May / June Charlotte protests

[lit]

On 6/1/2020 at 6:21 PM, JRNYP2C said:

I saw this "individual's" image on someones Facebook Live stream - it was a frozen picture.  They were saying that the peaceful protestors were trying to stop him.  They basically kept him from breaking a window and then chased him across the street to the front of Independence Center and I read that he was held down until police were able to show up.  On WSOC, yesterday - they showed him just as he was, as they said, tackled and then kicked and beaten.  They froze the image right before his "beating" took place.  The anchor said that they were not going to show any of the additional footage as it was graphic.  WTH?  Why not show it?  An out of town antagonist comes to Charlotte - just as in years past - and is stoking the proverbial fires.  SHOW THIS $HIT ON TV!  It very may well keep other antagonists from outside of the city and state to think twice about destroying our city.  HE is part of the problem as far as I'm concerned.  Unfortunately, we have been through this situation before, and I hope against hope that we learned lessons on how to have a civil discourse as long as people can protest - as it is their right.  During the day, I personally know of at least two people that were in 1st Ward Park that protested peacefully during the day.  It is those that are hiding under the dark of night that turn things evil.

 

They caught up with Green Shirt guy. He wasn’t arrested THAT night but some people found out who he was, and he wasn’t an out-of-town agitator. 

[TCLT]

I saw today's tweets and live stream from queen city nerve too. Tonight CMPD is more aggressive compared with past few nights.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

They were a lot worse tonight but I watched them do very similar things on Saturday night too. Specifically the indiscriminate and unnecessary use of pepper balls and tear gas. The protesters were on Tryon on Saturday because the police chased them there. The crowd started at Trade and Davidson near CMPD HQ, was stationary and largely calm. At 10:30pm the line of officers began firing pepper balls and tear gas at the crowd and forcing them down Trade. They continued the chase through the CBD firing pepper balls at people who were running and walking away from them.

[kermit]

I have not heard any reports of damage uptown yet that might have provoked  police gassing.

Meanwhile in Asheville:

 https://www.citizen-times.com/videos/news/local/2020/06/03/asheville-police-destroy-water-bottles-medic-area/3133824001/

 

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by kermit

[kermit]

From Mayor Lyles’ daughter:

Still no reports of damage uptown from last night’s protests. Still no evidence the police were threatened in any way. There was no curfew, there was no demand to disperse issued, no escape rote was given.

Edited June 3, 2020 by kermit

[kermit]

Welcome to the movement Discovery Place!

 

[kermit]

 

[kermit]

So far I have not heard any reports of property damage from yesterdays protest.  Has anyone else?

[navigator319]

So far I have not heard any reports of property damage from yesterdays protest.  Has anyone else?

No new damage yet you have folks like the Carrilon Building erecting massive walls of plywood as we speak.

[TCLT]

1 minute ago, navigator319 said:

No new damage yet you have folks like the Carrilon Building erecting massive walls of plywood as we speak.

Probably smart. Who knows what CMPD is going to shoot tonight. Best to be proactive to protect their property from police malfeasance.

[kermit]

Here is another view of last nights ambush of peaceful, law abiding protestors. You can see CMPD run to cut off the protestors route of escape before firing on them.  This is inexcusable.

 

 

[CLT2014]

1 hour ago, kermit said:

Here is another view of last nights ambush of peaceful, law abiding protestors. You can see CMPD run to cut off the protestors route of escape before firing on them.  This is inexcusable.

 

 

WOW. The police come out from the side and just start firing into the crowd. They looked like they were just walking!

[TCLT]

There's an aerial view too.

 

[kermit]

A few remarks from this afternoons mayor's  press conference following the afternoon meeting:

SBI will investigate last nights events (no timeline offered)

Body cam footage will be released to the public as soon as issues related to the state law are resolved (I think this will take a while)

[IMO I felt like the press conference really soft-peddled the gravity of what happened last night. I would like to have seen them show more immediate concern]

The city will review its use of chemical weapons. Lyles suggested they should never be used for crowd control but this was wishywashy.

Lyles was asked about a curfew and she was very clear that she did not want to institute a curfew and she did not want to place any limits on resident's freedom to assemble.

In a separate CMPD comment on last night, they blame protestors for the ambush gassing. They say there were 18 things thrown at CMPD, and nine dispersal orders were communicated. I would certainly like some video evidence of the former (we have seen no indication in the videos available now that happened) and would like an explanation for why none of nine dispersal orders was audible on the considerable number of protestor videos of the incident.  If the facts don't match the CMPD story things are gonna get way worse.

 

Edited June 3, 2020 by kermit

[TCLT]

13 minutes ago, kermit said:

In a separate CMPD comment on last night, they blame protestors for the ambush gassing. They say there were 18 things thrown at CMPD, and nine dispersal orders were communicated. I would certainly like some video evidence of the former (we have seen no indication in the videos available now that happened) and would like an explanation for why none of nine dispersal orders was audible on the considerable number of protestor videos of the incident.  If the facts don't match the CMPD story things are gonna get way worse.

Even if CMPD's story is true, and that's a big if, their actions were so far beyond reasonable and proportional that they have no leg to stand on whatsoever.

[videtur quam contuor]

This is what happens when the police chief has already said he is retiring in three months. Fire me? You cannot fire me. I have two feet and one arm out the door now.

[kermit]

2 hours ago, tarhoosier said:

This is what happens when the police chief has already said he is retiring in three months. Fire me? You cannot fire me. I have two feet and one arm out the door now.

The current acting (and deputy) chief, Johnny Jennings, was named as Putneys perminant replacement last month. The buck stops with the guy making the decisions last night and that was almost certainly Jennings. (Putney has all four limbs out the door now that the RNC is gone)

https://charlottenc.gov/newsroom/cityhighlights/Pages/Johnny-Jennings-Promoted-to-Charlotte-Mecklenburg-Police-Department-Police-Chief.aspx

Edited June 3, 2020 by kermit

[videtur quam contuor]

Putney was speaking on tv just now representing the CMPD. Jennings is seen nowhere.

[kermit]

1 hour ago, tarhoosier said:

Putney was speaking on tv just now representing the CMPD. Jennings is seen nowhere.

Interesting....

Very glad Putney stepped up, he at least has the ability to express some empathy, something that Jennings appeared to be incapable of on Saturday talking with Braxton.

[navigator319]

Interesting....
Very glad Putney stepped up, he at least has the ability to express some empathy, something that Jennings appeared to be incapable of on Saturday talking with Braxton.

He didn’t though. When asked exactly what he didn’t like about what happened last night his response was ‘it looked bad’ then some rambling and circled back to ‘the optics’ is what he did not like. Nothing about tactics or communication breakdown or any of the other things he could have went to while saying the investigation is underway.

Guy need to go now. The new guy gets one more chance in front of people and if can’t handle he needs to go also.

[Madison Parkitect]

Putney seems to not understand or maybe not care about what happened last night. CMPD clearly herded a group of protesters into a confined space, blocked the entry and exit, and then gassed them. It's terrifying that our police force acted like this. It looked bad because it was. It was the police attacking peaceful Charlotteans.

[kermit]

Fair enough, I was just giving him credit for this remark. But you are right, when I looked again it was clear he didn’t say much. 

What is even worse is these photos certainly contradict his statement that no one shot from above the crowd.

 

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by kermit

[southslider]

Strange how CMPD body cams never catch any instigating actions by protestors.

[XRZ.ME]

 

1 hour ago, southslider said:

Strange how CMPD body cams never catch any instigating actions by protestors.

1124PM on Queen city nerve live steam. Saw two fireworks throw into riot police line. at 3rd st and 277 ramp.

And police returned 2 flash bang.  Did not see water bottle flying but I can hear some protesters asking others do not through.

 

Until now, tonight's protest is still be best one since last Friday.

 

[kermit]

Boarded up but supportive at 5 Church

 

 

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by kermit

[DMann]

Sorry for the poor quality, but saw these military trucks entering the Convention Center around noon today.