Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Rolan7]

Frank Zappa called the fascist theocracy in 1986 (the year I was born).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WGtMMXQcEg

Of course, maybe it's a safe bet that we're headed there *eventually*.  He didn't set a timetable like George Orwell

[Cthulhu]

Violent protestors shut down an opponent's rally and people call Trump's supporters browncoats.  Am I living in bizarro world?

[Reelya]

... especially since "browncoats" are from Firefly, as opposed to "brownshirts".

[mainiac]

Violent protestors shut down an opponent's rally

What is this in reference to?

[Cthulhu]

Unlike a lot of people I've seen, I'm arguing in good faith so I'm going to assume you were asleep or something and not assume you're making some kind of cheeky statement.

The Trump rally in Chicago was cancelled after a massive protest that ended up turning violent, with people trapped in the parking garage, ambulances being blocked, cops being hit with bricks, and possibly some shootings judging by police radio.

[mainiac]

Okay, but what is this about violent protesters?  Saying violent protesters sounds to me like a bunch of people came in and started beating people up.  It's an implied accusation.  Is there anything to substantiate that accusation?  If not I would suggest referring to them as loud protesters.

[O.Wilde]

The Trump rally in Chicago was cancelled after a massive protest that ended up turning violent, with people trapped in the parking garage, ambulances being blocked, cops being hit with bricks, and possibly some shootings judging by police radio.

Looking this up, all I've been able to find in the way of actual violence were 2 short-lived fistfights in the crowd. where are you seeing this?

[Cheeetar]

I'm going to echo the questions about protesters being violent. I've googled and seen reports of protesters being assholes after the rally was cancelled, and some scuffles before that seem (?) to have been minor and Pro-Trump initiated, but nothing that seems to suggest that protesters were physically aggressive before the rally was cancelled.

[Reelya]

Seems sort of dumb to hold a right-wing rally at a university. Basically the University of Illinois students were on their home turf, and a bunch of trump supporters turn up. I mean, it's their own university hosting the thing. Of course the college kids turned up to have their say.

The rally had been due to take place at a university that is one of the most diverse in the country, at a venue situated in the heart of Chicago, a Democratic stronghold where there are few registered Republicans.

If you literally wanted to engineer a situation to make it look like the other lot were out to get you, this is the exact thinking you'd use. Like holding a KKK rally in Harlem, then saying "I told you so!" when black people protest the rally.

From the sounds of things, fights only broke out after the news broke that Trump wasn't coming, and the anti-trump demonstrators started celebrating - this probably pissed off the pro-trump people. Before that police had full control over the thing. Trump probably got cold feet because he was advised it was a hostile crowd. Gotta have friendly crowds.

Trump’s rhetoric has done little to keep it in check. When the Republican frontrunner appeared in St Louis earlier on Friday, for an event that entailed more than 30 arrests, he complained: “Part of the problem and part of the reason it takes so long [to kick protesters out] is nobody wants to hurt each other any more.” Trump added: “There used to be consequences. There are none any more. These people are so bad for our country. You have no idea folks, you have no idea.”

So Trump is actually condoning beating up protesters at rallies. This guy is a scary person - he is bemoaning how loathe his own followers have been to break the law to form into little paramilitary units to police his rallies.

[Frumple]

Hey, news was talking about that as I walked by this morning. Faintly amusing thing to me is that they're apparently reporting the cancellation was a he-said/she-said thing: Trump('s campaign) said the police told him they didn't have the resources to keep control, the police said they told him the exact opposite and that everything was going pretty smoothly. One of those two is probably a lie, heh. Or both, maybe, which would be interesting.

... though for once, I have to admit I'm not terribly sure which. Cops are known to lie out their arse, trump's basically made it his campaign platform, both are pretty notable possibilities. Didn't stick around to listen much, though. Had morning ablutions to take care of.

[Reelya]

The police basically aren't going to go on the public record and state that they've lost control of a situation: that just looks bad for them. IDK the details, but I'd probably expect that it's the cops covering their asses.

[mainiac]

Has the blue wall of silence ever applied to protest control in the past?

[Strife26]

Has the blue wall of silence ever applied to protest control in the past?

I'm sure that it has.

[Loud Whispers]

somewhat akin to Cersei empowering the High Sparrow and Faith Militant in Game of Thrones. They may be alright with encouraging a culture of intimidation trampling over the First Amendment when it's directed at their political opponents, but perhaps they'll feel differently when it's directed at them.

NEW SEASON CLEGANE BOWL WEW

Wait, we don't have a real world analogue for Clegane Bowl do we? Sort of disappointed we didn't get to see a battle to the death between Bush and Bush. Maybe Clintonbowl?

[smjjames]

The police basically aren't going to go on the public record and state that they've lost control of a situation: that just looks bad for them. IDK the details, but I'd probably expect that it's the cops covering their asses.

It was pretty clear that they didn't have control of the situation last night, at least initially.