Press Secy. McEnany: Officers have right to defend themselves, 57 officers resign from Buffalo’s Emergency Response Team in support of two suspended colleagues

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany speaks during a briefing at the White House, Wednesday, June 3, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 2:10 PM PT — Wednesday, June 3, 2020

This week, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany weighed in on the nation’s ongoing protests. She acknowledged the First Amendment gives Americans the right to peacefully assemble, but pointed out it does not give anyone the right to riot loot and set things on fire.
She’s also reiterated police did not tear gas protesters at D.C.’s Lafayette Square on Monday before the president walked from the White House to St. John’s Church.

“The protesters were told three times over loudspeaker that they needed to move. It grew increasingly unruly. There were projectiles being thrown at officers, frozen water bottles were being thrown at officers, various other projectiles. The officers had no other choice than in that moment to act, make sure that they were safe and that the perimeter was pushed back. As we all know, a church was burning in that very area the night before, so the appropriate action was taken.” – Kayleigh McEnany, White House Press Secretary

She also noted the president has not lost confidence in Defense Secretary Mark Esper after he said he does not support using the military to contain the protests.

FILE – In this June 1, 2020, file photo President Donald Trump departs the White House to visit outside St. John’s Church in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Esper has also dismissed the mainstream media’s portrayal of his visit to St. John’s Church with President Trump. He has said they went to Lafayette Park to thank the National Guard for their efforts and review damage at the church.
The secretary stressed he had no idea there was anything political involved when the president took a photograph with a bible. He also dismissed reports the National Guard used tear gas to clear out protesters before the group made their walk.
“First, National Guard did not fire rubber bullets or tear gas into the crowd as reported,” he stated. “Second, guardsmen were instructed to wear helmets and personal protection equipment for their own protection, not to serve as some form of intimidation.”
Esper went on to say he’s instructed officials to investigate why a National Guard helicopter was hovering above the group of protesters that same day.

57 officers resign from Buffalo’s Emergency Response Team in support of two suspended colleagues

In this image from video provided by WBFO, a Buffalo police officer appears to shove a man who walked up to police Thursday, June 4, 2020, in Buffalo, N.Y. (Mike Desmond/WBFO via AP)

 OLD or not, look how much larger this man is compared to the police officers?

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 2:10 PM PT — Friday, June 5, 2020

57 officers resigned from the Buffalo Police Department’s Emergency Response Team on Friday. This came after officials suspended two officers for shoving a 75-year-old man during recent protests.
A video, which surfaced this week, appeared to show police officers pushing an elderly man to the floor, where his head to started bleeding.
The two officers involved in the incident were suspended without pay from the department. These actions sparked outrage from the rest of the riot task force, who claimed that these men were just doing what they were told to do.
When asked about the resignations, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said he was “exceptionally disappointed by it, because it indicates to me that they did not see anything wrong with the actions last night.”
“Being a police officer is a difficult task, there’s no doubt about it,” stated Poloncarz. “We as a community need to have officers who are working on our best behalf and honoring their pledge to serve and protect.”

N.Y. bail reform laws prevent looters from being held by police

Police search the cars of drivers amidst ongoing looting in SoHo shopping district on Sunday, May 31, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 5:32 PM PT — Friday, June 5, 2020

Prosecutors in New York City are expressing frustration with how quickly some of those arrested during the violent riots in the city have been turned back onto the street.
According to reports, hundreds have been arrested for rioting and looting in recent demonstrations, which were sparked by the death of George Floyd. However, many have been immediately released due to the state’s unusual bail reform law.
The law, which was enacted earlier this year, eliminated the bail requirement for suspects accused of most misdemeanors, including burglary.
The NYPD has stated groups of anarchists are targeting upscale stores, particularly in lower and midtown Manhattan. However, police have been unable to hold them, since they were charged with crimes ineligible for bail under the reform.

FILE – In this May 28, 2020 file photo, a protestor breaks a window of a business with a baseball bat, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

On Thursday, the governor of New York claimed looters are exploiting the protests because they know police are going to be busy with the actual protesters.
“It would be nonsensical if the police were arresting looters, (who) were then being arrested and returned to the street the next day to loot again,” said Andrew Cuomo. “That would be nonsensical, right?”
He called on prosecutors to seek charges of second-degree burglary, or burglary involving a “dangerous instrument” like a pipe or a brick. According to Cuomo, if looters are using rocks to break windows and steal, they should be charged for the crime they’re committing and have bail set.
Prosecutors, however, are split on the legal standing to bring second-degree charges against the looters. Some have said most of the looting cases can’t be charged with that crime.
They argued rocks and bricks aren’t considered “deadly weapons.” They also noted there’s a lack of evidence that using them to break store windows has put anyone in danger of serious injury.

FILE – In this Saturday, May 30, 2020 file photo, a protester adds materials to a fire of a building that once housed a check cashing business, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance agreed that looters should face harsher penalties. He has asked for the legislature to change the bail reform law and for Cuomo to use emergency powers to allow judges to hold looters on bail.
“This is about people who are taking advantage of this moment, when people want to come out and protest peacefully,” stated Vance. “I’m calling for more judicial discretion, to have the judge have the ability to detain someone when there is a clear risk of re-offense.”
Under bail reform, suspects of violent felonies are still required to post bail.
However, even before the law was adopted, New York law prevented judges from considering some suspects as potential dangers to the community before setting bail.

De Blasio can no longer 'hide behind' his black wife, children, NYC official says

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams just made his criticism of Bill de Blasio’s handling of Big Apple protests personal — accusing the mayor of using his biracial family as a political shield.
“This is me talking, like, you can no longer hide behind your black wife and children, not anymore,” Williams said during a press conference live-streamed on Facebook Friday.
“You’re exposed now. We are at a time when we need your leadership. It is not there,” Williams said.
A spokeswoman for the mayor did not immediately return a request for comment.
De Blasio’s wife, first lady Chirlane McCray, is black, and they share two biracial children, Dante, 23 and Chiara, 25.

Former President Bill Clinton, left, speaks before he administers the oath of office to Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio, right, as Chiara de Blasio, second from left, Dante de Blasio, center, and wife Chirlane McCray, second from right, watch on the steps of City Hall Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014, in New York City. (Associated Press)

In 2013, then 15-year-old Dante, sporting a puffed-out afro, starred in a campaign ad for his father’s mayoral race that some pundits say helped de Blasio clinch the primary race.
A year later, thousands of cops turned their backs on the mayor at the funerals for a pair of officers who were shot just weeks after an interview in which de Blasio said he and McCray had taught Dante about the “dangers” posed by the police to young black men.
Williams’ rebuke comes a day after de Blasio was booed off the stage at a George Floyd memorial in Brooklyn.
When the mayor attempted to tell the crowd, “Black lives matter in New York,” one heckler shouted, “Not to you!” even as McCray stood by de Blasio’s side.
And in an echo of the 2014 police funeral, much of the crowd turned their backs on the mayor before he finished speaking.
On Friday, Williams said the NYPD should take a hands-off approach to protestors who are demonstrating past the city’s 8 p.m. curfew, instead of aggressively shutting them down.
“Don’t put additional tension spots and say you got to be home by this time,” he said, before faulting the mayor for failing to assure protests remain peaceful.
“It’s like you’re not even trying. I don’t know how much you care at his point to put forth a plan. I guess it’s good to show up at a George Floyd memorial, but where’s your plan?” Williams asked.
Pressed on his Facebook comment, Williams later said, “This time we’re in is not about the mayor’s family or any one family, but the thousands of families and people across the city who are looking for leadership and action but aren’t receiving it.”

Cartoons about the New York Times

NY Times revolt over op-ed would crush dissenting views

We are getting a great insight into the culture of the New York Times.
The paper struck a blow for honest journalism--and that greatly upset many of its staffers.
At stake is whether the op-ed pages of a newspaper should be a forum for debate, or just a vehicle for reinforcing what its top editors and a majority of its readers already believe. To choose the latter course is to reduce that precious real estate to predictable propaganda, which is not just one-sided but boring.
The Times did the right thing--well, until it didn’t. The paper’s editors chose to publish a piece by Tom Cotton, a Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, titled “Send In The Military.” Cotton argues that it’s perfectly appropriate for President Trump to use the military to restore order in cities wracked by violent protests after the brutal killing of George Floyd.
Well, there was an open revolt at the paper, led by black journalists who were offended.
Nikole Hannah-Jones of the Times Magazine, who worked on the paper’s Pulitzer-winning “1619” slavery project, said: “As a black woman, as a journalist, as an American, I am deeply ashamed that we ran this.”
Jenna Wortham echoed many on the paper in tweeting: “Running this put Black @nytimes staffers in danger.”
Roxanne Gay said she was open to pieces with dissenting voices, but not this one: “His piece was inflammatory and endorsing military occupation as if the constitution doesn’t exist.”
I’m all for journalists speaking out, and I understand the sensitivity for black staffers. But to be “ashamed” of the paper?
To their credit, the editors are sticking to their guns.
Editorial Page Editor James Bennet took to Twitter to defend his decision:
“Times Opinion owes it to our readers to show them counter-arguments, particularly those made by people in a position to set policy. We understand that many readers find Senator Cotton's argument painful, even dangerous. We believe that is one reason it requires public scrutiny and debate.”
Publisher A.G.Sulzberger added his support in a sensitively worded note to employees yesterday:
“I’ve heard from journalists on the front lines of this story about the trauma of watching brutality replayed on endless loops on television and social media. About conversations with your children that have brought you to tears. About being afraid to walk down the street, get in your car, or — particularly — put your safety on the line reporting from inside the protests. You’ve told me about boiling frustrations over entrenched inequalities that, as our colleagues have reported, are a matter of life and death.
“Throughout this crisis and over the last several days, the Editorial Board has used our institutional voice to tackle many of these issues...
“It is clear many believe this piece fell outside the realm of acceptability, representing dangerous commentary in an explosive moment that should not have found a home in The Times, even as a counterpoint to our own institutional view. I believe in the principle of openness to a range of opinions, even those we may disagree with, and this piece was published in that spirit.”
It’s stunning to me that both men had to plead with their employees (and readers) to understand the essence of op-ed debate. I grew up in newspapers. Most of them have always offered a nod in the direction of dissenting views, and whether I agreed with those views or not was irrelevant.
Every regular Times columnist, liberal and conservative, is fiercely anti-Trump. The editorial page has denounced his handling of the nationwide protests. Is one op-ed going to dramatically change U.S. policy? Cotton could have made his argument in dozens of forums, but he chose to engage readers of the Times, who otherwise might not have seen it.
The Arkansas senator praised the editors yesterday, telling Fox: “They’ve stood up to the ‘woke progressive mob’ in their own newsroom. So, I commend them for that.”
But he spoke too soon. About two hours after I checked in with the Times PR office, the paper caved.
Suddenly, the column that both the publisher and editorial page editor had spent the day defending was found wanting.
“We’ve examined the piece and the process leading up to its publication,” the new statement said, moments before my story on the subject aired on “Special Report.” “This review made clear that a rushed editorial process led to the publication of an op-ed that did not meet our standards.” The paper said it would make changes, expand its fact-checking operation and publish fewer op-ed pieces.
Fewer op-eds? No explanation of supposed factual shortcomings? The internal pressure must have been overwhelming.
Meanwhile, a similar controversy erupted at the Philadelphia Inquirer, and staffers were so angry that some of them walked out.
In fairly short order, the paper apologized.
The Inquirer ran a piece by its columnist Inga Saffron that examined the reaction to the Floyd killing:
“The anger is fully justified. Black people have been the victims of systemic oppression in America for 400 years, but video footage and social media have now made it impossible to deny how bad things really are. The grotesque killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor — and many others before them — are attacks on the fundamental promise of our democracy.”
The problem was the headline: “Buildings Matter, Too.” A play on Black Lives Matter, it was used to buttress the argument that the destruction of downtown buildings by rioters would leave a permanent scar on the city. But the headline was a bit insensitive.
Dozens of Inquirer staffers signed a protest letter, according to HuffPost, that said: “We’re tired of shouldering the burden of dragging this 200-year-old institution kicking and screaming into a more equitable age. We’re tired of being told of the progress the company has made and being served platitudes about ‘diversity and inclusion’ when we raise our concerns. We’re tired of seeing our words and photos twisted to fit a narrative that does not reflect our reality. We’re tired of being told to show both sides of issues there are no two sides of.”
No two sides--there’s that ideological stance again. Agree with us or your words shouldn’t be published. And this for a column that flatly declared black anger is justified--but lamented the senseless destruction of property.
Not only did the editors change the headline, but they slapped this editor’s note on the piece:
“A headline published in Tuesday’s Inquirer was offensive, inappropriate and we should not have printed it. We deeply regret that we did. We also know that an apology on its own is not sufficient. We need to do better. We’ve heard that loud and clear, including from our own staff. We will.”
We all need to do better. White journalists need to listen to black voices who explain why police brutality resonates so deeply in their daily lives.
But the notion that only one viewpoint is acceptable, and no contrary words should be published, even on an opinion page, gets at the heart of why journalism has lost so much credibility.

Ex-NFL player Burgess Owens bashes 'bullies' criticizing Drew Brees as 'cowards and Marxists'

Former NFL safety Burgess Owens told "Tucker Carlson Tonight" Thursday that those demanding New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees apologize for saying he would never agree with people who disrespect the American flag are "elitists" who are embarrassments to their home country.

"What you're seeing here is exactly why President Trump will be elected once again; as they were surprised last time," Owens told host Tucker Carlson. "Americans don't like bullies. They don't like people who demand that we disrespect our flag and our country. I think what Drew did, he was spot on."
Owens, who won Super Bowl XV as a member of the Oakland Raiders and is running for Congress as a Republican in Utah's 4th District, added that people who know Brees know that he is not a racist, and that people going after him are "cowards and Marxists -- period."
"I'm one of those guys that will never, ever acquiesce and apologize for pride in my country, and I'll say another thing," Owens continued. "I will always say 'All Lives Matter'. I don't care what the bullies say ... those of us that tell the truth will win our country back.
"One thing is for sure," Owens went on, "we need to understand that we are under attack and it is the evil of trying to destroy our middle class."
Owens said the firestorm created by Brees' comments stems from larger issues.
"I lived in the middle class. I grew up with it and I saw how the leftists and the elitists destroyed my middle class," he said. "It went from [blacks being] 50-60 percent of the middle class during segregation to 40 percent, and it was mostly the elitist ones that you see on TV blasting out," he said.

"These Marxists ... and in particular the black ones, are enemies to our race and it's time to stand up against these guys and say, 'We will not be used anymore by you people'," Owens said.
Before introducing Owens, Carlson played a clip of Brees' new teammate, Malcolm Jenkins, slamming the Super Bowl-winning quarterback in an emotional video posted to social media.
"I'm disappointed, I'm hurt," Jenkins said. "While the world tells you that you are not worthy -- that your life doesn't matter, the last place you want to hear it from are the guys that you go to war with and that you consider to be allies and to be your friends."
In introducing the clip, Carlson said it appears people like Brees are now "required to disavow the nation of your birth -- to attack your own country -- or you can't live here."

Biden claims '10 to 15 percent' of Americans are 'just not very good people'

Idiot

Former Vice President Joe Biden claimed Thursday that "10 to 15 percent" of Americans are "just not very good people."
As first reported by The New York Times, Biden held a virtual town hall on Thursday evening with black supporters where he knocked President Trump's divisiveness and weak leadership.
“The words a president says matter, so when a president stands up and divides people all the time, you’re gonna the worst of us to come out,” Biden told actor Don Cheadle, who was moderating the virtual town hall.
“Do we really think this is as good as we can be as a nation? I don’t think the vast majority of people think that," Biden continued. "There are probably anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of the people out there who are just not very good people, but that’s not who we are. The vast majority of the people are decent. We have to appeal to that and we have to unite people -- bring them together. Bring them together.”
It is unclear who exactly he was referring to within the "10 to 15 percent" of people and whether or not he believes they support President Trump.
The remarks harken back to the controversial comments made by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election when, at a campaign event, she estimated that "half" of Trump's supporters belong in a "basket of deplorables."
While Biden received praised earlier this week for his address following the May 25 death of Minneapolis man George Floyd while in police custody, the presumptive Democratic nominee previously landed himself in hot water during a recent interview on "The Breakfast Club." During the show, he told radio host Charlamagne tha God "you ain't black" if any black voter is still undecided between supporting him or President Trump. He later walked those comments back, saying he shouldn't have sounded so "cavalier" and acted like a "wise guy."
However, in multiple interviews since then, Biden appeared to cast blame for the remarks on Charlamagne tha God, insisting the host was also acting like a "wise guy" and later claimed he was "baiting" him, which prompted the offensive remark.
Charlamagne tha God shot back Wednesday night, telling Stephen Colbert "I didn't bait" Biden and that he "volunteered that fish" on his own.

Ex-NYPD commissioner Kelly admits NYC may need National Guard 'if this continues for a couple more nights'

Former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told "Hannity" Thursday that the National Guard may be needed to help control unrest in the city amid ongoing protests following the death of George Floyd.
"The NYPD has 38,000 police officers, and I would think enough police officers to do the job," Kelly said, "but I’m starting to think if this continues for a couple more nights, we are going to need the National Guard.
"That was not my initial position," Kelly added, "but something has got to be done."
Kelly, the longest-serving commissioner in NYPD history, said NYPD officers are exhausted from working extended shifts, "being assaulted in every possible way, run down [by cars], hit by bricks, trashed."
On Wednedsay evening, an NYPD officer was randomly attacked and stabbed in the neck while patrolling in Brooklyn, which resulted in a struggle that caused two additional officers to suffer gunshot wounds.
In addition, a shocking video posted on social media early Tuesday showed a NYPD officer being struck by a vehicle in what appeared to be a deliberate hit-and-run. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said the officer was still in intensive care, "but recovering slowly."
Kelly blamed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for the unrest, saying he was limiting officers' ability to properly do their jobs.
"The mayor mentioned the other day that he was on the phone with them 50 times [one] night," Kelly said. "That is way too much, way too much involvement from City Hall. [You] have to let the police professionals do their job."
Fox News' Talia Kaplan contributed to this report.

Los Angeles Cartoons

Los Angeles to slash up to $150M from LAPD budget, reinvest into communities of color

Dumb Ass

LOS ANGELES— Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday that he tasked the city to “identify $250 million in cuts” to invest more money into the black community, communities of color,  women and “people who have been left behind."
The Los Angeles Times reported that the city will try and cut between $100 million to $150 million from its police budget alone. Garcetti said it is incumbent on the city to “step up and say, ‘What can we sacrifice?’”
The mayor said that the city will not increase its police budget of $1.8 billion. Deadline reported that Garcetti said that he will offer more specifics at a later press conference but said the money will be distributed “now, not years from now.”
“It’s time to move our rhetoric towards action to end racism in our city,” he said, according to Deadline. “Prejudice can never be part of police work…It takes bravery to save lives, too.”
Melina Abdullah, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, told  a reporter at the paper that the city needs to go further with pulling money from police and "need to know that we’re fighting for truly transformative change here and won’t be bought off with just this minimal amount of money.”
Police departments across the country have had to respond to looting and arson in the wake of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis last week. One former city police officer faces second-degree murder charges and the three others were charged with aiding and abetting murder.
More than 3,000 people have been arrested in Los Angeles County since protests began last week, most accused of curfew violations. Los Angeles District District Attorney Jackie Lacey has been criticized for reluctance to bring charges against police officers for misconduct. At some Los Angeles protests, demonstrators have chanted for her to be removed.
She said she supports peaceful protests "that already have brought needed attention to racial inequality throughout our society, including in the criminal justice system" but has a duty to "prosecute people who loot and vandalize our community."
Garcetti has been the focus of some criticism by protesters in the city who are unhappy with the handling of his own police chief, Michel Moore, who said earlier this week that Floyd’s death was on the hands of those who committed criminal acts at protests “as much as it is on those officers.”
“And that is a strong statement but I must say that this civil unrest that we are in the midst of, we must turn a corner from people who are involved in violence, people who are involved in preying on others,” he continued.
Garcetti, who was next to Moore when he made the remarks, said that he has “known this man’s heart for decades.”
“When I heard him say what he said, I knew that he did not mean that, and I know that he corrected it right away. He continued, “If I believe for a moment that the chief believes that in his heart, he would no longer be our chief of police,” he said, according to Fox 11.
The Associated Press contributed to this report