I am writing to express my dismay over the actions of the Asheville police on recent nights in downtown Asheville. It seems that the police destroying the first aid and water supplies was an unnecessary act of provocation. I read Police Chief David Zack’s statement, and I understand what a difficult situation this is, and I am certainly not in favor of police getting injured, but I think more restraint should have been shown on their part and with their continued use of tear gas and rubber bullets on subsequent nights.
The perception of police overreaction is as important as what the actual actions were and why these actions were taken. Further, as these actions by police could only have been carried out with approval from the highest levels of command, I urge our city and county leadership to reconsider how we want our law enforcement agencies to be perceived in these particularly turbulent times.
I attended the rally in Pack Square with my teenage children in the late afternoon of June 2, 3:30-5:30 p.m. We heard first aid team members discussing plans for how aid and supplies would be distributed and were impressed at their insistence on nonviolent responses on the part of people participating in the public protests.
I will tell you I was appalled by the graffiti I saw on the Asheville Art Museum and other buildings surrounding Pack Square, and I certainly do not support that sort of destructive behavior on the part of the protesters who engaged in those actions. For my part, I was impressed by the level of calm and respectful behavior shown by those who were present at the protest during the period of time I was in attendance with my children.
As a 17-year resident of Buncombe County, I am dismayed that we are not sending a progressive message to our citizens and those who visit our diverse community.
— Alan Lipsky
Arden
As someone who saw the violence start to get out of hand, let me ask the writer what would you have the police do? Politely ask them to stop it? They called for people to disburse on several occasions. They didn’t. What do you recommend happen when the fireworks, breaking glass and destruction begins?
If it were peaceful, why were the store fronts boarded up? I guess in this guys mind, it’s being progressive.
Protection against right wing thugs coming in to add a violent element in hopes it would be blamed on the protesters. Nice try but YOU FAILED. Under Trumpty Dumpty, y’all should be used to hearing that by now. #TrumpPrison2020
This goes much deeper; considering we muricans are brainwashed into believing we are the freest nation w/ the greatest opportunity for prosperity. Look at France; when there’s a law that’s to be implemented that the people don’t want; universities cancel classes And students fill the streets and by nightfall the law never gets implemented. When Arab spring arise our animal farm government denounce’s the various middle eastern governments for their crackdown that mirror what we’ve seen here in the USA (United States of amnesia)… all the politicians are acting busy, concerned and acting like they care… but when a vote on police reform finally comes on the floors of Congress; we will all have pretty much forgotten this and nothing will change… And this is all by design
“Police asked them to disburse”… THEY WERE PROTESTING!!!! The only problem that I see is that protesting has slow down and has not kept up the momentum… peace protests do nothing; which is why Our government Allows and even encourages it. Ironically; when buildings burn, there’s blood in the streets, And overwhelming footage of police brutality… is when the suites get busy (or at least try to look busy).
I am speaking as my 9 year old self. We threw fireworks @ each other all night. It was so000000000000OOOOOoooooo much fun. I danced liked no one could see me. Best time ever. Can’t wait till next year, when I’m ten years old.
2020 OMG fireworks scare me. I need protection from things that as a 9 year old I thought was fun.
If water-bottles and fireworks scare you today; thank god you weren’t apart of the greatest generation.
LOL if you’re 9 I’m 16. /Wish I was. Much better times with people no matter what their skin color was.
We had a nationwide protest against police brutality; only to be subject to more police brutality.
LOL what you term “brutality” is nothing of the sort. But morons think the police pulling back will somehow make them safer on one end. And on the other, continue to shame, push, and threaten those that they have disagreements with. But that’s OK because then they’ll realize the so called “brutality” they claim the police did was actually treating them with kid gloves.
“morons think the police pulling back will somehow make them safer on one end.”
In the Much Better Times, did you feel safer? In the Much Better Times, was policing less militarized and driven by an ideology of warrior-cops occupying hostile territory? Selective nostalgia’s one heckuva drug.
I agree with Charles’s comment above and would only expand the thought. These knuckleheads that deface property with paint, break glass, loot stores, damage vehicles, and set fires are not reasonable “people”. Police must deal with inappropriate and damaging actions of protesters with the use of appropriate force in order to achieve sensible outcomes when violence exists. What are police supposed to do when confronted with anarchists? Ask them to kindly step closer so that they can be arrested and placed under police control? For our society to retain what civility still exists, police must act with adequate strength and appropriate discipline when crazed individuals act in groups to damage property and threaten the lives of sensible citizens and property owners.
Weird what happens when you describe one group with emotive specifics and another group with verbose abstractions. Lots of ten-dollar words there on behalf of the cops. A good lesson for composition class.
Still doesn’t account for looting the medic table.
Anonymous said it best!
“After the events of the past few years, many people are beginning to learn that the police are not here to save us but rather here to oppress us and carry out the will of the criminal ruling class. They are here to keep order for the people in control, not to provide safety for the people who are controlled. In fact, they are the very mechanism that elites use to continue their global system of oppression.”