Every night that federal forces were deployed in Portland, the crowds grew larger. And every time those federal forces showed their lack of experience with law enforcement—and willingness to use violence even if that meant shooting peaceful protesters in the face—more people came forward to show that they wouldn’t be intimidated. There was a wall of moms. A wall of dads. A wall of veterans. But mostly there were just a wall of people unwilling to step down and hand over their city to paramilitary forces in camo who came over the express wishes of citizens, city officials, and the state government.
But on Thursday night protests were peaceful. On Friday that pattern repeated as the number of people around the federal courthouse decreased and the “walls” came down. Protesters who came dressed to face tear gas and billy clubs, instead ended up sitting in the grass together, listening to speakers, sharing songs, and celebrating. The reason: those camo-wearing federal forces packed up and left.
Trump’s makeshift mix of ICE, Border Patrol, and Marshall Service forces haven’t completely departed town for the moment, but they are off the streets. They’re no longer randomly firing impact weapons into people’s faces, deploying tear gas in the middle of a hymn, or grabbing people off the street and slamming them into unmarked vans. Instead they’re camped out a few blocks away, waiting to see what happens over the weekend.
from Latest from Crooks and Liars
via Click me for Details
No comments:
Post a Comment