#endfascism

I want to be very clear about why it's important to protest what's going on in Portland. In America, we're supposed to have this little thing called "the rule of law". This is how it works: law enforcement officers obtain probable cause, which they demonstrate to a judge, who then signs a warrant. When the police arrest a suspect, they identify themselves as police and explain the charges. The suspect is informed of their rights and is placed into a marked police vehicle for transport. The case is then adjudicated through the court system. That is not what's happening in Portland. Nameless, badge-less agents are grabbing people off the streets essentially at random, throwing them into unmarked cars, and driving them to a secondary location. No warrants. No arrests. No charges. These agents do not wear identification and it is impossible to tell what agency, if any, they belong to. They are uninvited, unwanted interlopers, who are completely ignoring the rule of law. Imagine you're a young woman in downtown Portland, walking home after a long day of exercising your First Amendment rights. An unmarked van screeches to a stop beside you, and 3 dudes in camouflage jump out, grab you, and shove you into their van. They put a bag over your head and drive off. You have no idea who they are or why they've taken you. Are they federal agents? Military? Far-right militia? Human traffickers? Ransomers? They don't explain what's going on. They don't charge you with a crime, because you haven't committed one. Once they've sufficiently terrorized you, they let you go. This is not the sort of thing that happens in a free society. This is what happens in authoritarian regimes. The governor of Oregon is outraged. The mayor of Portland is outraged. The state legislature is outraged. The Attorney General of Oregon has already filed a lawsuit to try and stop what are, quite literally, extrajudicial kidnappings. I realize that this sounds like an exaggeration, but it's not. Please stand up and speak out. Let the people of #Portland know that we have their backs. This is not normal. This is not okay.