Even giving the cops the benefit of the doubt, that they aren’t trying to quash free speech.
Cops are bastards who have only one tool at their disposal to handle everything. Arrests.
So they use it arbitrarily and frequently. They have no consequences for using it. Ever.
Someone disagrees? Arrest. Someone doesn’t do what the cop tells them? Arrest.
They’ll find a reason after the fact.
Their “lawful” orders or demands are things they want, and the only law behind them, is their ability to arrest you and leave you fucked having to sort it out later in the courts. They claim they are giving lawful orders ALL THE FUCKING TIME.
Cops need to be held accountable, personally, for every arrest that is thrown out. For every, single, time they THREATEN to arrest someone. Criminal penalties for arresting someone and THEN figuring out what to charge them with. If they don’t fucking know when they pull the cuffs out, they should face criminal and civil charges.
And fuck every cop that backs up another with trying to trump up charges after they arrest someone, too.
The article doesn’t quite answer the headline’s question, so I will: Why are they prosecuting non-violent protesters? Because cops are cops, so local cops support ICE, and prosecutors are virtually always on the cops’ side. There is no-one in government who actually believes you have a right to peacefully protest, unless you luck into a judge who still has a soul.
Yep, all cops are bastards.
intimidation and fascism.
Because all politicians are complicit.
They are all in on it. They just take turns being the bad guy.
I know a lot of these are going to be a bit knee jerk reaction and all the same but in this case with cops. What pops out to me in our current situation is due process. These arrests while wrong in most cases. Will get thrown out. Which is exactly why due process must never have exceptions. All arrests need to follow due process to remove wrong ones, even opening up for wrongful arrest suits, and also in the cases that are not simply thrown out to be able to show evidence that the officer was wrong or there was no actual crime commited or at least that they are not guilty of it. Its all great to jump on the negative but the violating of the bill of rights is what makes this a very dangerous time for freedom and democracy in america right now.
Due process always has exceptions. Prosecutorial discretion being a relevant one in this context.
To encourage them to be violent the next time?
