Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), the progressives' ultimate icon, on Tuesday made the ridiculous suggestion that police officers should be banned from using tear gas, pepper spray or rubber bullets as a means of quelling riots. His proclamation comes as violent riots are taking place in Kenosha, Wisconsin after Jacob Blake, a black man, was shot seven times by police officers. Rioters have burned down businesses, looted others and even beat an elderly man for attempting to defend his business. One rioter pulled a gun on a reporter simply doing his job. The right-wing extremist group known as the Boogaloos shot a rioter in the head as he attempted to loot a business. A reporter jumped into action to provide aid to the man.
Despite all of that, Sanders wants to limit the tools police officers have to disband "protestors."
No more tear gas, no more pepper spray, no more rubber bullets on protestors. Ban them all.https://t.co/TYP5PfXgNI
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) August 25, 2020
These aren't protestors. These are rioters. Looting, burning down buildings and harming others is the very definition of a riot. If these idiots aren't stopping what they're doing with these tools at cops' disposal, what makes him think that allowing them to carry on will magically make them stop?
It's not like Sanders can say he's ignorant to what's taking place. The article he links to details some of the chaos (emphasis mine):
Anger over the shooting of a Black man by police in a southeastern Wisconsin city spilled into the streets of Kenosha for a second night Monday, with police once again firing tear gas at hundreds of protesters who defied a curfew, threw bottles and shot fireworks at law enforcement officials guarding the courthouse.
Kenosha became the nation’s latest flashpoint in a summer of racial unrest after cellphone footage of police shooting Jacob Blake on Sunday around 5 p.m. in broad daylight circulated on social media. The shooting drew condemnation from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who called out 125 members of the National Guard to quell protests.
Protesters chanted, “No justice, no peace” as they confronted a line of law enforcement officers who wore protective gear and stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the courthouse entrance.
Police first fired the tear gas about 30 minutes after the 8 p.m. curfew took effect and protesters refused to disperse. But hundreds of people stuck around, lighting fires and screaming at police.
...
In the unrest that followed Blake’s shooting, social media posts showed neighbors gathering in the streets and shouting at police. Others appeared to throw objects at officers and damage police vehicles. Officers fired tear gas to disperse the crowds.
In a scene that mirrored the widespread protests in recent months over police brutality and racial inequality, marchers headed to the Kenosha County Public Safety Building, which houses the police and sheriff’s departments. Authorities mostly blocked off the building, which officials said was closed on Monday because of damage.
How much more proof do we need that these rioters aren't going to stop because police back off? What does Bernie suggest, let the chaos continue?
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