General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhat is the message from those who vandalize, set fires, and loot hope to impart?
BamaRefugee
(3,487 posts)ripcord
(5,537 posts)The people who are destroying don't care if the places they are burning support them or not, it is just senseless.
BamaRefugee
(3,487 posts)It seems to have been an important link in an epic chain of events that led to the birth of the USA.
Stonewall was seen as senseless destruction.
Berlin Wall much?
Lots of others.
sarisataka
(18,779 posts)'Why are you burning your stores and homes?'
was that what happened during the tea party?
BamaRefugee
(3,487 posts)Did Louisville cops ask Breonna anything while they pumped 8 bullets in her while she slept?
Did Chauvin ask Floyd if he was comfortable?
sarisataka
(18,779 posts)BamaRefugee
(3,487 posts)He knew more about it than me, but I was born in Birmingham Alabama in 1951. I grew up with riots in Birmingham and the bombing of the church where the little girls died, and I also left my office on La Brea Blvd. in Los Angeles near the Beverly Center with the Rodney King rioters about 300 yards south of me, so along with my participation in Vietnam war protests, the protests in downtown LA just before George Bushs illegitimate Gulf War and other things, I have some understanding of whats going on.
sarisataka
(18,779 posts)here we are.
My point regarding the tea party was the colonists did not attack themselves and destroy their own property. They dumped the property of the East India Company which directly was a challenge to the Crown authority. The King would not have cared had they destroyed Paul Revere's shop
BamaRefugee
(3,487 posts)Im not approving it anymore than I approve Covid-19 or earthquakes in LA, but theres nothing I can do to stop them.
sarisataka
(18,779 posts)I want racism to end. I don't want to go somewhere with a POC friend and ever have to tell an authority figure 'it's ok, he's with me'
Last night I was watching two separate protests. One was peaceful, they marched over ten miles with nearly no incidents. They policed their own and kept it civil. Several times they encountered police and had positive interactions. They were allowed to go their way, conducting civil disobedience without being molested. Several times during the night they were highlighted on local news and marchers were interviewed by reporters. They were heard. Their message for justice went out.
The other group was at the 5th precinct. They burned a bank, a post office and a restaurant. 350 cops descended on them and forcibly disbursed them. They caused Trump to threaten to send Federal troops here and cause the Governor to activate 13,000 National Guard.
Which group helped advance the cause of justice for George Floyd?
BamaRefugee
(3,487 posts)And if you can't fix stupid, you can't fix America.
400 years of sadness wrapped up in those few sentences.
Sucks.
ecstatic
(32,733 posts)what the protesters do.
EllieBC
(3,042 posts)Ive noticed this very flippant attitude of the safe suburb dwellers. Its not their stores or post offices or restaurants being destroyed. Its somewhere else. Its about the cause but not where they are.
ecstatic
(32,733 posts)even myself being killed by cops.
EllieBC
(3,042 posts)The rioters and looters destroying neighbourhoods arent. Again its really easy to be cavalier about a post office being torched when its not yours.
ecstatic
(32,733 posts)places in my area are being torched right now. Spare me your lectures and concern.
sarisataka
(18,779 posts)who do not know the communities that are suffering the violence.
I haven't seen anyone offer to have mobs come and destroy the neighborhoods they live in but happily preach 'burn it down' when it happens to others.
The Magistrate
(95,255 posts)Hope simply to provoke wider violence, by stoking anger and fear in the populace. The one at present hopes they may produce a race war, and the other to produce a general assault on police and property.
still_one
(92,422 posts)misguided, and puts swing states in a very precarious situation
They sure as hell arent doing this for the memory George Floyd or the injustice against African American men
It takes away from the message, and the non-violent protestors who are trying to get the message out
flamin lib
(14,559 posts)STOP KILLING US AND PAY SOME FUCKING ATTENTION.
LisaL
(44,974 posts)still_one
(92,422 posts)out
abqtommy
(14,118 posts)will buy that...
uppityperson
(115,681 posts)still_one
(92,422 posts)sarisataka
(18,779 posts)in a potential hot spot area of the city. There was a plea spray painted on the boards:
"Minority owned" "Kids Inside" "Family Lives Upstairs"
But it's just property...
still_one
(92,422 posts)scarletwoman
(31,893 posts)Yeah, "let it burn" coming from folks who won't suffer the affects is just disgusting.
Hav
(5,969 posts)then surely some local rioters as well but also many provocateurs, many of them from out of state who use these events for their own reasons. I'm pretty sure that many who actually live there have no interest at all to destroy their own neighborhood.
But clearly, those who loot don't do it as a way to remember Floyd.
Jedi Guy
(3,259 posts)"Of the 51 people who were booked into jail in Hennepin County between noon Thursday and noon Saturday on riot, unlawful assembly, burglary or damage to property charges, 43 had an address listed in Minnesota."
Twenty percent is not even close to "many." I'll grant you that they may not be from Minneapolis, but they're from Minnesota.
relayerbob
(6,559 posts)attempting to ignite a civil war.
stillcool
(32,626 posts)they are desperate, and they are alone. The uprisings I've read about from around the world, all seem to have the same emotions, and the same actions.
AntiFascist
(12,792 posts)tonedevil
(3,022 posts)people are rioting and/or looting because they have a message?
Protesters are the ones who have a message. If their message threatens the authorities long enough the police will do what they can to sow chaos to be used as reason to break up the demonstration. When the chaos takes hold there are individuals who lose themselves in the mob and there are individuals who see opportunity to enrich themselves in ways not otherwise available.
It is not an at all legitimate question and even seems a little trollish.
still_one
(92,422 posts)StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)But are frustrated that no one paid any attention to their message when they tried to communicate it peacefully.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,234 posts)I'm convinced that most if not all of them are Black Bloc anarchists or right wing "Boogaloo" types.
The arrests in Minnesota have shown this to be true.
still_one
(92,422 posts)their message may be getting sidetracked
StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)to these tactics. If people had been paying attention to their concerns before now, perhaps they wouldn't feel the need to do this.
As Dr. King said, "Rioting is the language of the unheard."
(Of course, I'm referring to the people who are engaging in these acts as a protest, not those who are just criminals or trying to incite conflict. I assume that's who you're talking about, too since the latter aren't trying to send a message).
still_one
(92,422 posts)trying to sow chaos and make the protesters look bad
Merlot
(9,696 posts)Hekate
(90,829 posts)Nobody but Black Bloc, Anarchists, Proud Boys, and their ilk.
We are in the midst of a global pandemic that our own government is failing to competently address, yet white men still find time to hunt down black men and kill them. It wasn't cops who killed Aubrey, was it?
We are in the midst of righteous loud and anguished mass anger over the cold-blooded on-camera murder of Floyd by a cop. And who shows up after curfew dressed all in black not wanting to talk to other protestors? White men with hammers and (apparently) well thought out means of arson.
Who does this benefit?
still_one
(92,422 posts)mshasta
(2,108 posts)cops keep killing humans ...and we should take it in silence ?
still_one
(92,422 posts)Meowmee
(5,164 posts)They are trying to cause more harm, chaos etc. whoever is doing it. More senseless destruction. They are harming people who live there. This will spread covid even more. Nothing good will come of this and I dont support it. Imo, it will help dumpster get elected.
still_one
(92,422 posts)Biden really needs to come out and speak to what is happening
Meowmee
(5,164 posts)I am angry people could be so stupid to spread the virus more and fall into this trap. Especially at people in nyc who should know better, we just lost about 29,000 or more.
still_one
(92,422 posts)Meowmee
(5,164 posts)choie
(4,111 posts)An invitation?
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213509540
A massive peaceful protest would have been wonderful but these violent dopes may help Trump win.
All he needs is two or three swing states
Getting those white voters in those swing states energized can help Trump.
zak247
(251 posts)Get your asses out there and vote come November.
Particularly black people.
After Obama created this great coalition we slacked and let this mad dog Trump get in.
WAKE UP
black people didn't vote in 2016 and now we got this
DONT LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN
betsuni
(25,646 posts)I assume this is the goal of at least some of the organized destruction. Whoever it is that is behind the scenes organizing these sorts of things know who to target online and use them to accomplish their goals.
zak247
(251 posts)I tried to say that her
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213509540
Were all angry but violence is counterproductive AND CAN REALLY BACKFIRE.
betsuni
(25,646 posts)The Kochs and Mercers and Russia/other counties that are helping the Republicans are all so ORGANIZED. All the think tanks, taking over the media and judiciary, politicizing religion -- Republicans have all these long term plans for everything. It just seems natural. And very Steve Bannon.
SMC22307
(8,090 posts)thankful that Trump is polling so poorly with suburban women and slipping with white working class women. These violent, destructive protests work to Trump's advantage, however, and right now I feel like we can kiss the swing states goodbye. Jesus, he'll be harping on Minnesota until the election. We'll see.