So I need to make a thread about what happened and is still happening in DC right now to Black Lives Matter protestors. Please read this.
To start, police tried to clear protestors and open up H st. earlier today. They reportedly pepper sprayed protestors in the process but protestors were able to push back police and set up barricades of their own to keep police out. Black Lives Matter plaza is a autonomous zone.
We saw what was happening so me and two other friends went into DC and as soon as we arrived we helped as much as we could by bringing cases of water.
We then begin to organize and move closer to the White House. Organizers told us by moving to the White House we would be risking arrest but encouraged us to stay peaceful and strong. After chanting and speaking, we turn our attention to the Andrew Jackson statue in front of us.
We take down the fence protecting the statue, most of the protestors link arms in a chain to protect those going up and wrapping chains around the statue in order to take it down. We are in a circle protecting those in the center.
Police moves in to protect the statue. They immediately get violent, pepper spraying and assaulting protestors who are linking arms peacefully. My friends and I hold the line strong and continue pushing back against police along with other protestors.
They break through the line and begin pepper spraying and arresting people. I got pepper sprayed in the face but my googles protected me. The area around my goggles where it hit burned. Others were hit badly and I use my saline solution to help as many people as I can.
We are completely blocked in, protestors abandon the statue and manage to escape by returning to the plaza, however police form in a line in front of us ready to strike. We link arms in a line again and protect those behind us. Since I had goggles, I was at the front.
Police move forward and become violent despite being unprovoked. They swing their batons, push with riot shields, and pepper sprayed us in the face. I got pepper sprayed again, and as I tried to get away a police officer grabbed my arm, twisted it and pepper sprayed me twice more
I break free and run. I’m blind, I can’t breathe and everything burns because of the pepper spray. I’m screaming for help. An older Black lady grabs me and leads me to a medical station. One of my friends says a cop ripped off her glasses and mask, and sprayed her in the face.
Shorty afterwards, another cop tried to hit a woman with his car. She was behind the car, banging on the back windshield saying “STOP” and he continued backing up into her. We ran to help her and as soon as we started recording he drove away. Someone got his license plate.
After this incident we left. I feel guilty for leaving, I wanted to stay and help more, but my hands were shaking, everything burned, and it was still hard to breathe. I am genuinely not surprised, violence and brutalization is what police are designed for.
I do not regret anything, nor am I posting this thread for sympathy. This is the reality of revolution. It is not pretty, it is not insta ready. Revolution is brutal and hard, but it is necessary. I will not back down. I will not give into fear. Now is the time to be strong.
Please feel free to post updates and information on how to help underneath this thread as well. Social media is a resource that we must use. I will be logging off to take care of my mental health. Thank you all.
Stop telling the oppressed how we should react to oppression. We have a right to be angry. To the people using MLK Jr. to disparage current Black protestors, it took 6 days of “riots” after his assasination to get the CRA signed. Everything America has, we built. Do your research
