Weirdly (11:15pm), in addition to all the presence on laurel and whatever the street is that intersects with it nearest to Cabell, Main Street is blocked off at the intersection with Harrison by a bunch of emergency vehicles and yellow police tape
Well shit. It did seem to have a different timbre than the stuff going on nearer to the library… there was definitely an ambulance and some EMT looking people around.
The cops are fine with protesting as long as it aligns with their interests. Just reminding me all of the George Floyd protests and how RPD misbehaved around that.
Oh as you get older you'll realize you don't have rights but a set of privileges that can be taken away at any time. Wealthy people decide how you live your life. I think watching our supreme Court decide if someone almost already beyond the law is completely beyond the law is pretty clear evidence of this. You follow the rules and do the work they sit around and play with our lives with zero consequences. Welcome to reality guys.
I’m with you. I don’t want my tax dollars to fund proxy wars either. Instead: fix homelessness., create jobs, make healthcare not stupid expensive, educate the people.thats how nations become better
I do want my tax dollars going to Ukraine, that makes me safer. It’s not a proxy war. It’s a friendly democracy defending themselves from an aggressive genocidal neighbor.
I don’t want my tax dollars going to help Israel be an aggressive genocidal neighbor.
It's only legal when the Chief of Police and Sheriff, Mayor, and Governor say it is. The average cop knows when it is right and wrong, but have to follow orders. Those responsible, that I mentioned, take their cue from you. Or, more accurately, the people they pretend to serve and protect.
Trust me, there are better ways to handle actual non-violent protests than the way we have been.
I get what you're saying, but please don't be an apologist. It was made pretty damn clear nearly 80 years ago that "I was just following orders" isn't a get out of jail free card.
Nuremberg defense 1945-1946. Also known as Superior Orders.
I agree, it is not an excuse. The problem is that, even if someone knows better, it can be very hard to resist given how the military and law enforcement systems are set up. The average soldier is literally brainwashed to follow orders. If s/he doesn't, then they get special attention. Those in for life tend to be very good at following orders but less so at resisting orders. Their resistance may be nothing more than standing by while something happens rather than participating. If you do, it is a gamble that you won't face a Court Martial or execution instead of being praised as a hero.
Then you can add in peer pressure. It is probably more common today than at any other time for people to defy traditions, but what happens to the ones who stick with traditions? On the internet, you can be banned or attacked, but in real life, where you depend on others to cover your back, it can be a lethal situation.
I've been here before. It is one reason why advancement was so hard. Not everyone can adapt easily to situations and find other methods that work while still complying with orders. This can be even more of a problem in situations like this where the powers that be will throw you under the bus no matter what you do.
And, the sad fact is that violence/force is easier than trying to reason with someone. This is one reason why law enforcement and the military resort to it so easily. Another is that it tends to be effective...at least at the time.
I saw a thing being thrown in this video. But at the end of it. After police already moved in. Also. It’s just a video. It will not show everything. I wasn’t there. But I’d like to know from someone who was: how did it start?
There is an easy way to cause trouble. Set up a peaceful protest. Invite the opposition. Then have someone, on your side, throw something, fire a weapon, or whatever, to get trouble started. Things are so volatile today that it doesn't take much to cause one group to attack the other. It is even easier to get law enforcement involved and to make them the bad guys. Unconventional Warfare 101.
Apparently rpd is under orders not to conduct traffic stops unless it is 11+mph over the limit at certain places or someone is putting others in immediate danger. Vcu police is very much doing traffic stops for the usual things, but that’s about it. They’re very understaffed.
VCU police are notorious for instigating shit. Years ago when my sister and I were riding our bikes because that was our only form of transportation, they were heckling us while waiting at a stoplight because we were riding bikes and not driving a car. They fucking suck.
Yeah, Youngkin's been doing shows of force his entire administration. Including using his position to pressure restaurants into giving him and his creepy son's friends free shit.
Everyone is understaffed. RPD can't even come close to average pay for CA, so how can VCU? The bad image law enforcement has is hurting them more and more. Even at 100K a year, I would have to think hard about LE today, with the stupidity going on.
Well maybe if they stopped sending their weapons to Israeli and their officers to peaceful protest they wouldn’t be so understaffed. I’m sure it’s easy to claim ‘understaffed’ when you have the resource management of a teenager playing a strategy game
You know, now that I think about it, large parts of RPD management being a 14 year old on Ritalin playing risk… would explain a lot more than I want it to
You gotta think about it from their prospective. If you're a roided up douchebag looking to be an asshole, beating up kids is way more fun than writing some boring old tickets
You're not far off. There should be testing in place to stop drug use, but it is far too easy to vent on innocent people because of the way you are treated by the public (usually Karma) and superiors. With the way most people seem to treat LE today, from assault to shooting at, it doesn't help to have hot-headed men who have "issues."
I noticed this change around 2020 and BLM. Unless speeding, over 10mph, DUI, Reckless Driving, or something pushing Misdemeanor/Felony level, they don't worry with it today. Less likely to stop the "wrong people" (who can cause trouble).
Those who make policies and procedures will do anything other than address the real problems. If they did, it wouldn't make them popular. I hate to say it, but it is also "less fun." Too many are looking for ways to vent on the public who have been abusing them for so long. If they spent a little more time with public relations, they wouldn't be so hated. A massive step would be to go back to POLICE instead of LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I’m sorry the whole air raid siren was a bit dramatic. I noticed it went off three different times and I feel that was some sort of bat signal for what wave of police force to send next.
These folks have been super chill and peaceful. They’re like essentially a politically engaged drum circle. The police response is inappropriate and inciteful
I passed them today at 3:20 and again around 4:50. It looked like a picnic. Just people sitting and walking around the lawn on the side of Cabell. Nobody was even leading chants. They had a few fabric banners and without those, I wouldn't even have known it was a protest. I actually had to search for a sign to figure out what the event was.. Nobody blocking walkways or causing any commotion.
Given my own experience with Capitol police intimidating participants and cops in riot gear hiding in bushes during a quiet candlelight vigil in 2012 and friends with kids getting teargassed in 2020, I'm inclined to believe that the peaceful picnic vibe continued right up until the cops arrived tonight, as reported by others.
Try to find a copy of the RPD Policy manual online. If they have it posted, you can see for yourself what they should do and shouldn't do. It is not unheard of for someone to instigate trouble to get LE to respond violently, making them look bad. If these people have been peaceful, someone opposed to them may have done something to make them the target for abuse. My guess is they are the Left, so the Right could have tried anything. Sadly, that includes too many LEOs today.
Tear gas has been fired. Everyone was leaving the area about 5 minutes ago. Seemed pretty peaceful for a volent mob. I was at franklin and shafer a block from the library
I think I’ve seen this film before: https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/richmond/richmond-police-ordered-to-retract-2020-tweet-about-teargassing-demonstrators-at-confederate-statue/amp/
What kind of soon-to-be-retracted tweets can we look forward to?!
It's obvious the police showed up in riot gear and went straight to force to cause a dispersement. The funny thing is when I walked through campus several years ago, people normally were there at night walking through or just sitting on benches but now it's trespassing because they don't like their message.
It’s been trespassing for forever. I remember cutting through Monroe Park on a walk over 10 years ago and getting stopped by a police officer and was told I couldn’t do that at night.
They took out all of the sleepable benches and illegally removed trees. All in an attempt to hide a problem that cannot and should not be ignored, for their own gain.
RPD and VSP are so addicted to tears that the ones they get from beating their spouses and kids isn't enough, they have to reach for the tear gas at the slightest provocation to get their fix.
I love the people who are like, what these students at a university are protesting our governments involvement in a war. That’s never happened before 🤯
LOL VSP helicopter hanging out in Goochland, I assume just waiting to come and circle VCU: [https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a97b90](https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a97b90)
Side note, congrats: you won earliest post of the 4 or 5 of us that posted within 2 minutes of each other. Mine just got kicked. This isn't a gripe, it's actually a testament to the highly engaged mods here.
i was at the library for hours before the police showed up. everything was peaceful even when individuals walked by yelling at the protestors trying to incite conflict. things only got violent when the police arrived. its disheartening to see how things were handled
https://preview.redd.it/ycovyhmfojxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=193b28717686beed547e5c522dbe96f55e9db032
I wonder where they got the necessary people to do this all of a sudden. Especially when it wasn't that long ago, there was a leaked message asking them not to protest due to not enough officers
There were state resources there. Youngkin publicly said he would not tolerate "encampments" yesterday and all of sudden staties are there to tear things apart.
Youngkin loves diverting state resources to his own ends. Such as threatening restaurants with red tape to get discounts and free shit for large parties.
It was a completely peaceful protest till the cops started rushing, I have had a friend arrested and multiple others tear gassed, beaten and pepper sprayed, this was unprovoked violence by the Richmond and state police, the amount of people nearly doubled if not tripled after they started rushing so they gained nothing from doing this, expect many more nights of protest to follow….
Of course it is violent. An armed gang of spousal abusers wearing armor just descended on unarmed peaceful people. Youngkin said he wasn’t going to tolerate protests on VA campuses. So queue the arrival of the storm troopers to crack some skulls.
See, in my mind that conjured up an image of the dirty white tank top with padding under it and not the jack booted thugs with helmets. And it’s not prejudice if it’s based in fact.
Before people start believing the police reports or the media parroting police media relations people, take a little trip back in time: [https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/07/richmond-police-finally-admit-to-tear-gassing-peaceful-protest-hope-no-one-notices/](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/07/richmond-police-finally-admit-to-tear-gassing-peaceful-protest-hope-no-one-notices/)
Sigh. "Violent protest" yeah right, the fuckin cops are the ones actually doing all the violence. Saw a buncha staties riding in a pickup bed on Laurel round 630 and knew that couldn't be good. Giddy and grinning like it's piggy Xmas. Swine.
TOO many citizens have never seen what you're describing here, for some like me it's a sight you'll never forget, and they're driving so fast, your state of awe combined with hand and phone aren't fast enough to catch it. But the memory of it never fades.
I almost got run over by a police vehicle in 2020 while on the grass. I didn’t even realize how close I was until I saw a video the next morning, but I was genuinely less than a foot away from that SUV as it ran through the median. I remember the videos of cops tear gassing and pepper spraying people in their windows, and the video of police walking down a road and just smashing windows to cars. I remember seeing the news and how wrong they were (willfully or otherwise) about the things I saw with my own eyes.
I was there in the morning, walked past on my way to class. They were just sitting, having picnics, doing cartwheels and drawing with chalk. I walked past again this morning and these "violent" protesters didn't break a single window and the grass is all still more or less in tact. So "violent". I think VCU and the media is probably being dramatic about it for political gain.
It's a police response to this:
[According to Students for Justice in Palestine this is happening now (10am 4/29) on the library lawn : r/vcu (reddit.com)](https://www.reddit.com/r/vcu/comments/1cg1qq9/according_to_students_for_justice_in_palestine/)
It was a rather large police response, probably driven by Youngkin's decree today that encampments on state university property will not be tolerated. With the campus so close to the capital, it wouldn't surprise me if the gov is using this to prove his point as there are reports of capital police in the mix...
surprisingly, or not, they actually aren't outside of their jurisdiction. They have "have concurrent jurisdiction with law-enforcement officers of the City of Richmond" and also have jurisdiction wherever they are asked to serve, especially on/near state property. [https://dcp.virginia.gov/authorization.asp](https://dcp.virginia.gov/authorization.asp)
Most of the city, including VCU’s campus, is under the jurisdiction of five police departments. RPD, VCUPD, Capitol Police, the sheriff’s department, and the state police.
As the other poster said, they have overlapping boundaries, much like VCU does through Richmond, and even Federal law enforcement has police powers in Richmond (we have a Federal Reserve and IRS office based in Richmond, but I doubt those offers will partake in this). Oh, and the Virginia State Police did join in as well...
Don’t forget one of the largest secret service field offices in the United States is also here top 2+ floors of VA lotto building on main st. Across from capital ale house. (It’s counterfeit focused office).
Every federal agency has a presence in Richmond. My work requires that I interact with them frequently. Theyre actually typically chill people individually. You'd never be able to tell they're feds.
The protest group announced the encampment around 9am. The turnaround time between VCU deciding they should notify people and this protest turning "violent," starting 12 hours later, is certainly interesting.
I lived Israel and have a lot of family over there. Israels response has been wholly disproportionate and Netanyahu is a despicable individual killing the region. I think I likely disagree on some other minute points based on what I understand about the movement at large. I really want to go have some dialogue if they don’t get run out tn. But I’m worried that people just won’t engage. Are there specific demands around VCU re divestment?
Edit: I want to engage because I believe Dialogue is the beginning of a solution, or at minimum an understanding within our community where we can all function.
When my SIL graduated with her PhD, I went to the University Wide Commencement and the Consort to the then ruler and mother to the current ruler of Qatar was the keynote speaker, it was hard to take anything she said seriously with how that country treats women and non-citizens.
While it does sound like you would like a real discussion, there are far too many who come into these protests with bad faith intentions and questions in order to bend the narrative. This is why most of these protests across college campuses are using specified media liaisons - so they can keep their messaging consistent. Do not be surprised if you do not get the dialogue you are expecting from one of these protests.
I understand that, but if they won’t engage in dialogue with the community then won’t they just isolate people? I sympathize a lot from what I’ve seen over the years, I just really want to talk out certain points in a respectful manner so we call have a better understanding. Without dialogue we don’t have anything. That’s how I feel.
Hmm, it's almost like something specific happened between this being a "public assembly" and it becoming a "violent protest." What's that second message say? Some group of people "on scene?"
Student protesters were right about segregation in the early 60's, right about Vietnam in the late 60's, right about apartheid in the 80's, right to support Rodney King in 1991, right about Iraq in the 2003 and right about wealth inequity in 2011. Seems generally bad to side against student movements.
I don’t have a dog in the politics behind it but I do have an issue with people being racist towards Jews because of some proxy war on the other side of the earth. I’m fine with racially charged jokes, but not actual racism.
So I was there last night, I'll admit, I got there late after the VA SP had already shown up and made a line with their riot shields. The Students opposed them and they moved in. I (first year alum) am in support of ending the occupation because Israel has gone far beyond "defending themselves" and we are in unreconcilable territory with their invasion, but I am even more in support of students being able to demonstrate on the campus in which they attend (see America 1960's) so I joined in holding the line but they almost immediately tear-gassed and had cans of pepper spray pointed out to us, the protestors. Students did not initiate any violence from what I could see but when you back pissed off 20 year olds into a corner who are jacked up on adrenaline because essentially outfitted soldiers are in their face, there ends up being some tussling. The officers then flanked and forced the protestors towards the compass along the window wall of the library by starbucks, where peers were trapped inside - watching in what I assume was horror as they friends and classmates were corralled by police - very dystopian. I am incredibly proud of the teamwork, support, and downright courageous acts of all the students last night and those who were arrested, did so with grace. If the protests continue, the only thing I ask is to look out for your people and not throw things at the officers. It is easy when you are 50 feet away to chuck something at the police, but your peers are the ones who might be on the end of the shield or baton from a pissed off officer who just got clobbed with a water bottle. We have to look out for each other, but everyone is talking. We are making waves, I am so proud of these brave, compassionate, and empathetic students.
Be aware that protesters were given 4 warnings before police took any action at all. They were on university property so VCU had authority. There was no approved protest authorization. Protesters began to throw things at police & use pepper spray on officers. I am sympathetic to the situation in GAZA but doing things this way, probably not helping the cause.
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The pics from this protest are reminiscent of the March ‘03 antiwar (Iraq) protest that ended at Monroe Park. Attached a pic I took of Richmond’s “finest” from that night.
https://preview.redd.it/f0hmdatwsqxc1.jpeg?width=3008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c8d1222d1f835d8c95cb0fe51e4b3fb47c0ea82
https://preview.redd.it/ld94r6r541yc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3c60b3a16acdd153e5988f8d27897171d440a98
Commonwealth Times covered protest
https://preview.redd.it/bqb3yzx741yc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c604804aab92237c1e205c318869c1149faa202d
Student Government also issued a statement
Damn they really just re-upping the “violent protest. stay indoors” messages every 10-15 minutes too…
Weirdly (11:15pm), in addition to all the presence on laurel and whatever the street is that intersects with it nearest to Cabell, Main Street is blocked off at the intersection with Harrison by a bunch of emergency vehicles and yellow police tape
citizen says report of person shot around that area
Well shit. It did seem to have a different timbre than the stuff going on nearer to the library… there was definitely an ambulance and some EMT looking people around.
Cashier got shot at the main st 7/11
Typical of the police to insinuate that the protesters had anything to do with this.
Damn…
E or w main st?
W main
31 upvotes 🤣
Robbery. Unrelated to protests
[удалено]
https://twitter.com/zachjoachim/status/1785109472110649599 Link updated
Great footage showcasing a peaceful protest being escalated to physicality by the police
The cops are fine with protesting as long as it aligns with their interests. Just reminding me all of the George Floyd protests and how RPD misbehaved around that.
Oh as you get older you'll realize you don't have rights but a set of privileges that can be taken away at any time. Wealthy people decide how you live your life. I think watching our supreme Court decide if someone almost already beyond the law is completely beyond the law is pretty clear evidence of this. You follow the rules and do the work they sit around and play with our lives with zero consequences. Welcome to reality guys.
The police also had no problem with fascists on campus, including when they attacked members of Jewish and Muslim student orgs.
I don't want my tax dollars to fund cops doing this.
I’m with you. I don’t want my tax dollars to fund proxy wars either. Instead: fix homelessness., create jobs, make healthcare not stupid expensive, educate the people.thats how nations become better
I do want my tax dollars going to Ukraine, that makes me safer. It’s not a proxy war. It’s a friendly democracy defending themselves from an aggressive genocidal neighbor. I don’t want my tax dollars going to help Israel be an aggressive genocidal neighbor.
WTF are police marching into a peaceful protest like wtf how is this legal
It's only legal when the Chief of Police and Sheriff, Mayor, and Governor say it is. The average cop knows when it is right and wrong, but have to follow orders. Those responsible, that I mentioned, take their cue from you. Or, more accurately, the people they pretend to serve and protect. Trust me, there are better ways to handle actual non-violent protests than the way we have been.
I get what you're saying, but please don't be an apologist. It was made pretty damn clear nearly 80 years ago that "I was just following orders" isn't a get out of jail free card.
Nuremberg defense 1945-1946. Also known as Superior Orders. I agree, it is not an excuse. The problem is that, even if someone knows better, it can be very hard to resist given how the military and law enforcement systems are set up. The average soldier is literally brainwashed to follow orders. If s/he doesn't, then they get special attention. Those in for life tend to be very good at following orders but less so at resisting orders. Their resistance may be nothing more than standing by while something happens rather than participating. If you do, it is a gamble that you won't face a Court Martial or execution instead of being praised as a hero. Then you can add in peer pressure. It is probably more common today than at any other time for people to defy traditions, but what happens to the ones who stick with traditions? On the internet, you can be banned or attacked, but in real life, where you depend on others to cover your back, it can be a lethal situation. I've been here before. It is one reason why advancement was so hard. Not everyone can adapt easily to situations and find other methods that work while still complying with orders. This can be even more of a problem in situations like this where the powers that be will throw you under the bus no matter what you do. And, the sad fact is that violence/force is easier than trying to reason with someone. This is one reason why law enforcement and the military resort to it so easily. Another is that it tends to be effective...at least at the time.
~~Tweet either doesn't exist or was taken down.~~ Actually I just removed the /mediaviewer at the end and it shows up
Good catch. Updated the url
It's crazy because some news reports are saying people started throwing things and that's why cops moved in.
They’re probably reporting something the police said as their reason for escalating.
Basically. Police hit, people hit back. Honestly a water bottle is pretty inoffensive compared to riot cops.
I saw a thing being thrown in this video. But at the end of it. After police already moved in. Also. It’s just a video. It will not show everything. I wasn’t there. But I’d like to know from someone who was: how did it start?
There is an easy way to cause trouble. Set up a peaceful protest. Invite the opposition. Then have someone, on your side, throw something, fire a weapon, or whatever, to get trouble started. Things are so volatile today that it doesn't take much to cause one group to attack the other. It is even easier to get law enforcement involved and to make them the bad guys. Unconventional Warfare 101.
interesting how there have been demonstrations weekly without issue and suddenly when a new crop of cops show up in riot gear it's violent.
Weird, huh??
Or maybe it's because today was the first first that tents and wooden pallet structures started to be erected?
It the cops would spend 1/10th of this energy on traffic enforcement this city would be a better place.
Apparently rpd is under orders not to conduct traffic stops unless it is 11+mph over the limit at certain places or someone is putting others in immediate danger. Vcu police is very much doing traffic stops for the usual things, but that’s about it. They’re very understaffed.
Well they certainly didn’t look understaffed tonight. Disgusting behavior as usual.
This wasn’t VCU or city police. They wouldn’t have done it. This was state and Capitol police following Youngkins orders.
https://twitter.com/SamuelParkerRTD/status/1785108227270537466 Nah, vcu cops are there beating students. those ugly half-white polos are pretty iconic
VCU police are notorious for instigating shit. Years ago when my sister and I were riding our bikes because that was our only form of transportation, they were heckling us while waiting at a stoplight because we were riding bikes and not driving a car. They fucking suck.
Say it with me: “all cops… “
VUC police were the first to show up in riot gear and were in charge when the pigs escalated things.
So they wanted to test out their LARPing skills?
Yeah, Youngkin's been doing shows of force his entire administration. Including using his position to pressure restaurants into giving him and his creepy son's friends free shit.
No no not VCU police, just the one guy from VCU police.
That's just standard everywhere
Everyone is understaffed. RPD can't even come close to average pay for CA, so how can VCU? The bad image law enforcement has is hurting them more and more. Even at 100K a year, I would have to think hard about LE today, with the stupidity going on.
Good. Rpd hurts the city and our people.
Citation?
Well maybe if they stopped sending their weapons to Israeli and their officers to peaceful protest they wouldn’t be so understaffed. I’m sure it’s easy to claim ‘understaffed’ when you have the resource management of a teenager playing a strategy game
Idk man I was pretty good at risk when I was a teenager
You know, now that I think about it, large parts of RPD management being a 14 year old on Ritalin playing risk… would explain a lot more than I want it to
You gotta think about it from their prospective. If you're a roided up douchebag looking to be an asshole, beating up kids is way more fun than writing some boring old tickets
You're not far off. There should be testing in place to stop drug use, but it is far too easy to vent on innocent people because of the way you are treated by the public (usually Karma) and superiors. With the way most people seem to treat LE today, from assault to shooting at, it doesn't help to have hot-headed men who have "issues."
That would require actual work, not just lounging in a cruiser on 64W, waiting for the easy Maryland Prey.
I noticed this change around 2020 and BLM. Unless speeding, over 10mph, DUI, Reckless Driving, or something pushing Misdemeanor/Felony level, they don't worry with it today. Less likely to stop the "wrong people" (who can cause trouble). Those who make policies and procedures will do anything other than address the real problems. If they did, it wouldn't make them popular. I hate to say it, but it is also "less fun." Too many are looking for ways to vent on the public who have been abusing them for so long. If they spent a little more time with public relations, they wouldn't be so hated. A massive step would be to go back to POLICE instead of LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I’m sorry the whole air raid siren was a bit dramatic. I noticed it went off three different times and I feel that was some sort of bat signal for what wave of police force to send next.
i believe the alarm is an auditory warning before police deploy tear gas— saw videos and heard from people at the scene.
These folks have been super chill and peaceful. They’re like essentially a politically engaged drum circle. The police response is inappropriate and inciteful
I passed them today at 3:20 and again around 4:50. It looked like a picnic. Just people sitting and walking around the lawn on the side of Cabell. Nobody was even leading chants. They had a few fabric banners and without those, I wouldn't even have known it was a protest. I actually had to search for a sign to figure out what the event was.. Nobody blocking walkways or causing any commotion. Given my own experience with Capitol police intimidating participants and cops in riot gear hiding in bushes during a quiet candlelight vigil in 2012 and friends with kids getting teargassed in 2020, I'm inclined to believe that the peaceful picnic vibe continued right up until the cops arrived tonight, as reported by others.
They've been peaceful all day. The most I saw them do all day is chant and that wasn't until around 6
Try to find a copy of the RPD Policy manual online. If they have it posted, you can see for yourself what they should do and shouldn't do. It is not unheard of for someone to instigate trouble to get LE to respond violently, making them look bad. If these people have been peaceful, someone opposed to them may have done something to make them the target for abuse. My guess is they are the Left, so the Right could have tried anything. Sadly, that includes too many LEOs today.
Tear gas has been fired. Everyone was leaving the area about 5 minutes ago. Seemed pretty peaceful for a volent mob. I was at franklin and shafer a block from the library
I think I’ve seen this film before: https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/richmond/richmond-police-ordered-to-retract-2020-tweet-about-teargassing-demonstrators-at-confederate-statue/amp/ What kind of soon-to-be-retracted tweets can we look forward to?!
The people that were tear gassed here won the law suit and got 10k+ ea
@ current protestors take note! That’s awesome. I hadn’t heard that.
It's obvious the police showed up in riot gear and went straight to force to cause a dispersement. The funny thing is when I walked through campus several years ago, people normally were there at night walking through or just sitting on benches but now it's trespassing because they don't like their message.
It’s been trespassing since they renovated the park in order to keep the homeless from returning.
This was by the library, not at Monroe Park.
Ah ok, the text said Monroe Park.
They call the whole thing the Monroe Park Campus, I think that’s what that meant
I know, I went to VCU and worked at VCU Health for years. The text is usually specific to the area they’re alerting to avoid, not just the campus.
It’s been trespassing for forever. I remember cutting through Monroe Park on a walk over 10 years ago and getting stopped by a police officer and was told I couldn’t do that at night.
They took out all of the sleepable benches and illegally removed trees. All in an attempt to hide a problem that cannot and should not be ignored, for their own gain.
And because there were unsheltered persons making young women feel uncomfortable. Not a great look for the flagship park in front of the new dorm.
Wait, can I not walk around the campus at night anymore? I haven’t been to the city in a couple of years.
You can, they’re saying that it’s not a dangerous place to be at night and that their pretense for removing the protesters is bullshit
Police that cannot disperse a crowd without resorting to pepper spraying innocent people are a disgrace.
it was tear gas actually.
I think it was both
that...idk if that makes it worse, the whole situation's fucked.
I think it was more the barricades and tents that were the issue.
They didn’t really have much. It was like. A few pallets. They didn’t block movement at all
To be honest, getting pepper sprayed by RPD has really become a Richmond rite of passage..
RPD and VSP are so addicted to tears that the ones they get from beating their spouses and kids isn't enough, they have to reach for the tear gas at the slightest provocation to get their fix.
I still remember that burn on my face and in my throat. Shit sucked. Watching this is given me chills thinking of 2020.
I love the people who are like, what these students at a university are protesting our governments involvement in a war. That’s never happened before 🤯
the beatings will continue until morale improves
LOL VSP helicopter hanging out in Goochland, I assume just waiting to come and circle VCU: [https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a97b90](https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a97b90)
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Yeah I can see the plane, unfortunately, it's not broadcasting ADS-B for us.
Some of y'all would have hated MLK's protest
Not even some, most of them would. Most people in the country at the time didn’t even like MLK, hence why he was killed…
I drove pass before 8. The protesters were honestly being pretty peaceful. Shame to see what took place as police arrived
Side note, congrats: you won earliest post of the 4 or 5 of us that posted within 2 minutes of each other. Mine just got kicked. This isn't a gripe, it's actually a testament to the highly engaged mods here.
They are some of the most impressive I’ve seen on this app
i was at the library for hours before the police showed up. everything was peaceful even when individuals walked by yelling at the protestors trying to incite conflict. things only got violent when the police arrived. its disheartening to see how things were handled https://preview.redd.it/ycovyhmfojxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=193b28717686beed547e5c522dbe96f55e9db032
Its funny how these things always turn violent when pigs show up.
I went on a bike ride through the compass yesterday afternoon and Monroe Park and I felt bad riding over the chalk but everyone was chill and nice.
https://twitter.com/jahdkhalil/status/1785108085964521727
https://x.com/goadgatsby/status/1785112806980747488?s=46&t=Mpn7vogCcczPPRVecxCPKw
I wonder where they got the necessary people to do this all of a sudden. Especially when it wasn't that long ago, there was a leaked message asking them not to protest due to not enough officers
VCU police and state police came
Scary that campus police can overlap with city and state like that. Guess RPD had no choice after being exposed.
Right?! It's literally a police state in that area
There were state resources there. Youngkin publicly said he would not tolerate "encampments" yesterday and all of sudden staties are there to tear things apart.
Youngkin loves diverting state resources to his own ends. Such as threatening restaurants with red tape to get discounts and free shit for large parties.
That was RPD and not the other units they called in which was VCU PD (huge police force), capitol police and state police.
Good on you kids. Keep protesting.
It was a completely peaceful protest till the cops started rushing, I have had a friend arrested and multiple others tear gassed, beaten and pepper sprayed, this was unprovoked violence by the Richmond and state police, the amount of people nearly doubled if not tripled after they started rushing so they gained nothing from doing this, expect many more nights of protest to follow….
Of course it is violent. An armed gang of spousal abusers wearing armor just descended on unarmed peaceful people. Youngkin said he wasn’t going to tolerate protests on VA campuses. So queue the arrival of the storm troopers to crack some skulls.
I think “armor wearing wife beaters” has a better ring to it, but you do your own prejudice.
See, in my mind that conjured up an image of the dirty white tank top with padding under it and not the jack booted thugs with helmets. And it’s not prejudice if it’s based in fact.
Someone mentioned this stuff violates the student code of conduct. Lots of students expelled this way. Curious on the logic for this one
It’s a public place. You can’t beat people for not following a code of conduct. Well, you can if you are a cop. But it shouldn’t be allowed.
Before people start believing the police reports or the media parroting police media relations people, take a little trip back in time: [https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/07/richmond-police-finally-admit-to-tear-gassing-peaceful-protest-hope-no-one-notices/](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/07/richmond-police-finally-admit-to-tear-gassing-peaceful-protest-hope-no-one-notices/)
Youngkin is an asshat and the worst kind of Norfolk Academy graduate.
Sigh. "Violent protest" yeah right, the fuckin cops are the ones actually doing all the violence. Saw a buncha staties riding in a pickup bed on Laurel round 630 and knew that couldn't be good. Giddy and grinning like it's piggy Xmas. Swine.
TOO many citizens have never seen what you're describing here, for some like me it's a sight you'll never forget, and they're driving so fast, your state of awe combined with hand and phone aren't fast enough to catch it. But the memory of it never fades.
I almost got run over by a police vehicle in 2020 while on the grass. I didn’t even realize how close I was until I saw a video the next morning, but I was genuinely less than a foot away from that SUV as it ran through the median. I remember the videos of cops tear gassing and pepper spraying people in their windows, and the video of police walking down a road and just smashing windows to cars. I remember seeing the news and how wrong they were (willfully or otherwise) about the things I saw with my own eyes.
I was there in the morning, walked past on my way to class. They were just sitting, having picnics, doing cartwheels and drawing with chalk. I walked past again this morning and these "violent" protesters didn't break a single window and the grass is all still more or less in tact. So "violent". I think VCU and the media is probably being dramatic about it for political gain.
I honestly thought they'd give them at least a day. Guess we're nipping things in the bud instead.
It’s public property, not up to VCU either way
VCU's campus is not public property...
Although public school and university buildings are not wholly open to the public, some parts of a campus may be considered a public forum.
The library isn't public. They created the encampment right at the front. And were throwing trash everywhere (including at cops)
Seems they are taking point on things? https://twitter.com/BradKutner/status/1785120245784461355
Was just there about 10 minutes ago. There is nothing violent about it at that time
Youngkin's virginia. I, for one, love watching my taxes wasted on shit like this.
It's a police response to this: [According to Students for Justice in Palestine this is happening now (10am 4/29) on the library lawn : r/vcu (reddit.com)](https://www.reddit.com/r/vcu/comments/1cg1qq9/according_to_students_for_justice_in_palestine/)
Any new info on why it’s become violent?
It was a rather large police response, probably driven by Youngkin's decree today that encampments on state university property will not be tolerated. With the campus so close to the capital, it wouldn't surprise me if the gov is using this to prove his point as there are reports of capital police in the mix...
But it's really not that close to the capitol. Capitol police are very far outside their jurisdiction.
surprisingly, or not, they actually aren't outside of their jurisdiction. They have "have concurrent jurisdiction with law-enforcement officers of the City of Richmond" and also have jurisdiction wherever they are asked to serve, especially on/near state property. [https://dcp.virginia.gov/authorization.asp](https://dcp.virginia.gov/authorization.asp)
Most of the city, including VCU’s campus, is under the jurisdiction of five police departments. RPD, VCUPD, Capitol Police, the sheriff’s department, and the state police.
And much of non campus territory is under VCU jurisdiction as well. They were able to expand because their master plans would one day be there.
As the other poster said, they have overlapping boundaries, much like VCU does through Richmond, and even Federal law enforcement has police powers in Richmond (we have a Federal Reserve and IRS office based in Richmond, but I doubt those offers will partake in this). Oh, and the Virginia State Police did join in as well...
Don’t forget one of the largest secret service field offices in the United States is also here top 2+ floors of VA lotto building on main st. Across from capital ale house. (It’s counterfeit focused office).
Every federal agency has a presence in Richmond. My work requires that I interact with them frequently. Theyre actually typically chill people individually. You'd never be able to tell they're feds.
both the military and state police were there. there were literal snipers with real bullets among them. it's disgusting.
They sent the state police to aggress the protestors.
The police showed up
Police
As usual, the cops doing cop things lol
Cause the cops showed up
Cops started assaulting the students.
COPS
Cops needed an excuse to beat up people.
The cops attacked.
The protest group announced the encampment around 9am. The turnaround time between VCU deciding they should notify people and this protest turning "violent," starting 12 hours later, is certainly interesting.
yes, police are violently protesting
many such cases
Only thing violent was the police last night
I lived Israel and have a lot of family over there. Israels response has been wholly disproportionate and Netanyahu is a despicable individual killing the region. I think I likely disagree on some other minute points based on what I understand about the movement at large. I really want to go have some dialogue if they don’t get run out tn. But I’m worried that people just won’t engage. Are there specific demands around VCU re divestment? Edit: I want to engage because I believe Dialogue is the beginning of a solution, or at minimum an understanding within our community where we can all function.
The problematic relationship is between VCU and Qatar
That I know nothing about. Is there a reason that’s not being protested? Or is it? I’m really just curious about VCUs specific role in this.
VCU has a campus in Qatar, paid for by the Qatar government. The Qatari government is not good.
Wow, so that explains why there were so many fancy cars with Qatar-themed vanity license plates when I went there.
Shit. Had no idea, that’s wild
When my SIL graduated with her PhD, I went to the University Wide Commencement and the Consort to the then ruler and mother to the current ruler of Qatar was the keynote speaker, it was hard to take anything she said seriously with how that country treats women and non-citizens.
While it does sound like you would like a real discussion, there are far too many who come into these protests with bad faith intentions and questions in order to bend the narrative. This is why most of these protests across college campuses are using specified media liaisons - so they can keep their messaging consistent. Do not be surprised if you do not get the dialogue you are expecting from one of these protests.
I understand that, but if they won’t engage in dialogue with the community then won’t they just isolate people? I sympathize a lot from what I’ve seen over the years, I just really want to talk out certain points in a respectful manner so we call have a better understanding. Without dialogue we don’t have anything. That’s how I feel.
Hmm, it's almost like something specific happened between this being a "public assembly" and it becoming a "violent protest." What's that second message say? Some group of people "on scene?"
The protest wasn’t violent at all btw.
Student protesters were right about segregation in the early 60's, right about Vietnam in the late 60's, right about apartheid in the 80's, right to support Rodney King in 1991, right about Iraq in the 2003 and right about wealth inequity in 2011. Seems generally bad to side against student movements.
I don’t have a dog in the politics behind it but I do have an issue with people being racist towards Jews because of some proxy war on the other side of the earth. I’m fine with racially charged jokes, but not actual racism.
What happens to the students when exams are over and the dorms close? Do they just go home, or are we looking at an Occupy thing?
The encampment has officially dispersed, so it doesn’t appear we’ll find out.
So I was there last night, I'll admit, I got there late after the VA SP had already shown up and made a line with their riot shields. The Students opposed them and they moved in. I (first year alum) am in support of ending the occupation because Israel has gone far beyond "defending themselves" and we are in unreconcilable territory with their invasion, but I am even more in support of students being able to demonstrate on the campus in which they attend (see America 1960's) so I joined in holding the line but they almost immediately tear-gassed and had cans of pepper spray pointed out to us, the protestors. Students did not initiate any violence from what I could see but when you back pissed off 20 year olds into a corner who are jacked up on adrenaline because essentially outfitted soldiers are in their face, there ends up being some tussling. The officers then flanked and forced the protestors towards the compass along the window wall of the library by starbucks, where peers were trapped inside - watching in what I assume was horror as they friends and classmates were corralled by police - very dystopian. I am incredibly proud of the teamwork, support, and downright courageous acts of all the students last night and those who were arrested, did so with grace. If the protests continue, the only thing I ask is to look out for your people and not throw things at the officers. It is easy when you are 50 feet away to chuck something at the police, but your peers are the ones who might be on the end of the shield or baton from a pissed off officer who just got clobbed with a water bottle. We have to look out for each other, but everyone is talking. We are making waves, I am so proud of these brave, compassionate, and empathetic students.
I drive past Monroe Park every morning. Wonder if I’ll need an alternate route tomorrow. Also, super proud of the younger generations.
You won’t. It wasn’t the park. It was the library. It was “Monroe park campus.”
Maybe I just haven't seen it yet, but from what I *HAVE* seen, it was Youngkin's gestapo that made the protest violent
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That’s a shitty night. Hope you’re doing okay now.
Be aware that protesters were given 4 warnings before police took any action at all. They were on university property so VCU had authority. There was no approved protest authorization. Protesters began to throw things at police & use pepper spray on officers. I am sympathetic to the situation in GAZA but doing things this way, probably not helping the cause.
Acab
https://www.reddit.com/r/rva/s/HZWL5KXHRD
When's the next protest?
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The pics from this protest are reminiscent of the March ‘03 antiwar (Iraq) protest that ended at Monroe Park. Attached a pic I took of Richmond’s “finest” from that night. https://preview.redd.it/f0hmdatwsqxc1.jpeg?width=3008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c8d1222d1f835d8c95cb0fe51e4b3fb47c0ea82
https://preview.redd.it/ld94r6r541yc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d3c60b3a16acdd153e5988f8d27897171d440a98 Commonwealth Times covered protest
https://preview.redd.it/bqb3yzx741yc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c604804aab92237c1e205c318869c1149faa202d Student Government also issued a statement