The last few months. I haven’t recorded what was happening enough as it was happening and so hope I haven’t missed the full thread.
Fri 13 Mar 2020 – Breonna Taylor is murdered by Louisville police officers after they lied that a Postal Inspector said that drugs had been moved through her apartment.
Not to diminish other murders, this one may have acted as kindle for the fire that was lit by George Floyd’s murder.
Mid-Apr 2020 – Astroturfed protests against coronavirus restrictions are held by local morons and by survivalist cosplayers in Michigan. Protests are minuscule and primarily funded by conservative groups. Cf. George Floyd protests.
They carried assault rifles around government building, shouted inches from officers’ faces, and carried signs threatening murder of government officials. Their actions against police officers–aggressive, yelling, pushing–were as much or greater than those of George Floyd protesters. Guess who were shot with rubber bullets and tear-gassed and who weren’t? #BlueLivesMatter started trending sardonically.
Sun 24 May 2020 – Gov. Andy Beshear (KY) hung in effigy outside the governor’s mansion to protest coronavirus restrictions.
Involved in this were members of the Kentucky Three Percenters, a paramilitary group that hints at their love of overthrowing the government (allegedly only 3% of colonists fought against the occupying British forces). Just like the Michigan assholes above, these are barely-disguised white supremacists who are using a scientifically ignorant populace to garner camera attention. And with that attention, they can sell their racism.
The next day, a black man will be killed by a police officer.
Mon 25 May 2020 – George Floyd is murdered.
From this point on, the federal government likely spent more money on fighting protesters and hiding the government’s racism than on fighting the pandemic and hiding the administration’s ignorance.
Thu, evening, 29 May 2020 – Seven shot in Louisville during protests against the killing of Breonna Taylor two-and-a-half months prior.
This was and continues to be overlooked, but will not be by history.
Fri, early, 29 May 2020 – CNN reporter Omar Jimenez is arrested by Minnesota police officers while reporting amid the protests. All white reporters were left to report unmolested.
I wake up at 6 AM to start work and caught this maybe 20 min after it happened. It was difficult to work for the next few hours as the event played out. So much happens as metaphor right now.
(Synecdoche is a figure of speech where the part is used to represent the whole.)
Many similar events involving reporters and protesters occurred. A more notorious event was when Australian reporters were beaten, but it’s tough competition. This thread contains many instances and more will certainly be documented and archived for history. Updated 5 Jun 2020 – Collecting resources here:
- Thread from @chadloder, 12:40 AM, 31 May 2020
- Twitter thread from @greg_doucette, 11:21 AM, 30 May 2020 – hundreds of posts and reposts of videos, continually added to
Fri, 8:17 AM, 29 May 2020 – Trump declares: “[W]hen the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
Fri, late, 29 May 2020 – Trump retreats to an underground bunker in the White House. #BunkeBitch starts trending.
Mon 1 Jun 2020 – Trump plans to give a speech at the White House.
It was scheduled first at 6:15 PM (45 minutes before curfew) then 6:30 then 6:45. During that time, police and guardsmen moved up to within a couple of feet of the protesters. One agent provocateur could ignite. Nothing happened, but then the officers pushed forward with shields, rubber bullets, tear gas, and flash grenades. Officers on horseback followed. None of the protesters fought back as they were herded out of Lafayette Square.
In Trump’s speech, he declared that he will mobilize all military and civilian forces against the protesters (which he alternately calls “thugs” or “terrorists”) via the Insurrection Act of 1807 [note: I don’t remember him saying that in his speech, but it was referred by the administration several times earlier]. He closed by saying that he is going to visit a “special place.” That ended up being St. John’s Episcopal Church across the street. His walk there was an attempt to look strong after the #BunkerBitch fiasco.
Defense Sec. Esper distanced himself from his inclusion in the photo op saying he thought they were going to inspect a vandalized toilet I cannot believe I am typing that statement. Similarly, police said they did not use tear gas against the protesters but reveal that they used smoke bombs with harsh pepper irritants.
(Equivocation means to avoid telling the truth by talking around it.)
Wed 3 Jun 2020 (today)
Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas wrote an op-ed in the New York Times saying that the military should be mobilized and hold “no quarter” against protesters.
Riot officers faced off against the protesters. They identified themselves as either from the DOJ, from the Bureau of Prisons, or not at all.
So, to recap Trump’s “law and order”: national guard and military were brought in and were aggressive against peaceful protesters, so then the military was removed and the administration attempted to take control of the DC police, DC govt said “nope”, finally prison guards were shipped in from across the country.
The four police officers were finally all charged, with murderer Derek Chauvin’s charge increased in order to allow the others to be treated as accomplices. I wonder whether their names will be remembered and reviled throughout history. And I wonder if George Floyd’s name will be remembered and as iconic as Rosa Parks, though each in a unique way. And I hope that the Republican politicians who are complicit in Trump’s offenses–and those politician’s descendants–will be remembered in shame.
The protesters have been amazing–peaceful and moving–despite being taunted. I admire what they’ve done so far.
Updated 6 Jun 2020
