Leafblowers at protests are historic and astounding.

[bigtree]

Manzi Rae #BLM #ACAB @Manzinat0r Jul 24
Man this is so incredible. Hong Kong taught us the leafblower & umbrella shields tactic and now we're successfully employing that against the feds in Portland. This rules so hard.

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stormtroopers covered in smoke and teargas, protesters mostly untouched...

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Stormtroopers get their own leafblower...

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[Stargleamer]

1. I never would have thought. . .

that leafblowing could--at least once--be a force of good in this world.

[underpants]

6. LOL. I'm right with you. When I cut grass that wasn't a thing.

Now it’s like half the damn work. Yeah there are grass clippings, they just cut the grass. Deal with it.

Total noise pollution and waste of burning gas.

[gratuitous]

2. A little tip for demonstrators

If you throw back one of those war crime canisters, be sure to wash your hands very thoroughly before you use the toilet. Like, twice as long as you feel is necessary. Use water as hot as you can stand it and get a good soapy lather. Trust me on this one.

[underpants]

9. Ouch

Thanks for the tip.

I’ve been gassed twice -once BEFORE the Army at a party - and it’s no fun.
These Portland people have some serious gear I have to say.

[Hortensis]

10. That sounds like a very valuable tip, for all genders,

and these days I don't think anyone should assume it won't become useful.

[backscatter712]

14. Tennis rackets or hockey sticks are good for this situation.

[eppur_se_muova]

20. Let's get some lacrosse or jai alai players out there!

Jai Alai (aka pelota) is known as the most lethal ball in sports. It is three-quarters the size of a baseball and harder than a golf ball. The best in the sport can toss the pelota at speeds greater than 300 km/h. As a result, Guinness World Records has dubbed Jai Alai as the fastest moving ball sport in the world.

[jaxexpat]

36. How about Jai-Alai and farm equipment.

I'm thinkin' a combine with a 36' soy bean head could thrash 50 acres of gestapo in like 4 hours. With a 'fronton' that size, the city could be taken with few casualties.

[EX500rider]

17. "war crime canisters"

Actually not illegal to use on civilians.

The Chemical Weapons Convention went into effect in 1997. But notably, the agreement included an exception allowing law enforcement to use riot control agents for "domestic riot control purpose


https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/08/us/military-tear-gas-protesters-trnd/index.html

[Ferrets are Cool]

35. One question. Do you feel these are being used in a LAWFUL manner?

[TexasBushwhacker]

48. But if they are peacefully protesting

and not rioting, then anti-RIOT measures such as tear gas, rubber bullets and other violent measures are ILLEGAL!

[MagickMuffin]

22. Oven Mitts would be a good thing to have on hand

I think that would work out very well!

[lastlib]

42. welder's gloves would be better.

I'm thinking those things stay hot for a while; not sure oven mitts could take it for long enough.

[Brother Buzz]

30. Um, they're wearing gloves; those canisters produce heat

[Lars39]

3. I hope they take spare batteries

[Throck]

8. They sound gas powered.

Landscaper standard. My high school job.

[Kali]

32. they have some pretty good battery tools now!

son who has done landscaping inherited a weedeater that is badass, he prefers it to his gas one

[druidity33]

49. I would love to know

the make and model of that beast. I have had 2 pitiful excuses for chargeable weedwhackers...

[Kali]

50. BandD

40V mas lithium trimmer catalog number LST136

he gets 15-20 minutes out of a charge and charges pretty fast, he won't get a second battery because he likes taking a break while it charges

he chopped a bunch of hard dried mustard weed that was about 2.5 feet tall recently

it is a string trimmer so he goes through a lot of that

[druidity33]

53. Thank YOU!

I'll see if it's available locally...

Cheers!

[localroger]

54. I have the Ryobi 40V string trimmer

...and I use it to mow my lawn. (It's very irregular and hard to maneuver a lawnmower.) I get about an hour out of a 6AH aftermarket battery at full throttle and as a bonus I use a lot less string than I did with the gas powerhead. Just about any of the new 40V or 56V systems should deliver performance that will surprise you. It's not quite as powerful as gasoline but good enough for weed-wacking and much quieter and more convenient.

[Thomas Hurt]

4. Leafblowers and video, people need to recording their every move.

[BittyJenkins]

5. I have generally hated leaf blowers...

Because they are so loud. My husband has one that can blow bricks away.
This is absolutely beautiful. I wish we lived closer.
I leaf blowers! The best use ever.

[TheBlackAdder]

7. What about using those Big Ass movie set fans?

[Lisa0825]

11. I had a similar thought...

An industrial drying fan, set up in a wagon with a car battery rigged to power it.

[Hortensis]

12. Uh-uh. NEVER bring a fan to a leaf-blower fight!

[eppur_se_muova]

29. Put some wheels on one of these babies!

[greenjar_01]

13. Leafblowers aside, so much of the tactics used by protesters are ancient military tactics

They assemble in phalanxes with shields, use the umbrellas as sort of anti-archery/projectile shields - tight formations, small groups make raids in formation. It's really remarkable to watch.

[Blue Owl]

15. I'd like to see a protester with a leaf blower in each hand laughing maniacally

[bigtree]

16. the future

[chowder66]

18. lol!!!

[Gore1FL]

19. Those were a pleasure to watch.

What amazes me is that, even knowing their tactics were, at best, ineffective and appeared to be more detrimental to themselves, Trump's untrained secret police kept right on launching teargas only to have it thrown or blown back upon them.

The bullies seem confused.

[Chainfire]

21. It is just a matter of time

Before a Brown Shirt feels his life is being threatened by a leaf blower and opens fire.

[AllyCat]

23. I regret I can only rec this once.

Family here quite inspired by these.

[Demovictory9]

24. Soon home depot and lowes will lock up the leaf blowers

Requiring id to buy..

[jeffreyi]

40. Surely they fall under the 2nd amendment?

Hey, why not.

[Salviati]

25. They just need a few stickers for the leafblowers:

[SergeStorms]

26. The heroic leaf blower squads...

are really taking it to Trump's fascist storm-troopers. Necessity is truly the mother of invention.

[hamsterjill]

27. I'm so proud of these people!

Slurpy sentiment, I know, but I just gotta say it!!! They are all so fantastic in my book. To be out there and to stay calm in all of this and enact passive resistance! Let’s hear it for the good guys for once!!!

[RobinA]

41. I'm Not

I think they should just stop it so the Feds can go home. This is just a pissing contest at this point.

[hamsterjill]

46. Opinion noted

I don’t know that I think the Feds would automatically go home if the demonstrators stopped,
and I feel like if the Portland demonstrators give in, the Feds will increase their tactics in other cities hoping for the same result.

Peaceful protest is a right.

[Humanist_Activist]

56. You do realize that the feds came in when there were around a hundred protesters a night...

and no major incidents of anything besides a little graffiti, right?

The Feds escalated the situation, its on them to leave, not the protesters.

[Hip2bSquare]

28. Thank you DU

I'm miles away from Oregon. I don't use Twitter, so DU is the only place that keeps me up to date with that is going on in Oregon. What an incredible scene!!

tRump, this disgraceful administration and it's supporters are going to learn the hard way.

Keep fighting Portland...we are all behind you and the world is watching!

[liberalmuse]

31. I used to be an NBC NCO

These Blackwater goons are using chemical weapons against American citizens.

[OnlinePoker]

33. I liked what I saw in Hong Kong

They put traffic cones on top of the canister and then poured water through the top to douse the heat and stop the reaction. I have a feeling that's why we saw the cops busting up the piles of bottled water we saw earlier this spring. I'm wondering if you got metal office garbage cans and just put them over these gas canisters, would that work to stop the spread of the gas?

[Danascot]

34. When leafblowers are outlawed

Only outlaws will have leafblowers.

[erronis]

38. I was waiting for that. Next, outlaw hockey sticks and brooms...

[niyad]

51. Claiming religious exemption for my broom, thank you.

[jeffreyi]

37. My battery powered leafblower is powerful, less noisy, no fumes.

It uses two rechargeable 18v batteries, and it's blue-green. The batteries work with gobs of other tools. Highly recommend.

[Zambero]

39. The Woody Guthrie "Fascist Neutralizer" model

Who would have ever dreamed that guitars and leafblowers had so much in common?!?

[SmartVoter22]

43. Ingenius and Clever

Wind power.

[Foolacious]

44. The Battle Hymn of the First Leafblower Brigade

The Battle Hymn of the First Leafblower Brigade

Oh, mine eyes would see the glory of our stalwarts in their masks,
if mine eyes were not a-burning with the pepper- and tear-gas
of the Nazi-Federales sent by King Donald the Ass --
but lo! Who yonder comes...?

Glory, glory, the Leafblowers,
vanquishing the tear-gas throwers!
They throw their gas grenades -- we'll blow it right back in their face,
'cos we ain't gonna take no more!

Skulking there in camouflage with no ID or plan,
the bully-boys are terrified and they don't understand
they can't gas people in the street; we ain't in Trumpistan.
And we ain't gonna take no more!

Glory, glory, the Leafblowers,
vanquishing the tear-gas throwers!
They throw their gas grenades -- we'll blow it right back in their face,
'cos we ain't gonna take no more!

[Gothmog]

45. This makes me smile

[crickets]

47. I just love this to bits. 💖

[Steelrolled]

52. The police arms industry is going to love this

They will be getting their "policing science" people working on countermeasures. Police departments will be needing some more funding for the new gear.

[GoCubsGo]

55. Anyone know if fire extinguishers can be used to extinguish tear gas cannisters?

If so, those could come in pretty handy here, too.