Portland police chief Bob Day said in a press conference today that their goal is to detain and arrests people on the spot just to identify them and get rid of their anonymity, so that they can surveil them and keeps tabs on them and be more likely to ID them at future events / see who their social circles are. He said taking people into custody is “a tool to leverage more information, and to learn about other people.” I know we know this, but it’s harrowing to hear.
Fascism and a police state are already here, and things are only getting worse. Police across the board are more funded than ever, and in many cities their funding has increased substantially since 2020. Let’s also not forget that Biden expressed his desire to see cop cities everywhere.
Don’t let this fascist bullshit discourage you, it’s exactly what the state wants. They pulled stuff like this all the time in 2020-22… they’re terrified of dissent and what this summer may bring during a heated election season, rise and mainstreamification of fascism, and of course the ongoing genocide. While alarming, they’re going mask off and simultaneously trying to quell dissent.
I just hope people start being safer about things. I worry about the students and folks relying on instagram and social media for organizing. While there are obviously many crossovers with antifascism and radical leftist ideologies, a lot of people participating in direct action right now, especially when it comes to protesting for Palestine, are very newly activated. Keeping yourself safe helps keep others safe.