Speyside wrote:I assume it was the deep state, also fake news, CNN and others were on a few second time delay and they were auto editing out the badges. Oh, and massive armed forces is appropriate against peaceful protesters, it's done all the time. Russia, China, North Korea, the Philippines, Venezuela, Cuba, and more. If our best allies do so why not us?
that has been my observation, too Spey...why do we automatically respond to mass demonstrations by deploying an over-whelming militaristic police presence...
a decade or so ago, police tactics in response to First Amendment protests were recalibrated...remember the Occupy Wall Street Movement? police and govt. officials actually met with leaders of the demonstration to set up parameters...for these reasons: to prevent confrontations, disruptions of business, violence, and destruction of property...this strategy was applauded world wide as a step forward, viewed widely as progress in community/police relations...most of the demonstrators then were white...
what changed?
Black Lives Matter?
but there is an awful lot of diversity in todays' demonstrations...in some places the majority of marchers are white...and yet the massive police response in riot gear...like law enforcement is saying "go ahead, protest, use your First Amendment right but we don't trust all of you"
seems that a reasonable reaction would be to provide a minimal visible police presence to observe the demonstrators, while deploying squads of rapid response and arrest teams that can be held at various staging areas nearby to react when reports are made of looting and property destruction...those jurisdictions with helicopters should use them to monitor the "peace" of the crowd and spot vandals
as Drafter would say...that would be gay