🧵 "Where are we now? From Black Lives Matter uprising to tough-on-crime backlash, and what's happening in Portland."
A timeline:
1960s: Civil Rights Movement
1960s-1970s: Tough-on-crime rhetoric & declaration of War on Drugs
1970s: Onset of mass incarceration and drastic increase in policing
2013-2020: Black Lives Matter Uprising
Now: Increased tough-on-crime rhetoric & policies
Shortly after the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, widespread tough-on-crime narratives rolled in the creation of the New Jim Crow- mass incarceration.
President Nixon's declaration of the War of Drugs, myths of the Super-Predator, and fear-mongering tactics led us to an astronomical increase in policing and incarceration.
In 2013, as a response to the acquittal of the man who shot Trayvon Martin, Black organizers Patrisse Khan-Collors, Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi coined the phrase "Black Lives Matter." Demonstrations arose across cities protested police brutality against Black people.
On Portland, OR: Named as an 'Anarchist Jurisdiction' by the President in the summer of 2020, Portland became a national lightning rod for media to spin fear-mongering stories of destruction & chaos. The media fixated on property crime.
Because of this, anti-fascist protesters were targeted and Black Lives Matter protesters were harmed night after night by Federal Agents and by the Portland Police.
Graphic includes headlines of articles. Headline 1: "Portland mayor: Time to 'take our city back' from violent protesters.' Headline 2: "Portland in frames AGAIN: BLM Rioters" Headline 3: "More antifa violence in Portland."
Headline 4: "How Portland leaders fumbled through a historic year of disorder, violence, and despair. Headline 5: "Biden draws bipartisan applause for calls to 'fund the police.' Headline 6: "Tents, rise in crime threaten downtown Portland, group says."
Did defunding the police lead to an increase in crime?
No. Data shows no correlation between police spending and the crime rate.
Locally: @KatMckelvey's analysis finds that in Portland there is no significant linear correlation between the number of crimes reported and the number of Portland Police Officers. static1.squarespace.com/static/5febc1e…
While the number of Portland police officers did decrease, this has to do with officer retention rather than fiscal shortcomings.
"We didn't defund the police, and they don't need more money. They quit after getting enormous overtime to maximize their PERS payouts." -@inafutureage
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SHARE WIDELY: Oregonians convicted of a felony can apply for Petition for reconsideration of conviction and/or sentence under SB819.
What is Senate Bill 819? SB 819 is an Oregon law that allows for resentencing of a person who was sentenced to any felony other than aggravated murder when the district attorney and the sentencing court finds, that the sentence no longer advances the interests of justice.
THREAD: Hello, My name is Natasha Wilson, I was one year old when my mother Debbie went to prison, and not just for a couple of days, weeks, or months but for 27 years. 1/*
That’s 27 missed birthdays, holidays, births of her grandchildren and just all around precious moments that we can’t get back. 2/*
My mother was convicted of and sentenced to 25 years to life for the death of my father. A man who not only repeatedly brutally abused her but also forced her into prostitution. 3/*
THREAD: Today, there are 1109 confirmed positive cases of #COVID19 among Oregonians in prison. There are 271 cases among prison staff. 13 people have died, thought to be from COVID, in Dept of Corrections custody since the pandemic began.
We sued for better protections for people inside from COVID. So far the court has declined to order them. 13 people have died while positive for #COVID at #Oregon prisons, 1 in May, 4 in August, 4 in September and 4 this month.
THREAD: We're representing 4 clients who filed a lawsuit today suing Proud Boys over assaults, battery etc. at rallies last month. For 2 weekends, the Proud Boys descended on Portland, sowing chaos, shooting at passers-by, and lobbing explosives. They're returning tomorrow.
Timing is not a coincidence. This suit is intended to deter the defendants from returning to our city to cause more harm and distress. The Proud Boys have a longstanding history & acknowledged strategy of using violence to intimidate & harm those who stand against fascism.
The lawsuit names 3 prominent figures associated with the Proud Boys: Alan Swinney of Texas, Corey Wyatt of Eugene, Ore., and David Willis of Lincoln Co, Ore. The lawsuit is also against certain presently unknown individuals.
THREAD: Today, there are 941 confirmed positive cases of #COVID19 among Oregonians in prison. There are 247 cases among prison staff. The Department of Corrections has reported a 7th death of an incarcerated person thought to be from COVID.
We sued for better protections for people inside from COVID. So far the court has declined to order them. 7 people have died while positive for #COVID at #Oregon prisons, 4 last month, 1 in May, and 2 this month. The most recent death was of a person from Snake River CI on Mon.
Three of #Oregon's largest workplace outbreaks are in prisons: Snake River CI (1st), Eastern Oregon CI (2nd), and Two Rivers CI (4th) according to @OHAOregon