Your take on the Fed's presence in Portland,. OR and the associated drama?

[gimmethesimplelife]

To begin, I am going to spare you'all what I think - this subject matter for me is of a nature such that I don't trust myself to keep myself in check. So I'm just going to ask what you'all think, pro or con, and refrain from posting further. Rob

[Tybee]

As the mother of a son who was tear-gassed at a completely peaceful protest 6.5 miles from the federal buildings that are supposedly the problem, I am deeply upset by what is going on, and I am praying for an end to it.

[Simplemind]

I live here and they are whipping it up.

[iris lilies]

I have forgotten what the protestors and rioters are rioting over. Remind me again? Specifically, what do they want?

[frugal-one]

This has been hashed over and over in another thread.

[gimmethesimplelife]

This has been hashed over and over in another thread.Sorry. I've been away for awhile due to death in the family - no, not my Mom Thank God - and didn't know. Rob

[dado potato]

As the mother of a son who was tear-gassed at a completely peaceful protest 6.5 miles from the federal buildings that are supposedly the problem, I am deeply upset by what is going on, and I am praying for an end to it.

Tybee:

Wishing you well. These are hard times. We nurture each other as best we can.

[Tybee]

Thank you, Dado.

[bae]

I don't mind federal law enforcement folks doing legitimate law-enforcement sorta things.

I don't mind them defending federal buildings from miscreants, if local law enforcement is unable or unwilling to do so.

I do mind them interfering with lawful exercise of free speech and the freedom to assemble.

I can look out my window right now and see two different federal agencies, at least, operating peacefully and appropriately. And they haven't interfered with any of our local political demonstrations, though when the CBP leased a nice office in our county seat, people were all atizzy about random detentions and such, but that never seems to have come to pass here.

[iris lilies]

I don't mind federal law enforcement folks doing legitimate law-enforcement sorta things.

I don't mind them defending federal buildings from miscreants, if local law enforcement is unable or unwilling to do so.

I do mind them interfering with lawful exercise of free speech and the freedom to assemble.e.

Yeah, this.

Protesting vs rioting can be tricky to distinguish. Protestors who show up to protest not riot can express their protest in ways of varying aggression. Crowds can be dangerous for those within the crowd, and can be dangerous for law-enforcement who are charged with controlling the crowds.


In Ferguson, Crowd control was exercised every day when law-enforcement “broke up “protest crowds because they wanted people to go home by dark. It was at dark that the really crazy came out and shit went down. So it’s a massive effort to make crowds move, leave the area, and in my opinion protesters who don’t obey law-enforcement directives have crossed to the other side of not peaceful protest/rioting.

[Teacher Terry]

Tybee, that’s awful! The feds should stay in front of federal buildings period if their mission is really to protect them. More than one older veteran has walked up to the goons and were just talking and got pepper sprayed. This is not democracy. People peacefully demonstrating have gotten brain injuries from the rubber bullets which can be deadly.

[bae]

Tybee, that’s awful! The feds should stay in front of federal buildings period if their mission is really to protect them.

I'm curious though what the correct response is to having flaming bottles thrown at your building?

[jp1]

I'm curious though what the correct response is to having flaming bottles thrown at your building?

That’s a fair question. Although I would think it’s not to go marching blocks from the building to the tune of the imperial
March. (Appropriately provided by a protestor with a boom box)

[JaneV2.0]

Protests are a constitutional right, and have been employed to effect change when asking nicely hasn't worked--for hundreds of years.

I suppose it's easier to shoot and gas moms in a line* than it is to hunt down the agents provocateurs and violent right-wingers like the Boogaloo Boys and Patriot Prayer types, and rogue lefties, who show up to cause trouble at most demonstrations. At any rate, this could be done by the Portland police. There is absolutely no need to import federal goons.

*Fun fact: Carol Burnett's daughter is a member of the Wall of Moms, as reported by her sister, Jodie Hamilton.

[KayLR]

From what I hear locally---and I do NOT watch wall-to-wall local news, sorry/not sorry, but do know some who go down there--- the protests are peaceful & quiet until 10:30 or so, when many decide to go home, then the "peaceful protestors" come in with pocketsful of rocks, potatoes, rubber bouncy balls, laser pointers, and fireworks, etc. Now why peaceful protestors need such things is questionable. And all hell breaks loose until about 2:30 a.m.

[iris lilies]

From what I hear locally---and I do NOT watch wall-to-wall local news, sorry/not sorry, but do know some who go down there--- the protests are peaceful & quiet until 10:30 or so, when many decide to go home, then the "peaceful protestors" come in with pocketsful of rocks, potatoes, rubber bouncy balls, laser pointers, and fireworks, etc. Now why peaceful protestors need such things is questionable. And all hell breaks loose until about 2:30 a.m.

This is what happened in Ferguson as well.

I guess there is peaceful and “ peaceful.”

[bae]

I wonder what the constitutionality of simple "strict 9pm curfew because the rioters come out at 10pm" approach would be?

[iris lilies]

I wonder what the constitutionality of simple "strict 9pm curfew because the rioters come out at 10pm" approach would be?
Any government imposed curfew is an uncomfortable loss of essential freedom. It’s the usual Conflict of balancing two ideas, public safety versus Individual freedom. It seems to me that it’s far less Heavy-handed for law-enforcement to say “you cannot congregate HERE “ and define a specific geographic area than it is for them to say “you have to stay inside your own house after 10 PM.“


This last one is really very ick. The former, not so much

[jp1]

Any government imposed curfew is an uncomfortable loss of essential freedom. It’s the usual Conflict of balancing two ideas, public safety versus Individual freedom. It seems to me that it’s far less Heavy-handed for law-enforcement to say “you cannot congregate HERE “ and define a specific geographic area than it is for them to say “you have to stay inside your own house after 10 PM.“


This last one is really very ick. The former, not so much

Everything is situational. I have long deplored the "protest zones" that get put up blocks away from both the republican and democratic conventions every four years.

[Greg44]

I have forgotten what the protesters and rioters are rioting over. Remind me again? Specifically, what do they want?

Funny, actually not funny, but I asked my wife the same thing. To what end is all this rioting? I fully support the right to protest, but once people feel threatened, property is being destroyed, it no longer is a peaceful protest. From our computer room I can hear horns honking - about a mile away "protesters" were meeting tonight and marching to the mayor's house. For what? To intimidate a non-paid woman who has given this city thousands of hours of service - who lives is a very modest home.

I am afraid that too many get caught up in these protests and begin doing things that they normally would not have done had there not been a "pack mentality". I watched some video from last night's protests that included some footage of one of our customers. He was part of the "counter protest". He was openly carrying a handgun. I am sure he has a permit, but he is just asking for trouble. I don't think he has all "cylinders firing" if you get my drift and fear he will do something really stupid.

Our Governor said she supports the protests in Portland! Seriously - Kate, have you seen the video's? These are not peaceful protests. I voted for her, but never again.

[LDAHL]

I see the “Wall of Moms” is crumbling after accusations of “anti-blackness”. Are we reaching the stage where the revolution eats its own?

[Alan]

I see the “Wall of Moms” is crumbling after accusations of “anti-blackness”. Are we reaching the stage where the revolution eats its own?There does appear to be a lot of "whitesplaining" going on in these recurring disruptions.

[LDAHL]

There does appear to be a lot of "whitesplaining" going on in these recurring disruptions.

May just be a Portland Performative Protest Culture thing.

I’m curious as to why the focus now is on the comfy precincts of Portland and Seattle rather than rougher areas like Detroit, Los Angeles or Atlanta