We are all bound by a common thread.
The line shown is a blocking force. That's what they called it. Every time 35 people left Pershing Square together, something like 50 of these groups blocked off half of downtown L.A., posturing like a bunch of toy soldiers. The merchants are ballistic. They had their business ruined, not to mention it looking as if there was a major riot going at all times.
That's what people are calling it - "The riot downtown." The cops had a riot all their own. They didn't really need any adversary. They could have done practically as much by themselves.
It's going to hurt them. The whole point of all this charade was to prove that Los Angeles was different from 1992 and an attractive place to locate businesses. I doubt many got that message!!!!!!
The commands given these guys were surreal - practically ludicrous. Like a bad war flick. Didn't sound a bit military. Sounded like a bunch of wannabes imitating the military as they've seen it in bad movies. Go, go, execute, hut-hut, hut hut-hut.
The following comes straight (but WAY off-the-record) from a TV news cameraman for a major LA channel who was there on Monday: "They were going after media. They gave me a baton in the ribs (shows huge bruise) just for being there. These cops were terrified - not so much angry as scared shitless."
I believe this. The brass gave hours of riot training and filled them up with stories that they'd be under attack from tens of thousands of gasoline-throwing lunatics who wanted to destroy L.A. just for the hell of it. The leaders of this city gave an urban apocalypse and hardly anybody came. All adrenalined up and nowhere to go. A police department in control of the situation does not have to act like the West Leroy Loser Militia And Target Club. These cops had their brains fouled but good. Some used to be pretty good cops, and hopefully they may be again.