If you’re fortunate enough to be reading this in the future, or have just managed to avoid the news, Portland, Oregon is in trouble. Yesterday, Aug. 29, 2020, a huge number of Trump supporters (estimates have them in the 1000’s) gathered and paraded around downtown. According to eyewitnesses, they were given police escort and rather than going to the Justice Center where the BLM (Black Lives Matter) protests have been centered, they were allowed to parade around downtown’s commercial and residential districts. During that time they were allowed to harass bystanders including: insults, sexual harassment, and attacking people with paintball guns and bear mace. At some point during the night an altercation (occurring in a different area than the Trump Parade) ended with a shot being fired at a Trump supporter. The man did not survive.

The loss of life is tragic. Yes, even on the other side, the loss of any life is tragic. I’ve stated that violence is the result of the failure of a society’s systems and I still hold to that ideal. But worse is the backlash we’re about to face because of this death.

You see, my side is used to this kind of treatment. We’re used to being marginalized, ignored, misrepresented, and discarded. It’s why we’re protesting. We’ve seen first hand just how unfair the system running our society is and we know for a fact it has to change. We know that we’re expendable in the eyes of our leaders and we’re doing everything we can to change that fact, because human life should NEVER be expendable.

The other side does not. They are inherently selfish and shortsighted. They see themselves as the protagonist of a video game or action movie; they enjoy plot immunity. Even when something happens to someone right next to them it doesn’t click in their heads that it could have been them. You see this all the time in their thought process: I never thought my husband would be deported, I didn’t think I would lose my job, I never thought I would get Covid-19, etc. It’s the same mentality we all have as teenagers when we feel we’re invincible, we have all the answers, and rules apply to everyone else.

So, when a state brainwashed kid murders two people in cold blood from our side, it’s business as usual, for both sides. Again, that’s why we’re protesting, it should not be business as usual, but it is. But now that someone on their side has been murdered the rules have changed. We’re taking away their rights. These people honestly, and firmly believe that it’s their right to act like assholes without any repercussions. And why not? They’ve been told that their whole lives. They’ve gotten away with it their whole lives. Hell, they were given a fucking police escort to harass people. This isn’t going to be a wake up call where most of them realize, “Oh god, that could have been me. What am I doing here?” This is going to be what solidifies their resolve. They’re going to think, “How dare they kill one of ours when we’re just exercising our free rights!”

I suspect there’s going to be a quite a few things that will result (or fail to result) from this death. First off is that we’re never going to know what really happened. With the Portland Police Bureau in charge of the investigation absolutely no meaningful headway will be made towards the truth. We’ve already seen that the PPB is willing to lie, fabricated evidence, hide evidence, and halt or minimize investigations just to maintain whatever story is convenient to justify their actions. On top of protecting their own (as in other alt-right people) I wouldn’t be surprised if they use this incident to justify firing live, lethal rounds into the next protest.

Second, the media is going to be spin this terribly. I’ve already seen a lot of lazy reporting on the more reputable news sources. The right wing propaganda that passes for news has just been waiting for an incident like this to happen, and you can bet they are going to milk this death for all it’s worth to make their followers even more rabid. We have to spread correct information (such as it is) to wherever we can, however we can.

Whoever the shooter is, they’re going to need protection, so if you know them, please give them whatever aid you can. I don’t condone murder from either side, but I know for a fact the right is more interested in lynching and crucifixion than the right to a fair trial (as if we could get a fair trial in this country). I would not be surprised if they’ve already been doxxed (had identifying information about them published in public) and they have a lynch mob descending on them within the next couple of days.

Finally, things are going to get much more dangerous and violent. This incident is going to be used as an excuse for the police to become even more violent and brutal. Federal troops are going to return and be even more frightening and brutal than they were. And the alt-right counter protestors are going to become more violent and lethal. When you go out be extra safe. Groups are must, body armor is a must. Back up and evacuation plans are a must. And, as much as I hate to say it, bring weapons (non-lethal preferably), but pray you don’t have to use them. I hope I’m wrong about all of this, I really do, but this type of thing has happened to often for anyone to take any chances. Remember, they’re fighting for their right to be terrible people; we’re fighting for our right to be alive.