Opinion| It often feels as if there is more than one set of rules and standards in the US these days. One, strict and ‘guilty until proven innocent … and even if proven innocent, still guilty’ and ‘above the law.’ I’ll leave it to you to decide who falls into which group right now.
I’m sure you remember the lawlessness that rocked many ‘blue’ cities during the summer. Detroit was one of the cities hit hardest by the civil unrest, much of which was instigated/carried out by BLM activists in response to what they claim is ‘systemic racism’ and predatory policing tactics.
Depending on where you get your information, you may or may not be aware that there were many law enforcement officers who were injured while trying to prevent the city of Detroit from falling into complete and utter chaos. It is not being reported by Fox News that the city is looking to hold BLM accountable for the destruction that ensued.
Fox explains:
‘The city [Detroit] alleges that injuries to police officers have included “cracked vertebrae, lacerations, and concussions,” a report says
Detroit has filed a lawsuit against Black Lives Matter activists, alleging a “civil conspiracy” and claiming the protests in the city “have repeatedly turned violent, endangering the lives of police and the public,” according to reports.
The city claims the activists participated in the conspiracy, “defamed” the mayor and police, and contends that the city should be awarded damages, The Intercept reported.
The city cites four protests that occurred in the city this year, and alleges that injuries to police officers included “cracked vertebrae, lacerations, and concussions,” according to the report.’
From where I sit, it appears that one of the tactics used by bad actors (the people who were using the peaceful protesters, essentially, as human shields, while they engaged in violence and property destruction, was to try and label ANY action taken by people in the crowd as ‘peaceful protesting.’ Now, no one is more in favor of EVERY American’s right to peacefully protest than we are. HOWEVER, just like with your right to own a gun, the right to protest comes with responsibility.
The moment you start becoming violent, you stop being a protester and become a criminal. There is no excuse for instigating violence, defacing property, looting or arson … none, period.
However, according to Fox News, the lawsuit against the allegedly nefarious BLM segments has some on the left furious, ‘…. including U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who blasted the city’s counter claim as “an unthinkable assault on our constitutional rights,” in a November op-ed essay published in the Detroit Free Press.
Following the protesters’ lawsuit, a judge on Sept. 4 ordered Detroit’s police to stop using batons, shields, rubber bullets and other anti-riot tools and tactics against crowds.
City police Chief James Craig responded at the time that his officers had never used force against any protesters who remained peaceful.
“If someone is resisting arrest, or trying to attack our officers, we will use the force that’s both reasonable and necessary to overcome the resistance,” he told the Detroit News at the time. “We don’t want the protesters injured, and we don’t want officers injured, either.”
The protesters have so far responded to the city’s lawsuit by seeking support from national legal groups and by appealing to members of the City Council to cut off funding for the city’s legal action, The Intercept reported.’
This is a dangerous precedent. Either law enforcement is autonomous or it’s political, just like in banana republics. If BLM is able to lean on political allies to squash their being held accountable for those who committed crimes, I think that speaks volumes about how the law is applied in this country. Either it’s ‘Liberty and Justice for ALL’ … or it’s tyranny, you have to pick, you can not have both.
