Cops: Protesters threatened that 'city will never be the same'

[nobodyspecial]

Source: Chicago Tribune

Three out-of-state men arrested in a Bridgeport apartment raid days before the NATO summit considered hitting President Obama's campaign headquarters, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's house and police stations with "incendiary devices," according to court documents.
<snip>
According to prosecutors, the three men are self-proclaimed anarchists and members of "Black Bloc," a band of protesters who typically mask their faces to avoid identification.
<snip>
The men traveled from Florida to the Chicago area ahead of this weekend’s NATO meetings in order to prepare a multi-staged attack against various targets in the city, prosecutors said. According to court documents, the men planned to first attack four Chicago police stations and destroy several squad cars with "destructive devices" in order to divert the department’s attention and resources.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/natosummit/chi-3-men-face-terrorism-charges-stemming-from-prenato-raid-20120519,0,7539852.story

[KamaAina]

1. Note that Bridgeport is a neighborhood in Chicago

on the near South Side, near the White Sox' stadium. It was named for Bridgeport, CT but has no relation to it.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

2. This ought to be enough to suggesting going to Phase 2 of this movement.

[wwytchwood]

3. HMMMMM

why am I REALLY suspicious this was all stage managed? Oh, because the guvamint does that alla time!

[leveymg]

4. This whole thing stinks of overkill in infiltration and more overkill in arrest and prosecution.

I don't believe for a second that there was ever a real plan -- except that pushed by some DHS agent provocateur-- to attack Rahm Emmanuel, Barack Obama or CPD Officers.

The M.O. is spray paint, smash windows, mess up some squad cars, run away, make everyone with a permit for a protest look bad, and all the usual Black Bloc shit. Terrorism? Diversion from what? With what weapon - home-brewed beer?

Looks like Cops and Feds with too much budget, manpower, equipment, operational freedom, and a lack of integrity cooked this up as a pretext to shut down a petty annoyance because it's what they can get away with these days. No accountability for those in authority.

I say, Bullshit. I want to see real evidence of a real threat before anyone gets hauled away to an undisclosed location. Even then, get a signed warrant, assholes.

[loyalsister]

8. I have had conversations with people who wanted to make this happen

New to politics and historically uninformed idealistic youngsters whose hearts are in the right place to a point. They want to see things improve for the 99%. Unfortunately, they have also read some selected readings of Che Gueverra and romanticize revolution, violence, and anarchy. They want to be a big part of history. I could easily see them getting involved in some seriously misguided efforts. It's an unfortunate undercurrent of the OWS movement. Why it is so hard to believe such radicals would hitch their wagons to OWS mystifies me.

[octothorpe]

13. I've had similar conversations with people. However...

The reason why people are rightfully skeptical, is because there has many so many 'plots' that the FBI pretty much instigated and helped turn into "reality". That being said, I don't write every instance off as it being BS created by law enforcement. I mean, there are idiots out there. It's just that the FBI past actions don't help their case.

[loyalsister]

16. I can understand that

But, I think it would be more reasonable to acknowledge the possibility that there are bad actors in the ranks and renounce them rather than claiming that it is impossible that they are in anyway connected.

[coalition_unwilling]

20. But everyone knows that the Chicago Police Department's history

toward leftists is so spotless.

[RobertEarl]

15. Usually

kids that want to do that join the military. Then they can go blow up other counties and get medals.

But why would they want to change the city? Isn't the city the best place to live and all its rulers just the best?

[loyalsister]

29. People who are attracted to anarchy in the military?

Come on.
One kid I know is part of occupy, a Ron Paul supporter, and has been protesting the wars for years. She thinks protesting is "fun." And, according to her, none are radical enough. She believes that the 40 hr work week and compulsory education are about controlling the masses. To her, the biggest problem with the world is too much structure. She also thinks it is going to have to get uglier and more violent for occupy to be effective.
This person who has no idea that Unions brought us the 40 hr week and weekends has romanticized protests beyond meaning, goals, or historical reference. I don't think she's the only one. She talks about this with peers who are also involved.

[leveymg]

24. Misguided is exactly that.

Entrapped is the legal term. Problem is, that went away a few years ago with the Fourth Amendment.

[loyalsister]

30. Yeah

No one I know or think highly of has ever done anything wrong either.

Except, I once discovered a friend I thought I knew well was beating his wife. Learned of many closet alcoholics and drug users.....

This movement is prime for attracting people who get a charge out of defying and thumbing their nose at authority for kicks. Sadly, the people who are really working to make it a success via peaceful protest enable them by not acknowledging the possible existence of bad actors and renouncing them and their tactics.

[lonestarnot]

5. WTF.

[madrchsod]

6. 'city will never be the same'

they are really delusional if they think they can never make chicago the same again.

really kids you should have studied the history of chicago before making such a stupid ass statement. ve



have fun in cook county jail kids....!

[Comrade_McKenzie]

7. Rahm will do more damage to Chicago than a few "homegrown terrorists" ever could. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

9. Really?

How?

[provis99]

17. how about the thousands of maniacs on the Chicago PD.

these Black Bloc people haven't killed anybody. Chicago cops brutalize and kill people in Chicago routinely.

The police serve as Rahm Emanuel's own little Praetorian guard.

[randome]

19. "Thousands". "Routinely".

Any solid numbers or reports on that?

[EFerrari]

27. This would be the same department that was busted for torturing their detainees.

County OKs $600,000 settlement in police torture case
BY LISA DONOVAN Cook County Reporter [e-mail] May 15, 2012 7:12PM


Cook County taxpayers will fork over $600,000 to close one chapter of an ongoing police torture lawsuit that will put former Mayor Richard M. Daley on the hotseat later this summer.

This week, Cook County commissioners signed off on the $600,000 settlement with Michael Tillman, who spent 23 years in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit but confessed to only after police tortured him.

The county was targeted in the suit because, according to court papers, an assistant state’s attorney was in and out of the room during three days of days of brutal questioning at a South Side police station where Tillman was beaten with a phone book, punched in the face and stomach, had a plastic bag placed over his head and soda pop poured into his nose.

By settling the case, the county does not admit any liability, said Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/12557216-418/county-oks-600000-settlement-in-police-torture-case.html

[virgogal]

22. Really? I hadn't heard that and have a friend in the Chicago area.

[nobodyspecial]

25. Yes, there has been police brutality

And serious issues with forced confessions under a previous police chief.

"Thousands of maniacs" -- There are about 12,000 officers so you are alleging that most of them are maniacs?

However, where is the evidence of this? "Chicago cops brutalize and kill people in Chicago routinely."

Make your points. Don't try to make up "facts."

[Great Caesars Ghost]

32. They haven't got the money or the training of full blown arms. Yet!

[limpyhobbler]

10. 'city will never be the same'. Is that necessarily a threat?

No, not necessarily. It could also mean "Oh dude our protest is gonna be totally cool, this city is never gonna be the same again!"

Like maybe because they thought the protest was going to be really big. Or maybe because they were going to riot or do vandalism or something, or some other petty crime.

Is it really evidence of terrorism? Nope.

[EFerrari]

11. Thanks for the clip.

[freshwest]

26. Not enough real crime so they make this stuff up. Americans must re-think all of this.

[dbackjon]

12. NATO this weekend, Bear Pride/International Mr. Leather next

Yup. Chicago will never be the same

[randome]

14. And Wizard World Comic Con in August.

Don't forget that!

[virgogal]

23. And the Cubs,don't forget the Cubs.

[starroute]

18. So they mean to define "Black Bloc" as a terrorist organization

(As though a tactic could be considered an organization. But let's ignore that for the moment.)

Then they define OWS and all the other Occupations as affiliated groups.

And then they define anybody who gives material support to OWS as subject to being whisked off to indefinite detention.

It looks like Judge Forrest's decision is the only thing standing between us and mass gulag-ization of this nation. Let's hope it holds.

[coalition_unwilling]

21. You forgot the part where they've subcontracted out building

the gas chambers and crematoria to Halliburton.

Aside from that, though, spot on!

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

28. This all seems strangely familiar,

oh yeah, that's right, it was when they blamed the Chicago police riot on 7 people.

[Squinch]

31. Ah, yes. Beer making equipment. Molotov cocktails can't be too far away.

I'm trying to understand this. They bought beer making equipment in order to fill the molotov cocktail bottles with gasoline? Because, what? There are no funnels in Chicago?

Yes, I'm sure that's why they have that beer making equipment. Men in their early twenties? What else could they use beer making equipment for?

[bemildred]

33. What horseshit. nt