Trump's secret police

[Stephen_Coyle]

Trump's secret police

Journalists covering the demonstrations on the ground in D.C. have in recent days documented numerous instances of armed law enforcement officers without any identifiable markings or badges refusing to say who they are or what agency they’re from.

“We cannot tolerate an American secret police,” tweeted Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced legislation Thursday that would require law enforcement officers and members of the armed forces to identify themselves and the agency they work for.


“The United States would normally condemn this tactic if used by dictators of other countries, and its use here directly threatens our democracy,” Murphy said in a statement. “Americans have a right to know who is patrolling their streets, and to have recourse if their massive power is misused.”

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/06/am...enforcement-officials-across-dc-sparks-alarm/

 

[Adre]

Bill Barr’s militia.

 

[Leather_Lesbian]

Bill Barr Thinks He’s in Command and Can Wage War in Our Cities

Barr explained on Thursday that he didn’t see any reason for troops to wear any insignia because they might not want to identify themselves. That’s not how it works in a democracy.

Barr isn't so much an attorney general as he is one of Trump's highest-ranking henchmen and he will do Trump's bidding, even if that means obstruction of justice, hurting innocent people and setting up a disconcerting gang of anaonymous thugs to commit acts of violence and oppression on Trump's behalf.



https://truthout.org/articles/bill-barr-thinks-hes-in-command-and-can-wage-war-in-our-cities/

 

[Leather_Lesbian]

“We cannot tolerate an American secret police,” tweeted Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced legislation Thursday that would require law enforcement officers and members of the armed forces to identify themselves and the agency they work for.


“The United States would normally condemn this tactic if used by dictators of other countries, and its use here directly threatens our democracy,” Murphy said in a statement. “Americans have a right to know who is patrolling their streets, and to have recourse if their massive power is misused.”

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/06/am...enforcement-officials-across-dc-sparks-alarm/

Trump Unleashes His Secret Police in Portland

In a dangerous authoritarian move, federal agents in camouflage and without badges are rounding up American citizens.

Donald Trump’s war on protesters is escalating, with reports emerging out of Portland, Ore., that federal law enforcement officers, wearing camouflage but without any other visible insignia, have been rounding up American citizens. On Thursday, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) reported that “federal law enforcement officers have been using unmarked vehicles to drive around downtown Portland and detain protesters since at least July 14. Personal accounts and multiple videos posted online show the officers driving up to people, detaining individuals with no explanation of why they are being arrested, and driving off.”

OPB quotes one person who was arrested by these officers, although never charged. “I am basically tossed into the van,” Mark Pettibone told the broadcaster. “And I had my beanie pulled over my face so I couldn’t see and they held my hands over my head.” He was taken to a building that he later discovered was a federal courthouse. Only there was he read his Miranda rights, but he was never charged. After he asked for a lawyer, he was released. Videos are circulating on social media of similar detentions.

“It’s like stop and frisk meets Guantanamo Bay,” attorney Juan Chavez told OPB. He added that these detentions were not following any rules of probable cause. “It sounds more like abduction. It sounds like they’re kidnapping people off the streets.”

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-secret-police-portland/

 

[allison22]

Trump Unleashes His Secret Police in Portland

In a dangerous authoritarian move, federal agents in camouflage and without badges are rounding up American citizens.

Donald Trump’s war on protesters is escalating, with reports emerging out of Portland, Ore., that federal law enforcement officers, wearing camouflage but without any other visible insignia, have been rounding up American citizens. On Thursday, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) reported that “federal law enforcement officers have been using unmarked vehicles to drive around downtown Portland and detain protesters since at least July 14. Personal accounts and multiple videos posted online show the officers driving up to people, detaining individuals with no explanation of why they are being arrested, and driving off.”

OPB quotes one person who was arrested by these officers, although never charged. “I am basically tossed into the van,” Mark Pettibone told the broadcaster. “And I had my beanie pulled over my face so I couldn’t see and they held my hands over my head.” He was taken to a building that he later discovered was a federal courthouse. Only there was he read his Miranda rights, but he was never charged. After he asked for a lawyer, he was released. Videos are circulating on social media of similar detentions.

“It’s like stop and frisk meets Guantanamo Bay,” attorney Juan Chavez told OPB. He added that these detentions were not following any rules of probable cause. “It sounds more like abduction. It sounds like they’re kidnapping people off the streets.”

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-secret-police-portland/

Oregon Governor Kate Brown has been commendably blunt in attacking Trump’s assault on protesters. On Thursday, she tweeted:

"The President is failing to lead this nation. Now he is deploying federal officers to patrol the streets of Portland in a blatant abuse of power by the federal government."

"I told Acting Secretary Wolf that the federal government should remove all federal officers from our streets. His response showed me he is on a mission to provoke confrontation for political purposes. He is putting both Oregonians and local law enforcement officers in harm’s way."

Brown shouldn’t be the only one protesting. Congressional Democrats need to open up an immediate investigation into the use of federal law enforcement officers in Portland. Joe Biden also needs to make clear that if elected he’ll order an immediate house cleaning in all federal agencies and that any officers found to have broken the law will be punished.

 

[Schlank]

Trump Unleashes His Secret Police in Portland

In a dangerous authoritarian move, federal agents in camouflage and without badges are rounding up American citizens.

Donald Trump’s war on protesters is escalating, with reports emerging out of Portland, Ore., that federal law enforcement officers, wearing camouflage but without any other visible insignia, have been rounding up American citizens. On Thursday, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) reported that “federal law enforcement officers have been using unmarked vehicles to drive around downtown Portland and detain protesters since at least July 14. Personal accounts and multiple videos posted online show the officers driving up to people, detaining individuals with no explanation of why they are being arrested, and driving off.”

OPB quotes one person who was arrested by these officers, although never charged. “I am basically tossed into the van,” Mark Pettibone told the broadcaster. “And I had my beanie pulled over my face so I couldn’t see and they held my hands over my head.” He was taken to a building that he later discovered was a federal courthouse. Only there was he read his Miranda rights, but he was never charged. After he asked for a lawyer, he was released. Videos are circulating on social media of similar detentions.

“It’s like stop and frisk meets Guantanamo Bay,” attorney Juan Chavez told OPB. He added that these detentions were not following any rules of probable cause. “It sounds more like abduction. It sounds like they’re kidnapping people off the streets.”

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-secret-police-portland/

Trump's secret police have been using unmarked vehicles to drive around downtown Portland and abduct peaceful protesters. Eye witness accounts and multiple videos posted online show the officers driving up to people, detaining individuals with no explanation of why they are being arrested, and driving off.

This isn't law enforcement. This is Trump's secret police sweeping up random people who have exercised their rights under the First Amendment.

Like Mark Pettibone, 29, who was heading home in the early hours of Wednesday morning when, according to The Post’s Katie Shepherd, “several men in green military fatigues and generic ‘police’ patches sprang out of an unmarked gray minivan.” Pettibone was detained, searched, driven to the federal courthouse, placed in a holding cell and read his Miranda rights against self-incrimination. He declined to waive them. And then, about 90 minutes later, he was released.

“I just happened to be wearing black on a sidewalk in downtown Portland at the time,” Pettibone told Oregon Public Broadcasting. “And that apparently is grounds for detaining me.”

This is not America.

 

[KeithD]

This is not America.

Well, as Mary Trump said in an interview a couple of days ago when asked a question about similar happens, yes, at the moment, with Trump in the White House, this is America. To change, Trump has to be dumped.

 

[Tigersman]

The so-called federal militia in Oregon is just the type of thing that brings about revolutions. Loyal Americans could easily see this activity as a just reason to revolt. Once it starts stopping it could be harder.

 

[domroger]

A point to ponder is how can you tell the difference between officials with no identification patches and badges and lunatic wannabees .

 

[KeithD]

A point to ponder is how can you tell the difference between officials with no identification patches and badges and lunatic wannabees .

. . . who have been buying camo from army surplus stores.

 

[phrodeau]

A point to ponder is how can you tell the difference between officials with no identification patches and badges and lunatic wannabees .

Ask for ID. If they show you one, they’re wannabes. If they punch you in the throat, they’re officials.

 

[LincolnDuncan]

A point to ponder is how can you tell the difference between officials with no identification patches and badges and lunatic wannabees .

The only way to tell the difference between secret police and the boogaloo boys is that the boys wear Hawaiian shirts

 

[LincolnDuncan]

Where are the defenders of freedom who claim that they needs guns to protect themselves from tyranny?

 

[phrodeau]

Trump admits that he’s meddling in Portland. https://mobile.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1284831061181173761

 

[LincolnDuncan]

Trump admits that he’s meddling in Portland. https://mobile.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1284831061181173761

Someone should ask him why he didn't sends troops to Michigan when armed civilians threatened the state capital.

 

[JackLuis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzHE_SY334o

Trumpy Thugs

 

[allison22]

Trump deploying 'secret police' as part of 'authoritarian' law enforcement surge

American presidents generally don't try to invade their own country.

Yet that's effectively what local officials say Donald Trump is up to, as he prepares to send hundreds of federal law enforcement officers to Chicago and to Albuquerque, New Mexico. "Donald Trump's troops" will not be allowed to "terrorize our residents," Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has warned. Albuquerque leaders say they don't need "Trump's secret police."

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/23/world/meanwhile-in-america-july-23-intl/index.html

 

[allison22]

Trump Unleashes His Secret Police in Portland

In a dangerous authoritarian move, federal agents in camouflage and without badges are rounding up American citizens.

Donald Trump’s war on protesters is escalating, with reports emerging out of Portland, Ore., that federal law enforcement officers, wearing camouflage but without any other visible insignia, have been rounding up American citizens. On Thursday, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) reported that “federal law enforcement officers have been using unmarked vehicles to drive around downtown Portland and detain protesters since at least July 14. Personal accounts and multiple videos posted online show the officers driving up to people, detaining individuals with no explanation of why they are being arrested, and driving off.”

OPB quotes one person who was arrested by these officers, although never charged. “I am basically tossed into the van,” Mark Pettibone told the broadcaster. “And I had my beanie pulled over my face so I couldn’t see and they held my hands over my head.” He was taken to a building that he later discovered was a federal courthouse. Only there was he read his Miranda rights, but he was never charged. After he asked for a lawyer, he was released. Videos are circulating on social media of similar detentions.

“It’s like stop and frisk meets Guantanamo Bay,” attorney Juan Chavez told OPB. He added that these detentions were not following any rules of probable cause. “It sounds more like abduction. It sounds like they’re kidnapping people off the streets.”

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-secret-police-portland/

More than a dozen mayors want the Trump administration to remove federal forces from their cities or stop upcoming deployments, according to a letter addressed to the heads of the Justice and Homeland Security departments on Monday and signed by the mayors of Portland; Seattle; Atlanta; Chicago; Washington; Boston; Philadelphia; Denver; Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Jose and Oakland, California; Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; and Kansas City, Missouri.

"The unilateral deployment of these forces into American cities is unprecedented and violates fundamental constitutional protections and tenets of federalism," the mayors wrote. Unlike local law enforcement agents, federal officers dealing with protests or crime have little accountability toward the communities they police.

The mayors cited the use of federal forces in Portland, Oregon, claiming they had "'snatched' an individual from the street" without identifying themselves and put him in an unmarked vehicle. "These are tactics we expect from authoritarian regimes -- not our democracy," the mayors wrote.

 

[Tigersman]

In Louisville an armed Black Militia was on the streets as a response to Trump's secret police. If one of Trump's secret police fires off a round anywhere except the gun range we could end up with a civil war. As a Vietnam Vet I definitely would take up arms against Trump's goons.

 

[LincolnDuncan]

I don't expect anything to change in regard BLM priorities being met priot to the election. Any demonstration peaceful as possible is getting an violent response from this administration. Is it wiser to retreat until after the electiona and spend that energy on voting.

 

[JackLuis]

In Louisville an armed Black Militia was on the streets as a response to Trump's secret police. If one of Trump's secret police fires off a round anywhere except the gun range we could end up with a civil war. As a Vietnam Vet I definitely would take up arms against Trump's goons.

What I earned in Viet Nam is always target the Leadership first.
It demoralizes them and uses the least ammo.

 

[JackLuis]

Quagmire: Trump’s mail order Fascism is as ineffective as his campaign against the coronavirus

If the street scenes during protests in Portland, Oregon, looked familiar this week, it’s because you’ve seen them before … in Iraq.

Heavily armed troops in camouflage garb with helmets and tactical vests moving through a community like an occupation army? Check.

Hostile civilians gathered together on the street in protest of the occupation army? Check.

Complete lack of knowledge about the civilian population on the part of the occupying army — whose members are not from the area and are there on temporary assignment? Check.

The whole thing deteriorating into a quagmire from which neither side will back down? Check.

It’s so eerily similar, the old quote from then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld comes to mind: “You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time,” he told a group of soldiers who were complaining about the haphazard manner of their assignment to Iraq and their lack of proper equipment.

Not going to war is a better option.

 

[Stephen_Coyle]

More than a dozen mayors want the Trump administration to remove federal forces from their cities or stop upcoming deployments, according to a letter addressed to the heads of the Justice and Homeland Security departments on Monday and signed by the mayors of Portland; Seattle; Atlanta; Chicago; Washington; Boston; Philadelphia; Denver; Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Jose and Oakland, California; Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; and Kansas City, Missouri.

"The unilateral deployment of these forces into American cities is unprecedented and violates fundamental constitutional protections and tenets of federalism," the mayors wrote. Unlike local law enforcement agents, federal officers dealing with protests or crime have little accountability toward the communities they police.

The mayors cited the use of federal forces in Portland, Oregon, claiming they had "'snatched' an individual from the street" without identifying themselves and put him in an unmarked vehicle. "These are tactics we expect from authoritarian regimes -- not our democracy," the mayors wrote.

Federal Agents Shoot Portland Reporter Hours After Judge Issues Restraining Order to Protect Journalists During Protests

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crim...TkCXckWpRZdJe3PshcJvXVvnZ-kFDXvT25ncBquHh-UiE

 

[Schlank]

Trump Unleashes His Secret Police in Portland

In a dangerous authoritarian move, federal agents in camouflage and without badges are rounding up American citizens.

Donald Trump’s war on protesters is escalating, with reports emerging out of Portland, Ore., that federal law enforcement officers, wearing camouflage but without any other visible insignia, have been rounding up American citizens. On Thursday, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) reported that “federal law enforcement officers have been using unmarked vehicles to drive around downtown Portland and detain protesters since at least July 14. Personal accounts and multiple videos posted online show the officers driving up to people, detaining individuals with no explanation of why they are being arrested, and driving off.”

OPB quotes one person who was arrested by these officers, although never charged. “I am basically tossed into the van,” Mark Pettibone told the broadcaster. “And I had my beanie pulled over my face so I couldn’t see and they held my hands over my head.” He was taken to a building that he later discovered was a federal courthouse. Only there was he read his Miranda rights, but he was never charged. After he asked for a lawyer, he was released. Videos are circulating on social media of similar detentions.

“It’s like stop and frisk meets Guantanamo Bay,” attorney Juan Chavez told OPB. He added that these detentions were not following any rules of probable cause. “It sounds more like abduction. It sounds like they’re kidnapping people off the streets.”

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-secret-police-portland/

Trump's Secret Police Are Pulling Back from Portland


Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Wednesday that federal agents from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will soon begin a phased withdrawal from the state’s largest city, as directed by Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf. Brown, a Democrat, said the decision was made after negotiating with federal law enforcement leaders and Vice President Mike Pence.


“These federal officers have acted as an occupying force, refused accountability, and brought violence and strife to our community,” Brown said.
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xg8577/trumps-secret-police-are-pulling-back-from-portland

 

[SevMax2]

I predict that in two weeks time, every member of this Administration will be in a holding cell, awaiting Madame Guillotine.