apparently for the crime of writing op-eds for her university’s newspaper in support of Palestine and pushing back against leadership’s actions.
There is no more free speech in the USA, this thing Americans always claimed to br so proud of. Now you can be kidnapped and disappeared for speaking out against government-sanctioned genocide.
I really don’t think it’s ever been a thing. Free speech that is.
Cause too much trouble and they’ll ask you to kill yourself and if you don’t they’ll go public with some info that they spied on you to get.
It’s hard to say how many people were dragged away for being suspected of communist sympathies.
It’s what we are as a species.
If someone did something big and shitty at any point in our history, thank your lucky stars if you don’t look like him. Imagine trying to catch a plane in 2002 as a Sikh. “Yes, fbi? I think there’s a big scary muslin getting on my plane.”
I think there have been societies with genuine protections for free speech, and even in the USA there have been better times and worse. So I wouldn’t say that shutting down free speech is “what we are as a species.” As a species we have many impulses to be hostile to those we disagree with, but we also have the ability to see past these and to build societal systems that protect people’s right to speak freely. It’s up to us whether we pursue the latter or give up.
I wonder how many people wonder what their local laws are on the use of deadly force in defense of another. After all, someone not in uniform and not identifying themselves seems like they’re just a kidnapper.
Here in Oregon it’s pretty clear, YMMV:
https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_161.219
"a person is not justified in using deadly physical force upon another person unless the person reasonably believes that the other person is:
(1) Committing or attempting to commit a felony involving the use or threatened imminent use of physical force against a person; or
(2) Committing or attempting to commit a burglary in a dwelling; or
(3) Using or about to use unlawful deadly physical force against a person. [1971 c.743 §23]"
In the case of an attempted kidnapping and the officers fail to identify themselves as such, that would fall under (1):
“Kidnapping in the first degree is a Class A felony.”
https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_163.235
“Kidnapping in the second degree is a Class B felony.”
Thank you for the detail.
Some additional context from Snopes as to why this is so important in Oregon especially:
Conner O’Shea told journalists he started running when he saw mysterious, armed people wearing camouflage body armor jump out of an unmarked van as he was walking home from a protest in downtown Portland, Oregon, on July 15, 2020.
But his friend, Mark Pettibone, 29, was unable to escape the group of people in military fatigues that was later identified as a team of federal law enforcement agents operating under a plan by U.S. President Donald Trump to quell demonstrations against police brutality and racism in cities nationwide.
According to Pettibone’s account of the incident — which was later publicized widely in news outlets ranging from The New York Times to Fox News — the officers tossed him into the van and took him to a federal courthouse. There, he said, they held him in a cell for about 90 minutes without explaining for what crimes he was suspected, nor identifying themselves as law enforcement personnel.
His alleged experience, as well as reports of viral videos purportedly depicting similar actions on behalf of federal agents in Portland (which we explain below), outraged critics of the Trump administration in July 2020 — including Oregon and Portland officials who said the federal officers and their militarized tactics were not welcome in Portland and violated the rights of citizens.
Personal reports from a friend of mine on the front lines in Portland corroborate this tactic - the group she was with was followed home by one of the vans described above.
Her mugshot (she had been in the system before) then appeared in a line-up banner of “Antifa Criminals” that started circulating around right-wing websites. As she’s trans, she ended up having to move and go underground because of the death threats.
If you’re in any way part of a population that Trump is targeting, be ready to defend yourself. Remember that once you’re in the system, not only will the cops have your data, but it will be leaked to the alt-right thugs willing to do the dirty work the cops won’t.
Oh, it’s actually WORSE than that. Not only were undercover feds disappearing people from the streets of Portland, the acting guy in charge, “Chad Wolf” (not EVEN making that up) was never confirmed.
The whole operation was illegal, top to bottom.
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/senate-should-ask-chad-wolf-about-his-illegal-appointment
Probably depends on if the state has a Good Samaritan law and how it is worded. A quick search found me an article written by a criminal defense attorney in Phoenix, AZ and AZ’s law makes “injecting” yourself into a dangerous situation illegal.
They seemed to present badges when they approached her. Can someone correct me on this?
Looking at the image on the article, it looks like tubby brownshirt has a badge hanging around his neck.
Not that that actually means anything:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K71JM14
Surely never gets into the hands of bad actors… oh, wait…
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-with-fake-badge-and-ammunition-arrested-outside-capitol/
https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-fake-fbi-badge-bb-gun-arrested-after/story?id=104936435
The only people capable of doing anything about armed masked people illegally detaining random innocent people are other armed people, since most democrats and Lefties don’t own guns, you must rely on fascist white supremacists police officers or armed redneck Republicans.
You might be surprised about that…
I’d also argue that if you’re a member of a minority group, it’s past time you consider arming yourselves.
Women:
https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/5057508-women-gun-ownership-america/
LGBTQ+:
https://newsisout.com/2025/03/the-rise-of-lgbtq-gun-ownership-safety-politics-and-identity/30477/
Hispanic:
https://english.elpais.com/usa/2024-06-24/gun-purchases-soar-among-latinos-in-the-united-states.html
Thanks for the great info, but “growing group” does not mean it’s equivalent to the unbelievably overwhelming quantity of firearms Christian fascist Republicans own.
It’s not surprising at all that vulnerable groups of people are buying guns, but go to any local range to see who’s training and see that very few non-republican minorities or women regularly train with them.
If you buy a firearm and never train marksmanship you might as well hand over these fascists your guns.
So they’re police, but not openly so. They’re keeping that fact secret. That way they can police people secretly. People the state, but not the public, may not like.
What do you call it when police operate in secret? Is there a term for that?
This is not normal people! When do we start to rise up?
Even her lawyer doesn’t know her [sic] she is.
Especially her lawyer. Can’t let people think they have rights.
They apparently know now — she was taken to an ICE facility in Loisiana in violation of a court order.
She was transferred to Louisiana despite a federal judge’s order Tuesday night telling US Immigration and Customs Enforcement not to remove Ozturk from Massachusetts without prior notice.
