What’s it like living in Minneapolis / St. Paul right now?

@regordane @noodlemaz @inthehands
The point is to draw more people into the fight! The “street stones” function the same way that “Fight Back” wall murals by street artists do. Declare this space or territory “ours!”

@gbargoud @Nerde
Yes, a big question here is what •kind• of protection we’re demanding and from •whom•.

The Minneapolis Police have very low trust. They’re officially forbidden by the city from assisting ICE, but…few people imagine they’re not on ICE’s side. Some argue we should demand their protection anyway to force the issue; others don’t want to touch them with a 10 foot pole.

Gov Walz has talked about mobilizing the Minnesota National Guard to keep the peace. That’s a more credible idea — they’re a lot less fashy than the Mpls Police — but still not clear that would be welcome. One idea I’m warm to is having •unarmed• NG protecting vulnerable locations.

@Radaghaz @noodlemaz @inthehands

No. They really really don't. The street stones serve as a memorial and a reminder to those who already know, after the enemy has been defeated. At this stage they would be a complete irrelevance and would not even be noticed by those who need to be mobilised

@inthehands @gbargoud @Nerde

Trump is a wannabe mafia don.

His enforcers are hired for their thuggery, not long-term thinking.

Every democracy faces that difficult decision of recognizing when a supposedly public service funded by taxpayers, is turned into a system of support for public graft.

Police inaction in the face of violations of Constitutional rights, begs the question "What the Heck are We Paying You For?"

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/04/uvalde-police-training-school-shooter-response-time

@Npars01 @inthehands @gbargoud @Nerde
US police don't exist to protect you from criminals; they exist to protect wealthy people from YOU.

The car appears to be a rental. It had Amazon packages in the back seat — just received? Or (more likely) being delivered? Probably these were people just out there doing their delivery job, try to make ends meet.

But we don’t know, because nobody was able to find out who they are.

I hope they get out. I hope they get their car back. I hope a lot of things.

3/

@regordane @Radaghaz @noodlemaz

There has been talk here about putting “ICE abducted someone here” signs out around town. That would have a very different tone and a very different purpose from stones placed solemnly after the fact. I hope we can agree that all these different things have their place, and that the folks dealing with ICE right now have the capacity to choose what works in the place where they live.

@inthehands Keep hoping Paul. It’s important.

@inthehands @regordane @Radaghaz @noodlemaz

Tbh, Stolpersteine specifically shouldn't be used for this, for the reason Hilary mentioned, but I very much like the idea of putting up signs. It's much easier to ignore or downplay this when you just hear some numbers in the news or "a friend's cousin of my aunt said..." When you drive down a road on your way to the grocery store and keep seeing these on regular buildings looking just like your own, it might feel different for some.

However, I wouldn't put one specifically in front of houses with names and all but maybe on the corner of a street, as number of people who have been taken from the neighbourhood or so. As much as one would like to hope this wouldn't happen, some people out there truly have no shame and would consider this an invitation for looting, or vandalizing in case of MAGA heads.

The car appears to be a rental. It had Amazon packages in the back seat — just received? Or (more likely) being delivered? Probably these were people just out there doing their delivery job, try to make ends meet.

But we don’t know, because nobody was able to find out who they are.

I hope they get out. I hope they get their car back. I hope a lot of things.

3/

@inthehands Dunno if you saw this yet.

https://flipboard.social/@newsguyusa/115884608879121797

@inthehands - We had that here, too. People just weren't there anymore.

About 50 years later, people started remembering. After some fights with local governments, it has become typical to place brass cobblestones in front of their houses with names, birthdates, and the Concentration Camp where they were murdered or perished.
You can find them on many inner city sidewalks.

The degree to which they are hated by some is testament to how necessary they are.

@codemonkeymike @inthehands @Netux it might feel inefficient, but have a read about the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3.5%25_rule

What’s it like living in Minneapolis / St. Paul right now?

This weekend, ICE abducted two people straight out of a car near where I live. Just straight up stopped the car and took them.

I found out because neighbors were trying to figure out what to do with the car, which ICE just left there blocking the street.

1/

@codemonkeymike @inthehands @Netux it might feel inefficient, but have a read about the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3.5%25_rule

@tofugolem @Npars01 @inthehands @gbargoud @Nerde I listen to a police/fire scanner some nights while I'm gaming. A fair number of calls are about criminalizing homelessness. It's always sad to hear the cops called for "illegal camping" and the fire engines called out for "illegal fire".

It's cold outside. If people had a choice, they wouldn't be sleeping in a tent or burning garbage and pallets to keep warm.

So I assume that part of the job of the cops is to make sure that anyone not being a good little cog in the machine for the wealthy is publicly tormented so that everyone living on the edge becomes terrified of things getting even worse.

@inthehands I don't know the folks in your part of the world, I do know the ones in L.A. and I"m really surprised some of ICE hasn't just gone missing. I'm in Alaska and keep wondering what would happen if ICE went after the Natives here. I do know that Polar Bears like to play with ICE, tho maybe the killer whales would come to help.

There are local tow companies offering free towing for the car of anyone who was abducted so that the people whose car it is don’t end up with a tow fee or a parking ticket…in case they are able to get out of detention and return to their life. Neighbors contacted them.

Then Minneapolis Police showed up and wanted to tow and ticket the car immediately. Neighbors had to argue the police out of it — and did eventually manage to.

2/

@inthehands Ticketing is meant to discourage behavior. What the frak does a ticket accomplish if you’ve been abducted‽ The absurdity.