The “police power” — the authority to maintain the general public order, is solely a STATE responsibility. The federal government has the right to protect FEDERAL property, such as federal buildings, (or to enforce a Supreme Court order, such as when Eisenhower, Kennedy and LBJ sent in federal troops to enforce Supreme Court desegregation orders) but they have no authority to engage in general law enforcement unless asked to do so by the local authorities.
And there is NO AUTHORITY to attack civilian PEACEFUL protesters, including those who simply talk to them and inquire about their status and authority, violently or, without warrant or explanation, grabbing people in the streets, including peaceful bystanders, and whisking them away. “Officers” who have no badge, no name tag and no identifying insignia are not acting legally and taking people without explanation is KIDNAPPING.
As Joaquin Castro Tweeted, what is to stop an unofficial paramilitary militia from dressing up the same way, pulling up and grabbing protesters off the street?
And I would add, when such paramilitary thugs abuse civilians who ARE behaving peacefully, how can individual officers (who internal memos admitted are inadequately trained) be held responsible? How would the murderer of George Floyd been held responsible if there had been no badge, name tag or insignia? Or maybe that is the point?
The “police power” — the authority to maintain the general public order, is solely a STATE responsibility. The federal government has the right to protect FEDERAL property, such as federal buildings, (or to enforce a Supreme Court order, such as when Eisenhower, Kennedy and LBJ sent in federal troops to enforce Supreme Court desegregation orders) but they have no authority to engage in general law enforcement unless asked to do so by the local authorities.
And there is NO AUTHORITY to attack civilian PEACEFUL protesters, including those who simply talk to them and inquire about their status and authority, violently or, without warrant or explanation, grabbing people in the streets, including peaceful bystanders, and whisking them away. “Officers” who have no badge, no name tag and no identifying insignia are not acting legally and taking people without explanation is KIDNAPPING.
As Joaquin Castro Tweeted, what is to stop an unofficial paramilitary militia from dressing up the same way, pulling up and grabbing protesters off the street?
And I would add, when such paramilitary thugs abuse civilians who ARE behaving peacefully, how can individual officers (who internal memos admitted are inadequately trained) be held responsible? How would the murderer of George Floyd been held responsible if there had been no badge, name tag or insignia? Or maybe that is the point?