Masked Agitators Attack President's Supporters, Whine When MAGA Strikes Back

[SVPete]

Masked Agitators Attack President's Supporters, Whine When MAGA Strikes Back
BY DEBRA HEINE
MARCH 26, 2017

Pepper spray seems to be the weapon of choice for the anti-Trump left in California since the election.

Anti-Trump agitators pepper-sprayed Trump supporters attending a Milo Yiannopoulos event in Berkeley last month, and a "Make America Great Again" march in Huntington Beach turned violent in similar fashion on Saturday, leading to four arrests.
...
After about a dozen agitators wearing black masks formed a wall blocking the marchers as they made their way down to Bolsa Chica State Beach, the situation got ugly with a lot of yelling back and forth and at least one person -- a female march organizer -- getting pepper-sprayed.

Via the L.A. Times:

A group of flag-waving Trump supporters tackled the man with the pepper spray, who was wearing a black mask, and started punching and kicking him, according to witnesses. Several other fights also broke out between demonstrators.

The crowd chased the masked man, who jumped over a fence and started running along Pacific Coast Highway, where he was detained by California Highway Patrol officers.

...
Four people -- all agitators -- were arrested following the brawl that lasted about a half-hour. Three were arrested for alleged illegal use of pepper spray and a fourth person was arrested for alleged assault and battery, Capt. Pearsall said.

The "messy" - Trump supporters being forced to defend themselves - is starting. Sounds like they were professional, and the CHP (eventually?) did their duty. I can't help thinking that if Berserkeley and several other PDs had handled the Trump-haters better, things would not have come to this pass.

[thundley4]

The left wants a violent response from Trump supporters. They're going to get one soon enough.

[BlueStateSaint]

The left wants a violent response from Trump supporters. They're going to get one soon enough.

Unfortunately, when it happens, it'll be impossible to stop it being repeated all across the country.

[SVPete]

The left wants a violent response from Trump supporters. They're going to get one soon enough.

Unfortunately, when it happens, it'll be impossible to stop it being repeated all across the country.

I think the response has already begun. The several mayors (or city council critters) who told police chiefs to have their officers let @#$% happen gave Trump supporters and conservatives in other situations a choice: surrender and hide; defend themselves. Unsurprisingly many are choosing the latter.

I think one of two things will happen, and maybe both: some situations where people defend themselves against the Prog thugs will get very messy, with people seriously injured; police will come prepared to rallies, and place themselves between the conservatives, Trump supporters, etc. and the Prog thugs. I think that after 5 or 10 incidents of conservatives, et al, defending themselves and police preventing the thug wannabes from carrying out their thuggery, most of the thugs will move on - bullies are usually cowards.

[DumbAss Tanker]

The Left, the MSM, and the Prog mayors, WANT to see a violent confrontation with someone hurt or dead so they can blame the TRUMP supporters for it, no matter what the facts are.  It's the way they think, they're just looking for their own little Horst Wessel.

[SVPete]

The Left, the MSM, and the Prog mayors, WANT to see a violent confrontation with someone hurt or dead so they can blame the TRUMP supporters for it, no matter what the facts are.  It's the way they think, they're just looking for their own little Horst Wessel.

It's turning the intended meaning of the song on its head, but, "Freedom ... is another word for nothing left to lose." The choice between being condemned regardless of facts or knuckling under is lose-lose. Which means there is no net harm in choosing to fight back. Bullies - street thugs or politicians - don't think past their desired outcome, hurting and intimidating people. Neither expect much in the way of resistance, and neither think their intended victims would think of organizing traps (which I think will happen, maybe in just a few months, if the street thugs keep up their thuggery).

[DumbAss Tanker]

It is an analog of the song and its purpose, which is getting a political martyr so the martyr and Cause can be glorified, and the other side can be demonized and therefore further advance the Cause politically. 

In most cities, though, the police aren't really with that political program, because they can see at street level who the bad actors are and what a bunch of vicious punks the 'Antifa' disruptors are, so I look to see the political agenda fail where the rubber actually meets the road.

[SVPete]

It is an analog of the song and its purpose, which is getting a political martyr so the martyr and Cause can be glorified, and the other side can be demonized and therefore further advance the Cause politically. 

In most cities, though, the police aren't really with that political program, because they can see at street level who the bad actors are and what a bunch of vicious punks the 'Antifa' disruptors are, so I look to see the political agenda fail where the rubber actually meets the road.

An interesting point - one I hadn't considered. Most police officers are professionals, and at some point some street-level and some command-level officers are going to conform to pols' agendized instructions. And in large enough numbers to defy threats of punishment.

I do not relish any of these eventualities and possibilities. But they are what happen when politicians politicize policing.