@inthehands @mekkaokereke Ok, but in St. Paul it was...

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@inthehands @mekkaokereke
Ok, but in St. Paul it was outside suburban White Supremacists coming in to burn the city and murder protestors. I saw them driving in. They carpooled from malls outside the 694 loop.

Like 28 Jan 2023 at 6:15 | Wall-to-wall | Open on mastodon.social

6 comments

Paul Cantrell

@Okanogen Oh, I am not saying the police are the only people who were violent. I’m saying the police are the ones who made it a riot in the first place. I addressed a similar comment here: https://hachyderm.io/@inthehands/109765174553463365

28 Jan 2023 at 6:18 | Open on hachyderm.io

okanogen TheEnemyFromWithin

@inthehands
As a much older, browner Mac alum, I'm not going to light you up, but instead ask you to review your comments on that thread and consider the privilege it takes to make them.
Thousands of small minority businesses lost everything on Lake and University Aves and it wasn't the cops burning them out.
White Supremacy doesn't end or start with cops. They are a symptom, an element.

28 Jan 2023 at 6:58 | Open on mastodon.social

Paul Cantrell

@Okanogen I’m sorry. I think something I wrote there must have been really ill-phrased. Let me be clear:

A •lot• of people, not just police, were violent. I have no kind feelings, none, for the people who burned down business, many of which I love, several of whose owners I know personally. (Ruhel catered my wedding!) I am miserable about the places I’ll never be able to go again, and the people whose lives the destruction turned upside-down. I do •not• mean to absolve anyone who caused that.

28 Jan 2023 at 17:19 | Open on hachyderm.io

okanogen TheEnemyFromWithin

@inthehands

It's all good. I also had friends who lost everything. The small family drugstore across from my old house (and low income apartments above) was burned down by what I'm sure were White Supremacists coming down Snelling from Cambridge or wherever.

28 Jan 2023 at 18:37 | Open on mastodon.social

Paul Cantrell

@Okanogen Yeah. We still do not have a clear picture of how specific buildings burned, and probably never will. Nobody will ever face the music for it. I am bitter about that in ways I cannot put in words.

I know there were straight-up Nazis in my neighborhood taking advantage of the chaos — and specifically targeting minority businesses far from the protests.

I know there were people who just thought it would be fun make something burn, without any thought for the lives they were wrecking.

28 Jan 2023 at 18:41 | Open on hachyderm.io

Paul Cantrell

@Okanogen My comments about it being a “police riot” do not mean “•nobody• but police is responsible.” Rather, I mean that police are responsible •too•: they knew they were creating the conditions to summon all these forces of chaotic evil. It was intentional. And if anyone doubts the intent…police forced back firefighters (both official and volunteer) who tried to save burning buildings. Those are the thoughts behind my OP. Hope that clarifies; sorry again I was unclear!

28 Jan 2023 at 18:45 | Open on hachyderm.io