Federal officers shine flashlights from inside a closing garage door at the rear entrance to the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on July 31, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
'Kenosha Doesn't Need to See a Repeat of Portland,' Warns ACLU After Trump Orders Federal Agents to Wisconsin
"Sending federal law enforcement to Kenosha will only make matters worse. We don't need more police, we need to end police violence."
Progressive critics responded harshly Wednesday after President Donald Trump ordered federal officers to Kenosha, Wisconsin under the pretense of restoring "law and order" in the aftermath of unrest that culminated in an armed right-wing vigilante murdering two Black Lives Matter protesters overnight who were demonstrating in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake earlier this week.
Mimicking the threat he made last month to deploy 75,000 federal agents into U.S. cities, Trump tweeted that "We will NOT stand for looting, arson, violence, and lawlessness on American streets."
Critics who pointed out that "officers should not be above the law" took issue with Trump's narrow definition of "law and order" and asked if he would be "holding the officers accountable for shooting Jacob Blake in the back?"
\u201c@realDonaldTrump So will you be holding the officers accountable for shooting Jacob Blake in the back?? Because that is how I'd like to see law and order enacted in the United States. Officers should not be above the law.\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1598462376
Other critics drew attention to the fact that it is not individuals demonstrating against police brutality who are the source of lethal violence but rather armed white supremacists who have been emboldened by Trump's racist and authoritarian rhetoric, including his late May comment that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."
\u201c@realDonaldTrump Imagine caring more about damage to property than about human lives. A white guy, supported by the Kenosha police and armed with an AR-15, went looking for trouble driving all the way from Illinois to Wisconsin and shot two protestors dead. The police literally let him walk away.\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1598462376
\u201cWhat about white supremacists and armed militia?\u201d— Wajahat Ali (@Wajahat Ali) 1598466436
Alluding to the widely criticized practices of federal agents deployed to Portland, Oregon earlier this summer, the ACLU stated that "Kenosha doesn't need to see a repeat of Portland, where federal agents wreaked havoc and violently trampled on the constitutional rights of protesters."
The ACLU of Wisconsin added that "sending federal law enforcement to Kenosha will only make matters worse."
\u201cKenosha doesn\u2019t need to see a repeat of Portland, where federal agents wreaked havoc and violently trampled on the constitutional rights of protesters.\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1598477870
Amnesty International USA also tweeted that "the militarization of policing does not enhance safety, but puts human rights at risk."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Progressive critics responded harshly Wednesday after President Donald Trump ordered federal officers to Kenosha, Wisconsin under the pretense of restoring "law and order" in the aftermath of unrest that culminated in an armed right-wing vigilante murdering two Black Lives Matter protesters overnight who were demonstrating in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake earlier this week.
Mimicking the threat he made last month to deploy 75,000 federal agents into U.S. cities, Trump tweeted that "We will NOT stand for looting, arson, violence, and lawlessness on American streets."
Critics who pointed out that "officers should not be above the law" took issue with Trump's narrow definition of "law and order" and asked if he would be "holding the officers accountable for shooting Jacob Blake in the back?"
\u201c@realDonaldTrump So will you be holding the officers accountable for shooting Jacob Blake in the back?? Because that is how I'd like to see law and order enacted in the United States. Officers should not be above the law.\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1598462376
Other critics drew attention to the fact that it is not individuals demonstrating against police brutality who are the source of lethal violence but rather armed white supremacists who have been emboldened by Trump's racist and authoritarian rhetoric, including his late May comment that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."
\u201c@realDonaldTrump Imagine caring more about damage to property than about human lives. A white guy, supported by the Kenosha police and armed with an AR-15, went looking for trouble driving all the way from Illinois to Wisconsin and shot two protestors dead. The police literally let him walk away.\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1598462376
\u201cWhat about white supremacists and armed militia?\u201d— Wajahat Ali (@Wajahat Ali) 1598466436
Alluding to the widely criticized practices of federal agents deployed to Portland, Oregon earlier this summer, the ACLU stated that "Kenosha doesn't need to see a repeat of Portland, where federal agents wreaked havoc and violently trampled on the constitutional rights of protesters."
The ACLU of Wisconsin added that "sending federal law enforcement to Kenosha will only make matters worse."
\u201cKenosha doesn\u2019t need to see a repeat of Portland, where federal agents wreaked havoc and violently trampled on the constitutional rights of protesters.\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1598477870
Amnesty International USA also tweeted that "the militarization of policing does not enhance safety, but puts human rights at risk."
Progressive critics responded harshly Wednesday after President Donald Trump ordered federal officers to Kenosha, Wisconsin under the pretense of restoring "law and order" in the aftermath of unrest that culminated in an armed right-wing vigilante murdering two Black Lives Matter protesters overnight who were demonstrating in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake earlier this week.
Mimicking the threat he made last month to deploy 75,000 federal agents into U.S. cities, Trump tweeted that "We will NOT stand for looting, arson, violence, and lawlessness on American streets."
Critics who pointed out that "officers should not be above the law" took issue with Trump's narrow definition of "law and order" and asked if he would be "holding the officers accountable for shooting Jacob Blake in the back?"
\u201c@realDonaldTrump So will you be holding the officers accountable for shooting Jacob Blake in the back?? Because that is how I'd like to see law and order enacted in the United States. Officers should not be above the law.\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1598462376
Other critics drew attention to the fact that it is not individuals demonstrating against police brutality who are the source of lethal violence but rather armed white supremacists who have been emboldened by Trump's racist and authoritarian rhetoric, including his late May comment that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."
\u201c@realDonaldTrump Imagine caring more about damage to property than about human lives. A white guy, supported by the Kenosha police and armed with an AR-15, went looking for trouble driving all the way from Illinois to Wisconsin and shot two protestors dead. The police literally let him walk away.\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1598462376
\u201cWhat about white supremacists and armed militia?\u201d— Wajahat Ali (@Wajahat Ali) 1598466436
Alluding to the widely criticized practices of federal agents deployed to Portland, Oregon earlier this summer, the ACLU stated that "Kenosha doesn't need to see a repeat of Portland, where federal agents wreaked havoc and violently trampled on the constitutional rights of protesters."
The ACLU of Wisconsin added that "sending federal law enforcement to Kenosha will only make matters worse."
\u201cKenosha doesn\u2019t need to see a repeat of Portland, where federal agents wreaked havoc and violently trampled on the constitutional rights of protesters.\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1598477870
Amnesty International USA also tweeted that "the militarization of policing does not enhance safety, but puts human rights at risk."