URL: https://buttondown.com/monteiro/archive/how-to-protect-and-serve/
As the crowd turned off Mission Street, onto 16th, and made another left on Valencia, we soon found ourselves face to face with the Mission Police station. The station was barricaded. Between the station and the barricades were cops in military armor, carrying military gear. 17th Street was also blocked off between Valencia and Guerrero, with a few dozen cops stationed there. I passed the front door and saw a few dozen more cops inside the lobby, all in riot gear. And for the first time that evening I thought there would be violence. A threat of violence I never felt as we gathered at 24th and Mission, listening to community leaders give speeches about why we were marching. A threat of violence I never felt as we walked down Mission Street waving at our neighbors in windows and balconies. A threat of violence I never felt as we walked down Valencia and people in bars and restaurants came out to chant along with us. A threat of violence I never felt as those who were actually protecting and serving their community were protecting and serving their community.
I only felt the threat of violence when I was face to face with violence workers.
If you increase a department’s funding by 6% and they buy books, it’s fair to assume they want to educate you. If you increase a department’s funding by 6% and they buy coats, it’s fair to assume they want to clothe you. If you increase a department’s funding by 6% and they buy groceries, it’s fair to assume they want to feed you. If you increase a department’s funding by 6% and they buy a tank, it’s fair to assume they want to murder you.
There’s a common belief among the red-pilled MAGA crowd that the people causing all this disruption and mayhem in American cities are paid actors. And here I’ll throw them a bone—they are correct. They’re just looking at the wrong people. The people causing the disruption and mayhem in our streets are paid out of city budgets, with seemingly bottomless overtime allowances and billionaire gifts, and the cover of elected officials.
The people are the sanctuary.
We protect and serve each other.