what is France ?

[Grey Fox]

And we argued that the USA wasn't a failed state.

So what is France ?

France is always a borderline Police state. Did something happen in France that I missed? 

[Tamas]

And we argued that the USA wasn't a failed state.

So what is France ?

To be fair France have a few checkboxes pending that the US has already ticked, in particular the one on "armed militias intimidating local legislatures" and "President cheering violence on publicly".

[Syt]

The CNN crew has been released. State Police say they were freed as soon as their press credentials were established. Never mind that the reporter was holding out his press badge to the arresting officer the whole time. The reporter, Omar Jimenez, says he asked the trooper why he was being arrested. "Don't know man, just following orders."

A nearby white CNN reporter says he ran into no such issues dealing with police and national guard who politely asked him to move when they needed him out of the way.

[Sheilbh]

Just protecting lives and public property:
https://twitter.com/stribrooks/status/1266186985041022976?s=20

[Malthus]

Cops arresting news crews for no obvious reason while they are recording seems a new low to me. I don't remember that ever happening before in the US. Seems more like something you would expect to see in China.

[The Minsky Moment]

Having been in many demonstrations with a purpose, I absolutely do not share your appreciation of "mob mentality". People don't think about what they can get away with. They want to shout and express their anger.

Then why do so many protests end up in looting and destruction of property?

How many protests end up in looting and destruction of property?  As a percentage of all protests?

[The Minsky Moment]

Cops arresting news crews for no obvious reason while they are recording seems a new low to me. I don't remember that ever happening before in the US. Seems more like something you would expect to see in China.

It's not common but it definitely is not unprecedented; there are usually at least a few such incidents every year: https://pressfreedomtracker.us/arrest-criminal-charge/

Keep in mind that when it comes to law enforcement, the US is at least 50 different countries, and arguably more given strong local control over police forces.

[Eddie Teach]

Cops arresting news crews for no obvious reason while they are recording seems a new low to me. I don't remember that ever happening before in the US. Seems more like something you would expect to see in China.

Don't presume malevolence when something can be explained by incompetence.

[Valmy]

Cops arresting news crews for no obvious reason while they are recording seems a new low to me. I don't remember that ever happening before in the US. Seems more like something you would expect to see in China.

Don't presume malevolence when something can be explained by incompetence.

Well go ahead then. Explain it using incompetence.

[merithyn]

If the price to pay to deescalate that moment is a couple of police cars burned down, and a few broken windows, I consider it a much, much lower price than the deployment of battalions of cop all geared up in military gear, which inevitably lead to further escalation, as the last - oh, 50, 60 years? - have conclusively shown. To me, the much bigger cost is to the body politic - but I am sure you can make a narrow economic reading re: the monetary cost of police brutality and repression.

I don't think burning a police car deescalates anything.  Instead it's an accelerant.  Oh look what we got away with - what else can we do!  That's not any one person's thought pattern, but that is the mob mentality.

Yes, it is. Because being polite and taking a knee hasn't gotten anyone anywhere.

This guy was killed for possibly passing a fake $20 bill. His life was worth less than $20.

These people want to destroy these insured businesses? Yeah, I'm okay with that.

[Valmy]

If the price to pay to deescalate that moment is a couple of police cars burned down, and a few broken windows, I consider it a much, much lower price than the deployment of battalions of cop all geared up in military gear, which inevitably lead to further escalation, as the last - oh, 50, 60 years? - have conclusively shown. To me, the much bigger cost is to the body politic - but I am sure you can make a narrow economic reading re: the monetary cost of police brutality and repression.

I don't think burning a police car deescalates anything.  Instead it's an accelerant.  Oh look what we got away with - what else can we do!  That's not any one person's thought pattern, but that is the mob mentality.

Yes, it is. Because being polite and taking a knee hasn't gotten anyone anywhere.

This guy was killed for possibly passing a fake $20 bill. His life was worth less than $20.

These people want to destroy these insured businesses? Yeah, I'm okay with that.

Well I mean we have also been rioting for 50+ years as well. What will get us somewhere is not clear.

[garbon]

If the price to pay to deescalate that moment is a couple of police cars burned down, and a few broken windows, I consider it a much, much lower price than the deployment of battalions of cop all geared up in military gear, which inevitably lead to further escalation, as the last - oh, 50, 60 years? - have conclusively shown. To me, the much bigger cost is to the body politic - but I am sure you can make a narrow economic reading re: the monetary cost of police brutality and repression.

I don't think burning a police car deescalates anything.  Instead it's an accelerant.  Oh look what we got away with - what else can we do!  That's not any one person's thought pattern, but that is the mob mentality.

Yes, it is. Because being polite and taking a knee hasn't gotten anyone anywhere.

This guy was killed for possibly passing a fake $20 bill. His life was worth less than $20.

These people want to destroy these insured businesses? Yeah, I'm okay with that.

Well I mean we have also been rioting for 50+ years as well. What will get us somewhere is not clear.

Attrition?