In Minneapolis, attendees at a Trump rally were attacked by a mob. Police were present, but no arrests were made.
There have been similar incidents at other Trump rallies; see for example this story from San Jose.
Meanwhile, establishment journalists and academics wring their hands about how dangerous Trump is, while mostly ignoring the danger to the democratic process driven by the destructive behavior of ‘progressive’ thugs…often enabled by winks and nods from ‘liberal’ government officials, who are all too happy to let them get away with it.
Too much more of this, and I may have to remove the question mark from the line: The United States of Weimar?
A number of attendees apparently told reporters that the cops told them they’d been ordered to stand down. There is also this:
Afraid to walk through the crowd by herself, Schanno said she asked a police officer to escort her to the door, but he refused.
“He said ‘No, they’re going to accost me. You’re on your own,’ ” she recalled.
The withdrawal of police protection from certain classes of people, if that’s what’s going on, is… alarming in the extreme. More so than the thuggish nature of the attacks and beatings. (I’m not going to call going to a rally to beat up on attendees a “political protest”, as though it were simply people speaking out against the candidate.) If the police won’t protect you… if a policy is developing that says the police won’t protect you… then what happens next?
It’s only alarming IF it affects you, or affects someone like you AND you are paying attention, AND you are not a member of a protected tribe like the queers, illegals, inner-city blacks, etc.
This series of if/and hoops is too much for the country to jump through. No one notices and no one cares, really. Just us alt-right blogospherians. And we, of course, do not count.
And yes — this is exactly what happened in Germany, and in France in the 1780’s.
One bit not included in that ABC story was that the parking structure was next door to the rally site but, when attendees came out to return to their cars, the route had been altered by police and they were blocked from going directly to their cars. They were directed around the block and into the area the protestors occupied. This was done, presumably, by the San Jose police and cannot be understood except as an invitation to the protestors to abuse the rally attendees. The barriers had been moved and rearranged.
Of course the San Jose police denied it. There were first person accounts that confirmed the route had been changed during the rally.
Much the same occurred in Minneapolis, also a Democrat strong hold.
Of course the police denied being told to “stand down.”
At least the local TV covered it.
We’re a long, long way from Weimar. These are the bully boy tactics of the left and always have been. I would note two things. San Jose and Minneapolis are hotbeds of limousine liberals and well funded minorities with grievances of whatever quality and with minimal conservative presence. They are far from a Freikorps. Second, go back to the original post. It was full of confident worries about the violence sure to come at the Cleveland convention. There was relatively little. Also, more surprisingly, at Philadelphia. It is important to note the instances that do occur such as San Jose and Minneapolis. But it is also important not to exaggerate them. This election can be won by either candidate, but it will certainly not be won by the one whose supporters take to the streets.
These are the bully boy tactics of the left and always have been.
The tactics aren’t new. But the police refusal to resist those tactics, and leaving the victims defenseless, is.
It being in “San Jose” and “Minneapolis” doesn’t make it less alarming; if anything, it’s more so. These are major American cities, not some sort of foreign or lawless enclave. Are we really at the point where as long as the convention doesn’t suffer a major attack, we conclude that things are fine and there’s no reason for concern?
It occurs to me that what “They” want is a Trump supporter to defend himself, or his wife, with a gun. That’s probably what they are trying to provoke. Nice guys.
I think Dearieme is 100% correct.
What’s needed is for there to be groups of Trump supporters ready and able to quickly assess the situation after rallies in blue state cities and organize groups of people to move together for safety and live stream themselves so it’s clear to the world what’s going on. If the authorities won’t help them, and the MSM won’t report the truth, then go around them both. A few dozen live streams on Periscope actually could make a big impact.
Such organization will have to be truly from the ground up, since neither the Trump campaign nor the GOP will do it.
““They” want is a Trump supporter to defend himself, or his wife,”
When I watch those videos I am impressed with the self control of the Trump supporters. If I were one, I would probably have pepper spray and get on the news as a “violent alt-right” type.
Althouse has a long thread on how they are handling the abuse.
I stopped commenting at Althouse until after the election as I seemed to attract a group of nasty lefties, about a half dozen, and decided to just read and not comment.
I also stopped commenting at Patterico because he has become so hostile about Cruz losing to Trump.
Too much emotion. I like it here better. Powerline has acquired a huge group of commenters on both sides with a marked loss of civility. I haven’t quit there but might yet.
I started as very skeptical about Trump but I fear he is the only barrier to mayhem.
“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out””
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out””
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out””
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me””and there was no one left to speak for me.”
This is what we’re inviting into this country, widespread, by not denouncing this violence.
What is the security failure path? This is a question that you can be assured will not be deeply covered by the mainstream media. When the police don’t show up because they have the blue flu have been ordered to stand down for political reasons, or are just busy, who is supposed to show up instead? There are answers to that question short of the ultimate answer in US law which is that you are responsible for your own security (which is why you can’t sue if somebody else doesn’t show up).
So what’s the list in your neck of the woods? I know that there are state law differences.
“I know that there are state law differences.”
I’m in California so there will be no attempt at order. The Sanctuary cities are north of us.
Orange County is pretty safe but that’s about it.
I’m looking at property in rural Oregon and Arizona. I also used to own 10 acres on Vashon Island, a rural island close to Seattle, but I sold it a few years ago.
Arizona is probably the safest political culture but close to Mexico. Rural Oregon is pretty safe as long as you stay away from Portland.
Mike K – I’m running a question at a different level. You’re talking about the practicalities of what you think will happen. That’s fine, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Formally, on paper, what’s supposed to happen? Who is responsible for making the call?
Running through how the system is supposed to work establishes a service level. Then when it doesn’t happen, it’s a lot easier to assign blame and apply pressure. You may be right that California’s too far gone but this process might help in areas that are not quite so far gone. Then again, maybe it might even help California. Running through the exercise won’t hurt though.
Making the left say out loud the absolute bat guano crazy things that they expect you to do and to tolerate others doing to you is an important part of stopping the insanity. I think that they depend on people not forcing them to explicitly lay out their program.
Mike, if you aren’t looking at southwest Utah, you aren’t looking hard enough. Arizona will return to Mexico at the same time asCaliphornia.
“if you aren’t looking at southwest Utah”
I dunno. They seem to be rejecting Trump.
What do they want ?
I’m not ready for snow again after 60 years. I spent a winter in New Hampshire in 1995 but that was then. New Hampshire has become northern Taxachusetts.
“Making the left say out loud the absolute bat guano crazy things that they expect you to do”
After Jerry’s choo-choo, nothing can surprise me.
I like Tucson, left wing U of A and all.
Snow is a fairly rare event in St. George, UT, as its on the northeastern edge of the Mojave Desert.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._George,_Utah#Climate
There’s a map (I cannot find the link at the moment) that outlines all the “trouble areas” in the US, in the event of a SHTF situation. I’ll scour about and see if I can locate it again. I’m located on the edge of one of these areas. If I recall correctly, the advice is to be located at least 5-7 miles away from the hot-spots, away from “walkers”, the theory that being beyond the distance those afoot would travel to loot, burn etc.
While most of the region is solidly red with responsive police, there are pockets of blue in the urban areas and college towns where the protest industry thrives and agitates. The banks and the real estate companies along with the Feds are pouring new “homeowners” in by the thousands, from Northern “failed state” cities. I assume it, along with the immigration jihad, are in play to change the demographics and thus the voting patterns.
Another interesting and ominous leg of this beast, is the film industry. It was hailed as a windfall for the state, promised to bring in millions of dollars in revenue, and that indeed may be. But what’s also occurring, is that these companies are now calling the shots and affecting laws and how municipalities function, dumping cash into political pockets that are friendly to their point of view.