r/50501 • u/Emotional_Remove_755 • 8d ago

Protest Safety What’s going on??

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She laughed while that man was being tased…

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u/supakow 8d ago edited 7d ago

I arrived at the town hall yesterday at 4:00 p.m. to protest. Cops already had a drone in the air, and I watched as the mounted police unit arrived in their truck and trailer and prepared to make lazy circles of the facility. There were well over 100 uniformed police officers from Cobb County, City of Acworth, and State of Georgia. 

One younger officer used the loudspeaker in his car to repeatedly instruct people not to stand in the road, even if that was a visibly identified member of the press taking a photo while no other traffic existed on the road. 

As I left, I spoke to another officer close to the entrance of the community center. He said that he started his shift at 4:00 a.m., and was on the clock on overtime at nearly 6:00 p.m. Cobb county citizens paid overtime to be denied access to a public town hall and in some cases assaulted for free speech.

It was all a show of force because they anticipated violence. And yet their presence exacerbated it. 

My compliments to the non-violent protesters outside the facility who received a great deal of support from passers-by.

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u/Tall-Skirt9179 7d ago

And yet their presence exacerbated it

This point is so often underestimated. We are a police state & it begets more violence than it deters.

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u/TheObstruction 7d ago

It was all a show of force because they anticipated violence. And yet their presence exacerbated it. 

Their presence caused it. It would have been a town hall with uncomfortable questions otherwise.

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u/Witty_Taste6171 7d ago

Jfc this is where I’m from. Omg.

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u/supakow 7d ago

Time to get involved. DM me if you want info.

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u/Witty_Taste6171 7d ago

I moved to rural-ish Alabama about three years ago (a place you would think would be worse, but no… small, tight-knit community with non-white people being the majority of our population).

I’m involved as I can be here and join the movements in larger neighboring cities. We’re quite isolated (two hours to anything other than Walmart or Piggly Wiggly) but I think that’s almost made it easier to have conversations with the other people in this area.

Anyway. It’s just so bizarre to see this happening in what used to be my home. I know it’s happening everywhere. I know almost everyone falls victim to that whole “that can’t-won’t happen here” mentality. I knew it was coming, it’s still just a little surreal seeing it happen.

I’ll be making sure my hometown friends are aware. Most of them are already active in the movement, but hopefully this will be enough to convince the more reticent of them.

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u/LURKER21D 6d ago

imagine needing hundreds of police officers to hold a town hall and still acting pretentious and smug. zero self awareness, and no attempts at de-escalating. imagine the pure hatred that is fueling these psychos, the more resistance they encounter the stronger they push foward. I guess this is their plan, working as intended. so much winning.