Here is a direct link to the soon-to-be live House sub-committee briefing about state violence against protestors and journalists, including @KillerMartinis, who will speak.

CRCL Sbcmte Briefing: Gov Violence Against Peaceful Civil Rights ...

Rep. Raskin begins by explaining that civil rights protestors (and some law enforcement) experience violence from overt white supremacist groups AND violence from the state (police, unidentified military, National Guard, etc.)

Raskin then plays a video montage of government violence against protestors.

Raskin lists statistics of recent serious injuries inflicted by police. He specifically highlights how the police have been shooting people’s eyes out.

Raskin quotes Madison regarding importance of the first amendment and the free press.

Plays montage of police attacks on press.

Raskin recognizes Rep. Jordan, who claims he couldn’t see the videos. Raskin informs him the videos were sent to him ahead of time. Not sure why Jim Jordan can’t watch the videos live on all the places

Jordan counters by saying American’s first amendment rights have been violated by covid-19 stay at home orders.

Linda Tirado is up now and recognized for 5 min. Raskin explains she may need to close her eyes or bow her head due to her recent blinding while covering protests.

Tirado begins by explicitly stating that she is permanently blind in one eye as a result of police violence against her.

She describes her outfit that night. She had a press lanyard and a professional grade camera. She said protestors immediately IDed her as press.

Tirado shows photos she took that night. She explains that it is her job to document and to try and explain events to the public.

The last photo shows police aiming at her.

Gustavo Martinez from the @AsburyParkPress is up next.

He also describes his physical experience and that he was clearly identifiable as press.

Martinez was confronted by Asbury Park police who challenged his right to be there and threatened him that if wanted a taste of the action, he’d get it.

Martinez witnessed police attacking protestors and was later attacked himself.

Martinez was tackled and arrested, he repeatedly identified himself as press.

Charges were dropped the next day.

Next is Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz who is introducing her constituent, LaToya Ratliff, who is part of a religious civic group. She is the grand niece of Fannie Lou Hamer.

A video of the shooting of Ratliff by police is shown.

Ratcliff (or Ratliff, no captions) describes her peaceful engagement with a daytime public protest.

She was also shot in the eye by police. She has no vision in one eye and does not know yet if she is permanently blind.

Ratliff speaks about the experience of Black people as never being safe.

Raskin calls her “eloquent”.

Lawyer and historian Tamika Brown-Nagin of Harvard is recognized to contextualize protests within the larger civil rights movement.

Brown-Nagin references a written testimony that she submitted.

She closes by underscoring similarities between 1963 and 2020.

Journalist Andy Ngo is speaking now about violence he’s experienced at the hands of protestors which he says police witnessed in some cases, but did not intervene.

Ngo is now making general allegations of stealth protestor violence against police.

He says he infiltrated antifa and received written or printed information on using protestors as human shields.

Reverend Gini Gerbasi is speaking now. Her Georgetown parish provided comfort and support during a DC demonstration.

She states that the protests were peaceful all day until around 6:30 pm (Martinez said something similar too about the event he was at).

Gerbasi describes caring for strangers who were wounded by tear gas and rubber bullets.

She looked up to see a line of police on the patio of her church, Saint John’s Episcopal.

She clarifies that this violence is unacceptable regardless of who occupies the White House.

Gerbasi says that later (next day?) she and her congregation were blocked by police when they tried to enter the church for a vigil.

Raskin also calls her words “eloquent”, fwiw (Gerbasi is white).

The committee members get to ask questions now. Rep. Wasserman-Schultz is going first due to a scheduling conflict.

She asks Ms. Ratliff to talk about her experience more and what message does this violence send to protestors.

Latoya Ratliff (correct spelling of name) isn’t sure she feels comfortable as a citizen attending events where police will be. She has not received an apology

Rep. Raskin asks if she witnessed any non-police violence. She says she did not see any violence until police instigated

Raskin introduces that Ratcliff is on a board that deals with police interaction with the committee. She speaks a bit about why she was moved to volunteer in this capacity.

Taskin asks Rev. Gerbasi to clarify which church she serves. Her St. John’s is different from the St. John’s that Pres. Trump walked to for a photo.

Gerbasi also speaks about the intimate nature of caring for injured protestors, especially in light of covid-19 risks.

Rep. Jordan, the ranking Republican on the sub-committee, asks Andy Ngo why Democrats ignore him.

Ngo states that he doesn’t know and that he is non-partisan.

Jordan asks Ngo if antifa is real. Ngo says it is and holds up some papers pertaining to information he’s uncovered.

Ngo, who is based in Portland Oregon, explains that their mayor is also chief of police, in response to a question by Jordan about the lack of police response to violence.

Rep. Pressley has 5 minutes. Describes experience of peaceful demonstration at Franklin Square. Thanks Dean Brown-Nagin and asks her to elaborate on how protest has historically led to government change.

Brown-Nagin reiterates that protest is instrumental to Americans effecting social change.

My feed cut out, so gimme a sec.

Pressley is speaking now about Trump’s incitement of violence, contrasts with other presidents.

There’s some disagreement about the extent to which Andy Ngo’s participation in this briefing was advertised.

Rep. Keller, I believe, asks Ngo more about antifa’s partipation in recent protests.

Ngo states that protestors are mostly peaceful and that it only takes a small number of violent people to turn something into a riot.

Captions would really help, especially for names.

If I caught it correctly, Rep. Miller is speaking now about attacks on the press and how horrible it is.

Miller now directs questions to the Martinez and Tirado about the recent attacks they experienced while on the job.

I think I misheard the name of the congresswoman. Rep. Scanlon? was the one talking about attacks on the press.

Raskin now asking Brown-Nagin about extremists who show up to exploit protests. She thinks police should be able to identify agitators and not attack peaceful people.

It took 105 minutes, but Raskin can’t resist invoking Bruce Springsteen when discussing Martinez’s career at Asbury Park Press.

Jordan asks Brown-Nagin if governors have violated citizen’s first amendment rights by issuing stay at home orders.

Brown-Nagin patiently notes that a public health crisis and demonstrations for human rights are two different things.

Jordan criticizes NJ Gov. Murphy for saying that he wasn’t thinking anout the Bill of Rights when issuing stay at home order.

He’s speaking fast, wants Brown-Nagin to address what he calls a double standard.

Brown-Nagin says she doesn’t see a double standard.

She goes on to say that citizens can and should sue if their first amendment rights are being violated during the pandemic. Jordan excitingly agrees and says they will, mentions 2nd amendment.

Okay, that was definitely Rep. Scanlon.

She asks Tirado how police would know someone is press.

Tirado repeats that she wore credentials and that her camera was professional grade, with a full flash, and that she was not standing with protestors.

Scanlon notes that Tirado has also covered tense protestor/state events like the Bundy stand-off and the Mike Brown protests.

Scanlon asks Tirado about what makes being a freelance journalist different when covering things like this.

Tirado explains that she is responsible for all costs for her injury and recovery. If she was a staff photographer, she’d get worker’s comp. She also notes that if she were arrested she’d have to bail herself out.

Panelists are given a chance to make a final statement. Ngo hopes the injured get justice. Martinez says that the first amendment should apply to everyone. The Rev. notes peaceful protest vs. “violent criminals”.

Raskin gives the floor to Jordan, Jordan does not appear (tech?)

Raskin condemns white supremacy, poll taxes, and racism. Praises young people for their leadership in the fight for civil rights. Thanks panelists.

The full briefing is posted on YouTube and is the same link as the one in my original post.

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