[thread] There was a shooting at 3am in the CHOP. Medics acted quickly to transport victims to the hospital. 1 of the 2 victims died. Police are now spinning it as evidence that the protesters are dangerous. But what it actually shows is how vulnerable they are to attacks.
Why are they so vulnerable to attacks? For two weeks, the police have been telling the media how dangerous protesters are, and the media have been reporting this unquestioningly. This encourages vigilantism and emboldens white supremacists.
They are endangering everyone.
They are endangering everyone.
And this is precisely why protesters don't trust police. Because of these lies, they don't trust the police to fairly investigate violence committed against protesters, and I don't blame them.
Meanwhile, the medics who acted quickly are heroes.
Meanwhile, the medics who acted quickly are heroes.
Watching media narratives around CHOP unfold in real time is surreal. One thing is certain: Never again will I read a headline that ends in "...police say" and not question (1) its veracity and (2) the ethics of whoever is amplifying whatever police say without fact checking it.
And let's not forget how the SPD attacked medics as they tried to treat protesters wounded by the SPD.
thestranger.com/slog/2020/06/1…
thestranger.com/slog/2020/06/1…
UPDATE: SPD have released a video of their arrival at the CHOP. According to their post, they were "met by a violent crowd that prevented officers safe access to the victims." This is FALSE. As you can see from the video, the victims were already gone.
spdblotter.seattle.gov/2020/06/20/hom…
spdblotter.seattle.gov/2020/06/20/hom…
The crowd does indeed seem very freaked out—they just watched someone get murdered! To characterize this as "violent" is in unbelievably bad faith, though.
The first thing it brought to my mind was Darren Wilson saying that Mike Brown looked "like a demon" when he killed him.
The first thing it brought to my mind was Darren Wilson saying that Mike Brown looked "like a demon" when he killed him.
Imagining Black men as "violent" and "demonic" when they are afraid for their lives is a racist trope with deadly consequences.
archive.thinkprogress.org/darren-wilson-…
archive.thinkprogress.org/darren-wilson-…
Omari Salisbury is live in the CHOP now:
