Part of the media narrative is the statement that the protesters are throwing fireworks at federal law enforcement.
They are trying to convey things like sparklers, mostly harmless.
At @USAO_OR & @DHSgov press con, we learn 6 officers were injured overnight at Portland riot, including some who had to be hospitalized from mortar blasts. Legacy media asked about officers plans to “deescalate” & how they’ll address grievances. I wasn’t selected to ask question. pic.twitter.com/9FdYZPQkSN
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) July 25, 2020
I posted this Tweet earlier:
Some are lobbing explosive fireworks over the fence at the feds. Here are two big ones. pic.twitter.com/NuQ27Jb5rs
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) July 25, 2020
There were six injuries from fireworks.
Big fireworks are serious business. A 2-inch mortar firework produces a very powerful blast.
Additional interior photo of the suspected explosive damage to the the East Precinct’s wall: pic.twitter.com/2qHnkiiWDZ
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) July 26, 2020
This is a hole in a wall made by protesters with their IEDs.
Any blast powerful enough to punch a hole in plywood is powerful enough to cause severe injury to a body.
Here is a news interview with someone who was injured by a firework.
This is a video from USA Today of what happens from being too close to a mortar firework when it goes off.
This man blew his entire arm off, and lost part of his hearing and sight.
Have I made it clear that fireworks, especially big mortars, are dangerous?
They can and do blow off hands and arms and take out eyes.
Throwing them at law enforcement isn’t cute or harmless protesting.
These people are throwing IEDs that can maim and kill.
This should be treated the same as throwing a hand grenade at police and that it’s not is dangerous for law enforcement, the civilians who they will throw these at next, and an example of obscene mendacity by the media.
I would love to see some asshole set one off at a Ted Wheeler or Portland City Council press conference. “Welcome to the front lines.”
I am so glad these terrorists don’t have access to Dynamite like the 1970’s terrorists did. They are using what they can find, fortunately they have not found worse.
I’m glad they apparently failed basic chemistry.
Fireworks are bad enough.
I’m sorry but my English decoder ring is broken. What does that last paragraph in your post say/mean?
Powerful fireworks used to hurt people should be thought of the same way as hand grenades, not as toys or entertainment items.
It’s dangerous for law enforcement to do this because it encourages it and makes the public not take this threat as seriously.
It’s dangerous to the public because we’re going to see fireworks used against civilians next. What happens when someone tosses several mortars into a car driving through a protest?
That the media downplays the danger of fireworks used as weapons is obscene.
Try this:
This should be treated the same as throwing a hand grenade at police. That it’s not dangerous for law enforcement or the civilians who they will throw these at next, is an example of obscene mendacity by the media
If i have a 35mm launcher, I can use it to launch flares and other devices and I am completely legal. As soon as I use that launcher to attack people, it legally becomes a destructive device. Once it is a destructive device, it can never return to being a legal launcher.
Why doesn’t the same apply here?
Because of “D”. 🙁
I live in Utah. When the 4th of July and Pioneer Day come around, I literally cannot tell the difference between the fireworks display the city does, and the fireworks my neighbors are blowing off.
Dang right they’re dangerous. I can’t imagine deliberately aiming something like that at a human being.
I do professional fireworks shows. 2 inch shells will go 200 feet in the air and when they break the ball is 100-200 feet across. This is not a joke. Launching these at humans IS like lobbing grenades. Lob one at me and you will get half a mag back. How long before they stop using teargas and rubber bullets?? How about some 120mm bee hive rounds in return?
As long as the perception is “they are just fireworks.”
Unfortunately some LEO is going to get hit in a shin or arm when a 2 inch mortar goes off and it will blow the officer’s leg or arm off.
Once the news isn’t “injury” but “officer loses leg to rioters” the opinion will shift to shooting the people who throw fireworks.
Did you see the footage of the Chicago police defending a Columbus statue? They were in the middle of a fireworks show — one of the officers had a charge blow up right on his vest.
The mob also had sharpened plastic pipes (which had been carrying signs) and frozen bottles of water they were throwing.
The mob’s goal is to provoke a violent response while having enough plausible deniability the press can claim they were “peaceful”. And the press will not report how dangerous the mobs are acting because they support them. Plus, accurate reporting on the mobs gets you death threats and beatings.
I always thought it should be an approved police tactic to throw or use anything the rioters use against you.
Get a bunch of bricks thrown at you? Pick a target and salvo them back.
Have a protester jabbing at you with a sharpened PVC stick? Take it away from him, and when he runs? Teach him why impalement was a cruel and unusual execution.
That would be unfair and police brutality to give it back in exact kind to the poor, innocent mobs of domestic terrorists.
Some people will not learn until they touch the hot stove burner. Worse, there are many others who see them touching the stove, and now they want to do the same.