Pigs, Police and Protesters: A Humboldt Perspective on the Republican National Convention

protesters at RNC

Protesters in pink Statue of Liberty costumes cary signs advocating for more acceptance of immigrants. [All photos by Berkeley Kijriopas]

We’ll be getting a unique Humboldt perspective on the Republic National Convention which begins today in Cleveland.

Berkeley R. Kijsriopas

Berkeley R. Kijsriopas

police at July 17, 2016 RNC

Police on bicycles in Cleveland monitor protests on July 17 at the Republican National Convention.

An HSU student, as part of her graduate studies on leadership, will be gathering data on protesters at the event and sharing photos and impressions with us.

“We are looking at leadership and how people feel about supporting Trump, especially when they are [devout] Republicans and feel like they have no choice,” explained the student who prefers to be known by the name she will go by after she is married in a few weeks, Berkeley R. Kijsriopas.

Yesterday she went to the first protest. “I walked 11 miles just to follow protesters…Then, there was a bomb scare at a bank and things got a little crazy. But all is good now,” she wrote.

“The police presence was pretty amazing,” Kijsriopas said. “There were 1000’s of police officers. I have never seen so many in one place before.”

“I went to a Black Lives Matter protest…I talked to a lot of people,” she explained. There she saw a number of protesters all advocating for a variety of different positions.
13692870_853126871486592_6232080861972499716_o

A protester, not content with one sign, tries to cover a variety of positions he finds compelling. 

“As you can see from the pictures, the people in masks were actually advocating legalization of marijuana and [were] anti-GMO,” Kijsriopas said. She pointed out the similarity to Humboldt County protesters and their concerns. “They were extremely passionate about it,” she said. “Kind of hit close to home.”
Protestors at July 17, 2016 RNC

Free the weed protests at the Republican National Convention yesterday.

Not all protesters advocated peaceful change. “There were people walking around with a paper mache pig on a platter, yelling ‘kill the pigs,'” Kijsriopas noted.
Paper mache pig and protesters at the RNC

Paper mache pig carried by protesters advocating killing law enforcement walked past a line of officers on bicycles.

“The main message that I got today was a little mixed,” she said. “There were A LOT of anti-police messages. But, without the police blocking the way of drivers, the march wouldn’t have happened. Cars literally would have ran protesters over, because the traffic never, ever stopped unless the police got involved.”
Police and protesters at the Republican National Convention.

Police protect protesters carry a sign showing alleged victims of police brutality. “Stop Murder by Police,” it says.

All in all though, she said, the protesters and police had mainly peaceful interactions on Sunday.
13669331_853127021486577_9049364093431420447_o

Anonymous masked protester shakes hand with a police officer wearing a bulletproof vest.

But she said, “[Today] should be more, intense. We’ll see!”

[Check back in. We’ll update as the story develops.]

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LeAnna Carson-Hansen
Guest
LeAnna Carson-Hansen
7 years ago

I find it very interesting that there are folks willing to go and protest, yet they fear identification by wearing a covering over their faces.

I also have not read on any mainstream media sites folks who are conducting civil disobedience training.

It would be amazing if the media could publish information on all the groups protesting in regards to their ideology, their method of civil disobedience and if they advocate a respectful and civil form of protest, are adhering to a code of conduct for non violent acts of protest, or if they are intent of disrupting the political process.

My concern is that there will a large faction of idealistic folks attending the protests who have no idea what a quagmire the protests can quickly turn into.

May the Kijsriopas be kept alert, calm, and safe as she conducts her research this week.

Look forward to reading of her time there.

Love
Guest
Love
7 years ago

They have more gumption than you. Why are you judging their protesting? Maybe we live in such a police fascist state that they don’t want backlash,which all cops love.

sharpen your pencil
Guest
sharpen your pencil
7 years ago
Reply to  Love

Your view towards police isn’t slanted…… People cover their faces to hide their identity generally when they have plans of doing illegal things, not all but most….. Police men and women are out everyday, protecting us, these incidents don’t happen every day, however they do happen all to often. To make such an idiotic statement as “all cops love backlash” would be like me saying if you are wearing a mask you are a criminal. Get real and grow up!

Lost Croat Outburst
Guest
Lost Croat Outburst
7 years ago

That’s exactly what you said. AND, it’s too late for editing. Proof your own comments; it would improve your credibility. You are correct that all cops for not want backlash. They don’t, mostly, want to kill people and they don’t want to be shot.

J Dubbs
Guest
J Dubbs
7 years ago
Reply to  Love

Uhhh, Love, you do realize all the momentum for civil disobedience, degenerate behavior, violence, mayhem and destruction is on your side as of late, right? Remember the Baltimore mayor saying at a presser to give them room to destroy??? Pull your head out, cops are on the defensive now. And I bet you could get away with killing a few repubes there if you so choose. Admit it, you wouldn’t lament it at all would you.

go urself and see
Guest
go urself and see
7 years ago

Probably because after the WTO in Seattle in 99, the police made a web page of pictures of people they were looking for, the majority of whom did nothing beside legal protesting. And from there targeted people and infiltrated such terrifying groups as the Quakers! (Yes insert sarcasm) those dangerous Christian protest groups!
They target organizers as well; basically feels like all of your rights go out the window when youre at a protest, it feels barely legal.

Or maybe because activists have been arrested as “eco-terrorists” even tho no lives were lost, only a few buildings.
Look up the green scare. Your tax dollars have been paying to keep protesters in solitary for the last 10 years, not to mention the money spent to catch them and the funding of the fbi undercover whom they sent around the country with a hidden camera in his hat to record coversations about events that had happened many years prior. They also used your tax dollars to pay their informant $50K, a new car, a place to live and continual payment for methadone treatment as he’s a junkie. A few activists arrested were literally at a pay phone and an unmarked van pulked up,grabbed them and threw them in, that was their arrest scenario.
You can see how the funds that shuld have been going to infiltrate truly dangerous groups that want to harm people not monetary income were used.
The Patriot act makes it legal to arrest a citizen of the US as a terrorist which means you get no lawyer, they can hold you indefinately with no charges and if you get a trial it’s behind closed doors.

So it is actually dangerous to show your face if you go to protests, you can be targeted for any little thing.

TM May
Guest
TM May
7 years ago

Most protesters tend to be young. Its that simple. Most of us when young are idealistic and only understand our emotions. (We can also afford to take time off work to protest something.)
If you want to ‘protest’ something, do it. Its our right and duty. But violence at any level, advocating killing, is evil and wrong, no matter your cause.
Since 2000 this country has been purposely divided, (Thanks Karl!) and suddenly history is repeating itself. And as usual the super-rich have got the rest of us fighting each other.

sharpen your pencil
Guest
sharpen your pencil
7 years ago

I get the protesting, but how can people think they are protesting for change, if they themselves are advocating violence towards law enforcement? Have none of these people ever heard the expression “an eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind” it is a simple saying that carries a large weight of truth!

Llc.
Guest
Llc.
7 years ago

Thanks for the reporting – Hoping the protesters will have a sign stating the fact trump wants the top tier tax rate to drop from 39% to 25% !rejoice one percenters rejoice.

http://ctj.org/ctjreports/2016/03/donald_trumps_tax_plan_would_cost_12_trillion.php#.V4z-uJBHaK0

“Appendix: Proposed Tax Changes in the Trump Plan

The plan’s tax cuts include:

Reduce the top personal income tax rate from 39.6 percent to 25 percent, and reduce the number of tax brackets from 7 to 3.
Reduce the federal corporate income tax rate from 35 to 15 percent.
Reduce the top tax rate on “pass-through” business income from 39.6 to 15 percent.
Eliminate the 3.8 percent high-income surtax on unearned income that was enacted as part of President Barack Obama’s health care reforms.
Eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax, which was designed to ensure that the wealthiest Americans pay at least a minimal amount of tax.
Increase the standard deduction to $25,000 for single filers and $50,000 for married couples.
Eliminate the estate tax.

Linda
Guest
Linda
7 years ago
Reply to  Llc.

Lowering tax rates for the top job creators creates more jobs.
Pretty simple.
More jobs means more opportunity for ALL Americans, black, white, brown, yellow, etc..
With more opportunity comes less complacency that results in violence.
Trump is the only solution for these problem.

Jaekelopterus
Guest
Jaekelopterus
7 years ago
Reply to  Linda

Lowering the tax rate means the wealthy have even more money to move into offshore accounts. The poor spend a larger percentage of their income, stimulating the economy. That’s why Reaganomics/Neoliberalism has been a disaster for workers. The top income bracket was taxed near 90% during the 50’s and things were never better, economically speaking.

rollin21
Guest
rollin21
7 years ago
Reply to  Jaekelopterus

The top bracket was over 90%, BUT NO ONE PAID IT! There were many more deductions then. A person now in the top bracket pays much more than a person in the 50″s paid with 90 plus% top rate. You Libs never want to consider that and instead repeat the same old drivel with no consideration of the facts. Your just haters. Why do you care if rich people get to keep more of their money? Because your a jealous hater.

Jaekelopterus
Guest
Jaekelopterus
7 years ago
Reply to  rollin21

So how much money do our overlords need to horde before they start trickling down?

rollin21
Guest
rollin21
7 years ago
Reply to  Jaekelopterus

Your overlords will never have enough. They will just keep promising you free shit to get your votes and then blame it on the greedy capitalists. And you….will add to the problem by buying into it and demanding that your overlords take away things from people who have more than you do. Then, you will cry about it on sites like this in an effort to bolster your misguided views with other Bernie supporting losers who can’t earn their own money and so insist on stealing it from their fellow human beings.

Jaekelopterus
Guest
Jaekelopterus
7 years ago
Reply to  rollin21

So you think that the social elite and the economic elite are two different groups, then?

Sparklemahn
Guest
Sparklemahn
7 years ago
Reply to  rollin21

I think you’re lying.

TM May
Guest
TM May
7 years ago
Reply to  rollin21

Spell check is your friend.

Lost Croat Outburst
Guest
Lost Croat Outburst
7 years ago
Reply to  rollin21

Corporations don’t pay 35% now, only looks that way on paper. Corporate rates are more like 15% in reality or less due to tax breaks unavailable to common workers, like dividend income. We are not jealous haters, we would like to see middle class, living wages return to America. People hate feeling poor and hopeless while the top 5% get all the money.

doctor my eyes
Guest
doctor my eyes
7 years ago

and don’t forget the ‘stash it in overseas accounts ‘ part of corporate tax structuring.
It is very common now by making the profits booked at a part of the company in a country with a very low tax rate (a dream of that other commenter or three here) to avoid even paying at that rate, then they book the losses here.

Erstwhile Patriot Jeb Bush even has a company dedicated to helping those corporate hacks not able to do it them selves.
They must be pretty pitiful indeed by int’l corp standards to job tat shifty part out, but Jeb will grease the wheels for ya.
And people were thinking he would make a good president!
Yeah, good at finishing the international looting of the good old USA.

johnny b goode
Guest
johnny b goode
7 years ago
Reply to  Linda

Sorry Linda. Supply side economics does not work. Trump’s tax plan also doubles our national deficit over the next decade and is actually unsustainable for keeping the country running properly.

Train wreck
Guest
Train wreck
7 years ago
Reply to  Linda

Linda, please turn off the Fox News, this has been the biggest GOP myth since the Regan days – time to bend over the masses for their next reaming as the rich get richer!

TM May
Guest
TM May
7 years ago
Reply to  Linda

Wow, I cannot believe anyone still thinks that. I am guessing you weren’t born before the Reagan years.

rollin21
Guest
rollin21
7 years ago
Reply to  Llc.

Aaaaand somehow this is a problem for you? Losing 40% of your income to the Federal government (that doesn’t include state or other taxes) means working until June for free. Medieval serfs didn’t pay that much.

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  Llc.

Having a 15% tax rate being paid in the USA is better than having the corporation move to another country and not paying anything. Get it? Jobs will be here. Get it. The Dollar will start flowing here instead of flowing offshore, and worse, not coming back, because we have no national product to sell.
$15 in your pocket is better than…. Oh never mind, you might not get the point.

bbb
Guest
bbb
7 years ago

Wow the Reagan years called and wants their rhetoric back.

In case you haven’t noticed times have changed but income hasnt, trickle down doesn’t work and the weight of the country has fallen on the working middle class as the rich hide their money and pay no taxes.
If you want to pay 15% more while companies like Citibank and apple literally pay less than you in taxes, go for it. I don’t want that and really urge you to think about what ur saying. If you want to see crime go up even more tgen sure push for that. When one becomes extremely poor they feel like there’s nothing left to lose.
The main reasons companies leave the US is wages and environmental regs. Do you really think creating jobs that pay fed min wage of 7.25 before taxes are even going to help? Those families have to get food stamps as at that wage a 40 hour work week won’t support them.
Or many many folks are working 2 jobs, 50-70hours a week. Is that what you want more of? Then you can complain about welfare recupients, thieves, children not being taken care of, etc.
Let’s look for some real change not stupidly re-invwnting the wheel. Its ok to say we tried but we need a new plan.

rollin21
Guest
rollin21
7 years ago
Reply to  bbb

http://taxfoundation.org/blog/do-rich-pay-their-fair-share

There is no trickle down economics moron. The Soviet Union called and want there rhetoric back.

The top 5% percent of earners in this country pay 33% of the taxes according to the government you so revere. The bottom 50% pay 5% of the taxes. Now just say thank you and go flip my burger.

regards
Guest
regards
7 years ago
Reply to  bbb

You’re mistaken! I’ve been getting ‘trickled down’ on since Reagan wrote it, and Poppy Bush made it start to go, the “G” put it into overdrive.

It has certainly continued “shocking and Awing” my a$$!

rollin21
Guest
rollin21
7 years ago
Reply to  regards

I’m mistaken about what? I just quoted you statistics from the government you adore and that’s all you’ve got? You’re mistaken? I love it. Typical liberal.

Jaekelopterus
Guest
Jaekelopterus
7 years ago
Reply to  rollin21

The Tax Foundation is a private think tank. Maybe the red white and blue background confused you.

rollin21
Guest
rollin21
7 years ago
Reply to  Jaekelopterus

Maybe facts confuse you Jackel (perfect handle for you), First sentence, second paragraph, the information comes from CONGRESS”S JOINT COMMITTEE ON TAXATION

Jaekelopterus
Guest
Jaekelopterus
7 years ago
Reply to  rollin21

As reported by your thinktank, as reported by the Washinton Post. If you read the actual PDF they reference, you’d see that the poor wouldn’t have enough money to run the country if you taxed them at 100%. Wealth inequality is what is causing our economy to stagnate like it did 20’s.

Jaekelopterus
Guest
Jaekelopterus
7 years ago
Reply to  rollin21

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_inequality_in_the_United_States

If you look at total wealth inequality, it’s worse than it’s been since the 20’s. When are we supposed to start seeing the benefits?

rollin21
Guest
rollin21
7 years ago
Reply to  Jaekelopterus

I LOVE IT. You rip me for quoting from a “private think tank” and then you quote from the oh so reliable, Wikipedia.

The conversation was about the fairness of taking 40% of someone’s earnings away and whether the “rich” pay their “fair share” in taxes. Typical Libtard you try and divert the subject when you can’t win the argument. Income inequality is a separate topic. If you want equality then move to North Korea.

Jaekelopterus
Guest
Jaekelopterus
7 years ago
Reply to  rollin21

I’m not talking about being “fair,” I’m talking about an actual inequality of wealth that has been getting worse since the 70’s, and solutions to that problem.

The bottom line is that the rich can afford the be taxed at a higher rate. Tax the poor at a higher rate, they can’t feed themselves and the economy suffers. Lighten taxes on the rich, they’ll sit on the money. You can’t really argue that, because THAT’S WHAT HAS HAPPENED on a massive scale #Panamapapers

Jaekelopterus
Guest
Jaekelopterus
7 years ago
Reply to  rollin21

I’d be interested to know what you think about tariffs, NAFTA, TPP, ect. I predict that we will be in agreement over these issues.

TN
Guest
TN
7 years ago

That’s funny Ernie, some people around here are educated beyond their intelligence

Shak
Guest
Shak
7 years ago

Too bad they don’t notice that they are all against tyranny, including their own.
I hold up my protest sign here: stop the tyranny, vote for Castle!
Problems solved.
Literally.

G-ma
Guest
G-ma
7 years ago

As much as everyone hates the cops,let me ask you something,if we had no law no one to protect us what would happen??I’m asking because the criminal’s want all of us to hate the law an attack!!we don’t live in ISIS territory we live in the.U.S.Thank God.if we had no law,we’d be just like those savages.Please don’t ever let hate win!!!

Patte Rae
Guest
Patte Rae
7 years ago

It appears the pig on the platter is he whose name must not be said, not peace officers. The blond wig gave it away.

judi
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  Patte Rae

yup, i agree w/patte…i see a rump…

Sparklemahn
Guest
Sparklemahn
7 years ago

Republicans are the party of STUPID.

Jaekelopterus
Guest
Jaekelopterus
7 years ago
Reply to  Sparklemahn

Let’s be fair, the Dems are only better by a hair’s breadth. Nobel-laureate Obama continues to ramp up all of our wars and start new ones. He stenthens the big money interests and never even tried to support a Single Payer heathcare system. He nominates Republicans to the Supreme Court, thereby eliminating the final reason I could give for voting for the Dem establishment. The way the party railroaded Bernie Sanders was shameful and short sighted.

Luckily, I live in CA so it doesn’t matter how I vote!

Sparklemahn
Guest
Sparklemahn
7 years ago
Reply to  Jaekelopterus

You are correct. The only difference between Repubs and Dems is on the environment, where Repubs want to rape it and Dems want to protect it, sort of. If I could delete my previous post, I would. Obviously there are brilliant Conservatives but The Donald ain’t one of them and LiL gw bush wasn’t, either.

Anon Forrest
Guest
7 years ago

First: The Comments section accurately reveals our diversity and I learn from my compatriots daily, thanks to RHBB.
Secondly, we are equally diverse nationally. But our Two-Party system funnels our directions into a compromised position, with amendments added which further dilute and obfuscate the original intent…if anyone can still remember what that was.
Idea: Why not move to a Parliamentarian system? Many Parties, representing many points of view, and winning seats by the allocation of the voters nation wide? Sounds like Democracy to me!
I bet we can do this, and I’d appreciate other thoughts, as always. af

Jaekelopterus
Guest
Jaekelopterus
7 years ago
Reply to  Anon Forrest

http://www.wolf-pac.com

When both parties are vying for the same bribes, it tends to make everything else irrelevant.

why hide ur face? here's 1 reason....
Guest
why hide ur face? here's 1 reason....
7 years ago

Meet the RNC Activists Questioned by Authorities Ahead of This Week’s Convention

http://m.democracynow.org/stories/16405

I used to worry
Guest
I used to worry
7 years ago

pure intimidation tactics….and those are just the visible ones, then there are cubicle workers tracking protesters and following them online, probably even up here in our little corner.
Ain’t america great?

On the bright side, hahaha, a judge has caused the Kansas police iirc to stop the police cash seizures by the use of the credit and debit card scanners without a warrant, and another judge threw out a case where the police used the Stingray to track a phone. Judge was concerned about the warrantless spying.
I guess that makes him a ‘hater, a looser, and jealous’ or something…