BigRedBuster
Active member
Question, was there any looting or destruction of anything before the police started using teargas and rubber bullets?
The George Floyd/Black Lives Matter protests and police conduct
- Thread starter Danny Bateman
- Start date
RedDenver
New member
I've been trying to figure that out as well but can't find a timeline of events for those things. When the police chose to start using tear gas and rubber bullets is very important to understand how events unfolded.
Cdog923
New member
There's at least 6-8 feet between the camera and the line of officers, and the officers are the ones who move towards the reporter.
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BigRedBuster
Active member
Yes, because the MAGA crowd is going to claim..."look, the armed men who stormed into the Michigan capital building, weren't looting or destructing anything". My answer would be, what would have they done if the police started teargassing them and shooting them with rubber bullets.
But, if the protesters were being violent and destructive before, it takes that argument out of being used.
Landlord
Banned
I'm all for looting the police district building honestly. It's horrifying, but burn it down. Even fine with Target going down. Wake up the powerful and the influential, especially those directly in conflict with justice and progress. The police have literal and representational/metaphorical blood not just on their hands but their entire existence. Target is insured.
But small businesses and affordable housing getting burnt down is tragic and creates more lower class victims. A lot of people that show up in stuff like this are bad actors and opportunists though, who couldn't care about any cause or virtue other than what they want, and I refuse to define the entire things by them.
But small businesses and affordable housing getting burnt down is tragic and creates more lower class victims. A lot of people that show up in stuff like this are bad actors and opportunists though, who couldn't care about any cause or virtue other than what they want, and I refuse to define the entire things by them.
teachercd
Active member
Man, I think that is even a bit close.
Like I said, seems like both could have done a better job. Oh well, it the end it was nothing.
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BIGREDIOWAN
Mods
When taxes go up in that area to rebuild the police building and damage created what's your thoughts on the building being burnt down then?
You won't "define entire things by them" but you'll basically lump law enforcement together as a whole with "their entire existence" statement which is interesting, but not surprising at this point.
Look what happened wasn't okay, I've said that and I'm happy that the officer has been charged, but to justify burning stuff to the ground makes little sense IMO. As the saying goes, two wrongs don't make a right. Looting and rioting is a poor way to get a point across. Just like putting a damn knee on the back of a guys neck and crushing the life out of him is a poor damn way to do your job as a police officer. Just saying.....
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BigRedBuster
Active member
I don't agree with this. But, I would rather them targeting a building than the police themselves when many of them weren't involved.
Landlord
Banned
I don't think all police officers are bad. Not even close. I know a decent handful of cops, all good at their jobs and good citizens.
But I don't know how you can disagree with a conclusion that policing practices and training need a fundamental reform. We've seen too much needless and tragic death by cop to ignore it. It's not just rogue bad apples, the system of law enforcement has turned into its own entity with its own emergent qualities which at the very least allows for a reality where someone unfit for the work can be in the job, do something like this, and too often escape with impunity.
Also I don't like the rioting and looting, but I understand it. Entire generations of communities being silenced, harassed, abused, told that we're past all that, and ignored will only stay silent, take it in the teeth and take the high road for so long.
Enhance
Administrator
IMO this doesn't wake up anybody - it does more to harm the local community and peoples' livelihoods, people who had absolutely nothing to do with any of it. It takes away paychecks... the ability to pay rent or buy food. It perhaps forces people to apply for unemployment. It could raise taxes to repair the damage they caused.
Someone was also shot and killed during the riots. There's some speculation that this person 'may' have been involved in the looting but nothing concrete has come out yet.
And on top of all this, virtually all top officials have condemned this officers' actions including the governor and police chief.
I understand the aggression that leads to rioting, too. And what happened to George Floyd was deplorable and inexcusable, but there are a lot of people suffering (and people who will suffer) as a result of the actions of a few. Most of the people being punished right now for Floyd's death had nothing to do with it.
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Minnesota_husker
New member
Some of the rumor mill is that cause of death might be something else--although I dont know how anyone could say the officers actions didnt cause whatever caused death.
My guess is Gov. Walz made him speed things up. Even with murder charges, I still suspect major issues this weekend with looting.
Enhance
Administrator
That's circumstantial at best, IMO. Protestors began blocking traffic at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Violent rioting and attacks on property began two hours later. That was three days ago. That was also the same day the officers were fired. Filing charges and investigating this kind of stuff rarely happens with the flip of a switch, so it's equally as likely that their opinion changed regardless of external factors.
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