What some people consider to be protesting, others experience as bullying or worse (i.e., domestic terrorism).
Some of the residents of a quiet residential neighborhood in Portland, OR, were likely unsettled recently when they were visited one night by hundreds of so-called “protesters.”
At least, “protesters” is what The New York Times called them.
They were supposedly protesting police brutality and seeking support from residents of the largely white residential neighborhood.
But they looked more like an invading army. They were uniformly clad in black garb, wearing motorcycle helmets and masks that hid their faces. Some wore body armor. Others had tool belts containing an array of ominous looking paraphernalia.
The NYT reports the “protesters” stopped at a house where an American flag was on display in the yard. They demanded the owner take the flag down and, when he refused, threatened to return later and burn down the house.
By calling them protesters, the NYT accorded them a legitimacy that many legitimate protesters of police brutality would not.
Continue reading “Is ‘Bullying’ Okay if You Say You’re a Protester?”