(St, Paul) Police chief 'disgusted' by violence at I-94 protest; 21 officers hurt

[question everything]

Source: StarTribune

About 100 people protesting late Saturday and early Sunday in a sometimes violent response to the police killing of Philando Castile were arrested, either during an hourslong human blockade of Interstate 94 in St. Paul or during a follow-up gathering elsewhere in the city, authorities said.

The violence perpetrated by some of the protesters against the police prompted denouncement in the strongest terms by St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Police Chief Todd Axtell, who called the pelting of officers with rocks, bottles and other items "a disgrace." Axtell said 21 officers from all law enforcement agencies on the scene were injured in the mayhem. The State Patrol said six of the 21 were troopers who suffered minor injuries from what the protesters were throwing.

(snip)

Roughly 50 of the arrests came during the "freeway riot," which began shortly before nightfall Saturday and continued until police began taking people into custody shortly after 1 a.m., allowing the interstate to be reopened in both directions, said police spokesman Steve Linders... Axtell was even more blunt, starting his comments by holding up a piece of concrete as an example of what his officers were met with. He also held a bent metal officers' badge in his hand, illustrating the force of what police absorbed from the demonstrators.




Read more: http://www.startribune.com/about-100-arrested-in-st-paul-protests/386197981/

[Duckhunter935]

1. Any violence by either side is wrong and should be condemned

[Feeling the Bern]

8. Yeah, that rebellion in 1775 against the British should be condemned.

That native American fighting to keep their identity should be condemned. They should have just penned a harshly written letter to the editor.

[brooklynite]

18. How many ordinary civilians were the target of the American Revolution?

If you object to police policies, protest the police or the government that employs them. Disrupting the lives of ordinary civilians won't increase the likelihood of success of your protest.

[Feeling the Bern]

19. The Sons of Liberty and Samuel Adams did

So did George Washington and that continental army. I guess they were wrong.

You can have your little protest, as along as I am not personally inconvenienced. Narrow, unenlightened self interest does not impress me at all. Happy 4th of July!

[geek tragedy]

2. do the people doing that shit (violence) not realize they are helping enable

police brutality rather than making it go away?

[iandhr]

6. To realize something like that you would need a brain.

So no they don't

[840high]

17. .that^

[cloudythescribbler]

3. does he condemn police murders with the same vehemence, or that ...

the killer of Jamar Clark got off scott free? Without condoning any violence, surely there is an enormous one-sidedness of concern and impunity for extreme violence by one side in this conflict. until that ONE SIDEDNESS is addressed, the rest of the expressions of concern ring hollow.

[gopiscrap]

4. thank you

cops are some of the whiniest folks around

[Feeling the Bern]

9. And have the thinnest skins. If we don't all collective get on our knees, praise the badge and kiss

their asses for them being cops, they get all butthurt and whine we're making life harder for them.

No, you shooting people and declaring war on Americans is making life harder for you. Look in a mirror for once!

[gopiscrap]

11. Totally agree

[question everything]

40. I have never been a cop but somehow I dobut that many here would manage to get up every morning

and get out to the streets, knowing that they put their lives in danger. Yes, even if only writing tickets. Or just sitting in their patrol car, the way the two officers did in New York two years ago.

Black people may feel that they have a target on their back, but so are police officers.

The same day that they were killed in Dallas, other officers were killed in other cities. You respond to a 911 call and you may walk into an ambush.

I would like to think that there are officers who just did not get adequate training. Who do not realize that for many black people they are the enemy.

But for people here to trash all officers - I would like to see many of you trading place with them for one day.

[Feeling the Bern]

41. I taught at an inner city school in a poor neighborhood for a couple of years before I moved

overseas. You have no idea what you are talking about.

And the badge defenders use another tried and true defense: The tough job defense. Can't handle the job, get a new one!

[mike_c]

5. violent oppression begets violent response....

Same as it ever was. Instead of hand wringing, we need serious police reform. Disarming them would be a good start, not because it would directly solve all the problems but rather because three-quarters of them would immediately quit. Those are the ones we're better off pushing into other professions. The ones for whom compliance to violent authority is more important than public service.

[Feeling the Bern]

10. Ending the drug war would do a lot too. Banning military equipment for all but SWAT would do well.

Making cops look like cops and not an invading army with the word "police" on their black uniforms would too.

Getting the klan and the racists out of law enforcement would help too. Requiring officers to have a minimum of a BA in certain fields, training in psychology and crisis management as well as independent oversight and body camera that "somehow" turn off when they are about to murder someone and them magically come back on after they are done would help.

Holding them to a much higher standard would do well too.

But that isn't going to happen because the PBA, their unions (the only union I do not support) and their sycophants will whine "anti-cop."

[yeoman6987]

26. The NAACP does not want a bachelors degree requirement.

It won't happen.

[Egnever]

43. I don't disagree but

For that to happen you are going to have to pay a lot more for the position.

Cop salaries are ridiculously low IMHO.

The average officer makes 52k I would not put my life on the line for that kind of money forget about going through all the schooling that would be required to satisfy your requirements.

[Feeling the Bern]

44. No. Make uniforms provided and not give a uniform allowance

Compared to cops, teachers are more underpaid.

[Egnever]

45. Both are underpaid

And we have a lot of problems because of it.

If both were paid better there would be many more candidates to choose from instead of having to take any warm body you can find as many places are forced to do now.

[Skittles]

13. disarming them in this gun humping nation?

please

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. Protesters: Hatred does not reduce hatred. Random violence does not stop random violence. . . nt

[Skittles]

12. using violence to protest violence

not a good idea

[Jitter65]

14. Ahhhh.. but wasn't it Trump who said fight fire with fire? GOP meme of the year. nt

[romanic]

15. Violent protestors just want the struggle to continue.

[question everything]

16. What I wonder is the order of the events

Did protesters first enter the freeway and then police forces stopped traffic?

I would hate to travel at 60 or 65 mph and all of a sudden face pedestrians on the road. I don't have any "devices" that would distract me but will I be able to stop on time? And if I do stop, would I be surrounded by angry protesters, the way it was in South Central Los Angeles back in 1992?

[riversedge]

20. The protesters enter the freeway--forcing the traffic to stop. GIF--- Yes, it is dangerous

for all involved.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1514195

[question everything]

32. Scary. I did not see this. I shudder just to look at it. Thanks (nt)

[christx30]

34. Picture just driving across town to do something,

watching the road. Then you look at your speedometer, and when you look up and there is that first guy, right in your path, waving his arms, trying to get you to stop. You slam on the brakes, praying the semi behind you is paying as good attention as you were.
Someone is going to end up getting killed.

[Sunlei]

21. why didn't the police leave protestors alone? Violence begets violence, smoke bombs & pepper spray

, rows of police PRESSING- creates a panic in a crowd.

[TipTok]

22. It could have something to do with the fact...

... they were standing in the middle of a highway.

Maybe...

[Sunlei]

23. so wait them out, ticket them and if they don't leave ticket them again untill they leave.

No need for Police to attack protestors and create violence.

[TipTok]

25. People need the road...

A couple of self absorbed idiots are not entitled to stop traffic whenever they feel like it.

[Sunlei]

28. The Freeway was closed. No reason for police to attack citizens w /smoke bangs & pepper guns.

Police escalated the situation into violence, police shot smoke & pepper and used their aggressivecrowd Pressing tactic.

[TipTok]

31. The freeway was closed because they were standing in it...

Last edited Tue Jul 12, 2016, 12:21 AM - Edit history (2)

What is it with cause and effect in this thread?

[christx30]

36. Here's how the freeway got closed.

v

Dangerous and stupid.

[Sunlei]

38. cool video, looks like the whole group went up the off? ramp

[romanic]

42. And I bet none of them

were DU members cheering this type of disruption on. It's easier to be a badass and "fight the man" online apparently.

Not throwing shade to anybody here, I'm just saying.

[LanternWaste]

29. I like to pretend that standing against racial oppression is simply "self-absorbed idiots" too

I like to pretend that standing against racial oppression is simply "self-absorbed idiots" too. Even if our bias and agenda denies the fact that the road was already closed, we somehow have to blame "them" to better validate the narrative we cower behind.

Because-- Murika! Star-Spangled Awesome-Sauce!

[TipTok]

30. Because-- Logic! Analytical Reasoning!

A basic understanding of cause and effect...

[Sunlei]

39. IMO much more like 'Theory of mind'.

!

[christx30]

35. One cop got his *spine* broken by a

protester throwing concrete.
No, the police are not going to leave the protesters alone. I expect their sense of humor about the protests is going to go away quick.

[Sunlei]

37. The person who dropped that should face charges.Its not a police job to esculate and attack people.

[Vinca]

24. The police chief wouldn't have this problem if his officers were properly vetted

before hiring and properly trained after hiring. Shoot first, ask questions later is not standard operating procedure.

[JustAnotherGen]

27. go big or go home n/t

[NaturalHigh]

33. Are there enough jail cells to hold all of these idiot rioters?

If not, just ticket the debutantes who aren't throwing things and throw the book at the real troublemakers.