The Shooting Gallery: Police Violence MEGATHREAD

[The Brain]

And this:

Yes let's compare Jesus, whose case went through all kinds of legal and political processes that ended with a death sentence, with people being killed by cops without any trial or nothing because they happen to be black.

[Syt]

Thread of events in Brooklyn last night: https://twitter.com/jangelooff/status/1268681141478924291?s=20

[Syt]

The Buffalo video of the elderly gentleman being shoved is quite disgusting. Especially how many cops just walk past when a puddle of blood forms under his head. The original police report said the man "tripped and fell." They've since corrected it and suspended the officer who shoved him has been suspended without pay.

[Tamas]

The Buffalo video of the elderly gentleman being shoved is quite disgusting. Especially how many cops just walk past when a puddle of blood forms under his head. The original police report said the man "tripped and fell." They've since corrected it and suspended the officer who shoved him has been suspended without pay.

Man, it is popular to be all panicked about technological progress and social media, but phone cameras and Twitter are proving to be the best weapons against police brutality.

On the policemen walking past though: the closest one wanted to kneel down to the old guy, but then the other hand (supposedly his superior) pushed him onward and started calling it in, so I assume the rest just knew it was being taken care of. I mean, I just kind of must assume that.

[garbon]

Man, it is popular to be all panicked about technological progress and social media, but phone cameras and Twitter are proving to be the best weapons against police brutality.

Now if only we could get them to wear and turn on their bodycams.

[Tamas]

Man, it is popular to be all panicked about technological progress and social media, but phone cameras and Twitter are proving to be the best weapons against police brutality.

Now if only we could get them to wear and turn on their bodycams.

They'll go right ahead with that right after they have uncovered their badges.

[Josquius]

And this:

On this stuff I do have some sympathy.
You do see the right doing this A LOT. Posting videos that appear to show something bad but completely lacking all context. Sometimes showing something innocent in a misleading light.

Of course, a lot of those asking this are doing it in bad faith. Provide the proof the victim was doing nothing wrong and they'll just move the goal posts.
But we should strive to tell the whole story where we can. It usually adds to how bad the video is.

The main one that stands out in my mind is those 2 black people whose car randomly was attacked by police.... We have no idea just looking at the video who they are. They might well be criminals who just killed somebody. Provide the proper story that they're just students returning home though and it underlines the shittiness.

[Syt]

Man, it is popular to be all panicked about technological progress and social media, but phone cameras and Twitter are proving to be the best weapons against police brutality.

Not sure why nobody has floated the idea of suspending cell service in protest areas and/or confiscating phones. It would be one of the next steps in "dominating the battle space", I suppose.

[The Brain]

I don't really get police forces that fire people that have committed unwarranted violent acts, and then seem satisfied with that. "We've fired them!". Surely you wouldn't fire a guy if you didn't think he had done it, and if you think he has done it then why don't you arrest him?

[Syt]

One day:



The next day:



(He was supposedly one of the cops telling the others to move on when the old man lay on the ground)

[Sheilbh]

Yeah, I take everything back I said earlier. Thanks to the police, there are plenty of points to these protests.

It's almost like there's two layers to it - on the one hand there seems to be pervasive police impunity about their conduct and a default to violence. But that affects all sorts of people - including journalists, people who literally have a camera pointing at them, elderly people, paramedics etc - which to me indicates how "safe" the police feel behaving like this.

Then there's systemic and institutional racism. And because the two interact, African Americans are the most likely to suffer from this police impunity. They face it more and they face it worse.

But you know I always agreed with BLM and I remember thinking American cops seemed to behave outrageously way back in the "don't tase me, bro" days - which I think was at a John Kerry event. But it does just feel a lot more pervasive and a lot worse than I'd thought. I think a few years ago I would have emphasised the racial element, after the last few days I think I'd emphasise the police are out of control element. I am not sure what reform would work because it seems in so many places that you actually need root and branch rebuilding.

I also think it's really striking how the national guard and military have interacted with crowds - I mentioned this earlier when vets were commenting - and for all the talk of de-militarising the police, which I agree with, I wonder if there's something to be learned in how the military clearly sort of see themselves and feel they should interact with the nation.

[Tamas]

But Syt, I don't think they could be expected to abort whatever they were doing and all gather around the injured guy. That seemed like it was taken care of how it should be in that situation, more or less. I mean, the need for them to do the whole counter-riot marching is questionable at best, I guess, but I mean given the situation.

[Tamas]

Yeah, I take everything back I said earlier. Thanks to the police, there are plenty of points to these protests.

It's almost like there's two layers to it - on the one hand there seems to be pervasive police impunity about their conduct and a default to violence. But that affects all sorts of people - including journalists, people who literally have a camera pointing at them, elderly people, paramedics etc - which to me indicates how "safe" the police feel behaving like this.

Then there's systemic and institutional racism. And because the two interact, African Americans are the most likely to suffer from this police impunity. They face it more and they face it worse.

But you know I always agreed with BLM and I remember thinking American cops seemed to behave outrageously way back in the "don't tase me, bro" days - which I think was at a John Kerry event. But it does just feel a lot more pervasive and a lot worse than I'd thought. I think a few years ago I would have emphasised the racial element, after the last few days I think I'd emphasise the police are out of control element. I am not sure what reform would work because it seems in so many places that you actually need root and branch rebuilding.

I also think it's really striking how the national guard and military have interacted with crowds - I mentioned this earlier when vets were commenting - and for all the talk of de-militarising the police, which I agree with, I wonder if there's something to be learned in how the military clearly sort of see themselves and feel they should interact with the nation.

Yes. I feel like these events are really the final nail in the coffin for my respect to the American system, let alone my desire to live there. It is not entirely surprising, or unexpected, but definitely disturbing and sad.

[garbon]

Yeah, I take everything back I said earlier. Thanks to the police, there are plenty of points to these protests.

It's almost like there's two layers to it - on the one hand there seems to be pervasive police impunity about their conduct and a default to violence. But that affects all sorts of people - including journalists, people who literally have a camera pointing at them, elderly people, paramedics etc - which to me indicates how "safe" the police feel behaving like this.

Then there's systemic and institutional racism. And because the two interact, African Americans are the most likely to suffer from this police impunity. They face it more and they face it worse.

But you know I always agreed with BLM and I remember thinking American cops seemed to behave outrageously way back in the "don't tase me, bro" days - which I think was at a John Kerry event. But it does just feel a lot more pervasive and a lot worse than I'd thought. I think a few years ago I would have emphasised the racial element, after the last few days I think I'd emphasise the police are out of control element. I am not sure what reform would work because it seems in so many places that you actually need root and branch rebuilding.

I also think it's really striking how the national guard and military have interacted with crowds - I mentioned this earlier when vets were commenting - and for all the talk of de-militarising the police, which I agree with, I wonder if there's something to be learned in how the military clearly sort of see themselves and feel they should interact with the nation.

Yes. I feel like these events are really the final nail in the coffin for my respect to the American system, let alone my desire to live there. It is not entirely surprising, or unexpected, but definitely disturbing and sad.

That's just silly but oh well.

[Tamas]

Ok "respect" is a strong word as  I haven't lost all respect for the entire system, obviously.

Perhaps "disillusionment" is the correct word to how I am feeling.