Make sure you cover your dog’s ears if you read this out loud:
A Trump supporter who protesters told me had shoved a young girl was surrounded by the mob, pushed, punched, and he was rearing for a fight before police finally allowed him behind their skirmish line.
Throughout the night, I saw a woman egged, a couple trailed and pummeled while heading to their car, a man chased and tackled, and more blood than I expected.
Trump likes to make the case that the protesters who attend his rallies aren’t genuine, merely organized efforts by his political opponents. Thursday didn’t have that feel. These were kids who seemed to be out for the thrill of the brawl. Gang hand signs were thrown in abundance.
We’re going to have full fledged race riots this summer. Trump is encouraging it and antagonizing, our airmchair revolutionaries are giddy, the media wants it, and there’s not much we can do about it, I’m afraid.
redshirt
He’s lighting a fire that most try and defuse.
Klown
Democrat thugs riot in the street and it’s Trump’s fault.
Riiiiight.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Major Major Major Major
I don’t know about the gang signs (that stood out at me too when I read about it this morning) but there are lots of kiddies out here itching for a fight with The Man who use lefty causes as cover for antisocial tendencies. In addition to the dipshits like you linked to who think political violence is good.
I used to do security & nonviolence training for LGBT protestors out here and you’d be amazed how many people on our side just want to smash shit.
ETA: Like Fuckface DeBoor, apparently
Adam L Silverman
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: is the HR human resources of Hillary Rodham?
redshirt
@Major Major Major Major: I wonder at what point we’ll need people to smash shit: Sooner or Later?
Tokyokie
What Chuck says.
Mike J
Obama, Clinton, and Sanders have condemned violence. Trump offers legal services to his supporters who commit acts of violence.
As stupid as the talk of gang signs etc is, I have to say I was disappointed with a fair few on the left who wanted to make it just a random thrown egg or two, like a junior high prank.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Adam L Silverman: no idea, I only see the genius of that odd person when other people pass it along on blogs or twitter, he does seem to change his handle a lot. His time here is a vague memory to me.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I remember the silent protest at UC-Davis after the pepper spray incident. That footage was effective and chilling.
The Thin Black Duke
@redshirt: When people like you talk about needing “people to smash shit”, what usually happens is people like me get killed.
encephalopath
It’s San Jose, so you can’t read too much into this.
Earthquakes fans, Ultras cosplay enthusiasts.
Adam L Silverman
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’ve never read his stuff. I know people don’t seem to like him, here or at LGM, but I don’t really know what his deal is and I’m fine not knowing.
seaboogie
@Tokyokie: Nah…he actually refers to Trump a politician – something he has never been nor will be. It’s just fomenting anarchy in service to wounded ego + media clickbait + anger + racism.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Adam L Silverman: looking through his feed, it seems to be a snarky reference to his fellow tweet warrior who got suspended or fired from Vox for harassing, to the point of doxxing, women on twitter
Adam L Silverman
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I am constantly amazed at the stupid things people do on twitter.
Roger Moore
This violence is most likely the result of “black bloc” anarchists. There’s a sizeable group in the Bay Area who do their best to turn every protest in the area into a riot.
Mike J
@efgoldman: People who get linked here on a semi regular basis. Another one popped up on my twitter feed in the past five minutes.
Renie
I’ve been catching up reading on yesterday and today’s threads. I would really love it if we could do something about the trolls. They disrupt every post and it is getting tiresome to keep having them show up. Thanks.
Omnes Omnibus
@Renie: What would you like to do about them?
David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch
A chunk of the Bern-outs are the emotional children who rioted at the WTO conference in Seattle in 1999.
Adam L Silverman
@Renie: I’ll check with upper management and see if we can get a policy review underway.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Omnes Omnibus: I believe the appropriate internet tradition of which I am aware involves rockets and suns. Myself, I try not to play with them until a thread is dying.
eemom
@Omnes Omnibus:
Make trollade.
some guy
this gives a new spin on hippie punching
Omnes Omnibus
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Honestly, I am bothered the the call to toss out trolls. How do we define them? I’ve seen some people who have been long time commenters here called trolls because they have gone full-on Bernie-Bro. I like Cole’s policy of a free-for-all until someone goes full-on racist, sexist, or tries to dox someone. I am in favor of letting people have a voice. In the end though, it is Cole’s blog and his decision.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Adam L Silverman: I have no problem with trolls, I installed Troll-b-Gone(I’ve only blocked 2 commenters).
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Omnes Omnibus: yeah, I appreciate the light touch with the ban hammer, though I think the seven thousand word cut’n’pastes should be added to the list of bannable offenses
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: I sent him an email informing him of the concerns and asking for a clarification on the commenting policy. I’ll let you all know if I hear back.
Joel
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: The struggle for abolitionism is a lot different than disrupting other people’s right to free speech and assembly. But, alas. Freddie’s the PhC, and I’m not.
some guy
gawker has the other side of this story
http://gawker.com/photographs-show-trump-supporters-pepper-spraying-prote-1780399845?utm_medium=sharefromsite&utm_source=Gawker_twitter
BillinGlendaleCA
@Omnes Omnibus: I tend to agree, although I do block some commenters(as I noted above). I really think it should be left to the individual user and the tools exist for them to use. If a commenter becomes abusive then Cole can use his ban-hammer.
Joel
@The Thin Black Duke: Antisemitism is back in vogue, too!
Joel
@some guy: Check the lede. That assault happened in San Diego.
SiubhanDuinne
@Adam L Silverman:
I hope it was in ALL CAPS. Cole ignores emails unless they’re in ALL CAPS.
Ella inNew Mexico
Why does a part of me think Trumpmor his campaign or one of his surrogates is arranging for some of these “violent protesters” to show up and trash the place-so he can look like a victim to his supporters?
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
@Renie: It’s better for your sanity to install Cleek’s pie filter or The Other Chuck’s Troll-B-Gone if the trolls are bothering you. Banning should be a last resort, and at least one here doesn’t get the hint so banning isn’t a permanent solution either.
HTH.
Cheers,
Scott.
(Who has only used Cleek’s filter.)
Adam L Silverman
@SiubhanDuinne: Oy vey…
gwangung
@Roger Moore: Which does not make The Thin Black Dude’s comment untrue.
SiubhanDuinne
@Adam L Silverman:
It’s TWUE.
some guy
@Joel:
indeed. a week before San Jose. amazing how little “both sides” coverage it got/
maryQ
@efgoldman: it doesn’t matter what they are. They will be ascribed to the left because that fits the narrative. This PC culture, this leftist thugocracy, continues to victimize peaceful white Christians. Trump was right and we must stop them.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Ella inNew Mexico: I think that’s probably the case, at least to some extent.
maryQ
@Ella inNew Mexico: this would not surprise me in the least
BillinGlendaleCA
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: So you hear a lot about the wonders of pie?
tsquared2001
@Roger Moore: Thanks, Roger.
ETA: fascists and anarchists had a fight club.
reality-based (the original, not the troll)
completely OT – this thread, is she open? feels late enough – but ignore if not –
after having my PC grabbed and forcefully updated to Windows 10 by the Microsoft borg on Thursday -with the predictable result that my mouse, sound, display, email were ALL f&^%d up – I went to war.
( I thought it was something I did, until Watergirl on the Dick Morris open thread said it had happened to some of her customers that week – there’s loud howls about it everywhere, Microsoft’s been pulling this shit for months. I couldn’t believe they were actually going out and hijacking computers, bringing small businesses and Dr.s offices to a halt – but they were/are. . )
So I researched the “Go Back” procedure, backed up critical files – fuming I don’t have TIME for this shit – then thought, hey, why should I do this?.
So I called Microsoft Tech Support on the phone, screamed various versions of “how DARE you” – made them come in remotely and change me back, uttering dire threats if things didn’t work . Feel bad about venting on some poor tech support droid in Bangalore – but hopefully I was forceful enough that she’ll forward that call up the chain.
Of course, they’ll just do it again in 30 days – be warned, PC users – unles you install a “don’t upgrade me by force” patch. (be warned. ) MS offered to do it – don’t trust them, no thanks, I’ll get if from CNET.
Talk about your unforced errors – wonder what marketing genius thought THIS was the way to spur adoption of Win 10? (I spent 20 years in Tch marketing in Silicon Valley – I know the breed. ) Now I’ll NEVER upgrade.
Re stupid asses giving Trump his daily dose of victimhood footage – Charles Pierce called them out in high style.
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
@BillinGlendaleCA: Sometimes. ;-) Sometimes I just skip over it because the stories get old. And sometimes I take a peek at the un-pied version and am pleasantly surprised. It’s nice that Cleek makes that an easy option (clicking on the little arrow glyph).
Cheers,
Scott.
mike in dc
OT–Muhammad Ali reportedly near death. :(
Adam L Silverman
@Renie: I’ve heard back from the proprietor. Here’s the policy:
So that’s that.
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: Good.
Adam L Silverman
@SiubhanDuinne: That has not seemed to be the case with me, but your mileage may vary.
Renie
@Omnes Omnibus: Ignore them or just give them pancake recipes. Anything to make them go away.
Cat48
RIP Ali
Major Major Major Major
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: I try to only pie people who really deserve it. That way I’m not tempted to click on the little arrow to see what was typed.
lamh36
Fuck you 2016!..
Damn…RIP…Muhammad Ali
dmsilev
@mike in dc: Just got a news alert that sadly we can delete the ‘near’ part.
RIP.
Renie
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: I’m gonna try one of these. Thanks.
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: just put up a fresh post for people to comment as they feel the need.
Mike J
@Renie: Chuck’s filter not only nukes comments from trolls, but responses too.
GregB
I said a long time ago that he is no clown and he’s uncorking a genue that won’t get stuffed back in the bottle.
Magatha
@Roger Moore: “This violence is most likely the result of “black bloc” anarchists. There’s a sizeable group in the Bay Area who do their best to turn every protest in the area into a riot.”
Thank you. They really make me mad, and have done for years. I’m just a simple country spinster who used to go out and protest sometimes, and gradually these nimrods elbowed me out. I want to pinch their heads off. I suppose the better and more effective strategy would be to turn myself into a virus and nuke them from the inside. But it’s so hot, and I’m old, and infiltrating an anarchist group seems daunting and icky and anyway anarchists are total shapeshifters. Don’t mind me: it’s hot and I’m old. Do you have any remediating suggestions?
GregB
Genie! A effing genie!
NotMax
@Renie
They slither out of the woodwork every election cycle. What’s going on thus far is a mere taste of what’s to come.
Just scroll on past.
Mnemosyne
As the other Californians in the thread have mentioned, the assholes who did this are locally notorious for showing up at protests and causing violence. Hopefully other leftist protesters who are not affiliated with said assholes will be smart enough not to let themselves get lured into violence.
opiejeanne
@Roger Moore: We have those same anarchists, Black Bloc, in the Seattle area. They have turned peaceful protests into near-riots.
msdc
Waitasec, wasn’t Emmett Rensin the Vox editor who made his bones by complaining that liberals are too smug?
Douchebag.
Brachiator
@Major Major Major Major: Yes, some of the people there were throwing gang signs. But sometimes people do this just like giving the middle finger. It means that they know about gangs and live around them, not necessarily that they are gang members themselves. But it is still an intimidating sign.
Some of the people involved here are not just protesting Trump. They are deliberately trying to provoke and sometimes hurt Trump supporters. And some of the Trump supporters are eager to fight back. But other people clearly want none of this.
And the police amazingly have been restrained.
Still, this is going to escalate into tragedy if people don’t calm this shit down.
bystander
The Toddler had a crew on yesterday who all agreed Trump should stop having rallies in California. Pointless, really, unless what he wants is to provoke more violence. It will be interesting to see if he does any more before the primary.
On that MTP we also were treated to a retread of how Sanders can cheat reality if he wins California. The footnote was the fact that something like the last 4 out of 5 Dem nominees all lost California.
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
I’ll toss this out again later, but there’s a userscript add-on for Firefox for Android that Cleek’s filter works with. I haven’t tested Troll-Be-Gone with it yet.
Gvg
I suggest Balloon Juice have a collection of the various troll filters with explanations of what each do near the top, so any time it gets too much, we can go solve our frustrations. I have not done it because I wasn’t really sure how they work and if they are good on my iPad, plus sometimes I look from my work computer and I question the wisdom of putting something from outside on there.
A Ghost To Most
@Adam L Silverman:
My only question to this is why sockpuppetry is allowed. R* often runs multiple nyms in the same thread.
Troublesome Carp fka Geeno
@A Ghost To Most: Yes – sock puppetry is a ban-worthy offense at several blogs, but that requires a certain amount of tracking – is it sock puppetry, or is someone just having fun with their nym? Like how I became “Geeno the Plumber” during a live blog of the 2008 presidential debates.
Matt McIrvin
@Joel:
Not to mention being, essentially, a secret agent in wartime.
A Ghost To Most
@Troublesome Carp fka Geeno: No need for tracking R*; avoiding double the dreck is a pita
Matt McIrvin
@bystander:
I really do not like the “heckler’s veto” notion that it’s somehow on you if somebody violently objects to your speech. But Trump should stop advocating violence at his rallies, and we know he does it. I cannot imagine, say, Hillary Clinton egging on the Bay Area black-bloc fools.
Reggie Mantle
@A Ghost To Most:
If R* is supposed to be me, then no. I’m the only one of me. I know it’s comforting to some to think that only one person disagrees with them (you definitely see that a lot of that RWNJ blogs) but there’s only one Reggie.
Reggie Mantle
Quite a few people here mourning that this blog isn’t more like the Freep and RedState and Breitbart, where every dissenter is immediately labeled “troll” and banned, followed by lots of chuckling and patting one another on the back about how they got another one.
Which, of course, only validates my point more: that you Clintonites are becoming more and more like the Rethugs every day.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
Omnes Omnibus
@Reggie Mantle: Get over yourself.
Reggie Mantle
@Omnes Omnibus:
You can tell everyone that we’re through
You might even believe it too
But darling, there ain’t no getting over me…
Brachiator
@Matt McIrvin:
Actually we don’t know that he does it. Like a slick showman, he always includes a bit where he shouts at a convenient heckler, “get him out of here.”
But this has nothing to do with supposed protesters who deliberately go after Trump supporters or the view of even some elected officials (mayor of San Jose, I think) that Trump should not even be in the state because his views have been judged to be noxious.
And yes there are increasingly contentious episodes where knots of Trump supporters and protesters clearly come ready to provoke a fight.
Some of the local California reporting is quite good in separating how peaceful protesters come out, do their thing and move on, and how small groups intent on disruption and violence sometimes move in afterwards.
Carolyn Kay
What if it’s not lefties causing the violence? – http://bit.ly/224NZrM
Renie
@Reggie Mantle: You don’t seem to understand that its not necessarily what you are saying that makes you similar to a troll. It’s the fact that you constantly repeat the same theme over and over again. You enter threads that are unrelated to what you post and keep posting the same idea. The repetition is what is annoying; it adds nothing to the discussion. We all now how you feel, you don’t need to keep reminding us. Personally I feel everyone is entitled to their own point of view and no one person’s opinion is any better than someone else. But saying the same stuff over and over when no one else is talking about the subject – that is being a troll.
msdc
@Reggie Mantle:
R* is almost certainly a reference to Mr. BRINKS. TRUCKS and his many nyms. But thanks for making it all about you.
Original Lee
Just wanted to say here, Cleek: THANK YOU for your pie filter.
Matt McIrvin
@msdc:
And that fellow is not just a vehement, perhaps repetitive dissident who likes Republicans; he’s a pure troll who contributes nothing constructive to any discussion. The constant nym-changing to get past filters and bans, the bouts of Snidely Whiplash villain-bragging about unbeatable dirty tricks, the completely unreflective way that he’ll tout the invincibility of his next favorite candidate five seconds after the previous one got crushed–it’s all just pure provocation, and ignoring him doesn’t work either.
Reggie Mantle
@msdc:
Hey, any time.
Cat48
@Carolyn Kay:
There is something very wrong with Bernie’s FEC Reports. Too many people giving over the $2700.00 limit, at least 30-50 pages. They were that way for months. It does look like “dirty money.” Hillary’s reports aren’t like that. That blogger has a point.
Reggie Mantle
@Renie:
You mean like the constant posts where you people talk about how much you hate Sanders and his supporters and that they’re really just Trump supporters and OMG WE HATE THEM SO MUCH but they have to vote for Hillary? That kind of repetition’s okay?
I’m just holding up a mirror. Don’t blame me if you don’t like the reflection.
msdc
@Reggie Mantle: Okay, troll confirmed.
Reggie Mantle
@msdc:
Only if you use the right winger definition of “troll” which is “anyone who doesn’t agree with us.”
But after all, why shouldn’t you? You’re becoming them anyway, might as well use their preferred nomenclature. .
NCSteve
Welcome to the Wiemar Trumpublic. July is going to be bad.
scav
@msdc: That’s sort of the clue to the personality type isn’t it? The positions espoused are really just the random hook for dominating the conversation and getting the attention: there’s no genuine moral commitment to achieving the ends required.
Daulnay
@NCSteve:
The rest of the election campaign, even. Weimar Republic, indeed. Parallels between Trump’s methods and what the classic The Nazi Seizure of Power by W.S. Allen describes are way too many for comfort. Including the reactions to violence and counter-violence.
Reggie Mantle
@scav:
LOL. Paging Dr. Internet! Please report to the Pop Psychology Ward!
Barry
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: “I appreciate the light touch with the ban hammer, though I think the seven thousand word cut’n’pastes should be added to the list of bannable offenses”
That’s where I support harsh and cruel enforcement of copyright laws. There was one blog where I’d have voted to send one egregrious offender to jail.
Renie
@Reggie Mantle: This is what it is like. You’re in the city and a guy is on a street corner shouting out as people walk by. No one cares what he says but when he shows up on every corner while you walk, that is annoying. If you don’t like what people are saying about Bernie, that’s your right. But most people here are NOT writing postings against Bernie. Are some people? Yes. But if you are truly a lurker as you claim, you would already know this blog is home to many people who don’t like Bernie. You should be aware of this and stop bringing it up. It serves no purpose other than flaming people. We all know you like Bernie unlike most people here. Point made. But what’s the goal in bringing this up over and over again. That’s where you veer off into troll behavior.
Dog Dawg Damn
@Omnes Omnibus: well naturally we can’t dismiss trolls using your definition. According to you, anyone who points out a problem with the Dem nominee is a troll, no matter how long they’ve posted here.
codeGen
I am born in Mexico. Have been here since I was 3. Legally. Me and two brothers all came here legally with parents who also are here legally. I have 5 siblings born here. First let me say – attacking a Trump supporter unprovoked is Stupid. The Trump supporter has rights to free speech as anybody else – the fact that he/she might be a racist idiot is still no reason to attack. If ONLY because behaving like this gives Trump and his ilk an example that they can use to justify their hate. But I understand. The reason this gets this heated is simple. I am a US citizen now by choice. This country has been to now good to me. But if Trump wins that will not be enough to stop ME and those like me from being harassed, not hired and otherwise spit on for lack of a better word. I have already been pulled over for driving while Mexican – for no other reason than I drive a nice car because I work as a well paid engineer and an afford to treat myself to nice wheels now and then. If they come after illegals first then everyone will have to carry an ID – and if you are Mexican or other Latino – it may not even matter that you are here by birth or legal choice. Think about it.
Carolyn Kay
@Cat48: Yes, I had the same question about some of Obama’s small donations. I’m an IT person, and I can tell you that it wouldn’t be expensive to create a bot that makes donation after donation after donation with names and addresses out of some pre-made list, and a high limit credit card.