First Trump came for Portland

[Skybison]

So it looks like Trump is going full fascist. 

In Portland unidentified federal police with the Department of homeland security are going around in unmarked vans arresting people without charge on suspicion of being protesters and spiriting them to who knows where.  The government of the city and state are calling for them to be removed, but they aren't and Trump refuses to get them out.  It is a giant and blatant violation of the constitution and rule of law and an overt attack on freedom of speech.  If this is not stopped fast it may well be the end of American democracy.

“I think Portland is a test case.  They want to see what they can get away with before launching into other parts of the country.” Zakir Khan, a spokesman for the Oregon chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations

“Usually when we see people in unmarked cars forcibly grab someone off the street, we call it kidnapping.  Protesters in Portland have been shot in the head, swept away in unmarked cars, and repeatedly tear-gassed by uninvited and unwelcome federal agents. We won’t rest until they are gone.” Jann Carson, interim executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon

This is fucked.  We need to stand up now and make it clear we won't be cowed by violence.  Or there may not BE an election this November.

Remember what will happen if you don't speak out!

[dpareja]

Source?

[Skybison]

Sorry forgot

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/17/portland-protests-federal-arrests/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53453077

https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-terrifying-for-citizens-oregon-gov-reacts-to-trump-s-invasion-of-portland-87904837678

[Id82]

November can't come fast enough. We're just three and a half months away from the election. Trump is tanking in the polls and he keeps getting worse and worse every day. He's alienating every voter except his cult. I bet he thinks that if his supporters are super enthusiastic to vote for him and they do enough voter suppression that it will some how defeat Biden.

[Vanto]

Well, I've looked into this, and honestly? From what I've read, idea that this is "fascism" relies on a lot of misinformation and wild speculation.

1. I've seen pictures of the feds, they're wearing patches. They're not "unidentified".

2. There's nothing unusual about law enforcement using unmarked vehicles.

3. We know that many if not all of the people arrested have been hit with federal charges.

4. Assuming this is some kind of "test run" for a power grab come November is premature at best.

Honestly, I'd say this federal response has been pretty restrained, all things considered. A lot of the things these rioters have been doing could very easily be classified as terrorism and/or treason. And since these state and local officials can't or won't stop them from ruining, threatening, or even ending lives... well, I'd say their complaints about "federal overreach" are lol-worthy. Their constituents shouldn't be paying them to let their cities burn. Far as I'm concerned, they're weak and incompetent at best and should be thrown out of office and replaced with people who can actually fulfill their duties.

All Rioters Are Bastards.

[davedan]

Yes graffiti = Terrorism

[Vanto]

Yes graffiti = Terrorism

They tried to burn down a federal courthouse. They attacked law enforcement officers with explosives. They set up an "autonomous zone" where two black teenagers were shot, one of them fatally, by their "security forces". If that's not terrorism, it's pretty fucking close. And even if it's not terrorism, who cares? It's terrible either way.

All Rioters Are Bastards.

[Skybison]

You got a source for your claims?  One you actually read?

Also the cops kill way more people then the rioters do, so they kind of seem like the bigger problem to me.

[Vanto]

You got a source for your claims?  One you actually read?

Also the cops kill way more people then the rioters do, so they kind of seem like the bigger problem to me.

U.S. charges 18 Portland protesters as it sends tactical police to Seattle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_car#Unmarked_car

Many forces also operate unmarked cars, in any of the roles shown above, but most frequently for the use of traffic enforcement or detectives. They have the advantage of not being immediately recognizable, and are a valuable tool in catching criminals while the crime is still taking place.[12] In the United States, unmarked cars are also used by federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and the Secret Service, but can be recognized by their U.S. government plates, however they often have normal license plates.[13][14] All unmarked cars bear license plates. Many U.S. jurisdictions use regular civilian issued license plates on unmarked cars, especially gang suppression and vice prevention units. Also see Q-car. Unmarked vehicles can range from normal patrol vehicles: Ford Explorer, Dodge Charger, Ford Crown Victoria, Chevrolet Impala, etc, to completely unmarked foreign vehicles: Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, etc.

As for "unidentified", the articles claiming such are proven wrong by the pictures they use:



I think it's only fair to ask if you have a source for your claim.

[davedan]

So can you read where that fellow is from? What is agency, and his name?

[Vanto]

So can you read where that fellow is from? What is agency, and his name?

You know, I could've sworn that goalpost was a little closer before.

Alright, maybe I'm being unfair since you weren't the one to ask for sources. Well, after running the picture through my hyper-advanced CSI software and pressing the "enhance" button a lot, I can recognize a US Border Patrol badge and the identification code (not sure what the correct term is) NZ39.

Why do you want his name, by the way? Something tells me not so you can go to his house in person and thank him.

[niam2023]

That is ONE border patrol guy with a visible badge, and just because he has one does not mean others did.

And the fact is they ALSO threw people into cars, drove them off, gave no indication if their target was arrested or not, isolated them and only released when their target asked for a lawyer.

IMO, all of these fascist street thugs should be unmasked. People who know them deserve to know they're associating with what might as well be Hitler's SS.

[Cloud3514]

You know, I could've sworn that goalpost was a little closer before.

Calling it a goalpost move assumes that the patch that you boxed means anything to the layman. He may as well be completely unmarked because I have not a single fucking clue what any of that means. And likely the same for almost everyone.

As for why we'd want his identification? Oh, I don't know, maybe for the same reason cops are supposed to give their badge numbers? So you can report them for misconduct? Fuck, you're stupid.

Another thing: Yes, unmarked vehicles are standard practice. Doesn't mean they should be.

[dpareja]

What's the difference between "wearing something that identifies them but that can't be understood by the average person if they even notice it" and "not wearing anything that identifies them"?

Oh, right. Nothing.

[Skybison]

U.S. charges 18 Portland protesters as it sends tactical police to Seattle

Did you read that link?  It seems to be that they only did that now that they've gotten attention and your link talks about how they are using wildly unnecessary force and needlessly escalating the situation against the will of the local governments and that Trump is threatening to do the same in other left wing cities.

I think it's only fair to ask if you have a source for your claim.

Sure here are some stats on the number of people killed by police in the USA
https://www.statista.com/statistics/585152/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-race/

Now how many hundreds of people are protesters killing each year?

ARAB (All Rioters Are Bastards)

... At this point I don't believe that's an accident.