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In Ferguson we are finally getting to see the glimpse(just a peek) of the tyranny creeping up on us in America. - Fully militarized police with a Tank(!) and m

In Ferguson we are finally getting to see the glimpse(just a peek) of the tyranny creeping up on us in America. - Fully militarized police with a Tank(!) and multiple snipers with assault rifles confronting unarmed civilian protesters.[1] - Tear gassing and arresting reporters - Al-Jazera news crew was shot at and tear gassed [2] - No fly zone over all of Ferguson - Street level blockades & teargassing of porches to keep people inside - No badges, tags or any identifying marks on police - etc, etc, This is a disgrace for America and a wake up call for all of us. [1] https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bu9CVPGIYAA_tFz.jpg:large https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bu9CVPGIYAA_tFz.jpg:large [2] https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bu-N9uIIIAEImna.jpg:large https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bu-N9uIIIAEImna.jpg:large

azernik 12y ago
I definitely agree with the sentiment, but I have to nitpick - neither of the vehicles in that picture is a tank. They are both large, light-to-medium armored, wheeled vehicles, and the rightmost one has some kind of gear mounted on top. Not everything that is big and painted green is a tank. On the other hand, this points to a (to me, more disturbing) aspect of all this - the adoption of military imagery and styling. Why does an urban police force, even if deals with rioting, need to wear camouflage patterns? Why do their trucks need to be painted green instead of the more traditional blue/white or black? This is indicative of a police force that sees itself as a military force, and its mission as a military mission.
- jonknee 12y ago
  It's a big recruiting tool these days. You can be a beat cop and play commando on the weekends. The marketing for this stuff is absolutely sick. Here's one from St. Louis (surprise!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot5_UPeZIUw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot5_UPeZIUw If they really wanted camouflage they would wear jeans. They just want to play commando and find some "action".
  - danudey 12y ago
    That video seems to have been posted by the production company as a promo, but… man, it's so cringeworthy I'm not sure I'd want my name on it.
idlewords 12y ago
The al-Jazeera crew was shot at? Can you point to a source for this?
- suprgeek 12y ago
  source https://twitter.com/jonswaine/status/499744438092980224 https://twitter.com/jonswaine/status/499744438092980224
- jmathai 12y ago
  Here's a video, http://www.vox.com/2014/8/13/6001193/al-jazeera-journalists-teargassed-by-security-forces-in-ferguson http://www.vox.com/2014/8/13/6001193/al-jazeera-journalists-...
barsonme 12y ago
Um, not to be that guy, but much like the other guy who replied to you said, that's not a tank. Also, in every picture I've seen of the militarized police they've had badges as well as tags that read 'POLICE'.
- Nate75Sanders 12y ago
  Unfortunately, they won't identify themselves when they're in riot gear.
tatterdemalion 12y ago
Police militarization is largely driven by grants from the DHS. The way American municipal police forces have been turned into a (poorly controlled) internal military is the blunt end of the same force that drives NSA mass surveillance.
williamcotton 12y ago
This is bad but it definitely isn't proof that we've turned in to some sort of Stalinist police state. This sort of heavy handed bravado has popped up in local police enforcement countless times in American history. This is quite tame compared to the lynch mobs of our not so distant past. It certainly doesn't help to spread fear. Don't let these frustrations fuel and justify the juvenile and irresponsible reaction we've seen from groups like Anonymous. These are scary times for everyone involved and polarizing the issue is a path that quite clearly and logically leads people away from resolving their conflicts. Perhaps you're just wanting to see things burn?
- deciplex 12y ago
  >Perhaps you're just wanting to see things burn? A few police stations would be a good start. You can clear everybody out first (optional operation).
- tatterdemalion 12y ago
  Though lynch mobs were unofficially sanctioned by municipal authorities, they were not paid for by grants from the federal government. I don't think the United States is a Stalinist police state, but there is a qualitative difference between the present militarization of the police and the history of vigilante racism.
- smokinjoe 12y ago
  > This is bad but it definitely isn't proof that we've turned in to some sort of Stalinist police state. That's kind of a super-extreme isn't it? He said first glimpse of tyranny creeping up. I took it as an implication that the wheels may be beginning to turn. Social unrest has also happened quite a number of times throughout history, but are we not allowed to be shocked in seeing weapons trained at civilians? Snipers? Vehicles of this stature? I mean, this is a town of 21,000 and utilizing this equipment was deemed appropriate? Fortunately, the death and violence and hate aren't on par with lynch mobs and the like, but are you trying to say we should just brush this off? If you could perhaps elaborate on how the concept of Police Militarization is being polarized and preventing a resolution? I don't see this particular resolution in the first place. We had the President decry weapons or war and then the Pentagon give 'em out. I don't feel like there is a resolution in place to be prevented.
deciplex 12y ago
Maybe depending on your ethnicity you are finally getting a glimpse, but for many Americans the tyranny is already here, it has been for a while, they've gotten a good deal more than just a "glimpse", and far from "creeping up", it has smashed through their front door in force and shot their dog and kid in the face. IMO the more photogenic white people getting jackbooted in the face, the better. It's good for solidarity.
- ugk 12y ago
  Wow. You're a real humanitarian. Most people just want it to stop, yet you want whitey punished.
  - ForHackernews 12y ago
    No, he wants rich white people to understand what the rest of America has been going through for years. That way, maybe they'll devote their political, social, and economic capital to reforming these abusive policing practices.
bayesianhorse 12y ago
On a slightly apologetic note: There were actual, real, violent outbursts. If you put yourself in the shoes of a police officer, you might understand the police' reluctance to stand up to a potentially armed and certainly aggressive mob without any protective gear, and in completely standard police cars. The individual misconduct of these officers should be prosecuted. But these rioting mobs won't stand a chance changing these "bullying" tactics or getting the police to "demilitarize". In some part, the protective gear actually decreases the need of applying violence against protesters, because the officers don't have to defend themselves as "actively" when trying to control a crowd.
- manicdee 12y ago
  I guess the protective gear reducing the need to apply violence is why these cops are armed with assault weapons and have snipers watching the crowd?
- jmathai 12y ago
  While I can see your point you have to really see this in context. Imagine a black community that largely feels (and by data proven to be) oppressed. Now that community has one of its children murdered by the police. When they want to take a stand they are confronted by a wall of heavily armed police that look like they could be fighting a war in Iraq (but as many have said they're even better armed). What possible reaction do you envision the black community having? I applaud them for keeping their composure as well as they have. I could not do that.
  - bayesianhorse 12y ago
    As callous as it sounds: Responding with violence is not going to change a thing. Also, telling such a community that their anger isn't helping, also helps nobody. Peaceful, non-violent resistance might work.
    - onli 12y ago
      Citation needed. Really. There were peaceful protests that were successful. But there were also many violent ones. Violence can and has changed many things. I don't like violence, but I like those wrong etaist pacifist statements even less. Edit: Or are you talking only about this specific situation and this is your opinion? Then nevermind, could very well be true here.
tzs 12y ago
What do you think are appropriate methods for police to respond to riots and looting? Also: could those who down vote please explain what you find wrong with asking what the police should be doing?
- smokinjoe 12y ago
  Quell riots and looting. You don't need trained snipers, full body armor and APCs to do that. Not for a town of 21,000. They were sandblasting saltines.
shard972 12y ago
Hell, and the US is the one trying to take the morale high ground with Russia. Maybe they need to spend more time looking at themselves.

azernik 12y ago

I definitely agree with the sentiment, but I have to nitpick - neither of the vehicles in that picture is a tank. They are both large, light-to-medium armored, wheeled vehicles, and the rightmost one has some kind of gear mounted on top. Not everything that is big and painted green is a tank. On the other hand, this points to a (to me, more disturbing) aspect of all this - the adoption of military imagery and styling. Why does an urban police force, even if deals with rioting, need to wear camouflage patterns? Why do their trucks need to be painted green instead of the more traditional blue/white or black? This is indicative of a police force that sees itself as a military force, and its mission as a military mission.

jonknee 12y ago
It's a big recruiting tool these days. You can be a beat cop and play commando on the weekends. The marketing for this stuff is absolutely sick. Here's one from St. Louis (surprise!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot5_UPeZIUw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot5_UPeZIUw If they really wanted camouflage they would wear jeans. They just want to play commando and find some "action".
- danudey 12y ago
  That video seems to have been posted by the production company as a promo, but… man, it's so cringeworthy I'm not sure I'd want my name on it.

idlewords 12y ago

The al-Jazeera crew was shot at? Can you point to a source for this?

suprgeek 12y ago
source https://twitter.com/jonswaine/status/499744438092980224 https://twitter.com/jonswaine/status/499744438092980224
jmathai 12y ago
Here's a video, http://www.vox.com/2014/8/13/6001193/al-jazeera-journalists-teargassed-by-security-forces-in-ferguson http://www.vox.com/2014/8/13/6001193/al-jazeera-journalists-...

barsonme 12y ago

Um, not to be that guy, but much like the other guy who replied to you said, that's not a tank. Also, in every picture I've seen of the militarized police they've had badges as well as tags that read 'POLICE'.

Nate75Sanders 12y ago
Unfortunately, they won't identify themselves when they're in riot gear.

tatterdemalion 12y ago

Police militarization is largely driven by grants from the DHS. The way American municipal police forces have been turned into a (poorly controlled) internal military is the blunt end of the same force that drives NSA mass surveillance.

williamcotton 12y ago

This is bad but it definitely isn't proof that we've turned in to some sort of Stalinist police state. This sort of heavy handed bravado has popped up in local police enforcement countless times in American history. This is quite tame compared to the lynch mobs of our not so distant past. It certainly doesn't help to spread fear. Don't let these frustrations fuel and justify the juvenile and irresponsible reaction we've seen from groups like Anonymous. These are scary times for everyone involved and polarizing the issue is a path that quite clearly and logically leads people away from resolving their conflicts. Perhaps you're just wanting to see things burn?

deciplex 12y ago
>Perhaps you're just wanting to see things burn? A few police stations would be a good start. You can clear everybody out first (optional operation).
tatterdemalion 12y ago
Though lynch mobs were unofficially sanctioned by municipal authorities, they were not paid for by grants from the federal government. I don't think the United States is a Stalinist police state, but there is a qualitative difference between the present militarization of the police and the history of vigilante racism.
smokinjoe 12y ago
> This is bad but it definitely isn't proof that we've turned in to some sort of Stalinist police state. That's kind of a super-extreme isn't it? He said first glimpse of tyranny creeping up. I took it as an implication that the wheels may be beginning to turn. Social unrest has also happened quite a number of times throughout history, but are we not allowed to be shocked in seeing weapons trained at civilians? Snipers? Vehicles of this stature? I mean, this is a town of 21,000 and utilizing this equipment was deemed appropriate? Fortunately, the death and violence and hate aren't on par with lynch mobs and the like, but are you trying to say we should just brush this off? If you could perhaps elaborate on how the concept of Police Militarization is being polarized and preventing a resolution? I don't see this particular resolution in the first place. We had the President decry weapons or war and then the Pentagon give 'em out. I don't feel like there is a resolution in place to be prevented.

deciplex 12y ago

Maybe depending on your ethnicity you are finally getting a glimpse, but for many Americans the tyranny is already here, it has been for a while, they've gotten a good deal more than just a "glimpse", and far from "creeping up", it has smashed through their front door in force and shot their dog and kid in the face. IMO the more photogenic white people getting jackbooted in the face, the better. It's good for solidarity.

ugk 12y ago
Wow. You're a real humanitarian. Most people just want it to stop, yet you want whitey punished.
- ForHackernews 12y ago
  No, he wants rich white people to understand what the rest of America has been going through for years. That way, maybe they'll devote their political, social, and economic capital to reforming these abusive policing practices.

bayesianhorse 12y ago

On a slightly apologetic note: There were actual, real, violent outbursts. If you put yourself in the shoes of a police officer, you might understand the police' reluctance to stand up to a potentially armed and certainly aggressive mob without any protective gear, and in completely standard police cars. The individual misconduct of these officers should be prosecuted. But these rioting mobs won't stand a chance changing these "bullying" tactics or getting the police to "demilitarize". In some part, the protective gear actually decreases the need of applying violence against protesters, because the officers don't have to defend themselves as "actively" when trying to control a crowd.

manicdee 12y ago
I guess the protective gear reducing the need to apply violence is why these cops are armed with assault weapons and have snipers watching the crowd?
jmathai 12y ago
While I can see your point you have to really see this in context. Imagine a black community that largely feels (and by data proven to be) oppressed. Now that community has one of its children murdered by the police. When they want to take a stand they are confronted by a wall of heavily armed police that look like they could be fighting a war in Iraq (but as many have said they're even better armed). What possible reaction do you envision the black community having? I applaud them for keeping their composure as well as they have. I could not do that.
- bayesianhorse 12y ago
  As callous as it sounds: Responding with violence is not going to change a thing. Also, telling such a community that their anger isn't helping, also helps nobody. Peaceful, non-violent resistance might work.
  - onli 12y ago
    Citation needed. Really. There were peaceful protests that were successful. But there were also many violent ones. Violence can and has changed many things. I don't like violence, but I like those wrong etaist pacifist statements even less. Edit: Or are you talking only about this specific situation and this is your opinion? Then nevermind, could very well be true here.

tzs 12y ago

What do you think are appropriate methods for police to respond to riots and looting? Also: could those who down vote please explain what you find wrong with asking what the police should be doing?

smokinjoe 12y ago
Quell riots and looting. You don't need trained snipers, full body armor and APCs to do that. Not for a town of 21,000. They were sandblasting saltines.

shard972 12y ago

Hell, and the US is the one trying to take the morale high ground with Russia. Maybe they need to spend more time looking at themselves.