Ferguson Protesters

[Pancho Villa]

Been following the protests from the beginning, particularly on twitter. The local (as in, live-there) leaders are almost all young black women, which I thought was interesting. Lots of out-of-town agitators too (the commies showed up, of course, because they show up wherever they can shit anything up.) Lots of anger on both sides - multiple reports from reporters and young people, also video, of police busting the mace out unprovoked. Its hard to take anything out of context here. The cops are pissed and on edge because early in they occasionally took gunfire from within the protests. The protesters are pissed because in response to any bad actions from people within the protest early in was to fire tear gas at the whole crowd. This resulted in a lot of people thinking that they were tear gassed just 'cause, since they didn't see anyone throw a bottle or rock at the line of riot cops. Maybe that's even true. Wouldn't take much for someone to make up a rock or bottle or whatever. Over on LF one of the Ferguson cops posted an AAR of the early protests/violence/looting which had some pretty questionable SOPs from the standpoint of keeping the lid on a pissed off community rather than provoking more.

Someone earlier asked if cops were disinclined to respond to calls, and there's an interesting story related to that. I'm sure everyone remembers when the stores were looted and the store owners came in and defended their property with guns, as is their right. Earlier that night I saw a bunch of tweets saying that the police were not responding to any calls that evening. This was just a day or two after the national news broke and it looked bad for the PD, and the PD in response backed off quite a bit (they brought that guy who took off the tactical vest and walked with the protesters, and things were kinda calm for the day.) Since word travels fast, as you might expect, when the cops weren't responding to calls the criminal element went pretty wild. Good on the store owners for stopping them. Again, lots of distrust and anger surrounding that as the looting was used as an excuse to crack down again.

I'm a police skeptic. I've seen a lot of story changes. First Wilson had a broken face, then he was bruised and swollen, then everyone is quiet about it and then nothing. The po-po immediately release a vid of Brown robbing a store, which the officer knew about, then didn't, then did (?), then isn't really relevant. At the very least this has been handled like a bunch of idiots. There's also lots of other stuff pissing people off - the gofundme campaign for Wilson raised $250,000 for him, when his legal bills are being paid for by the state, is viewed as an attaboy for killing a young black man (the comments in the gofundme campaign which are full of straight up racist bullshit don't help.) The fact that his name was withheld until his internet presence could be scrubbed and he could move out of state (on taxpayer dime,) or that he hasn't been arrested - which, if a bunch of eyewitnesses agree on something, even if the stories don't all match up, any non-police person would be arrested - is also aggravating.

Missouri is also a really corrupt state, and a lot of work has been done exposing that in recent weeks. Lots of really nasty democrats in the state who really don't give a shit. Hopefully the locals churn them out next time in the primaries.

[davsel]

...There's also lots of other stuff pissing people off - the gofundme campaign for Wilson raised $250,000 for him, when his legal bills are being paid for by the state, is viewed as an attaboy for killing a young black man (the comments in the gofundme campaign which are full of straight up racist bullshit don't help.) The fact that his name was withheld until his internet presence could be scrubbed and he could move out of state (on taxpayer dime,) or that he hasn't been arrested - which, if a bunch of eyewitnesses agree on something, even if the stories don't all match up, any non-police person would be arrested - is also aggravating....

I donated as an attaboy for doing his job - putting down a worthless thug.
Also for his unimaginable future - where's he possibly going to live, work, raise his family?

Perhaps you haven't noticed, but there is far more racist BS coming from the Saint Brown side.

Eyewitnesses only matter if they're credible - these are not.

Prediction: Grand Jury will No Bill and St Louis will burn - along with Detroit, Oakland, and every other city that celebrates diversity.

[kidicarus13]

Prediction: Grand Jury will No Bill and St Louis will burn - along with Detroit, Oakland, and every other city that celebrates diversity.

I'd like to place $20 on that also.

[kidicarus13]

Double post

[Great-Kazoo]

I'd like to place $20 on that also.

On which part, the no charges against wilson, or massive riots in areas of entitlement?

[HoneyBadger]

On which part, the no charges against wilson, or massive riots in areas of entitlement?

Yes.

[kidicarus13]

On which part, the no charges against wilson, or massive riots in areas of entitlement?

GJ No Bill + minor riots and/or protests in at least 2 of the 3 named cities.

[Aloha_Shooter]

Prediction: Grand Jury will No Bill and St Louis will burn - along with Detroit, Oakland, and every other city that celebrates diversity.

You forgot the part where the DOJ files charges against him for a civil rights violation that they can't prove but decide to drag him through court and convict him in the press.

[Great-Kazoo]

You forgot the part where the DOJ files charges against him for a civil rights violation that they can't prove but decide to drag him through court and convict him in the press.

Drag it out for 3-4 months and the media will have forgotten the NOT GUILTY verdict, except as a blurb. However EVERYONE will know the charges as the media replays his arrest every 15 min news cycle.