Speakers on the Justice Center steps. It's hard to hear: the sound system isn't great. We are hearing from a veteran who was present at Standing Rock Meanwhile, the Moms have assembled at 3rd and Main, facing towards the District Courthouse. Four rows deep, donning gas masks
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A fight breaks out around this sign. Immediate physical conflict. Huge screaming fight about whether this is for black lives, whether this is appropriate, while pepper balls echopic.twitter.com/tyACHVnIwi
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People giving this sign a wide birth. Lot of unease about this sign, who these people are, what they're doing here "Go home, tankie!" someone shouts They are not going home I don't know enough to have an opinion but this is a bad place for this kind of fight
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The indigenous drummers are standing before the fence, singingpic.twitter.com/yGiDUgG6Jx
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The majority of the crowd remains by the Justice Center, chanting the names Many remain in front of the District Courthouse. I'm staying there as well, since it seems like the feds are hungry tonight
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It's 2020 so obviously these balloons aren't here because they're pretty and fun. They're here to show everyone which way the wind is blowing for when the feds gas uspic.twitter.com/6B36V8l9X7
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Activists trying to get people to go to the Justice Center and away from the District Courthouse. "Black lives matter protest is this way!" It doesn't matter what my opinion is, I guess. How I think it's all intertwined. Black Lives Matter, anti-fed, anti-cop
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It's a system of white supremacy. It's a system of oppression. It's all connected. It all has to be resisted. If we don't stand up against all of it, it'll crush all of us But that's just, like, my opinion man
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Right on schedule, the LRAD warns of violence from within the Courthouse A spotlight from above illuminates me. Me? Maybe I'm being paranoid Either way, the feds want us here and want to fight. I don't know if that means we should be moving towards the JC or not
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I've wandered to the JC, where an activist is angry about people hiding in the back when they have PPE, angry because some of the moms didn't help when they were choking. Saying something about how they shouldn't need a gas mask I don't understand this side of the protest at all
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Back to the District Courthouse. The quiet of people knowing what's about to happen, bracing themselves. I can still hear that other activist yelling about cowardice from their perch far from this locus of violence
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Activists bang on the concrete barricades with traffic cones. An LRAD announcement from the feds An activist screams at people to stop. Accuses them of being alt-right and distracting people from the real protest in front of the Justice Center
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A flag burns on the fence and press clusters to get a picturepic.twitter.com/DgNYPrUgLB
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Revcoms lead a chant of "fuck that flag" So we have two out of town groups leading protest: RevCom at the courthouse, Black Unity at the Justice Center I'm tired y'all
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"Moms coming through!" The Moms march down the street in front of the District Courthouse. Chants of "Feds Go Home!" The two protests have become one, at least for now
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The majority of the protest remains in front of the District Courthouse. Activists lead chants RevCom tries to lead a chant about "revolution nothing less," leading to another fight. "Who are you here for? Stop talking over me! I'm not here to listen to you!" I hate it here
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Praying for gas at this point honestly
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#WallofMoms has taken position in front of the fence Immediately, the feds make an announcement. Can't hear it over the boosShow this thread -
Night becomes day as the feds shine a spotlight down on us from their perchpic.twitter.com/uNxnSVDdOP
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They keep doing the spotlight thing. Is it a way to make us look up so they can photograph us? A distraction? Or are they just bored? My money's on bored
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An enormous bonfire draws protesters like moths to a flame. Where did these boards come from? A giant screaming fight by the fire. No idea what that's about, but this isn't where the real violence will happen so I'm headed back to the courthousepic.twitter.com/LN39k67TBB
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An announcement from the feds during the fight. As usual, I couldn't hear it but you hear one fed announcement, you've heard 'em all
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With 0 warning: gas. Just one or two canisters No sign of actual troops yet but I'm sure it's coming An LRAD announcement
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Feds emerge. The crowd backs up, hunkers down
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A barrage of pepper balls and then the feds disappear back inside. Protesters offer eye wash. No one seriously hurt
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The crowd chants George Floyd's name. Protesters occasionally bang on the fence with shields
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A protester sits atop the fence and screams the names along with the rest of the protesterspic.twitter.com/JwaUM1BsoQ
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And another fed announcement, this time admonishing against climbing the fence or entering federal property "They're talking to me!" The guy sitting on the fence shouts. "Where are they? Black Lives Matter!"
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