Monday, September 14, 2020

Lancaster

 The violence and arson that occurred during protests in Lancaster over the weekend previously placed that area in Zone 1. However, the government has announced that the people who were violent were "white nationalists" with the only evidence offered to substantiate this claim being the race of the people committing the violence:

Any time officers were pelted with rocks or bottles Sunday, it came from Caucasian men in the crowd, police Chief Jarrad Berkihiser said at the news conference.

There were between five and 15 agitators, all white men in their late 20s and early 30s, according to Mayor Danene Sorace, who said video footage is being put into a state police system to identify the agitators.

Using race as the only evidence that the violence is not due to BLM is disingenuous. According to this live of thought, only black people can belong to BLM. That is, of course, ridiculous. It appears to me that this is deliberate deflection and an attempt to continue the "police are using force against mostly peaceful protesters" trope. 

Since government capitulation and collaboration is one of the aggravating factors that increases violence to a higher zone, Lancaster is now placed in Zone 2. 

EDITED TO ADD: 

Berkihiser has been chief since May 2018

 The Police Chief and Mayor released this statement the same day as Floyd's death

The police chief made the same claims in June:

“We have seen with our own eyes the agitators that were in the crowd.”

Police Chief Jarrad Berkihiser said police have “definite evidence” that white nationalist groups were among the crowds of people who demonstrated over the weekend in response to the death of George Floyd during an arrest in Minneapolis. He said some were wearing body armor and carrying handguns.

Berkihiser said “Caucasian individuals” threw rocks and bottles containing cayenne pepper at police.


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