#phoenix protest

[wrongxdog]

ABOUT THE PHOENIX, AZ PROTEST TONIGHT.

I don’t know what additional action will be taken nor do I want to suggest what this means for attendance, but I think this is important to keep in mind.

please be safe.

additionally, i’ve heard that BLM Phoenix will shortly be organizing their own event- one that isn’t run by a Trump supporter.

[spooky--sapphic]

About the Phoenix AZ Trump Protest

8/22/17

You might see news reports of what went down at the protest, and I have already seen false narrative going around, and I just want to say what really happened.

I have been to nearly every Phoenix protest since the election, and this was one of the biggest (second only to the Women’s March). There were thousands of protesters- so many you could barely walk-and all were peaceful. We all stood crammed in a massive crowd in 110 degree heat but it couldn’t have been a more friendly community of people.

I cannot stress enough how peaceful everything was.

When it came time for the Trump rally to end, the police formed a line in front of the convention center facing the protesters, all decked out in riot gear.

I was standing at the front of the barricade and I saw everything that went down. I was there in the middle of it. I watched it all go down, and I have no reason to lie about it.

COMPLETELY UNPROVOKED AND WITHOUT REASON, police began firing pellets at the feet of the barricades. One extremely misguided protestor tossed a near empty water bottle over the barricade (And everyone around him immediately as at him to stop) in response but that one water bottle was enough for the police to immediately start unloading tear gas bullets on the crowd.

The cops gave absolutely NO warning, and made NO attempt to peacefully de-escalate the situation.

They fired with so much excess that the clouds of tear gas quickly filled the streets. There was also use of rubber bullets and flash bang bombs.

This was all over a water bottle.

I have been seeing people claiming that rocks and bricks were being thrown and that protester were attacking Trump supporters, all of which is completely untrue.

The Phoenix Police Department used completely unjustified and excessive use of force on a crowd of peaceful protesters.

This is what a fascist society looks like.

[breezybree]

My protest sign from August 22, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona - protesting President Trump’s visit and at the time possible pardon of Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

[grumpytrashgoblin]

People walking away from the crowds were gassed.

Don’t let them tell you the protesters were violent.

Helicopters are flying overhead now, telling people do disperse or be arrested/pepper sprayed.

what the fuck

[modusandi]

On the Phoenix protests:

I hesitate to post this because wow the internet sure does love it’s doxxing. Anyways, here is my first-hand account:

I was there near the "altercation" outside the Herberger Theatre. My group was less than 20ft. from the initial police action, closer to the 2nd St. side of things. At the time, people were being polite and peaceful. Down the protest line to my left, there were people playing drums, singing, and dancing. About 200 feet east of me at Saint Mary’s church, Catholic clergymen and others had set up safe zones for people. I CANNOT emphasize enough how non-violent we were. There were people going around handing out free water, snacks, and some collecting trash. H E C K there were people in cosplay at this thing. Some of us were angry, yes, but we had a right to be.

 When the cops turned on us, it was at a lull point in the protest, before the rally had really even finished. It was not even 9PM yet. A lot of people had already headed home, having been there for about five hours in 100 degree plus heat. At the time of the altercation, I was having a deep, anonymous conversation with a member of the media one moment, ended that, and then looked towards the empty Trump side of the street. I remember seeing police, already in full riot gear since before I got there, moving in close. Barely seconds later, the police were pepper spraying and firing sponge grenades and pepper bullets into the crowd. I didn’t know what was going on at first, and trying to understand what the pops and ricochets I heard were. No one on in the area was chanting, no one was being violent, no one was yelling at or provoking the cops. It honestly felt like they just started firing on us out of no where. There was no warning. Of the times I saw empty water bottles being thrown earlier on in the night, other protesters told whoever threw the water bottle to cut it out. Yet I didn't see a water bottle being thrown before we were gassed, and neither did anyone else of my group in the area. THE POLICE ATTACKED US FIRST, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. It was only after they attacked us that a few people threw water bottles and ammunition/gas back at the police. I ran for my life, yelling at people to get out of the area and leave the protest, flashbangs going off behind us. I remember sprinting to the light rail to get home, and having to explain to half of the people on there what just happened. Trump supporters on it were even surprised. One lady told me she had accidentally walked through our side earlier in the day, but had felt completely safe among us. 

 There is absolutely NO reason the police should have used the amount of force that they did. They attacked us, unprovoked, and without warning.

[sleepingpigeon]

protests are really draining……….. being so close to being tear gassed for doing nothing but holding signs is draining. seeing ur old classmates and old friends show up at this protest, sweating next to u in 100+ degree heat trying to make some kind of semblance of change or bravery is fucking draining dude.

[grumpytrashgoblin]

If any protesters need a safe place, Puente Human Rights is at Civic Space Park.

Please be careful!

[sassybears]

Went to the protest last night in downtown Phoenix and the things I saw the police department do were very different from start to finish. The beginning of it all the ppd were not engaging with either side and simply waving traffic and pedestrians into the appropriate areas. Things took a turn when the Trump speech ended and the people from inside exited the building. Immediately the ppd became hostile and pushed us with no warning farther away from where we were permitted to be as well as where a lot of our cars and rides we're going to be. They let off two smoke bombs right outside the Phoenix convention center around second street scaring many people and began shooting rubber bullets into the crowd. Chants broke out of "peaceful protest" and many of the protesters including myself try to stay across the intersection from the police. They continued to let off smoke bombs in an attempt to push us down the other side of the street and over to third. We had a mass gathered and were instructed to make our way down third street and cross back past second. As soon as we gathered everyone and made sure we were all on the same page of staying in a group and walking not running we made our way down third and while trying to cross over to second the ppd, in full gear, walk in a straight line down second and guarded off the entire street. They allowed to cars coming down to make U-turns and the supporters coming out from the speech to cross while continuing to block us, the protesters off. More smoke bombs were thrown down toward us and down the side of second street that they were headed toward as well as cop cars coming down to the intersection at third on our opposite side. As a group we managed to make it down third street for a while turn left and cross back over past second to central where we needed to be to catch the light rail. After we got there we saw the hordes of people at the light rail station where we were told that it would not be stopping and cop cars had the tracks blocked. Supporters trying to make their way to their cars were escorted across the intersection and down the street by police. We saw a truck rip out on the street filled with protesters and do donuts, have various people jump in the back of the truck, and continue to drive. They were escorted through the intersection past the light rail station by the ppd so they could leave. No one was injured or hit by that truck but the fact that no action was taken in a negative way and instead they were rewarded by being allowed to leave and the protesters were all being held captive, essentially, because all exits were being blocked off and gas being thrown at us was something that puts me at a loss for words. I've seen videos and pictures and news reports and accounts from other rallies and protests across the country and though I believe them and I see them and I know that they're telling the truth, it is a very sobering thing to be on the front lines and see it yourself; in your own city were many people you know walk daily and go to school and live their lives. I am glad I went. I witnessed more things good than bad, but I hope that this protest really opened many eyes because in a state that has been red for so long this should be a dramatic wake up call.