Sunday, May 31, 2020
I CAN'T BREATHE MURAL
A mural depicting George Floyd is pictured at Mauerpark in Berlin, Germany. Photograph: Christian Mang/Reuters
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Viral photo shows line of white
between police, black protesters at Thursday rally
A photo from Thursday night's protest in downtown Louisville appears to show a line of white women, arms locked, standing between Louisville Metro Police officers and black protesters.
© Tim Druck A line of almost all white women formed between police officers and black protesters at Thursday night's rally in downtown Louisville calling for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.
It quickly went viral, shared on social media by organizations like the Kentucky National Organization for Women, where it was shared more than 100,000 times on Facebook.
"This is a line of white people forming a barrier between Black protesters and the police. This is love. This is what you do with your privilege," the post states.
Tim Druck, a Louisville photographer, captured the moment at the rally, where people called for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor, who was shot in her apartment in March by Louisville police during a no-knock warrant.
Druck, who showed up to take photos of the protest around 9 p.m. Thursday, said a small police presence arrived to block off intersections downtown as the crowd grew.
According to Druck, Chanelle Helm, a lead organizer for Black Lives Matter Louisville, said to white protesters using a bullhorn: "If you are going to be here, you should defend this space,” and instructed people to form the line facing police at 6th and Jefferson streets.
"She was asking for white folks to use their privilege, and put their bodies between police and the other demonstrators," Druck said. "And people responded. They didn’t, they didn't need to be convinced. Everybody willingly and enthusiastically did it."
"She was asking for white folks to use their privilege, and put their bodies between police and the other demonstrators," Druck said. "And people responded. They didn’t, they didn't need to be convinced. Everybody willingly and enthusiastically did it."
Druck snapped one quick photo with his iPhone, which went viral on social media, and another with his Nikon, to capture the striking moment.
As a "Girl Dad," Druck said he was proud to see the line of women at the protest, where his wife and daughter were also in attendance.
Kentucky National Organization for WomenToday
Kentucky National Organization for Women May 28 at 8:55 PM ·
6th and Jefferson in Louisville. This is a line of white people forming a barrier between Black protestors and the police. This is love. This is what you do with your privilege. #NoJusticeNoPeace #SayHerName #BreonnaTaylor
Photo credit: Tim Druck
Kentucky National Organization for Women May 28 at 8:55 PM ·
6th and Jefferson in Louisville. This is a line of white people forming a barrier between Black protestors and the police. This is love. This is what you do with your privilege. #NoJusticeNoPeace #SayHerName #BreonnaTaylor
Photo credit: Tim Druck
Racial inequality in Minneapolis is among the worst in the nation
Christopher Ingraham
The current unrest in Minneapolis was sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody after being suspected of passing a counterfeit $20 bill. But the anger and despair on display by hundreds of demonstrators underscore a long-simmering disconnect: A city known as one of the most livable places in the United States is also home to some of the nation’s biggest racial disparities.
Christopher Ingraham
The current unrest in Minneapolis was sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody after being suspected of passing a counterfeit $20 bill. But the anger and despair on display by hundreds of demonstrators underscore a long-simmering disconnect: A city known as one of the most livable places in the United States is also home to some of the nation’s biggest racial disparities.
© John Minchillo/AP Protesters outside a burning police station in Minneapolis on Thursday.
The median black family income in Minneapolis was $36,000 in 2018, according to Census Bureau data. Though that figure compares favorably with black families in many other U.S. metro areas, it is a far cry from the nearly $83,000 a typical white family in the city would earn. The $47,000 difference is one of the largest such gaps in the nation.
In percentage terms, the typical black household earns only 44 percent as much as the typical white one. Of the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas, only Milwaukee in neighboring Wisconsin has a larger gap between black and white earnings.
Because families must make money to save money, Minneapolis’s black-white income gap is mirrored in wealth data — in this case homeownership rates because homes are the primary component of middle class wealth.
Roughly one-quarter of black families in Minneapolis own their home, which is one of the lowest black homeownership rates in the United States. The city’s white families, by contrast, have one of the nation’s highest rates at 76 percent. The resultant gap works out to more than 50 percentage points. Only Madison, Wis., and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pa., have larger gulfs.
The roots of these disparities run deep: In the first half of the 20th century, for instance, real estate transactions in many Minneapolis neighborhoods were bound by provisions that limited ownership to white families. “The said premises shall not at any time be sold, conveyed, leased, or sublet, or occupied by any person or persons who are not full bloods of the so-called Caucasian or White race,” as one common provision put it.
Slide 1 of 50: Protestors rally against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Detroit , Michigan, U.S., May 30, 2020. REUTERS/Emily Elconin
In Minneapolis, George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after he was pinned down by police officer Derek Chauvin. The video of the handcuffed man dying while Chauvin knelt on his neck sparked a fresh furor in the US over police treatment of African Americans. The video shared online showed Floyd pleading that he couldn't breathe. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey fired four police officers following the death in custody of George Floyd. Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Demonstrations are being held across the US demanding justice for Floyd.
(Pictured) Protesters rally against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Detroit, Michigan, on May 30.Slideshow by photo services
Before these covenants, “Minneapolis was not particularly segregated,” according to the authors of the University of Minnesota’s Mapping Prejudice project. But “as racially-restrictive deeds spread, African Americans were pushed into a few small areas of the city. And even as the number of black residents continued to climb, ever-larger swaths of the city became entirely white.”
Though no longer enforceable, those covenants continue to shape settlement patterns in the Twin Cities to this day.
The city’s black communities were suppressed in other ways, too. In the 1950s and 1960s, city planners devastated the historically black Rondo neighborhood by running Interstate 94 down its main thoroughfare. “One in every eight African Americans in St. Paul lost a home to I-94,” according to the Minnesota Historical Society, and “many businesses never reopened.”
The devastating disparities in the Twin Cities are well-known and much discussed, but addressing them has proved challenging.
“One only has to look at the faces of the African Americans living in impoverished neighborhoods, attending failed schools, over represented in a broken criminal justice system, and suffering from covert and overt employment discrimination on a daily basis to see that not everyone is enjoying the prosperity of Minnesota,” as the state NAACP presciently warned in a report in December. “If the growing disparities, in education, economics, criminal justice are not addressed immediately our children will not have a future.”
That same sense of despair is etched on the faces of demonstrators in Minneapolis, where Floyd died Monday, as protests raged into Friday. Similar scenes also have played out in Washington, Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Detroit and beyond, resulting in widespread property damage, numerous injuries and at least one death.
“In the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard,” as Martin Luther King put it. “And what is it that America has failed to hear?”
Andrew Van Dam contributed to this report.
The typical black family in Minneapolis earns less than half as much as the typical white family in any given year. And homeownership among black people is one-third the rate of white families
As a result, many black families have been effectively locked out of the prosperity that the city’s overwhelmingly white population enjoys.
The median black family income in Minneapolis was $36,000 in 2018, according to Census Bureau data. Though that figure compares favorably with black families in many other U.S. metro areas, it is a far cry from the nearly $83,000 a typical white family in the city would earn. The $47,000 difference is one of the largest such gaps in the nation.
In percentage terms, the typical black household earns only 44 percent as much as the typical white one. Of the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas, only Milwaukee in neighboring Wisconsin has a larger gap between black and white earnings.
Because families must make money to save money, Minneapolis’s black-white income gap is mirrored in wealth data — in this case homeownership rates because homes are the primary component of middle class wealth.
Roughly one-quarter of black families in Minneapolis own their home, which is one of the lowest black homeownership rates in the United States. The city’s white families, by contrast, have one of the nation’s highest rates at 76 percent. The resultant gap works out to more than 50 percentage points. Only Madison, Wis., and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pa., have larger gulfs.
The roots of these disparities run deep: In the first half of the 20th century, for instance, real estate transactions in many Minneapolis neighborhoods were bound by provisions that limited ownership to white families. “The said premises shall not at any time be sold, conveyed, leased, or sublet, or occupied by any person or persons who are not full bloods of the so-called Caucasian or White race,” as one common provision put it.
Slide 1 of 50: Protestors rally against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Detroit , Michigan, U.S., May 30, 2020. REUTERS/Emily Elconin
In Minneapolis, George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after he was pinned down by police officer Derek Chauvin. The video of the handcuffed man dying while Chauvin knelt on his neck sparked a fresh furor in the US over police treatment of African Americans. The video shared online showed Floyd pleading that he couldn't breathe. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey fired four police officers following the death in custody of George Floyd. Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Demonstrations are being held across the US demanding justice for Floyd.
(Pictured) Protesters rally against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Detroit, Michigan, on May 30.Slideshow by photo services
Before these covenants, “Minneapolis was not particularly segregated,” according to the authors of the University of Minnesota’s Mapping Prejudice project. But “as racially-restrictive deeds spread, African Americans were pushed into a few small areas of the city. And even as the number of black residents continued to climb, ever-larger swaths of the city became entirely white.”
Though no longer enforceable, those covenants continue to shape settlement patterns in the Twin Cities to this day.
The city’s black communities were suppressed in other ways, too. In the 1950s and 1960s, city planners devastated the historically black Rondo neighborhood by running Interstate 94 down its main thoroughfare. “One in every eight African Americans in St. Paul lost a home to I-94,” according to the Minnesota Historical Society, and “many businesses never reopened.”
The devastating disparities in the Twin Cities are well-known and much discussed, but addressing them has proved challenging.
“One only has to look at the faces of the African Americans living in impoverished neighborhoods, attending failed schools, over represented in a broken criminal justice system, and suffering from covert and overt employment discrimination on a daily basis to see that not everyone is enjoying the prosperity of Minnesota,” as the state NAACP presciently warned in a report in December. “If the growing disparities, in education, economics, criminal justice are not addressed immediately our children will not have a future.”
That same sense of despair is etched on the faces of demonstrators in Minneapolis, where Floyd died Monday, as protests raged into Friday. Similar scenes also have played out in Washington, Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Detroit and beyond, resulting in widespread property damage, numerous injuries and at least one death.
“In the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard,” as Martin Luther King put it. “And what is it that America has failed to hear?”
Andrew Van Dam contributed to this report.
White supremacy groups are hoping to leverage George Floyd's death into their longed-for 'race war'
Mark Sumner Daily Kos Staff Saturday May 30, 2020 ·
What appear to be white protesters initiating attempts to smash store windows in Minneapolis
Mark Sumner Daily Kos Staff Saturday May 30, 2020 ·
What appear to be white protesters initiating attempts to smash store windows in Minneapolis
The protests that have spread across the nation in the wake of the murder of George Floyd have attracted a diverse group of supporters that go beyond local Black communities and national organizations. At events in Washington, New York, Minneapolis, and elsewhere, community activists have been joined by allies, by groups supporting Latinos, Indian groups, and even groups of Mennonite farmers speaking out in support and showing up for protests.
But, with dozens of buildings burned and Donald Trump preparing to bring in the military, there’s a growing sense that the violence in many cases isn’t originating from within the local Black community. In multiple instances, there have been incidents that seemed to spring up on the periphery of peaceful protests, leading to violent confrontations and property destruction. And increasingly, there are reports that these events are not originating organically from the protests or from confrontations between protesters and the police. There is a very real feeling that white supremacists are using this moment to create incidents designed to justify still more violence and suppression.
Saturday, May 30, 2020 · 10:06:59 AM MDT · Mark Sumner
Raw footage of who started the looting in Oakland at Walgreens. Had just seen them three blocks down hitting some other businesses. All prepared with hammers. Don’t let them say different. pic.twitter.com/DZu2t4Np43— peanut butter cup (@deshawnieboy) May 30, 2020
With dozens of protests across the nation, not every event is the same. For example, it’s not hard to see what sparked this incident Atlanta, where a police officer slams a bicycle into a Black woman for having the audacity to wave a finger at him while saying “Don’t touch me.” It’s clear that the violence in this particular moment originated direct from the police.
WATCH: I was recording when the first clash between police & protestors broke out in Atlanta. @cbs46 #cbs46 #news #GeorgeFloydprotest pic.twitter.com/hrDBk1Plry— Brittany Miller (@Brittm_tv) May 29, 2020
But in some of the most publicized incidents across the nation, there seem to be a singular nature to some of those involved, as in this recording in which what appears to be a young white man in camo pants and military boots paints graffiti on a federal building.
The protest then headed to in front of the White House. A protester was taken by the USSS in front of Pennsylvania Ave into an adjacent federal building. Unclear what he did.A couple men then splintered off from the group and spray painted “F*ck Trump†on the building. @cbsnews pic.twitter.com/OVwPu0PF6X— Fin Gomez (@finnygo) May 29, 2020
Or this group which is, reportedly, shown attempting to smash store windows in Minneapolis, with the group initiating this action appearing to be led by a number of white people
This from @Mikel_Jollett
t shows the instigators clearly. They are white. Organized with walkie talkies. pic.twitter.com/zPhBoSg3fE— Barbara Stiles (@Dovewoman1) May 30, 2020
And those on the ground reported similar events at other protests in many locations.
I was at Downtown Oakland protests a little while ago. Let me say something; the people breaking glass, breaking into windows & starting fires were WHITE men wearing all black. They had hammers and walkie talkies. They were organized. BLM protestors did not start the violence! pic.twitter.com/I2HOdzFoHd— Asia (@AsiaJannelll) May 30, 2020
Repeatedly, from eye witnesses and from officials, have come claims that violence in the protests is originating not with those who live in the community, but with others who have appeared to take advantage of this moment.
Remarkable info coming out of this presser: Gov. Tim Walls, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and now MN attorney general Keith Ellison ALL alleging outside forces, domestic and possibly foreign, have post-Tuesday infiltrated the state, and are— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) May 30, 2020
And, as Vice reports, far right extremists are trying to use this situation in hopes of bringing about their much-desired “race war.” That effort involves both showing up at protests with guns, initiating violence, and taking to computers to urge everyone involved toward more tragic confrontations. Even the Hawaiian shirt-wearing “Boogaloo Bois” have appeared at some of the protests. The possibility of using these protests as a precipitating incident, and calls for white supremacist militias to confront protesters, are dominating discussion boards and social media for these groups.
This is also generating some genuinely bizarre events.
Atlanta has deployed a child militia at Lenox Mall fitted with riot shields and batons. What the actual fuck is going on? pic.twitter.com/zTtmw5mDTN— Fox Wound (@foxwoundband) May 30, 2020
The extent to which those trying to instigate more widespread violence are behind the incidents of property damage and physical clashes remains unclear. What is absolutely clear it that white supremacists are hoping to leverage yet another example of violence against an individual Black man as an excuse to carry out a campaign of expanded violence against the entire Black community.
Following closely on the heels of the police murder of Breonna Taylor and the recorded lynching of Ahmaud Arbery—as well as decades in which police violence has been repeatedly excused—there’s no doubt of the weight of grief in the Black community, or the justified anger. But there are definitely those who are seeking to turn this moment from one in which those suffering injustice are finally heard, to one in which that injustice is “justified” and made worse.
And with Donald Trump calling Nazis in Charlottesville “very fine people” and protesters in Minneapolis “thugs,” there seems little doubt about which side he is ready to join.
But, with dozens of buildings burned and Donald Trump preparing to bring in the military, there’s a growing sense that the violence in many cases isn’t originating from within the local Black community. In multiple instances, there have been incidents that seemed to spring up on the periphery of peaceful protests, leading to violent confrontations and property destruction. And increasingly, there are reports that these events are not originating organically from the protests or from confrontations between protesters and the police. There is a very real feeling that white supremacists are using this moment to create incidents designed to justify still more violence and suppression.
Saturday, May 30, 2020 · 10:06:59 AM MDT · Mark Sumner
Raw footage of who started the looting in Oakland at Walgreens. Had just seen them three blocks down hitting some other businesses. All prepared with hammers. Don’t let them say different. pic.twitter.com/DZu2t4Np43— peanut butter cup (@deshawnieboy) May 30, 2020
With dozens of protests across the nation, not every event is the same. For example, it’s not hard to see what sparked this incident Atlanta, where a police officer slams a bicycle into a Black woman for having the audacity to wave a finger at him while saying “Don’t touch me.” It’s clear that the violence in this particular moment originated direct from the police.
WATCH: I was recording when the first clash between police & protestors broke out in Atlanta. @cbs46 #cbs46 #news #GeorgeFloydprotest pic.twitter.com/hrDBk1Plry— Brittany Miller (@Brittm_tv) May 29, 2020
But in some of the most publicized incidents across the nation, there seem to be a singular nature to some of those involved, as in this recording in which what appears to be a young white man in camo pants and military boots paints graffiti on a federal building.
The protest then headed to in front of the White House. A protester was taken by the USSS in front of Pennsylvania Ave into an adjacent federal building. Unclear what he did.A couple men then splintered off from the group and spray painted “F*ck Trump†on the building. @cbsnews pic.twitter.com/OVwPu0PF6X— Fin Gomez (@finnygo) May 29, 2020
Or this group which is, reportedly, shown attempting to smash store windows in Minneapolis, with the group initiating this action appearing to be led by a number of white people
This from @Mikel_Jollett
t shows the instigators clearly. They are white. Organized with walkie talkies. pic.twitter.com/zPhBoSg3fE— Barbara Stiles (@Dovewoman1) May 30, 2020
And those on the ground reported similar events at other protests in many locations.
I was at Downtown Oakland protests a little while ago. Let me say something; the people breaking glass, breaking into windows & starting fires were WHITE men wearing all black. They had hammers and walkie talkies. They were organized. BLM protestors did not start the violence! pic.twitter.com/I2HOdzFoHd— Asia (@AsiaJannelll) May 30, 2020
Repeatedly, from eye witnesses and from officials, have come claims that violence in the protests is originating not with those who live in the community, but with others who have appeared to take advantage of this moment.
Remarkable info coming out of this presser: Gov. Tim Walls, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and now MN attorney general Keith Ellison ALL alleging outside forces, domestic and possibly foreign, have post-Tuesday infiltrated the state, and are— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) May 30, 2020
And, as Vice reports, far right extremists are trying to use this situation in hopes of bringing about their much-desired “race war.” That effort involves both showing up at protests with guns, initiating violence, and taking to computers to urge everyone involved toward more tragic confrontations. Even the Hawaiian shirt-wearing “Boogaloo Bois” have appeared at some of the protests. The possibility of using these protests as a precipitating incident, and calls for white supremacist militias to confront protesters, are dominating discussion boards and social media for these groups.
This is also generating some genuinely bizarre events.
Atlanta has deployed a child militia at Lenox Mall fitted with riot shields and batons. What the actual fuck is going on? pic.twitter.com/zTtmw5mDTN— Fox Wound (@foxwoundband) May 30, 2020
The extent to which those trying to instigate more widespread violence are behind the incidents of property damage and physical clashes remains unclear. What is absolutely clear it that white supremacists are hoping to leverage yet another example of violence against an individual Black man as an excuse to carry out a campaign of expanded violence against the entire Black community.
Following closely on the heels of the police murder of Breonna Taylor and the recorded lynching of Ahmaud Arbery—as well as decades in which police violence has been repeatedly excused—there’s no doubt of the weight of grief in the Black community, or the justified anger. But there are definitely those who are seeking to turn this moment from one in which those suffering injustice are finally heard, to one in which that injustice is “justified” and made worse.
And with Donald Trump calling Nazis in Charlottesville “very fine people” and protesters in Minneapolis “thugs,” there seems little doubt about which side he is ready to join.
vjr7121
Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)
Saturday May 30, 2020 ·
WE ALL CAN’T BREATHE
Our nation is being choked by the events that may seem recent but are rooted in the history of our nation. This year we all have learned that the most frightening symptom of the coronavirus is its ability to take over the respiratory system and restrict breathing. Frightening and deadly, it became the virus’ trademark. Hospitals rushed to find ventilators to ease the breathing of affected patients, Doctors intubated those whose lungs were so infected that breathing became impossible.
Then we have the cases of Eric Garner and more recently George Floyd whose breath was taken away by the force of renegade police officers who took it upon themselves to choke the life out of a fellow human. Caught on tape, these murders can best be explained as racism. Neither Garner nor Floyd were vicious criminals---Garner was selling contraband cigarettes on a Staten Island street corner, Floyd may or may not have passed on a counterfeit bill in a transaction at a convenience mart in Minneapolis. Neither man was armed. Neither was a mortal threat to the arresting officers. Both received the ultimate punishment allowed by law in 30 states, none of which are Minnesota or New York whose death penalty sentence has been made inactive. The use of deadly force, however, when black men are involved goes far beyond choking. Young men of color must live with the realization that at any time, for whatever reason, whether they have committed a crime or not, their ultimate judgment would not be issued in a court of law, but can be meted out in the street. Ask Eric Garner, or Michael Brown, or Abner Louima, or Amadou Diallo, or Walter Scott, or Freddie Gray, or Laquan McDonald, or Philando Castile, or Terence Crutcher, or Antwon Rose II, or O'Shae Terry, or Kelly Thomas, or Oscar Grant, or…..George Floyd. None of these black men had committed a crime that would have been considered serious. Some had committed no crime. All were executed by police officers on the street.
SOME OF THESE THINGS AREN’T LIKE THE OTHERS
For those who want to quibble and distort the argument, this week on the day George Floyd begged his oppressor for his life, to remove his knee from the handcuffed and prostrate victim, an armed white young man was apprehended by police. Peter Manfredonia was known to have killed two people---one was hacked to death by a machete. He shot another young man and kidnapped his girlfriend. He was hunted for several days leading police officers on a multi-state manhunt. At the time of his capture, he was carrying a duffel bag containing weapons. Here is an account of his capture and arrest:
“...the manhunt ended in Hagerstown, Maryland, on Wednesday night when an investigator being briefed on his description pointed to a man of that height nearby, and the detective delivering the briefing noticed his red sneakers, police said. The side view profile of him also matched photos of Manfredonia, according to Connecticut State Police Lt. Michael Pendleton.
The team immediately went over to Manfredonia with guns drawn and told him to get on the ground, and he cooperated.
"At that point he went to the ground, he did not resist, and absolutely no force was used to arrest him...”
CNN, 05/28/2020
Dylann Roof was a young white supremacist who walked into Emanuel AME Episcopal Church in Charleston killing 9 black participants including their pastor. He hesitated firing on the group because after inviting him to join them, they treated him so kindly. He, too, was on the run and armed when captured, again without incident:
Dylann Roof was caught after 11 a.m. ET following Wednesday night's massacre at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was arrested about 245 miles north in Shelby, North Carolina, during a traffic stop, Charleston Police Chief Gregory Mullen said at a news conference.
Shelby police received a tip about a suspicious car in the area and arrested Roof without incident, Mullen added.
"I am so pleased that we were able to resolve this case quickly ... so that nobody else is harmed by this individual who obviously committed a tragic, heinous crime in the city of Charleston," Mullen said.
I am not advocating for Roof or Peter Manfredonia to have been treated like the young black men above---only that their lives be valued as worthy as that of any person under the law---that justice is meted out in a courtroom and not on the street.
I am reminded of the opening of The National Memorial for Peace and Justice last year. As you may recall the museum sponsored by the Equal Justice Initiative recounts the era between 1877 and 1950---an era in which the practice of lynching was most active in America. In that period more than 4400 human beings had the life illegally choked out of them. They, too, died because they couldn’t breathe. They, like the young black men noted above, were the victims of what can only be called endemic racism that remains America’s abiding shame---our self inflicted national wound. The death of George Floyd is nothing more than our own perpetuation of, and acceptance of the stain left upon our founding documents by slavery. Back then as it remains today, given a choice between human lives and the economy, the economy wins. How ironic that these same themes collide in the course of our national affairs again---even more ironic that the document that purported to recognize the equality of all men is now being used to deny it to some. There is a straight line connecting the kind of martial lawlessness we are witnessing today and the history of racism in America. It started with a choice that was deemed an imperative.
NO PLACE IS SAFE
"The thing about the lynching era was the capriciousness of it -- no space was safe," says Anderson, an African-American studies professor at Emory University in Atlanta.
"Folks of color were never at ease. You're looking all the time. You're wondering. Is this a place I can go? You could be walking down the street or in a store or you could be sitting on your front porch and you could get killed."
Gorge Floyd was sitting in his SUV along with two friends. He was pulled out of the vehicle and handcuffed. Everyone who witnessed the encounter insisted that Floyd didn’t resist. Even the store owner who accused him of trying to pass a twenty-dollar counterfeit bill agreed that there was no resistance. Officer Chauvin didn’t use a rope, just his knee. No, and he wasn’t wearing a white hooded robe, he wore blue. And in case you are wondering why this matters, or why we should care, if you cannot understand the anger in the black community even as you refuse to condone the carnage, remember the words of Jacob Frey whose reaction stands in stark contrast to the judgments of our current president:
“What we've seen over the last two days ... is the result of so much built-up anger and sadness. Anger and sadness that has been ingrained in our black community, not just because of five minutes of horror, but 400 years.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey
Reacting to the destruction of his third precinct building, he noted that a building is not worth the loss of one life.
GIVING LICENSE TO KILL
The anger in the black community grows in direct proportion to the indifference of a nation that refuses to confront its demons. On May 22, in Glynn County, Georgia, a 25-year-old black man was out for a jog. He was accosted by two white men, one a retired police officer, and was shot to death because he stopped to look at a home under construction. The murderers acted under the cover of law by first calling 911 to suggest a crime was being committed. Then, like the hooded vigilantes before them, they hunted their prey. There was no crime, no reason for the altercation. The only explanation that makes any sense is that Ahmaud Arbery was black and his assailants were white. In what world would anyone expect there not to be anger and fear among those in the black community? In what world would we expect a national leader to choose to inflame the situation with tweets thumbed from the safety of the White House advocating the shooting of more young black men?
Mark this moment in time as we are witnessing 21st-century lynchings in a nation whose leadership seems willing to purchase the rope.
Taylor Swift Tweet Reduces Trump to Hot Garbage AND Gets Out the Vote
ericlewis0
Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)
Friday May 29, 2020
I believe tweets like this are Trump’s and Putin’s greatest fear:
After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November. @realdonaldtrump— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 29, 2020
Here it is one more time as a screen capture, just to be sure everyone can see it:
As a fellow Kosack just pointed out to me, even with Putin’s lord-knows-how-many bots, Trump himself has never gotten more than 300K likes for a tweet, whereas Taylor’s, above, is already at almost a million likes.
Big kudos to Ms. Swift for bringing the truth and courage to criticize someone whom surely some of her fans support. Not only that, but she ends her tweet with an implicit encouragement to VOTE in November. Perfect!
We should embolden and encourage more American megastars (there aren’t that many of them) to tweet or otherwise broadcast their outrage against Trump and to get people to vote. It would do a world of good.
As Taylor said, we will vote Trump out in November.
UPDATE Sat. May 30, 10:55pm EDT:
From Forbes Magazine:
During a week in which President Trump’s war with Twitter was at the center of the national conversation, it might actually be a Tweet by a pop star that changes the outcome of the 2020 presidential campaign.
On Friday morning, Taylor Swift, one of the world’s biggest musical superstars, shared a 38-word Tweet admonishing President Trump for his provocative comments about the riots in Minneapolis. In doing so, she put the President on notice.
www.forbes.com/...
ericlewis0
Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)
Friday May 29, 2020
I believe tweets like this are Trump’s and Putin’s greatest fear:
After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November. @realdonaldtrump— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 29, 2020
Here it is one more time as a screen capture, just to be sure everyone can see it:
As a fellow Kosack just pointed out to me, even with Putin’s lord-knows-how-many bots, Trump himself has never gotten more than 300K likes for a tweet, whereas Taylor’s, above, is already at almost a million likes.
Big kudos to Ms. Swift for bringing the truth and courage to criticize someone whom surely some of her fans support. Not only that, but she ends her tweet with an implicit encouragement to VOTE in November. Perfect!
We should embolden and encourage more American megastars (there aren’t that many of them) to tweet or otherwise broadcast their outrage against Trump and to get people to vote. It would do a world of good.
As Taylor said, we will vote Trump out in November.
UPDATE Sat. May 30, 10:55pm EDT:
From Forbes Magazine:
During a week in which President Trump’s war with Twitter was at the center of the national conversation, it might actually be a Tweet by a pop star that changes the outcome of the 2020 presidential campaign.
On Friday morning, Taylor Swift, one of the world’s biggest musical superstars, shared a 38-word Tweet admonishing President Trump for his provocative comments about the riots in Minneapolis. In doing so, she put the President on notice.
www.forbes.com/...
KOPS OUTTA KONTROL
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) and Columbus City Council President pepper sprayed at protest
Denise Oliver Velez
Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)
Saturday May 30, 2020 ·
Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, of Ohio, gasping after being pepper sprayed
Beatty, who has represented Ohio’s Third Congressional District since 2013, was at the protest, which is now in it’s third day in downtown Columbus, to help de-escalate a tense situation in the city, where the Governor, Mike DeWine, has just called out the Ohio National Guard.
Columbus Dispatch photojournalist Kyle Robertson posted this tweet depicting the incident.
Here is a 38 photo sequence of what happen this morning with Joyce Beatty, Shannon Hardin, Kevin Boyce, protesters and Columbus Police. pic.twitter.com/ZZEd6MfJCh— Kyle Robertson (@KRobPhoto) May 30, 2020
The local NBC outlet reported, Rep. Joyce Beatty, Columbus City Council President Hardin pepper-sprayed during protest
Council President Hardin tweeted a video with Rep. Beatty saying that they are okay, and called on people on both sides of the protest to remain calm. Beatty said in an interview later Saturday that the pepper spray was “prolific.”
“I don’t remember hearing anyone saying, ‘Move or we’re going to pepper spray,’” Beatty said. “Councilman Hardin got the brunt of it and he was in the middle of the sidewalk.” She added that she didn’t think the pepper spray was necessary. “I heard no warning,” she said. “Obviously if someone had said and held up a pepper spray and said, ‘I’m gonna pepper spray,’ we would have moved. Nobody wants to be pepper sprayed, trust me.”
A spokesperson for Beatty told NBC4 that while the protest was underway, someone started scuffling with police. Police took that person down, which made other protesters angry. Beatty stepped in to try and calm the situation when police started spraying. Hardin and Boyce pulled Beatty out of the fray.
Pepper-spray is no joke.
Thanks to whoever gave me that milk. pic.twitter.com/q82XcPChaY— Shannon Hardin (@SG_Hardin) May 30, 2020
Beatty has been advocating for non-violence, while actively supporting the protests and castigating Donald Trump.
“We adopt the means of nonviolence because our end is a community at peace with itself. We will try to persuade with our words, but if our words fail, we will try to persuade with our acts.†- MLK #JusticeForAll pic.twitter.com/rXwT8FtXZN— Joyce Beatty (@RepBeatty) May 30, 2020
Justice for George. Justice for Ahmaud. Justice for Breonna. #JusticeForAll pic.twitter.com/Ep7FuJx8gf— Joyce Beatty (@RepBeatty) May 30, 2020
More threats of violence from @realDonaldTrump! https://t.co/JpvhNh3J28— Joyce Beatty (@RepBeatty) May 30, 2020
Glad she, Hardin and Boyce are okay —and I thank them for their service. I’d also like to say thanks to all those who are out in the streets today, across the nation, demanding justice.
Denise Oliver Velez
Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)
Saturday May 30, 2020 ·
Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, of Ohio, gasping after being pepper sprayed
Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin, and Franklin County, Commissioner Kevin Boyce, were all pepper-sprayed today, during a protest outside the Ohio Statehouse, where people were peacefully demanding an end to police brutality and marching for justice.
Beatty, who has represented Ohio’s Third Congressional District since 2013, was at the protest, which is now in it’s third day in downtown Columbus, to help de-escalate a tense situation in the city, where the Governor, Mike DeWine, has just called out the Ohio National Guard.
Columbus Dispatch photojournalist Kyle Robertson posted this tweet depicting the incident.
Here is a 38 photo sequence of what happen this morning with Joyce Beatty, Shannon Hardin, Kevin Boyce, protesters and Columbus Police. pic.twitter.com/ZZEd6MfJCh— Kyle Robertson (@KRobPhoto) May 30, 2020
The local NBC outlet reported, Rep. Joyce Beatty, Columbus City Council President Hardin pepper-sprayed during protest
Council President Hardin tweeted a video with Rep. Beatty saying that they are okay, and called on people on both sides of the protest to remain calm. Beatty said in an interview later Saturday that the pepper spray was “prolific.”
“I don’t remember hearing anyone saying, ‘Move or we’re going to pepper spray,’” Beatty said. “Councilman Hardin got the brunt of it and he was in the middle of the sidewalk.” She added that she didn’t think the pepper spray was necessary. “I heard no warning,” she said. “Obviously if someone had said and held up a pepper spray and said, ‘I’m gonna pepper spray,’ we would have moved. Nobody wants to be pepper sprayed, trust me.”
A spokesperson for Beatty told NBC4 that while the protest was underway, someone started scuffling with police. Police took that person down, which made other protesters angry. Beatty stepped in to try and calm the situation when police started spraying. Hardin and Boyce pulled Beatty out of the fray.
Pepper-spray is no joke.
Thanks to whoever gave me that milk. pic.twitter.com/q82XcPChaY— Shannon Hardin (@SG_Hardin) May 30, 2020
Beatty has been advocating for non-violence, while actively supporting the protests and castigating Donald Trump.
“We adopt the means of nonviolence because our end is a community at peace with itself. We will try to persuade with our words, but if our words fail, we will try to persuade with our acts.†- MLK #JusticeForAll pic.twitter.com/rXwT8FtXZN— Joyce Beatty (@RepBeatty) May 30, 2020
Justice for George. Justice for Ahmaud. Justice for Breonna. #JusticeForAll pic.twitter.com/Ep7FuJx8gf— Joyce Beatty (@RepBeatty) May 30, 2020
More threats of violence from @realDonaldTrump! https://t.co/JpvhNh3J28— Joyce Beatty (@RepBeatty) May 30, 2020
Glad she, Hardin and Boyce are okay —and I thank them for their service. I’d also like to say thanks to all those who are out in the streets today, across the nation, demanding justice.
Far-right 'Boogaloo Bois' fanning flames of chaos in Minnesota protests, officials claim
David Neiwert
Daily Kos Staff
Saturday May 30, 2020
A Minneapolis auto-parts store whose windows were broken out by a suspicious white man earlier in the day Friday was set afire by protesters later.
The specter of white supremacists surreptitiously participating in protests surrounding the death of George Floyd, the black man killed in the custody of Minneapolis police last week, became more substantive than earlier vague rumors when Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Saturday told reporters that neo-Nazis—along with members of Mexican drug cartels—appear to be involved in inflaming the violent riots that have struck Minneapolis, as well as other cities around the country.
“The situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd,” Walz said today. “It is about attacking civil society, instilling fear and disrupting our great cities.”
“We have seen things like white supremacist organizers posting on platforms about coming to Minnesota,” Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said at the same press conference, adding that a potential connection to organized crime is also being investigated.
Harrington added that white nationalists are posting messages on social media, according to Joy Reid, that urge fellow extremists to go to Minneapolis to “get our loot on” and create mayhem. He told reporters that authorities will investigate people attempting to use public outrage over Floyd’s death as a “cover” for illegal activity.
Walz told reporters he was aware of rumors that white supremacists were involved in some of the looting surrounding the protests and that “based on my suspicions and what I've seen on this,” he found them credible.
"It gets worse than that," he added. "The cartels, who are wondering if there was a break in their drug transmissions, are trying to take advantage of the chaos. That's why this situation is on a federal level."
Walz and other officials also claimed that 80 percent of the rioters were from out of state.
“Those folks who are agitating and inciting are taking advantage of the pain, of the hurt, of the frustration, of the anger, of the very real and legitimate sadness that so many of our community members feel, to advocate for the destruction of our communities,” St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said.
Suspicions were initially fueled in part by videos shared on social media that appeared to show masked white men engaging in violent destruction, and ignoring black protesters who attempt to get them to stop. One video in particular showed a masked man carrying an umbrella while smashing windows at a Minneapolis auto-parts store, then running away when confronted about the behavior by black protesters. The store was later burned down.
The behavior initially aroused claims that the man was a police officer in disguise, creating mayhem that could be blamed on protesters, and one widely shared tweet appeared to identify him as a Minneapolis police officer. However, police said that the identified officer was not the person in the video, and he had an airtight alibi: “We spoke with his supervisor, who was with him. We spoke to his colleagues, who were with him,” said Steve Linders, public information officer for the St. Paul Police Department.
White supremacists and other extremists have been talking among themselves on social media about how best to exploit the racial tension arising from the Floyd killing, which they see as creating an extremely fragile situation in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, they see their long-simmering hopes for a race war coming to fruition.
The most active discussion has come among so-called “Boogaloo Bois,” the pro-Trump civil war enthusiasts who have been leveraging anti-stay-home-order protests into recruitment and agitation opportunities. A number of “Boogaloo” pages on Facebook have featured memes indicating solidarity with black protesters, since many of the participants in the movement are mainly interested in opposing police operations and law enforcement.
The “Boogaloo Ranch” Facebook page featured a meme showing the office building that houses the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, urging protesters to target it as “part of a banking cartel that is the primary source of oppression in the United States … and they have money!” Elsewhere, the same page includes a post listing the locations of all the anti-police protests currently taking place.
Some “Boogaloo” enthusiasts took photos of themselves in Minneapolis with black protesters, as Jordan Green reported at Raw Story. However, a fellow participant in the Big Igloo Bois thread on Discord warned: “This is not the time for boog, this is how a race war starts.”
“It’s a right-wing thing; it’s a neo-fascist thing,” warned veteran antifacsist Daryle Lamont Jenkins in a Twitter video. “And they’re trying to use what’s happening in Minneapolis as a jump-off. Do not let them. They are not our friends.”
David Neiwert
Daily Kos Staff
Saturday May 30, 2020
A Minneapolis auto-parts store whose windows were broken out by a suspicious white man earlier in the day Friday was set afire by protesters later.
The specter of white supremacists surreptitiously participating in protests surrounding the death of George Floyd, the black man killed in the custody of Minneapolis police last week, became more substantive than earlier vague rumors when Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Saturday told reporters that neo-Nazis—along with members of Mexican drug cartels—appear to be involved in inflaming the violent riots that have struck Minneapolis, as well as other cities around the country.
“The situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd,” Walz said today. “It is about attacking civil society, instilling fear and disrupting our great cities.”
“We have seen things like white supremacist organizers posting on platforms about coming to Minnesota,” Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said at the same press conference, adding that a potential connection to organized crime is also being investigated.
Harrington added that white nationalists are posting messages on social media, according to Joy Reid, that urge fellow extremists to go to Minneapolis to “get our loot on” and create mayhem. He told reporters that authorities will investigate people attempting to use public outrage over Floyd’s death as a “cover” for illegal activity.
Walz told reporters he was aware of rumors that white supremacists were involved in some of the looting surrounding the protests and that “based on my suspicions and what I've seen on this,” he found them credible.
"It gets worse than that," he added. "The cartels, who are wondering if there was a break in their drug transmissions, are trying to take advantage of the chaos. That's why this situation is on a federal level."
Walz and other officials also claimed that 80 percent of the rioters were from out of state.
“Those folks who are agitating and inciting are taking advantage of the pain, of the hurt, of the frustration, of the anger, of the very real and legitimate sadness that so many of our community members feel, to advocate for the destruction of our communities,” St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said.
Suspicions were initially fueled in part by videos shared on social media that appeared to show masked white men engaging in violent destruction, and ignoring black protesters who attempt to get them to stop. One video in particular showed a masked man carrying an umbrella while smashing windows at a Minneapolis auto-parts store, then running away when confronted about the behavior by black protesters. The store was later burned down.
The behavior initially aroused claims that the man was a police officer in disguise, creating mayhem that could be blamed on protesters, and one widely shared tweet appeared to identify him as a Minneapolis police officer. However, police said that the identified officer was not the person in the video, and he had an airtight alibi: “We spoke with his supervisor, who was with him. We spoke to his colleagues, who were with him,” said Steve Linders, public information officer for the St. Paul Police Department.
White supremacists and other extremists have been talking among themselves on social media about how best to exploit the racial tension arising from the Floyd killing, which they see as creating an extremely fragile situation in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, they see their long-simmering hopes for a race war coming to fruition.
The most active discussion has come among so-called “Boogaloo Bois,” the pro-Trump civil war enthusiasts who have been leveraging anti-stay-home-order protests into recruitment and agitation opportunities. A number of “Boogaloo” pages on Facebook have featured memes indicating solidarity with black protesters, since many of the participants in the movement are mainly interested in opposing police operations and law enforcement.
The “Boogaloo Ranch” Facebook page featured a meme showing the office building that houses the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, urging protesters to target it as “part of a banking cartel that is the primary source of oppression in the United States … and they have money!” Elsewhere, the same page includes a post listing the locations of all the anti-police protests currently taking place.
Some “Boogaloo” enthusiasts took photos of themselves in Minneapolis with black protesters, as Jordan Green reported at Raw Story. However, a fellow participant in the Big Igloo Bois thread on Discord warned: “This is not the time for boog, this is how a race war starts.”
“It’s a right-wing thing; it’s a neo-fascist thing,” warned veteran antifacsist Daryle Lamont Jenkins in a Twitter video. “And they’re trying to use what’s happening in Minneapolis as a jump-off. Do not let them. They are not our friends.”
Trump threatens protesters with dogs, says Secret Service eager to attack, calls on MAGA supporters
Dartagnan
Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)
Saturday May 30, 2020
When Donald Trump declared himself a wartime president, most Americans probably didn’t realize he meant he was declaring war on them.
Last night protests over the cold-blooded police murder of George Floyd erupted in D.C., with protesters marching around the White House to express their anger. Secret Service agents were dispatched to cordon off the perimeter of the People’s House, enforcing a “lockdown” just inside its gates. Apparently Trump and his minions were peering out the windows, like rats holed up in their bunker. Today, Trump Tweeted out his praise of this taxpayer-funded protective cocoon spun around him, mocked and threatened the protesters, and summoned his hateful followers to assault them this evening.
From the New York Times:
A day after claiming he didn’t mean to suggest that law enforcement officials should shoot people who were part of the unrest in Minnesota, President Trump said on Saturday that the Secret Service had been prepared to sic the “most vicious dogs” on protesters outside the White House gates on Friday night.
For those who may have been concerned about Trump’s personal safety, he emphatically reassured them that he “couldn’t have felt more safe.” He also painted the Secret Service as his own personal Einsatzgruppen, claiming they were essentially straining at the leash to kill those Americans exercising their right to protest outside the White House.
Trump claimed that Secret Service agents told him they were clamoring for engagement with the protesters. “We put the young ones on the front line, sir, they love it, and good practice,” he claimed he had been told.
Finally, in a final act of thumbing his nose from behind his protective walls, Trump called on his Neo-Nazi supporters to join the protests this evening. The clear implication is that he wanted to see blood spilled.
He also appeared to invite his own supporters to amass outside the White House on Saturday to counter the protesters, despite a ban against gatherings of more than 10 people in effect in Washington amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???” he tweeted.
If this country is to survive, this monster needs to go.
Dartagnan
Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)
Saturday May 30, 2020
When Donald Trump declared himself a wartime president, most Americans probably didn’t realize he meant he was declaring war on them.
Last night protests over the cold-blooded police murder of George Floyd erupted in D.C., with protesters marching around the White House to express their anger. Secret Service agents were dispatched to cordon off the perimeter of the People’s House, enforcing a “lockdown” just inside its gates. Apparently Trump and his minions were peering out the windows, like rats holed up in their bunker. Today, Trump Tweeted out his praise of this taxpayer-funded protective cocoon spun around him, mocked and threatened the protesters, and summoned his hateful followers to assault them this evening.
From the New York Times:
A day after claiming he didn’t mean to suggest that law enforcement officials should shoot people who were part of the unrest in Minnesota, President Trump said on Saturday that the Secret Service had been prepared to sic the “most vicious dogs” on protesters outside the White House gates on Friday night.
For those who may have been concerned about Trump’s personal safety, he emphatically reassured them that he “couldn’t have felt more safe.” He also painted the Secret Service as his own personal Einsatzgruppen, claiming they were essentially straining at the leash to kill those Americans exercising their right to protest outside the White House.
Trump claimed that Secret Service agents told him they were clamoring for engagement with the protesters. “We put the young ones on the front line, sir, they love it, and good practice,” he claimed he had been told.
Finally, in a final act of thumbing his nose from behind his protective walls, Trump called on his Neo-Nazi supporters to join the protests this evening. The clear implication is that he wanted to see blood spilled.
He also appeared to invite his own supporters to amass outside the White House on Saturday to counter the protesters, despite a ban against gatherings of more than 10 people in effect in Washington amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???” he tweeted.
If this country is to survive, this monster needs to go.
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