Topic: The Murder of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter.

[Sammy5IsAlive]

Not one mention of Northern Ireland where the greatest atrocities were felt. I don’t blame yourself for not bringing it up but I just want to point out how the media shapes minds. That was a foreign place.

I mentioned Northern Ireland in a previous post.

Bloody Sunday was clearly an atrocity far in excess of any behaviour of the police towards Black communities in the UK.

But I think it is fair to say that it was a different context? In Northern Ireland both sides were setting off bombs and shooting both each other and innocent civilians. I think if you asked either side at the time they would have told you that as far as they were concerned they were at war. That is not to justify the actions of the British military/government - just to point out the obvious difference between the situation in N. Ireland and the situation in Black communities in London, Birmingham, Liverpool etc.

That's as far as I'm prepared to go - this thread is a mess enough as it is without adding in a back and forth about Northern Ireland.

[Eeyore]

exactly, don’t give your enemy an easy opportunity to smear your good work, and if there are some then hold them to account

If as a Liverpool fan you want an epitome of that look at the behaviour of the families of the 96.

[Crimson_Tank]

St. Louis will interesting tonight - large crowds gathered in public spaces and in Black neighborhoods. 4 Police were shot last night, all are reported to be stable and recovering, untold number of individuals injured overnight.

Missouri National Guard called out to enforce the 9:00 PM curfew.

But in other more positive news - from St. Louis, reported by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist David Carson

https://twitter.com/PDPJ/status/1267676130984763393

[Eeyore]

jesus fucking chriiiiiiist

meanwhile, tens of thousands, black and white, peacefully protest outside the White House long after curfew

https://twitter.com/Phil_Lewis_/status/1267960034727788545

inspiring scenes imo

Absolutely inspiring.

[Lush is the best medicine...]

If as a Liverpool fan you want an epitome of that look at the behaviour of the families of the 96.

the self policing on social media not to comment at certain times as well is a good example of how to act (and there has been a good few examples during these protests of self policing the idiots who want a new tv or a new pair of Jordan’s)

He's been fired.

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/500801-denver-police-officer-fired-after-posting-photo-captioned-lets

hopefully won’t end up at a nearby precinct next month, so stupid posting something like that

[Dench57]

From the Guardian live feed:

US troops from the 82nd Airborne Division have been moved from their base in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to the outskirts of the Washington, DC, according to multiple reports from unnamed Defense Department officials.

Around 700 members of the 82nd are now poised at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and Fort Belvoir in Virginia, the Associated Press reports. Joint Base Andrews is where Air Force One takes off when the president goes on trips and is minutes from the White House, just outside the boundary of the capital.

In addition, 1,400 more soldiers are ready to be mobilized within an hour, AP writes, according to two Defense Department officials, who are not named.

The soldiers are armed and have riot gear, and they also have bayonets, the agency reports.

It is not clear if this is (almost literal) saber-rattling from the president, who has been talking hardline on law and order, displaying hardware in order to intimidate, or if those troops will really be seen on the streets of Washington.

The president has the jurisdiction to send US troops into the federal capital pretty freely, without invoking legislation or seeking permission as would be the case with a state.

[Lush is the best medicine...]

CNN reporting the pentagon officials are briefing that using the military on the protestors isn’t smart, would be funny if he got overthrown by the military after all this (I mean the military aren’t run by fuckwits, they know how bad they’d look doing something like this), but expect a trump twitter rage tweet soon over this

[OOS]

If as a Liverpool fan you want an epitome of that look at the behaviour of the families of the 96.

With all due respect, that's a low comment.

We shouldn't be comparing injustices.

[MBL?]

I mentioned Northern Ireland in a previous post.

Bloody Sunday was clearly an atrocity far in excess of any behaviour of the police towards Black communities in the UK.

But I think it is fair to say that it was a different context?

It wasn’t but you are right to say we should leave it there as the thread is not about that. I was just pointing out the similarities of which there are many.

[MBL?]

If as a Liverpool fan you want an epitome of that look at the behaviour of the families of the 96.

Your a bollocks for using that in this situation. You should be ashamed.

[Sammy5IsAlive]

It wasn’t but you are right to say we should leave it there as the thread is not about that. I was just pointing out the similarities of which there are many.

Happy to PM if you want to discuss further. I'm 36 and not Irish so always happy to expand my horizons.

[Crimson_Tank]

CNN reporting the pentagon officials are briefing that using the military on the protestors isn’t smart, would be funny if he got overthrown by the military after all this (I mean the military aren’t run by fuckwits, they know how bad they’d look doing something like this), but expect a trump twitter rage tweet soon over this

Using the US Military on citizens of the United States is something you can not come back from unless it is done right.

Eisenhower did it right.



Trump's use is the opposite.

63 years.... 63 years and the 82 Airborne is being called but for opposite effect.

[Snail]

If as a Liverpool fan you want an epitome of that look at the behaviour of the families of the 96.

Nice.

[Eeyore]

With all due respect, that's a low comment.

We shouldn't be comparing injustices.

It isn't about comparing injustices it is about how you defeat them. If you look at the history of protests the hardest to defeat are none violent ones. The images of passive protesters being attacked by juiced up cops/military personnel is chilling.

Advocating the right to loot throws all that away.   

[Sammy5IsAlive]

It isn't about comparing injustices it is about how you defeat them. If you look at the history of protests the hardest to defeat are none violent ones. The images of passive protesters being attacked by juiced up cops/military personnel is chilling.

Advocating the right to loot throws all that away.

Whether you are right or wrong, from my perspective it's pretty exhausting seeing you in thread after thread grab onto a particular bone and then keep chewing on it remorselessly so that any other discussion becomes overwhelmed. 

[Snail]

Boston crowd being absolute legends here.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Denver

[Crimson_Tank]

The young man, Abu, that the Washington Post just interviewed outside of the White House was inspiring, articulate, and knowledgeable.

[Eeyore]

Whether you are right or wrong, from my perspective it's pretty exhausting seeing you in thread after thread grab onto a particular bone and then keep chewing on it remorselessly so that any other discussion becomes overwhelmed. 

It is unbelievably simple ignore who the poster is and judge the post on its merits.

[Eeyore]

Denver

Imagine the reaction of Trump and his redneck racists viewing that. That is a Country Trump wants to divide coming together.

[jooneyisdagod]

If as a Liverpool fan you want an epitome of that look at the behaviour of the families of the 96.

Just shut up, Al. Seriously. I doubt you've ever had to face racism based on your comments in this thread. Invoking the 96 is particularly low. Yes, looting is bad. No one is denying that. Move on now.

[Coolie High]

Somehow I don't think the likes of Ghandi or Martin Luther King would agree with you.

Martin Luther probably would at some point during his later years.

[Coolie High]

exactly, don’t give your enemy an easy opportunity to smear your good work, and if there are some then hold them to account

What difference does it make?

[ShakaHislop]

Freeze UK sales of riot gear to US police amid protest violence, says Thornberry

Shadow trade secretary Emily Thornberry has said it would be a “disgrace” if the UK supplied equipment to US authorities to crush protests against police brutality.

In a letter to Liz Truss, her government counterpart, the Labour MP called on the Government to suspend all licences that allow British companies to sell riot control kit to American police forces.

“I’m sure you will agree that, at a time when Donald Trump is gearing up to use the US military to crush the legitimate protests taking place across America over the murder of black civilians, it would be a disgrace for the UK to supply him with the arms and equipment he will use to do so,” she wrote.

The Department for International Trade has issued a licence to an unnamed company to sell a range of crowd control items to US police and military buyers.

They include CS hand grenades, anti-riot guns and projectiles, and tear gas capsules.

“If there is a risk that any of these riot control projectiles and equipment are being used in the United States against peaceful, unarmed civilians, then the Government must act immediately to stop their export,” Ms Thornberry said.

She asked Ms Truss to “publish a comprehensive list of all current export licences to the USA of riot control projectiles and equipment, along with all available end-user data to clarify who has purchased these items and for what declared purpose within the last five years”.

Ms Thornberry also said the Government should “suspend all existing licences and halt the issue of any new licences for the export of riot control projectiles and equipment to the United States until you have determined whether any of these items are being used in response to the ongoing protests, or risk being used in the coming days if the US military is deployed as part of that response”.

She added: “Our alliance is above all based on the values we share with the American people, that is all the more reason why we must not supply arms and equipment that Donald Trump is willing to use to attack his own people, in total contravention of those values.”

The call from the Labour frontbencher echoes calls on Monday from human rights group Amnesty International.

Amnesty spokesman Oliver Feeley-Sprague said: “After the shocking images of the police and National Guard using excessive force against Black Lives Matter protesters in Minneapolis, the UK should immediately freeze all policing and security equipment export licences to the US where there’s a clear risk of further misuse – something the UK is obliged to do under its own laws.

“Given the evidence emerging from numerous US cities, there’s a very real risk of UK-manufactured tear gas or rubber bullets being used against George Floyd protesters in dangerous and highly inappropriate ways – something that ministers need to respond to.

“Ministers should be making detailed, case-by-case assessments of any requests for equipment from individual US police forces – withholding exports from any that have clearly acted irresponsibly during the current crisis.

“The UK has a dreadful track record of looking the other way when UK arms and security equipment is misused overseas, even, in some cases, seeking to justify such misuse. Now is the time to start changing that.”

A Government spokesman said: “We take our export responsibilities seriously and assess export licence applications in accordance with strict licensing criteria.”

https://www.itv.com/news/2020-06-02/freeze-uk-sales-of-riot-gear-to-us-police-amid-protest-violence-says-thornberry/

https://labour.org.uk/press/emily-thornberry-demands-action-on-us-riot-control-exports/

[Eeyore]

Just shut up, Al. Seriously. I doubt you've ever had to face racism based on your comments in this thread. Invoking the 96 is particularly low. Yes, looting is bad. No one is denying that. Move on now.

No as a white male I have never encountered racism. However, as person who happened to be born in Liverpool in the sixties I am well aware of prejudice. I might have had a temporary advantage because I couldn't be identified by my colour but as soon as I opened my mouth I soon became a minority.

After getting my degree my first job was met with an introduction in to the workplace. That resulted in my manager saying that the 89 all Merseyside FA Cup final was a chance to put a tent over Wembley and gas the 'Fucking' lot of you. That was a couple of months after Hillsborough.

As a 50 year old male I am completely used to being called a thief just because I come from Liverpool. I am completely aware of prejudice.

The point I am making is that the only way to beat the prejudiced is to give them absolutely nothing to feed on. Flare up and they just use that to endorse their prejudice.

I know that is completely fucking unfair but that is the world we live in.     

[KissThisGuy]

No as a white male I have never encountered racism. However, as person who happened to be born in Liverpool in the sixties I am well aware of prejudice. I might have had a temporary advantage because I couldn't be identified by my colour but as soon as I opened my mouth I soon became a minority.

After getting my degree my first job was met with an introduction in to the workplace. That resulted in my manager saying that the 89 all Merseyside FA Cup final was a chance to put a tent over Wembley and gas the 'Fucking' lot of you. That was a couple of months after Hillsborough.

As a 50 year old male I am completely used to being called a thief just because I come from Liverpool. I am completely aware of prejudice.

The point I am making is that the only way to beat the prejudiced is to give them absolutely nothing to feed on. Flare up and they just use that to endorse their prejudice.

I know that is completely fucking unfair but that is the world we live in.     

The ironic thing is, that by continuing to harp on about looting, you are doing the opposite of what you say you want. You have turned a thread about protests against the systemic racism of the police force into a looting discussion group.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

It''s mental how you do this in every single thread no matter what the subject is.

Unbelievable.

[Snail]

   

Embarrassing. This sums it up:

The ironic thing is, that by continuing to harp on about looting, you are doing the opposite of what you say you want. You have turned a thread about protests against the systemic racism of the police force into a looting discussion group.

[Sir Capon of Debaser]

Worse than George and Mildred.

At ;east there was comedy in that

[Eeyore]

The ironic thing is, that by continuing to harp on about looting, you are doing the opposite of what you say you want. You have turned a thread about protests against the systemic racism of the police force into a looting discussion group.

Use your brain praise the fantastic none violent demonstrations that have turned the debate our way and condemn the looting that has given Trumps supporters something to feed on.

That is what Obama and George Floyd's brother are doing.

[Snail]

Things getting heated now. Tear gas in Atlanta, still big crowds in DC, Columbus, NYC and Dallas. People still out in LA too.

[Kashinoda]

Looting is bad and it's sad that it's happening, it's not excusable. I think that's about all you can say on it.

People's concerns about looting is that the far/alt-right use it as a weapon to counter the movement, and that sucks. But the reality is if it wasn't looting they'd find something else - these people don't need much prompting.

[Brissyred]

Sums the police up.

[Barneylfc∗]

Sums the police up.

That photo is misleading. They aren't pointing the gun at the person in the photo. This isn't to defend their actions by any means.

[dalarr]

Another thing is that I would never bring my children to a protest under the current circumstances, and never approach aggressive police officers with one of my daughters.

[WorldChampions]

Another thing is that I would never bring my children to a protest under the current circumstances, and never approach aggressive police officers with one of my daughters.

Yeah it's fucking idiotic.

[eddymunster]

That photo is misleading. They aren't pointing the gun at the person in the photo. This isn't to defend their actions by any means.

The focus on that pic just looks all wrong, there's too much difference in definition between the guy and his kid and the cops. I wouldn't put it past them like but that photo just doesn't look right.

Looks to me that the protester is much closer to the camera than where that gun is pointing.

[ljycb]

Just seen this on Twitter.

Regular days off have been canceled for all uniformed members of the NYPD, meaning that all 36,000 police officers in the force must now work 12-hour shifts for seven days a week until further notice.

[Brissyred]

Another thing is that I would never bring my children to a protest under the current circumstances, and never approach aggressive police officers with one of my daughters.

Maybe he was going to the shop for a pint of milk and they approached him?
Not everyone on the street is a protester........

[Crimson]

Just seen this on Twitter.

Got an actual source?

I'm sure that's going to motivate them to calm their response when meeting the protestors..