Thread by @StreamerWayward

Monday July 4th 2022, @bitebackdc held a march in Washington DC. The intent of the march was to question why we are celebrating freedom when our autonomy, our community, and our rights are under attack.

As I arrived to the park about 20 minutes early the park was empty. The surrounding area of the park on the otherhand was flooded with police. Every side was lined with vehicles ans gear trucks/trailers. At one point I see the white shirts meeting. Ass. Cheif carrol is there.

The crowd was gathering in the park slowly as people talked and went over basics of what to expect. There was talk of no tone policing actions, why we were there, and safety run down banner says "corrupt courts & killer cops BURN IT DOWN"

While the crowd was doing a speech cops started thier intimidation tactics and rode thier bikes and motorcycles through the park next to people who were walking to the fireworks.

Video of motorcycles. "Middle fingers to the law, no no to the popo, fuck 12 fuck ice these racist cops have got to go"

Pictures of bike cops in the street. They tried to stay ahead of march at the beginning the first picture is of bike cops passing a Capitol Police Squad Car with the Capitol Rotunda In the background.

March occupies all lanes heading west down maryland chanting "whose streets our streets"

One of my favorite flags of the night was the fuck the police Squirtle flag.

March continues chanting " Abort the courts"

All cops are bastards ACAB

Passionate chants from crowd as they make thier way downtown. " fuck the church fuck the state people must decide thier fate"

As we get closer and closer to scotus we get rhetoric chat of "If abortion ain't safe, neither are you."

Once again reinforcing why the streets were taken last night. "No pride in genocide" as the police keep killing our nieghbors and kids, the courts stripping our rights, and white supremecy is rising we shouldn't take pride in America.

They can not control our bodies they can not control our rights.

Sign says "if you think I'll abandon my sister's in the south- we'll, bless your heart."

As we passed the north side of the Supreme Court I noticed Department of Homeland Security officer behind the fence. These fences are becoming way to common.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 fuck 12

As we made our way to first and constitution ne, bike cops set up an interesting blockade. The crowd took a break for water and a speaker spoke to some of the egregious things our country or police has done. I was focused on some cops off to a side.

Typically we don't see the capitol police in non uniform. They were overly stressed and multiple officers refused identification. They told me to find a white shirt. There was none in sight.

After a short break the march continued west toward the national mall. The first works just began as they took back off. The police quickly formed thier lines and blocked the path forward and did not give clear directions on where to go.

At some point when the march was cut off myself and several reporters found ourselves across the police line. The whiteshirts started targeting the march with violence and knocked several people down. Bike officers threw thier bikes into the crowd.

Some stills of behind the police line. There was a smoke device that was used by demonstrators but no clear sign of why the cops got aggressive.

Thr crowd was able to flank out of the bike cops and continue on original path. "Our bodies, our choice" chants continue.

Warning loud sirens. Like absurdly loud.( go like 10% volume)

This was less than a block away from last incident capitol police rushed in and started pushing people to the north through upper senate park. I had my phone knocked out of hand but recovered it quickly

Someone later told me that a motorcycle ran into the banner but I was not over there at the time. The cops were prepared to do everything they must to get us away from tourists while the fireworks went off.

The cop with his hand close to me at the end forced my camera to stop when he swiped it from my hands. I was able to retrieve the phone but only because I was quick.

Just after I get my phone back to recording. I keep asking for the cop who assaulted mes badge number but no answer form anyone.

At some point they didn't like me walking backward to film them. I don't trust them on my back that close. Keep eyes to them at all times. Officer tried to tell me I'll get injured if I keep walking backward Ididn't run into anything including several lawn chairs left by tourists

Here I am heckling a capitol police officer with the fancy m50 voice box gas masks. At the end you can hear me say " I need me one of them before yall peppers pray or tear gas me " this captiol police officer 7338 was one of 2 or 3 that actually identified themselves

The police kept pushing the crowd due north from the capitol toward union station.

Cops push us further through park while climbing down the stairs of upper senate park. We pass by the little body of water and continue on

Another act of aggression from captiol police as the crowd reached the roadway. RHODES(badge unknown) smacks umbrellas multiple times. Crowd then continues on for safety.

As we reached the road I noticed a support truck and a Bearcat driving by. It was the only time I actively saw it, and it continued north, not sure if it was downtown for fireworks or for us.

I notice a capitol police officer walking with a group of occifers carrying a giant duffle bag. He is the only one so I didn't think it was riot gear. I misquoted the names it is the mk-46h not mh-46. These canisters can launch spray over 40 ft and douse everyone.

"... is intended for use in crowd management and will deliver 26 short bursts of OC at an effective range of 25-30 ft. This 1.3% MC OC aerosol product utilizes a stream delivery method providing a target-specific, strong concentrated stream for greater standoff."

Defense technology is a leading supplier for chemical weapons used by police. They are the manufactures for most cannisters of CS gas or Scatter rounds in the United States.
defense-technology.com/product/first-…

At some point just after noticing the officer with a bag, I look back as see motorcycle cops getting within a foot of the crowd. This leads to injuries or officer running into the crowd. It is highly unsafe.

At this point the foot officers alone were probably a 1 to 1 ratio of protesters. The chants of middle finger to the law started again. We were not even at judiciary Square yet.

Hey hey, ho ho, these racist pigs have got to go.

Film the cops not us. It's an important Tatic. Get the population to film police actions and keep eyes on them.

Hey hey ho ho the Supreme Court has got to go!

Abort the Court, abort the court. As we pass the DC superior court where most hearings take place within the district.

Fuck the church, fuck the state the people must decide thier fate.

No justices no peace no racist police. March continues thier way towards Pennsylvania Ave.

Another crowd of people being told to film the cops. Police bike line stayed mostly around the march at all times.

SAY HIS NAME. #JaylandWalker from akron to dc we show solidarity. Shot in the back while posing no threat. Another family without thier child coming home. Can't celebrate their holidays together. A community broken. This is why we fight.

Ass. Cheif Jeffery Carrol of MPD walking next to march while the march says film cops not us. We are not far from where tourists were getting on metro or dispersing from the national mall

Whose streets? Our mother fucking streets. Crowd takes Pennsylvania Avenue west bound with the capitol in the background.

Pro-life is a lie, you don't care if people die.

This is a direct critique of how the pro-life movement actively fights against things like Healthcare, food programs, and fire arm regulations when involved in things like school shootings.

@LiteraryMouse has the angle that I think shows this better but as crowd marches past for human rights, people continue to ignore the issues and buy thier dessert from truck. They live in a bubble and won't open thier eyes to thier surroundings.

When ___ rights are under attack, what do we do, stand up and fight back. As the crowd continues down Pennsylvania. Police vehicles pass in the other lanes and head past march.

Hey hey ho ho these racist cops have got to go.

So this was one of the last intense moments of the march. There were some flags that were being sacrificed on Pennsylvania Ave. By the time the third flag was being added a bystander came barreling into crowd and snatched it as the flames singed the edges. Police moved in and

Created a line between the bystander and protesters. They began pushing us down a bit and brought a hand held fire extinguisher out to put fire out. At some point I noticed LT bagshaw( aka bagshit) and was surprised. It had been over a year since I saw his face.

This is a video of another sacrifice flag being extinguished.

The smoldering remains of one of the flag fires. Doused and in ruins, kinda like America.

SAY HIS NAME, JAYLAND WALKER being chanted on Pennsylvania Ave. Some of crowd chanted in support but alot of people just looked on.

When black lives are under attack what do we do? Stand up fight back. The march turned north and kept going

SAY HIS NAME JAYLAND WALKER. a sign during protest says " Land Back"

All Cops Are Bastards. ACAB. March continues into downtown with heavy police in area.

Who keeps us safe we keep us mother fucking safe. There is also some graffiti on the wall that says ACAB

As crowd heads north chants of "Abortion is, health care" the crowd keeps moving

They can not control our bodies, they can not control our rights.

As we reached Franklin Square Park, a park formally known for the unhoused community and many amount if trees that are no longer there, police filled the park while crowd did thier final moment of silence.

During moment of silence Bagshaw got real close to the crowd which is one of his tactics. He does this and then rushes a crowd typically. He did not this time.

But what he did do pisses me off the most. Protesters keep each other safe when on thr ground. It could be from cops, or from fash or even some random on the street. Bagshaw mocklying went "we keep you safe" with hand motions and all. Bagshaw is DCs most hated protest cop.

At this point myself and a few others dipped out from the area the crowd dispersed and I heard of no arrests.

I want to thank those who helped support whole on the ground and off. I can't do with work without your help. Those who did help with stuff this weekend was vital for the work.

If you want to help with front line coverage in upcoming events like trucker convoys or scotus response
I have several donation links.

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