hotair--2020-05-29--Trump to Minneapolis mayor: If you can't restore order, I will; <span class='red'>Update: Twitter ce

Trump to Minneapolis mayor: If you can't restore order, I will; Update: Twitter censored Trump tweet?

Violence raged across the Twin Cities for a third night after the death of George Floyd , and it escalated significantly at its epicenter .
Attackers set the Minneapolis PD ’ s 3rd Precinct ablaze , forcing the police to abandon the building .
That caught the attention of Donald Trump earlier this morning , who issued what looks like an ultimatum to both Mayor Jacob Frey and the looters ransacking both cities .
“ When the looting starts , ” Trump warned , “ the shooting starts ” : Frey later dismissed this threat by saying that Trump “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” but right now strength isn ’ t a word that comes to mind when watching the city burn .
After police evacuated the 3rd Precinct building , firefighters tried to put the flames out , but couldn ’ t access the building .
Then rioters turned their attention to another police precinct : Some of the 500 National Guard troops deployed earlier in the day by Walz to assist police and the State Patrol — the first deployment for a civil disturbance in 34 years — went to the Third Precinct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firefighters , but just after midnight , little firefighting was able to take place , with rioters remaining in the area , throwing projectiles and according to one witness , shooting bullets into the building .
The city of Minneapolis tweeted a warning to stay away from the area around Hiawatha Avenue and Lake Street : “ We ’ re hearing unconfirmed reports that gas lines to the Third Precinct have been cut and other explosive materials are in the building .
If you are near the building , for your safety , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explodes .
In the space of a few minutes late Thursday , priority 1 calls related to the unrest poured in to Minneapolis police : A gunshot victim walked into HCMC .
Squads were dispatched to break up fights between looters and business owners near N. 42nd and Lyndale avenues .
About 2 a.m. Friday , police scanner traffic indicated that protesters were headed toward the Fourth Precinct headquarters , in north Minneapolis .
Armed vehicles bearing Guard troops were also reportedly arriving in downtown Minneapolis .
Across the Mississippi River in St. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had damaged about 170 buildings by night ’ s end , police said .
The whole night was a game of whack-a-mole for outnumbered law-enforcement agencies in both cities : The worst-struck parts of the Twin Cities had the feel of a cat-and-mouse game .
When a police vehicle pulled up to a strip mall in St. Paul ’ s Midway neighborhood , where a large crowd had smashed windows of a Verizon store , a Noodles & Co. and a Vitamin Shoppe , the crowd immediately scattered , only to re-emerge elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a Target there .
But no officers were at the T.J. Maxx store a block away , so looters smashed the door down and fled with shoes and clothing piled on shopping carts .
This is a bleak picture of impotence , no matter what Frey says about “ strength.
” WCCO ’ s Pat Kessler wondered overnight , “ Why isn ’ t the city stepping in to stop this violence ?
… Why isn ’ t the state ?
” Kessler also notes the “ very strong reaction from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but doesn ’ t sound terribly opposed to a federal seizure after last night .
Neither , for that matter , do the anchors : “ We have not heard from city leadership , ” Kessler continues , “ nor have we heard from Governor Walz about tamping down this violence.
” No one ’ s seeing the National Guard on the streets yet , even though Walz has called them up .
Why haven ’ t they established a firm presence yet ?
The police are clearly outmatched , and yet Kessler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any level of government .
Can Trump assume federal control over National Guard troops and take over the Twin Cities ?
Yes , if he declares a domestic emergency in which civil rights are threatened , and this undoubtedly qualifies .
Not only can Trump assume control of those troops , he can send in National Guard troops from around the country to bolster their numbers as well .
Dwight Eisenhower did exactly that to force integration of public schools in the South at certain times , although that didn ’ t involve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s a headache on a far grander scale , both logistically and politically .
The lack of leadership shown over the last three days at all levels within the state might not leave Trump with much choice .
Frey might have dismissed Trump ’ s tweet , but he shouldn ’ t dismiss the warning within them .
Another 24 hours of this incompetence and weakness might leave Trump with no other choice but to take command and use much harsher methods to regain control of the streets .
At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Guard fully deployed , a decision that state and local authorities seem unwilling to make .
And if the conversation on this CBS affiliate is any indication , a Trump takeover might not be unpopular by this point .
Update : I saw Trump ’ s tweet before the genius Karens of Twitter got to it , apparently .
It ’ s still loading above , but if you click on it now , it ’ s at least screened off .
Apparently , they think it glorifies violence : Shooting looters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if hard-core , way to put an end to looting and ransacking of cities .
Perhaps the Karens of Twitter were not yet born in 2005 when a Democratic governor in Louisiana issued an actual order to National Guard troops to shoot looters on sight during Hurricane Katrina .
It ’ s harsh and probably not terribly wise or politically practical , but it ’ s an option .
Maybe Twitter should spend less time on Donald Trump ’ s TL and more time on people who really do glorify violence :

Violence raged across the Twin Cities for a third night after the death of George Floyd, and it escalated significantly at its epicenter. Attackers set the Minneapolis PD’s 3rd Precinct ablaze, forcing the police to abandon the building. That caught the attention of Donald Trump earlier this morning, who issued what looks like an ultimatum to both Mayor Jacob Frey and the looters ransacking both cities. “When the looting starts,” Trump warned, “the shooting starts”:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1266231100780744704
Frey later dismissed this threat by saying that Trump “knows nothing about the strength of Minneapolis,” but right now strength isn’t a word that comes to mind when watching the city burn. After police evacuated the 3rd Precinct building, firefighters tried to put the flames out, but couldn’t access the building. Then rioters turned their attention to another police precinct:
Some of the 500 National Guard troops deployed earlier in the day by Walz to assist police and the State Patrol — the first deployment for a civil disturbance in 34 years — went to the Third Precinct to try to make it safe for firefighters, but just after midnight, little firefighting was able to take place, with rioters remaining in the area, throwing projectiles and according to one witness, shooting bullets into the building. The city of Minneapolis tweeted a warning to stay away from the area around Hiawatha Avenue and Lake Street: “We’re hearing unconfirmed reports that gas lines to the Third Precinct have been cut and other explosive materials are in the building. If you are near the building, for your safety, PLEASE RETREAT in the event the building explodes. In the space of a few minutes late Thursday, priority 1 calls related to the unrest poured in to Minneapolis police: A gunshot victim walked into HCMC. Squads were dispatched to break up fights between looters and business owners near N. 42nd and Lyndale avenues. About 2 a.m. Friday, police scanner traffic indicated that protesters were headed toward the Fourth Precinct headquarters, in north Minneapolis. Armed vehicles bearing Guard troops were also reportedly arriving in downtown Minneapolis. Across the Mississippi River in St. Paul, looting, fire and vandals had damaged about 170 buildings by night’s end, police said.
The whole night was a game of whack-a-mole for outnumbered law-enforcement agencies in both cities:
The worst-struck parts of the Twin Cities had the feel of a cat-and-mouse game. When a police vehicle pulled up to a strip mall in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood, where a large crowd had smashed windows of a Verizon store, a Noodles & Co. and a Vitamin Shoppe, the crowd immediately scattered, only to re-emerge elsewhere. Police formed a barricade in front of a Target there. But no officers were at the T.J. Maxx store a block away, so looters smashed the door down and fled with shoes and clothing piled on shopping carts.
This is a bleak picture of impotence, no matter what Frey says about “strength.” WCCO’s Pat Kessler wondered overnight, “Why isn’t the city stepping in to stop this violence? … Why isn’t the state?” Kessler also notes the “very strong reaction from the president of the United States,” but doesn’t sound terribly opposed to a federal seizure after last night. Neither, for that matter, do the anchors:
“We have not heard from city leadership,” Kessler continues, “nor have we heard from Governor Walz about tamping down this violence.” No one’s seeing the National Guard on the streets yet, even though Walz has called them up. Why haven’t they established a firm presence yet? The police are clearly outmatched, and yet Kessler can’t get an answer from any level of government.
Can Trump assume federal control over National Guard troops and take over the Twin Cities? Yes, if he declares a domestic emergency in which civil rights are threatened, and this undoubtedly qualifies. Not only can Trump assume control of those troops, he can send in National Guard troops from around the country to bolster their numbers as well. Dwight Eisenhower did exactly that to force integration of public schools in the South at certain times, although that didn’t involve replacing or eclipsing all local authority. That’s a headache on a far grander scale, both logistically and politically.
The lack of leadership shown over the last three days at all levels within the state might not leave Trump with much choice. Frey might have dismissed Trump’s tweet, but he shouldn’t dismiss the warning within them. Another 24 hours of this incompetence and weakness might leave Trump with no other choice but to take command and use much harsher methods to regain control of the streets. At the very least, Trump would have the National Guard fully deployed, a decision that state and local authorities seem unwilling to make. And if the conversation on this CBS affiliate is any indication, a Trump takeover might not be unpopular by this point.
Update: I saw Trump’s tweet before the genius Karens of Twitter got to it, apparently. It’s still loading above, but if you click on it now, it’s at least screened off. Apparently, they think it glorifies violence:
Shooting looters on sight is actually the traditional, if hard-core, way to put an end to looting and ransacking of cities. Perhaps the Karens of Twitter were not yet born in 2005 when a Democratic governor in Louisiana issued an actual order to National Guard troops to shoot looters on sight during Hurricane Katrina. It’s harsh and probably not terribly wise or politically practical, but it’s an option. Maybe Twitter should spend less time on Donald Trump’s TL and more time on people who really do glorify violence:


hotair--2020-05-29--Mail-in ballots are a real problem, said... the New York Times?

After Donald Trump began tweeting about how widespread use of mail-in ballots could compromise election security the press was quick to deride his remarks as being false .
One example of this phenomenon comes to us from the Gray Lady .
They were quick to justify Twitter ’ s decision to flag the President ’ s tweets as being both inaccurate and untrue .
Twitter added information to refute the inaccuracies in President Trump ’ s tweets for the first time on Tuesday , after years of pressure over its inaction on his false and threatening posts .
The social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two of Mr. Trump ’ s tweets in which he had posted about mail-in ballots and falsely claimed that they would cause the November presidential election to be “ rigged.
” But as Marc Thiessen points out at the Washington Post , that hasn ’ t always been the position taken by the New York Times .
Not all that long ago – in fact less than a decade – the Times was singing a very different tune .
At that time , they were reporting on the comments of a number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were all saying the mail-in ballots were highly problematic and open to abuse and errors .
In 2012 , before mail-in voting became a partisan political litmus test , the New York Times published an article titled “ Error and Fraud at Issue as Absentee Voting Rises.
” The piece noted that “ there is a bipartisan consensus that voting by mail … is more easily abused than other forms , ” and that “ votes cast by mail are less likely to be counted , more likely to be compromised and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a voting booth.
” A bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform , chaired by former president Jimmy Carter and former secretary of state James A. Baker III , concluded in 2005 that “ absentee ballots remain the largest source of potential voter fraud ” and that “ vote buying schemes are far more difficult to detect when citizens vote by mail.
” Carter and Baker also pointed out that citizens who vote at nursing homes “ are more susceptible to pressure , overt and subtle , or to intimidation.
” In Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this : “ granny farming.
” I ’ ll confess that the term “ granny farming ” had escaped my notice until now , but it certainly makes sense .
There were reports of a specialized form of ballot harvesting going on at nursing homes , where confused or easily influenced seniors could be pressured into filling out ballots a particular way .
Those ballots could then be collected and mailed in bunches .
Thiessen also points to another study showing that during the 2008 election , 7.6 million of 35.5 million mail-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not counted for one reason or another .
Feel free to pull out a napkin and a pencil and apply those ratios to the more than 100 million people expected to vote this November .
If this plan is rolled out nationally , the ensuing fiasco will be both predictable and a factor undermining the public ’ s confidence in the election results .
Some states , such as Washington , have been doing vote-by-mail for quite a while and will probably fare pretty well .
But at least half of the states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than a relative handful of mail-in ballots .
And even then , they are generally just sent to motivated voters who both qualify and specifically request them .
Those are probably also the voters most likely to take the time to fill them out properly and send them in on time .
As Thiessen goes on to point out , sending ballots to every registered voter in the nation will cause a far wider range of problems .
Inaccuracies in the voter rolls ( which are legendary ) will result in millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addresses or to dead people .
All of those ballots will wind up out on the streets just inviting people to take liberties with them .
Other potential problems abound , as you can easily imagine .
Apparently , the editors at the New York Times were aware of all of these things as recently as 2012 .
So what has changed since then ?
Has there been some sort of game-changing breakthrough in technology when it comes to… mailing things ?
Has there been an evolutionary leap that I missed where all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honest and competent simultaneously ?
Or is it just that the Bad Orange Man is opposed to the massive use of mail-in ballots so they must , by definition , be good ?
May you live to see interesting times .
Oh , wait… you already have .

After Donald Trump began tweeting about how widespread use of mail-in ballots could compromise election security the press was quick to deride his remarks as being false. One example of this phenomenon comes to us from the Gray Lady. They were quick to justify Twitter’s decision to flag the President’s tweets as being both inaccurate and untrue.
Twitter added information to refute the inaccuracies in President Trump’s tweets for the first time on Tuesday, after years of pressure over its inaction on his false and threatening posts. The social media company added links late Tuesday to two of Mr. Trump’s tweets in which he had posted about mail-in ballots and falsely claimed that they would cause the November presidential election to be “rigged.”
But as Marc Thiessen points out at the Washington Post, that hasn’t always been the position taken by the New York Times. Not all that long ago – in fact less than a decade – the Times was singing a very different tune. At that time, they were reporting on the comments of a number of people, including prominent Democrats, who were all saying the mail-in ballots were highly problematic and open to abuse and errors.
In 2012, before mail-in voting became a partisan political litmus test, the New York Times published an article titled “Error and Fraud at Issue as Absentee Voting Rises.” The piece noted that “there is a bipartisan consensus that voting by mail … is more easily abused than other forms,” and that “votes cast by mail are less likely to be counted, more likely to be compromised and more likely to be contested than those cast in a voting booth.” A bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform, chaired by former president Jimmy Carter and former secretary of state James A. Baker III, concluded in 2005 that “absentee ballots remain the largest source of potential voter fraud” and that “vote buying schemes are far more difficult to detect when citizens vote by mail.” Carter and Baker also pointed out that citizens who vote at nursing homes “are more susceptible to pressure, overt and subtle, or to intimidation.” In Florida, there is even a name for this: “granny farming.”
I’ll confess that the term “granny farming” had escaped my notice until now, but it certainly makes sense. There were reports of a specialized form of ballot harvesting going on at nursing homes, where confused or easily influenced seniors could be pressured into filling out ballots a particular way. Those ballots could then be collected and mailed in bunches.
Thiessen also points to another study showing that during the 2008 election, 7.6 million of 35.5 million mail-in ballots requested (21%) were not counted for one reason or another. Feel free to pull out a napkin and a pencil and apply those ratios to the more than 100 million people expected to vote this November.
If this plan is rolled out nationally, the ensuing fiasco will be both predictable and a factor undermining the public’s confidence in the election results. Some states, such as Washington, have been doing vote-by-mail for quite a while and will probably fare pretty well. But at least half of the states have little or no experience in handling more than a relative handful of mail-in ballots. And even then, they are generally just sent to motivated voters who both qualify and specifically request them. Those are probably also the voters most likely to take the time to fill them out properly and send them in on time.
As Thiessen goes on to point out, sending ballots to every registered voter in the nation will cause a far wider range of problems. Inaccuracies in the voter rolls (which are legendary) will result in millions of ballots being sent out to incorrect addresses or to dead people. All of those ballots will wind up out on the streets just inviting people to take liberties with them. Other potential problems abound, as you can easily imagine.
Apparently, the editors at the New York Times were aware of all of these things as recently as 2012. So what has changed since then? Has there been some sort of game-changing breakthrough in technology when it comes to… mailing things? Has there been an evolutionary leap that I missed where all of our citizens are suddenly far more honest and competent simultaneously? Or is it just that the Bad Orange Man is opposed to the massive use of mail-in ballots so they must, by definition, be good?
May you live to see interesting times. Oh, wait… you already have.


hotair--2020-05-30--AG Barr, Mayors say white supremacists, Antifa have infiltrated peaceful protests

In the wake of all the rioting and destruction last night , there ’ s a new theory for what is really happening .
The new theory being spread on MSNBC and CNN is that white nationalist agitators are responsible for the bad behavior .
But now AG Barr has weighed in and said the agitators are real but they are Antifa .
So where is this coming from ?
The claims about white supremacist agitators have been floating around for a couple of days but it a lot more traction this morning after the Mayors of St. Paul and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested these agitators were largely responsible for the violence .
Mayor Carter gave a statement this morning saying , “ Because we had a relative stillness in St. Paul , we didn ’ t make an enormous number of arrests , but every single person we arrested last night , I ’ m told , was from out of state .
What we are seeing right now is a group of people who are not from here .
“ As I talk to my friends who have been in this movement for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this movement every day , and I ask them what they ’ re seeing , what their feeling , what they ’ re hearing .
To a person , I hear them say ‘ We don ’ t know these folks .
We don ’ t know these folks who are agitating .
We don ’ t know these folks who are inciting violence .
We don ’ t know these folks who are first in to break a window.
” On top of that , Minnesota AG Keith Ellison went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said he didn ’ t believe the kind of people who are protesting George Floyd ’ s death would attack Cubs food market or some of the other shops that have been burned or vandalized .
He pointed out that back in 2015 white supremacists had joined protests against the Jamar Clark shooting and wound up shooting several protesters .
The shooter in that case was given 15 years in prison .
Ellison concluded , “ They want the people looking at Minneapolis to believe that this is just Minneapolis people acting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ m not saying that no one from the protests did anything that they shouldn ’ t have done .
I ’ m saying that the greater bulk of the violence and arson is being done by external forces , in my belief.
” Here ’ s the clip : Ellison also tweeted a link to a Vice story saying that “ Boogaloo Bois ” have said they wanted to join the protests in order to further a civil war against the state .
That story links back to this Bellingcat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of these people were in Minneapolis .
One of them apparently got shot with something after parading with a distinctive flag identifying him as aligned with the group .
Alternet also published a story Thursday claiming the “ Boogaloo Bois ” were infiltrating the protests : When protests against the police killing of George Floyd escalated into clashes between police and protesters on Tuesday night , a significant segment of the boogaloo movement was electrified… “ I think for a lot of boogaloo-ers , their primary interest is resisting the state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Alex Friedfeld , an investigative researcher at the ADL Center on Extremism in Chicago .
“ They have this hostility towards law enforcement… .
They oppose these [ pandemic ] directives .
They ’ re upset about no-knock raids , police brutality .
The George Floyd case — this is an example of police brutality , this willingness of the state to execute those who disobey — so it ’ s not surprising that they showed up to protest.
” … “ There ’ s two versions of boogaloo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There ’ s the white supremacist burn society down and build a white ethno-stage .
And then there ’ s the anti-government resist tyranny at all costs , and if it creates a civil war , so be it version.
” So far , the wing of the boogaloo movement that ’ s shown up in the streets is the more mainstream , outwardly inclusive version .
So it ’ s certainly true ( read the Bellingcat story ) that some of these militants are interested in joining a battle against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that at least a few of them have been seen in Minneapolis .
However , I think it ’ s still a leap from that to what Keith Ellison is saying , i.e .
“ the greater bulk of the violence and arson is being done by external forces.
” But the Mayor of Minneapolis is also making this claim , i.e .
blaming this on white supremacists .
While I think what Ellison is saying is a stretch , I do think it ’ s possible that , at least in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are really there to pursue their own agenda .
That was pretty clearly the case in Portland last night where mostly white goons targeted the same places that Antifa groups in the area usually target : banks .
And as I ’ m writing this , AG Barr has just made a statement saying outside “ far-left ” groups are organizing some of the rioting .
So authorities on all sides are now on board with this outside agitator idea , the remaining argument is over whether those agitators are far-left or far-right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both sides are right but that it ’ s the far-left protesters who are mostly responsible thus far : “ The real hard-core guys , this is their job : They ’ re involved in this struggle , ” said Adam Leggat , a former British Army counterterrorism officer who now works as a security consultant specializing in crowd management for the Densus Group .
“ They need protests on the street to give them cover to move in.
” … Leggat , the security consultant , said intelligence reports from his colleagues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minneapolis are far-left or anarchists , and that far-right groups have not yet made a significant appearance .
He said looting is typically done by locals – usually people with no criminal record who just get caught up in the moment… A protester who has been outside some of the most intense scenes this week – the Minnehaha Mall on the south side on Thursday and Uptown on Friday – said his experiences with riots and protests leads him to believe most violence demonstrators are not from Minneapolis or St. Paul .
Arsonists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitely ” not from the neighborhoods they are damaging , Augustine Zion Livingstone said .
“ Ain ’ t no black person burning down no damn barbershops in their hood , ” Livingstone , 23 , said .
“ We ’ re not doing that.
” So it sounds like there ’ s some truth to the idea that outsiders are partly responsible for the violence , but we ’ re now going to have to sort out who is to blame .
And you can bet that networks like CNN whose hosts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to want to admit they were wrong .
Neither is Keith Ellison or the progressive mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul .
In the Mayors ’ case , they can release info on those arrested .
Names and mugshots will make it possible to identify some of those people and figure out why they were there .

In the wake of all the rioting and destruction last night, there’s a new theory for what is really happening. The new theory being spread on MSNBC and CNN is that white nationalist agitators are responsible for the bad behavior. But now AG Barr has weighed in and said the agitators are real but they are Antifa.
So where is this coming from? The claims about white supremacist agitators have been floating around for a couple of days but it a lot more traction this morning after the Mayors of St. Paul and Minneapolis plus Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison suggested these agitators were largely responsible for the violence.
Minnesota AG @keithellison tells @JoyAnnReid that he has evidence and ample reason to believe that outside agitators are coming to Minnesota to cause harm & damage and incite violence — Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) May 30, 2020
Mayor Carter gave a statement this morning saying, “Because we had a relative stillness in St. Paul, we didn’t make an enormous number of arrests, but every single person we arrested last night, I’m told, was from out of state. What we are seeing right now is a group of people who are not from here.
“As I talk to my friends who have been in this movement for a very long time, who wake up in this movement every day, and I ask them what they’re seeing, what their feeling, what they’re hearing. To a person, I hear them say ‘We don’t know these folks. We don’t know these folks who are agitating. We don’t know these folks who are inciting violence. We don’t know these folks who are first in to break a window.”
On top of that, Minnesota AG Keith Ellison went on Joy Reid’s show on MSNBC and said he didn’t believe the kind of people who are protesting George Floyd’s death would attack Cubs food market or some of the other shops that have been burned or vandalized. He pointed out that back in 2015 white supremacists had joined protests against the Jamar Clark shooting and wound up shooting several protesters. The shooter in that case was given 15 years in prison.
Ellison concluded, “They want the people looking at Minneapolis to believe that this is just Minneapolis people acting up. It’s not true. I’m not saying that no one from the protests did anything that they shouldn’t have done. I’m saying that the greater bulk of the violence and arson is being done by external forces, in my belief.” Here’s the clip:
.@keithellison: The people who would go out on the street to protest for justice for Mr. Floyd are not going to burn down the historic social justice advocacy groups for the Native American community… That's not what these kinds of folks do. #AMJoy pic.twitter.com/PVscxmNbtz — Formerly 'AM JOY' on @MSNBC (@amjoyshow) May 30, 2020
Ellison also tweeted a link to a Vice story saying that “Boogaloo Bois” have said they wanted to join the protests in order to further a civil war against the state.
ICYMI: “Far-Right Extremists Are Hoping to Turn the George Floyd Protests Into a New Civil War” – VICE https://t.co/6wEPPofPvQ — Keith Ellison (@keithellison) May 30, 2020
That story links back to this Bellingcat story which cites evidence that at least some of these people were in Minneapolis. One of them apparently got shot with something after parading with a distinctive flag identifying him as aligned with the group. Alternet also published a story Thursday claiming the “Boogaloo Bois” were infiltrating the protests:
When protests against the police killing of George Floyd escalated into clashes between police and protesters on Tuesday night, a significant segment of the boogaloo movement was electrified… “I think for a lot of boogaloo-ers, their primary interest is resisting the state, what they believe to be state tyranny,” said Alex Friedfeld, an investigative researcher at the ADL Center on Extremism in Chicago. “They have this hostility towards law enforcement…. They oppose these [pandemic] directives. They’re upset about no-knock raids, police brutality. The George Floyd case — this is an example of police brutality, this willingness of the state to execute those who disobey — so it’s not surprising that they showed up to protest.”… “There’s two versions of boogaloo,” said Friedfeld of the ADL. “There’s the white supremacist burn society down and build a white ethno-stage. And then there’s the anti-government resist tyranny at all costs, and if it creates a civil war, so be it version.” So far, the wing of the boogaloo movement that’s shown up in the streets is the more mainstream, outwardly inclusive version.
So it’s certainly true (read the Bellingcat story) that some of these militants are interested in joining a battle against the police. And it’s true that at least a few of them have been seen in Minneapolis. However, I think it’s still a leap from that to what Keith Ellison is saying, i.e. “the greater bulk of the violence and arson is being done by external forces.” But the Mayor of Minneapolis is also making this claim, i.e. blaming this on white supremacists.
By being out tonight & breaking the 8pm curfew, you are helping the people using crowds as cover to prey on Minneapolis & destroy community. — Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) May 30, 2020
We are now confronting white supremacists, members of organized crime, out of state instigators, and possibly even foreign actors to destroy and destabilize our city and our region. — Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) May 30, 2020
While I think what Ellison is saying is a stretch, I do think it’s possible that, at least in some cases, the people behind the rioting are really there to pursue their own agenda. That was pretty clearly the case in Portland last night where mostly white goons targeted the same places that Antifa groups in the area usually target: banks.
Overheard: “ fuck Trump, fuck the police, and fuck chase” pic.twitter.com/ljCMLetE3M — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) May 30, 2020
Some protestors throw flares into the bank pic.twitter.com/SKZlnWSt42 — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) May 30, 2020
Inside capitol one pic.twitter.com/6iywB6DSwp — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) May 30, 2020
And as I’m writing this, AG Barr has just made a statement saying outside “far-left” groups are organizing some of the rioting. So authorities on all sides are now on board with this outside agitator idea, the remaining argument is over whether those agitators are far-left or far-right.
AG BARR: Peaceful protests are being hijacked by “Far Left extremist groups using Antifa-Like tactics.” pic.twitter.com/kqStdCZPxQ — Benny (@bennyjohnson) May 30, 2020
USA Today has a story saying both sides are right but that it’s the far-left protesters who are mostly responsible thus far:
“The real hard-core guys, this is their job: They’re involved in this struggle,” said Adam Leggat, a former British Army counterterrorism officer who now works as a security consultant specializing in crowd management for the Densus Group. “They need protests on the street to give them cover to move in.”… Leggat, the security consultant, said intelligence reports from his colleagues indicate most of the hard-core protesters in Minneapolis are far-left or anarchists, and that far-right groups have not yet made a significant appearance. He said looting is typically done by locals – usually people with no criminal record who just get caught up in the moment… A protester who has been outside some of the most intense scenes this week – the Minnehaha Mall on the south side on Thursday and Uptown on Friday – said his experiences with riots and protests leads him to believe most violence demonstrators are not from Minneapolis or St. Paul. Arsonists and people breaking into buildings are “definitely” not from the neighborhoods they are damaging, Augustine Zion Livingstone said. “Ain’t no black person burning down no damn barbershops in their hood,” Livingstone, 23, said. “We’re not doing that.”
So it sounds like there’s some truth to the idea that outsiders are partly responsible for the violence, but we’re now going to have to sort out who is to blame. And you can bet that networks like CNN whose hosts previously defended Antifa in principle are not going to want to admit they were wrong. Neither is Keith Ellison or the progressive mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul. In the Mayors’ case, they can release info on those arrested. Names and mugshots will make it possible to identify some of those people and figure out why they were there.
Update 5/31: I would have liked to update this last night but I was out of town. Turns out the Mayors who made claims about everyone they arrested being from out of town were wrong.
Here's what the HCSO jail records show. There are 69 cases from Friday to Saturday that were categorized as "received by jail" as of about 11 am this morning. Of those, here's the state breakdowns: MN56
UNK 5
IL3
ARK1
MO1
IA1
Fla1
MI1 — Brandon Stahl (@b_stahl) May 30, 2020
More:
A review of all the arrests made by Minneapolis-based police agencies for rioting, unlawful assembly and burglary-related crimes from Friday to Saturday tells a different story. KARE 11 found that of 36 cases, about 86 percent of those arrested listed Minnesota as their address… Data provided Saturday afternoon by St. Paul police also appears to contradict the narrative that the majority of the violence is being caused by people from outside the state.
So this story pushed by two mayors and the governor was garbage. There may be some agitators but it seems they are mostly home grown agitators.


hotair--2020-05-30--G7 leaders open to White House meeting in June  ... except one

There ’ s always one – one person who puts a damper on everything .
In the case of President Trump ’ s attempt to bring the G7 leaders to Washington , D.C. this summer for their next meeting instead of holding a virtual meeting , the holdout is Angela Merkel .
It ’ s understandable that people hesitate to jump into re-establishing life as we knew it before the coronavirus pandemic .
But , in times of chaos and a global public health crisis , leaders must step up and present a united front .
President Trump canceled the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At that time he canceled the planned summit at Camp David , suggesting instead that the group ’ s meeting could still happen but they would do so virtually since countries , including the United States , were on lockdown .
Now that the coronavirus pandemic is subsiding , Trump has a new plan .
He ’ s extended an invitation to the G7 leaders to come to the White House for an in-person summit , with perhaps a trip to Camp David , too .
The idea is to show a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confidence that the world will get up and running again and life will go on .
He announced the change in a tweet , natch .
Normalization is the goal .
I don ’ t think anyone believes the world is getting back to normal any time soon but it has to start somewhere , sometime .
The most powerful man on earth may as well be the leader of that process .
An added bonus will be the optics from the meeting .
It will be good for Trump ’ s re-election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opponents , including Team Biden , just like Trump ’ s tweet on May 20 announcing the summit idea brought out the snark from the likes of Joe Lockhart .
Trump will show leadership .
“ The president thinks no greater example of reopening in this transition to greatness would be the G7 , and G7 happening here , ” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Tuesday .
“ We will protect world leaders who come here , just like we protect people in the White House , ” McEnany added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it happen .
We think it will happen .
And , so far , foreign leaders are very much on board with the idea.
” Not so fast , says German Chancellor Angela Merkel .
She isn ’ t ready to commit to traveling to Washington just yet .
She wants to be more certain that the pandemic is waning .
Trump and Merkle have butted heads over issues in the past and more recently , too .
Whether it is trade policy , or defense spending , or NATO participation , tension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disagreements on climate change and the Iranian nuclear deal have caused friction , too .
A call this week between Trump and Merkle didn ’ t go particularly well .
The other G7 leaders are open to traveling to Washington .
In a readout of Trump ’ s call with Macron on Thursday , the White House said : “ President Trump and President Macron discussed progress on defeating the coronavirus and reopening global economies .
The two leaders agreed on the importance of convening the G7 in person in the near future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussed critical global and bilateral issues.
” In a readout of a call between Johnson and Trump on Friday , 10 Downing Street said : “ On the upcoming G7 Summit , the Prime Minister and President discussed the importance of leaders meeting in the US in person if possible.
” Macron has said he would be willing to attend the summit .
France is easing most of its lockdown restrictions on June 2 , and travel between EU countries is expected to resume on June 15 .
But a ban on nonessential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effect , and a decision on when to lift it is expected by mid-June .
Abe has expressed similar openness , though Japanese media have noted that under current guidelines , the prime minister and his entourage would be required to quarantine for 14 days upon returning to Tokyo .
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has also voiced a willingness to travel to Washington , as has Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau .
European Council President Charles Michel has said that he , too , would be up for the trip — if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also expressed opposition to traveling to the EU summit in Brussels on June 19 .
Perhaps one of the concerns is her age , as older people are at higher risk if they become infected with the coronavirus .
Trump is the oldest of the seven leaders , with Merkle the next oldest , turning 66 in July .
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe , who is 65 , would also be considered high risk .
Boris Johnson , U.K. Prime Minister , is 55 years old and the only G7 leader known @ @ @ @ @

There’s always one – one person who puts a damper on everything. In the case of President Trump’s attempt to bring the G7 leaders to Washington, D.C. this summer for their next meeting instead of holding a virtual meeting, the holdout is Angela Merkel.
It’s understandable that people hesitate to jump into re-establishing life as we knew it before the coronavirus pandemic. But, in times of chaos and a global public health crisis, leaders must step up and present a united front. President Trump canceled the G7 in March as the pandemic spread. At that time he canceled the planned summit at Camp David, suggesting instead that the group’s meeting could still happen but they would do so virtually since countries, including the United States, were on lockdown.
Now that the coronavirus pandemic is subsiding, Trump has a new plan. He’s extended an invitation to the G7 leaders to come to the White House for an in-person summit, with perhaps a trip to Camp David, too. The idea is to show a united front that the world leaders have confidence that the world will get up and running again and life will go on. He announced the change in a tweet, natch.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1263113203749453827
Normalization is the goal. I don’t think anyone believes the world is getting back to normal any time soon but it has to start somewhere, sometime. The most powerful man on earth may as well be the leader of that process. An added bonus will be the optics from the meeting. It will be good for Trump’s re-election campaign and highlight the pettiness from his opponents, including Team Biden, just like Trump’s tweet on May 20 announcing the summit idea brought out the snark from the likes of Joe Lockhart. Trump will show leadership.
“The president thinks no greater example of reopening in this transition to greatness would be the G7, and G7 happening here,” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters Tuesday. “We will protect world leaders who come here, just like we protect people in the White House,” McEnany added. “So we want to see it happen. We think it will happen. And, so far, foreign leaders are very much on board with the idea.”
Not so fast, says German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She isn’t ready to commit to traveling to Washington just yet. She wants to be more certain that the pandemic is waning.
“The federal chancellor thanks President Trump for his invitation to the G7 summit at the end of June in Washington. As of today, considering the overall pandemic situation, she cannot agree to her personal participation, to a journey to Washington,” German government spokesman Steffen Seibert told POLITICO Friday. “She will of course continue to monitor the development of the pandemic.”
Trump and Merkle have butted heads over issues in the past and more recently, too. Whether it is trade policy, or defense spending, or NATO participation, tension is not unusual between the two. Disagreements on climate change and the Iranian nuclear deal have caused friction, too. A call this week between Trump and Merkle didn’t go particularly well.
In a call between Trump and Merkel this week, the two leaders had heated disagreements on topics including NATO, the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, and relations with China, according to a senior U.S. official, who declined to be named. Seibert, the German spokesman, did not respond to a question about whether the conversation was heated.
The other G7 leaders are open to traveling to Washington.
In a readout of Trump’s call with Macron on Thursday, the White House said: “President Trump and President Macron discussed progress on defeating the coronavirus and reopening global economies. The two leaders agreed on the importance of convening the G7 in person in the near future. President Trump and President Macron also discussed critical global and bilateral issues.” In a readout of a call between Johnson and Trump on Friday, 10 Downing Street said: “On the upcoming G7 Summit, the Prime Minister and President discussed the importance of leaders meeting in the US in person if possible.” Macron has said he would be willing to attend the summit. France is easing most of its lockdown restrictions on June 2, and travel between EU countries is expected to resume on June 15. But a ban on nonessential travel from outside the EU remains in effect, and a decision on when to lift it is expected by mid-June. Abe has expressed similar openness, though Japanese media have noted that under current guidelines, the prime minister and his entourage would be required to quarantine for 14 days upon returning to Tokyo. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has also voiced a willingness to travel to Washington, as has Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. European Council President Charles Michel has said that he, too, would be up for the trip — if health conditions permit it.
Merkel has also expressed opposition to traveling to the EU summit in Brussels on June 19. Perhaps one of the concerns is her age, as older people are at higher risk if they become infected with the coronavirus. Trump is the oldest of the seven leaders, with Merkle the next oldest, turning 66 in July. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, who is 65, would also be considered high risk. Boris Johnson, U.K. Prime Minister, is 55 years old and the only G7 leader known to have contracted COVID-19.


hotair--2020-05-30--Atlanta mayor: This isn't a protest, this is chaos

Karen mentioned this impromptu speech by Keisha Lance Bottoms in her post earlier but it ’ s worth five minutes of your time to take it all in .
This is good work off the cuff by a politician who ’ s under tremendous pressure .
Watch , then read on .
The police chief did good work too by wading into the crowd to try to reassure them that she and the Atlanta PD aren ’ t their enemy .
The outreach didn ’ t spare the city from a long night but maybe it ’ ll pay off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Bottoms ’ s speech getting so much applause today ?
Partly , says Josh Kraushaar , it ’ s because she broached a subject that more powerful members of her party have ducked thus far .
Polls already show most Americans support the arrest of the offending officer , who was charged Friday with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter .
While the issue has yet to be polled , I ’ d also expect most Americans would reject the notion that violence is the answer to injustice , and would recoil at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So I was surprised to see Joe Biden , the Democratic nominee for president , fail to make even a pro forma exhortation against rioting in his heartfelt speech Friday when he called for police reforms and racial reconciliation .
It probably wasn ’ t an accident : Former President Obama , his old boss , didn ’ t address the violence raging across Minneapolis in his statement , either .
( The only reference to violence Biden made seemed to apply to Trump ’ s ominous Twitter threat that looting will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no time for incendiary tweets .
This is no time to encourage violence.
” ) … I wondered , more broadly , whether there ’ s a larger tone deafness in Democratic political circles these days , not realizing that Biden ’ s success is dependent on voters who don ’ t share their own progressive values .
Kraushaar remembered that study from last week showing that nine percent of people who voted for Trump in 2016 are planning to switch to Biden this fall , mainly because they lean progressive on economics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on cultural issues — and if cultural wars overtake economic policy as key concerns this fall ( which is unlikely with the unemployment rate being what it is ) , that ’ s trouble potentially for Democrats .
You would think Biden would want to hedge against that with at least a perfunctory denunciation of rioting but he ’ s apparently too worried about his woke flank , as usual .
Maybe having Bottoms as his VP would help solve the problem ?
She ’ s being considered , although I find it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to roll the dice on a mayor as potential commander-in-chief by putting her on the ticket with the oldest nominee in U.S. history .
Having said that , it wouldn ’ t surprise me to learn that Bottoms ’ s chances are now better than former shortlister Amy Klobuchar ’ s .
The last thing Joe “ Crime Bill ” Biden needs as his running mate is a former prosecutor from Minnesota who declined to prosecute cops following police shootings .
His allies are nudging him about it too… …although it doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Vertiginous , ” a campaign adviser said in a one-word text , describing Klobuchar ’ s fall in the rankings of potential running mates… The three-term senator ’ s drop has been so swift that a planned Minnesota digital event with Dr. Jill Biden and coronavirus first-responders scheduled for Friday was pulled , according to a source familiar with the campaign ’ s deliberations , “ partly because we need to avoid her.
” … Rashad Robinson , executive director for the civil rights advocacy group Color of Change , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when she was running .
He didn ’ t say Klobuchar should not be considered as a nominee but told The Daily Beast her explanations this week of her record prosecuting police brutality cases have been “ far too cute ” and “ have seemed to avoid responsibility at a time when we know DAs were not doing their jobs.
” One point about Bottoms ’ s speech .
She spends lots of time chiding rioters about betraying their city and its history : Atlanta has black leaders , black cops , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it prides itself on the nonviolent legacy of one of its most famous residents , Martin Luther King .
You ’ re undermining that legacy and hurting innocent people by resorting to mayhem , she tells them .
Stirring words — but what if the rioters weren ’ t actually from Atlanta ?
What if they were miscreants from out of town ( Antifa , maybe ? )
intent on having a destructive lark because political circumstances have momentarily made that possible ?
Watch the mayor of St. Paul , Minnesota tell reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was arrested last night in the city for getting aggressive at protests was from out of town .
Hmmmm .

Karen mentioned this impromptu speech by Keisha Lance Bottoms in her post earlier but it’s worth five minutes of your time to take it all in. This is good work off the cuff by a politician who’s under tremendous pressure. Watch, then read on.
"This is chaos. A protest has purpose. When Dr. King was assassinated we didn't do this to our city," Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said. "If you want change in America, go and register to vote." https://t.co/1M9DJg6CSz pic.twitter.com/74p8sryX0D — Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) May 30, 2020
The police chief did good work too by wading into the crowd to try to reassure them that she and the Atlanta PD aren’t their enemy.
https://twitter.com/joonhopekook/status/1266494398080172032
The outreach didn’t spare the city from a long night but maybe it’ll pay off with quieter circumstances this evening.
Why is Bottoms’s speech getting so much applause today? Partly, says Josh Kraushaar, it’s because she broached a subject that more powerful members of her party have ducked thus far.
Polls already show most Americans support the arrest of the offending officer, who was charged Friday with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. While the issue has yet to be polled, I’d also expect most Americans would reject the notion that violence is the answer to injustice, and would recoil at the havoc across the country this week. So I was surprised to see Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for president, fail to make even a pro forma exhortation against rioting in his heartfelt speech Friday when he called for police reforms and racial reconciliation. It probably wasn’t an accident: Former President Obama, his old boss, didn’t address the violence raging across Minneapolis in his statement, either. (The only reference to violence Biden made seemed to apply to Trump’s ominous Twitter threat that looting will lead to shooting: “This is no time for incendiary tweets. This is no time to encourage violence.”)… I wondered, more broadly, whether there’s a larger tone deafness in Democratic political circles these days, not realizing that Biden’s success is dependent on voters who don’t share their own progressive values.
Kraushaar remembered that study from last week showing that nine percent of people who voted for Trump in 2016 are planning to switch to Biden this fall, mainly because they lean progressive on economics. But they lean towards conservative positions on cultural issues — and if cultural wars overtake economic policy as key concerns this fall (which is unlikely with the unemployment rate being what it is), that’s trouble potentially for Democrats. You would think Biden would want to hedge against that with at least a perfunctory denunciation of rioting but he’s apparently too worried about his woke flank, as usual.
Maybe having Bottoms as his VP would help solve the problem? She’s being considered, although I find it hard to believe Dems would ask voters to roll the dice on a mayor as potential commander-in-chief by putting her on the ticket with the oldest nominee in U.S. history. Having said that, it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Bottoms’s chances are now better than former shortlister Amy Klobuchar’s. The last thing Joe “Crime Bill” Biden needs as his running mate is a former prosecutor from Minnesota who declined to prosecute cops following police shootings. His allies are nudging him about it too…
Notable on the veepstakes front per @MariannaNBCNews: On a call w/ reporters Clyburn said he believes it’s not the right time to choose Klobuchar as Biden's VP b/c of what's going on in MN.
While she's “absolutely qualified” he said the protests have complicated her chances. — Ali Vitali (@alivitali) May 29, 2020
…although it doesn’t sound like they need much nudging:
“Vertiginous,” a campaign adviser said in a one-word text, describing Klobuchar’s fall in the rankings of potential running mates… The three-term senator’s drop has been so swift that a planned Minnesota digital event with Dr. Jill Biden and coronavirus first-responders scheduled for Friday was pulled, according to a source familiar with the campaign’s deliberations, “partly because we need to avoid her.”… Rashad Robinson, executive director for the civil rights advocacy group Color of Change, has been critical of Klobuchar’s record when she was running. He didn’t say Klobuchar should not be considered as a nominee but told The Daily Beast her explanations this week of her record prosecuting police brutality cases have been “far too cute” and “have seemed to avoid responsibility at a time when we know DAs were not doing their jobs.”
One point about Bottoms’s speech. She spends lots of time chiding rioters about betraying their city and its history: Atlanta has black leaders, black cops, and black-owned businesses, she says, and it prides itself on the nonviolent legacy of one of its most famous residents, Martin Luther King. You’re undermining that legacy and hurting innocent people by resorting to mayhem, she tells them. Stirring words — but what if the rioters weren’t actually from Atlanta? What if they were miscreants from out of town (Antifa, maybe?) intent on having a destructive lark because political circumstances have momentarily made that possible? Watch the mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota tell reporters this morning that every last person who was arrested last night in the city for getting aggressive at protests was from out of town. Hmmmm.


hotair--2020-05-30--No, you're not going to "defund the police"

The killing of George Floyd has once gain spurred public calls for police reform , though the protesters are generally lacking in specifics as to what they mean by that .
Following other high-profile killings of black suspects by police officers and the ensuing civil unrest , such “ reform ” agendas have been put in place in a number of cities , including Baltimore and Chicago .
But now the calls for change in Minnesota are taking shape with a different sort of message .
This trend is highlighted in an article published yesterday at The Intercept titled “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Police Reform.
” In this piece , the authors aren ’ t talking about instituting different forms of training in police departments or establishing review boards to deal with misconduct .
It ’ s not a discussion of how to better integrate police officers with citizens on the streets and rebuild trust .
No , this is a call to end the funding of police departments .
In other words… cancel the police .
After Garner ’ s death , as after the death of Michael Brown the same year in Ferguson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of other black men and women killed by police since then , protesters called for the officers to be held accountable .
But there were new calls at Thursday ’ s protests — such as “ Fund Community Not Police ” — that tapped into a more recent and growing movement demanding not so much police reform and accountability as abolition , through the defunding of police departments .
“ In the wake of George Floyd ’ s murder by MPD officer Derek Chauvin , and the Minneapolis Police Department ’ s escalated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black community , Minneapolis is in desperate need of visionary leadership , ” the Minneapolis group Reclaim the Block wrote in a statement calling on the city council to defund the police department .
“ Now is the time to invest in a safe , liberated future for our city .
We can ’ t afford to keep funding MPD ’ s attacks on Black lives.
” There were signs some local leaders were starting to see it the same way .
Under pressure from students , the University of Minnesota announced this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contract with the Minneapolis Police Department .
I ’ ll return to the question of “ police reform ” in a moment , but first we should address the insanity on display with this proposal .
If you defund the police in your city you wind up with no police .
And if you think things look bad out on the streets right now , you apparently have no idea what your city would look like with no cops .
Wait… I take that back .
At least in Minneapolis , you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at what life would be like without the police .
It looks like arson , looting and assault when a certain percentage of the population thinks that the police either aren ’ t around or are too overwhelmed to do anything about it .
You ’ d be living in The Purge before you knew what had hit you .
So let ’ s not get started on some sort of nonsensical call to “ Abolish Police ” the same way some activists who support illegal immigration want to “ Abolish ICE.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live and function in a free society is because that society built-in protections against those who would prey on the weak and the helpless .
Now , as to this repeating theme about “ police reform , ” the authors of the linked article are largely correct .
So-called reform efforts in a number of cities have probably failed for the most part because the entire concept is built upon a flawed premise .
In many ways , the foundation of such efforts at police reform is similar to the way we implement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact the people who already obey the law and probably weren ’ t committing any gun crimes to begin with .
Similarly , having more or different rules for cops is going to impact the behavior and performance of the cops who follow the rules .
The fact remains that the vast majority of men and women who sign on to become law enforcement officers are dedicated citizens who care enough about keeping us safe that they are willing to do dangerous and potentially deadly jobs that don ’ t pay all that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group of human beings , a bad apple is going to slip through once in a while and join the rest in the barrel .
But how do you root them out ?
Even someone with ill intent who signs up for the Police Academy isn ’ t going to show up for their first interview saying , “ Oh , boy !
I can ’ t wait to get out there and begin oppressing minorities and cashing in by robbing drug dealers !
” The bottom line is this : Every cop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behaving themselves .
The vast majority will go on to finish their careers with no issues and admirable records of public service .
Some few will turn out to be bad actors and they must be rooted out and held accountable in the strongest fashion possible .
We give our law enforcement officers significant , sweeping powers and permissions not granted to the average citizen .
Most of us have to follow all sorts of protocols before being allowed to freely go about the town carrying weapons .
For police , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ routine .
Police can ( with a warrant ) barge into the private residences of other citizens and investigate their activities .
You or I ( assuming you ’ re not a LEO ) would go to jail for that .
And police are given wide latitude in their ability to employ force – even deadly force when necessary – in the name of preventing crime and maintaining order .
That ’ s why when one of them goes bad , they tend to go spectacularly bad .
I don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate down to zero when recruiting new police officers .
All we can do is be as vigilant as possible and weed out the bad ones quickly when we identify one .

The killing of George Floyd has once gain spurred public calls for police reform, though the protesters are generally lacking in specifics as to what they mean by that. Following other high-profile killings of black suspects by police officers and the ensuing civil unrest, such “reform” agendas have been put in place in a number of cities, including Baltimore and Chicago. But now the calls for change in Minnesota are taking shape with a different sort of message. This trend is highlighted in an article published yesterday at The Intercept titled “The George Floyd Killing Exposes the Failures of Police Reform.”
In this piece, the authors aren’t talking about instituting different forms of training in police departments or establishing review boards to deal with misconduct. It’s not a discussion of how to better integrate police officers with citizens on the streets and rebuild trust. No, this is a call to end the funding of police departments. In other words… cancel the police.
After Garner’s death, as after the death of Michael Brown the same year in Ferguson, Missouri, and those of scores of other black men and women killed by police since then, protesters called for the officers to be held accountable. But there were new calls at Thursday’s protests — such as “Fund Community Not Police” — that tapped into a more recent and growing movement demanding not so much police reform and accountability as abolition, through the defunding of police departments. “In the wake of George Floyd’s murder by MPD officer Derek Chauvin, and the Minneapolis Police Department’s escalated violence against the city’s grieving Black community, Minneapolis is in desperate need of visionary leadership,” the Minneapolis group Reclaim the Block wrote in a statement calling on the city council to defund the police department. “Now is the time to invest in a safe, liberated future for our city. We can’t afford to keep funding MPD’s attacks on Black lives.” There were signs some local leaders were starting to see it the same way. Under pressure from students, the University of Minnesota announced this week that it would scale back its contract with the Minneapolis Police Department.
I’ll return to the question of “police reform” in a moment, but first we should address the insanity on display with this proposal. If you defund the police in your city you wind up with no police. And if you think things look bad out on the streets right now, you apparently have no idea what your city would look like with no cops. Wait… I take that back. At least in Minneapolis, you’ve actually gotten a fairly good look at what life would be like without the police. It looks like arson, looting and assault when a certain percentage of the population thinks that the police either aren’t around or are too overwhelmed to do anything about it. You’d be living in The Purge before you knew what had hit you.
So let’s not get started on some sort of nonsensical call to “Abolish Police” the same way some activists who support illegal immigration want to “Abolish ICE.” The only reason you are able to live and function in a free society is because that society built-in protections against those who would prey on the weak and the helpless.
Now, as to this repeating theme about “police reform,” the authors of the linked article are largely correct. So-called reform efforts in a number of cities have probably failed for the most part because the entire concept is built upon a flawed premise. In many ways, the foundation of such efforts at police reform is similar to the way we implement gun control laws. Those laws only impact the people who already obey the law and probably weren’t committing any gun crimes to begin with. Similarly, having more or different rules for cops is going to impact the behavior and performance of the cops who follow the rules.
The fact remains that the vast majority of men and women who sign on to become law enforcement officers are dedicated citizens who care enough about keeping us safe that they are willing to do dangerous and potentially deadly jobs that don’t pay all that much money. But as with any group of human beings, a bad apple is going to slip through once in a while and join the rest in the barrel. But how do you root them out? Even someone with ill intent who signs up for the Police Academy isn’t going to show up for their first interview saying, “Oh, boy! I can’t wait to get out there and begin oppressing minorities and cashing in by robbing drug dealers!”
The bottom line is this: Every cop is a good cop until they stop behaving themselves. The vast majority will go on to finish their careers with no issues and admirable records of public service. Some few will turn out to be bad actors and they must be rooted out and held accountable in the strongest fashion possible.
We give our law enforcement officers significant, sweeping powers and permissions not granted to the average citizen. Most of us have to follow all sorts of protocols before being allowed to freely go about the town carrying weapons. For police, it’s an accepted part of their daily routine. Police can (with a warrant) barge into the private residences of other citizens and investigate their activities. You or I (assuming you’re not a LEO) would go to jail for that. And police are given wide latitude in their ability to employ force – even deadly force when necessary – in the name of preventing crime and maintaining order. That’s why when one of them goes bad, they tend to go spectacularly bad.
I don’t know of any way to get the error rate down to zero when recruiting new police officers. All we can do is be as vigilant as possible and weed out the bad ones quickly when we identify one.


hotair--2020-05-30--Rapper schools Atlanta rioters, points finger back at CNN

The protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis have set cities across America on fire .
Friday began and ended with some surreal actions playing out while cable news channel cameras rolled .
All of the protests were not as they were billed , at least not the ones I was watching .
It ’ s rare that CNN is on for an extended period of time in my house but it was last night during primetime hours and later .
While the day began with watching a CNN reporter being arrested , along with his three-person crew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ended with riots outside the CNN building in downtown Atlanta .
Make no mistake about these protests , they may start out as marches and gatherings of angry people but they quickly escalate .
Professional agitators and others are turning the protests into riots .
The death of George Floyd is not why the agitators are out there – it is their opportunity to create mayhem and destruction .
Americans have the right to protest but not the right to riot and loot , to destroy the property of others .
Atlanta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a black woman , is on Joe Biden ’ s shortlist of vice-presidential picks and Friday night was her time in national media .
She told the residents of Atlanta to go home and stop destroying downtown Atlanta .
She was refreshingly candid in her public lecture .
Instead of coming off as over-accomodating and making excuses for violence and destruction , as some mayors are doing , she asked why rioters were destroying their own home .
Instead of coming off as a mealy-mouthed soy boy like the Minneapolis mayor , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that fell on deaf ears like my own city ’ s mayor did , Bottoms chastised the rioters .
She told them to go home .
She also told them to register to vote , because if you don ’ t think these riots are meant to send a political message , you haven ’ t been paying attention .
“ What I see happening on the streets of Atlanta is not Atlanta .
This is not a protest .
This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King , Jr .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lance Bottoms said at a news conference .
“ A protest has purpose .
When Dr. King was assassinated , we didn ’ t do this to our city , ” she said .
“ If you want change in America , go and register to vote .
… That is the change we need in this country.
” Mayor Bottoms pointed to the random craziness of causing destruction to the CNN building .
She has four children and referenced her role as a mother to black children .
She spoke to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , frankly .
“ There was a black reporter who was arrested on camera this morning , who works for CNN .
They are telling our stories , and you are disgracing their building , ” she said .
“ We are no longer talking about the murder of an innocent man .
We ’ re talking about how you ’ re burning police cars on the streets of Atlanta , Georgia.
” “ I am a mother to four black children in America , one of who is 18 years old , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when I heard there were rumors about violent protests in Atlanta , I did what a mother would do , I called my son and I said , ‘ Where are you ?
’ I said , ‘ I can not protect you , and black boys shouldn ’ t be out today.
’ ” “ So you ’ re not going to out-concern me and out-care about where we are in America , ” she added .
Chief of Police Erika Shields , a white woman , released a video statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present during Mayor Bottoms ’ press conference .
Also present was an Atlanta rapper , Killer Mike .
He delivered an emotional response to what was happening in the city .
He was honest enough to point a finger at CNN and state that “ Karma ’ s a mother .
Stop feeding fear and anger every day .
I love CNN , I love Cartoon Network .
But I ’ d like to say to CNN right now , stop making people feel so fearful , start giving them hope.
” Exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current administration and conservatives in general disguised as journalism , it is pretty disingenuous for CNN personnel now to be surprised that the network was dragged into Atlanta ’ s protests .
Hate breeds hate .
He told the rioters to stop burning down the city , their home .
This is Killer Mike ’ s speech at the press conference .
Warning : language .
Yes , Killer Mike included the mandatory slam to President Trump during the get out the vote message part of his speech .
He misrepresented Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because everything Trump says is viewed as racist by his opponents .
Otherwise , his message was pretty solid .
It ’ s a bit ironic that many of Joe Biden ’ s potential vice-presidential picks are finding themselves in the spotlight lately .
It ’ s been reported that the list has been whittled down to ten women ( he promised to chose a woman ) .
Michigan Governor Whitmer found herself mired in a kerfuffle of her husband ’ s making , New Mexico ’ s governor seems to have an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Val Demings is lecturing law enforcement officers on professional behavior .
Now Mayor Bottoms is making headlines for her approach to handling Atlanta ’ s riots .
Stacey Abrams must be really feeling how insignificant she is right about now , amirite ?

The protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis have set cities across America on fire. Friday began and ended with some surreal actions playing out while cable news channel cameras rolled.
All of the protests were not as they were billed, at least not the ones I was watching. It’s rare that CNN is on for an extended period of time in my house but it was last night during primetime hours and later. While the day began with watching a CNN reporter being arrested, along with his three-person crew in Minneapolis, for no apparent reason it ended with riots outside the CNN building in downtown Atlanta. Make no mistake about these protests, they may start out as marches and gatherings of angry people but they quickly escalate. Professional agitators and others are turning the protests into riots.
The death of George Floyd is not why the agitators are out there – it is their opportunity to create mayhem and destruction. Americans have the right to protest but not the right to riot and loot, to destroy the property of others. Atlanta’s Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a black woman, is on Joe Biden’s shortlist of vice-presidential picks and Friday night was her time in national media. She told the residents of Atlanta to go home and stop destroying downtown Atlanta. She was refreshingly candid in her public lecture. Instead of coming off as over-accomodating and making excuses for violence and destruction, as some mayors are doing, she asked why rioters were destroying their own home. Instead of coming off as a mealy-mouthed soy boy like the Minneapolis mayor, or trying to deliver a message of kumbaya that fell on deaf ears like my own city’s mayor did, Bottoms chastised the rioters. She told them to go home. She also told them to register to vote, because if you don’t think these riots are meant to send a political message, you haven’t been paying attention.
“What I see happening on the streets of Atlanta is not Atlanta. This is not a protest. This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. This is chaos,” an impassioned Lance Bottoms said at a news conference. “A protest has purpose. When Dr. King was assassinated, we didn’t do this to our city,” she said. “If you want change in America, go and register to vote. … That is the change we need in this country.”
Mayor Bottoms pointed to the random craziness of causing destruction to the CNN building. She has four children and referenced her role as a mother to black children. She spoke to the rioters as a mother speaks to children, frankly.
“There was a black reporter who was arrested on camera this morning, who works for CNN. They are telling our stories, and you are disgracing their building,” she said. “We are no longer talking about the murder of an innocent man. We’re talking about how you’re burning police cars on the streets of Atlanta, Georgia.” “I am a mother to four black children in America, one of who is 18 years old,” Lance Bottoms said. “Yesterday, when I heard there were rumors about violent protests in Atlanta, I did what a mother would do, I called my son and I said, ‘Where are you?’ I said, ‘I cannot protect you, and black boys shouldn’t be out today.’ ” “So you’re not going to out-concern me and out-care about where we are in America,” she added.
Chief of Police Erika Shields, a white woman, released a video statement to the city residents.
Shields was present during Mayor Bottoms’ press conference. Also present was an Atlanta rapper, Killer Mike. He delivered an emotional response to what was happening in the city. He was honest enough to point a finger at CNN and state that “Karma’s a mother. Stop feeding fear and anger every day. I love CNN, I love Cartoon Network. But I’d like to say to CNN right now, stop making people feel so fearful, start giving them hope.” Exactly. After nothing but hate-fueled diatribes against the current administration and conservatives in general disguised as journalism, it is pretty disingenuous for CNN personnel now to be surprised that the network was dragged into Atlanta’s protests. Hate breeds hate. He told the rioters to stop burning down the city, their home.
This is Killer Mike’s speech at the press conference. Warning: language.
Drop everything and watch Killer Mike's speech in Atlanta tonight. I don't agree with him on all of his politics, but that doesn't matter tonight. He's 100% right about how to handle protesting and how to change the system… and it isn't burning your city to the ground. pic.twitter.com/VzDNMTM0wH — Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) May 30, 2020
Yes, Killer Mike included the mandatory slam to President Trump during the get out the vote message part of his speech. He misrepresented Trump’s tweet about looting and shooting because everything Trump says is viewed as racist by his opponents. Otherwise, his message was pretty solid.
It’s a bit ironic that many of Joe Biden’s potential vice-presidential picks are finding themselves in the spotlight lately. It’s been reported that the list has been whittled down to ten women ( he promised to chose a woman). Michigan Governor Whitmer found herself mired in a kerfuffle of her husband’s making, New Mexico’s governor seems to have an exaggerated sense of entitlement, and Rep. Val Demings is lecturing law enforcement officers on professional behavior. Now Mayor Bottoms is making headlines for her approach to handling Atlanta’s riots. Stacey Abrams must be really feeling how insignificant she is right about now, amirite?


hotair--2020-05-30--AP: Pentagon readies force to invade ... Minneapolis?

Invade , liberate …six of one , half-dozen of the other .
After a shocking retreat yesterday evening by National Guard and police from the burnt-out shell of the 3rd Precinct in Minneapolis , rioters again roamed Twin Cities streets freely .
A later effort to reassert National Guard and law-enforcement authority appeared to fail as well early in the morning .
Governor Tim Walz told people , “ You need to go home , ” and also belatedly admitted that he ’ s in over his head .
The riot has taken on characteristics of a “ military operation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have enough forces to deal with it : “ The absolute chaos — this is not grieving , and this is not making a statement [ about an injustice ] that we fully acknowledge needs to be fixed — this is dangerous , ” Walz said .
“ You need to go home.
” Implying that organized outsiders , perhaps including anarchists , white supremacists and drug cartel agents from outside Minnesota , were contributing to the chaos , Walz said , “ The sheer number of rioters has made it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The capacity to be able to do offensive action was greatly diminished ” by the sheer scope and seemingly organized nature of the assaults .
“ The terrifying thing is that this resembles more a military operation now as you observe ringleaders moving from place to place , ” he said .
“ I will take responsibility for underestimating the wanton destruction and the sheer size of this crowd , ” Walz said .
He said repeatedly that the sheer scope of the crowds and violence have been shocking , and that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anticipate or prepare for such an onslaught .
“ There are simply more of them than us , ” he said .
It ’ s tough to say whether he doesn ’ t have the numbers , or the will to use the force already at his disposal .
Walz and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey made the same mistake that Los Angeles initially made in 1992 ’ s Rodney King riots , which is to field an inadequate force at first and then quail at its use .
In that riot , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signal of cooperation but a sign of weakness , which incentivized anarchists and nihilists to run wild : In the hour that followed Moulin ’ s retreat , the LAPD officers failed to implement virtually every time-honored crowd-control tactic .
They failed to take the elemental step of sealing off traffic to Florence and Normandie by cordoning off nearby streets .
They failed to confront the mob with a squadron of , say , 50 officers marching in riot gear—which ordinarily will make even a rowdy crowd disperse .
They had no field-jail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enabled officers to arrest unruly crowd members and then turn them over to detectives without having to leave the scene to bring arrestees to the station .
They failed to use tear gas or pepper gas to disperse the mob .
They did not send their vice and narcotics cops in undercover to spy on the mob or place police snipers atop tall buildings in the area .
They failed to provide police escorts for firefighters , so they could safely combat early outbreaks of arson .
And they failed to secure local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,150 firearms during the first night of the riot ) .
Not until 6:43 , an hour after the police retreat , did LAPD dispatchers even issue a tactical alert for south Los Angeles , which finally freed supervisors to assign emergency calls to units from other parts of the city .
AWOL brass .
The 77th ’ s lack of preparedness was exacerbated by gaps in the chain of command .
In the midst of the biggest crisis of his career , Daryl Gates left police headquarters to attend a fund-raiser in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turning over command to a deputy .
Meanwhile , two thirds of the LAPD ’ s 18 patrol captains were out of commission , returning from a training seminar outside the city .
To be sure , a rapid and decisive response by the 77th at Florence and Normandie would not have prevented some kind of disturbance from evolving in Los Angeles that day ; isolated incidents of blacks assaulting whites and looting of stores started popping up on a small scale at several locations in South Central about 15 minutes before Denny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prolonged , televised absence of police at the riot ’ s epicenter virtually invited thousands of would-be looters to believe they could steal and rampage with impunity .
In fact , no riot-related fires started in Los Angeles until after the Denny beating—some four hours after the acquittals were announced—and the number and location of lootings mushroomed immediately following the attack on the trucker .
That cost-free environment for rioters of just a few hours gave a nuclear boost to their momentum , one that would take days and a number of lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given them days of that momentum and cost-free space .
Popping up on TV now to announce that the government is too overwhelmed to impose order on its streets isn ’ t exactly going to help , either .
Unless Walz uses the force he has at his disposal , this “ military operation ” riot will continue .
Failing that , the legitimate military might need to take control .
The Associated Press reports this morning that the Pentagon has put Army urban-control units on alert in preparation for possible deployment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : As unrest spread across dozens of American cities on Friday , the Pentagon took the rare step of ordering the Army to put several active-duty U.S. military police units on the ready to deploy to Minneapolis , where the police killing of George Floyd sparked the widespread protests .
Soldiers from Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Drum in New York have been ordered to be ready to deploy within four hours if called , according to three people with direct knowledge of the orders .
Soldiers in Fort Carson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kansas have been told to be ready within 24 hours .
The people did not want their names used because they were not authorized to discuss the preparations .
The get-ready orders were sent verbally on Friday , after President Donald Trump asked Defense Secretary Mark Esper for military options to help quell the unrest in Minneapolis after protests descended into looting and arson in some parts of the city .
Trump made the request on a phone call from the Oval Office on Thursday night that included Esper , National Security Advisor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The president asked Esper for rapid deployment options if the Minneapolis protests continued to spiral out of control , according to one of the people , a senior Pentagon official who was on the call .
Can Trump actually order such a domestic deployment ?
Under the Insurrection Act of 1807 , yes , and it has been done before .
In fact , that ’ s precisely what happened in the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles .
Technically speaking , the law requires an actual “ insurrection , domestic violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” but Walz ’ comments make that a fairly easy case for the White House to make .
It also requires that the emergency deprives US citizens of “ a right , privilege , immunity , or protection named in the Constitution and secured by law , ” and that “ the constituted authorities of that State are unable , fail , or refuse to protect that right , privilege , or immunity , or to give that protection.
” Right now , that sounds like a very good description of Minnesota ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state orders citizens to remain in their homes while disorder prevails .
If Trump does deploy the Army , those troops would not be under Walz ’ control either but Trump ’ s through Esper .
Their rules of engagement would likely be quite different than the feckless response we have seen from Walz and Frey over this past week as well .
Trump would almost certainly federalize the National Guard in Minnesota at the same time for the duration of the crisis , which will strip Walz of much of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s used much of it up until now .
Under any other circumstances , an intervention by Trump in Twin Cities ’ law enforcement would have created howls of outrage from the progressives who populate its leadership , and likely from much of the citizenry as well .
Now , after watching the utter incompetence on display in Minnesota the last few nights , one has to wonder whether some of those same people might not toss a few flowers at the feet of soldiers who might be all that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of their businesses and homes .
So will Trump give the order ?
Looks like he ’ s clearing his throat this morning : Trump would almost certainly prefer not to have to give this order .
It would tie his presidency down with all sorts of civic-management issues that no White House would want to manage ever , let alone from 1500 miles away .
This is a signal to Minnesota to get its streets under control or else .
Mobilizing is one thing .
Having the will to use that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If all Walz plans to do with a fully mobilized Guard is to conduct bigger retreats , he might as well leave them at home and have Trump call them up instead .

Invade, liberate …six of one, half-dozen of the other. After a shocking retreat yesterday evening by National Guard and police from the burnt-out shell of the 3rd Precinct in Minneapolis, rioters again roamed Twin Cities streets freely. A later effort to reassert National Guard and law-enforcement authority appeared to fail as well early in the morning.
Governor Tim Walz told people, “You need to go home,” and also belatedly admitted that he’s in over his head. The riot has taken on characteristics of a “military operation,” and Walz says he doesn’t have enough forces to deal with it:
“The absolute chaos — this is not grieving, and this is not making a statement [about an injustice] that we fully acknowledge needs to be fixed — this is dangerous,” Walz said. “You need to go home.” Implying that organized outsiders, perhaps including anarchists, white supremacists and drug cartel agents from outside Minnesota, were contributing to the chaos, Walz said, “The sheer number of rioters has made it impossible to make coherent arrests. … The capacity to be able to do offensive action was greatly diminished” by the sheer scope and seemingly organized nature of the assaults. “The terrifying thing is that this resembles more a military operation now as you observe ringleaders moving from place to place,” he said. “I will take responsibility for underestimating the wanton destruction and the sheer size of this crowd,” Walz said. He said repeatedly that the sheer scope of the crowds and violence have been shocking, and that there was no way for for authorities to anticipate or prepare for such an onslaught. “There are simply more of them than us,” he said.
It’s tough to say whether he doesn’t have the numbers, or the will to use the force already at his disposal. Walz and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey made the same mistake that Los Angeles initially made in 1992’s Rodney King riots, which is to field an inadequate force at first and then quail at its use. In that riot, an initial pullback was not received as a signal of cooperation but a sign of weakness, which incentivized anarchists and nihilists to run wild:
In the hour that followed Moulin’s retreat, the LAPD officers failed to implement virtually every time-honored crowd-control tactic. They failed to take the elemental step of sealing off traffic to Florence and Normandie by cordoning off nearby streets. They failed to confront the mob with a squadron of, say, 50 officers marching in riot gear—which ordinarily will make even a rowdy crowd disperse. They had no field-jail units and buses in place—which would have enabled officers to arrest unruly crowd members and then turn them over to detectives without having to leave the scene to bring arrestees to the station. They failed to use tear gas or pepper gas to disperse the mob. They did not send their vice and narcotics cops in undercover to spy on the mob or place police snipers atop tall buildings in the area. They failed to provide police escorts for firefighters, so they could safely combat early outbreaks of arson. And they failed to secure local gun stores (one of which lost 1,150 firearms during the first night of the riot). Not until 6:43, an hour after the police retreat, did LAPD dispatchers even issue a tactical alert for south Los Angeles, which finally freed supervisors to assign emergency calls to units from other parts of the city. AWOL brass. The 77th’s lack of preparedness was exacerbated by gaps in the chain of command. In the midst of the biggest crisis of his career, Daryl Gates left police headquarters to attend a fund-raiser in posh Brentwood about 6:20 p.m., temporarily turning over command to a deputy. Meanwhile, two thirds of the LAPD’s 18 patrol captains were out of commission, returning from a training seminar outside the city. To be sure, a rapid and decisive response by the 77th at Florence and Normandie would not have prevented some kind of disturbance from evolving in Los Angeles that day; isolated incidents of blacks assaulting whites and looting of stores started popping up on a small scale at several locations in South Central about 15 minutes before Denny was beaten. Even so, the prolonged, televised absence of police at the riot’s epicenter virtually invited thousands of would-be looters to believe they could steal and rampage with impunity. In fact, no riot-related fires started in Los Angeles until after the Denny beating—some four hours after the acquittals were announced—and the number and location of lootings mushroomed immediately following the attack on the trucker.
That cost-free environment for rioters of just a few hours gave a nuclear boost to their momentum, one that would take days and a number of lives to overcome. Walz and Frey have given them days of that momentum and cost-free space. Popping up on TV now to announce that the government is too overwhelmed to impose order on its streets isn’t exactly going to help, either. Unless Walz uses the force he has at his disposal, this “military operation” riot will continue.
Failing that, the legitimate military might need to take control. The Associated Press reports this morning that the Pentagon has put Army urban-control units on alert in preparation for possible deployment to the streets of Minneapolis and Saint Paul:
As unrest spread across dozens of American cities on Friday, the Pentagon took the rare step of ordering the Army to put several active-duty U.S. military police units on the ready to deploy to Minneapolis, where the police killing of George Floyd sparked the widespread protests. Soldiers from Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Drum in New York have been ordered to be ready to deploy within four hours if called, according to three people with direct knowledge of the orders. Soldiers in Fort Carson, in Colorado, and Fort Riley in Kansas have been told to be ready within 24 hours. The people did not want their names used because they were not authorized to discuss the preparations. The get-ready orders were sent verbally on Friday, after President Donald Trump asked Defense Secretary Mark Esper for military options to help quell the unrest in Minneapolis after protests descended into looting and arson in some parts of the city. Trump made the request on a phone call from the Oval Office on Thursday night that included Esper, National Security Advisor Robert O’ Brien and several others. The president asked Esper for rapid deployment options if the Minneapolis protests continued to spiral out of control, according to one of the people, a senior Pentagon official who was on the call.
Can Trump actually order such a domestic deployment? Under the Insurrection Act of 1807, yes, and it has been done before. In fact, that’s precisely what happened in the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. Technically speaking, the law requires an actual “insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy,” but Walz’ comments make that a fairly easy case for the White House to make. It also requires that the emergency deprives US citizens of “a right, privilege, immunity, or protection named in the Constitution and secured by law,” and that “the constituted authorities of that State are unable, fail, or refuse to protect that right, privilege, or immunity, or to give that protection.” Right now, that sounds like a very good description of Minnesota’s position, as businesses burn and the state orders citizens to remain in their homes while disorder prevails.
If Trump does deploy the Army, those troops would not be under Walz’ control either but Trump’s through Esper. Their rules of engagement would likely be quite different than the feckless response we have seen from Walz and Frey over this past week as well. Trump would almost certainly federalize the National Guard in Minnesota at the same time for the duration of the crisis, which will strip Walz of much of his ability to shape events. Not that he’s used much of it up until now.
Under any other circumstances, an intervention by Trump in Twin Cities’ law enforcement would have created howls of outrage from the progressives who populate its leadership, and likely from much of the citizenry as well. Now, after watching the utter incompetence on display in Minnesota the last few nights, one has to wonder whether some of those same people might not toss a few flowers at the feet of soldiers who might be all that’s left between them and getting burned out of their businesses and homes.
So will Trump give the order? Looks like he’s clearing his throat this morning:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1266737385120960515
Trump would almost certainly prefer not to have to give this order. It would tie his presidency down with all sorts of civic-management issues that no White House would want to manage ever, let alone from 1500 miles away. This is a signal to Minnesota to get its streets under control or else.
Consider that signal received … finally:
BREAKING: Minnesota Gov. Walz orders full mobilization of the Minnesota National Guard, "an action that has never been taken in the 164-year history of the Minnesota National Guard." pic.twitter.com/hsTU80YYEa — NBC News (@NBCNews) May 30, 2020
Mobilizing is one thing. Having the will to use that force is very much another thing. If all Walz plans to do with a fully mobilized Guard is to conduct bigger retreats, he might as well leave them at home and have Trump call them up instead.