We've focused a lot on the activation of the National Guard, but I hope people are also seeing the all-out militarization of police departments in cities around the country. The government has been equipping local police departments with military equipment for many years.

Notice how it looks like the military has arrived long before the national guard is actually there? Look at the military vehicles these cops have. Police have been increasingly armed for "urban warfare" for quite a while now. I think partly bc the .gov anticipated climate unrest.

Local police departments got to test drive a number of militaristic escalations at Standing Rock and during Black Lives Matter protests. Watch carefully for the escalations we see now. Because there is no backward momentum on these things. Ever.

Police volunteered and came from all across the country to Standing Rock to square off with protesters and protectors. It was army practice for cops. It was also a tech test drive situation, surveillance wise.

I was one of the contributors to this anthology about police violence and the movements that challenge it. As of this week, the book is available for free as an e-book. https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/952-who-do-you-serve-who-do-you-protect