Simon watched and listened to the press conference and the q&a, and fwiw, here's what Simon took away:
1. @ChiefCLovell made it abundantly clear with his responses that the only thing he operationally supports is defending police precincts and the @PPAVigil building.
(1/
1. @ChiefCLovell made it abundantly clear with his responses that the only thing he operationally supports is defending police precincts and the @PPAVigil building.
(1/
He made numerous statements that with limited resources, the @PortlandPolice can't be everywhere at once, and can't bring enough resources to challenge events like yesterday's paintball and macing melee, but will surely defend and protect police precincts and the PPA bldg.
2/
2/
2. @tedwheeler , despite saying it's not about him, made it entirely about him. Like Simon's grandfather taught him, #TearGasTed is not stupid. He's not evil
He's just wrong. He'll never resign, and for some reason feels that he is the one who can "do the work", (3/
He's just wrong. He'll never resign, and for some reason feels that he is the one who can "do the work", (3/
"Build coalitions", and make change. The great white privileged savior.
3. @tedwheeler is in way over his head, and by his comments today, equates anything other than holding a sign, cheering, speaking, or orderly marching under civil compliance, as violence.
(4/
3. @tedwheeler is in way over his head, and by his comments today, equates anything other than holding a sign, cheering, speaking, or orderly marching under civil compliance, as violence.
(4/
4. The police will not stop attacking protesters, and if comments made today are any indication, will double down their show of force to silence voices and antagonize whom they please. (5/
5. No one will come to save us or rescue us. No immediate changes or course corrections will take place unless we grab hold of the wheel and start steering the ship.
6. @tedwheeler really really wants the protests to end. Somehow that will make it magically possible (6/
6. @tedwheeler really really wants the protests to end. Somehow that will make it magically possible (6/
to start the work he will lead us through to make structural changes. He is completely tone deaf, and totally self-absorbed. He cravenly clings to his power as mayor, unwilling or unable to delegate or cede in the interest of progress. (7/
7. Based on today's press conference, we Portlanders MUST show up in huge numbers, train on shield wall to make it bigger and stronger, stand courageously in defiance when they bark their orders, support the journalists, share our truth, witness with our own eyes, (8/
and protest, loudly, strongly, like our lives depend on it.
@tedwheeler is begging for, and banking on "this summer to end", don't give the fascists the satisfaction.
"You cannot push the river, it flows by itself"
@tedwheeler is begging for, and banking on "this summer to end", don't give the fascists the satisfaction.
"You cannot push the river, it flows by itself"
