Over the weekend Patriot Front marched in downtown Boston, where they attacked at least one Black man and enraging local civil rights leaders. These fascists are pathetic and weird — much like the Highland Park shooter, as we are learning as I write this. Alas, such qualities don’t make them harmless, or override the danger their racist ideologies pose to the rest of us. Instead, they are part of a growing movement in Massachusetts and many other parts of the United States.
So what are the powers that be doing to protect us? Fortunately last June Idaho police thwarted an attempt by Patriot Front to attack a Pride parade. Yet it feels like that’s a remarkable exception. Last week LA cops beat unarmed protesters at a rally against the overturning of Roe vs Wade. This weekend the cops in Akron fired 60 bullets into an unarmed Black man who was running away from them (imagine that). If he had been a White dude, he might have been apprehended and brought into custody alive.
All of which brought back memories of how the Portland police let Proud Boys go on a rampage last year, beating up Antifa and causing chaos on NE 122nd Avenue only a few miles from my house. Mayor Wheeler’s response was limp as always. He’s too busy sweeping homeless camps to make his downtown business donors happy.
I could have called this strip “Disparities” — to reflect the disparities I see in how officials respond to right wing violence versus the more progressive protests that bring out the riot squads. And to reflect my disparate thoughts as I lose what little faith I have that our public institutions can or will bother to fight against the fascist tide.
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