Who are Those Guys?
Many of the stormtroopers that cleared Lafayette park the other evening to make a path for Trump to do his photo op in front of St. John’s Church were wearing tactical gear, but no badges, ID plates or insignia. The press immediately noticed and began investigating. The Washington Post got to the bottom of it this week – they’re from the federal Bureau of Prisons, called up personally by Bill Barr. The BOP confirmed this shocking news and lied that they weren’t wearing BOP insignia or identification because they were being used “in a broader mission.” NO, they wore no insignia to make it harder to figure out who to hold accountable for police violence.
Adding to his mountain of lies, Bill Barr actually denied ordering the BOP officers and others to clear Lafayette Park to give Trump a clear lane to carry out his stunt for the photo op. He said that park police were already clearing the park when he arrived. That assertion doesn’t pass the straight faced test, and that wasn’t the question. The question is, did he give the order to clear the park so Trump could safely strut over to the church? Of course he did, and while they were at it, cordoned off the park with heavy security fencing to permanently distance the White House from Americans Trump is hiding from. And he did all that with his employees from his prisons in unmarked uniforms to conceal their identities. This is the exact same tactic that Putin used when he deployed “little green men” into Ukraine in 2014 in his attempt to take over that country and Crimea. The Russian government later admitted that those soldiers were indeed Russian military.
Welcome to the new normal of Trump’s America.
Barr’s already trying to worm his way out of this and you know his majesty will lay the blame everywhere but on himself. Pretty soon they’ll blame it on a janitor or groundskeeper!
1Barr and the Dementiadent seem to be engaged in some sort of cruelty competition. The daily abuse of protestors by the unbound murder police, identified or not IS the news cycle. It is the optics of brutality splashed large upon the US. It is so horrifying that even the backlash of Federal and local officials seems agonizingly slow to take hold.
2************************************
Condemning Police Conduct as ‘Disgusting,’ Federal Judge Bars Denver Cops From Using Chemical Weapons on Protesters
full article:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/06/condemning-police-conduct-disgusting-federal-judge-bars-denver-cops-using-chemical
Guess that explains what they talk about in all those late-night phone calls between Vlad and His Orange Turpitude…’How to Be a Despot: A Guide for the Complete Idiot’.
3a bunch of thugs
4Calling out the BOP “goon squad” to remove peaceful protestors?
Don’t have the time this morning to list all the legal barriers Barr leaped over with that act. But “repurposing” is something done with items in the recycle bin, not government employees. Where are the Senate Republicons? Hypocrites. When ‘normally’ they are very concerned about jurisdictional lines. Right Senator Collins?
5I am concerned about the prospect that these prison guards from Texas will be spreading covid which is spreading in the prisons they came from. Is this modern small pox blankets to the Natives? But their interaction may be mostly limited to other military persons since they are hiding behind multiple walls.
6Blackwater?
7Interesting picture. Can’t imagine any government based security force allowing such a rag-tag look in uniform and personal appearance. More likely,
8BOP uses Rent-A-Thug.
Wonder if any of these storm troopers will be used to enforce Lady Gs NDA? #misslindseyhypocrisyexposed
9Barr-barians? If they don’t say who they I guess we can call them whatever we like. At any rate it all sure looks like a war, against us, that we are paying for. Maybe the UN will send in some peacekeepers.
10Billy Barr’s Praetorians….
111. Trump has phone chat with Putin.
2. Trump stages photo-op with Bible. (Putin has long associated himself with Orthodox Church, even appearing in icons.)
3. Trump sends unidentified thugs (“little green men”) to clear Lafayette Park.
4. Trump announces withdrawal of 9,500 US troops from Germany.
Meanwhile, Lindsey Graham holds hearings to disprove collusion with Russia and discredit Mueller investigation.
Quite a week.
12@Buttermilk Sky: It’s going to be a long, hot summer. I can’t see any of this going away soon, including COVID-19. There will be a lot of frustrated people out there, including police officers–and Demented Donnie, making everything worse.
13Jefe: nice movie reference!
14Can’t find the photo online but Erin Schaff/NYT had one in the national edition/5 June 20 of one of BoP’s ‘finest’ wearing an American flag patch with a Punisher symbol over the flag. Besides the creator of the Punisher disavowing use of his symbol for cops, soldiers, white-party faithful, etc, it speaks to the mentality of those using power.
15Not far down I-5 from me in Oregon’s capital, local “finest” calmly gave armed counter-protesters of a peaceful Black Lives Matter March a friendly suggestion to hide in their cars. Salem police were going to be confronting the peaceful protesters. It’s becoming the new norm making it ok for paramilitary groups to roam streets to intimidate people that don’t agree with them. How overtly racist but obviously sanctioned by our finest. It’s not just unknown armed forces directed by the Trumpf administration in DC, but throughout much of the country.
16Intimidate this, Monster!
BLM Tsunami – massive showings across the nation. 30,000 in Chicago – Thousands more in Washington DC.
’This Is Incredible’: Enormous Crowds Flood Streets Across US Demanding End to Police Brutality and Justice for George Floyd
Edit: Saturday marked the 12th consecutive day of nationwide demonstrations, which have grown exponentially even in the face of vicious and ongoing police repression, mass arrests, and military intimidation tactics ordered by President Donald Trump.
Full article: video
17https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/06/incredible-enormous-crowds-flood-streets-across-us-demanding-end-police-brutality
The prison guards makes total sense. From an authoritarian point of view. People who are indoctrinated, trained, and paid to view anybody not them as criminals who deserve what they get. And Steve from Beaverton, the fact that most of them are anonymous just BEGS for right wing militia members to show up and realize their fantasies of dominating libtards. And then fade away. It’s probably the strategy behind the decision to put anonymous thugs in the street to begin with. Remember what the guy said in The Hunt for Red October. The average ruskie doesn’t take a dump without a plan. And like it’s been pointed out, this crap is right out of Vlad-the-trump-impaler’s playbook
18Trump has his in-house fascist, Stephen Miller, McConnell had his as well, Cotton (R of Arkansas) and now Barr has his motley crew of “black shirts”. G-d help us. The written Constitution and the unwritten norms and traditions mean nothing to these people. The Supremes provide judicial cover for this lawless “law and order” president and his lackys. Maybe the retired and active military will claw ack our democracy. Mattis, Mullen, et al are trying.
19BOP are some of the strangest folk I have ever met..good point that they have an “us versus them” mentality. A lot I met were former military cops. Enuff said.
20I was wondering if we would find out who these thugs belonged to. Was thinking we might have to cut one out of the herd and ask him.
Well, the “ Bunker Bitch” is well protected now. Will his “ friends” have to go with him on the campaign trail?
And…do the idiots in Washington realize that the para-military groups are anti-government. How many of those fine folks are imbedded in the police?
#16 Steve: wow, I hadn’t heard that. Found this article:
21https://www.insider.com/police-salem-oregon-protesters-stay-inside-curfew-proud-boys-white-2020-6
Sounds like the police chief was making excuses for the officer who warned the armed counter-protesters.
I used to live in the Portland area but am now in Newport (10K people on the mid-Oregon coast) and we’re lucky here to have a mayor and police force that does its best to treat everyone with respect. We’ve been here a year and heard of no issues of police acting inappropriately. There was a mid-day peaceful protest this past week (I was busy with work, dang it) with several hundred at city hall. Our state rep and two city councilors also attended.
https://newportnewstimes.com/article/protest-draws-hundreds
Some of the prison guys came from the prison in Beaumont – where I live. Not particularly comforting.
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