Monday, September 6, 2021

 

Sent: Mon, Sep 6, 2021 12:36 am
Subject: Witness to history

Here is a bit of first-hand history I just posted in response to someone else's re-post of some bullshit put out by the city manager. Feel free to share:

 
Dispatch from Olympia on the events of August (sic) 4, 2021.

I drove through as the city hall protest was dispersing. I was on 4th Avenue, a block south of the transit hub, and witnessed large numbers of people running. Many had clubs and masks (including gas masks) and helmets. A few of these appeared to be Black Bloc (based on clothing, hair, gender diversity, and all those other signals an anthropologist can recognize).

These people were running west and north from city hall, many of them ducking into stores or alleys.

They were being chased by a group of almost all men, mostly in black and yellow, many with insignia and flags we’ve come to recognize as the signs of right wing extremists. Many with military style haircuts, and a lot of body armor and more military-looking helmets and masks. Almost all had clubs. I yelled out the window for them to get their Nazi asses out of here.

I suppose that was a risk, but they were more interested in chasing and yelling at the “antifa” people, who continued to run away, not engaging. As I passed through the block between Franklin and Adam’s, some of the fascists were regrouping.

I got to Plum street, looped back on 5th, and as I passed south of City hall and the police station, I saw two OPD uniformed officers riding bicycles AWAY from the riot on 5th. I stopped and frantically told them that armed fascists were chasing people through downtown and asked what they were doing about it. One shrugged and the other completely ignored me, and then the continued riding away.

I kept west on 5th, then looped back east on 4th. When I got to Franklin, I looked north and saw a group of maybe 20-25 fascists running in formation toward transit center on or near State Street. All armored, all armed with clubs.

Just after that, I heard 5 gunshots. One, a slight pause, and then 4 more. So I got the hell out of there.

On returning home, I was pretty shaky, but I called 911 and reported what I had seen. I also reported that I had told police and they shrugged and went in the opposite direction.

This may have begun as a standoff or argument, but as a witness, I can tell you that it turned into fascists hunting their enemies. Reports are already making seem like “there are bad people on both sides.” Notice how the “official” statement insinuates that a fascist only recently out of jail on assault charges was shot by the opposition. That remains to be seen, and is a departure from standard no comment during investigation procedure. The gaslighting is already begun.

As we have discussed, the small amount of coverage thus far is already slanting right. Yes, some "antifa" types planned to counter-protest an anti-mask protest at the city hall. That is their right. There are no credible reports of violence by antifa or black bloc prior to their being chased and attacked by proud boys and whatever other fascists were involved. Proud boys incite violence as a strategy, and then play victim. It is bullshit.


Acting like we need to give both sides the benefit of the doubt when one side are Nazis is bullshit, and functions as a social ratchet to secure fascism.

Toese was probably shot by his own people, and friends who have followed proud boy forums today say it appear to have been planned. Reichstag moment.

1 comment:

Paul Lamb said...

The part that I don't get (well, none of it makes rational sense) is that these fascist forces have ABSOLUTELY NO AUTHORITY to "police" the streets. They can't arrest anyone, and any beatings (or worse) they inflict are assault. That the police seem to look they other way is horrifying and not surprising anymore.

Had the witness made a video recording of her report to the two bicycle policemen, that might have gotten some airtime and sympathy, but in the moment it's hard to think that far ahead.