Late Saturday afternoon, a large group of loud protesters temporarily blocked off the main entrance to the Trump Rally. A rapid deployment force of the Metro police depts swiftly and peaceably restored order on the streets. We arrived just as a police tape had been tied into place.
Initially I was ordered back, but when I raised my left hand to show my Trump rally wrist band, the officer asked if I was seeking to get back in. I aid I prefer to provide press coverage from a safe distance. He pointed to a spot and I joined a small group of local & national media.
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The police know that I don't shy away from objective criticism of their actions when people are harmed. But they also know that I openly defend them against bigots who launch baseless attacks. I've sat in the room when they 'beat up on themselves' for situations they wish they had a chance to do over. They thoroughly analyze themselves so they can learn and be better peace officers.
After a while of observing while standing next to a corporal, I noticed the body language of the police riot squad was not overly aggressive, nor fearful of the situation. The corporal & I exchanged a very brief dialogue on the easing tensions, and I remarked on the body language I saw in his 'front line' officers. Officers need to be aware of this nonverbal form of expression and it's part of the training they get. David Oldham of Constitutional Grounds joined me and we compared notes on the crowd. & the standoff. Oldham focuses on matters of constitutional rights. He gave law enforcement high marks for their commitment to order and liberty. |
Note: I'm becoming a bit more trusted by metro area first responders; partly because I train them on Crisis Intervention techniques for successful de-escalation with people in psychotic distress.
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Editor's Notes:
We captured volumes of newsworthy information on the streets & in the rally. We're publishing as we are able, while recovering from heat, sun, exhaustion, & dehydration. We're also self-imposing quarantine, for the sake of our community. Mill City Citizen Media Provided very extensive coverage on the streets, well into the night. we highly recommend the great work and wish we could have been more supportive to collaborate. Here's some of that Mill City footage of Trump supporters engaging in discussions with protesters |
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