“To Serve and Protect.” Time was, that was the motto of nearly every police force across the nation. From sleepy Mayberry to Miami, the point of the police was to serve and protect. There’s been a huge cultural shift over the last decades, though, that has militarized the police and created an atmosphere of “us v. them” that has led local law enforcement to “circle the wagons” and close itself off from the public it’s supposed to serve. And, of course, many of us came out of the womb with “ACAB” burned into our brains.
When ICE began its raids in LA, it looked like that distance was going to create a situation that would turn that us v. them divide into a front line in a civil war. The CHP, pinned under a bridge, firing tear gas randomly up at people dropping molotov cocktails. The LAPD running protesters off to rescue ICE agents “trapped” in a parking garage. Clearly, the local law enforcement had chosen their side, and it was not the people of Los Angeles.
On No Kings Day, we were all tense, braced for LA style crackdowns. Many of us had helmets and gas masks in our bags, IFAK that included supplies for severe trauma. And there was trauma at one event, in Salt Lake City. But that wasn’t at the hands of the police. It was at the hands of one of us, a peacekeeper, as 50501 calls them. Law Enforcement, though, from Salt Lake City to Salisbury, MD, supported the 1800 marches, rallies, and protest events.
I know, don’t trust the cops. They’ll turn on you in an instant. The whole barrel is bad. I don’t disagree with that, broadly speaking. But let’s make sure we know who the enemy is in this fight. The enemy is, first and foremost, the regime in Washington. Second, it’s the people who support the regime. That comes in two categories: your average MAGA on the street, and authorities in government at local, state, and federal levels.
Under our Constitutional system, the President himself is currently pretty unreachable. So we have to peel off his support. We do that through our marches and rallies. Twelve million people showed up on Saturday, and next time, there will be more. That gets the notice of elected officials. BUT ONLY IF IT STAYS PEACEFUL. Power structures are very defensive, and they have quick reactions to threats. Violent marches, rallies they can label riots? The powers that be know how to handle those. But a party with signs and American flags? That’s harder for them to combat.
How does a bunch of people chanting and waving signs change things? It gets elected officials nervous about re-election. So after each huge event, make a point of following it up with emails and phone calls to your elected representatives, telling them why you were out there, and what they can do to win back your support. It also changes the narrative. The media has stopped talking about the “riots” in LA (Not that I ever saw anything I’d call a riot, but “riot” gets clicks) because it’s hard to sell the image of violent protesters when pretty much everyone in America saw or knew of a protest near them, talked with friends who were there, or went themselves, and no one saw any riots.
There were threats — threats against the protests, from MAGA types who seem to have lost their ugly red hats. But they were still recognized, and dealt with, peacefully and quietly. Most protesters were probably completely unaware. But the police noticed. They noticed who brought the threat of violence, and who defused it. They noticed, because, like most of us, they might like their jobs, but they really don’t like working. And the Mazis were the ones making them work. That helps our cause.
We have to build on this. We have to keep coming out, and keep coming out loudly, and assertively, but peacefully and law abiding. We have to show that WE are the patriotic, orderly, proud Americans, to highlight that the threats and hate of the other side is the true enemy. That’s scary. They brought guns. They threatened us with their trucks. But Salt Lake City shows us, tragically, that our response cannot be to grab our guns (I know you have them…) because we’re all jumpy, and that can turn deadly, fast. We can’t even LOOK like we might be carrying — leave the Black Bloc for other things (it’s too hot to be wearing all that, anyway!), don’t show up wearing your skater helmet: it’s gotta look like a party.
Okay, yeah, have it all in your backpack. That’s just being prepared. But come dressed for a party.
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