Those who make peaceful revolution impossible
I was going to approach this differently when first gathering videos of what was happening with the LA protests. I was going to just post videos and let you all come to your own conclusions. Now I have too much to say to be able to bite my tongue on this topic.
One theme that I have noticed with the No Kings protests and ICE protests it's always that the police, other parties involved with the government's response, and the counter protesters as the reasons things escalate at all. Just because you saw some stuff out of context during the protests does not mean that A: the protesters haven't been peaceful and that B: Anarchists are bad. Both of those assumptions are bad. "but... but... they are setting cars on fire!" actually lets tackle whats going on with that first.
More will likely be added to this page as I find more and things continue to develop around the country
Why are the cars on fire?
In the LA protests, lots of images and videos contained cars being set ablaze. Shocking imagery, I know. But there is logic behind what the media would have you believe to be total chaos. The cars being lit on fire are called Waymos. Waymos are essentially self driving taxis with huge cameras and sensors on top. The main reason they are being lit on fire is that the police are known to use them as surveillance to investigate for crimes that the cameras might have picked up on. With the way the president, police, and an unconfortable amount of our fellow citizens are trying to villainize anyone going against Trump's word as insurrectionists... It's pretty clear why people don't want them around. They don't want them there for the same reason why at protests you should leave your phone at home, wear non descript black clothes, cover your face, and why you should leave your phone at home. It's about not getting arrested for protesting which mind you is an act protected by the first amendment from a thing called the U.S. Constitution. Something that Trump took an oath to protect. TWICE. Real shocker there right? Politicians lying for their own gain and nefarious purposes, how original.
How we got here
ICE and other government agents have been kidnapping people off the streets, from their jobs, schools, and homes. They then deport them from USA without due process. They claim these people are illegals/criminals but without due process you can't say that legally. The courts have been fighting Trump and his regime on this one but clearly nobody is properly enforcing what the courts have to say so civil unrest has reached a boiling point. If these people are not getting due process then who is to say anyone else will get due process? First they came for the immigrants...
Police escalation in LA
I mentioned the police escalating things in the LA protests. Here are some of the videos I've found online of this.
These videos contain violence
You have been warned
Freedom of press violations
Freedom of press is protected by the first amendment. When the police attack and detain the press it sends a message that they don't want people recording and spreading info about what is going on to the rest of the world. Don't get it twisted, a lot of the press can be bad but without freedom of press I would not legally be able to talk about this.
LAPD committing acts of violence on protesters and bystanders
When the police commit unprovoked acts of violence against protesters and bystanders it sends the message that they are not on our side and are willing to hurt the people and quell their voices. Less than lethal munitions are still lethal especially when not used as directed and within close proximity. They are willing to maim and kill us over this. You don't just shrug off point blank rubber bullets and flashbangs. That lady in the first video in this section was just trying to get home, nobody is safe.
Police at other protests around the USA
Soon after the events that took place in the videos above, Trump sent in the national guard and marines with the claim that the protesters are insurrectionists. Everything going down the way it did in LA made people hit the streets and protest even harder in other places around the country.
Minnesota
A democratic state representative and her husband was assassinated in their own house by a right wing extremist. During the same day, the same shooter tried to assassinate a democratic state senator and his wife but was unsuccessful in killing them. Due to the risks of a mass shooting or the shooter slipping into a crowd and evading arrest, the protests in Anoka and part of Minneapolis got canceled.
Portland
From what I can tell this video takes place outside of the ICE facility in Portland OR.
Philadelphia
Watching this one made me realize it's only been 5 years since George Floyd was murdered by MPD pig Derek Chauvin.
Anarchists aren't your enemies
Anarchism isn't about chaos unlike what the mainstream media would have you believe. As wikipedia puts it, "Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or hierarchy, primarily targeting the state and capitalism. Anarchism advocates for the replacement of the state with stateless societies and voluntary free associations."
The vast majority of anarchists are regular people like you and me, they are not fighting against the people and are actively trying to make things better for us. Anarchist Capitalists (ancaps) and the right wing variety not so much. True anarchists reject those people. Being ancap is like trying to be for Trump while also being punk, you just look like a poser. It's become clear that capitalism was never very good and has only lead us to the point of a fascist take over. We the people have to do something about it or succumb to fascism and lose all our rights. Anarchists are your friends, not foes. Allies, not enemies.
If you want enemies, the police and government already view you as one. So do people like the attempted murderer in the video below.
Closing points
- Burning the USA flag is an act protected by the first amendment. The courts back this one up, refer to Texas v. Johnson.
- Flipping off the police and in general being disrespectful towards them is also protected by the first amendment.
- The mexican flag being present at protests is not a problem, claims that it is are rooted in racism. The same people making the claim probably go to their local pub with irish flags on St. Paddys day.
- Yes, the police can and will track phones at protests. The police can use stingrays and other invasive methods to gather data about you, your family, your friends, regular locations the phone is at (and by proxy you), etc. Don't bring your phone. If you must record and take pictures, get a dedicated camera or camcorder.
- I called these protests because thats what they are. They are not riots. Calling them riots comes across as an attempt to discredit the amount of restraint and nonviolence the protesters have shown to people trying to harm them. This is why I titled this page as I have. The full quote is "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable" ~ JFK, 35th president of the US.
- US citizens helping each other through the next few years will be important for combating the loss of our rights and staying alive in a capitalist country with no budget for social services. If you are unsure how to go about this, I would recommend starting off by reading Mutual Aid by Dean Spade. Click here to read it for free on the Anarchist Library.
- Making pages like these is mentally and spiritually exhausting but staying informed and knowing how to act in response is crucial right now. I do it for readers like you. If you have a video of police and/or counter protesters committing acts of violence against protesters from these recent protests, please get in contact with me.