The Riots Will End When the Curfew is for Cops

Took Shanda to your first riot today. You did a good job, even though you were afraid. Even though the rain was oppressive. I hijacked the way impulsivity can feel like relief to you, and proposed riot as catharsis only 30 minutes before I wanted to leave. Which is a good trick for making hard things happen but meant we didn’t get to coordinate or plan very well. We’ll try something a little less improvised next time.

I was a little disappointed to not get to make individual cops feel bad. I feel like that’s a place I could really contribute. I dressed for the job today but did not want to drag Shanda that far into the chaos. Not until you’re angry enough to feel safe about it; I suspect we will find future opportunities.

You also marched down the the street, though the police line, in violation of a civil curfew. Which is big potatoes for a rule follower. You helped, at least a little, a bunch of people escape the violence the mayor ordered, just by physically being with them.

I put on a full rain social armor rig today, left the house with nothing but a $5 bill and water bottle on me, and felt empowered by the freedom of having nothing and being secure in my survival. It’s something I associate with homelessness and unending stress, so it’s easy to imagine as something I don’t like.

But I do like it. It’s part of the reason I want to run when I’m alone and headed back to the airport. It’s also the freedom that lets me ignore concussive explosions ¹I’ve been sort of worried about this, because fireworks have become a problem for me, PTSD-style. But it turns out that’s situational – when I’m in the right mood I’m still pretty good at not being distracted by even high levels of chaos. while I examine burning car. That car was ignored for over an hour while I watched it burn, and there was no point at it which it was inaccessible or dangerous for fire crews to approach. The city wanted that fire, they let it burn, and the mayor lied about it as justification to send in the riot cops ²After a full day of chemicals assaults on people stupid enough to be seen with sporting equipment or the wrong facial expression while passing a belligerent cop..

This is America. Always has been. Let’s burn it down and build something cooler.

ZiB

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Sent from a phone.

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