U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams on Friday called for an investigation into reports that unidentified federal agents donning camouflage fatigues and masks have been arresting protesters in Portland.
Fascism came riding in waving a flag and carrying a bible and needs to be driven out with a cross up its ass and the flag fashioned into its noose.
And yeah, they’re false flagging the “justification” for this shit. Guaran-fucking-teed.
What’s the bet on what fraction of a Scaramucci Unit will pass until the DHS Inspector General will be fired by Trump?
Pro-tip for Dems: never quote the opposition’s preferred slogan. Trump is lawless and everything he has done is a mess. The point of the criticism is that Trump’s actions are lawless and unconstitutional.
Since they’ve decided to take this national, it is only a matter of time before there is a standoff between the brownshirts and local law enforcement, or worse, local national guard. I have to believe Trump is hoping to provoke an actual firefight between federal and local officers, and there are ZERO reasons for his wanting that where it turns out well for the country.
Fascism… Or terrorirsm. Or maybe a combination of the two.
This is unbelievable.
Please read about the Millgram experiment. The happy little lies we are telling ourselves are why they are getting away with all of this.
“The egregious actions by federal agents in Portland are only escalating tensions and causing more unrest.”
Feature, not a bug. This is how fascism manufactures the excuse for its existence.
So when will William Barr quash the investigation?
This is a violent and criminal abuse of authority that reachs to the highest levels of the Federal Government, including Trump, Wolf, Cuccinelli and anyone else involved in the decision making behind this atrocity. They all need to be fired and criminally charged.
This is the United States of America, NOT Nazi Germany nor Stalinist Russia.
I’d like to see him try to quash the ACLU’s lawsuit.
Please.
Today people are being detained by federal officers for “protesting” - how long before people start getting detained for being “against” Trump?
Twitter post from Matthew Gertz:
Just a few weeks apart. Trump’s new dystopian campaign strategy is ripped directly from the deranged commentary of Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and his other media allies.
The president is an authoritarian by nature; the people on TV he trusts most are begging him to do authoritarian things; and federal agencies have become compliant to his will.
This is what happens when Tucker Carlson is the one dictating political strategy and federal policy. It’s terrifying and disastrous. But it’s not complicated.
Wait a minute…where are all the militia pretend soldiers to protect the country from gubmint overreach and the violation of our rights? This is their textbook excuse for their 2nd amendment obsession and their ammosexuality. Or maybe that’s only if they want to go to Chili’s and they can’t because of “oppressive” public health restrictions.
Oh I know about it. It’s chilling.
I harbor no illusions about legal efforts stopping this. Trump will cite his national security declaration about COVID-19 and ignore the courts when they rule against him. As with Milgram, most municipalities will cave to federal authorities, even though they know it’s wrong. That’s why Oregon would do the nation a service by cutting this off before Trump can establish extrajudicial kidnapping as normal.
This needs to be on the front page if every website, newspaper, tv-news show, from now until we get some answers.
And every fucking right wing hypocrite who brays about personal liberty needs to explain themself, and take a stand on whether they support trump or the constitution.
Perhaps these people on TV (eg: Fox) should be arrested and charged with inciting riot.
The events in Portland and Cuccinelli’s announcement that he would take this militarization of the cities nationwide is the most disturbing development of the last year. Trump’s efforts to suborn the Armed Forces into becoming unconstitutional enforcers against US citizens on American soil having been quashed by the Joint Chiefs, he is now trying to create a military force outside of their chain of command that he can deploy under the cover of recently invoked emergency powers to crush dissent in the cities where resistance to his authoritarian program is most intense. The possible consequences are truly chilling to contemplate. It is surely no accident that this shadow army operates without uniform or insignia - all the easier to enlist and incorporate heavily armed “patriots” and “sovereign citizens” eager to provoke violent conflict and weaken the institutions of democratic government. Add to this the degree to which white supremacists have steadily infiltrated local law enforcement in many places and the reflexive reaction to recent demands for police accountability, and we have the ingredients for a genuine existential crisis for the Republic. Congress, including Republicans in the Senate, must recognize this ham-fisted end run around the Constitution for what it is, or could become - the prelude to a violent disruption of the elections or response to a Trump defeat.
Ok, this is a little puzzling. First, kudos to the US Atty in Portland for opening an investigation. For all we know, he could be packing his desk now.
Second, though, how does a US Attorney open an investigation by asking the DHS Inspector General to inquire? Does the FBI not have personnel in Oregon? If federal laws are being broken in Portland by federal personnel, get the FBI involved.
Third, what the hell does this mean: " He added that officers have made efforts to locate perpetrators of violence in recent protests and “arrest them in a manner that is safe for both the officers and nearby non-violent protesters".” From what we know, the guys in unlabeled “camo” and unmarked cars are CBP agents. Do they have arrest power in Portland? And, once we turn that corner, aren’t arrestees supposed to be brought to a police station, or a courthouse, or somewhere? Where are these people brought, and for how long, and why are they denied the ability to contact an attorney? This is lawless, and smacks of North Korea (which, as we recall, is where Trump’s current love interest reigns).
I note that the ACLU has filed suit in Portland to have these actions ceased as a violation of every conceivable Constitutional provision. That’s how we’re going to get to the bottom of it. And, the fact that Ken Cuccinelli says DHS is going to bring this fascist process to other cities is all we need to know.
