Sunday, May 31, 2020

A sign outside Verizon: 'Agitators are not protestors'



A handmade sign arrived some time this morning after 8 outside the damaged Verizon store on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place...



It reads:

Please know:

1) BLM
2) The protest came here twice peacefully. Hours later a small group of people trashed 2nd & St. Mark's. Agitators are not protestors."

Thanks to Steven for the photos...

2 comments:

stephen b said...

I was in the streets in the late 60s, early 70s.
It was similar to this but we saw our fight as the war and american imperialism to confront with our skirmishes, It seemed to be a big kettle we could all cook in - the war.
Now, the outside agitators, whether they are from the community or from another state, ( personally am certain outsiders were at Berkeley, Oakland, Isla Vista etc in the 60s) they had a lot more experience at their craft - we were just figuring it out. We did not burn the businesses we shopped at. I think we saw the logic behind that.
Pretty much there was lots of pepper gas, cops wading through it swinging batons and handcuffs by the hundreds. (steel in those days)

Unknown said...

Considering much of this moment is about disinformation (everyone suspecting conspiracy by antifa, alt-right, undercover nypd) I feel compelled to note that Winston Churchill most definitely did not state the above quote.
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/02/24/heart-head/
“He who is not a républicain at twenty compels one to doubt the generosity of his heart; but he who, after thirty, persists, compels one to doubt the soundness of his mind.”
Batbie was probably referring to the statesman Edmund Burke who was noted for his support of the American Revolution and later condemnation of the French Revolution.

Reminds me of my late great uncle who wrote up pithy quotes for magazines, attributing them to famous people because, No one cares if Frank has a clever quote but everyone likes Mark Twain.

(btw, peaceful protesters did pass by long before a gang of 20 somethings smashed things up in the late hours, you can find footage of the addidas store and TD bank on twitter fwiw)

Stay safe!