Here's one way to treat violent protestors... slap on "gang enhancement" charges with life sentences. Black Lives Matter protesters in Utah face charges with potential life sentence https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/black-...harges-with-potential-life-sentence-1.5054245 SALT LAKE CITY -- Some Black Lives Matter protesters in Salt Lake City could face up to life in prison if they're convicted of splashing red paint and smashing windows during a protest, a potential punishment that stands out among demonstrators arrested around the U.S. and one that critics say doesn't fit the alleged crime. The felony criminal mischief charges are more serious because they carry a gang enhancement. Prosecutors said Wednesday that's justified because the protesters worked together to cause thousands of dollars in damage, but watchdogs called the use of the 1990s-era law troubling, especially in the context of criminal justice reform and minority communities. "This is so far beyond just the enforcement of the law, it feels retaliatory," said Madalena McNeil, who is facing a potential life sentence over felony criminal mischief and riot charges. Charging documents say she bought red paint at a Home Depot before the July 9 demonstration sparked by a fatal police shooting ruling. She later yelled at and shifted her weight as if to slam into police during the demonstration, charges state. "It's really frustrating and scary ... I just feel so much concern for what this means for the right to protest in general." The charges have Democratic leaders at odds in Salt Lake City, the liberal-leaning capital of conservative Utah, with the top county prosecutor arguing vandalism crossed a line and the mayor calling the charges too extreme. The potential life sentence stands out as harsh punishment even among other people facing felony charges stemming from protests around the country. In Portland, Oregon, for instance, a 32-year-old man is facing up to 20 years on an arson charge alleging he broke into a building that houses the police headquarters and set an office on fire. The Utah demonstrators are unlikely to serve prison time, said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. Though they'd get at least five years if convicted as charged, criminal cases often end with a plea to lesser counts. "I don't think anyone is going to be going to prison on this," he said. Gill is a generally reform-minded Democrat who said he has participated in Black Lives Matter protests himself and declined to charge dozens of protesters accused of curfew violations. Still, he argued "there's some people who want to engage in protest, but they want to be absolved of absolved of any behaviour," he said. "This is not about protest, this is about people who are engaging in criminal conduct." But for the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, invoking a law aimed at street gangs in troubling, especially against demonstrators of colour. "You are calling participants in a protest gang members," said attorney Jason Groth. And there are other side effects to criminal charges, he said. McNeil tweeted Thursday she was asked resign from her job in the non-profit sector and all the defendants have to post $50,000 bail to get out of jail. "This is the highest degree felony. This is usually reserved for murders and rapists," said attorney Brent Huff, who represents co-defendant Madison Alleman. Another defence attorney Jesse Nix, who represents protester Viviane Turman, questioned whether Gill should have filed charges involving his own office. "No one should get life in prison for putting paint on a building," he said. Gill countered that short staffing during the coronavirus pandemic necessitated that but others will handle the case going forward. More than 30 people have been charged with various crimes in Salt Lake County since the national wave of protests over George Floyd's death began in late May. Similar first-degree felony counts have also been filed against people accused of flipping and burning a police car May 30. "We have to have some agreement of what constitutes protected First Amendment speech," Gill said. "When you cross that threshold, should you be held accountable or not?"
It took attempted mass murder for the Portland Mayor to finally admit that the protest are not peaceful. Some excerpts below. https://www.foxnews.com/us/portland-mayor-condemns-rioters-for-attempting-to-commit-murder Portland mayor condemns rioters for 'attempting to commit murder' Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler Thursday evening condemned the actions of rioters who attempted to set fire to a police precinct and blocked the exits while officers were inside. “When you commit arson with an accelerant in an attempt to burn down a building that is occupied by people who you have intentionally trapped inside, you are not demonstrating, you are attempting to commit murder," Wheeler said in a news conference with Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell. "Don’t think for a moment that you are if you are participating in this activity, you are not being a prop for the reelection campaign of Donald Trump — because you absolutely are," he said. "You are creating the B-roll film that will be used in ads nationally to help Donald Trump during this campaign. If you don’t want to be part of that, then don’t show up.” “I believe that city staff could have died last night,” Wheeler said. “I cannot and I will not tolerate that. This is not peaceful protests. This is not advocacy to advance reforms.”
They said it would be peaceful when the Feds left.... now it is worse than ever. Riot declared as dumpster fires burn in city of Portland https://nypost.com/2020/08/09/riot-declared-as-dumpster-fires-burn-in-city-of-portland/ Protesters were back on the streets of Portland, Oregon, Saturday night as violent demonstrations have continued in the city that had hoped for calm after federal agents withdrew more than a week ago and local police try to quell the unrest. A crowd of several hundred people formed late Saturday outside the Portland Police Association building, about 5 miles north of the federal courthouse that had been the target of nightly violence earlier this summer. Live video showed multiple dumpster fires near the building, less than half an hour after police tweeted that “criminal activities including, but not limited to, vandalism, unlawful entry to the building, or fire starting,” could be subject to arrest, the use of tear gas and/or crowd-control munitions. Video posted on social media also appeared to show a fire inside the building. The Portland Police Association is a labor union that represents members of law enforcement. A riot was declared by police just after 11:30 p.m., and demonstrators were asked to leave. (More at above url) A meme of a dumpster fire to represent Portland is quite appropriate IMO. They should change the city symbol.
ANTIFA Organized Rioting and Looting Chicago... Shots fired as crowds clash with police in downtown Chicago https://www.wral.com/shots-fired-as-crowds-clash-with-police-in-downtown-chicago/19228274/ Hundreds of people smashed windows, stole from stores and clashed with police early Monday in Chicago's Magnificent Mile shopping district and other parts of the city's downtown. At one point, shots were fired at police and officers returned fire, police spokesman Tom Ahern said on Twitter. No officers were injured in the shooting. Many of the businesses that were ransacked had recently opened after Chicago protests of George Floyd's May 25 death in Minneapolis devolved into chaos. It wasn't immediately clear what led to the unrest, which began shortly after midnight, but anti-police graffiti was seen in the area. Hours earlier, dozens of people had faced off with police after officers shot and wounded a person Sunday in the city's Englewood neighborhood, located about 10 miles (16 kilometers) away. Asked for updates on the situation, Ahern told The Associated Press in an email that police planned to hold a news conference Monday morning. Police Superintendent David Brown and Mayor Lori Lightfoot were expected to attend. Along the Magnificent Mile, people were seen going in and out of stores carrying shopping bags full of merchandise as well as at a bank, the Chicago Tribune reported, and as the crowd grew vehicles dropped off more people in the area. On streets throughout the downtown area, empty cash drawers from stores were strewn about and ATMs were ripped open. Stores miles from downtown were also ransacked, with parking lots littered with glass and items from inside the stores. Clothes hangers and boxes that once contained television sets and other electronics were seen — evidence that thieves had taken racks of clothes and removed them from the hangers. “This was obviously very orchestrated,” the Rev. Michael Pfleger, a prominent Roman Catholic priest and activist on the city’s South Side, told WBBM-TV as cameras panned the downtown area. One officer was seen slumped against a building, several arrests were made and a rock was thrown at a police vehicle, the newspaper said. Police worked early Monday to disperse the crowds. There was a large police presence Monday morning outside an Apple store located north of Chicago’s downtown area. Blocks away, debris was strewn in parking lots in front of a Best Buy and a large liquor store. Train and bus service into downtown was temporarily suspended at the request of public safety officials, the Chicago Transit Authority said on Twitter. Bridges over the Chicago River were lifted, preventing travel to and from the downtown area, and Illinois State Police blocked some expressway ramps into downtown. Chicago and its suburbs, like many other cities, saw unrest following the death of Floyd. Chicago’s central business district and its commercial areas were shut down for several days after violence erupted and stores were damaged in the wake of marches protesting Floyd's death. Floyd, a Black man who was handcuffed, died after a white officer pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes as Floyd said he couldn’t breathe. In the Sunday shooting in Englewood, police said in a statement that they responded about 2:30 p.m. Sunday to a call about a person with a gun and tried to confront someone matching his description in an alley. He fled from officers on foot and shot at officers, police said. Officers returned fire, wounding him, and a gun was recovered, police said. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and three officers involved also were taken to a hospital for observation, the statement said. More than an hour after the shooting, police and witnesses said a crowd faced off with police after someone reportedly told people that police had shot and wounded a child. That crowd eventually dispersed.
Nothing will change... until appropriate force and arrests are performed by the police to eliminate the looting, arson, and violence. Portland is another example of the problem... Portland officials declare riot, force protesters away from burning police union office https://thehill.com/homenews/state-...clare-riot-force-protesters-away-from-burning