>>> TODAY, YOU CAN SEE ANOTHER
SIGNIFICANT FEDERAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE HERE, AND
WHAT’S REALLY BEEN KIND OF A
STUNNING MILITARIZATION OF CITY
STREETS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
THESE OFFICERS ARE FEDERAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT OF SOME VARIETY.
I WOULD LOVE TO TELL YOU MORE
BUT THEY’RE NOT WEARING ANY
IDENTIFYING BADGES, AND
INSIGNIAS AND NAMEPLATES AND
WON’T TELL ME WHERE THEY’RE FROM
OR WHO THEY’RE WITH.
>> WHEN OTHER COUNTRY DOES THIS,
IN OTHER OVERSEAS INVASIONS THAT
THEY DON’T WANT TO CALL
INVASIONS, WE CALL THESE LITTLE
GREEN MEN.
PEOPLE WHO ARE IN MILITARY OR
PARA-MILITARY GARB AND SERVING
THAT FUNCTION, BUT NOBODY OWNS
THEM.
NOBODY SAYS WHO THEY ARE.
NOBODY ADMITS WHO THEY ARE.
THE PROTESTS AGAINST THE KILLING
OF GEORGE FLOYD HAVE CONDITIONED
FOR ANOTHER DAY, FOR A SEVENTH
STRAIGHT DAY IN DC, NOT JUST THE
DY NATIONAL GUARD PATROLLING THE
STREETS AND DC COPS, IT’S NOT
EVEN JUST THE NATIONAL GUARD
TROOPS FROM TEN OTHER STATES
THAT AREN’T DC THAT THE WHITE
HOUSE FLEW IN.
THERE IS ALSO THIS STRANGE OTHER
FORCE ON THE STREETS.
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MAYBE.
AT LEAST IT SEEMS LIKE THEY’RE
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
WEARING NO IDENTIFYING INSIGNIA
FOR ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY,
NO NAME BADGES, AND IN MANY
CASE, EVEN WHEN THEY’RE ASKED BY
PROTESTERS OR THE PRESS, THEY
WILL NOT SAY WHO THEY ARE OR WHO
PAYS THEM.
TAKE THESE GUYS IN HELMETS AND
TACTICAL VESTS, A REPORTER ASKED
WHO THEY WERE WITH, THEY WOULD
SAY ONLY THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE.
WHICH IS NOT REALLY AN ANSWER.
IT’S NOT LIKE THERE IS A GENERIC
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE POLICE
FORCE THAT EXPLAINS THAT.
ANOTHER REPORTER ASKED THIS
GROUP OF GENTLEMEN, IN RIOT
GEAR, IF THEY WERE WITH THE
BUREAU OF PRISONS, WHICH IS ONE
OF THE FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT HAS
DEPLOYED SOME OFFICERS IN
WASHINGTON.
THEY RESPONDED TO THAT QUESTION
WITH ONE WORD.
QUOTE.
MAYBE.
MAYBE WE’RE WITH THE BUREAU OF
PRISONS.
THAT’S CUTE.
I MEAN HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THESE
PEOPLE ARE WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE
AT ALL?
IF THEY’LL SAY ANYTHING AT ALL.
WE JUST TAKE THEIR WORD FOR IT
THAT THEY’RE WITH THE DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE OR MAYBE THE BUREAU
OF PRISONS?
AND WHY ARE THESE GUYS WEARING
NO BADGES, NAMEPLATES, NO
INSIGNIAS?
HOW DOES THAT HELP THEM IN WHAT
THEY’RE DOING IN THE STREETS?
I MEAN THERE IS A REASON A
POLICE OFFICER WHO HAS THE POWER
TO STOP YOU, DETAIN YOU, USE
PHYSICAL FORCE AGAINST YOU,
THERE IS A REASON THAT A POLICE
OFFICER HAS A BADGE NUMBER AND
NAME IN PLAIN SIGHT, THE ONLY
REASON AN OFFICER WOULD TAKE
THOSE IDENTIFYING MARKINGS OFF
IS TO AVOID ACCOUNTABILITY FOR
WHAT THEY’RE DOING, RIGHT?
IF THEY DO ANYTHING WRONG, IT
MAKES IT A DENIABLE OFFENSE, NOT
JUST BY THEM PERSONALLY, IF YOU
CAN PICK THEM OUT OF A LINEUP,
BUT ALSO BY ANYBODY WHO MIGHT
POTENTIALLY BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
FOR HAVING ORDERED THAT
OFFENSIVE OR INJURIOUS OR
ILLEGAL ACTION AGAINST YOU.
IF THESE ARE JUST RANDOMLY
UNIDENTIFIABLE PEOPLE WITH NO
NAMES, AND NO AGENCIES
ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.
WHAT DO YOU DO IF THEY VIOLATE
YOUR RIGHTS?
OR HURT YOU?
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO DID IT?
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO ISSUED THEIR
ORDERS?
>> BUT THE OTHER AND HONESTLY
DARKER PROSPECT HERE, EVEN
DARKER THAN APPARENTLY FEDERAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT, BEING DEPLOYED
IN THIS FASHION, AGAINST
AMERICANS IN AMERICAN STREETS,
EVEN DARKER PROSPECT HERE IS
THIS.
I MEAN WHO IS TO SAY THESE GUYS
ARE LAW ENFORCEMENT?
WHAT’S TO DISTINGUISH THESE
UNIDENTIFIED SUPPOSEDLY FEDERAL
FORCES FROM RANDOM SELF
MOTIVATED GUYS WITH GUNS WHO
WANTS TO COME DOWN TO THESE
PROTESTS AND PLAY CIVIL WAR AS
PRIVATE CITIZENS OR JUST HANG
OUT IN DC WITH THEIR MILITARY
STYLE WEAPONRY AND THEIR OFF THE
SHELF TACTICAL GEAR?
I MEAN ESPECIALLY IN THE MIDDLE
OF A BIG ROWDY PROTEST, HOW ARE
YOU GOING TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN UNIDENTIFIED, UNNAME
BADGED FEDERAL OFFICERS AND SAY
THIS GUY, WHO SHOWED UP AT A
PROTEST IN COEUR D’ALENE IDAHO,
WITH A GUN BIGGER THAN HIM AND
TWO MORE STRAPPED TO HIS BACK
AND HIS SIDE.
HO YOU ABOUT THIS GUY WHO
DECIDED TO HAVE HEAVILY ARMED
TRAFFIC CONTROL AT A PROTEST IN
CASPER, WYOMING.
JUST HIS OWN SAY-SO.
JUST AN AVERAGE GUY WITH A GUN
STOPPING YOU IN THE STREET.
OR HOW ABOUT THESE RAMBOS AT A
RALLY IN NEW MEXICO WHO SHOWED
UP IN THEIR WORDS TO PROTECT
PEOPLE.
IF ONE OF THESE GUYS SHOOT YOU,
WE’RE SUPPOSED TO FALL BACK ON
WELL, HEY, MAYBE HE WAS A COP?
MAYBE HE WAS A SOLDIER?
MAYBE HE WAS BUT WHO KNOWS MAYBE
HE WAS SOME RANDOM SELF
MOTIVATED P.E. TEACHER WITH A
READIT ACCOUNT AND A BIG WEIRD