Police worked with violent pro-Trump activist to prosecute leftwing group

[friendly_iconoclast]

Source: The Guardian

A pro-Trump demonstrator who admitted hitting protesters at a far-right rally received help and support from California police, who worked with him to prosecute leftwing activists, records show.

Documents and testimony in a trial surrounding a rightwing demonstration in Berkeley reveal that police and prosecutors pursued charges on behalf of Daniel Quillinan, a conservative activist who has posted fascist memes and came to the event with Kyle Chapman, now a celebrated figure amongst the “alt-right”. The authorities consistently treated Quillinan as a victim even though he was visibly armed with a knife, a wooden “shield” and a “flagpole” – and had told law enforcement that he “hit someone in the head”, according to court files.

The resulting criminal trial against five anti-fascist protesters – who are accused of assaulting Quillinan during a roughly 15-second altercation – is, according to activists, the latest example of US law enforcement aggressively targeting leftwing demonstrators and favoring members of the far-right after violent clashes. In another California case, police have worked directly with neo-Nazis to go after counter-protesters, including a black activist stabbed at a white supremacist rally.

“This makes a pretty clear statement of choosing sides,” Dustin Sawtelle, one of the anti-fascist defendants, said in an interview this week before the trial began. “We figured maybe they were trying to use charges as a scare tactic ... It feels like they have to prosecute somebody.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/15/police-pro-trump-berkeley-leftwing-activists-court-case

[MrScorpio]

1. Yay the American Gestapo, their the best.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

2. Hmm

Wasn't it C.H.I.P.S. starting the property damage in the marches in St Louis when Mike Brown got killed? As I recall, people in the crowd recognized them. As rabble rousers they smashed windows and yelled encouragement so the protest would "appear' to cops that they could now arrest willy nilly bc of the violence and property damage. Justa recollection. i may be wrong. Seems like C.H.I.P.S. stuck out then. And now. What's w CA Motorcycle cops? If I'm wrong please enlighten me.

[BigmanPigman]

4. You are correct, they are the police only on motorcycles instead.

In CA at a protest I went to there were already right guy's there (the Proud Boys) and they came down to San Diego to incite violence. They tried to ruin our rally with bullhorn interrupting speakers, etc. The cops stood there and did nothing. We ignored them and didn't fall for their BS. Finally a speaker at the rally who was a city councilwoman called the chief of police and told them to do something. The cops finally separated them away from us. During the Border Wall protest there were police, sheriff's, and SWAT people all facing the side of the street with the anti wall people with their shields, guns, etc.instead of facing the pro wall side of demonstrators who were verbally harassing us! The cops are not our friends. The police are nicer than the sheriffs.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

7. Good lords man.

How can such a hostile force be allowed in such a great state? Proud Boys eh? Hmmm. Such a shame.

[BigmanPigman]

9. The Proud Boys, it turns out,

came down to San Diego from LA just to incite violence. Isn't that nice of them?

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

10. Sounds like they're nationwide.

Outlaw biker gang...of law enforcement.
I've noticed a lot more arm tattoos on police officers as well. Since when was that even allowed? Seems like it sets a bad tone right off the bat imho. Should have to cover them. As a public servant, SOME decorum should be in order.

[Solly Mack]

3. Of course they did.

Fuckers

[rockfordfile]

5. They should be fired. Un-American fascists.

[hvn_nbr_2]

6. You have to go to UK-based news sources to find this out

Nothing about it in American "plutocracy Pravda" (AKA elite liberal media) apparently.

[lark]

8. Far right white separatist started actively sending people to the police dept. over a decade ago.

This is exactly why they did that, so they are often the majority of the force and can get away with murdering and hurting brown /black people as well as any lefties.