truthout--2020-08-27--Wisconsin Rep.: White Supremacists Targeted Protesters Without Cop Interference

The police shooting of Jacob Blake has sparked massive protests across the country and in Kenosha , where a white teenager opened fire on Black Lives Matter protesters and killed two people .
Kyle Rittenhouse , the 17-year-old self-declared militia member and avid Trump supporter , was apprehended in Antioch , Illinois , after fleeing Wisconsin .
He has been charged with murder .
Wisconsin state Representative David Bowen , who has attended racial justice protests in Kenosha , says he “ witnessed firsthand ” how freely organized white supremacists targeted protesters without interference from law enforcement , and accuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roof treatment , ” managing to arrest him without incident , while unarmed Black people are frequently met with deadly force .
“ This is Exhibit A and Exhibit B of why we need to transform law enforcement and public safety in Wisconsin and in this country , ” Bowen says .
This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : We begin today ’ s show in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
The Justice Department says it ’ s launching an independent investigation into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jacob Blake , whose shooter was identified Wednesday for the first time as white Kenosha police office Rusten Sheskey .
Sheskey shot Blake in the back seven times at point-blank range as he was getting into his car on Sunday — his three children , aged 3 , 5 and [ 8 ] , in the car .
He has been left paralyzed from the waist down .
Sheskey has been placed on paid administrative leave and has not been charged with a crime .
The shooting sparked massive protests across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teenager opened fire on Black Lives Matter protesters Tuesday , killing two people .
Seventeen-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse , a self-declared militia member and avid Trump supporter who was spotted front row at one of President Trump ’ s rallies in January , was apprehended in Antioch , Illinois , Wednesday after fleeing the state .
He ’ s been charged with murder .
On social media , Kyle Rittenhouse posted frequently in support of the pro-police “ Blue Lives Matter ” movement , posed with guns , and appeared in a photo when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a police uniform as part of a “ Public Safety Cadet Program.
” The shooting victims have been named as 26-year-old Anthony Huber and 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum .
Eyewitness videos of Rittenhouse ’ s Tuesday night rampage show a shooter with a long gun falling to the ground and shooting into a crowd as protesters attempt to disarm him .
Later videos show police then allowed Rittenhouse to leave the scene even as people attempted to identify him as the shooter .
This is independent videographer Brendan Gutenschwager speaking on CNN .
AMY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video from earlier in the night show Kenosha police offering armed vigilantes water , as well as supportive words .
AMY GOODMAN : “ We appreciate you guys .
We really do , ” the police said .
At a news conference Wednesday , Kenosha Police Chief Dan Miskinis blamed protesters for the deadly shooting .
AMY GOODMAN : This all comes as the Republican National Convention wrapped its third night with Vice President Mike Pence calling for law and order in the streets of American cities .
And President Trump tweeted Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kenosha .
Well , for more , we go to Milwaukee , Wisconsin , where we ’ re joined by state Representative David Bowen .
He was in Kenosha for the protests .
Welcome to Democracy Now !
It ’ s great to have you with us .
Can you start off by telling us what you saw in the streets of Kenosha Tuesday night , the killings took place ?
REP. DAVID BOWEN : Sure .
Thank you for having me on .
And I literally witnessed firsthand a massive amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trucks , targeting protesters .
And they were there not to try to defend businesses , as they make it seem .
They were not there to attempt to get a point across .
They were there to hurt people .
They were armed , and they were using chemical irritants .
They were harassing protesters .
And even from the video , it looks like they are in coordination with the Kenosha law enforcement that were there , literally .
We are at this point in this state we ’ re witnessing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point of what we are trying to do in transforming the system , of transforming the way that we institute public safety .
And this is Exhibit A and Exhibit B of why we need to transform law enforcement and public safety in Wisconsin and in this country , for sure .
People are not in this position of advocating for changing the system only to be harassed and surveillanced and targeted .
They are in this position because they are tired of witnessing that we will end up with a future that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement have shown that they are more tied to defending the status quo rather than accepting change .
Lawmakers that I ’ m trying to work with in the state Capitol are refusing to hear the pleas for change from people .
They would rather try to blame and point the finger of why these things are happening , after the fact .
People are focused on really instituting change right now .
AMY GOODMAN : I wanted to play for you Vice President Pence in his acceptance speech , being renominated as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking at Fort McHenry in Baltimore .
AMY GOODMAN : What was amazing from this clip , Vice President Pence made no mention of police brutality or the recent police shootings that have taken place or the murders in Kenosha .
What he did do is talk about a security guard , this horrific murder in Oakland , California , of the federal security officer David Patrick Underwood , and he introduced his relative in the audience , but failed to mention that Underwood was killed by an Air Force staff sergeant with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement .
Do you see a connection , David Bowen , between not saying that , when he talked about Oakland , and then , in Kenosha , not talking about Kyle Rittenhouse , the man who ’ s been charged with first-degree murder , 17-year-old , part of the white militia movement , who was in the streets Tuesday night ?
REP. DAVID BOWEN : And yeah , this is exactly what we are seeing here in Wisconsin .
When you are not willing to call out police state — police and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your silence to cosign and give a message to these white supremacists that they can go around attacking people .
And you are not about law and order , Vice President Mike Pence .
You are welcoming that violence .
You are cosigning that violence .
Your silence is much louder than the claims that you try to make now , after the fact .
We are really focused right now on transforming the system .
And I know that he talked about not defunding the police , but we clearly can see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are not keeping track of these groups ?
This identified shooter came across for this active shooter situation — this was a mass shooting .
He came across state borders to come here .
No law enforcement were investigating , were surveillancing , were looking into the whereabouts and the plans of these groups , when they know that they are violent , when they know that they have a history of targeting people .
What good is law enforcement if it ’ s not doing what it ’ s supposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to play for you , Representative Bowen , the right-wing Fox News TV host Tucker Carlson drawing widespread condemnation after he appeared to justify the actions of the Kenosha shooter .
AMY GOODMAN : Meanwhile , on Twitter , far-right media pundit Ann Coulter said , “ I want him as my president.
” She ’ s talking about the shooter .
Representative Bowen ?
REP. DAVID BOWEN : Right .
And unfortunately , it ’ s very clearly showing that Jacob Blake actually was a part of providing public safety that day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ target and a problem while police showed up to try to make him a problem .
But he was focused on serving and protecting his community , and he was shot in the back seven times , and he may not walk again .
If this is the direction that the extreme , I would say , far right want to move into , where they are upholding violence and targeting of citizens by these white supremacist groups , clearly , this is exactly where we are as a country .
And it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right are defending his actions , because , literally , they are cosigning the death and the removal of people that are advocating for Black lives .
And this is where we are .
I ’ m not surprised .
But I must say that people that stand against that must be louder .
They must be more involved .
They must be more engaged .
And we can not accept that .
We must get out and make that change , in every aspect of the spectrum of change , whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s being involved on the streets , whether that is fighting back .
We can not allow them to win this .
We must be able to make sure that we are transforming the system that they love , that they benefit from .
They want to ensure that things stay the same .
They want the status quo to continue , to be allowed to remove Black bodies from spaces where they feel like that they don ’ t belong .
And that is a system that we are tearing down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system that will be accountable to Black and Brown people , that will be accountable to the communities that they serve .
AMY GOODMAN : I wanted to turn to the shooter , Kyle Rittenhouse , speaking in Kenosha during the protest , right before the shooting , in a video that was posted on Twitter , as he holds this long gun .
He says he and other militia members don ’ t have nonlethal weapons and are there to defend property .
He ’ s speaking to the far-right media outlet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not clear actually who he was talking to in that video , but that is Kyle Rittenhouse .
Your response , Representative Bowen ?
REP. DAVID BOWEN : Well , first off , whenever you have a situation where a 17-year-old is crossing state lines , it ’ s illegal for a 17-year-old to even have an assault weapon , an assault rifle .
To that degree , you know , we have a problem .
And I think the biggest thing that I can sense right now is for this false claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — you don ’ t walk around shooting people away from a property that you supposedly were there to defend , this tire shop , that has ties to this white supremacist movement .
But it ’ s very clear that they were on a hunting spree .
This was not the defense of property .
And we should be very clear about that .
I remember , when I first got involved in social change , I went to a KKK rally right here in Milwaukee at the age of about 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the opposition to the KKK , to making sure that they knew that they could not come to this rally , they could not come to this city and try to spread their hateful views and would not find the opposition there .
And I remember seeing children with folks that came with the KKK , and thinking about how they would take their views and grow up with them .
And this is exactly what I ’ m seeing right now .
He ’ s 17 years old .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he ’ s using it lethally .
He ’ s using it to hurt other people .
And he ’ s not even being held accountable for it .
He ’ s being handed water .
He ’ s being given the Dylann Roof treatment of — you know , you get treated well , you get acclimated , after you literally take people ’ s lives .
And this is a horrible direction for our country to move into .
And the leaders and the silence by those on the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very dangerous , and it shows that we have a — we need to hold them accountable even more to stop this fascism that we ’ re seeing in our country .
AMY GOODMAN : And , of course , Dylann Roof , the murderer of nine parishioners and their pastor at the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston , was picked up by police and then taken to Burger King for lunch .
If you could talk about what ’ s going to happen to the police officer ?
It has been quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing from Wisconsin authorities or the local police department talking about what had happened , identifying the white police officer , Sheskey , who shot seven times , point-blank range , into the back of Jacob Blake .
And by the way , for people to know , in reading various Instagram , Facebook entries , it looks like Jacob Blake ’ s grandfather is the minister , the pastor , the civil rights leader from Chicago by the same name , Jacob Blake , who led a movement there around desegregating housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot in Chicago .
This , I believe , is his grandson .
But the fact that Jacob Blake now lies in a hospital , paralyzed from the waist down , undergoing one operation after another .
We first heard officer Sheskey ’ s name yesterday in the news conference that the attorney general , the sheriff held .
And we understood that there ’ s two investigations going on .
Apparently , the Department of Justice has opened one , and the Wisconsin attorney general , because that ’ s the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a young man .
And it says that if in Kenosha a police officer kills someone , that it must be independently investigated .
But then the Kenosha County DA said that he will be the one to decide , once the investigation is done , if there is enough evidence there to bring charges .
Is that right ?
So , the attorney general doesn ’ t — does he then prosecute the case ?
REP. DAVID BOWEN : That is correct .
And that ’ s why state law needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be special prosecutors selected to handle this .
For the Kenosha DA to be able to then handle charges after an independent body does the investigation , there should be an independent prosecutor .
So , unfortunately , that law has not been passed yet .
It is one of the laws that have been proposed in the past , and I ’ m sure that you will see more of that in the future .
But it ’ s very clear that the Kenosha DA does get the chance to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way that we ’ ve seen other cases .
But we ’ ve seen too many times where the prosecutor does not step up to really hold law enforcement officials accountable , especially when they work closely with them .
AMY GOODMAN : Your response — we ’ re about to talk about this unprecedented sports action that ’ s taking place in professional sports all over the country .
You ’ re from Milwaukee , Representative David Bowen — the Bucks and the Brewers .
Talk about the significance of them refusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well , first off , activism is in the lifeblood of Milwaukee .
It comes in our history .
We have the longest youth march in U.S. history at 200 days .
And that was during the civil rights movement and fair housing fight .
You know , the fact that we have amazing athletes that play for our local teams , that are willing to really stand up and fight for our community and fight for change , literally shows you the difference in where we come from , the difference in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whether you make millions of dollars and you ’ re an athlete , or you ’ re a working-class person right here in the city of Milwaukee , we are all tied together .
And I ’ m so proud to be a Bucks fan .
I ’ m so proud to be able to stand with individuals even in the athletic and sports world that are saying , “ We need change , and we are going to use our platforms to do it , too .
We ’ re going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight for it , too.
” And that ’ s exactly what we need to see .
If we don ’ t get it , we will shut it down .
And that is exactly what they did , and I ’ m proud of them .
AMY GOODMAN : Democratic Wisconsin state Representative David Bowen .
Next up , we look at how professional athletes — basketball , baseball , soccer games came to an unprecedented halt Wednesday , after the Milwaukee Bucks players refused to take the court in support of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Jacob Blake .
This is Democracy Now !
Back in a minute .
AMY GOODMAN : “ He Ain ’ t Heavy , He ’ s My Brother ” by Jimmy and David Ruffin .
And during that break , we showed the pictures of Jojo Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber , both murdered in Kenosha as they marched in the Black Lives Matter march .
And also we showed images of Jacob Blake laying paralyzed in a hospital bed .

The police shooting of Jacob Blake has sparked massive protests across the country and in Kenosha, where a white teenager opened fire on Black Lives Matter protesters and killed two people. Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old self-declared militia member and avid Trump supporter, was apprehended in Antioch, Illinois, after fleeing Wisconsin. He has been charged with murder. Wisconsin state Representative David Bowen, who has attended racial justice protests in Kenosha, says he “witnessed firsthand” how freely organized white supremacists targeted protesters without interference from law enforcement, and accuses police of giving Rittenhouse the “Dylann Roof treatment,” managing to arrest him without incident, while unarmed Black people are frequently met with deadly force. “This is Exhibit A and Exhibit B of why we need to transform law enforcement and public safety in Wisconsin and in this country,” Bowen says.
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: We begin today’s show in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Justice Department says it’s launching an independent investigation into the police shooting of unarmed Black man Jacob Blake, whose shooter was identified Wednesday for the first time as white Kenosha police office Rusten Sheskey. Sheskey shot Blake in the back seven times at point-blank range as he was getting into his car on Sunday — his three children, aged 3, 5 and [ 8 ], in the car. He has been left paralyzed from the waist down. Sheskey has been placed on paid administrative leave and has not been charged with a crime.
The shooting sparked massive protests across the country and in Kenosha, where a white teenager opened fire on Black Lives Matter protesters Tuesday, killing two people. Seventeen-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, a self-declared militia member and avid Trump supporter who was spotted front row at one of President Trump’s rallies in January, was apprehended in Antioch, Illinois, Wednesday after fleeing the state. He’s been charged with murder. On social media, Kyle Rittenhouse posted frequently in support of the pro-police “Blue Lives Matter” movement, posed with guns, and appeared in a photo when he was just 15 years old wearing a police uniform as part of a “Public Safety Cadet Program.” The shooting victims have been named as 26-year-old Anthony Huber and 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum.
Eyewitness videos of Rittenhouse’s Tuesday night rampage show a shooter with a long gun falling to the ground and shooting into a crowd as protesters attempt to disarm him. Later videos show police then allowed Rittenhouse to leave the scene even as people attempted to identify him as the shooter. This is independent videographer Brendan Gutenschwager speaking on CNN.
BRENDAN GUTENSCHWAGER: [The shooter just] got up and proceeded to walk towards the line of police, that were there in the BearCat and a couple vehicles. And he basically just walked right up to them, with the gun still out in front of him, and spoke with them for a few seconds. I couldn’t make out what he said. I know that after a few seconds, the cops were not happy with him standing that close. He was literally right outside of the cop car’s doors, which, prior to that, for the past two hours leading up to that, anybody that got that close was getting fired at with tear gas or peppers, bullets or, you know, something like that. And he just basically talked to them. They told him to step away from the vehicle. And he continued walking and took off, basically.
AMY GOODMAN: This all comes as damning video from earlier in the night show Kenosha police offering armed vigilantes water, as well as supportive words.
POLICE OFFICER: We got to save a couple, but we’ll give you a couple. We appreciate you guys. We really do.
ARMED VIGILANTES: Thank you! Thank you!
AMY GOODMAN: “We appreciate you guys. We really do,” the police said.
At a news conference Wednesday, Kenosha Police Chief Dan Miskinis blamed protesters for the deadly shooting.
POLICE CHIEF DANIEL MISKINIS: The curfew is in place to protect. Had persons not been out involved in — in violation of that, perhaps the situation that unfolded would not have happened. So, the last night, a 17-year-old individual from Antioch, Illinois, was involved in the use of firearms to reserve — excuse me, to resolve whatever conflict was in place. The result of it was two people are dead. This is not a police action. This is not the action, I believe, of those who set out to do protests. It is the persons who were involved after the legal time, involved in illegal activity, that brought violence to this community.
AMY GOODMAN: This all comes as the Republican National Convention wrapped its third night with Vice President Mike Pence calling for law and order in the streets of American cities. And President Trump tweeted Wednesday he was sending the National Guard to Kenosha.
Well, for more, we go to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where we’re joined by state Representative David Bowen. He was in Kenosha for the protests.
Welcome to Democracy Now! It’s great to have you with us. Can you start off by telling us what you saw in the streets of Kenosha Tuesday night, the killings took place?
REP. DAVID BOWEN: Sure. Thank you for having me on.
And I literally witnessed firsthand a massive amount of organized white supremacists driving around in pickup trucks, targeting protesters. And they were there not to try to defend businesses, as they make it seem. They were not there to attempt to get a point across. They were there to hurt people. They were armed, and they were using chemical irritants. They were harassing protesters. And even from the video, it looks like they are in coordination with the Kenosha law enforcement that were there, literally.
We are at this point in this state we’re witnessing the unfolding and the unraveling of the point of what we are trying to do in transforming the system, of transforming the way that we institute public safety. And this is Exhibit A and Exhibit B of why we need to transform law enforcement and public safety in Wisconsin and in this country, for sure. People are not in this position of advocating for changing the system only to be harassed and surveillanced and targeted. They are in this position because they are tired of witnessing that we will end up with a future that is the status quo. And law enforcement have shown that they are more tied to defending the status quo rather than accepting change. Lawmakers that I’m trying to work with in the state Capitol are refusing to hear the pleas for change from people. They would rather try to blame and point the finger of why these things are happening, after the fact. People are focused on really instituting change right now.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to play for you Vice President Pence in his acceptance speech, being renominated as vice president by the Republican Party, speaking at Fort McHenry in Baltimore.
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: Last week, Joe Biden didn’t say one word about the violence and chaos engulfing cities across this country. So let me be clear: The violence must stop, whether in Minneapolis, Portland or Kenosha. Too many heroes have died defending our freedom to see Americans strike each other down. We will have law and order on the streets of this country for every American of every race and creed and color.
AMY GOODMAN: What was amazing from this clip, Vice President Pence made no mention of police brutality or the recent police shootings that have taken place or the murders in Kenosha. What he did do is talk about a security guard, this horrific murder in Oakland, California, of the federal security officer David Patrick Underwood, and he introduced his relative in the audience, but failed to mention that Underwood was killed by an Air Force staff sergeant with ties to the far-right “boogaloo” movement. Do you see a connection, David Bowen, between not saying that, when he talked about Oakland, and then, in Kenosha, not talking about Kyle Rittenhouse, the man who’s been charged with first-degree murder, 17-year-old, part of the white militia movement, who was in the streets Tuesday night?
REP. DAVID BOWEN: And yeah, this is exactly what we are seeing here in Wisconsin. When you are not willing to call out police state — police and state-sanctioned violence, you’re using your silence to cosign and give a message to these white supremacists that they can go around attacking people. And you are not about law and order, Vice President Mike Pence. You are welcoming that violence. You are cosigning that violence. Your silence is much louder than the claims that you try to make now, after the fact.
We are really focused right now on transforming the system. And I know that he talked about not defunding the police, but we clearly can see: What good is law enforcement if they are not keeping track of these groups? This identified shooter came across for this active shooter situation — this was a mass shooting. He came across state borders to come here. No law enforcement were investigating, were surveillancing, were looking into the whereabouts and the plans of these groups, when they know that they are violent, when they know that they have a history of targeting people. What good is law enforcement if it’s not doing what it’s supposed to do?
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to play for you, Representative Bowen, the right-wing Fox News TV host Tucker Carlson drawing widespread condemnation after he appeared to justify the actions of the Kenosha shooter.
TUCKER CARLSON: How shocked are we that 17-year-olds with rifles decided they had to maintain order, when no one else would?
AMY GOODMAN: Meanwhile, on Twitter, far-right media pundit Ann Coulter said, “I want him as my president.” She’s talking about the shooter. Representative Bowen?
REP. DAVID BOWEN: Right. And unfortunately, it’s very clearly showing that Jacob Blake actually was a part of providing public safety that day; he was then turned into the target and a problem while police showed up to try to make him a problem. But he was focused on serving and protecting his community, and he was shot in the back seven times, and he may not walk again. If this is the direction that the extreme, I would say, far right want to move into, where they are upholding violence and targeting of citizens by these white supremacist groups, clearly, this is exactly where we are as a country. And it is very unfortunate that talking heads on the right are defending his actions, because, literally, they are cosigning the death and the removal of people that are advocating for Black lives. And this is where we are. I’m not surprised.
But I must say that people that stand against that must be louder. They must be more involved. They must be more engaged. And we cannot accept that. We must get out and make that change, in every aspect of the spectrum of change, whether that’s voting, whether that’s being involved on the streets, whether that is fighting back. We cannot allow them to win this. We must be able to make sure that we are transforming the system that they love, that they benefit from. They want to ensure that things stay the same. They want the status quo to continue, to be allowed to remove Black bodies from spaces where they feel like that they don’t belong. And that is a system that we are tearing down and we are rebuilding with a new system that will be accountable to Black and Brown people, that will be accountable to the communities that they serve.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to turn to the shooter, Kyle Rittenhouse, speaking in Kenosha during the protest, right before the shooting, in a video that was posted on Twitter, as he holds this long gun. He says he and other militia members don’t have nonlethal weapons and are there to defend property. He’s speaking to the far-right media outlet The Daily Caller.
KYLE RITTENHOUSE: We’re protecting from the citizens, and I just got pepper-sprayed by a person in the crowd.
INTERVIEWER: So you had nonlethal, but you didn’t respond?
KYLE RITTENHOUSE: We don’t have nonlethal.
INTERVIEWER: So you guys are full-on ready to defend the property?
KYLE RITTENHOUSE: Yes, we are.
AMY GOODMAN: Not clear actually who he was talking to in that video, but that is Kyle Rittenhouse. Your response, Representative Bowen?
REP. DAVID BOWEN: Well, first off, whenever you have a situation where a 17-year-old is crossing state lines, it’s illegal for a 17-year-old to even have an assault weapon, an assault rifle. To that degree, you know, we have a problem. And I think the biggest thing that I can sense right now is for this false claim that there was a defense of property — you don’t walk around shooting people away from a property that you supposedly were there to defend, this tire shop, that has ties to this white supremacist movement. But it’s very clear that they were on a hunting spree. This was not the defense of property. And we should be very clear about that.
I remember, when I first got involved in social change, I went to a KKK rally right here in Milwaukee at the age of about 14 years old. And we were a part of the opposition to the KKK, to making sure that they knew that they could not come to this rally, they could not come to this city and try to spread their hateful views and would not find the opposition there. And I remember seeing children with folks that came with the KKK, and thinking about how they would take their views and grow up with them. And this is exactly what I’m seeing right now.
He’s 17 years old. He believes in these white supremacist views, and he’s using it lethally. He’s using it to hurt other people. And he’s not even being held accountable for it. He’s being handed water. He’s being given the Dylann Roof treatment of — you know, you get treated well, you get acclimated, after you literally take people’s lives.
And this is a horrible direction for our country to move into. And the leaders and the silence by those on the right to be able to cosign this is very dangerous, and it shows that we have a — we need to hold them accountable even more to stop this fascism that we’re seeing in our country.
AMY GOODMAN: And, of course, Dylann Roof, the murderer of nine parishioners and their pastor at the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, was picked up by police and then taken to Burger King for lunch.
If you could talk about what’s going to happen to the police officer? It has been quite astounding that day after day we heard nothing from Wisconsin authorities or the local police department talking about what had happened, identifying the white police officer, Sheskey, who shot seven times, point-blank range, into the back of Jacob Blake.
And by the way, for people to know, in reading various Instagram, Facebook entries, it looks like Jacob Blake’s grandfather is the minister, the pastor, the civil rights leader from Chicago by the same name, Jacob Blake, who led a movement there around desegregating housing at the time of Dr. King being shot in Chicago. This, I believe, is his grandson.
But the fact that Jacob Blake now lies in a hospital, paralyzed from the waist down, undergoing one operation after another.
We first heard officer Sheskey’s name yesterday in the news conference that the attorney general, the sheriff held. And we understood that there’s two investigations going on. Apparently, the Department of Justice has opened one, and the Wisconsin attorney general, because that’s the law now, after a previous police murder of a young man. And it says that if in Kenosha a police officer kills someone, that it must be independently investigated. But then the Kenosha County DA said that he will be the one to decide, once the investigation is done, if there is enough evidence there to bring charges. Is that right? So, the attorney general doesn’t — does he then prosecute the case?
REP. DAVID BOWEN: That is correct. And that’s why state law needs to be changed, so that there can be special prosecutors selected to handle this. For the Kenosha DA to be able to then handle charges after an independent body does the investigation, there should be an independent prosecutor. So, unfortunately, that law has not been passed yet. It is one of the laws that have been proposed in the past, and I’m sure that you will see more of that in the future. But it’s very clear that the Kenosha DA does get the chance to make the decision on prosecuting, the same way that we’ve seen other cases. But we’ve seen too many times where the prosecutor does not step up to really hold law enforcement officials accountable, especially when they work closely with them.
AMY GOODMAN: Your response — we’re about to talk about this unprecedented sports action that’s taking place in professional sports all over the country. You’re from Milwaukee, Representative David Bowen — the Bucks and the Brewers. Talk about the significance of them refusing to play.
REP. DAVID BOWEN: Well, first off, activism is in the lifeblood of Milwaukee. It comes in our history. We have the longest youth march in U.S. history at 200 days. And that was during the civil rights movement and fair housing fight.
You know, the fact that we have amazing athletes that play for our local teams, that are willing to really stand up and fight for our community and fight for change, literally shows you the difference in where we come from, the difference in how we are all tied together. Whether you make millions of dollars and you’re an athlete, or you’re a working-class person right here in the city of Milwaukee, we are all tied together.
And I’m so proud to be a Bucks fan. I’m so proud to be able to stand with individuals even in the athletic and sports world that are saying, “We need change, and we are going to use our platforms to do it, too. We’re going to use our jobs, our livelihoods to fight for it, too.” And that’s exactly what we need to see. If we don’t get it, we will shut it down. And that is exactly what they did, and I’m proud of them.
AMY GOODMAN: Democratic Wisconsin state Representative David Bowen. Next up, we look at how professional athletes — basketball, baseball, soccer games came to an unprecedented halt Wednesday, after the Milwaukee Bucks players refused to take the court in support of Black Lives Matter and against the killing of Jacob Blake. This is Democracy Now! Back in a minute.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by Jimmy and David Ruffin. And during that break, we showed the pictures of Jojo Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, both murdered in Kenosha as they marched in the Black Lives Matter march. And also we showed images of Jacob Blake laying paralyzed in a hospital bed.


truthout--2020-08-27--Trump Is Campaigning on a Fiction. That Doesn’t Mean He Won’t Stay President.

Donald J. Trump is the most perfect coward in the long , weird history of American politics .
I know this , because he has spent the last three nights showing the nation and the world how grossly thoroughgoing that cowardice is .
Many have worked to produce this Republican convention , but all of it has flowed from one mind , Trump ’ s mind , and he is terrified of showing you who and what he truly is .
Wednesday ’ s theme was “ A Land of Heroes , ” and the convention used most of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soldiers and police officers for its own scurvy needs .
Yet in the throat of a pandemic made worse by Trump ’ s malfeasance , one that claimed yet another 1,000 lives that very same day , the speakers made mention of frontline medical workers and their life-and-death fight against COVID-19 precisely three times by my count .
Each time , they brushed against the horror of it all with gossamer recognition before pivoting to ersatz praise for the man whose failure has laid so many low .
It has been this way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutal racist eager to use “ heat ray ” crowd weapons against civilians at the border two years ago spent part of Tuesday night hiding behind immigrants made newly sworn citizens , at least two of whom had no idea the ceremony would be shown at the convention until five minutes before it took place .
Trump barely showed his face on Wednesday for a change of pace , yet his minions — at his obvious direction — perpetrated a fraud upon the public in his place .
Trump was that fraud ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-serving fantasy caricature .
After all the bluster and bombast of the last going-on four years , after all the bullying and Twitter screaming and strutting and mockery and bravado , one would think Trump would hold true to everything that has brought him to this convention and the cusp of re-nomination .
One would think a man of such towering arrogance would stand on the ashes of his record and dare Joe Biden and the Democrats to knock him off .
That has not happened .
Instead , Trump has gone into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind a false narrative that absolves him of blame while bathing him in stolen glory .
The three nights of this convention have denied the ghastly baseline reality we have been struggling to endure and survive since he rode down that golden escalator five Junes ago .
That reality includes , in no particular order , the true nature of Trump ’ s racist white supremacist intentions at the border and throughout the land .
It includes his astonishing subversion of the Constitution he swore to uphold and protect , going so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Of course , it includes his comprehensive and ongoing failure to address this lethal pandemic because doing so , in his mind , would make him appear weak .
To watch him deny this reality with his bare smirking face hanging out , to watch him run like a deer from that which made him so proud only one week ago , is to know the nature of cowardice as we have never witnessed it before .
The irony , of course , is the deliberately narrowed vision of this convention — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire enterprise into blazing conflict with a majority of the country .
The speakers crow about a President Biden who will lock everyone in their homes , even as most of those people are desperate for an organized attack on the virus , and are willing to make sacrifices to see it done .
They mock the Democrats for their Green New Deal — No more cars !
Or cows !
Or fracking !
Silly Democrats — even as climate-fueled Hurricane Laura spreads its dark wings over millions of terrified , fleeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burn , again .
They growl of law and order even as police pump rounds into the backs of retreating Black men and then greet as an ally the pro-Trump gunman who murdered protesters on the same city streets .
They warn of a nation in collapse while ignoring who has presided over , augmented and profited from that discord and mayhem .
They have lied nearly with every breath for three grueling days to help Trump the coward hide from Trump the president .
The small fraction of a man who would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
Twelve more years !
” — is more mirage than meat , and always has been , and always will be .
Long nights of low-ratings television can not obscure this , and indeed have only illuminated it .
And yet tonight , Donald Trump will accept the Republican re-nomination for president , likely before a rapturous and unmasked audience willingly complicit in the construction of his citadel of lies .
Their confidence will be extreme , as will his , and why not ?
They prevailed last time , and fully @ @ @ @ @ @

Donald J. Trump is the most perfect coward in the long, weird history of American politics. I know this, because he has spent the last three nights showing the nation and the world how grossly thoroughgoing that cowardice is. Many have worked to produce this Republican convention, but all of it has flowed from one mind, Trump’s mind, and he is terrified of showing you who and what he truly is.
Wednesday’s theme was “A Land of Heroes,” and the convention used most of its 150 minutes poaching the tattered dignity of soldiers and police officers for its own scurvy needs. Yet in the throat of a pandemic made worse by Trump’s malfeasance, one that claimed yet another 1,000 lives that very same day, the speakers made mention of frontline medical workers and their life-and-death fight against COVID-19 precisely three times by my count. Each time, they brushed against the horror of it all with gossamer recognition before pivoting to ersatz praise for the man whose failure has laid so many low.
It has been this way since this filthy enterprise began. The brutal racist eager to use “heat ray” crowd weapons against civilians at the border two years ago spent part of Tuesday night hiding behind immigrants made newly sworn citizens, at least two of whom had no idea the ceremony would be shown at the convention until five minutes before it took place.
Trump barely showed his face on Wednesday for a change of pace, yet his minions — at his obvious direction — perpetrated a fraud upon the public in his place. Trump was that fraud; not the real Trump, but a self-serving fantasy caricature.
After all the bluster and bombast of the last going-on four years, after all the bullying and Twitter screaming and strutting and mockery and bravado, one would think Trump would hold true to everything that has brought him to this convention and the cusp of re-nomination. One would think a man of such towering arrogance would stand on the ashes of his record and dare Joe Biden and the Democrats to knock him off.
That has not happened. Instead, Trump has gone into hiding in broad daylight, seeking shelter behind a false narrative that absolves him of blame while bathing him in stolen glory. The three nights of this convention have denied the ghastly baseline reality we have been struggling to endure and survive since he rode down that golden escalator five Junes ago.
That reality includes, in no particular order, the true nature of Trump’s racist white supremacist intentions at the border and throughout the land. It includes his astonishing subversion of the Constitution he swore to uphold and protect, going so far as to unleash federal forces on protesters. Of course, it includes his comprehensive and ongoing failure to address this lethal pandemic because doing so, in his mind, would make him appear weak.
To watch him deny this reality with his bare smirking face hanging out, to watch him run like a deer from that which made him so proud only one week ago, is to know the nature of cowardice as we have never witnessed it before.
The small fraction of a man who would be king — “Twelve more years! Twelve more years!” — is more mirage than meat, and always has been, and always will be.
The irony, of course, is the deliberately narrowed vision of this convention — as orchestrated by Trump — has hurled the entire enterprise into blazing conflict with a majority of the country. The speakers crow about a President Biden who will lock everyone in their homes, even as most of those people are desperate for an organized attack on the virus, and are willing to make sacrifices to see it done.
They mock the Democrats for their Green New Deal — No more cars! Or cows! Or fracking! Silly Democrats — even as climate-fueled Hurricane Laura spreads its dark wings over millions of terrified, fleeing people, even as California and Colorado burn, again.
They growl of law and order even as police pump rounds into the backs of retreating Black men and then greet as an ally the pro-Trump gunman who murdered protesters on the same city streets.
They warn of a nation in collapse while ignoring who has presided over, augmented and profited from that discord and mayhem.
They have lied nearly with every breath for three grueling days to help Trump the coward hide from Trump the president. The small fraction of a man who would be king — “Twelve more years! Twelve more years!” — is more mirage than meat, and always has been, and always will be. Long nights of low-ratings television cannot obscure this, and indeed have only illuminated it.
And yet tonight, Donald Trump will accept the Republican re-nomination for president, likely before a rapturous and unmasked audience willingly complicit in the construction of his citadel of lies. Their confidence will be extreme, as will his, and why not? They prevailed last time, and fully expect to do so again.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-08-27--NBA, WNBA, MLB Teams Strike to Protest Jacob Blake Police Shooting

Following the police-perpetrated shooting of Jacob Blake , an unarmed Black man in Kenosha , Wisconsin , earlier this week , a number of sports teams in various leagues that were scheduled to compete on Wednesday opted instead to strike , refusing to play in order to highlight racial injustice , including anti-Black police violence .
In the NBA , players from the Milwaukee Bucks refused to leave the locker room , skipping Game 5 of their playoff matchup against the Orlando Magic , and issued a statement denouncing racist police violence , including the shooting of Jacob Blake .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ride away from Milwaukee . )
After the game was canceled , the NBA decided to halt the remaining playoff games set for that afternoon , stating that the games would be rescheduled rather than forfeited .
The league plans to continue the season , though one player told ESPN “ the season is in jeopardy ” because it ’ s up to players to decide whether to continue playing or not .
Players are planning to meet Thursday morning to discuss their plans further .
The Bucks ’ players ’ statement highlighted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Over the last few days in our home state of Wisconsin , we ’ ve seen the horrendous video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha , and the additional shooting of protestors , ” Bucks players said .
“ Despite the overwhelming plea for change , there has been no action , so our focus today can not be on basketball.
” The players urged lawmakers in the state of Wisconsin to pass legislation reforming police procedure .
“ We are calling for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers be held accountable , ” the players continued .
“ For this to occur , it is imperative for the Wisconsin State Legislature to reconvene after months of inaction and take up meaningful measures to address issues of police accountability , brutality and criminal justice reform.
” Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers has called for a special session of the Republican-led legislature to convene and address changes to policing .
“ Frankly , I should not need to call a special session .
Leaders show up .
Leaders do the work that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people demand of them , ” Evers said after making the order .
“ But we can not wait for Republican leadership to show up for work because clearly they intend to keep us waiting .
That ’ s not going to cut it.
” But Republicans in Wisconsin have indicated they ’ re opposed to a special session , proposing a task force to listen to ideas for reform first .
“ This is not a time for political posturing or to suggest defunding law enforcement , ” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leagues also showed their support for Black lives , calling for reforms by staging protests and joining the strike .
In the WNBA , all three playoff games that had been scheduled were postponed after players in the league said they would not take part .
Players from the Washington Mystics arrived to their game against the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday wearing T-shirts that spelled out , with one letter per shirt , Jacob Blake ’ s name .
The shirts also had seven holes in the backs of them to symbolize how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This isn ’ t just about basketball .
We aren ’ t just basketball players , and just because we are basketball players doesn ’ t mean that ’ s our only platform , ” Washington Mystics guard Ariel Atkins said during an interview .
“ We need to understand that , when most of us go home , we still are Black , in the sense that , our families matter.
” “ We need to understand that these moments are so much bigger than us , ” she added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ canceled for the day after the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds jointly decided not to play on Wednesday .
“ The players from the Brewers and Reds have decided to not play tonight ’ s baseball game .
With our community and our nation in such pain , we wanted to draw as much attention to the issues that really matter , especially racial injustice and systemic oppression , ” a joint statement from players on both teams said .
Hockey players in the NHL , however , played their games on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the strikes in other leagues .
“ We support the fight against racism and injustice .
There are different ways to express that fight and obviously NBA players expressed their opinions by boycotting the games today , ” Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara said .
“ We support it.
” Other players said the hockey league might take future action in solidarity with the strikers , and suggested their inaction on Wednesday was a timing issue .
“ I think , personally , with our team , we played last night , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hadn ’ t taken their stances until we got here tonight , ” Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said .
“ I think for us it was something we found out when we got to the rink and something we have to address going forward .
”

WNBA players wore shirts spelling out Blake’s name, with holes in the back to symbolize how many times he was shot.
Following the police-perpetrated shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin, earlier this week, a number of sports teams in various leagues that were scheduled to compete on Wednesday opted instead to strike, refusing to play in order to highlight racial injustice, including anti-Black police violence.
In the NBA, players from the Milwaukee Bucks refused to leave the locker room, skipping Game 5 of their playoff matchup against the Orlando Magic, and issued a statement denouncing racist police violence, including the shooting of Jacob Blake. (Kenosha is just a 45-minute car ride away from Milwaukee.)
After the game was canceled, the NBA decided to halt the remaining playoff games set for that afternoon, stating that the games would be rescheduled rather than forfeited. The league plans to continue the season, though one player told ESPN “the season is in jeopardy” because it’s up to players to decide whether to continue playing or not. Players are planning to meet Thursday morning to discuss their plans further.
The Bucks’ players’ statement highlighted the urgency of the situation.
“Over the last few days in our home state of Wisconsin, we’ve seen the horrendous video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, and the additional shooting of protestors,” Bucks players said. “Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball.”
Full statement from the Milwaukee Bucks: pic.twitter.com/jjGEyVcCmB — Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 26, 2020
The players urged lawmakers in the state of Wisconsin to pass legislation reforming police procedure.
“We are calling for justice for Jacob Blake and demand the officers be held accountable,” the players continued. “For this to occur, it is imperative for the Wisconsin State Legislature to reconvene after months of inaction and take up meaningful measures to address issues of police accountability, brutality and criminal justice reform.”
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has called for a special session of the Republican-led legislature to convene and address changes to policing.
“Frankly, I should not need to call a special session. Leaders show up. Leaders do the work that needs to be done and that the people demand of them,” Evers said after making the order. “But we cannot wait for Republican leadership to show up for work because clearly they intend to keep us waiting. That’s not going to cut it.”
But Republicans in Wisconsin have indicated they’re opposed to a special session, proposing a task force to listen to ideas for reform first.
“This is not a time for political posturing or to suggest defunding law enforcement,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said.
Meanwhile, players from other leagues also showed their support for Black lives, calling for reforms by staging protests and joining the strike. In the WNBA, all three playoff games that had been scheduled were postponed after players in the league said they would not take part. Players from the Washington Mystics arrived to their game against the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday wearing T-shirts that spelled out, with one letter per shirt, Jacob Blake’s name. The shirts also had seven holes in the backs of them to symbolize how many times police had shot him.
“This isn’t just about basketball. We aren’t just basketball players, and just because we are basketball players doesn’t mean that’s our only platform,” Washington Mystics guard Ariel Atkins said during an interview. “We need to understand that, when most of us go home, we still are Black, in the sense that, our families matter.”
“We need to understand that these moments are so much bigger than us,” she added.
Major League Baseball also saw its games canceled for the day after the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds jointly decided not to play on Wednesday.
“The players from the Brewers and Reds have decided to not play tonight’s baseball game. With our community and our nation in such pain, we wanted to draw as much attention to the issues that really matter, especially racial injustice and systemic oppression,” a joint statement from players on both teams said.
Hockey players in the NHL, however, played their games on Wednesday, though several expressed their support for the strikes in other leagues.
“We support the fight against racism and injustice. There are different ways to express that fight and obviously NBA players expressed their opinions by boycotting the games today,” Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara said. “We support it.”
Other players said the hockey league might take future action in solidarity with the strikers, and suggested their inaction on Wednesday was a timing issue.
“I think, personally, with our team, we played last night, we played today, the other leagues hadn’t taken their stances until we got here tonight,” Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. “I think for us it was something we found out when we got to the rink and something we have to address going forward.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-08-27--As RNC Speakers Denounce Protests, Police Pepper Spray Activists Protesting RNC

Each Republican National Convention ( RNC ) is met with protests and a corresponding police presence .
The resistance against the 2020 convention in Charlotte , North Carolina , has taken on a particularly anti-racist character , in line with ongoing rebellion following the police murders of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , Tony McDade and others in the spring .
The RNC protests are happening amid uprisings in Kenosha , Wisconsin , and elsewhere in response to the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake .
Protests — largely organized by Charlotte Uprising , a coalition of community members dedicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marginalized people — began on August 21 and are scheduled to end today .
The coalition called on “ all freedom fighters ” to resist the RNC in Charlotte and “ unite against Trump & fascist Amerikkka.
” On Tuesday , the first evening of the RNC , “ some people started burning a flag while talking about police violence and generally the theme was Black Lives Matter , protesting cop violence and ‘ no RNC in CLT , ’ ” said Luke , an anti-racist and climate activist from North Carolina who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pseudonym .
Suddenly , local police bull-rushed protesters with their bicycles while yelling “ Move !
” It was a chaotic scene full of screaming , captured by several local journalists , as police pepper-sprayed individuals in the face at close range .
One officer rolled his bike over an individual who had fallen after being sprayed in the face .
As she crawled away , people came to her aid and pulled her up .
“ There were a lot of street medics on scene that administered first aid while we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushing in more , ” Luke said .
Police arrested four protesters , two of whom were transported to the hospital for their injuries .
Of the assault , Charlotte police tweeted : “ Demonstrators push bicycle officer off his bike while he attempted to extinguish a fire lit by demonstrators .
Two arrests [ were ] made and pepper spray was deployed.
” Charlotte City Councilmember Braxton Winston , pepper-sprayed while protesting at the scene , tweeted back , “ This is a lie , ” which video evidence appears to support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether he would file a complaint , he responded , “ to who ?
” Throughout the demonstrations , Charlotte police deployed pepper spray liberally and weaponized their bicycles in what Luke described as a “ moveable wall.
” On August 21 , an officer fell over their bicycle and latched on to a protester ’ s shirt in an attempt to drag them to the ground while other officers tackled , shoved and pepper-sprayed others at close range .
On August 22 , Charlotte Uprising tweeted that protesters had been pepper-sprayed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23 , police rode their bicycles directly into a crowd of individuals and knocked at least one to the ground .
Police plowed their bicycle into Kristie Puckett Williams , an activist , organizer and Smart Justice manager with the ACLU of North Carolina .
“ We were walking , chanting , marching , and a car tried to come through and the crowd surrounded the truck .
The police yelled ‘ Move ’ as they pedaled full speed into people and violently piled onto the people they knocked down to arrest them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the daytime Resist RNC 2020 rally on August 24 , police pepper-sprayed a Black man in the face while a local news station was interviewing Charlotte NAACP President Corine Mack nearby .
After witnessing the assault , Mack told the station , “ We don ’ t know the after-effects of the spray ; we don ’ t know the chemicals in the spray .
We don ’ t know if it has been banned by the military .
We don ’ t know what it is .
What we do know is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who live here in the city who are simply exercising their First Amendment rights.
” By the third day of the RNC , according to Puckett Williams , police tactics had become less aggressive .
“ When police act in particularly egregious ways , the next day they tend to have a lessened response , ” Puckett Williams said .
“ I know that ’ s because of the media coverage of them running their bikes into people , them pepper-spraying people with very potent pepper spray directly in their faces as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help people out of the street … it has to do with optics.
” At the convention , Republicans drew a clear line in the sand : “ We ’ re gon na back the blue , ” Vice President Mike Pence said during his speech .
He did not reference Black lives or express compassion for Jacob Blake and his family amid what they are enduring .
Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan said , “ Democrats refuse to denounce the mob , and the response to the chaos — defund the police , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military , ” a fact the movement wishes were true .
Eric Trump , Chair of Trump Victory Finance Committee Kimberly Guilfoyle and Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise made similar statements .
Speaker after speaker has denounced Black Lives Matter protesters .
While some Democrats have taken more symbolically sympathetic stances toward protesters , most of them — from Bernie Sanders to Joe Biden — have supported increased police funding .
The younger generation , many of whom are more disillusioned than empowered by the upcoming election because of such reactionary stances , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than years past — which typically drew thousands of protesters — in favor of building power against structural racism .
“ I was there generally to help defend my larger community against police brutality and rising fascism .
It ’ s clear that the Democrats are ignorant to the facts on the ground and at worst complicit in the rising fascist violence from the cops and the GOP , ” Luke said .
“ Riots are the language of the unheard… .
When we shout ‘ defund the police , ’ and Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for giving the police more money , then what else are we supposed to do ?
” Some anti-fascists and anti-racists are choosing to vote for Biden as part of a much broader strategy against fascism , while others do not see Biden as a harm-reduction candidate .
Puckett Williams joined the protests to monitor tactics and equipment used by her local police and to monitor civil liberties violations .
“ The police are the gateway to the criminal legal system that is racially disparate in the kind and amount of justice Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
“ People are tired of not being safe in their communities despite continued investment in police and incarceration .
It ’ s not working and people are waking up .
”

Each Republican National Convention (RNC) is met with protests and a corresponding police presence. The resistance against the 2020 convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, has taken on a particularly anti-racist character, in line with ongoing rebellion following the police murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and others in the spring. The RNC protests are happening amid uprisings in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and elsewhere in response to the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Protests — largely organized by Charlotte Uprising, a coalition of community members dedicated to ending state violence against Black and marginalized people — began on August 21 and are scheduled to end today. The coalition called on “all freedom fighters” to resist the RNC in Charlotte and “unite against Trump & fascist Amerikkka.”
On Tuesday, the first evening of the RNC, “some people started burning a flag while talking about police violence and generally the theme was Black Lives Matter, protesting cop violence and ‘no RNC in CLT,’” said Luke, an anti-racist and climate activist from North Carolina who, fearing retaliation, prefers to use a pseudonym.
Suddenly, local police bull-rushed protesters with their bicycles while yelling “Move!” It was a chaotic scene full of screaming, captured by several local journalists, as police pepper-sprayed individuals in the face at close range. One officer rolled his bike over an individual who had fallen after being sprayed in the face. As she crawled away, people came to her aid and pulled her up.
“There were a lot of street medics on scene that administered first aid while we reformed our line to stop cops from pushing in more,” Luke said.
Police arrested four protesters, two of whom were transported to the hospital for their injuries.
Of the assault, Charlotte police tweeted: “Demonstrators push bicycle officer off his bike while he attempted to extinguish a fire lit by demonstrators. Two arrests [were] made and pepper spray was deployed.” Charlotte City Councilmember Braxton Winston, pepper-sprayed while protesting at the scene, tweeted back, “This is a lie,” which video evidence appears to support. When The Charlotte Observer asked Winston whether he would file a complaint, he responded, “to who?”
Throughout the demonstrations, Charlotte police deployed pepper spray liberally and weaponized their bicycles in what Luke described as a “moveable wall.” On August 21, an officer fell over their bicycle and latched on to a protester’s shirt in an attempt to drag them to the ground while other officers tackled, shoved and pepper-sprayed others at close range.
On August 22, Charlotte Uprising tweeted that protesters had been pepper-sprayed at least twice that evening. On August 23, police rode their bicycles directly into a crowd of individuals and knocked at least one to the ground.
Police plowed their bicycle into Kristie Puckett Williams, an activist, organizer and Smart Justice manager with the ACLU of North Carolina. “We were walking, chanting, marching, and a car tried to come through and the crowd surrounded the truck. The police yelled ‘Move’ as they pedaled full speed into people and violently piled onto the people they knocked down to arrest them,” she told Truthout.
During the daytime Resist RNC 2020 rally on August 24, police pepper-sprayed a Black man in the face while a local news station was interviewing Charlotte NAACP President Corine Mack nearby.
After witnessing the assault, Mack told the station, “We don’t know the after-effects of the spray; we don’t know the chemicals in the spray. We don’t know if it has been banned by the military. We don’t know what it is. What we do know is it should not be used on the people who live here in the city who are simply exercising their First Amendment rights.”
By the third day of the RNC, according to Puckett Williams, police tactics had become less aggressive. “When police act in particularly egregious ways, the next day they tend to have a lessened response,” Puckett Williams said. “I know that’s because of the media coverage of them running their bikes into people, them pepper-spraying people with very potent pepper spray directly in their faces as they [protesters] were trying to help people out of the street … it has to do with optics.”
At the convention, Republicans drew a clear line in the sand: “We’re gonna back the blue,” Vice President Mike Pence said during his speech. He did not reference Black lives or express compassion for Jacob Blake and his family amid what they are enduring.
Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan said, “Democrats refuse to denounce the mob, and the response to the chaos — defund the police, defund border patrol, and defund our military,” a fact the movement wishes were true. Eric Trump, Chair of Trump Victory Finance Committee Kimberly Guilfoyle and Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise made similar statements. Speaker after speaker has denounced Black Lives Matter protesters.
While some Democrats have taken more symbolically sympathetic stances toward protesters, most of them — from Bernie Sanders to Joe Biden — have supported increased police funding.
The younger generation, many of whom are more disillusioned than empowered by the upcoming election because of such reactionary stances, have seemingly paid less attention to the RNC than years past — which typically drew thousands of protesters — in favor of building power against structural racism.
“I was there generally to help defend my larger community against police brutality and rising fascism. It’s clear that the Democrats are ignorant to the facts on the ground and at worst complicit in the rising fascist violence from the cops and the GOP,” Luke said. “Riots are the language of the unheard…. When we shout ‘defund the police,’ and Biden has very visibly said that he is for giving the police more money, then what else are we supposed to do?”
Some anti-fascists and anti-racists are choosing to vote for Biden as part of a much broader strategy against fascism, while others do not see Biden as a harm-reduction candidate.
Puckett Williams joined the protests to monitor tactics and equipment used by her local police and to monitor civil liberties violations.
“The police are the gateway to the criminal legal system that is racially disparate in the kind and amount of justice Black, Brown and poor folks receive,” she said. “People are tired of not being safe in their communities despite continued investment in police and incarceration. It’s not working and people are waking up.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.