# Minneapolis is Burning...? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 28, 2020, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589 "2020-05-28T07:45:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/401 "2020-06-02T06:36:09Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Those who burned witches and heretics were the ones who hated progress and open mindedness in the past you [shit head.](https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/50774/does-the-octopus-have-an-anus-what-does-it-look-like) You aren’t for progress. Anarchy is only progress in the minds of the clinically insane. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/402 "2020-06-02T06:40:19Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > You aren’t for progress. Anarchy is only progress in the minds of the clinically insane. Like if anyone out there would not notice that you did not counter the point that demonstrated your ignorance, so besides a confirmed by biology 🙂 shithead you are a coward too. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/403 "2020-06-02T06:42:54Z")
These are the people and the violence you excuse. You honestly think that’s going to lead to progress? [https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1267703207549165568?s=20](https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1267703207549165568?s=20) Would you like to see a few hundred more links of unnecessary violence that have happened or are happening under the ruse of peaceful protests? Labeling facts “dat’s racist!!1!” is no longer effective. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/404 "2020-06-02T06:47:50Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Like if anyone out there would not notice that you did not counter the point that demonstrated your ignorance, so besides a confirmed by biology 🙂 shithead you are a coward too. It wasn’t progress or regress. Labeling heretic or blasphemer was an attempt to terrorize folks into homogeneous thought in order to maintain the power structures of the day. It was anti-liberty. Just like the modern left as opposed to classical western liberalism is anti liberty. The sad thing is, the social liberty and personal freedom concepts that have been so liberating for so many and have been promoted by the non-crazy left I find myself in strong agreement with. It’s just the radicals and loons amongst you are far too dangerous to empower. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/405 "2020-06-02T06:49:10Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > How many hard working, maga hat wearing folk do you see out there looting and setting fires to the city? Any Trump supporters hijacking trucks? Any small government conservatives smashing and burning down people’s businesses and homes? Not on my cable TV Trump-supporting racists are indeed implicated in the criminal activity, as my own previous link noted and as [this Forbes article](https://www.forbes.com/sites/sergeiklebnikov/2020/05/30/right-wing-conspiracists-pull-from-old-playbook-blame-george-soros-for-riots/#229d26e04100) discusses: > [@](#): > > Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, along with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, confirmed Saturday that outside forces had infiltrated the protests in order to cause mayhem. > > State authorities said they were monitoring alleged criminals online, including posts from suspected white supremacist groups trying to incite violence by promoting looting and mayhem in Minneapolis. Conservatives are now trying to duck that “inconveniently embarrassing fact” by… blaming George Soros: > [@](#): > > But many right-wing conservatives have begun to resurrect an old conspiracy theory about billionaire George Soros—who is a major donor to liberal and progressive causes—to make unsubstantiated claims that he is the mastermind behind organizing protests and riots. You’ll try to NoTrueScotsman your way out of the participation of right-wingers in the rioting and looting by claiming that they don’t count as “conservatives”, though of course you’re perfectly willing to imply that the Biden campaign is directly responsible for even the most wingnutty far-left anarchist. It will at least be kind of funny, in a situation that could definitely use a little comic relief, to see how conservatives’ denunciations of rioting and looting “rabble” will quiet down when it becomes clear that at least a significant number of the criminals involved are white people, some of whom are outright non-dogwhistling racists deliberately trying to amp up violent conflict between police and black protestors. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/406 "2020-06-02T06:50:08Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > These are the people and the violence you excuse. You honestly think that’s going to lead to progress? [https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1267703207549165568?s=20](https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1267703207549165568?s=20) Cite of when I approved of that; if none comes, besides a shithead, an ignorant of history, and a coward, you are a liar. > [@octopus](#): > > Would you like to see a few hundred more links of unnecessary violence that have happened or are happening under the ruse of peaceful protests? Labeling facts “dat’s racist!!1!” is no longer effective. Nah, It is really amusing to see you showing all what an idiot you are when already many have pointed out that understanding why a riot happens does not mean that one endorses it. You shithead 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/407 "2020-06-02T06:52:34Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > “dat’s racist!!1!” Oooh, and [“pickaninny memes” with eye-dialect spelling](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/42152-thats-racist) too. Wow, I can’t even keep up with all the Talking Point 6. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/408 "2020-06-02T06:58:09Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Oooh, and [“pickaninny memes” with eye-dialect spelling](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/42152-thats-racist) too. Wow, I can’t even keep up with all the Talking Point 6. It’s absolutely a mockery. It’s a mockery of any and all who disingenuously and in a clichéd fashion engage in such labeling. Oh boo hoo. There’s #9. Weeping. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/409 "2020-06-02T07:05:08Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Really? Really? Out of all the videos I have seen of looting and arson only one instance were the police stealing. And yes, it was wrong for the police to steal those water bottles but I couldn’t blame them. Given the blatant falsehoods you continue to peddle, I’d be surprised if all the videos you saw contained even a single protester. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/410 "2020-06-02T07:06:34Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > It wasn’t progress or regress. Labeling heretic or blasphemer was an attempt to terrorize folks into homogeneous thought in order to maintain the power structures of the day. It was anti-liberty. Just like the modern left as opposed to classical western liberalism is anti liberty. A silly thing to say when homogeneous thought is precisely against any open mindedness towards other ideas. > [@octopus](#): > > The sad thing is, the social liberty and personal freedom concepts that have been so liberating for so many and have been promoted by the non-crazy left I find myself in strong agreement with. It’s just the radicals and loons amongst you are far too dangerous to empower. And finally we get some self awareness from the mollusk 🙂 … Again, early here and elsewhere, I made the point that the non-crazy left understands why some radicals resort to violence, what it gets old is to see shitheads that launch accusations to that non-crazy left as being in league with dumb looters and shooters. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/411 "2020-06-02T08:53:15Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Labeling facts “dat’s racist!!1!” is no longer effective. Ooh, nice use of the dialectal dogwhistle, there, ' **putz**. Very circa 1900 minstrel show. Still perfecting those _k_unning _k_orny _k_racks, I see. ETA - I see I wasn’t the only one to call you on this. Dude, your [del]slip[/del]robe is showing. Regards[,](http://this_means_you_are_a_turd.octopus) MrDibble ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/412 "2020-06-02T10:27:38Z")
[White nationalist group posing as antifa called for violence on Twitter.](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/twitter-takes-down-washington-protest-disinformation-bot-behavior-n1221456) [And then there’s the Boston PD, with a truck full of bricks.](https://twitter.com/XRP_Baghead/status/1267618924524421120) Carefully stacking them in an alleyway. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/413 "2020-06-02T10:50:40Z")
As an aside, someone should do a study comparing the level of damage caused by rioting in countries that mostly use bricks for construction, to that caused in countries that mostly use cinder blocks. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/414 "2020-06-02T10:52:57Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > If it hurts your feelings that these acts are primarily being committed by left leaning folks and in left infested areas that’s not my problem. Cite for this bullshit? Sounds like you just pulled it out of your ass to slander strangers you don’t like, as is your wont. I am surprised to see you use words like “infested” to describe the left – I suspected that you hated us, but I’m surprised to see you so openly call people like me and my family vermin. ---
**Author:** ![Harrington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac8455/32.png) [@Harrington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harrington)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/415 "2020-06-02T10:59:21Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > [And then there’s the Boston PD, with a truck full of bricks.](https://twitter.com/XRP_Baghead/status/1267618924524421120) Carefully stacking them in an alleyway. Did you read even the first few responses to that Twitter thread? > [@](#): > > It’s in the back of their police station. They gathered the bricks from the streets and have put them in a secure location. Nothing more nothing less. > [@](#): > > Turns out they are behind the police station putting the bricks into lockup like they are legally required to do. Go through the other comments and you will realize the OP knows this and doesn’t care. > [@](#): > > Looking at that building it appears to be their police station. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/416 "2020-06-02T11:08:24Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > [White nationalist group posing as antifa called for violence on Twitter.](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/twitter-takes-down-washington-protest-disinformation-bot-behavior-n1221456) > > [And then there’s the Boston PD, with a truck full of bricks.](https://twitter.com/XRP_Baghead/status/1267618924524421120) Carefully stacking them in an alleyway. > [@Harrington](#): > > Did you read even the first few responses to that Twitter thread? I saw them, and discounted them. They weren’t cited; they were simply assetions, and they don’t pass the sniff test. Ask yourself: why would cops be doing that work? Why would a bunch of bricks picked up from the street be _in_ a police vehicle? Why would a bunch of bricks picked up from the street be so neatly stacked in the truck bed, rather than tossed in as any normal bunch of workmen would do, picking up bricks from the street? Why are all the bricks seen pristine and unbroken, all the same color? ---
**Author:** ![Harrington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac8455/32.png) [@Harrington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harrington)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/417 "2020-06-02T11:13:45Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > I saw them, and discounted them. They weren’t cited; they were simply assetions, and they don’t pass the sniff test. > Ask yourself: why would cops be doing that work? Why would a bunch of bricks picked up from the street be _in_ a police vehicle? Why would a bunch of bricks picked up from the street be so neatly stacked, rather than tossed in as any normal bunch of workmen would do, picking up bricks from the street? Why are all the bricks seen pristine and unbroken, all the same color? You’re asserting too, and I don’t believe you’ve cited anything but your suspicion. When you have evidence, please share and I will forfeit the point. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/418 "2020-06-02T11:20:08Z")
> [@Harrington](#): > > You’re asserting too, and I don’t believe you’ve cited anything but your suspicion. When you have evidence, please share and I will forfeit the point. Same here. I don’t think there’s enough information to be certain, but I’ll continue to lean to my explanation. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/419 "2020-06-02T11:23:12Z")
Actually, while I’m still confused as to why cops are doing this, I will admit that the bricks aren’t as neatly stacked or as uniform as I first thought. I _might_ be wrong. About the PD and the bricks, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589/420 "2020-06-02T16:08:53Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > "An Illinois man traveled to Minneapolis where he handed out explosives and encouraged individuals to throw them at police while streaming live on Facebook, federal prosecutors said in court documents. > At approximately 8 p.m. on May 29, Matthew Rupert, of Galesburg, posted a two-hour live video to Facebook, in which he offered people explosives and suggested they throw the bombs at officers during [demonstrations following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.](https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/minneapolis-protests-spread-to-other-cities-across-the-us/2279999/) > “…They got SWAT trucks up there… I’ve got some bombs if some of you all want to throw them back, bomb them back… light it and throw it,” Rupert said in the Facebook Live video, according to a criminal complaint filed by an FBI agent. > > … > At approximately 10 p.m. on May 30, Rupert posted that he was on his way to Chicago, and the following day posted multiple videos of him in and around the Chicago area. > In one video, the suspect stated he was at “South Plymouth and Ida B Wells,” waiting for his brother and could be heard saying “let’s start a riot,” and “I’m going to start doing some damage.” > > [Illinois Man Accused of Handing Out Explosives at Minneapolis Protest – NBC Chicago](https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/illinois-man-accused-of-handing-out-explosives-at-minneapolis-protest/2282034/) > He was arrested by Chicago PD. I’m glad someone quoted this story. I saw it and decided to do a little online investigating. I did not find any current social media accounts. I did, however, find an abandoned account from 2017 or so belonging to Matthew Rupert of Galesburg Illinois. A lot can happen in two years so it is possible he has been radicalized but the old account shows no hint of any political affliction, opinion, or interest. He just seemed to be a typical lowlife twenty-something with violent tendencies. Lots of photos of weed. Lots of tough guy posing, including a post of him with a gun threatening a school shooting. Not Antifa. Not a White Supremicist. Shallow and boring stuff, mostly. I suspect he was just an opportunist. I’m thinking much of the violence was probably apolitical opportunism. People that don’t have enough of an outlook on the world outside of their immediate needs and desires to even have a political viewpoint. People that have been cooped up for two months and wanted to burn off steam and get themselves some free stuff. Yes, there probably were some politically motivated instigators. But you only need a few of those, to break the first few windows and set the first few fires. The hoards of opportunists will take it from there, and that’s what I suspect happened, [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minneapolis-is-burning/854589.md?page=22)