buzzfeed--2020-05-29--Joe Biden Said White Americans Can’t Be Bystanders In The Fight Against Systemic Racism

Joe Biden said Friday that Americans — white Americans , in particular — must be more than bystanders as the country struggles to address centuries of systemic racism .
In a five-minute speech from his home in Delaware , Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , addressed the tragedy of George Floyd , a black man who died this week after his neck was crushed by a white police officer in Minneapolis .
The incident sparked days of protests and led to a dog whistle of a tweet from President Donald Trump , who called the protesters “ thugs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looting starts , the shooting starts.
” “ We need to stand up as a nation , with the black community , with all minority communities , and come together as one America , ” Biden said .
“ That ’ s the challenge we face.
” Biden said he had spoken with members of Floyd ’ s family .
He also mentioned the recent cases of Ahmaud Arbery , a black man killed in Georgia in February after being pursued by white men , and Breonna Taylor , a black woman shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police forcibly entered her home on a search warrant .
Biden also referred to “ having the police called on you for … watching birds ” — a reference to an incident this week in New York ’ s Central Park , where a white woman called police on a black birdwatcher who had asked her to leash her dog .
In a video of Floyd ’ s detainment , he can be heard saying “ I can ’ t breathe ” — a chilling reminder of the case of Eric Garner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after being put into a chokehold by a white New York police officer .
“ The original sin of this country still stains our nation today and sometimes we manage to overlook it , we just push forward with a thousand other tasks in our daily life , ” Biden said Friday .
“ But it ’ s always there .
And weeks like this , we see it plainly , that we ’ re a country with an open wound .
None of us can turn away .
None of us can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any longer … hear the words I can ’ t breathe and do nothing.
” Biden was criticized last week after telling a black radio host that “ you ain ’ t black ” if you can ’ t understand the difference between Biden and Trump .
On Friday , his appeal for healing often sounded as if it were pointed at white and privileged communities .
“ The pain is too immense for one community to bear alone , ” he said .
“ I believe it ’ s the duty of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grapple with it now .
With our complacency , our silence , we are complicit in perpetuating these cycles of violence .
Nothing about this will be easy or comfortable , but if we simply allow this wound to scab over once more , without treating the underlying injury , we ’ ll never truly hear .
The very soul of America is at stake.
” The “ soul of the nation ” has been a prevalent Biden campaign theme , rooted in his disgust with how Trump handled the 2017 white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where Trump has asserted that there were “ very fine people on both sides.
” Biden has said that moment helped clarify his decision to stage a third run for president .
He did not mention Trump by name in his Friday speech , choosing instead to briefly allude to the president 's angry rhetoric .
“ This is no time for incendiary tweets , ” Biden said .
“ It ’ s no time to encourage violence .
This is a national crisis .
We need real leadership right now , leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so we can take measures to root out systemic racism .
It ’ s time for us to take a hard look at the uncomfortable truths .
It ’ s time for us to face that deep open wound we have in this nation .
We need justice for George Floyd .
We need real police reform that holds cops to a higher standard that so many of them actually meet , that holds bad cops accountable , and repairs the relationship between law enforcement and the community they ’ re sworn to @ @ @

Joe Biden said Friday that Americans — white Americans, in particular — must be more than bystanders as the country struggles to address centuries of systemic racism.
In a five-minute speech from his home in Delaware, Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, addressed the tragedy of George Floyd, a black man who died this week after his neck was crushed by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
The incident sparked days of protests and led to a dog whistle of a tweet from President Donald Trump, who called the protesters “thugs” and threatened that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
“We need to stand up as a nation, with the black community, with all minority communities, and come together as one America,” Biden said. “That’s the challenge we face.”
Biden said he had spoken with members of Floyd’s family. He also mentioned the recent cases of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man killed in Georgia in February after being pursued by white men, and Breonna Taylor, a black woman shot and killed in Kentucky in March after police forcibly entered her home on a search warrant. Biden also referred to “having the police called on you for … watching birds” — a reference to an incident this week in New York’s Central Park, where a white woman called police on a black birdwatcher who had asked her to leash her dog.
In a video of Floyd’s detainment, he can be heard saying “I can’t breathe” — a chilling reminder of the case of Eric Garner, a black man who died in 2014 after being put into a chokehold by a white New York police officer.
“The original sin of this country still stains our nation today and sometimes we manage to overlook it, we just push forward with a thousand other tasks in our daily life,” Biden said Friday. “But it’s always there. And weeks like this, we see it plainly, that we’re a country with an open wound. None of us can turn away. None of us can be silent. None of us can any longer … hear the words I can’t breathe and do nothing.”
Biden was criticized last week after telling a black radio host that “you ain’t black” if you can’t understand the difference between Biden and Trump. On Friday, his appeal for healing often sounded as if it were pointed at white and privileged communities.
“The pain is too immense for one community to bear alone,” he said. “I believe it’s the duty of Americans to grapple with it, and to grapple with it now. With our complacency, our silence, we are complicit in perpetuating these cycles of violence. Nothing about this will be easy or comfortable, but if we simply allow this wound to scab over once more, without treating the underlying injury, we’ll never truly heal. The very soul of America is at stake.”
The “soul of the nation” has been a prevalent Biden campaign theme, rooted in his disgust with how Trump handled the 2017 white supremacist riots in Charlottesville, Virginia, where Trump has asserted that there were “very fine people on both sides.” Biden has said that moment helped clarify his decision to stage a third run for president. He did not mention Trump by name in his Friday speech, choosing instead to briefly allude to the president's angry rhetoric.
“This is no time for incendiary tweets,” Biden said. “It’s no time to encourage violence. This is a national crisis. We need real leadership right now, leadership that will bring everyone to the table so we can take measures to root out systemic racism. It’s time for us to take a hard look at the uncomfortable truths. It’s time for us to face that deep open wound we have in this nation. We need justice for George Floyd. We need real police reform that holds cops to a higher standard that so many of them actually meet, that holds bad cops accountable, and repairs the relationship between law enforcement and the community they’re sworn to protect.”


buzzfeed--2020-05-29--Their Restaurant Burned Down In The Minneapolis Protests. They Just Want Justice For George Floyd.

“ We can rebuild a building .
But we can not give this man back to his family.
” The first thing Hafsa Islam felt Friday morning , when she woke up in a neighborhood filled with acrid smoke , was anger .
The restaurant in South Minneapolis that had been her family ’ s life ’ s work , Gandhi Mahal , had burned down in protests early Friday morning , days after George Floyd , a black man , died after a white police officer used a knee chokehold on him .
Then Hafsa heard her father , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Let the buildings burn , ” he was saying .
“ Justice needs to be served .
Put those officers in jail.
” Hearing her father ’ s words on the phone calmed Hafsa , who said she has always supported the Black Lives Matter movement .
“ It helped me realize what we were there for , ” she said .
“ It has gotten to a point where this is the only way that we can get justice , and we can change the system.
” Hafsa , 18 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gandhi Mahal ’ s Facebook page , hoping to help others understand why there were more important things at stake in the protests than buildings , she said .
She was met with an outpouring of support from the community and promises to help the restaurant rebuild .
Ruhel , an immigrant from Bangladesh , explained it this way : “ Life is more valuable than anything else , ” he said , hours after his restaurant had burned .
“ We can rebuild a building .
But we can not give this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wake of Floyd ’ s death , Hafsa had spent the past few days at Gandhi Mahal , which sits just a few blocks from the Minneapolis Police ’ s Third Precinct , in the heart of the neighborhood that has been the epicenter of the protests .
She had seen medics carrying people injured in the protests .
She ’ d seen nonviolent protesters stung by tear gas and rubber bullets .
And she had even , she said , caught a glimpse of George Floyd as he was arrested a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her car , running DoorDash orders from her family ’ s restaurant .
She even filmed a 5-second video on Snapchat , a blurry video showing police with a man on the corner where Floyd was arrested .
“ The first thing I noticed was his facial expression , ” Hafsa said .
“ It brought that image to my mind .
I remembered how he was crying and in pain.
” She has thought of that expression , she said , as she watches the protests unfold in her city .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should stop protesting are wrong , ” she said .
As the protests and violence that erupted over Floyd ’ s death have reduced much of the south Minneapolis neighborhood where Floyd was arrested to rubble , many have used the plight of small business owners as a cudgel against the protesters .
To Ruhel , who grew up in a “ police state ” in Bangladesh , the forces that brought down his beloved restaurant were very clear .
He places the blame on city leaders and local law enforcement who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ’ s death , before the officer who knelt on Floyd ’ s neck was charged with murder Friday afternoon .
The other three officers have not been charged .
“ They could have stopped this , ” Ruhel said .
“ They need to put the police in jail .
It should have been solved two , three days ago.
” Other small business owners in Minneapolis have gone out of their way to support the protests , even with their buildings at risk as tensions continue to rise .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bookstore , condemned “ indifference , violence , and more terrorizing by the police ” in response to Floyd ’ s death .
“ We so appreciate all of the support we ’ ve been offered over the past two days , but we urge you : do not put yourself at risk to protect our store , ” they wrote on Facebook .
“ The things that may be lost in our building are just things , but your life is priceless , just like George Floyd ’ s life was priceless.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were boarded up and tagged with `` Do Not Burn '' after reports emerged that the owners had refused to allow police to stage operations in their parking lot .
None of this , though , has lessened the pain of the loss of Gandhi Mahal , for Ruhel or for Hafsa .
Ruhel tried to protect his building , he said : He stayed there this morning until 1 a.m. , when he finally had no choice but to go home .
“ My heart is very broken , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We want justice for our brother , but we don ’ t want to be destroyed .
I see young people 's anger .
At the end , we believe in peace.
” On Friday , Ruhel tried to examine the damage done to their restaurant .
But police were blocking off the streets , he said , and he couldn ’ t get through .
Around him , rubble still smoked .
Instead , Ruhel and Hafsa went to the garden that they started nearby , called the Interfaith Garden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other community groups to grow fresh vegetables and spices that are served at Gandhi Mahal .
Ruhel tended to cilantro , beans , and fenugreek , a medicinal spice .
Around them , the smoke was still so heavy that their throats burned .
“ I ’ m going to plant in the garden and pray for everyone , ” Ruhel said .
He has told Hafsa not to worry about the loss of their restaurant , which was their main source of income .
“ We ’ ll figure it out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll work together , ” he said he told her .
“ We ’ re growing a lot of food , vegetables , and I ’ m not worried .
I ’ m going to start planting and growing and growing to survive .
”

The first thing Hafsa Islam felt Friday morning, when she woke up in a neighborhood filled with acrid smoke, was anger.
The restaurant in South Minneapolis that had been her family’s life’s work, Gandhi Mahal, had burned down in protests early Friday morning, days after George Floyd, a black man, died after a white police officer used a knee chokehold on him.
Then Hafsa heard her father, Ruhel Islam, on the phone. “Let the buildings burn,” he was saying. “Justice needs to be served. Put those officers in jail.”
Hearing her father’s words on the phone calmed Hafsa, who said she has always supported the Black Lives Matter movement.
“It helped me realize what we were there for,” she said. “It has gotten to a point where this is the only way that we can get justice, and we can change the system.”
Hafsa, 18, posted what her father had said on Gandhi Mahal’s Facebook page, hoping to help others understand why there were more important things at stake in the protests than buildings, she said. She was met with an outpouring of support from the community and promises to help the restaurant rebuild.
Ruhel, an immigrant from Bangladesh, explained it this way: “Life is more valuable than anything else,” he said, hours after his restaurant had burned. “We can rebuild a building. But we cannot give this man back to his family.”


buzzfeed--2020-05-29--It Took Four Days To Arrest The Officer Who Used A Knee Chokehold On George Floyd. Delays Are Built

It Took Four Days To Arrest The Officer Who Used A Knee Chokehold On George Floyd. Delays Are Built Into Investigations Against Cops.

WASHINGTON — When a police officer killed Atatiana Jefferson in her home in Fort Worth , Texas , last year , the officer was arrested two days later .
When Freddie Gray died in police custody in Baltimore , the officers were charged two weeks later .
It ’ s been four days since George Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis and a video became public that showed Floyd repeatedly saying “ I can ’ t breathe ” while a white Minneapolis police officer , Derek Chauvin , crushed his neck with a knee for eight minutes .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ’ s death included the city ’ s mayor .
On Friday , the Hennepin County district attorney ’ s office announced that Chauvin was arrested .
None of the other three officers involved have been charged or taken into custody .
Criminal investigations into police who kill on the job typically don ’ t unfold like normal homicide cases , where a suspect on the scene likely would be taken into custody right away .
There are delays that are formally built in through union contracts and police protection laws .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which means prosecutors take their time building them , and prosecutors mindful of the otherwise close working relationship with law enforcement may take a more cautious pace , according to lawyers who work on police misconduct issues .
“ People are much more careful when it comes to prosecuting police officers than they are when it comes to prosecuting the usual suspect in a murder case , who is usually a person of color and poor , ” said Christy Lopez , a professor at Georgetown Law Center .
“ You just know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harder case to convict .
Officers have more [ legal ] defenses .
You want to have all your ducks in a row.
” Even when there ’ s video of an incident , investigators will try to collect whatever other evidence might be available , including body camera footage and witness testimony , said Lopez , a former senior official in the DOJ Civil Rights Division ’ s Special Litigation Section , which investigates police misconduct .
It can take time to convince police officers who may have witnessed an incident involving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prosecution , she said .
Cases involving police officers are the rare instance where the criminal justice system favors the defendant , said Jonathan Smith , the former head of the Special Litigation Section .
Prosecutors have a close relationship with police , and are reluctant to bring charges until there ’ s a grand jury indictment , which takes more time , he said .
The two-day window between Atatiana Jefferson ’ s death and the arrest of the officer is atypically quick , said Smith , now executive director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rights and Urban Affairs .
Sometimes , the reason for a lag in the time between a person dying in police custody and arrests is spelled out in writing .
Police union contracts can include provisions that require a waiting period before an officer is interviewed by investigators , which can delay an investigation .
J. Ashwin Madia , a lawyer in Minneapolis who has represented families that sued police officers for use of force in the past , said police officers get a “ cooling-off ” period that isn ’ t usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If an ordinary non-officer is suspected of murder , then , yes , they ’ ll be read their rights but they ’ ll be questioned right away .
And the reason for that is after an incident like that … it ’ s fresh in their mind and they ’ re somewhat excited and disheveled and oftentimes suspects waive their rights and talk , ” Madia said .
“ Whereas with officers , as part of their union contract , they ’ re given… this cooling-off period that allows them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take counsel ’ s advice , and handle it that way.
” Minneapolis police officers involved in “ critical incidents ” — which include situations where a person dies in police custody — must be given “ a reasonable opportunity ” to consult with a lawyer before they ’ re asked to give a voluntary statement to an investigator , according to the labor contract between the city and the police union that expired at the end of 2019 .
The contract doesn ’ t specify how much time qualifies as a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately available about the timeline of the investigation into Floyd ’ s death .
The city hasn ’ t put a more recent contract online , and representatives of the city and the police union did not return requests for comment on Friday .
The contract also says officers may be able to have their legal fees reimbursed by the city , although it wasn ’ t immediately clear if that would apply to the investigation into Floyd ’ s death since the four officers involved were fired .
In a section of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discipline , it states that officers under investigation must be given a written summary of the incident two days before they ’ re asked for a formal statement .
There are exceptions to that rule if a two-day waiting period is “ impractical due to the immediacy of the investigation.
” If an investigator wants to take an officer ’ s statement without giving them a written summary first , they have to still notify the police union .
Some states also have laws that give officers greater protections during a use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or peace officer “ bill of rights , ” although those laws can carve out exceptions for criminal investigations , which is the case in Minnesota .
Police officers who kill can also face federal criminal charges for civil rights violations , but federal prosecutors will typically wait to see what state or local prosecutors do first , Lopez said .
Federal civil rights cases against police officers can be even harder to prove , she said , since prosecutors have to get inside an officer ’ s state of mind to meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t required in a state murder case .
The Minnesota US attorney ’ s office announced on Thursday that a federal investigation into Floyd ’ s death was underway .
Shortly after the announcement of Chauvin ’ s arrest on Friday , Attorney General Bill Barr released a statement saying that the Justice Department and the FBI were investigating whether any federal civil rights laws were violated in Floyd ’ s death and that “ state and federal officers are working diligently and collaboratively to ensure that any available evidence relevant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as possible.
” “ The video images of the incident that ended with death of Mr. Floyd , while in custody of Minneapolis police officers , were harrowing to watch and deeply disturbing , ” Barr said .
“ Under our system , charging decisions must be , and will be , based on the law and facts .
This process is proceeding quickly .
As is the typical practice , the state ’ s charging decisions will be made first .
I am confident justice will be served.
” Beyond any criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Department can also conduct broader probes into whether there are patterns of civil rights violations within a police department .
The Trump administration has backed away from those types of investigations , however , per reporting by the Huffington Post .
Smith said that even if officers involved in Floyd ’ s death are criminally charged , it won ’ t solve “ deep cultural problems ” in the Minneapolis police department .
“ The incident demonstrates that there is something deeper going on , ” Smith said .
“ Other officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man could not breathe .
”

WASHINGTON — When a police officer killed Atatiana Jefferson in her home in Fort Worth, Texas, last year, the officer was arrested two days later. When Freddie Gray died in police custody in Baltimore, the officers were charged two weeks later.
It’s been four days since George Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis and a video became public that showed Floyd repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe” while a white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, crushed his neck with a knee for eight minutes. The chorus demanding arrests in the days after Floyd’s death included the city’s mayor. On Friday, the Hennepin County district attorney’s office announced that Chauvin was arrested. None of the other three officers involved have been charged or taken into custody.
Criminal investigations into police who kill on the job typically don’t unfold like normal homicide cases, where a suspect on the scene likely would be taken into custody right away. There are delays that are formally built in through union contracts and police protection laws. These cases are harder to win, which means prosecutors take their time building them, and prosecutors mindful of the otherwise close working relationship with law enforcement may take a more cautious pace, according to lawyers who work on police misconduct issues.
“People are much more careful when it comes to prosecuting police officers than they are when it comes to prosecuting the usual suspect in a murder case, who is usually a person of color and poor,” said Christy Lopez, a professor at Georgetown Law Center. “You just know it’s going to be a harder case to convict. Officers have more [legal] defenses. You want to have all your ducks in a row.”
Even when there’s video of an incident, investigators will try to collect whatever other evidence might be available, including body camera footage and witness testimony, said Lopez, a former senior official in the DOJ Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section, which investigates police misconduct. It can take time to convince police officers who may have witnessed an incident involving one of their own to testify for the prosecution, she said.
Cases involving police officers are the rare instance where the criminal justice system favors the defendant, said Jonathan Smith, the former head of the Special Litigation Section. Prosecutors have a close relationship with police, and are reluctant to bring charges until there’s a grand jury indictment, which takes more time, he said.
The two-day window between Atatiana Jefferson’s death and the arrest of the officer is atypically quick, said Smith, now executive director of the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.
Sometimes, the reason for a lag in the time between a person dying in police custody and arrests is spelled out in writing. Police union contracts can include provisions that require a waiting period before an officer is interviewed by investigators, which can delay an investigation.
J. Ashwin Madia, a lawyer in Minneapolis who has represented families that sued police officers for use of force in the past, said police officers get a “cooling-off” period that isn’t usually available to suspects in criminal investigations.
“If an ordinary non-officer is suspected of murder, then, yes, they’ll be read their rights but they’ll be questioned right away. And the reason for that is after an incident like that … it’s fresh in their mind and they’re somewhat excited and disheveled and oftentimes suspects waive their rights and talk,” Madia said. “Whereas with officers, as part of their union contract, they’re given… this cooling-off period that allows them to consult with counsel, get composed, take counsel’s advice, and handle it that way.”
Minneapolis police officers involved in “critical incidents” — which include situations where a person dies in police custody — must be given “a reasonable opportunity” to consult with a lawyer before they’re asked to give a voluntary statement to an investigator, according to the labor contract between the city and the police union that expired at the end of 2019. The contract doesn’t specify how much time qualifies as a “reasonable opportunity.” Details weren’t immediately available about the timeline of the investigation into Floyd’s death.
The city hasn’t put a more recent contract online, and representatives of the city and the police union did not return requests for comment on Friday. The contract also says officers may be able to have their legal fees reimbursed by the city, although it wasn’t immediately clear if that would apply to the investigation into Floyd’s death since the four officers involved were fired.
In a section of the Minneapolis union contract that relates to discipline, it states that officers under investigation must be given a written summary of the incident two days before they’re asked for a formal statement. There are exceptions to that rule if a two-day waiting period is “impractical due to the immediacy of the investigation.” If an investigator wants to take an officer’s statement without giving them a written summary first, they have to still notify the police union.
Some states also have laws that give officers greater protections during a use of force investigation, known as a police or peace officer “bill of rights,” although those laws can carve out exceptions for criminal investigations, which is the case in Minnesota.
Police officers who kill can also face federal criminal charges for civil rights violations, but federal prosecutors will typically wait to see what state or local prosecutors do first, Lopez said. Federal civil rights cases against police officers can be even harder to prove, she said, since prosecutors have to get inside an officer’s state of mind to meet a higher “willfulness” standard that isn’t required in a state murder case.
The Minnesota US attorney’s office announced on Thursday that a federal investigation into Floyd’s death was underway. Shortly after the announcement of Chauvin’s arrest on Friday, Attorney General Bill Barr released a statement saying that the Justice Department and the FBI were investigating whether any federal civil rights laws were violated in Floyd’s death and that “state and federal officers are working diligently and collaboratively to ensure that any available evidence relevant to these decisions is obtained as quickly as possible.”
“The video images of the incident that ended with death of Mr. Floyd, while in custody of Minneapolis police officers, were harrowing to watch and deeply disturbing,” Barr said. “Under our system, charging decisions must be, and will be, based on the law and facts. This process is proceeding quickly. As is the typical practice, the state’s charging decisions will be made first. I am confident justice will be served.”
Beyond any criminal investigation into an individual officer, the Justice Department can also conduct broader probes into whether there are patterns of civil rights violations within a police department. The Trump administration has backed away from those types of investigations, however, per reporting by the Huffington Post. Smith said that even if officers involved in Floyd’s death are criminally charged, it won’t solve “deep cultural problems” in the Minneapolis police department.
“The incident demonstrates that there is something deeper going on,” Smith said. “Other officers stood by and watched him as this man could not breathe.”


buzzfeed--2020-05-29--Here Are The Minneapolis Police's Tools To Identify Protesters

The Minneapolis Police Department has a wide breadth of surveillance technologies that could be used to monitor and target protesters — including controversial facial recognition software Clearview AI , license plate readers , body cameras , and video analysis tools .
The department and law enforcement agencies in neighboring cities have a history of surveilling residents with tech that can speed up the process of identifying and possibly arresting people .
After investigations were opened this month into the deaths of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis and an unarmed black woman in Louisville , Kentucky following police action , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States — including in Minneapolis , Denver , Columbus , and New York — expressing grief and outrage and demanding an end to police brutality .
Minneapolis has been the center of these protests following the May 25 death of 46-year-old George Floyd , who died after a white police officer detained him and placed him in a knee chokehold .
The moments before Floyd 's death , which were captured on camera , showed him struggling to breathe , repeatedly telling police , “ I can ’ t breathe ” and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” As protesters take to the streets , they 'll be watched by law enforcement agencies that have trialed or are currently deploying a variety of surveillance tools .
The Minneapolis Police Department has used an array of technologies in the past —including Clearview AI , which has scraped billions of photos from social media to power its facial recognition tool .
Nearby police departments , as well as the Hennepin County Sheriff 's Office and the Minnesota Fusion Center — which maintain jurisdictions that overlay Minneapolis — have also used Clearview .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ surveillance technologies should not be used on protesters , ” Neema Singh Guliani , a senior legislative counsel for the ACLU , told BuzzFeed News .
“ The idea that you have groups of people that are raising legitimate concerns and now that could be subject to face recognition or surveillance , simply because they choose to protest , amplifies the overall concerns with law enforcement having this technology to begin with.
” According to documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News , more than 10 users with the Minneapolis Police Department had run more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Hennepin County Sheriff ’ s Office , which oversees the county that includes Minneapolis , had also conducted nearly 400 searches among 10 accounts .
And the Minnesota Fusion Center — a specialized section of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension ( BCA ) that shares crime intelligence — had run almost 40 searches as of February .
`` We have in the past used Clearview AI to help identify unidentified victims in images that are part of human trafficking cases , '' a spokesperson for the Minnesota Fusion Center told BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Hennepin County Sheriff ’ s Office did not respond to requests for comment .
The neighboring St. Paul Police Department had conducted nearly 40 searches with Clearview 's facial recognition tool as of February .
And the police department of Prior Lake , Minnesota , a suburb about 20 miles southwest of Minneapolis , racked up more than 1,100 searches between July 2019 and February 2020 with three Clearview accounts .
The Prior Lake Police Department did not respond to requests for comment .
A spokesperson for the St. Paul Police Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they checked with several units , despite the data seen by BuzzFeed News .
In the past , multiple police departments initially denied using Clearview before walking back their statements following full reviews or audits of their officers .
The Minneapolis Police Department has not been forthcoming about its use of facial recognition .
In July , a spokesperson for the department told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the organization had no plans to deploy the technology , but at least one user associated with the organization created an account with Clearview AI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by BuzzFeed News .
Records obtained by local journalist Tony Webster showed that the Hennepin County Sheriff ’ s Office has deployed facial recognition since 2013 .
In July , the Star Tribune reported the office ran a suspect ’ s photo taken from Instagram through a facial recognition tool to reveal a possible match .
It ’ s unclear if this facial recognition tool was offered by Clearview — which has taken images from Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter to train its software — or another company .
The Minneapolis PD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surveillance tools .
In a 2019 white paper , the department said it used automatic license plate readers , or devices that capture images of license plates , allowing police to potentially track the movement of a person throughout a city or region .
In 2009 , the city paid Tennessee-based traffic camera company PIPS Technology more than $ 50,000 for both fixed and mobile license plate readers .
Additionally , according to new receipts obtained by BuzzFeed News via public record request , the neighboring Prior Lake Police Department has paid thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a law enforcement data aggregation tool that has also been used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement — from October 2016 through at least September 2019 .
CLEAR combines data from cellphones , license plate readers , and real-time arrest records .
In aggregate , this data makes it faster and easier for police track and arrest suspects .
The Minneapolis Police Department also uses Securonet , a surveillance tool that lets police upload cellphone footage , integrate it with CCTV footage , and visualize it on a map .
The police department started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city 's hosting of the 2018 Super Bowl .
The department signed another contract with Securonet in 2019 .
This year , Minneapolis started using BriefCam , a high-definition surveillance camera system used throughout the city ’ s rail , bus , and metro system .
The city 's police department said in the white paper that it doesn ’ t currently combine surveillance cameras with real-time or automated facial recognition but noted that “ it is conceivable that this could change in the near future.
” Rich Neumeister , a Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city subcommittee on data practice on Jan. 30 urging the city to enact restrictions on the use of facial recognition .
At the time of writing , no restrictions existed .
“ There needs to be guardrails , standards , and curtailing policies so that the use and rules are not developed by law enforcement agencies in secret , ” he said .
“ Our privacy and civil liberties can be diminished if this onerous and powerful technology is not kept in check .
”

The Minneapolis Police Department has a wide breadth of surveillance technologies that could be used to monitor and target protesters — including controversial facial recognition software Clearview AI, license plate readers, body cameras, and video analysis tools. The department and law enforcement agencies in neighboring cities have a history of surveilling residents with tech that can speed up the process of identifying and possibly arresting people.
After investigations were opened this month into the deaths of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis and an unarmed black woman in Louisville, Kentucky following police action, protests have broken out across the United States — including in Minneapolis, Denver, Columbus, and New York — expressing grief and outrage and demanding an end to police brutality.
Minneapolis has been the center of these protests following the May 25 death of 46-year-old George Floyd, who died after a white police officer detained him and placed him in a knee chokehold. The moments before Floyd's death, which were captured on camera, showed him struggling to breathe, repeatedly telling police, “I can’t breathe” and “they’re going to kill me.”
As protesters take to the streets, they'll be watched by law enforcement agencies that have trialed or are currently deploying a variety of surveillance tools. The Minneapolis Police Department has used an array of technologies in the past —including Clearview AI, which has scraped billions of photos from social media to power its facial recognition tool. Nearby police departments, as well as the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota Fusion Center — which maintain jurisdictions that overlay Minneapolis — have also used Clearview.
“At a high level, these surveillance technologies should not be used on protesters,” Neema Singh Guliani, a senior legislative counsel for the ACLU, told BuzzFeed News. “The idea that you have groups of people that are raising legitimate concerns and now that could be subject to face recognition or surveillance, simply because they choose to protest, amplifies the overall concerns with law enforcement having this technology to begin with.”
According to documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News, more than 10 users with the Minneapolis Police Department had run more than 160 searches with Clearview as of February. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, which oversees the county that includes Minneapolis, had also conducted nearly 400 searches among 10 accounts. And the Minnesota Fusion Center — a specialized section of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) that shares crime intelligence — had run almost 40 searches as of February.
"We have in the past used Clearview AI to help identify unidentified victims in images that are part of human trafficking cases," a spokesperson for the Minnesota Fusion Center told BuzzFeed News. The Minneapolis Police Department and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to requests for comment.
The neighboring St. Paul Police Department had conducted nearly 40 searches with Clearview's facial recognition tool as of February. And the police department of Prior Lake, Minnesota, a suburb about 20 miles southwest of Minneapolis, racked up more than 1,100 searches between July 2019 and February 2020 with three Clearview accounts.
The Prior Lake Police Department did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the St. Paul Police Department denied that it had used Clearview after they checked with several units, despite the data seen by BuzzFeed News. In the past, multiple police departments initially denied using Clearview before walking back their statements following full reviews or audits of their officers.
The Minneapolis Police Department has not been forthcoming about its use of facial recognition. In July, a spokesperson for the department told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the organization had no plans to deploy the technology, but at least one user associated with the organization created an account with Clearview AI that month, according to data seen by BuzzFeed News.
Records obtained by local journalist Tony Webster showed that the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office has deployed facial recognition since 2013. In July, the Star Tribune reported the office ran a suspect’s photo taken from Instagram through a facial recognition tool to reveal a possible match. It’s unclear if this facial recognition tool was offered by Clearview — which has taken images from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to train its software — or another company.
The Minneapolis PD also uses a wide range of other surveillance tools. In a 2019 white paper, the department said it used automatic license plate readers, or devices that capture images of license plates, allowing police to potentially track the movement of a person throughout a city or region. In 2009, the city paid Tennessee-based traffic camera company PIPS Technology more than $50,000 for both fixed and mobile license plate readers.
Additionally, according to new receipts obtained by BuzzFeed News via public record request, the neighboring Prior Lake Police Department has paid thousands of dollars for Thomson Reuters CLEAR — a law enforcement data aggregation tool that has also been used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement — from October 2016 through at least September 2019. CLEAR combines data from cellphones, license plate readers, and real-time arrest records. In aggregate, this data makes it faster and easier for police track and arrest suspects.
The Minneapolis Police Department also uses Securonet, a surveillance tool that lets police upload cellphone footage, integrate it with CCTV footage, and visualize it on a map. The police department started using Securonet in 2017, ahead of the city's hosting of the 2018 Super Bowl. The department signed another contract with Securonet in 2019.
This year, Minneapolis started using BriefCam, a high-definition surveillance camera system used throughout the city’s rail, bus, and metro system. The city's police department said in the white paper that it doesn’t currently combine surveillance cameras with real-time or automated facial recognition but noted that “it is conceivable that this could change in the near future.”
Rich Neumeister, a Minneapolis resident, submitted written testimony to the city subcommittee on data practice on Jan. 30 urging the city to enact restrictions on the use of facial recognition. At the time of writing, no restrictions existed.
“There needs to be guardrails, standards, and curtailing policies so that the use and rules are not developed by law enforcement agencies in secret,” he said. “Our privacy and civil liberties can be diminished if this onerous and powerful technology is not kept in check.”


buzzfeed--2020-05-29--Trump’s Tweets Have Casualties

Trump’s Tweets Have Casualties

President Donald Trump has for years used Twitter , his rallies , and the White House podium as bully pulpits to launch harassment campaigns against his chosen targets : women , people of color , immigrants , protesters , reporters , Democrats , rivals , widowers , employees of social media companies .
In the early hours of Friday , he was finally held somewhat accountable , when Twitter hid a tweet threatening state violence against people protesting the police killing of George Floyd , a black man in Minneapolis .
The move was celebrated by some of Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by those concerned about the power of social media companies , and with condemnation by the president ’ s supporters .
It came one day after Trump issued an executive order that aims to make it easier for people to sue social media companies , a fight he has framed as a free speech issue after Twitter labeled two of his tweets as potential misinformation .
In the same meeting where he signed the order , he also said he would shut down Twitter altogether if he could , in case anyone thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a personal campaign by a president who can not stomach being challenged , even in the smallest way .
Is it useful to have direct access to the president ’ s brain ?
To know that not only would he like to unleash the military on protesters , but that he carries a saying from the 1960s by a racist Miami police chief — ” when the looting starts , the shooting starts ” — in his back pocket , typed out to the world as if it was no big deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after three years of this , believe that Trump doesn ’ t always understand the references he is making — like when he praised the “ bloodlines ” of famed anti-Semite Henry Ford during a visit to a Ford factory in Michigan last week .
The content of the Minneapolis tweet shows that to be untrue .
The debate is not dissimilar to the questions raised by Trump ’ s weekslong daily briefings near the start of the coronavirus crisis — is it harmful for him to suck up all the oxygen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the undecided or embarrassed white Trump voters who will swing the election in November , to be stripped of the privileged choice to ignore what he is really like ?
These questions will rage , but what they obscure is the effect on the people on whom Trump sets his ire .
His tweets have casualties .
The effects are real .
That was spelled out powerfully this week in a letter by Timothy Klausutis , a widower caught in the crosshairs of Trump ’ s erratic and conspiracy-laden missives about his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something that Gretchen Whitmer , the governor of Michigan , thinks about .
After Trump ’ s tweets , and statements — complete with nicknames , references to “ that woman , ” “ woman governor , ” and more — calling out her handling of the COVID crisis , protesters descended on the state capitol .
They also descended on her home , where she lives with her husband and daughters .
“ We all stood in the front of the residence and looked out the window and saw armed gunmen out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the front door , ” Whitmer told me this week .
“ It 's really destructive and it 's hurtful.
” Asked if she thought Trump shared the blame for the harassment she is experiencing , she got quiet for a moment and then said “ yes.
” “ I never anticipated being in the midst of a global pandemic , having to fend off political attacks while I 'm trying to save lives — political attacks from officeholders in Washington , DC , and here at our state capitol , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of the same observations my male colleagues have — in swing states and in not swing states — and I have been treated differently.
” It ’ s not just who Trump targets — overwhelmingly men and women of color , white women , immigrants — it is how he does it .
“ It 's messaging and it 's symbolism , ” Nina Muckenthaler , the president of the National Organization for Women in Michigan , told me .
“ He refuses to refer to her as governor or use her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s language about Whitmer .
“ When you 're reducing a person to a pronoun — her or she — and totally ignoring their status as a political leader , you ’ re erasing that .
And you 're erasing them as a person , you 're erasing their identity .
Once you do that , it 's much easier to hate people or to make them a target.
” “ It 's a form of disempowering them or trying to disempower them as people and to turn them into objects and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much easier to target them and it 's much more dangerous , ” Muckenthaler said .
“ I think it is an act of violence , at least symbolic violence .
And I think it can lead to actual physical violence.
” It ’ s a direct line from there to calling the protesters in Minneapolis “ thugs.
” Eboni Taylor , the deputy director of Mothering Justice , a Michigan group that focuses on mothers of color , said hearing Trump ’ s attacks on the leadership in Michigan — not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel , the first openly gay woman to hold statewide office — was “ the nail in the coffin for me .
It actually was really hurtful.
” “ I think a lot of us have wondered , wow , what if I ran for secretary of state ? ''
Taylor said .
`` What if this were me ?
How much more would be coming down on me ?
How much more would this be coming down on another woman of color with the added layer because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to folks of color ?
“ How much worse would this be , from protests to the armed folks showing up to the governor 's home ?
How much further could this be taken if it were a black woman or a Latinx woman ?
” There is a keen awareness that Trump uses his Twitter account , and his choice of targets , not just to set the agenda , but to rile up his active followers .
The call to shoot “ looters ” was an obvious provocation of Twitter ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s tweets when Trump sent it out just after midnight Friday .
That was made even more explicit by Friday morning , when the official White House Twitter account copy-and-pasted the message , practically daring Twitter to step in again , which it ultimately did .
The cycle this sets off among Trump ’ s loyalists has been repeated throughout his presidency : act as some of the worst harassers on the platform , and then cry censorship when the rules are applied .
And so they become the victims of the narrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going after .
Speaking about his targeting of the women in Michigan , Carolyn Cassin , president of Michigan Women Forward , said , “ I think fundamentally it is not as much gender motivated as it is politically motivated .
There 's gender bias in everything just like there 's racial bias .
“ But do I think that our president gets up every morning and thinks about how he can trash women ?
Probably not .
I do n't think he thinks we 're important enough to trash .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up every morning and thinks about what plays well to his base.
” That is clear in his polar opposite approaches to the largely white protesters in Michigan who have been demanding Whitmer change her coronavirus strategy , and to those protesting racist police violence in Minneapolis .
To Trump , gun-toting white protesters are “ very good people ” who deserve to be spoken to ; protesters in Minneapolis are “ thugs ” who deserve to be shot .
The shadow of his “ very fine people on both sides ” comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

President Donald Trump has for years used Twitter, his rallies, and the White House podium as bully pulpits to launch harassment campaigns against his chosen targets: women, people of color, immigrants, protesters, reporters, Democrats, rivals, widowers, employees of social media companies. In the early hours of Friday, he was finally held somewhat accountable, when Twitter hid a tweet threatening state violence against people protesting the police killing of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis.
The move was celebrated by some of Trump’s critics, met with conflicted thoughts by those concerned about the power of social media companies, and with condemnation by the president’s supporters. It came one day after Trump issued an executive order that aims to make it easier for people to sue social media companies, a fight he has framed as a free speech issue after Twitter labeled two of his tweets as potential misinformation. In the same meeting where he signed the order, he also said he would shut down Twitter altogether if he could, in case anyone thought the issue was actually free speech rather than a personal campaign by a president who cannot stomach being challenged, even in the smallest way.
Is it useful to have direct access to the president’s brain? To know that not only would he like to unleash the military on protesters, but that he carries a saying from the 1960s by a racist Miami police chief — ”when the looting starts, the shooting starts” — in his back pocket, typed out to the world as if it was no big deal? There are those who, somehow, after three years of this, believe that Trump doesn’t always understand the references he is making — like when he praised the “bloodlines” of famed anti-Semite Henry Ford during a visit to a Ford factory in Michigan last week. The content of the Minneapolis tweet shows that to be untrue.
The debate is not dissimilar to the questions raised by Trump’s weekslong daily briefings near the start of the coronavirus crisis — is it harmful for him to suck up all the oxygen? Or is it useful, including for the undecided or embarrassed white Trump voters who will swing the election in November, to be stripped of the privileged choice to ignore what he is really like?
These questions will rage, but what they obscure is the effect on the people on whom Trump sets his ire. His tweets have casualties. The effects are real. That was spelled out powerfully this week in a letter by Timothy Klausutis, a widower caught in the crosshairs of Trump’s erratic and conspiracy-laden missives about his dead wife.
It’s also something that Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan, thinks about. After Trump’s tweets, and statements — complete with nicknames, references to “that woman,” “woman governor,” and more — calling out her handling of the COVID crisis, protesters descended on the state capitol. They also descended on her home, where she lives with her husband and daughters.
“We all stood in the front of the residence and looked out the window and saw armed gunmen out there with automatic rifles standing yards from the front door,” Whitmer told me this week. “It's really destructive and it's hurtful.”
Asked if she thought Trump shared the blame for the harassment she is experiencing, she got quiet for a moment and then said “yes.”
“I never anticipated being in the midst of a global pandemic, having to fend off political attacks while I'm trying to save lives — political attacks from officeholders in Washington, DC, and here at our state capitol,” she said. “I have made a lot of the same observations my male colleagues have — in swing states and in not swing states — and I have been treated differently.”
It’s not just who Trump targets — overwhelmingly men and women of color, white women, immigrants — it is how he does it.
“It's messaging and it's symbolism,” Nina Muckenthaler, the president of the National Organization for Women in Michigan, told me. “He refuses to refer to her as governor or use her name,” she said of Trump’s language about Whitmer. “When you're reducing a person to a pronoun — her or she — and totally ignoring their status as a political leader, you’re erasing that. And you're erasing them as a person, you're erasing their identity. Once you do that, it's much easier to hate people or to make them a target.”
“It's a form of disempowering them or trying to disempower them as people and to turn them into objects and depersonalize them, and therefore it becomes much easier to target them and it's much more dangerous,” Muckenthaler said. “I think it is an act of violence, at least symbolic violence. And I think it can lead to actual physical violence.”
It’s a direct line from there to calling the protesters in Minneapolis “thugs.”
Eboni Taylor, the Michigan executive director of Mothering Justice, a Michigan group that focuses on mothers of color, said hearing Trump’s attacks on the leadership in Michigan — not just Whitmer, but Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel, the first openly gay woman to hold statewide office — was “the nail in the coffin for me. It actually was really hurtful.”
“I think a lot of us have wondered, wow, what if I ran for secretary of state?" Taylor said. "What if this were me? How much more would be coming down on me? How much more would this be coming down on another woman of color with the added layer because we've seen how he's responded to folks of color?
“How much worse would this be, from protests to the armed folks showing up to the governor's home? How much further could this be taken if it were a black woman or a Latinx woman?”
There is a keen awareness that Trump uses his Twitter account, and his choice of targets, not just to set the agenda, but to rile up his active followers.
The call to shoot “looters” was an obvious provocation of Twitter’s newfound concern over the president’s tweets when Trump sent it out just after midnight Friday. That was made even more explicit by Friday morning, when the official White House Twitter account copy-and-pasted the message, practically daring Twitter to step in again, which it ultimately did. The cycle this sets off among Trump’s loyalists has been repeated throughout his presidency: act as some of the worst harassers on the platform, and then cry censorship when the rules are applied. And so they become the victims of the narrative — rather than the people whom they are going after.
Speaking about his targeting of the women in Michigan, Carolyn Cassin, president of Michigan Women Forward, said, “I think fundamentally it is not as much gender motivated as it is politically motivated. There's gender bias in everything just like there's racial bias.
“But do I think that our president gets up every morning and thinks about how he can trash women? Probably not. I don't think he thinks we're important enough to trash. I would say that I think he gets up every morning and thinks about what plays well to his base.”
That is clear in his polar opposite approaches to the largely white protesters in Michigan who have been demanding Whitmer change her coronavirus strategy, and to those protesting racist police violence in Minneapolis. To Trump, gun-toting white protesters are “very good people” who deserve to be spoken to; protesters in Minneapolis are “thugs” who deserve to be shot. The shadow of his “very fine people on both sides” comments regarding the extremists in Charlottesville looms large.


buzzfeed--2020-05-29--Twitter Put A "Glorifying Violence" Warning Label On Trump And White House Tweets About Minneapolis

Twitter Put A "Glorifying Violence" Warning Label On Trump And White House Tweets About Minneapolis Protesters

“ We 've taken action in the interest of preventing others from being inspired to commit violent acts , '' the social media network said of Trump 's tweet .
Twitter put a warning label on a tweet by President Donald Trump about the Minneapolis protests early on Friday , saying that it violated the company ’ s rules about `` glorifying violence . ''
The social network did not remove the tweet , instead letting users click on a link next to the label to view it .
The tweet , the second in a two-part thread from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sparked by the death of George Floyd , `` when the looting starts , the shooting starts . ''
Floyd ’ s death , which came after a police officer crushed his neck under his knee while arresting him , has led to violent protests in Minneapolis this week .
On Thursday night , protesters clashed with officers in the area and set a police building on fire .
The phrase `` when the looting starts , the shooting starts '' has a history .
In 1967 , Miami Police Chief Walter Headley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests in black neighborhoods .
Twitter ’ s decision came after it took similar action earlier this week , labeling a Trump tweet about mail-in ballots as misleading .
That decision infuriated the White House , leading the president to sign an executive order on Thursday targeting social media platforms .
But Twitter doubled down Friday with its `` glorifying violence '' label , which it added more than two hours after Trump sent the tweet .
Users will be unable to like , reply to , or retweet the tweet , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You may not threaten violence against an individual or a group of people , ” Twitter rules state .
“ We also prohibit the glorification of violence.
” The rules were updated in March 2019 .
In a Twitter thread on the company ’ s public relations account , Twitter defended the move .
“ We 've taken action in the interest of preventing others from being inspired to commit violent acts , but have kept the Tweet on Twitter because it is important that the public still be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing matters of public importance , ” the company said .
While Twitter typically forces users to remove or delete tweets glorifying violence , it has said in the past that there is a higher standard for world leaders .
Trump has previously used his Twitter account , which has more than 80 million followers , to flirt with the idea of nuclear war .
Twitter did not take action against those messages .
Despite Twitter 's action on Trump 's timeline , the official White House Twitter account quote-tweeted Trump 's original @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning .
Twitter subsequently put the same warning label on the White House 's tweet as well .
`` We have placed a public interest notice on this Tweet from @ realdonaldtrump and an identical Tweet from @ WhiteHouse , '' a Twitter spokesperson told BuzzFeed News on Friday .
`` The Tweets violate our policies regarding the glorification of violence based on the historical context of the last line , its connection to violence , and the risk it could inspire similar actions today .
We 've taken action in the interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commit violent acts , but have kept the Tweet on Twitter because it is important that the public still be able to see the Tweet given its relevance to ongoing matters of public importance .
As is standard with this notice , engagements with the Tweet will be limited .
People will be able to Retweet with Comment , but will not be able to Like , Reply or Retweet it . ''
In a response , the White House tweeted that the company 's actions made it clear that it was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform . ''
On Thursday , when BuzzFeed News asked the White House for comment about the president 's sharing of a video in which a man said , `` The only good Democrat is a dead Democrat , '' a spokesperson said it condemned `` all violence . ''
`` The President and the entire administration condemn violence in all forms , as we have stated many times , '' White House spokesperson Judd Deere said .

Twitter’s decision came after it took similar action earlier this week, labeling a Trump tweet about mail-in ballots as misleading. That decision infuriated the White House, leading the president to sign an executive order on Thursday targeting social media platforms.
But Twitter doubled down Friday with its "glorifying violence" label, which it added more than two hours after Trump sent the tweet. Users will be unable to like, reply to, or retweet the tweet, although retweets with a comment are still possible.
“You may not threaten violence against an individual or a group of people,” Twitter rules state. “We also prohibit the glorification of violence.” The rules were updated in March 2019.
In a Twitter thread on the company’s public relations account, Twitter defended the move.
“We've taken action in the interest of preventing others from being inspired to commit violent acts, but have kept the Tweet on Twitter because it is important that the public still be able to see the Tweet given its relevance to ongoing matters of public importance,” the company said.
While Twitter typically forces users to remove or delete tweets glorifying violence, it has said in the past that there is a higher standard for world leaders. Trump has previously used his Twitter account, which has more than 80 million followers, to flirt with the idea of nuclear war. Twitter did not take action against those messages.
Despite Twitter's action on Trump's timeline, the official White House Twitter account quote-tweeted Trump's original post with the same text on Friday morning. Twitter subsequently put the same warning label on the White House's tweet as well.


buzzfeed--2020-05-30--Mark Zuckerberg Explains Why Facebook Didn’t Remove A Trump Post Suggesting Violence In Minneapolis

Mark Zuckerberg Explains Why Facebook Didn’t Remove A Trump Post Suggesting Violence In Minneapolis Despite Calling It “Divisive"

“ I know many people are upset that we 've left the President 's posts up , but our position is that we should enable as much expression as possible unless it will cause imminent risk of specific harms or dangers spelled out in clear policies , ” Zuckerberg wrote .
“ We looked very closely at the post that discussed the protests in Minnesota to evaluate whether it violated our policies .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook update , Zuckerberg explained that a Thursday post from Trump ’ s personal account stating that “ once the looting starts , the shooting starts ” would be allowed to remain because “ people need to know if the government is planning to deploy force.
” The explanation came about 16 hours after Twitter took action against an identical message posted on its platform , placing a warning label on Trump ’ s tweet and preventing users from liking or retweeting it .
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Friday that the social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by President Donald Trump on the Minneapolis protests , despite his own personal feeling that it contained “ divisive and inflammatory rhetoric.
” Facebook ’ s decision follows a week in which Zuckerberg publicly criticized a separate decision by Twitter to label two Trump tweets about mail-in ballots as misleading .
Twitter ’ s decision sparked allegations of political bias against conservatives and led Trump to sign an executive order on Thursday that sought to undercut the legal protections given to internet companies for content posted on their platforms .
Facebook has since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eliminating the protections afforded to social media companies under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act would chill online speech .
On Thursday , Trump wrote that “ THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd , ” referring to ongoing protests in Minneapolis following the death of a 46-year-old unarmed black man while being arrested by a white officer .
“ Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way , ” Trump wrote on Facebook and Twitter .
“ Any difficulty and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the looting starts , the shooting starts .
Thank you !
” The phrase `` when the looting starts , the shooting starts '' dates to 1967 , when Miami Police Chief Walter Headley used it to describe his approach to protests in black neighborhoods .
Given the context , Twitter hid the tweet behind an interstitial , allowing users to read it if they clicked through a warning link .
Facebook , as Zuckerberg explained , has taken a different approach .
“ Unlike Twitter , we do not have a policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posts that may incite violence because we believe that if a post incites violence , it should be removed regardless of whether it is newsworthy , even if it comes from a politician , ” he wrote .
“ We have been in touch with the White House today to explain these policies as well.
” Following his posts on Thursday night , Trump walked back his message 14 hours later on Friday by explaining on Facebook that his comment about shootings was “ spoken as a fact , not as a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that may occur during civil unrest .
Zuckerberg said that that explanation was taken into account when deciding what to do with the post .
“ Our policy around incitement of violence allows discussion around state use of force , although I think today 's situation raises important questions about what potential limits of that discussion should be , ” Zuckerberg wrote .

Facebook’s decision follows a week in which Zuckerberg publicly criticized a separate decision by Twitter to label two Trump tweets about mail-in ballots as misleading. Twitter’s decision sparked allegations of political bias against conservatives and led Trump to sign an executive order on Thursday that sought to undercut the legal protections given to internet companies for content posted on their platforms.
Facebook has since criticized that executive order, noting that eliminating the protections afforded to social media companies under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act would chill online speech.
On Thursday, Trump wrote that “THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd,” referring to ongoing protests in Minneapolis following the death of a 46-year-old unarmed black man while being arrested by a white officer.
“Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way,” Trump wrote on Facebook and Twitter. “Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!”
The phrase "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" dates to 1967, when Miami Police Chief Walter Headley used it to describe his approach to protests in black neighborhoods. Given the context, Twitter hid the tweet behind an interstitial, allowing users to read it if they clicked through a warning link.
Facebook, as Zuckerberg explained, has taken a different approach.
“Unlike Twitter, we do not have a policy of putting a warning in front of posts that may incite violence because we believe that if a post incites violence, it should be removed regardless of whether it is newsworthy, even if it comes from a politician,” he wrote. “We have been in touch with the White House today to explain these policies as well.”
A Twitter spokesperson declined to comment on Facebook’s decision.
Following his posts on Thursday night, Trump walked back his message 14 hours later on Friday by explaining on Facebook that his comment about shootings was “spoken as a fact, not as a statement” and meant to reference general violence that may occur during civil unrest. Zuckerberg said that that explanation was taken into account when deciding what to do with the post.
“Our policy around incitement of violence allows discussion around state use of force, although I think today's situation raises important questions about what potential limits of that discussion should be,” Zuckerberg wrote.


buzzfeed--2020-05-30--The Protests Against George Floyd's Death Make Some People Uncomfortable. That's The Point.

Left : Protesters confront police at the Michigan House of Representatives chamber after protesting for the reopening of businesses in Lansing , Michigan , April 30 .
Right : A protester stands face-to-face with a Minnesota state trooper on May 29 after another night of demonstrations over the death of George Floyd , who died in police custody Monday in Minneapolis .
Consider the following questions a kind of Myers-Briggs personality test for how you feel about protests .
What bothers you more : images of armed white protesters storming the Michigan State Capitol and screaming at police in late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can exercise their rights to possibly contract the coronavirus , or images of demonstrators setting buildings on fire in Minneapolis while protesting the death of a black man named George Floyd , who died while in police custody ?
The Michigan protesters were armed with assault rifles and bulletproof vests ; no national guard was dispatched there .
Meanwhile , the Minneapolis protesters were demanding criminal charges for Derek Chauvin , the police officer who crushed Floyd ’ s neck with his knee for eight minutes as Floyd gasped for air , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against him throughout his career , all closed without disciplinary measures , except one .
( Chauvin was finally arrested and charged with murder this morning . )
This is a unique time for protest in America .
Black Americans are still demanding that their government and police forces do something about police brutality against black people and the general spate of violence against unarmed black people .
( Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed by a retired police officer and his son in Georgia in January , and the perpetrators have only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after video leaked . )
But black Americans are also grappling with a pandemic that ’ s disproportionately affecting them .
And yet , despite this outsize risk , many black people still took to the streets across the country to protest the killings of Floyd and Breonna Taylor , a black EMT worker who was shot by police in her own home in Kentucky .
The police killings and the coronavirus ’ s impact are galling enough , but it ’ s only made worse by the dialogue around the protests and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loot riot and destroy you lose all moral credibility , in my eyes , to protest injustice , ” tweeted conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday .
“ Our country allows for peaceful protests , but there is no reason for violence , ” first lady Melania Trump tweeted today .
On Twitter , Tracy Clayton offered up a long list of why white people riot , including their sports team winning , their sports team losing , wanting dolls , hating disco , and being mad that black people wanted to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early this morning that looters should be shot , invoking a phrase first used by Walter Headley , a Miami police chief from the late ’ 60s who used violent tactics against black protesters in Miami at the time .
( Trump has since tweeted some version of a correction . )
There ’ s a fallacy already being presented , as if people are looting instead of attempting peaceful protests .
But what ’ s happening in Minneapolis , Louisville , Los Angeles , Denver , New York , and other parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resort .
The priorities in American life are wildly disordered .
First comes white health and safety .
Then comes white property and goods .
Then white economy .
Then white comfort .
The safety of black and brown bodies , the right to not be killed by the police when you ’ re not a threat , the right to not be pepper-sprayed or teargassed while a respiratory disease is already ripping through your community at an alarming rate , is miles behind white comfort .
What did the president call the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people.
” What did he call the Minnesotan protesters , demanding justice for Floyd ?
“ THUGS.
” If you ’ re exhausted , it ’ s because you ’ re paying attention .
This isn ’ t the first or the last time we ’ ll debate what the right way for black and brown people to protest is .
It ’ s already been made clear that peaceful protests draw an incredible amount of ire too — in 2016 , 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem to protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Indianapolis Colts game in 2017 , Vice President Mike Pence stormed out of the game soon after arriving because some of the players kneeled during the national anthem ; in this case , this peaceful protest was still too much for the government to tolerate .
Protesting peacefully — without disturbing property and buildings or hurting anyone — has still become a major touchstone of the American culture wars anyway .
Years later , Kaepernick is still effectively shut out from the NFL .

Consider the following questions a kind of Myers-Briggs personality test for how you feel about protests. What bothers you more: images of armed white protesters storming the Michigan State Capitol and screaming at police in late April, demanding the state reopen so they can exercise their rights to possibly contract the coronavirus, or images of demonstrators setting buildings on fire in Minneapolis while protesting the death of a black man named George Floyd, who died while in police custody?
The Michigan protesters were armed with assault rifles and bulletproof vests; no national guard was dispatched there. Meanwhile, the Minneapolis protesters were demanding criminal charges for Derek Chauvin, the police officer who crushed Floyd’s neck with his knee for eight minutes as Floyd gasped for air, the same officer who had 17 complaints against him throughout his career, all closed without disciplinary measures, except one. (Chauvin was finally arrested and charged with murder this morning.)
This is a unique time for protest in America. Black Americans are still demanding that their government and police forces do something about police brutality against black people and the general spate of violence against unarmed black people. (Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed by a retired police officer and his son in Georgia in January, and the perpetrators have only now been arrested and charged with murder after video leaked.) But black Americans are also grappling with a pandemic that’s disproportionately affecting them. And yet, despite this outsize risk, many black people still took to the streets across the country to protest the killings of Floyd and Breonna Taylor, a black EMT worker who was shot by police in her own home in Kentucky.
The police killings and the coronavirus’s impact are galling enough, but it’s only made worse by the dialogue around the protests and riots happening now. “If you loot riot and destroy you lose all moral credibility, in my eyes, to protest injustice,” tweeted conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday. “Our country allows for peaceful protests, but there is no reason for violence,” first lady Melania Trump tweeted today.
On Twitter, Tracy Clayton offered up a long list of why white people riot, including their sports team winning, their sports team losing, wanting dolls, hating disco, and being mad that black people wanted to go to school. Meanwhile the president tweeted early this morning that looters should be shot, invoking a phrase first used by Walter Headley, a Miami police chief from the late ’60s who used violent tactics against black protesters in Miami at the time. (Trump has since tweeted some version of a correction.) There’s a fallacy already being presented, as if people are looting instead of attempting peaceful protests. But what’s happening in Minneapolis, Louisville, Los Angeles, Denver, New York, and other parts of the country is actually a last resort.
The priorities in American life are wildly disordered. First comes white health and safety. Then comes white property and goods. Then white economy. Then white comfort. The safety of black and brown bodies, the right to not be killed by the police when you’re not a threat, the right to not be pepper-sprayed or teargassed while a respiratory disease is already ripping through your community at an alarming rate, is miles behind white comfort.
What did the president call the armed Michigan protesters? “Very good people.” What did he call the Minnesotan protesters, demanding justice for Floyd? “THUGS.”
If you’re exhausted, it’s because you’re paying attention. This isn’t the first or the last time we’ll debate what the right way for black and brown people to protest is. It’s already been made clear that peaceful protests draw an incredible amount of ire too — in 2016, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem to protest deaths like Floyd’s. At an Indianapolis Colts game in 2017, Vice President Mike Pence stormed out of the game soon after arriving because some of the players kneeled during the national anthem; in this case, this peaceful protest was still too much for the government to tolerate. Protesting peacefully — without disturbing property and buildings or hurting anyone — has still become a major touchstone of the American culture wars anyway. Years later, Kaepernick is still effectively shut out from the NFL.


buzzfeed--2020-05-30--Joe Biden Said White Americans Can’t Be Bystanders In The Fight Against Systemic Racism

Joe Biden said Friday that Americans — white Americans , in particular — must be more than bystanders as the country struggles to address centuries of systemic racism .
In a five-minute speech from his home in Delaware , Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , addressed the tragedy of George Floyd , a black man who died this week after his neck was crushed by a white police officer in Minneapolis .
The incident sparked days of protests and led to a dog whistle of a tweet from President Donald Trump , who called the protesters “ thugs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looting starts , the shooting starts.
” “ We need to stand up as a nation , with the black community , with all minority communities , and come together as one America , ” Biden said .
“ That ’ s the challenge we face.
” Biden said he had spoken with members of Floyd ’ s family .
He also mentioned the recent cases of Ahmaud Arbery , a black man killed in Georgia in February after being pursued by white men , and Breonna Taylor , a black woman shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police forcibly entered her home on a search warrant .
Biden also referred to “ having the police called on you for … watching birds ” — a reference to an incident this week in New York ’ s Central Park , where a white woman called police on a black birdwatcher who had asked her to leash her dog .
In a video of Floyd ’ s detainment , he can be heard saying “ I can ’ t breathe ” — a chilling reminder of the case of Eric Garner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after being put into a chokehold by a white New York police officer .
“ The original sin of this country still stains our nation today and sometimes we manage to overlook it , we just push forward with a thousand other tasks in our daily life , ” Biden said Friday .
“ But it ’ s always there .
And weeks like this , we see it plainly , that we ’ re a country with an open wound .
None of us can turn away .
None of us can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any longer … hear the words I can ’ t breathe and do nothing.
” Biden was criticized last week after telling a black radio host that “ you ain ’ t black ” if you can ’ t understand the difference between Biden and Trump .
On Friday , his appeal for healing often sounded as if it were pointed at white and privileged communities .
“ The pain is too immense for one community to bear alone , ” he said .
“ I believe it ’ s the duty of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grapple with it now .
With our complacency , our silence , we are complicit in perpetuating these cycles of violence .
Nothing about this will be easy or comfortable , but if we simply allow this wound to scab over once more , without treating the underlying injury , we ’ ll never truly heal .
The very soul of America is at stake.
” The “ soul of the nation ” has been a prevalent Biden campaign theme , rooted in his disgust with how Trump handled the 2017 white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where Trump has asserted that there were “ very fine people on both sides.
” Biden has said that moment helped clarify his decision to stage a third run for president .
He did not mention Trump by name in his Friday speech , choosing instead to briefly allude to the president 's angry rhetoric .
“ This is no time for incendiary tweets , ” Biden said .
“ It ’ s no time to encourage violence .
This is a national crisis .
We need real leadership right now , leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so we can take measures to root out systemic racism .
It ’ s time for us to take a hard look at the uncomfortable truths .
It ’ s time for us to face that deep open wound we have in this nation .
We need justice for George Floyd .
We need real police reform that holds cops to a higher standard that so many of them actually meet , that holds bad cops accountable , and repairs the relationship between law enforcement and the community they ’ re sworn to @ @ @


buzzfeed--2020-05-30--Their Restaurant Burned Down In The Minneapolis Protests. They Just Want Justice For George Floyd.


buzzfeed--2020-05-30--It Took Four Days To Arrest The Officer Who Used A Knee Chokehold On George Floyd. Delays Are Built


buzzfeed--2020-05-30--There Was A Pretty Loud Fart Noise During A Joe Biden Livestream

In the first week of this hell month , we heard someone flushing a toilet during a live hearing of @ @ @ @ @ now May is ending with a large fart noise .
A livestreamed campaign video chat @ @ @ @ @ Biden and Pennsylvania Gov .
Tom Wolf on Wednesday was briefly muffled by the sound @ @ @ @ @ a very wet fart .
Biden was asking about what `` the human cost '' @ @ @ @ @ more federal money does n't arrive to help with the coronavirus economic recovery when the @ @ @ @ @ appeared to lean back in his chair at the same time as the noise , @ @ @ @ @ and shake his head shortly after .

In the first week of this hell month, we heard someone flushing a toilet during a live hearing of the Supreme Court. And now May is ending with a large fart noise.
A livestreamed campaign video chat between presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday was briefly muffled by the sound of what appeared to be a very wet fart.
Biden was asking about what "the human cost" looks like in Pennsylvania if more federal money doesn't arrive to help with the coronavirus economic recovery when the toot rang out.
He appeared to lean back in his chair at the same time as the noise, while Wolf appeared to blink and shake his head shortly after.


buzzfeed--2020-05-31--Their Restaurant Burned Down In The Minneapolis Protests. They Just Want Justice For George Floyd.


buzzfeed--2020-05-30--Here Are The Minneapolis Police's Tools To Identify Protesters

The Minneapolis Police Department has a wide breadth of surveillance technologies that could be used to monitor and target protesters — including controversial facial recognition software Clearview AI , license plate readers , body cameras , and video analysis tools .
The department and law enforcement agencies in neighboring cities have a history of surveilling residents with tech that can speed up the process of identifying and possibly arresting people .
After investigations were opened this month into the deaths of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis and an unarmed black woman in Louisville , Kentucky following police action , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States — including in Minneapolis , Denver , Columbus , and New York — expressing grief and outrage and demanding an end to police brutality .
Minneapolis has been the center of these protests following the May 25 death of 46-year-old George Floyd , who died after a white police officer detained him and placed him in a knee chokehold .
The moments before Floyd 's death , which were captured on camera , showed him struggling to breathe , repeatedly telling police , “ I can ’ t breathe ” and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” As protesters take to the streets , they 'll be watched by law enforcement agencies that have trialed or are currently deploying a variety of surveillance tools .
The Minneapolis Police Department has used an array of technologies in the past —including Clearview AI , which has scraped billions of photos from social media to power its facial recognition tool .
Nearby police departments , as well as the Hennepin County Sheriff 's Office and the Minnesota Fusion Center — which maintain jurisdictions that overlay Minneapolis — have also used Clearview .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ surveillance technologies should not be used on protesters , ” Neema Singh Guliani , a senior legislative counsel for the ACLU , told BuzzFeed News .
“ The idea that you have groups of people that are raising legitimate concerns and now that could be subject to face recognition or surveillance , simply because they choose to protest , amplifies the overall concerns with law enforcement having this technology to begin with.
” According to documents reviewed by BuzzFeed News , more than 10 users with the Minneapolis Police Department had run more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February .
The Hennepin County Sheriff ’ s Office , which oversees the county that includes Minneapolis , had also conducted nearly 400 searches among 10 accounts .
And the Minnesota Fusion Center — a specialized section of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension ( BCA ) that shares crime intelligence — had run almost 40 searches as of February .
`` We have in the past used Clearview AI to help identify unidentified victims in images that are part of human trafficking cases , '' a spokesperson for the Minnesota Fusion Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department and the Hennepin County Sheriff ’ s Office did not respond to requests for comment .
The neighboring St. Paul Police Department had conducted nearly 40 searches with Clearview 's facial recognition tool as of February .
And the police department of Prior Lake , Minnesota , a suburb about 20 miles southwest of Minneapolis , racked up more than 1,100 searches between July 2019 and February 2020 with three Clearview accounts .
The Prior Lake Police Department did not respond to requests for comment .
A spokesperson for the St. Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clearview after they checked with several units , despite the data seen by BuzzFeed News .
In the past , multiple police departments initially denied using Clearview before walking back their statements following full reviews or audits of their officers .
The Minneapolis Police Department has not been forthcoming about its use of facial recognition .
In July , a spokesperson for the department told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the organization had no plans to deploy the technology , but at least one user associated with the organization created an account with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data seen by BuzzFeed News .
Records obtained by local journalist Tony Webster showed that the Hennepin County Sheriff ’ s Office has deployed facial recognition since 2013 .
In July , the Star Tribune reported the office ran a suspect ’ s photo taken from Instagram through a facial recognition tool to reveal a possible match .
It ’ s unclear if this facial recognition tool was offered by Clearview — which has taken images from Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter to train its software — or another company .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of other surveillance tools .
In a 2019 white paper , the department said it used automatic license plate readers , or devices that capture images of license plates , allowing police to potentially track the movement of a person throughout a city or region .
In 2009 , the city paid Tennessee-based traffic camera company PIPS Technology more than $ 50,000 for both fixed and mobile license plate readers .
Additionally , according to new receipts obtained by BuzzFeed News via public record request , the neighboring Prior Lake Police Department has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CLEAR — a law enforcement data aggregation tool that has also been used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement — from October 2016 through at least September 2019 .
CLEAR combines data from cellphones , license plate readers , and real-time arrest records .
In aggregate , this data makes it faster and easier for police track and arrest suspects .
The Minneapolis Police Department also uses Securonet , a surveillance tool that lets police upload cellphone footage , integrate it with CCTV footage , and visualize it on a map .
The police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of the city 's hosting of the 2018 Super Bowl .
The department signed another contract with Securonet in 2019 .
This year , Minneapolis started using BriefCam , a high-definition surveillance camera system used throughout the city ’ s rail , bus , and metro system .
The city 's police department said in the white paper that it doesn ’ t currently combine surveillance cameras with real-time or automated facial recognition but noted that “ it is conceivable that this could change in the near future.
” Rich Neumeister , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the city subcommittee on data practice on Jan. 30 urging the city to enact restrictions on the use of facial recognition .
At the time of writing , no restrictions existed .
“ There needs to be guardrails , standards , and curtailing policies so that the use and rules are not developed by law enforcement agencies in secret , ” he said .
“ Our privacy and civil liberties can be diminished if this onerous and powerful technology is not kept in check .
”


buzzfeed--2020-05-31--There Was A Pretty Loud Fart Noise During A Joe Biden Livestream


buzzfeed--2020-06-01--Dallas Police Asked People To Call Out Protestors. People Flooded Their App With K-Pop Instead

The Dallas PD 's iWatch Dallas app is currently down `` due to technical difficulties . ''
On Sunday , the Dallas Police Department asked people to submit `` video of illegal activity '' from the Black Lives Matter protests in the city through the `` iWatch Dallas '' app , where people can submit photo , video , or text tips about possible crimes .
Instead , they received a flood of pictures and videos of K-pop artists .
In response to the tweeted request from Dallas Police , hundreds of K-pop fans replied with photos and videos of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed to have submitted videos of the police harming protestors , as well as fan edits of K-pop artists , to the iWatch Dallas app .
Within hours of the original tweet , the Dallas Police Department followed up with a tweet that the iWatch Dallas app was down temporarily `` due to technical difficulties . ''
( K-pop fans confirmed they too were having difficulties submitting to the app . )
Hundreds of people subsequently replied to this Dallas PD tweet with memes and videos of K-pop artists .
Protests against police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week , with major demonstrations happening in Minneapolis , New York , Washington , D.C. , Los Angeles , Oakland , and Dallas .
Police have often escalated peaceful protests and lashed out violently .
In addition to the streets , protestors have also begun taking action online as well .
Dozens of people submitted one-star reviews to the iWatch Dallas listings on both the Google Play Store and iOS App Store .
Many people used their reviews to say Black Lives Matter , and call for justice for George Floyd .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Twitter overwhelmed the app with traffic , causing it to stop working , or if the police department simply wanted people to stop submitting photos and videos through the app .
The Dallas Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
The digital protest started when a tweet from Twitter user @ 7soulsmap , which showed a screenshot of the original Dallas PD tweet , got retweeted thousands of times .
A few hours later , @ 7soulsmap responded to their own tweet with a video and said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one on their app I ’ ll send you a $ 1 , I promise . ''
`` DOWNLOAD THE APP AND SEND ALL YOUR FANCAMS !
!
! ''
Twitter @ ngelwy said in the now-deleted quote tweet of @ 7soulsmap .
`` SEND THEM ALL !
!
!
MAKE THEIR JOBS AS HARD AS POSSIBLE !
!
!
GET THEM FRUSTRATED !
!
!
MAKE THEM TAKE DOWN THE APP !
!
! ''
Hundreds of people responded to the @ 7soulsmap tweet , and several people shared screen recordings uploading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
User @ ngelwy later apologized for encouraging people to download the app , and encouraged people to delete it , noting that the app asks for a user 's location before they submit a tip .
If a user tries to submit a tip without sharing their location , the app displays an error message that says `` User is not registered . ''
@ 7soulsmap , who declined to be identified by name , told BuzzFeed News that they are happy with how people responded to their tweet .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentiments in regards to how they view excessive use of force by law enforcement with protestors and how the general trust in them from the public has withered , ” @ 7soulsmap said .
“ Black Lives Matter PERIOD.
” @ 7soulsmap added that many people who talked about submitting photos and videos of police brutality also noted that they would censor the faces of protestors from these uploads .
Police departments around the country often have access to a variety of surveillance tools that can be used to target protestors .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has used the facial recognition tool Clearview AI — which scraped billions of photos of people from social media to power its face-matching algorithm — more than 160 times .
Facial recognition could be used to identify protestors depicted in pictures or videos posted on social media , or captured on CCTV cameras or home surveillance cameras , like Ring .
“ I ’ m happy to see how many people are willing to help the protestors keep their identities hidden and stay safe , ” @ 7soulsmap said .

It’s unclear if K-pop fans from Twitter overwhelmed the app with traffic, causing it to stop working, or if the police department simply wanted people to stop submitting photos and videos through the app. The Dallas Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The digital protest started when a tweet from Twitter user @7soulsmap, which showed a screenshot of the original Dallas PD tweet, got retweeted thousands of times. A few hours later, @7soulsmap responded to their own tweet with a video and said, "If y’all post this one on their app I’ll send you a $1, I promise."
"DOWNLOAD THE APP AND SEND ALL YOUR FANCAMS!!!" Twitter @ngelwy said in the now-deleted quote tweet of @7soulsmap. "SEND THEM ALL!!! MAKE THEIR JOBS AS HARD AS POSSIBLE!!! GET THEM FRUSTRATED!!! MAKE THEM TAKE DOWN THE APP!!!"
Hundreds of people responded to the @7soulsmap tweet, and several people shared screen recordings uploading K-pop videos to the iWatch Dallas app. User @ngelwy later apologized for encouraging people to download the app and encouraged people to delete it, noting that the app asks for a user's location before they submit a tip.
If a user tries to submit a tip without sharing their location, the app displays an error message that says "User is not registered."
@7soulsmap, who declined to be identified by name, told BuzzFeed News that they are happy with how people responded to their tweet.


buzzfeed--2020-06-01--The Protests Against George Floyd's Death Make Some People Uncomfortable. That's The Point.