THREAD: This afternoon, 64 protesters in Louisville, Kentucky were arrested after while marching throughout the city against police violence and demanding the police officers who killed Breonna Taylor be arrested.
The protesters - led by @lsarsour and @TamikaDMallory with @untilfreedom as well as local organizers - began with a sit-in outside Churchill Downs, where the Kentucky Derby will take place in two weeks.
Police lined up in a formation.
Protesters continued marching, and police threatened to arrest them if they didn't leave the road. The group went on the sidewalk, marched around the officers, and then continued on.
They marched eastbound, and were blocked by cops on a bridge next to Cardinal Stadium.
Now, they were no longer allowed to proceed, even on the sidewalk.
Two were arrested, and many of the activists sat down in the street.
Following two arrests in front of me, I noticed police closing in behind us, forming a "kettle."
A handful of people were allowed to leave, so I took the opportunity to unkettle myself.
Police arrested everyone who remained sitting down.
See first tweet for more of arrests.
At bottom of the bridge, an argument between one man and a cop escalated, and a newly-formed militia coalition aligned with the activists called the "Loujihadeen" and the "United Pharaohs Guard" stepped in the way to separate the police and him.
They then made fun of the cops.
As the police were about to leave, activists stepped into the road, causing an officer to lead his guys back into a standoff with the armed crowd.
Ultimately, the crowd went onto the sidewalk and the police left.
The activists called it a victory.
"The Pharaohs just held that shit down," one United Pharaohs Guard militia member declared.
"They told us, 'we leave when y'all leave,' no, we stay and y'all leave! We're still here!" another added.
They say they will return September 5th, Derby Day.
Here is my full video summary of today's non-violent #LouisvilleProtests that left 64 arrested.
As always, raw footage is available for license. I will have some raw photos up tomorrow as well, but I have an early flight to catch before then.
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THREAD: On Tuesday, Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) officers with the Norfolk FBI and assistance from the ATF arrested Virginia man Brad Spafford for possessing an unregistered short barrel rifle (SBR).
The arrest was the result of a multi-year Confidential Human Source (CHS).
2) A Confidential Human Source (CHS, commonly known as "informant" or colloquially as "snitch") reported in January 2023 that Spafford lost fingers on Independence Day 2021 "while working with a homemade explosive device."
He says Spafford and friends were making ammunition for "something that Spafford would not be able to do alone."
The informant reportedly saw Spafford's hands "before and after the event" which is confusingly worded; if he saw them in person, then the informant has been around the defendant for more than three years.
If he saw them pre- disfigurement some other way, like a photo, then he still has been around him for at least nearly two years.
3) In May 2023, the informant and Spafford went to a gun range together, each with "their own weapons."
The informant brought his own Short Barrel Rifle, but it was registered.
The now-defendant allegedly brought what the informant believed was also an SBR.
Just now: Attendees of Vice President Kamala Harris’s rally at the Ellipse resort to climbing over the “scale proof” fences surrounding the event after exit gates were closed, apparently due to pro-Palestine protesters on the other side.
2) "Push it down!"
During some of the confusion as police wouldn't allow people to leave the Harris Ellipse speech, some pushed over a small plastic fence that divided them from other people also trying to exit.
It didn't make a difference.
3) "You say it's open but where's it open?" crowds frustrated attempted to confront police as they had difficulty leaving the Harris rally.
"No! No! No!" a cop said as a man jumped, leaving a woman with him behind, who would have had to find a not-closed gate.
Meanwhile, police attempted to confine the pro-Palestine protests outside.
VIDEO THREAD: "Queers love Palestine! HRC loves the war machine!"
Protesters rallied against the Human Rights Campaign dinner tonight featuring Tim Walz in DC to condemn their relationship with weapons manufacturers, which they say enable genocide.
"We're not interupting!" they chanted. "Pink washing is disgusting!"
2) Protesters put red paint on their hands to symbolize what they say is the Human Rights Campaign's support for the killing of Palestinians.
"HRC is using our name to pinkwash an administration committing genocide, burning children under rubble but those children are not human enough for the Human Rights campaign, shame!"
3) "We are here, we are queer! Zionists not welcome here!"
Protesters banged on the windows overlooking the escalator and lobby that HRC guests went through to get to the gala with Tim Walz.
Police stepped in, forcing them away from the glass.
This is my 4K footage of how the violence outside the United States Capitol began today.
You can see the first mace deployed (over the heads of officers, toward the activists) which angers the pro-Palestine crowd, who begins throwing water bottles as officers continue using mace.
A little over a minute into the clip is a flash grenade, one of only a couple I saw used today.
My understanding is this occurred after Netanyahu arrived but before he spoke to Congress.
2) As police engaged the crowd, a man scolded police and was maced as well.
The crowd continued marching, taking a wider route around the Capitol and avoiding most confrontations during the march itself.
3) "Smack Netanyahu in the head with that billy club!"
Activists continued a wide march around the United States Capitol from the West side to the East side clockwise.
Some pro-Israel, anti-Netanyahu activists stood along the path and were mostly ignored. Police blocked off streets heading close to the Capitol complex.
VIDEO THREAD: Protesters gathered Tuesday night in front of the Watergate Hotel (the second night in a row) for a noise demonstration against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who is staying inside.
"From DC to Palestine, Netanyahu's out of time!" chanted protesters using red and green smoke bombs. "Shut, shut, shut it down, no Zionism in this town!"
2) "Allahu Akbar! Hamas!" yelled one man through the fencer outside the Watergate at Israel supporters counter-protesting them from inside.
"Jewish motherf***ers!" he yelled. "We're gonna kill all of you!"
"We're gonna burn you!"
It should be noted that it was one lone individual, not the wider protest, using this specific rhetoric.
3) One man dawning an Israeli flag confronted the pro-Palestine protesters directly outside the Watergate.
"You're a coward, you should join the IDF and kill kids yourself, because you're a p***y," he was told.
The man says he's from Jerusalem, but he donates, rather than being in the IDF.