Last night at the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office on 47th and E Burnside, the PPB chased people through the streets, maced & assaulted easily a dozen people, vandalised nearby vehicles and assaulted their drivers, and attacked several journalists in direct violation of the TRO. https://twitter.com/portlandpolice/status/1289786851180417024
Their stated reason for this, that someone in the crowd threw glass bottles, was never mentioned over the LRAD as the police chased the crowd through the streets of Laurelhurst. We did not witness anything thrown by the crowd until the police began their fast, violent rush.
IF there was a bottle thrown prior (I’ve only seen 1 bottle referenced by non-police sources) then the equation is:
(200 people chant on a public street)+(1 bottle gets thrown)=(Police assault a dozen people, including Journalists, smash motorists windows as they try to leave)
the excitement of the Feds has made it easy to forget, but this is the 2nd time in 3 weeks that a march has targeted the MCSO office. Last time the PPB told a motorist to drive toward a riot line, then smashed his window, rammed his car, & arrested him. https://www.pscp.tv/w/cfWGpjFvUEtMeEFQa01nS2R8MUx5eEJhWk9RQm5KTuqjM-T0c15d2A7QJKggUNfNaZpzGLdBX045azku8R37?t=18m14s
Again, yesterday was @DAMikeSchmidt’s first day on the job after his predecessor resigned. The police seemed to prioritize immediate violence over arrests, arresting only two people. The DA has indicated he will not prosecute protesters of police violence.
It remains to be seen what stance the incoming Portland DA will take in prosecuting those who commit police violence.
In their AM press release, PPB claim "People with 'press' written on their outer garments repeatedly threw objects at officers," and describe a constant barrage of thrown objects from the crowd. No journalists corroborate this, but PPB is clearly trying to construct a narrative:
PPB appears to be building a justification for sustained targeting of marked press, in direct violation of the TRO. Constitutional concerns aside, this would remove eyes on the ground, and allow more unaccountable violence to be targeted at protesters, without documentation.
The narrative of hostile, violent "Press" is an obvious, easily documentable lie. This is not necessarily a problem for the PPB. Their Public Information Office's constant flow of easily disprovable statements is an example of "firehosing." https://www.vox.com/2018/8/31/17804104/strikethrough-lies-propaganda-trump-putin
(hat tip to @gaywonk, who made that really great explainer back in the dimly-remembered prehistory of 2018.)
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