Folks, I know how tempting it is to go to the snakes’ den and tell them what you think to their face. I have done it. It’s cathartic. It feels great. Please don’t.
From a tactical perspective the convention does not need our help to be be a complete dumpster fire. Half the people in that convention hall hate the other half with the heat of a hundred suns, while a huge faction of delegates are openly scheming to unseat the nominee, i.e., destroy the party in order to save it. We should give them space to express all these feelings at each other. A common enemy outside would just give them a reason to rally together. Trump wants chaos. He feeds on it. The crazier things get outside the more Republicans will support him. Someone else once gained (siezed) power the exact same way.
Second and more important, Cleveland will be a security nightmare. Cleveland cops are a long way from role models on a good day. Next week the Cleveland PD will be overwhelmed, scared and dressed like an invading army. They will have divisions of staties and National Guard who will almost certainly follow their lead, open carry lunatics dressed like commandos will wander around giving them heartburn, and they will have an especially short fuse for anything that might be connected with Black Lives Matter. I recognize that is not fair. They have the badges and that is the mood right now, at least among departments with a history of racial problems. Does that sound like Cleveland to you? Best case scenario, expect aggressive crowd control and ‘free speech zones’ a good mile from the convention. I would not be surprised to see kettling, violent arrests for little or no reason and a whole lot of mace. It would not surprise me to see LRADs and possibly even microwave-based active denial systems deployed. I know the last one sounds crazy, but microwave torture (“crowd control”) beams have developed to the point where police departments could theoretically deploy them, if the DoD completely lost its mind. Given the circumstances I would not 100% write it off.
Finally, I know you know this already, but Trump’s hard core are fucking nuts. They are armed, racist, angry and they don’t believe in non-violence. Ohio’s laws let people open carry any guns they want right up to whatever line the Secret Service draws on the pavement. You legally have to retreat before using deadly force in Ohio, but don’t count on Florida Man knowing that. The RSVP list already includes those neo-Nazis who had the rally in Sacramento with all the stabbings. Inside the convention horrible people will be whipping up hate and fear like a soufflé cook on a meth bender.
I understand that dissent is the beating heart of a free society, and I would never tell anyone that they can’t go and speak their mind at jerks who richly deserve it. All I am suggesting is, for this occasion anyway, maybe live tweet it instead.
manyakitty
Don’t forget the additional security forces are taking over and effectively shutting down CWRU. Anti-intellectual much? Sadly, Case’s president seems to support ripping off her students.
laura
So, keep a safe distance while pointing and laughing and laughing and laughing with ocassional oohs and aawwws when the dumpster fires flare. I can do that.
Elizabelle
I think we should open our homes to people fleeing Cleveland for the week.
(easy to say from the other side of the pond, I know …)
Trentrunner
Maybe I don’t have a read on this site’s audience, but are BJers really the type to actually show up to protest a GOP convention?
Paul in KY
Completely agree, Tim. Our people don’t need to be out there accidently giving them footage they can whine about or use in misleading attack ads. Just stay the fuck away until those nuts have cleared out of the fine Democratic city of Cleveland.
Do hope Cleveland makes a lot of money from those shitheads.
LAO
I agree completely but you know protesters are going to show up. And the media will jump all over any confrontations as an example that “both sides” have “crazy extremists.” I wish our side would just let them burn themselves.
Mnemosyne
Not to mention the various asshole anarchists who like to start shit “from the left!” Our California Black Bloc anarchists were the other half of that stabbing shit in Sacramento.
I agree that Democrats should just let the Republicans fight this out among themselves and stay out of it.
JGabriel
I agree. The smartest thing protesters can do with respect to the Republican convention is to let the GOP tear itself apart, without any interference from our side of the aisle.
manyakitty
I live half an hour away from the mess, and the hotels literally steps away from my office are filling up. I wish I made plans to leave town next week.
Droppy
So, you’re saying this is not a good week for me to be opening up that halal food stand in Cleveland I’ve been planning?
Technocrat
Good post. I’ve always appreciated “Don’t do stupid shit” as guiding strategy. Going to Cleveland would be some really stupid shit.
Unfortunately, that hit of sweet, sweet catharsis you mention is crack for some people.
@Trentrunner:
Ok, that cracked me up. I’d probably go with “Maybe, if we can get a dog sitter, and there’s a few good restaurants near the protest”
hovercraft
I’m not planning on being anywhere near Cleveland. I’ll be safely in New Jersey watching from afar. I don’t want any violence at the convention, we should all be able to disagree without it, but these are some crazy mofo’s we’re talking about. If there is violence let it occur between gop factions. Let them give the nation a show on how ugly they are inside the convention, and not be able to deflect by saying that outside agitators came in and disrupted their peaceful celebration. Protest groups must train the protesters on how to remain peaceful, a’la the 1960’s, no matter the provocation they must strive to maintain calm. The convention must remain the focus of the nations attention, with it’s crazy cast of characters they need the spotlight.
Chyron HR
I’m not going anywhere near that cesspool.
Is something happening there this week?
Kropadope
This message brought to you by the Ohio Bureau of Tourism and Recreation
Paul in KY
@Mnemosyne: I would like it if our Cleveland union goons were out looking for them & if seen they would ‘convince’ them to go elsewhere.
MJS
There has never been any reason to “protest” Trump’s rallies, and there is no reason to “protest” the RNC. Doing so gives the media the opportunity to take the focus off the insanity being spewed by Trump and his supporters and say, “Look at those crazy protesters trying to deny Trump his right to free speech.” Let them destroy themselves by their words and their actions. Anyone planning to attend the RNC to protest should instead use that time to register voters.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
Some smart guy recently to our idiot media:
Sounds about right.
Kropadope
@MJS:
Anyone who would equate vocal disagreement with denial of free speech is not a reputable media source. That’s the sort of thing I hear out of Rush Limbaugh.
Richard Mayhew
That is not time limited advice… in general it is good advice.
MJS
@Kropadope: You’ll have to let me know when you discover this “reputable media source” of which you speak. It would have to be one that doesn’t take every opportunity to engage in “bothsideism” and false equivalencies. I’ve not seen any such thing, at least not in the MSM.
MattF
Cleveland? What’s a Cleveland?
Keith G
Tim, thank you for posting this. Now, can you have this published at The Times, The Post, and everywhere else?
If there is going to be agitated disputes or violence of any minor or major sort, it needs to be red on red.
Things are seldom as good or as bad as we imagine they will be, so I don’t imagine the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will be arriving in Cleveland. However, I would just assume that any issues arise from that convention be solely created and owned by our wonderful conservative brethren
J R in WV
You couldn’t pay me enough to go to Cleveland on a good day.
Next week? I would take in a couple of refugees until the Republicans leave…
Technocrat
@Keith G:
Of course not. Half of them will decline the invitation.
NCSteve
Sadly, the psychotic losers in the black masks who think calling themselves “anarchists” makes their urgent need to engage in vandalism an ideology will be there regardless. And, sadly, the MSM will be acting like they are representative of BLM, OWS, the NAACP, the AFL-CIO, the NEA, NOW, Emily’s List, the Audubon Society, the ACLU, Third Way, and the League of Women Voters.
Keith G
@Technocrat: Noted with approval.
Major Major Major Major
@Mnemosyne: That’s basically exactly what I was going to say.
But I’m sure the shit-stirrers and WTO types will be there.
gogiggs
The impression I get, from living in Cleveland and from my son, who is lefty connected enough to have gotten a housecall from the Feds Monday, is that Cleveland’s left is taking the stance that a) we don’t want to get Chicago ’68ed and b) if your enemies are intent on destroying themselves, don’t get in the way.
I certainly have no intention of going anywhere near any of that crap.
karen marie
@gogiggs: What did the Feds have to say?
The Pale Scot
This was covered in STOS,
Day of the Dove
But Wolf in the Fold works also
Die….Die….Die….
artem1s
@gogiggs: I really hope so. Occupy CLE and the local Greens have been notably short of smarts on various occasions. I really really hope they just light up somewhere far away from the action and chill out next week.
gwangung
@karen marie: Several BLM activists on Twiter were documenting their visits from the Feds. The gist was that, in their heavy handed way, they were encouraged not to go to Cleveland, as it would be puring gas on a fire.
Given the typical man in black deftness, this will probably serve to encourage some of them to go
Barbara
I think people underappreciate the value of these live continuous tweets from events. I have found them to be really engaging when done well. For whatever reason, the anarchists seem to break through more on the West Coast (Sacramento, but also Seattle G-20) than on the East Coast, where police for whatever reason — some good, some bad — are able to contain protesters. It’s possible that simply knowing they might be there makes it harder for them to just show up and create mayhem, which is what they did in Seattle. That did not happen in D.C. or Pittsburgh, for similar events, even though it was threatened. A not so fun fact is that many riots — e.g., Rodney King police post-verdict — may start out spontaneously as the reaction of a very frustrated population, but as they continue, people “commute in” from the suburbs or wherever because breaking shit just seems like so much fun to too many people. These anarchists seem to be those kind of people.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
I have a good friend in Cleveland who’s volunteered to staff the welcoming team. When we last spoke of it, she had not decided which assignment she would select:
Greeter – Hi have a nice stay in Cleveland
Gatherings (protests?) monitor/reporter/ACLU liaison
Gatherings (protests?) down-toner
I can’t recall what official group organized this crew. She told me she wants people to enjoy their stay in Cleveland. She understands that it’s unlikely to happen for a variety of reasons.
I haven’t checked with her this month about her assignment. I’ll report back when I do. She’s pretty uniquely qualified as she’s a former ACLU staff attorney who now works in mental health policy and advocacy.
bupalos
@Richard Mayhew:
What’s the draw to dumping on Cleveland in 2016? Did you run out of puppies to kick?
I literally don’t know anyone who has come here to live and not been pleasantly surprised by what we’ve got here, I seriously doubt you know anything about our cultural and natural assets, but apart from that I just don’t get wanting to run a place full of people down. There is more than one place I’ve been to and lived that for my money are unsustainable sweltering regressive hellholes with no arts culture or soul. I don’t go trying to convince people how bad they are, these are other people’s homes and lives, it’s insulting.
Sorry for the lecture, just disappointing to see this stuff here where I thought we rooted for the underdog and it’s hard to hold my tongue on the topic.
Tim F.
@bupalos: What do you expect from a bunch of Pittsburghers?
gratuitous
As always, if you’re going to go to a demonstration, know the people you’re with. Invariably, there’s one guy that nobody’s ever seen before who wears the right clothes, says the right things, then at a critical moment becomes unhinged about offing the pigs or something. All hell breaks loose, and the
agitatornew chap simply disappears behind the police line with a Cheshire Cat grin.bupalos
@Tim F.:
No…no…I’m too high up on my high horse to even see that tasty bait you’re laying down.
Aleta
The Rs have a lot at stake in controlling negative stories from inside the convention. Journalists who try to report on its disorganization and delegate confusion will be given a real hard time as it is. I hope their stories get the air time they deserve instead of losing out to violence on the streets. The air waves have already been primed and the background set for stories about police.
A fight I’m hoping for:
If Trump is shown to be unable to even manage the Quicken Loans Arena (how appropriate), he’ll try to shift blame to Ryan’s people, who will fight back since Ryan needs to remain very sparkly.
Anyway, I’ll be rooting for the people who fight to approximate a free press.
Napoleon
I am one of the people fleeing Cleveland, in my case for NYC, but I will be back to catch the last night of it, but expect to do so on TV if at all.
Frankensteinbeck
I knew one of those anarchists in college. He was going to the WTO meeting in Seattle. Hardly mentioned policy concerns, but boy was he looking forward to using his gas mask and being tear gassed. They do have a mystical feeling about the West Coast, as if it’s their homeland.
Matt McIrvin
@bupalos: Also, Cleveland is a reliably Democratic city that is about to get a huge load of trouble dumped on it from the presence of the Republican convention. One might think it’d be best to focus on where that trouble is coming from and hope people there remember it in November.
EBT
If ever there was a time and a place for a Zeon style colony drop.
chopper
@NCSteve:
yes, the ‘anarchy means i litter’ crowd is always a real wild card.
Joel
An excellent form of dissent would be to starve these assholes for oxygen.
Can’t count on people making that connection, but one can hope.
Rasputin's Evil Twin
As I can’t stand anything about the Idiotic Tangerine Nutsac, I intend to skip the coverage and watch “Triumph of the Will” instead. That should be pretty much the same thing.
martian
@Trentrunner: I think there are a lot of commenters here who have aged out of big, public protests, so to speak, but were badasses back in the day. I, myself, am preserved from the temptation to get closer to the Ceveland shitshow by childcare duties. Maybe I’m a once and future protestor? Was never a badass, though. More of a bring snacks and candles to the vigil type.
I’d be leery of the likely pointless and destructive chaos in any case. Convention protests never have any message clarity, just a bunch of protestors for assorted causes jammed shoulder to shoulder in the “Free Speech Zone”, and perusing the zoo of random lefties becomes the story.
Marmot
However, do fly drones around to document the insanity!
Taylor
@Richard Mayhew: I lived in Euclid Heights for a year, and I found Cleveland to be an unappreciated gem. Joe Queenan in a screed against the mediocrity of fly-over states made an exception for Cleveland. Mind you, I was in East Cleveland, so I can’t comment on West Cleveland which is more whitebread.
My wife was a postdoc at Ann Arbor at the time. I hated Ann Arbor. The people there were not as special as they thought they were.
Snarki, child of Loki
Yeah, everyone here just CHILL OUT.
The left-wing infiltrators have already established themselves in the CrAZy Teabagger brigades; they’re under deep cover, have good cammo, and are well prepared. DO NOT trip them up, stay out of the way!
Cat48
Not a chance I would get near Cleveland next week. Nice town, but that mix of people is not good!
Aleta
@Taylor: I was born in East Cleveland (Page Ave.), though we moved before I’d grown much.
Adam L Silverman
Cleveland PD, and any of the other law enforcement assets from other municipalities and the State of Ohio, are not going to use LRADs or microwave emitting mass denial systems or anything even similar. Even if the National Guard is called up in support you won’t see that stuff because, to be quite honest, the Ohio National Guard most likely doesn’t have it. All of the people running these law enforcement agencies, and the Ohio National Guard Adjutant General and his senior staff, all know that there will be formal and informal media all over the area. None of them, and I repeat none of them, want their personnel on these feeds using this stuff. The Chief of Cleveland PD knows his department has issues – he doesn’t want to make it worse. The only one who wants chaos, in fact the only one who actually needs it is Trump. He thrives on it and its part of his core message that only he is strong enough to reestablish law, order, and safety as part of his core message that he will ensure that you will be treated fairly. So silly, and frankly, uninformed speculation is not helpful here.
RaflW
I completely agree. I want the dumpster fire inside, and the RW loony fighting outside, to be the focus. But lefties (and, unfortunately, a small but determined cadre of anarchists, who the media seem utterly unable to distinguish from banal leftists) and BLM folk may show up, and that isn’t my call to make.
aimai
The absolute best thing people can do if they want to protest Trump is to hold and publicize prayer circles, all over the country, where people publicly pray for the Republican Party to come to its senses and reject Trumpism, violence, and guns. I am not even kidding. Force local TV to cover local people who gather quietly, in homes and private spaces, to pray for sanity. Loud, noisy, out of door protests are counterproductive in this climate because they “prove” to Trump and his voters that they are right–right to hate everyone, right to fear public spaces, right that everyone in cities hates them, etc..etc…etc…
No one needs a public protest, a clash, or giant puppets–they need to look around them at their neighbors and know, because they have seen, that people are quietly but resolutely rejecting Trumpism and the Republican party.
EthylEster
Tim F wrote: It feels great. Please don’t.
It would be more on message if you didn’t undercut the point of your post.
That it feels great is sufficient reason for many folks to do stupid things.
That said, I agree with your POV.
It is a really bad idea for lefties to go to Cleveland to protest.
However, the two previous times I was there on business, I found Cleveland to be a very nice city with a cool downtown. Plus the art museum and orchestra! So go to Cleveland after the pestilence has subsided.
Bryan
Bupalos: thanks. I generally find Mayhew’s contributions to BJ enlightening and worthwhile, and was taken completely aback by the unwarranted snark of the anti-cleveland post. Lifelong northeastern ohioan here, might have something to do with it. Was rooting for the convention to land here and have a net positive effect on the businesses and the community, but that was before trump. Now I just hope the city can survive. Don’t really need folks telling us we shouldn’t bother to try.
Lizzy L
Agree. Good post.
I lived in Cleveland for three years in the late 1960s. It had a world-class orchestra, an excellent Art Museum, some fine universities, a surprisingly robust music scene, and some sneakily good restaurants. I made some good friends there, most of whom left the city, as I did. However, I still know people there. I don’t want it trashed.
Tim F.
@Adam L Silverman: OK, I guess. LRADs have been deployed pretty extensively by law enforcement. It might even be a good idea to use them for their official purpose of broadcasting instructions to large or distant crowds.
As I said the DoD would be insane to approve an ADS. I really hate that technology, especially its potential for abuse. But you can see it creeping towards the civilian sector. I hope to be wrong but some law enforcement agencies and foreign governments want it pretty badly. People should at least know the technology exists, if not to necessarily expect it any time soon.
And the general point I think is very important. Cleveland PD will be outnumbered, freaked out from Dallas, less than fully disciplined to begin with and waist deep in open-carry morons. I doubt they will be in a mood to deescelate.
joes527
@bupalos: I don’t know anything about Cleveland, but as an ignorant west coaster, I was pleasantly surprised by Cincinnati a few years back. For some reason I was expecting it to be a bombed out hulk, but I found it to be a nice modern city.
The chili, however, is reason enough to nuke it from space.
PaulW
Cleveland
A Factory of Sadness
Kitty
And adding to it, the temperature is supposed to be in the high 80s low 90s. Also, phooey on you Richard Mayhew you’re outstanding on healthcare, but leave my city alone!!
Skip Jones
@Kropadope: These days “not a reputable media source” = “media”
bupalos
@PaulW:
Cleveland
A Factory of CHAMPIONS
And also one of the realest, most resilient places on the planet.
I admit it’s not for wusses.
Lee Hartmann
@Richard Mayhew:
have you ever been there? world-class art museum and symphony, nice ohio city funky area, west side market, progressive field is a great place to watch a ball game.
not this week, unfortunately.
Tim F.
I will reluctantly acknowledge that Great Lakes Brewing is one of the most underrated beer makers on the planet. They are the brewing equivalent of a perfect album; every single beer they make is great.
bupalos
@Bryan:
I’m actually somewhat worried about this issue. People in NEO have a complex, and all the headlines on our side are going to be “look at what a cluster?@#! Cleveland is. The mostly won’t mean it like that, but I’m not sure NEO won’t hear it like that, especially when there’s couple little bon mots like Mayhew threw in there. Meanwhile the RNC is going to be giving the town a serious tongue bath and singing songs about hardworking steel towns and how they’re getting screwed. No likey.
JustRuss
@NCSteve:
You left out ACORN.
SteveinSC
“Folks, I know how tempting it is to go to the snakes’ den and tell them what you think to their face. I have done it. It’s cathartic. It feels great. Please don’t. “–Totally agree. Stay away. No provocations. Let these deranged assholes stew in their own juice. They cynically created Drumpenstein, now see if they can control their own monster before he tears the whole goddamed castle down. I hope for in-the-party mayhem. I especially hope Drumpenstein devours that smarmy, glib little asshole Ryan after first pulling him limb-from-limb.
Monala
@bupalos: Yup. Cleveland is my hometown, and now boasts a clean lake and revitalized downtown.
Hubby and I lived for many years in the Boston area (and are now on the West Coast). He grew up in Columbus. We have been disappointed at how many of our friends from the Boston area have turned out to be RWNJ on Facebook, and pleasantly surprised at how many of our Ohio-based childhood friends, even the whitest of white ones, are very open-minded and liberal.
tybee
@MattF:
a type of steamer.
bupalos
@joes527: Cinci is kind of Cleveland’s redneck cousin, which I mean mostly in a nice way. Especially since they slowed down on the incinerating pig carcasses thing. When I was there as a kid in the 70’s my dad wondered aloud to a colleague about where he could get the sourdough bread he was always smelling… not a good image for an 8 year old that already hated the Bengals anyway. See, this is sounding awfully backhanded. I really do like Cinci, great old river town, a little like St. Louis. But yeah, AFAIC that “chili” just….ain’t.
Monala
@Lee Hartmann: And Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!
bupalos
@Tim F.: Yeah, for my money Dortmunder Gold might be the best all-around-beer-beer there is.
Splitting Image
@MattF:
A pretty blonde actress who worked with Monty Python.
Richard Mayhew
@bupalos: in the mid-oughts I was in Cleveland for a couple of days every quarter for work and to me, it is not particularly an interesting place to have been
Marigold
Delurking to add more love for Cleveland. We lived in the area until just last year (suburbia–but it was so satisfying to hear my husband say he wished he hadn’t let the realtor talk us out of buying in Lakewood), but it’s been a joy to explore. Best of all, I think, are the people I met in Ohio City, Tremont, Gordon Square: there was the sense that we were all in this together?
I have a standing invite to everyone I know in the city next week, in case they need an impromptu vacation to the land of roller coasters. An acquaintance just posted on Facebook excitedly that she’ll be volunteering at the convention. There’s not a thing I can do about it, except hope that she’s just in a thousand “new black friend!” selfies.
The Lodger
@joes527: I thought Cincinnati had the disgusting chili.
Raven Onthill
“They are armed, racist, angry and they don’t believe in non-violence.”
And the opposition is also armed and angry and some of it doesn’t believe in non-violence. I’m seeing calls from #antifa on Twitter, those people who made such a lovely hash of a white supremacist rally in Sacremento. Came armed and ready to rumble and they did. Not sure what the New Black Panthers will do — what is their position on violence? anyone know? — but they have promised a presence.
I think I am going to fly away from Cleveland, which I agree is a very nice city, thank you very much.
Miss Bianca
I don’t know about all y’all, but getting up into the oppo’s grill has never been something I’ve done for “fun”.
Did I have “fun” escorting women into abortion clinics? Was it “fun” to engage the crazies so that they’d leave the patients alone? Well, I enjoyed the hell out of the presence of the Radical Fairies and Chicago Ladies Against Women (I was one of the latter, full disclosure), but I didn’t find it “fun”. I found it, if occasionally exhilarating, always stressful, and almost always exhausting. I did it because I felt I had to, not because I found it “fun”.
YMMV.
amygdala
I was on edge the day Obama was in Dallas, and am worried about Cleveland. One of my closest friends, an ICU doc, lives there. He’s not on duty next week, but knows he’ll be pressed into service if the worst happens. Never a good feeling with the major component of a plan is hope, but that, unfortunately, seems to be the situation.
Marc McKenzie
I guess no “fart-in” in Cleveland, huh?
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/dem-primaries/287472-sanders-delegates-to-hold-fart-in-protest-at-convention
sharl
I’m pretty much on board with this, although planned peaceful protests by local BLM activists there – who of all people would know the great risks involved – wouldn’t likely get much harsh criticism from me at least regarding intent (strategy & tactics may be another thing; we’ll see I guess…).
I’m thinking stuff like a guerilla campaign to post photos of the late 12-yo Tamir Rice side-by-side with a still shot of his killing as close to the venue as possible. I’m guessing any reaction to those by the Trumpkins in attendance with be a reminder of the stakes involved. And if those engaging in such a nonviolent protest campaign are busted in defiance of the law, or assessed insanely high fines, then post-convention legal and/or financial support for them may be a worthwhile thing.
Scout
Well you all know there will be agitators claiming to be lefties stirring the turd. And the esteemed liberal media will cover it as such without question.
Sondra
@Paul in KY: Amen.
I totally agree. The best thing any of us can do is leave them alone.
They cannot protest a protest that doesn’t happen and leaving them without any ammunition for their big mouths is pretty much the same as denying them ammunition for their big guns.
LAC
I had to read this several times and walk away from my initial response, which was screw you and your cowardly armchair rationalization. A couple of days of thinking about it, and I am still pissed. But I know you meant well, given the state of things in this country.
I support peaceful protests at the Cleveland convention. That party needs to be aware that their platform and their presumptive nominee is a disgrace to this country. My people have borne the brunt of batons, dogs, spitting and all sorts of abuse at the hands of police and bigots. And still we matched on Washington, marched in Birmingham and continue to make our voices heard. Yes, we are very aware of the risks. t would be nice to have a BJ response that was more empowering than than this. It does a great disservice to people who have put themselves out there then and now.