thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Trump Says RNC Will Pull Republican Convention From North Carolina

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the Republican National Committee would relocate its upcoming nominating convention from North Carolina after the state ’ s governor refused to guarantee that tens of thousands of people could gather in an indoor arena during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Governor [ Roy ] Cooper is still in Shelter-In-Place Mode , and not allowing us to occupy the arena as originally anticipated and promised , ” Trump tweeted .
“ Would have showcased beautiful North Carolina to the World , and brought in hundreds of millions of dollars , and jobs , for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican National Convention in Charlotte , North Carolina , a place I love .
Now , @ NC_Governor Roy Cooper and his representatives refuse to guarantee that we can have use of the Spectrum Arena - Spend millions of dollars , have everybody arrive , and ... — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) June 3 , 2020 Cooper , a Democrat , said Tuesday he had been supportive of a “ safe ” convention and had made protecting public health a priority .
But the governor claimed RNC officials “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes to keep people safe.
” RNC officials said the move was linked to the state ’ s public health directives that limit large gatherings but noted the event could still continue as planned “ should the governor allow more than 10 people in a room.
” “ Due to the directive from the governor that our convention can not go on as planned as required by our rules , the celebration of the president ’ s acceptance of the Republican nomination will be held in another city , ” the official told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 10 people in a room , we still hope to conduct the official business of the convention in Charlotte.
” We have been committed to a safe RNC convention in North Carolina and it ’ s unfortunate they never agreed to scale down and make changes to keep people safe .
Protecting public health and safety during this pandemic is a priority .
— Governor Roy Cooper ( @ NC_Governor ) June 3 , 2020 Cooper wrote to Republican officials this week to address the threat posed by the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlikely ” a normal convention could go forward after speaking with public health officials .
“ The people of North Carolina do not know what the status of COVID-19 will be in August , so planning for a scaled-down convention with fewer people , social distancing and face coverings is a necessity , ” he wrote .
“ We are happy to continue talking with you about what a scaled-down convention would look like.
” The decision comes amid ongoing concerns over the spread of COVID-19 , even as states have opened up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 50,000 people are expected to attend the RNC event , which was set to take place from August 24-27 in Charlotte .
More than 1.8 million people have been infected with the virus in the U.S. and more than 106,000 have died .
While infection rates have tapered off in some places , health officials have warned of a dramatic second wave , should social distancing measures be lifted too soon .
Democrats have also been working on contingency measures for their own convention , which is scheduled for August in Milwaukee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ type of virtual event , although officials have reportedly been holding out for an in-person gathering .

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President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the Republican National Committee would relocate its upcoming nominating convention from North Carolina after the state’s governor refused to guarantee that tens of thousands of people could gather in an indoor arena during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Governor [Roy] Cooper is still in Shelter-In-Place Mode, and not allowing us to occupy the arena as originally anticipated and promised,” Trump tweeted. “Would have showcased beautiful North Carolina to the World, and brought in hundreds of millions of dollars, and jobs, for the State.”
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Had long planned to have the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, a place I love. Now, @NC_Governor Roy Cooper and his representatives refuse to guarantee that we can have use of the Spectrum Arena - Spend millions of dollars, have everybody arrive, and... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2020
Cooper, a Democrat, said Tuesday he had been supportive of a “safe” convention and had made protecting public health a priority. But the governor claimed RNC officials “never agreed to scale down and make changes to keep people safe.”
RNC officials said the move was linked to the state’s public health directives that limit large gatherings but noted the event could still continue as planned “should the governor allow more than 10 people in a room.”
“Due to the directive from the governor that our convention cannot go on as planned as required by our rules, the celebration of the president’s acceptance of the Republican nomination will be held in another city,” the official told HuffPost. “Should the governor allow more than 10 people in a room, we still hope to conduct the official business of the convention in Charlotte.”
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We have been committed to a safe RNC convention in North Carolina and it’s unfortunate they never agreed to scale down and make changes to keep people safe. Protecting public health and safety during this pandemic is a priority. — Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) June 3, 2020
Cooper wrote to Republican officials this week to address the threat posed by the coronavirus, saying he felt it was “very unlikely” a normal convention could go forward after speaking with public health officials.
“The people of North Carolina do not know what the status of COVID-19 will be in August, so planning for a scaled-down convention with fewer people, social distancing and face coverings is a necessity,” he wrote. “We are happy to continue talking with you about what a scaled-down convention would look like.”
The decision comes amid ongoing concerns over the spread of COVID-19, even as states have opened up large sectors of their economies. Up to 50,000 people are expected to attend the RNC event, which was set to take place from August 24-27 in Charlotte.
More than 1.8 million people have been infected with the virus in the U.S. and more than 106,000 have died. While infection rates have tapered off in some places, health officials have warned of a dramatic second wave, should social distancing measures be lifted too soon.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-03--Trump Called In The Military To Scare Anti-Racist Protesters. They Showed Up Anyway.

In downtown Washington , a new law enforcement agency or military vehicle was around every corner .
Military police officers outfitted for a war zone lined up in front of the Lincoln Memorial .
Attorney General William Barr promised “ even greater law enforcement resources and support ” in the District of Columbia on Tuesday , the day after he ordered law enforcement officers to use projectiles and pepper spray to clear protesters from a space near the White House so that President Donald Trump could walk to a nearby church to have his photo taken holding a Bible .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ traffic , their Humvees stationed nearby .
Department of Homeland Security police formed a line near the Veterans Affairs Building .
Drug Enforcement Administration agents were posted on street corners .
Uniformed members of the armed services sat in military vehicles near the National Museum of African American History and Culture .
Border Patrol officers and U.S. Customs agents were stationed near the Ronald Reagan Building , and men who called themselves “ assets of DOJ ” or with “ the federal government ” were posted near the Justice Department and FBI building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring attention to the death of George Floyd , a 46-year-old Black man killed last week by a Minneapolis police officer who knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes , even as he pleaded that he could not breathe , and to the many , many other Black people killed by police .
The protests weren ’ t suppressed , in spite of scare tactics .
Two cyclists surveying the scene outfitted their bikes with signs that read “ Black lives matter ” and “ White silence Is violence , ” while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead pig on the front of the Department of Treasury Building and a building near the White House that was tagged with the phrases “ Capitalism is murder ” and “ Why do we have to keep telling you Black lives matter.
” Protesters had reason to believe they could be hurt by law enforcement , even if their demonstrations remained peaceful .
Across the country , law enforcement officials have responded violently to the protests against police brutality , pointing to instances of looting and rioting as justification to deploy tear gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayors called in the National Guard to help police their cities and enforce curfews .
In Washington on Monday evening , Barr personally ordered law enforcement to crush a peaceful protest using chemical munitions ahead of a speech by Trump in which he vowed to send “ thousands of heavily armed soldiers ” into the nation ’ s capital and to deploy the military into other U.S. cities if their mayors did not crush protests against police brutality .
Trump ’ s show of force , intended to assert his power and intimidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushback .
Several governors have said they will not allow Trump to deploy troops to their states .
Mike Mullen , former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , wrote on Tuesday that he was “ sickened ” to see members of the National Guard violently clear protesters and worried that “ members of our military will be co-opted for political purposes.
” But it ’ s unclear who has the ability or willingness to stop the president ’ s authoritarian drift .
Barr , Trump ’ s hand-picked attorney general , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Office of Legal Counsel to back several of the president ’ s legally questionable moves .
Some Democrats have vowed limited action : Sen. Tim Kaine ( D-Va. ) said he will offer an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act barring use of military force against Americans .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
, who attended the protests in D.C. Tuesday evening , called for Barr to be impeached and said she is asking the inspector general for the Department of Defense to conduct an investigation “ of the role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attack on peaceful protesters at the White House.
” The streets were , for the most part , calmer overnight than they had been in days , the Associated Press reported .
In New York , thousands of demonstrators stayed out beyond an 8 p.m. curfew and there were scattered reports of looting .
But the streets were mostly clear by Wednesday morning as police continued to patrol .
There were also some signs that the intense public pressure to address police brutality was having an effect .
In Minnesota , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a human rights complaint against the Minneapolis Police Department , launching an investigation into whether the department has engaged in systematic racism .
The school board in Minneapolis voted on Tuesday in favor of a resolution to cut ties with the police department .
In Los Angeles , Police Chief Michel Moore faced a flood of calls for him to step down or be fired after stating on Monday that Floyd ’ s death “ is on [ looters ’ ] hands , as much as it is those officers ” who participated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that day but during an online meeting of the city ’ s Police Commission on Tuesday , more than 500 people signed up to share public comment .
They detailed LAPD ’ s aggressive use of tear gas and rubber bullets to attack peaceful protesters throughout the city .

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Protesters marched through Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night, despite facing the threat of violence from local and federal law enforcement officials and military police officers deployed by the Trump administration in an overwhelming show of force meant to stamp out demonstrations against police brutality and racism.
In downtown Washington, a new law enforcement agency or military vehicle was around every corner. Military police officers outfitted for a war zone lined up in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Attorney General William Barr promised “even greater law enforcement resources and support” in the District of Columbia on Tuesday, the day after he ordered law enforcement officers to use projectiles and pepper spray to clear protesters from a space near the White House so that President Donald Trump could walk to a nearby church to have his photo taken holding a Bible.
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Members of the D.C. National Guard directed traffic, their Humvees stationed nearby. Department of Homeland Security police formed a line near the Veterans Affairs Building. Drug Enforcement Administration agents were posted on street corners. Uniformed members of the armed services sat in military vehicles near the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Border Patrol officers and U.S. Customs agents were stationed near the Ronald Reagan Building, and men who called themselves “assets of DOJ” or with “the federal government” were posted near the Justice Department and FBI building.
But thousands turned out anyway to bring attention to the death of George Floyd ― a 46-year-old Black man killed last week by a Minneapolis police officer who knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, even as he pleaded that he could not breathe ― and to the many, many other Black people killed by police. The protests weren’t suppressed, in spite of scare tactics.
Demonstrators streamed en masse toward downtown, some of them chanting Floyd’s name.
Two cyclists surveying the scene outfitted their bikes with signs that read “Black lives matter” and “White silence is violence.” Onlookers snapped photos of graffiti of a dead pig on the front of the Department of Treasury Building and a building near the White House that was tagged with the phrases “Capitalism is murder” and “Why do we have to keep telling you Black lives matter.”
Members of the D.C. National Guard stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial as demonstrators participate in a peaceful protest against police brutality and the death of George Floyd. Win McNamee via Getty Images
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Protesters had reason to believe they could be hurt by law enforcement, even if their demonstrations remained peaceful. Across the country, law enforcement officials have responded violently to the protests against police brutality, pointing to instances of looting and rioting as justification to deploy tear gas and projectiles on peaceful demonstrators. Several mayors called in the National Guard to help police their cities and enforce curfews.
In Washington on Monday evening, Barr personally ordered law enforcement to crush a peaceful protest using chemical munitions ahead of a speech by Trump in which he vowed to send “thousands of heavily armed soldiers” into the nation’s capital and to deploy the military into other U.S. cities if their mayors did not crush protests against police brutality.
There were indications Tuesday could be even more dramatic, with a larger military and law enforcement presence in Washington. Plus, the Justice Department has authorized the Drug Enforcement Administration to “conduct covert surveillance” and investigate people participating in the protests, BuzzFeed News reported.
One demonstrator said the show of force in Washington made them suspicious and nervous. They were worried they would be trapped and arrested, just like protesters were on a residential street the night before.
Some demonstrators prepared for potential force: One group of young women walking in from north of the White House carried bags filled with milk and gauze to use to aid protesters hit by pepper spray or rubber bullets.
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Trump’s show of force, intended to assert his power and intimidate protesters, has earned him plenty of pushback. Several governors have said they will not allow Trump to deploy troops to their states. Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote on Tuesday that he was “sickened” to see members of the National Guard violently clear protesters and worried that “members of our military will be co-opted for political purposes.”
Washington’s Roman Catholic archbishop condemned Trump’s Tuesday visit to the St. John Paul II National Shrine, insisting that the former pope the shrine is named for “would not condone the use of tear gas and other deterrents to silence, scatter or intimidate” protesters.
Many Democrats and some Republicans have spoken out against the president’s response.
But it’s unclear who has the ability or willingness to stop the president’s authoritarian drift. Barr, Trump’s hand-picked attorney general, has pushed the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel to back several of the president’s legally questionable moves. Some Democrats have vowed limited action: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said he will offer an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act barring use of military force against Americans. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who attended the protests in D.C. Tuesday evening, called for Barr to be impeached and said she is asking the inspector general for the Department of Defense to conduct an investigation “of the role of DoD civilian and military officials in the attack on peaceful protesters at the White House.”
But Republicans, who control the Senate, have either been silent or downplayed concerns about Trump’s response to protesters. Some GOP members of Congress said they wished he’d adjust his tone.
Protests continued in cities throughout the country Tuesday night, including in Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Louisville and Denver.
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The streets were, for the most part, calmer overnight than they had been in days, The Associated Press reported. In New York, thousands of demonstrators stayed out beyond an 8 p.m. curfew and there were scattered reports of looting. But the streets were mostly clear by Wednesday morning as police continued to patrol.
The AP estimated Wednesday morning that more than 9,000 people nationwide have been arrested during the unrest since Floyd’s death on May 25.
There were also some signs that the intense public pressure to address police brutality was having an effect. In Minnesota, where Floyd was killed, the state filed a human rights complaint against the Minneapolis Police Department, launching an investigation into whether the department has engaged in systematic racism. The school board in Minneapolis voted on Tuesday in favor of a resolution to cut ties with the police department.
Although most of the police brutality against protesters has gone unpunished, several police officers in Atlanta were charged with aggravated assault after violently removing students from their car with a stun gun.
In Los Angeles, Police Chief Michel Moore faced a flood of calls for him to step down or be fired after stating on Monday that Floyd’s death “is on [looters’] hands, as much as it is those officers” who participated in his death. Moore apologized later that day but during an online meeting of the city’s Police Commission on Tuesday, more than 500 people signed up to share public comment. They detailed LAPD’s aggressive use of tear gas and rubber bullets to attack peaceful protesters throughout the city.
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“You have shown your true colors,” said David Spencer, one of the people who called into the meeting. “I am terrified of the LAPD now.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-03--Warren Calls For DOJ Probe Amid Reports Attorney General Ordered Protesters Removed

Sen. Elizabeth Warren called for an investigation following the violent dispersal of protesters near the White House on Monday amid reports Attorney General William Barr personally ordered federal officers to remove them .
The Massachusetts Democrat wrote to the inspector general at the Department of Justice on Tuesday , saying she was appalled after largely peaceful protesters gathered in Lafayette Park were confronted by federal police wielding tear gas and flash-bang grenades the day before .
Shortly after the crowds were removed , President Donald Trump walked to nearby St. John ’ s Church for a photo-op , held up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greatest country in the world.
” The Washington Post and The New York Times later reported the dispersal was directly ordered by Barr .
“ This ‘ ambush ’ of American citizens who were protesting the killing of Mr. Floyd at the hands of a police officer was created to allow the President to partake in a blatantly political photo opportunity , ” Warren wrote to Michael Horowitz , the DOJ ’ s inspector general .
“ These attacks on peaceful American protestors steps from the White House were sickening and appalling.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters near the White House demanding justice for George Floyd were appalling .
Trump acted more like a wannabe authoritarian than Commander in Chief .
Here ’ s some of the things I ’ ve been working on today to hold this administration accountable : — Elizabeth Warren ( @ SenWarren ) June 3 , 2020 Black Americans are dying at the hands of police & Trump ’ s response is to attack his fellow citizens & put more lives at risk .
I ’ ll keep fighting every way I can to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systemic racism & corruption in our justice system & this administration .
— Elizabeth Warren ( @ SenWarren ) June 3 , 2020 Warren also wrote to the Pentagon ’ s acting inspector general calling for a probe into the role the agency played in the protests .
The senator ’ s calls add to growing criticism over police handling of demonstrations following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes .
Protests have spread around the nation for nearly a week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaceful , violent clashes have erupted between demonstrators and heavily armed police forces .
Warren showed up to a demonstration in Lafayette Park on Tuesday with her husband , Bruce Mann , and their dog Bailey in solidarity with those gathered .
“ I ’ m here today because nothing changes if we don ’ t speak out , ” the senator told the Washington Post .
“ It is not enough to stay comfortable in our homes and offices and say we stand in solidarity .
It ’ s important that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call out racism everywhere .
”

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren called for an investigation following the violent dispersal of protesters near the White House on Monday amid reports Attorney General William Barr personally ordered federal officers to remove them.
The Massachusetts Democrat wrote to the inspector general at the Department of Justice on Tuesday, saying she was appalled after largely peaceful protesters gathered in Lafayette Park were confronted by federal police wielding tear gas and flash-bang grenades the day before. Shortly after the crowds were removed, President Donald Trump walked to nearby St. John’s Church for a photo-op, held up a Bible and declared America the “greatest country in the world.”
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The Washington Post and The New York Times later reported the dispersal was directly ordered by Barr.
“This ‘ambush’ of American citizens who were protesting the killing of Mr. Floyd at the hands of a police officer was created to allow the President to partake in a blatantly political photo opportunity,” Warren wrote to Michael Horowitz, the DOJ’s inspector general. “These attacks on peaceful American protestors steps from the White House were sickening and appalling.”
Last night’s attacks on peaceful protesters near the White House demanding justice for George Floyd were appalling. Trump acted more like a wannabe authoritarian than Commander in Chief. Here’s some of the things I’ve been working on today to hold this administration accountable: — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) June 3, 2020
Black Americans are dying at the hands of police & Trump’s response is to attack his fellow citizens & put more lives at risk. I’ll keep fighting every way I can to hold Trump accountable & to fight the systemic racism & corruption in our justice system & this administration. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) June 3, 2020
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Warren also wrote to the Pentagon’s acting inspector general calling for a probe into the role the agency played in the protests.
The senator’s calls add to growing criticism over police handling of demonstrations following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Protests have spread around the nation for nearly a week, and while they have been largely peaceful, violent clashes have erupted between demonstrators and heavily armed police forces.
Warren showed up to a demonstration in Lafayette Park on Tuesday with her husband, Bruce Mann, and their dog Bailey in solidarity with those gathered.
“I’m here today because nothing changes if we don’t speak out,” the senator told the Washington Post. “It is not enough to stay comfortable in our homes and offices and say we stand in solidarity. It’s important that we get out on the front lines and call out racism everywhere.”
Elizabeth Warren, her husband, and Bailey at the White House protest pic.twitter.com/eT4YtvwsXr — Jared Holt (@jaredlholt) June 2, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-03--Houston Police Chief Rips Donald Trump’s Violent Rhetoric: 'Keep Your Mouth Shut'

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo on Tuesday ripped President Donald Trump ’ s divisive rhetoric on the protests that have erupted nationwide following the death of George Floyd .
“ Let me just say this to the president of the United States on behalf of the police chiefs in this country .
Please , if you don ’ t have anything constructive to say , keep your mouth shut .
Because you ’ re putting men and women in their early 20s at risk , ” Acevedo told CNN ’ s Christiane Amanpour .
“ It ’ s not about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearts and minds , ” the police chief continued , referencing Trump ’ s order earlier this week that governors should “ dominate ” anti-racism protesters .
Acevedo clarified that police did “ not want people to confuse kindness with weakness , but we don ’ t want ignorance to ruin what we ’ ve got here in Houston.
” “ And it hurts me to no end because whether we vote for someone or we don ’ t vote for someone , he ’ s still our president , but it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to be like you ’ re on ‘ The Apprentice , ’ ” he added .
“ This is not Hollywood , this is real life , and real lives are at risk .
”

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Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo on Tuesday ripped President Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric on the protests that have erupted nationwide following the death of George Floyd.
“Let me just say this to the president of the United States on behalf of the police chiefs in this country: Please, if you don’t have anything constructive to say, keep your mouth shut. Because you’re putting men and women in their early 20s at risk,” Acevedo told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.
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“It’s not about dominating. It’s about winning hearts and minds,” the police chief continued, referencing Trump’s order earlier this week that governors should “dominate” anti-racism protesters.
Acevedo clarified that police did “not want people to confuse kindness with weakness, but we don’t want ignorance to ruin what we’ve got here in Houston.”
“And it hurts me to no end because whether we vote for someone or we don’t vote for someone, he’s still our president. But it’s time to be presidential and not try to be like you’re on ‘The Apprentice,’” he added. “This is not Hollywood. This is real life, and real lives are at risk.”
Check out the interview here:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Bronx Rep. Eliot Engel’s Hot Mic Moment Gives Progressive Opponent An Opening

Bowman wasted no time framing the remarks as evidence that Engel , who has spent almost all of the COVID-19 pandemic at his home in an upscale suburb of Washington , is interested in helping his constituents only when it is politically expedient .
The sensation around the video clip is generating excitement in left-wing activist circles .
Bowman ’ s campaign said it raised $ 98,000 on Tuesday , more than twice what it had on any other day of the campaign .
The enthusiasm for Bowman likely springs from the left ’ s hunger for a primary win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one at the federal level .
Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ s loss in the Democratic presidential primary has been particularly devastating for the left , but the progressive wing of the party has also fared poorly in down-ballot contests , managing to unseat just one of the moderate congressional Democrats it targeted , Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski .
( Even that coup was something of a hybrid effort , relying as it did on the largesse of establishment abortion-rights groups like EMILY ’ s List . )
It ’ s impossible to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hot mic ” video will play in a June 23 primary set to take place under the unprecedented circumstances of a pandemic .
Bowman and Engel are competing for the Democratic nomination in New York ’ s 16th Congressional District , a racially and ideologically diverse slice of the Bronx and neighboring Westchester County .
A majority of the district ’ s residents are Black and Latino , a potential advantage for Bowman , who is Black , but the seat contains pockets of more moderate white voters as well .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but one of the labor unions that have gotten involved in the contest .
And as of the end of March , he had over $ 1 million in cash on hand , compared with $ 200,000 for Bowman .
But Engel ’ s gaffe occurred at a moment when Bowman was gaining momentum .
Earlier on Tuesday , schoolteacher Andom Ghebreghiorgis , who had also been vying for the progressive mantle , dropped out of the race and endorsed Bowman .
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee , which boasts a considerable email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bowman has been a visible presence in the district , which includes New Rochelle , where the coronavirus first appeared in New York , helping distribute food at food banks and joining nurses protesting for better personal protective equipment .
Bowman ’ s participation in a demonstration held by nurses helped him nab the endorsement of the New York State Nurses Association , the state ’ s largest nurses union .
By contrast , as the pandemic ravaged his district , Engel stayed in the home he owns in Potomac , Maryland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him in mid-May .
Despite Engel ’ s initial efforts to claim he had been spending time in his district as well , his office ultimately told The Atlantic that he had been in Maryland since the end of March .
He also admitted to taking credit for participating in food giveaways and relief events with other elected officials even though he was not physically present .
Many an entrenched incumbent has lost an election when doubts emerged about their ties to their home district .
For example , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated then-Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a neighboring district partly by drawing attention to the fact that Crowley no longer maintained a home in the district .
( Engel , by contrast , still has an apartment in the Bronx . )

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Every now and then, a powerful elected official makes an unforced error that threatens their otherwise favorable path to reelection.
Rep. Eliot Engel, a 16-term Bronx Democrat and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, fell prey to just such a mistake on Tuesday. A microphone captured him pleading with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. for speaking time at a news conference about local vandalism that emerged out of protests against the Minneapolis police killing last week of George Floyd.
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“I cannot have all the electeds talk, because otherwise we’ll never get out of here,” Diaz can be heard telling Engel before the news conference on a live TV broadcast of News12BX.
“If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care,” Engel replied.
Diaz couldn’t hear him. “If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care,” he repeated.
“Don’t do that to me,” Diaz said, shaking his head. “Everybody has a primary.”
Amid wall-to-wall coverage of the social unrest gripping American cities, the clip of the exchange posted by NY1 reporter Emily Ngo has since gotten more than 1 million views on Twitter.
It is not uncommon for politicians to fight for a speaking slot at a public event. Unfortunately for Engel, his request was caught on camera ― and, as he noted, he is facing a spirited primary against progressive middle school principal Jamaal Bowman.
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) is one of the most powerful figures in Washington. His primary challenger Jamaal Bowman argues that Engel is out of touch with the district. SAUL LOEB/Getty Images
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Bowman wasted no time framing the remarks as evidence that Engel, who has spent almost all of the COVID-19 pandemic at his home in an upscale suburb of Washington, is interested in helping his constituents only when it is politically expedient.
“This is so incredibly painful to watch from Rep. Eliot Engel,” Bowman said in a statement. “We need to be taking care of our communities right now ― whether it’s election season or not.”
The sensation around the video clip is generating excitement in left-wing activist circles. Bowman’s campaign said it raised $107,000 on Tuesday, more than twice what it had on any other day of the campaign.
The enthusiasm for Bowman likely springs from the left’s hunger for a primary win with precious few remaining opportunities to score one at the federal level. Sen. Bernie Sanders’s loss in the Democratic presidential primary has been particularly devastating for the left, but the progressive wing of the party has also fared poorly in down-ballot contests, managing to unseat just one of the moderate congressional Democrats it targeted, Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski. (Even that coup was something of a hybrid effort, relying as it did on the largesse of establishment abortion-rights groups like EMILY’s List.)
A win for Bowman would “send a powerful warning sign to Democrats across the country about the perils to ignoring progressives,” said Sean McElwee, a co-founder of the think tank Data for Progress who is supporting Bowman’s bid.
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It’s impossible to know for certain exactly what role the “hot mic” video will play in a June 23 primary set to take place under the unprecedented circumstances of a pandemic. Bowman and Engel are competing for the Democratic nomination in New York’s 16th Congressional District, a racially and ideologically diverse slice of the Bronx and neighboring Westchester County. A majority of the district’s residents are Black and Latino, a potential advantage for Bowman, who is Black, but the seat contains pockets of more moderate white voters as well.
“This is one of those gifts a campaign like his always hopes for.” - Mike Mikus, Democratic campaign consultant
In addition, Engel retains the support of all but one of the labor unions that have gotten involved in the contest. And as of the end of March, he had over $1 million in cash on hand, compared with $200,000 for Bowman.
In a statement, Engel maintained that it was legitimate for him to want his constituents to know he cares about them.
“In the context of running for re-election, I thought it was important for people to know where I stand, that’s why I asked to speak,” he said. “Of course I care deeply about what’s happening in this country, that’s what I wanted to convey.
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“I love the Bronx, grew up in the Bronx and lived here all my life. I would not have tried to impose on the Borough President if I didn’t think it was important.”
Incidentally, Diaz, like virtually every other elected official in the Bronx, has endorsed Engel and reiterated his support for him after the clip went viral on Tuesday.
But Engel’s gaffe occurred at a moment when Bowman was gaining momentum. Earlier on Tuesday, schoolteacher Andom Ghebreghiorgis, who had also been vying for the progressive mantle, dropped out of the race and endorsed Bowman. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which boasts a considerable email list, followed suit shortly thereafter.
And critically, Engel’s remarks fit nicely into Bowman’s existing efforts to depict Engel as a creature of Washington no longer in touch with his constituents.
Bowman has been a visible presence in the district, which includes New Rochelle, where the coronavirus first appeared in New York, helping distribute food at food banks and joining nurses protesting for better personal protective equipment. Bowman’s participation in a demonstration held by nurses helped him nab the endorsement of the New York State Nurses Association, the state’s largest nurses union.
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Jamaal Bowman distributes food at a food bank in Yonkers, New York. His presence in the district helped win him the backing of an influential union. Jamaal Bowman for Congress
By contrast, as the pandemic ravaged his district, Engel stayed in the home he owns in Potomac, Maryland, where a reporter for The Atlantic confronted him in mid-May. Despite Engel’s initial efforts to claim he had been spending time in his district as well, his office ultimately told The Atlantic that he had been in Maryland since the end of March. He also admitted to taking credit for participating in food giveaways and relief events with other elected officials even though he was not physically present.
“Every candidate ― especially someone who’s been in office for such a long time ― doesn’t want to make a mistake that amplifies concerns voters already have about them,” said Mike Mikus, a Democratic campaign consultant who advised New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo during his 2018 reelection bid.
Referring to Bowman, Mikus added, “This is one of those gifts a campaign like his always hopes for.”
Many an entrenched incumbent has lost an election when doubts emerged about their ties to their home district. For example, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated then-Rep. Joe Crowley in a June 2018 primary in a neighboring district partly by drawing attention to the fact that Crowley no longer maintained a home in the district. (Engel, by contrast, still has an apartment in the Bronx.)
Mikus suggested that Bowman would be wise to let Engel’s comments speak for themselves, placing them in television advertisements and direct-mail literature with relatively little additional text.
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“If used properly, it can be devastating,” he said.
Bruce Gyory, a New York political consultant and adjunct professor at the State University of New York, Albany, thinks Bowman has a shot in the race. But he argued that it would be a gamble to make too much hay out of Engel’s slip-up in paid advertising rather than focusing on earning the potentially game-changing endorsements of The New York Times and the New York Daily News.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-03--GOP Group Scorches Trump On Fox News With Call To End His 'American Carnage'

A Republican group opposed to President Donald Trump is urging voters to end his “ American carnage ” by voting him out of office in November .
And it ’ s using one of Trump ’ s favorite TV shows to spread the message .
Republican Voters Against Trump ― a campaign that launched last week to highlight the voices of disaffected party members ― is running an ad this week on “ Fox & Friends ” that uses the president ’ s own words against him .
The spot is centered around a line from his inauguration : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stops right now , ” which has taken on new meaning amid a deadly pandemic and nationwide civil unrest : “ As demonstrations and riots roil the country , he is only dividing us , rather than uniting us , ” Sarah Longwell , the group ’ s spokesperson , said in a statement .
“ President Trump owns this American carnage .
It ’ s time to stop the bleeding.
” Defending Democracy Together , a group of “ Never Trump ” conservatives including commentator Bill Kristol , created Republican Voters Against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the right ― including the Lincoln Project , which was co-founded by attorney George Conway and GOP strategists Rick Wilson and Steve Schmidt ― targeting the president as the election approaches .
The attacks have been getting under Trump ’ s skin .
Last month , he lashed out at Kristol , Conway and others , saying “ these are losers , from day one.
” I 'm well aware that many individuals of far greater distinction have been called losers , and worse , by Donald Trump .
Yet , without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wear his scorn as a badge of honor ?
pic.twitter.com/dvzfJ0ndee — Bill Kristol ( @ BillKristol ) May 5 , 2020

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A Republican group opposed to President Donald Trump is urging voters to end his “American carnage” by voting him out of office in November. And it’s using one of Trump’s favorite TV shows to spread the message.
Republican Voters Against Trump ― a campaign that launched last week to highlight the voices of disaffected party members ― is running an ad this week on “Fox & Friends” that uses the president’s own words against him. The spot is centered around a line from his inauguration: “This American carnage stops right here and stops right now,” which has taken on new meaning amid a deadly pandemic and nationwide civil unrest:
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“As demonstrations and riots roil the country, he is only dividing us, rather than uniting us,” Sarah Longwell, the group’s spokesperson, said in a statement. “President Trump owns this American carnage. It’s time to stop the bleeding.”
Defending Democracy Together, a group of “Never Trump” conservatives including commentator Bill Kristol, created Republican Voters Against Trump. It is among several groups on the right ― including the Lincoln Project, which was co-founded by attorney George Conway and GOP strategists Rick Wilson and Steve Schmidt ― targeting the president as the election approaches.
The attacks have been getting under Trump’s skin. Last month, he lashed out at Kristol, Conway and others, saying “these are losers, from day one.”
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Kristol replied:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Ferguson Just Elected Its First Black Mayor

ASSOCIATED PRESS Ella Jones , shown here while a City Council member in 2017 , has been elected Ferguson 's mayor .
Ferguson , Missouri , the city where protests helped propel the Black Lives Matter movement into a nationwide crusade , elected its first Black mayor Tuesday night .
Ella Jones will also be the city ’ s first female mayor .
The St. Louis County Board of Elections confirmed the news of her win with the St. Louis Dispatch , reporting that she secured 54 % of the vote .
Her success in Tuesday ’ s election marks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in her local government .
In 2015 , she became the first Black woman to serve on the Ferguson City Council .
Despite the Black community making up nearly 70 % of Ferguson ’ s population , the city ’ s government and police force were largely white at the time .
“ So , being the first African American woman , what does that mean ?
That means I ’ ve got work to do , ” Jones said in a video posted Tuesday night by St. Louis Public Radio reporter Jason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re an African-American woman , they require more of you than they require of my counterpart .
And I know the people in Ferguson are ready to stabilize their community , and we ’ re going to work together to get it done.
” Jones joined the city government just months after the 2014 death of Michael Brown , a Black teenager gunned down by a white police officer .
His death sparked nationwide protests over police brutality and helped put the Black Lives Matter movement on the map .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the way around the world , ” she said in an interview last month .
Her campaign largely focused on raising property values in Ferguson and attracting new homeowners .

Ella Jones, shown here while a City Council member in 2017, has been elected Ferguson's mayor. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ferguson, Missouri, the city where protests helped propel the Black Lives Matter movement into a nationwide crusade, elected its first Black mayor Tuesday night.
Ella Jones will also be the city’s first female mayor. The St. Louis County Board of Elections confirmed the news of her win with the St. Louis Dispatch, reporting that she secured 54% of the vote.
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Her success in Tuesday’s election marks the second time Jones broke down barriers in her local government. In 2015, she became the first Black woman to serve on the Ferguson City Council. Despite the Black community making up nearly 70% of Ferguson’s population, the city’s government and police force were largely white at the time.
“So, being the first African American woman, what does that mean? That means I’ve got work to do,” Jones said in a video posted Tuesday night by St. Louis Public Radio reporter Jason Rosenbaum. “Because when you’re an African-American woman, they require more of you than they require of my counterpart. And I know the people in Ferguson are ready to stabilize their community, and we’re going to work together to get it done.”
Jones joined the city government just months after the 2014 death of Michael Brown, a Black teenager gunned down by a white police officer. His death sparked nationwide protests over police brutality and helped put the Black Lives Matter movement on the map.
“It’s a sad way we got known all the way around the world,” she said in an interview last month.
Her campaign largely focused on raising property values in Ferguson and attracting new homeowners.
Josie Harvey contributed to this report.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-03--Brit Hume Slams Joe Biden’s Call For Racial Justice As ‘Black Grievance Politics’

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday promised an “ era of action ” against racial inequality if he defeats President Donald Trump in November .
But Fox News analyst Brit Hume dismissed Biden ’ s plan to reform the criminal justice system , calling it recycled “ black grievance politics.
” Biden ’ s call to action comes amid widespread unrest following a white police officer killing George Floyd , a Black man , in Minneapolis last week .
“ Let us vow to make this , at last , an era of action to reverse systemic racism with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden said .
“ No more excuses .
No more delays.
” Biden also slammed Trump ’ s divisive rhetoric and said he would “ seek to heal the racial wounds that have long plagued this country — not use them for political gain.
” “ [ Biden ] had about two sentences or so in that speech of some length in which he expressed disapproval of the violence , ” Hume said .
“ All the rest of it was the same black grievance politics that we ’ ve been hearing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boilerplate dressed up in some well-done rhetoric , but that ’ s really what it was , ” he added .
Biden ’ s speech sounded like something from 1968 , Hume said : Brit : Has any country on earth tried harder to right the racial wrongs as this country has ?
If it has , I ’ d like to know which it is because I don ’ t know if that ’ s the case .
pic.twitter.com/iHTnaJPyv1 — Acyn Torabi ( @ Acyn ) June 3 , 2020

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Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday promised an “era of action” against racial inequality if he defeats President Donald Trump in November. But Fox News analyst Brit Hume dismissed Biden’s plan to reform the criminal justice system, calling it recycled “black grievance politics.”
Biden’s call to action comes amid widespread unrest following a white police officer killing George Floyd, a Black man, in Minneapolis last week.
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“Let us vow to make this, at last, an era of action to reverse systemic racism with long overdue and concrete changes,” Biden said. “No more excuses. No more delays.”
Biden also slammed Trump’s divisive rhetoric and said he would “seek to heal the racial wounds that have long plagued this country — not use them for political gain.”
Hume was unimpressed.
“[Biden] had about two sentences or so in that speech of some length in which he expressed disapproval of the violence,” Hume said. “All the rest of it was the same black grievance politics that we’ve been hearing for decades now.”
“It was absolute boilerplate dressed up in some well-done rhetoric, but that’s really what it was,” he added.
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Biden’s speech sounded like something from 1968, Hume said:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-03--Justin Trudeau Pauses For A Very Long Time Before Answering Question About Trump

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took quite the pause before responding to a question about President Donald Trump on Tuesday .
Trudeau was asked to comment on Trump ’ s call for military action to deal with the protests that have spread across the U.S. following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week .
Floyd , a Black man , died after a white police officer knelt on his neck .
Then , he said : “ We all watch in horror and consternation what ’ s going on in the United States .
It is a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time to listen , to learn what injustices continue despite progress over years and decades.
” Many thought Trudeau was being careful in choosing his words in a bid not to anger Trump , given how the U.S. is Canada ’ s neighbor and trade partner .
Some suggested the prime minister had not been prepared for the question .
Others , meanwhile , recalled Trudeau ’ s own racism scandal from 2019 , when old images resurfaced of him wearing what appeared to be blackface .
“ Was it a stunt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked Cuomo .
“ For me , it ’ s that a leader doesn ’ t just talk , a leader has to listen but most importantly , a leader has to feel , a leader has to feel what the people he leads feels.
” “ I think he faced a conundrum in that moment that many people face , they don ’ t know what to say , ” said Lemon .
“ They don ’ t want to say the wrong thing , they don ’ t want to jump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just sort of flummoxed because we ’ ve never really seen anything like this before .
”

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took quite the pause before responding to a question about President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
Trudeau was asked to comment on Trump’s call for military action to deal with the protests that have spread across the U.S. following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week. Floyd, a Black man, died after a white police officer knelt on his neck.
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Trudeau appeared to collect his thoughts for about 20 seconds.
Then, he said: “We all watch in horror and consternation what’s going on in the United States. It is a time to pull people together but it is a time to listen, to learn what injustices continue despite progress over years and decades.”
Check out the video here:
Watch: PM Trudeau takes a long pause after question about U.S. President Trump’s response to racial unrest.
See more here: https://t.co/1WldUelY4U pic.twitter.com/4fRCNQskAP — CTV News (@CTVNews) June 2, 2020
People on Twitter had a range of ideas interpreting the pause.
Many thought Trudeau was being careful in choosing his words in a bid not to anger Trump, given how the U.S. is Canada’s neighbor and trade partner.
Some suggested the prime minister had not been prepared for the question.
Others, meanwhile, recalled Trudeau’s own racism scandal from 2019, when old images resurfaced of him wearing what appeared to be blackface.
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CNN’s Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon discussed the pause on Tuesday.
“Was it a stunt? What was the effect?” asked Cuomo. “For me, it’s that a leader doesn’t just talk, a leader has to listen but most importantly, a leader has to feel, a leader has to feel what the people he leads feels.”
“I think he faced a conundrum in that moment that many people face, they don’t know what to say,” said Lemon. “They don’t want to say the wrong thing, they don’t want to jump to conclusions and then you’re just sort of flummoxed because we’ve never really seen anything like this before.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Paulette Jordan Wins Idaho Senate Democratic Primary

It ’ s a long-shot effort by Jordan in deep red Idaho , but if anything , the race will be a fascinating study in contrasts between her and Risch , who could not be more different .
Jordan , 40 , is a Native American progressive Democrat who would be the state ’ s first female and first indigenous U.S. senator if she pulls off a win in November .
Her priorities are strengthening health care and protecting public lands , and she is a forceful advocate of LGBTQ rights and women ’ s reproductive rights .
She was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeated a Republican for the seat ― and the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in 2018 .
She is not rich .
She believes in science .
One of Jordan ’ s strengths as a candidate is her ability to raise funds .
Despite losing the 2018 gubernatorial race to Republican Brad Little , she raised more than $ 1 million as the underdog ― and most of it came from small , individual contributions from within and outside the state .
She also appealed to independents and even some conservative Republicans with her anti-establishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can unseat Risch , Jordan told HuffPost in February that he ’ s vulnerable because he ’ s out of touch with Idahoans on the issues that matter the most to them , such as health care and education .
He ’ s also just gotten too comfortable , she said .
“ The man has been sleeping at the wheel since he got elected ― literally and figuratively , ” Jordan said , referring to Risch being caught sleeping on the Senate floor during Trump ’ s impeachment trial earlier this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

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Paulette Jordan won Tuesday night’s Idaho Senate Democratic primary, setting her up for a historic bid to unseat longtime Republican Sen. Jim Risch.
It’s a long-shot effort by Jordan in deep red Idaho, but if anything, the race will be a fascinating study in contrasts between her and Risch, who could not be more different.
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Jordan, 40, is a Native American progressive Democrat who would be the state’s first female and first indigenous U.S. senator if she pulls off a win in November. Her priorities are strengthening health care and protecting public lands, and she is a forceful advocate of LGBTQ rights and women’s reproductive rights. She was previously a two-term state legislator ― she defeated a Republican for the seat ― and the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in 2018. She is not rich. She believes in science.
Paulette Jordan will face Sen. Jim Risch in November. Diane Loos/ASSOCIATED PRESS
One of Jordan’s strengths as a candidate is her ability to raise funds. Despite losing the 2018 gubernatorial race to Republican Brad Little, she raised more than $1 million as the underdog ― and most of it came from small, individual contributions from within and outside the state. She also appealed to independents and even some conservative Republicans with her anti-establishment message.
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Asked how she thinks she can unseat Risch, Jordan told HuffPost in February that he’s vulnerable because he’s out of touch with Idahoans on the issues that matter the most to them, such as health care and education.
He’s also just gotten too comfortable, she said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-03--Tiffany Trump Joins Blackout Tuesday Campaign On Instagram

Tiffany Trump posted a black square on Instagram as part of the Blackout Tuesday campaign .
President Donald Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ post on Tuesday with a quote from the author and activist , Helen Keller : @ @ @ @ @ so little ; together we can achieve so much.
” She also shared the # @ @ @ @ @ .
The Blackout Tuesday campaign swept across social media on Tuesday amid ongoing protests nationwide @ @ @ @ @ Floyd and growing calls for racial justice .
Floyd , a Black man , was @ @ @ @ @ after a white police officer knelt on his neck .
Trump ’ s post drew @ @ @ @ @ commenters praised the 26-year-old Georgetown University Law Center graduate for appearing to show solidarity with @ @ @ @ @ Matter movement .
Critics recalled her father ’ s divisive rhetoric on demonstrators , who @ @ @ @ @ .
”

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Tiffany Trump posted a black square on Instagram as part of the Blackout Tuesday campaign.
President Donald Trump’s youngest daughter captioned her post on Tuesday with a quote from the author and activist Helen Keller: “Alone we can achieve so little; together we can achieve so much.”
She also included the hashtags #blackoutTuesday and #justiceforgeorgefloyd.
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The Blackout Tuesday campaign swept across social media on Tuesday amid ongoing protests nationwide over the death of George Floyd and growing calls for racial justice. Floyd, a Black man, was killed in Minneapolis last week after a white police officer pressed his knee onto his neck.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--Zuckerberg Says Trump's Inflammatory Facebook Post Doesn't Incite Harm: Report

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg once again defended his decision to let an incendiary post by President Donald Trump stay up on his platform , saying on a staff-wide call leaked to the press that his post suggesting looters would be shot was not inciting violence .
Zuckerberg held the call after employees staged a virtual walkout after his decision to leave up Trump ’ s post from last week , which called police brutality protesters “ THUGS ” and warned , “ when the looting starts , the shooting starts.
” In a call with about 25,000 employees Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company looked into the phrase Trump used and found it didn ’ t call for people to attack protesters and therefore did not violate the company ’ s policies .
“ We basically concluded after the research and after everything I ’ ve read and all the different folks that I ’ ve talked to that the reference is clearly to aggressive policing — maybe excessive policing — but it has no history of being read as a dog whistle for vigilante supporters to take justice into their own hands , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also leaked to Bloomberg News .
The phrase in question , “ When the looting starts , the shooting starts , ” originated with a combative Miami police chief during the height of civil rights protests in the 1960s .
He uttered the threat while trashing the young , largely Black , people involved in the movement , saying his officers “ don ’ t mind being accused of police brutality.
” Trump has denied that repeating the language was a threat and says he was “ misunderstood.
” Zuckerberg issued a lengthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the post had a troubling historical reference , we decided to leave it up because the National Guard references meant we read it as a warning about state action , and we think people need to know if the government is planning to deploy force.
” Civil rights activists have denounced the innocent interpretation , and several of them issued a joint statement saying Zuckerberg “ is setting a very dangerous precedent for other voices who would say similar harmful things on Facebook.
” The decision has also outraged several Facebook employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday ’ s call to say how many Black people were involved in the decision .
He answered that there was one , global diversity officer Maxine Williams , among about six people who made the final call .
At least one Facebook employee , an engineer who worked to stop the spread of misinformation on the platform , has resigned in response to Zuckerberg ’ s stance on Trump ’ s post .
Twitter has set itself apart from Facebook by flagging Trump ’ s post , which he also posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a warning that it is “ glorifying violence.
” In order to see the post , users have to click through and remove the warning .
Trump claimed the move suppressed his free speech and soon thereafter signed an executive order weakening legal protections for social media companies .
But without congressional approval to regulate tech companies , the policy is likely unenforceable .

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg once again defended his decision to let an incendiary post by President Donald Trump stay up on his platform, saying on a staff-wide call leaked to the press that his post suggesting looters would be shot was not inciting violence.
Zuckerberg held the call after employees staged a virtual walkout after his decision to leave up Trump’s post from last week, which called police brutality protesters “THUGS” and warned, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
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In a call with about 25,000 employees Tuesday, according to ReCode, Zuckerberg said the company looked into the phrase Trump used and found it didn’t call for people to attack protesters and therefore did not violate the company’s policies.
“We basically concluded after the research and after everything I’ve read and all the different folks that I’ve talked to that the reference is clearly to aggressive policing — maybe excessive policing — but it has no history of being read as a dog whistle for vigilante supporters to take justice into their own hands,” he said on the call, which was also leaked to Bloomberg News.
Facebook did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for comment on the call.
The phrase in question, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts,” originated with a combative Miami police chief during the height of civil rights protests in the 1960s. He uttered the threat while trashing the young, largely Black, people involved in the movement, saying his officers “don’t mind being accused of police brutality.” Trump has denied that repeating the language was a threat and says he was “misunderstood.”
Zuckerberg issued a lengthy statement last week saying that, although “the post had a troubling historical reference, we decided to leave it up because the National Guard references meant we read it as a warning about state action, and we think people need to know if the government is planning to deploy force.”
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Civil rights activists have denounced the innocent interpretation, and several of them issued a joint statement saying Zuckerberg “is setting a very dangerous precedent for other voices who would say similar harmful things on Facebook.”
The decision has also outraged several Facebook employees, one of whom reportedly challenged Zuckerberg on Tuesday’s call to say how many Black people were involved in the decision. He answered that there was one, global diversity officer Maxine Williams, among about six people who made the final call.
At least one Facebook employee, an engineer who worked to stop the spread of misinformation on the platform, has resigned in response to Zuckerberg’s stance on Trump’s post.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-03--New Yorkers Said ‘F**k The Police,’ So The Police Rioted

“ The Only Fuckin ’ Way They Understand ”

NEW YORK — Thousands of New Yorkers over the last few days have taken to the streets in all five boroughs, setting cop cars aflame, braving beatings by batons and suffering pepper spray to the eyes, all so they can scream an urgent message for all the world to hear: Fuck the police.
They marched in Manhattan, where the New York Police Department once gunned down Patrick Dorismond.
In Queens, where the NYPD shot 50 bullets at Sean Bell.
In the Bronx, where an NYPD cop choked the life out of Anthony Baez.
In Brooklyn, where the NYPD shot 13-year-old Nicholas Heyward Jr.
And they marched on Staten Island, where the NYPD stole the breath from Eric Garner’s lungs.
Nearly 2,000 protesters were arrested over five nights as America’s largest city joined a national uprising against police brutality that saw demonstrations in about 140 cities, a mass unrest the likes of which this country hasn’t seen in over a generation.
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There were moments in New York when it felt like this multi-racial coalition of protesters, led largely by young people of color, was taking back the streets from the NYPD, a police force bigger than some nations’ armies that’s terrorized this city’s Black and brown residents since its founding.
It felt like more and more people here had come to question the cops’ monopoly on force and to embrace the radical idea of defunding the department, or even the abolitionist dream of a New York without New York’s Finest at all.
And so New York’s Finest erupted in violence.
The videos of tumult went viral. A cop speeding a patrol car into the middle of a crowd of protesters. A cop pulling down a man’s mask — worn to protect against the coronavirus — and pepper-spraying him in the face. Another using a car door to hit a man. One aiming a gun at demonstrators. Another shoving a woman into the ground so hard that she went into a seizure. And another could be heard saying “Shoot those motherfuckers” over the police scanner. The list goes on.
I witnessed cops brutalize and arrest people before being violently arrested myself.
And yet by Monday, New York’s Democratic governor, the city’s mayor and the country’s Republican president had settled on similar solutions to all the turmoil: suppressing this historic uprising with more armed agents of the state.
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To the protesters, it felt like their government still hadn’t heard them at all, and probably had never been listening in the first place.
“The Only Fucking Way They Understand”
On Saturday in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, thousands gathered outside the Parkside Avenue subway station under the afternoon sun for a series of speeches before that day’s marches. People hung out of windows and draped Black Lives Matter banners off of fire escapes while listening to the speakers below.
“You know how fucked up it is to turn on the news and see another nigga that look like you dead?” a young Black man asked the crowd through a megaphone.
“If you white,” he added, “and you not in the crowd, not on the fire escape, not on the roof screaming ‘Black lives matter’ in New York City … then get the fuck out!”
He and all the other speakers, all Black or Hispanic or Native American, invoked the names of Americans whose recent murders had sparked the demonstrations rocking dozens of U.S. cities: Breonna Taylor, shot by police in Louisville, Kentucky; Ahmaud Arbery, shot and killed while jogging in Georgia by a former cop and his son; and George Floyd, killed in Minneapolis just eight days ago, when a cop pressed a knee into Floyd’s neck and kept it there like a noose.
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“We are George!” the crowd chanted.
Protest in Brooklyn getting big. Chants of “We are George!” and “Who keeps us safe? We keep us safe!” pic.twitter.com/aAI2kNn2H6 — Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) May 30, 2020
Constance Malcolm, the mother of 18-year-old Ramarley Graham, who was killed by the NYPD in 2012, was joined on the podium by her son Chinoor Campbell, who was only 6 years old when he witnessed a white cop shoot his unarmed big brother inside his own home.
A few years ago, Malcolm showed me the bloodstained bath mat she kept on a shelf in her home, from when the cop’s bullet tore through her son’s heart. She couldn’t bring herself to throw it away, she said.
Malcolm has marched in many protests against police brutality in this city, and I once visited her as she slept on the sidewalk outside a Department of Justice building in Manhattan, demanding a civil rights investigation into her son’s murder.
But to the crowd in Flatbush on Saturday, Malcolm argued that such nonviolent actions simply haven’t accomplished what needs to be accomplished.
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“We see all the looting and burning buildings down and everything going on, and they call us thugs,” Malcolm said, referring to all the volatile demonstrations across the country, particularly in Minneapolis, where protesters ransacked and then burned down a police precinct.
“I’m not condoning the burning and stuff,” she continued, “but it’s the only fucking way they understand!”
The crowd roared. A short time later, Malcolm grabbed onto a banner that said “Justice for George Floyd,” her surviving son at her side, and led the crowd as it started to march through the streets.
Chants of “Who keeps us safe? We keep us safe!!” and “NYPD, suck my dick!” and “Fuck the police!” filled Flatbush Avenue.
Residents — many of whom have been stuck in their homes, out of work and sheltering from COVID-19, which has devastated predominantly Black and brown working-class neighborhoods like Flatbush — piled out onto the sidewalks to watch and sometimes join in.
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An old man inside a bodega explained to another old man what the march was all about, pointing to his knee, and then to his neck.
People in cars — including sanitation workers in a garbage truck, and the drivers of Flatbush’s one-dollar vans, who are regularly harassed by the NYPD for providing cheap rides for locals in an area with scant subway service — honked horns to cheer on the protesters.
Auto shop workers stepped out of their shop to dance and throw up fists of solidarity. A crying woman screamed “I love each and every one of you!” out of a fourth-story apartment window.
Every single car the protesters pass in Flatbush is honking and cheering pic.twitter.com/h33KRgdQBn — Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) May 30, 2020
Auto shop workers cheer on protesters marching past in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/g4wSgVIumm — Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) May 30, 2020
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The protesters marched for blocks and blocks. A Black organizer occasionally chided white protesters to stay in the back, to let the Black and brown voices be front and center.
Some in the crowd wouldn’t talk to journalists, and why would they? The predominantly white local and national press has drummed up fear of Black New Yorkers or acted as stenographers for the NYPD.
A New York Police Department SUV is burned Sunday during a Brooklyn protest over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Michael Nagle/Xinhua via Getty Images
As day turned to dusk on Saturday, some protesters torched their first NYPD vehicle, a cruiser. Flames curled out the windows, just above the car decals declaring the “Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect” of the department. Protesters warned others not to get too close in case the car exploded.
Cops in riot gear pushed back the protesters. A firetruck arrived, put out the fire and then left. And then the battle lines formed.
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The NYPD stood in rows in the middle of the street, near a Shell gas station. Protesters formed a line directly in front of them. Both Black and white protesters called for white protesters to stand on the front lines, and the white protesters obliged.
A cycle emerged: protesters would throw projectiles at the cops — glass bottles, stones, the occasional fireworks — and cops would charge into the crowd, tackling and arresting protesters before dragging them back to waiting police vans as the melee subsided and the two sides resumed formations.
Michael, an attorney from Brooklyn, stood on the sidewalk during a brief interlude with his friend Jerome, who did not give their last names.
The violence didn’t start with the burning cop cars or the glass bottles flying through the air, Michael argued. The police started the violence a long time ago.
“Every other week, every other day, we hear another story of a Black man being gunned down or a Black woman being gunned down, and that’s not fair, and then they just get away with it, and enough is enough,” Michael said.
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“We’re tired, and, no, we don’t want to be out here destroying cop cars and destroying our own neighborhoods and stuff like that, but that’s the way to —” Michael continued, before his friend Jerome interrupted.
“I’m fucking tired of that shit about ‘We are destroying our own fuckin’ community,’” Jerome said. “We do not fucking own the fucking community! We don’t own this shit! Every year we do not fucking own it. Stop fucking telling us that we destroy our own community. We don’t own shit that is fucking here!”
Activists carry protest signs during a march in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn on Sunday over the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Kevin Hagen/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Throughout the day, some protesters had carried signs calling for the defunding of the NYPD, a proposal that’s moved from more radical corners of the left to mainstream discourse in recent years. The idea is to reallocate a big chunk of the department’s mammoth $6 billion annual budget and instead invest it in housing, employment, mental health services and other non-police remedies for the problems of public safety.
“Just imagine if all of that money, or some of that money, was redistributed in the communities, to the broken schools, to our health care system,” Michael told me as the police prepared to charge again. “Like, come on! These are the communities that need it, and yet we don’t see that. We see police cars patrolling.”
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The cops were getting angrier. When they charged this time, a white cop screamed “C’mere, you motherfuckers! You bitches!” while chasing after a young Black man.
A woman who gave her name as Jennifer L. yelled after a cop who had just violently tackled and arrested a protester.
“They don’t have no reason to be scared!” her voice trembled. “We should be scared! We should be scared! What are they scared for? Oh, a few bottles? A few bottles?! How about a knee? How about a knee?!”
Nearby, a young white couple stood stunned and silent holding hands and looking out across all the chaos. Their coronavirus masks were stained with baking soda, used as a treatment for the pepper spray that had left their eyes red and irritated. They’d been roughed up in the last police advance, they explained. A cop had hit the woman in the stomach with a baton.
They declined to tell me their names. “Our names are irrelevant in this whole thing,” the man said. “The lives that were lost are the only names that need to be repeated.”
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NYPD officers keep an eye on protesters in Brooklyn on Saturday while they clash during a march against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
After every time the cops charged, the protesters reassembled, staring down their heavily armed attackers, preparing for the next onslaught. They chanted, “Say her name! Breonna Taylor!” and “Say his name! George Floyd!”
They taunted the cops with chants of “NYPD, suck my dick!” and climbed atop a city bus abandoned in the street by its driver, arms outstretched as if, for a moment, the city where they lived actually belonged to them.
The battle lines started to dissolve. Cops ran riot after protesters all along Church Avenue as helicopters circled overhead, occasionally shining spotlights down onto the scattered melees.
I started to film the police charge as I walked backward with a group of retreating protesters, my press pass dangling from my neck.
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A sprinting cop veered toward me and bumped into me with his shoulder as he ran past, yelling “Get out my way!” even though there was plenty of room around me.
I’d been watching the cops toss around young New Yorkers all day, pressing their faces into the concrete and cursing at them. I was worked up.
“Fuck you,” I told the cop.
He stopped charging after the protesters and circled back to me, shoving a baton into my chest and knocking me to the curb.
I don’t know how many cops piled on top of me, but there were a lot. A knee or a foot pressed my head and neck into the concrete. Hands tugged at my legs and arms in different directions while different voices issued impossible demands.
“Put your left hand behind your back!” The way my body was twisted, I couldn’t. “Stop resisting!” I wasn’t.
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I asked them to look at my press pass. I told them I was a journalist. I begged them to get my phone, which had fallen out of my hand during the fracas.
“Shut the fuck up,” I heard one cop say.
When they cuffed me and stood me up, a white cop, maskless and with rage in his eyes, came within a few inches of my face. “Fucking asshole,” he called me.
Again and again, my press pass clearly visible on my neck, I pleaded for the cops to get my phone, worried that I’d lose so much of what I’d documented that day. The cops refused, leaving it on the street before escorting me to the police van.
If this is how they treat a white journalist, I thought.
HuffPost senior reporter Christopher Mathias is taken into custody after being roughed up while covering the clash between police brutality protesters and New York Police Department officers on Saturday. Corey Sipkin/UPI/Newscom
“Nigga, I Ain’t George”
As the cops escorted us into the 67th Precinct, we passed a hulking white cop on his way out into the street. He wore a “Punisher” skull patch on his bulletproof vest, a popular fascist ode among cops to the murderous vigilante comic-book character.
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Inside the precinct lobby, a tired and demoralized cop stood by the front desk as new detainees were brought in for processing. He had only three years left until he could retire with a full pension, he told me. “If I could, I’d drop my belt and walk out of here right now.”
The officers then put me in a cell with 15 other guys. Everyone had been arrested at the demonstration; most were Black or brown, save for me and three other white guys. The cops wouldn’t provide anyone with masks, and it was impossible to socially distance.
One of the white guys had a badly broken foot, bare and swollen on the cell floor. He pleaded with the cops for medical attention, and the cops assured him it was coming.
“You’ve just been lied to,” one of the other guys in the cell quipped.
Despite the circumstances, there was camaraderie, and the mood was almost buoyant. One guy polled the cell: Was this anybody’s first time in jail?
Only a few hands went up.
“I’ve been arrested 16 times,” said one respondent, a seasoned activist and protest medic. The cell erupted into cheers and applause so loud that three cops came to check on us.
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Everyone started sharing their stories. One guy described liberating an NYPD riot shield from a police van earlier that day. He’d carried it through the crowd as everyone cheered.
Another guy described why he was dressed in sweatpants, an undershirt and Adidas slides.
He’d just stepped out of his apartment to check out the protests, he said, when cops tackled him. One of the cops pressed a knee hard into his neck.
“Nigga, I ain’t George!’” he said he’d told the officers, before using his strength to briefly free himself.
A little after midnight, cops arrived to take me to another precinct where they told me I’d be processed and released. My cellmates wished me luck and told me to stay safe.
The cops put me back into the van and we drove to the 72nd Precinct in Sunset Park. There they put me in a cell by myself and through the bars I could see a fresh batch of arrested protesters arrive in the lobby, including two Black women who were bleeding from the face.
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“You’re murderers for hire!” one of the women screamed at the cops as she stood cuffed and crying, waiting to be put in a cell. “You’re murderers for hire!”
I was released and issued a summons to appear in court later this year for a charge of “refusal to disperse.”
A short time later, a spokesman for the New York City mayor’s office told my HuffPost colleagues in a statement that they “apologize” for what I had “experienced tonight.”
It’s unclear if any of the other hundreds of people arrested over the last few days have received such personal apologies from the mayor.
Instead, Mayor Bill de Blasio said officers had shown “tremendous restraint” during the demonstrations. On Monday, de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo implemented a curfew in the city and announced they’d double the number of cops on the streets.
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President Donald Trump, while he was threatening to sic the military on anti-racist protesters, used federal police to tear-gas protesters near the White House to clear space for a photo-op in front of a church Monday.
New Yorkers continued to protest on Monday anyway. A woman in Brooklyn stood atop a car holding a sign that read “Radical action brings radical change. #BLM.”
As they took over the Brooklyn Bridge, the sun setting over the Manhattan skyline, a single car accompanied the protesters as they walked, driving slowly with “Fuck Tha Police” blaring from the speakers, a raised Black fist reaching out of the sunroof.
CORRECTION: This article previously misattributed a quote to Kerbie Joseph, a Black woman and community organizer with the Party For Socialism and Liberation. The quote was made by a different speaker at Saturday’s protest rally.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-03--Largest Free-Flying American Flag Torn To Shreds By Storm

A massive American flag ― reputedly the largest of its kind ― was torn to shreds by a storm in Sheboygan , Wisconsin on Tuesday : The iconic Acuity Insurance flag in Sheboygan - the largest free-flying American flag in the country - has been torn in half after tonight 's storms .
📷 : Avdil Luma pic.twitter.com/89fUWlsF4d — TMJ4 News ( @ tmj4 ) June 3 , 2020 Acuity Insurance , which owns the flag , said the 400-foot pole is 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty and the 340-pound flag that flies from it measures 70-by-140 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American flag in the world .
Fox6 News in Milwaukee said the flag was battered by 60 to 70 mph winds : Acuity said it removed the tattered flag and has others ready to replace it .
“ We are very proud to host the largest symbol of freedom , as well as a veterans memorial , ” Acuity said in a statement on social media .
With the nation rocked by more than a week of protests and civil unrest in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic that ’ s claimed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symbolism in the battered image of Old Glory : The ginormous flag in Sheboygan is ripped in half .
Acuity calls this the largest display of freedom in the world .
It ’ s split , like we all are right now .
Appropriate .
pic.twitter.com/9tNsv4Sm2D — Andy Tarnoff ( @ AndyTarnoff ) June 3 , 2020 Bad storms in Sheboygan right now is the reason for this ...
But the TALLEST Flag in America and “ symbol of freedom ” is ripped apart right now and it ’ s an eerie reminder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ https : //t.co/dwTLBxRumX — Sam Dekker ( @ dekker ) June 3 , 2020 The iconic Acuity Insurance flag in Sheboygan - the largest free-flying American flag in the country - has been torn in half after tonight 's storms .
@ Mark_Baden Symbolic for what this country is going through right now 📷 : Avdil Luma pic.twitter.com/z4UT38i9Zi — Monica Hill ( @ Monhill1982 ) June 3 , 2020

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A massive American flag ― reputedly the largest of its kind ― was torn to shreds by a storm in Sheboygan, Wisconsin on Tuesday:
The iconic Acuity Insurance flag in Sheboygan - the largest free-flying American flag in the country - has been torn in half after tonight's storms.
📷: Avdil Luma pic.twitter.com/89fUWlsF4d — TMJ4 News (@tmj4) June 3, 2020
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Acuity Insurance, which owns the flag, said the 400-foot pole is 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty and the 340-pound flag that flies from it measures 70-by-140 feet, making it the largest free-flying American flag in the world.
Fox6 News in Milwaukee said the flag was battered by 60 to 70 mph winds:
Video shows Sheboygan's Acquity flag ripped in half after severe storms pushed through SE WI Tuesday night. https://t.co/yg6IdLUeIc pic.twitter.com/z1uCa6xTNQ — FOX6 News (@fox6now) June 3, 2020
Acuity said it removed the tattered flag and has others ready to replace it.
“We are very proud to host the largest symbol of freedom, as well as a veterans memorial,” Acuity said in a statement on social media.
With the nation rocked by more than a week of protests and civil unrest in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic that’s claimed more than 100,000 American lives, many saw symbolism in the battered image of Old Glory:
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The ginormous flag in Sheboygan is ripped in half. Acuity calls this the largest display of freedom in the world. It’s split, like we all are right now. Appropriate. pic.twitter.com/9tNsv4Sm2D — Andy Tarnoff (@AndyTarnoff) June 3, 2020
Bad storms in Sheboygan right now is the reason for this... But the TALLEST Flag in America and “symbol of freedom” is ripped apart right now and it’s an eerie reminder of the State of our Nation. https://t.co/dwTLBxRumX — Sam Dekker (@dekker) June 3, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-02--The Militarization Of Local Police Has Been Decades In The Making

Their violence has been years in the making .
For decades , federal funding for the war on drugs has encouraged ordinary local law enforcement agencies to amass huge military arsenals .
This trend is never more obvious to the general public than during huge protest movements , when the equipment is set upon unarmed demonstrators .
And as people grow more outraged by what they see , calls arise to demilitarize the police .
A bipartisan push in Congress this week aims to end a Pentagon program that transfers military hardware to local authorities .
“ To me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our police forces have devolved into being so internally militarized , ” he said .
“ Even if you eliminated the hardware — I think it ’ s questionable that at this point it ’ s having that much of an impact on how they ’ re reacting.
” “ In most cities , I would call their equipment and appearance escalatory , ” said Cohn , who is writing a history of the deployment of federal forces inside the U.S. “ When you show up to a protest outfitted like that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We don ’ t trust you , we expect you to engage in violence , and we will respond with violence.
’ ” David Sklansky , a professor at the Stanford Criminal Justice Center , agreed : “ It sends a message to the police and to the protesters about how the police relate to the protesters and the community .
It positions the police as an occupying force rather than as part of the community , as warriors rather than as guardians.
” “ When the Trump administration reversed that rule , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police departments that the federal government wanted them to revert to older approaches of policing , to go back to a more militaristic style of law enforcement , ” he said .
“ That ’ s the message this administration has sent in other ways as well , a message many local police departments have responded to.
” Especially in poor and Black and brown neighborhoods , police frequently use paramilitary gear to perform routine tasks such as serving search warrants .
Instead of making a straightforward arrest , they ’ ll use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and night vision goggles to raid suspects ’ homes and seize money or property potentially connected to a crime , which many departments are allowed to liquidate straight into their budgets .
Thus , their arsenals are an integral way to secure funding , Kraska said .
“ It takes police militarization out of the shadows of the poor and Black communities that experience it the most and puts it into public view , ” Kraska said .
“ The protests just bring it out into the streets so everyone gets to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horrification is a regular occurrence for some communities.
” As for the 1033 program , the leftovers from foreign wars actually account for just a tiny portion of the military gear in local arsenals .
A much greater share comes from cash grants — especially a program run by the Department of Justice — meant for police to arm themselves in the war on drugs , and from police departments simply purchasing the equipment themselves .
One of the most methodical studies of how SWAT teams operate , in Maryland , found that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to employ those units in minority neighborhoods .
The study found no evidence that creating or using a SWAT team reduced violent crime rates , assaults on police , or officer deaths .
It also found that the use of SWAT teams diminished peoples ’ support for funding police or seeing police in their neighborhoods .
And crucially , it inflated the amount of danger people perceived in their communities .
“ Even if that were true — that a huge , overwhelming show of force along with some demonstration that you aren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrify people into going back home — this is a democratic civil society , ” Cohn said .
“ That is not how this is supposed to work .
”

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Even before states began to deploy the National Guard and President Donald Trump unleashed federal police forces in Washington, the streets of many U.S. cities already looked as if they were swarming with soldiers.
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Their violence has been years in the making. For decades, federal funding for the war on drugs has encouraged ordinary local law enforcement agencies to amass huge military arsenals. This trend is never more obvious to the general public than during huge protest movements, when the equipment is set upon unarmed demonstrators. And as people grow more outraged by what they see, calls arise to demilitarize the police. A bipartisan push in Congress this week aims to end a Pentagon program that transfers military hardware to local authorities.
A Contra Costa County Sheriff deputy dressed in riot gear stands on Lincoln Ave. while on patrol in Walnut Creek, Calif., on June 1, 2020. MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images via Getty Images
But removing the equipment is just treating one of the symptoms of a system that goes deeper.
“At this point, ‘military’ is already the culture of policing,” said Peter Kraska, a professor at Eastern Kentucky University who has studied police militarization for decades.
Attributing police violence to the officers’ militarized hardware — claiming that everything looks like a nail when you have a hammer — gets it backward, Kraska said. Police obtain military gear because their culture, training, and methods inculcate the idea that they’re warriors. They’re trained to see nails, and so they grab hammers.
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Kraska pointed to a viral video from this past weekend that purported to show the Minneapolis Police Department and Minnesota National Guard sweeping down a residential street, shouting “light ’em up,” firing paint canisters at residents on their porches.
“To me, that just indicated the extent to which our police forces have devolved into being so internally militarized,” he said. “Even if you eliminated the hardware — I think it’s questionable that at this point it’s having that much of an impact on how they’re reacting.”
Late last week, video showed a New York City police officer in shirtsleeves bludgeoning unarmed protesters with his bicycle. Video from the day after that showed an officer in Brooklyn opening the door of his moving sedan into a protester. In both cases, officers didn’t need sophisticated equipment to embolden acts of violence.
Seattle Police stand guard outside a precinct on Monday as people In Seattle joined in the nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. JASON REDMOND via Getty Images
That’s not to say the equipment isn’t a major problem. The greater impact of showing up to a civil protest with military hardware is that it reinforces the idea that police are not peacekeepers but the opposing side in a conflict, said Lindsay P. Cohn, an associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
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“In most cities, I would call their equipment and appearance escalatory,” said Cohn, who is writing a history of the deployment of federal forces inside the U.S. “When you show up to a protest outfitted like that, the message it sends is, ‘We don’t trust you, we expect you to engage in violence, and we will respond with violence.’”
David Sklansky, a professor at the Stanford Criminal Justice Center, agreed: “It sends a message to the police and to the protesters about how the police relate to the protesters and the community. It positions the police as an occupying force rather than as part of the community, as warriors rather than as guardians.”
Long before Trump threatened to treat peaceful protesters as enemy combatants, he found other ways to send that message. In 2017, his administration revived a Pentagon program that repurposes equipment and vehicles discarded from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for local police departments.
““When you show up to a protest outfitted like that, the message it sends is, we don’t trust you, we expect you to engage in violence, and we will respond with violence.””
President Barack Obama had placed restrictions on that same program — albeit weak ones — after the militant response in 2014 to protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, inspired a national outcry. The program, known as 1033, accounts for just a small portion of the military gear held by police departments, but it’s a powerful symbol, Sklansky said.
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“When the Trump administration reversed that rule, that was a way of telling local police departments that the federal government wanted them to revert to older approaches of policing, to go back to a more militaristic style of law enforcement,” he said. “That’s the message this administration has sent in other ways as well, a message many local police departments have responded to.”
Militarizing In The Shadows
Police carry that message with them during daily activities, Kraska said. It’s not as though all the equipment seen at recent protests— the flash-bang grenades, body armor, and helmets — sits idle between mass civil unrest.
The White House looms in the background behind a line of law enforcement officers wearing riot gear as they push back demonstrators Friday in Washington. JOSE LUIS MAGANA via Getty Images
Especially in poor and Black and brown neighborhoods, police frequently use paramilitary gear to perform routine tasks such as serving search warrants. Instead of making a straightforward arrest, they’ll use battering rams, armored personnel carriers, and night vision goggles to raid suspects’ homes and seize money or property potentially connected to a crime, which many departments are allowed to liquidate straight into their budgets. Thus, their arsenals are an integral way to secure funding, Kraska said.
The difference in this week’s protests is that more middle class and white people are seeing these tools of war in action, either in person, on social media, or on the news.
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“It takes police militarization out of the shadows of the poor and Black communities that experience it the most and puts it into public view,” Kraska said. “The protests just bring it out into the streets so everyone gets to see it and be horrified. But that horrification is a regular occurrence for some communities.”
That is the true obstacle facing opponents of police militarization. Law enforcement could stop bringing body armor, tactical helmets and tear gas to civil demonstrations tomorrow, and it wouldn’t change how law enforcement typically uses these tools.
“The protests just bring it out into the streets so everyone gets to see it and be horrified. But that horrification is a regular occurrence for some communities.”
As for the 1033 program, the leftovers from foreign wars actually account for just a tiny portion of the military gear in local arsenals. A much greater share comes from cash grants — especially a program run by the Department of Justice — meant for police to arm themselves in the war on drugs, and from police departments simply purchasing the equipment themselves.
Driven By Fear
Those programs are premised on the idea that military-style gear is necessary to keep police safe. But save for extreme circumstances, such as an active shooter situation, the weight of the evidence says otherwise.
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One of the most methodical studies of how SWAT teams operate, in Maryland, found that local law enforcement agencies are more likely to employ those units in minority neighborhoods. The study found no evidence that creating or using a SWAT team reduced violent crime rates, assaults on police, or officer deaths. It also found that the use of SWAT teams diminished peoples’ support for funding police or seeing police in their neighborhoods. And crucially, it inflated the amount of danger people perceived in their communities.
Maki Haberfeld, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York who helps train police, said discussions about demilitarizing the police often discount the fear police officers feel. But, she said, it’s a mistake to let that fear justify heavier arms.
“Military-grade equipment is exactly what it sounds like: It is to be used by the military against enemies outside the country,” Haberfeld noted.
Plenty of officers agree that police militarization erodes ordinary peoples’ trust, and not all favor of arming themselves like a paramilitary unit.
“I do not care for the military look,” Sheriff Jay Brooks of Chesterfield County, South Carolina, said in 2015 as he sought to get rid of some military gear his predecessor acquired from the 1033 program. “We go to great lengths to make sure we don’t look like a militia instead of a sheriff’s department.”
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“It makes it pretty difficult, when you’re talking from behind a face shield with a gas mask, to engage with the public and say, ‘Look let’s tone this down.'” - Gil Kerlikowske, former police chief of Seattle
This week, R.T. Rybak, the former mayor of Minneapolis, called it a mistake that he militarized his city’s police ― the same force responsible for the death of George Floyd on May 25 after a white officer persisted in pressing his knee on the Black man’s neck, which sparked the current wave of protests and unrest.
In a 2014 interview with NPR, Gil Kerlikowske, then the head of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, said he regretted a decision he made as Seattle’s police chief to outfit police in riot gear for Mardi Gras. Police felt safer, he said, but he was certain that their paramilitary appearance fueled a noticeable rise in violence at that year’s celebration.
“It makes it pretty difficult, when you’re talking from behind a face shield with a gas mask, to engage with the public and say, ‘Look let’s tone this down, let’s calm things down, let’s make sure that those people that need to be apprehended are arrested because of their intoxicated state, their level of violence,’ et cetera,” he said. “It’s pretty hard to engage in those discussions when you’re hardened up. I regret that.”
But calm is not what the Trump administration nor many state and local authorities have in mind at the moment. The president spent Tuesday urging states to deploy the National Guard, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) urged New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio (D) to deploy the entire NYPD force ― 38,000 ― on the streets Tuesday night.
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Cohn, the professor writing the history of domestic military deployments, said the introduction of military personnel only tends to reduce chaos when they act as a source of peace and de-escalation — not when they’re introduced as a threat, as Trump has done.