https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/american-cities-are-not-battlespaces/612553/

5:17 PM ET

Mike Mullen
Seventeenth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

It sickened me yesterday to see security personnel—including members of the National Guard—forcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president's visit outside St. John's Church. I have to date been reticent to speak out on issues surrounding President Trump's leadership, but we are at an inflection point, and the events of the past few weeks have made it impossible to remain silent.

Whatever Trump's goal in conducting his visit, he laid bare his disdain for the rights of peaceful protest in this country, gave succor to the leaders of other countries who take comfort in our domestic strife, and risked further politicizing the men and women of our armed forces.

There was little good in the stunt.

While no one should ever condone the violence, vandalism, and looting that has exploded across our city streets, neither should anyone lose sight of the larger and deeper concerns about institutional racism that have ignited this rage.

As a white man, I cannot claim perfect understanding of the fear and anger that African Americans feel today. But as someone who has been around for a while, I know enough—and I’ve seen enough—to understand that those feelings are real and that they are all too painfully founded.

We must, as citizens, address head-on the issue of police brutality and sustained injustices against the African American community. We must, as citizens, support and defend the right—indeed, the solemn obligation—to peacefully assemble and to be heard. These are not mutually exclusive pursuits.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/antifa-rumors-spread-local-social-media-no-evidence-n1222486

Some of the posts feature a screenshot of a tweet by a fake antifa Twitter account that Twitter said was created by the white nationalist group Identity Evropa.


Members of the California National Guard stand watch at the Downtown Commons area of Sacramento, Calif., on June 1, 2020.Rich Pedroncelli / AP

June 2, 2020, 4:17 PM EDT

By Brandy Zadrozny and Ben Collins

False rumors about antifa organizing bus rides to take protesters into white neighborhoods and loot residences have gone viral in recent days on digital neighborhood platforms and in group texts throughout the U.S.

Some of the posts feature a screenshot of a tweet by a fake antifa Twitter account that Twitter said was created by the white nationalist group Identity Evropa, attempting to drum up fear of looting in residential and suburban areas. The false antifa tweet was boosted in part by Donald Trump Jr., who posted a screenshot of the tweet to his Instagram account. Other rumors falsely warn of antifa members being "bused in" to towns in Idaho.

The social media rumors about outsiders coming to damage property or commit acts of violence at protests have ripped through local communities over the last week, aided by neighborhood-focused social media networks and groups.

Rumors circulating on Facebook and Nextdoor that buses filled with thousands of antifa and other outside agitators on their way to loot "white neighborhoods" prompted law enforcement to respond to fearful residents in the Sacramento suburbs that they are "monitoring" messages on social media "causing worry and concern."

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On Tuesday, Facebook added a warning to posts on Facebook and Instagram indicating the fake antifa post was "false information."

By then the post had already gone viral on both platforms, generating hundreds of thousands of interactions.

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https://twitter.com/samstein/status/1267916316503048197
Sam Stein ✔@samstein

Calling it now. Trump’s gonna have the police and military clear out 17th street today so he can walk to the McDonalds between Penn and H and hold up a Big Mac.

4:29 PM - Jun 2, 2020

https://twitter.com/RepSwalwell/status/1267635466536226816
Rep. Eric Swalwell ✔@RepSwalwell

I don’t know anyone in “Antifa.” But I’m against facism. And @realDonaldTrump is a fascist.

9:53 PM - Jun 1, 2020

https://twitter.com/RonWyden/status/1267605801549664256
Ron Wyden ✔@RonWyden

The fascist speech Donald Trump just delivered verged on a declaration of war against American citizens. I fear for our country tonight and will not stop defending America against Trump’s assault.


7:55 PM - Jun 1, 2020

https://twitter.com/LMartinezABC/status/1267572989601746944
luis martinez ✔@LMartinezABC

JUST IN -- a US official says active duty Army Military Police units at Fort Bragg, NC are preparing to be in Washington DC tonight.

5:45 PM - Jun 1, 2020

https://twitter.com/TaraCopp/status/1267575470868004865
Tara Copp ✔@TaraCopp

Senior defense official says forces at White House are DC National Guard. NOT active duty military police. However, 2nd senior defense official said 250 MPs from Fort Bragg, NC are arriving - they do not have mission yet - President would have to invoke Insurrection Act

5:55 PM - Jun 1, 2020

https://abc30.com/society/video-shows-jeep-hitting-protester-at-visalia-march-over-death-of-george-floyd/6222197/

Hours later, Fresno State tweeted about the incident, saying that two people involved may be enrolled students.

By Joyeeta Biswas
Updated 2 hours ago

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The case involving a Jeep that hit two women during a protest in Visalia related to the death of George Floyd is being turned over to the Tulare County District Attorney's Office for review.

The video has been circulated widely on social media and shows the protester holding a sign as she stands in front of the Jeep in the middle of the road near Mooney Boulevard and Caldwell around 3 p.m. The SUV comes to a stop, then moves forward, hitting the woman and lifting her off the road.

Another protester a few steps ahead also appears to have been hit, but the video does not show the impact.

The second protester, Karina Ramirez, says she was left with leg bruises. She says the encounter began when the Jeep pulled up to protesters, started heckling them, and the crowd turned on them.

She saw the first woman get hit by the Jeep before she says she was also struck in the leg.

</snip>

https://www.wdrb.com/in-depth/louisville-police-chief-fired-after-no-body-camera-footage-of-shooting/article_faa2ba10-a443-11ea-9309-c39cfd65671a.html

Chris Otts Jun 1, 2020 Updated 24 min ago

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer fired police chief Steve Conrad on Monday after learning that police officers did not record body-camera footage of the fatal overnight shooting of David McAtee, a black man, in west Louisville.

"This type of institutional failure will not be tolerated," Fischer said.

This story will be updated.

</snip>