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1. Embed this notice
   rebecca ravenoak (ggggbbybby@hachyderm.io)'s status on Monday, 29-Apr-2024 05:08:55 JST rebecca ravenoak

   in reply to

   • sidereal
   • Mair :a_blobcat_wobble:

   @Mair @sidereal maybe _you_ feel more comfortable with snipers overhead. maybe you assume they are never aiming at you?

   snipers have been pretty common at protests in Berkeley and Oakland for the past decade and they are not there to protect people on the ground. they're intimidation and surveillance. their presence usually means that the protest moves to become less manageable (less "safe") because no one wants to hang around under the snipers

   • Embed this notice
     Mair :a_blobcat_wobble: (mair@kitsunes.club)'s status on Monday, 29-Apr-2024 05:08:57 JST Mair :a_blobcat_wobble:

     • sidereal

     @sidereal@kolektiva.social I'm not sure what event you're referring to here, but the deployment of snipers at large events, wether they be sports games, peaceful marches, rallies, large charity functions of marathons is very common in the west: and just isn't motivated by intimidation.
     
     The purpose of these snipers is for the protection of those events from those who would take advantage of a crowd to cause real harm. Suppose an ultra-right wing guy decided to show up at a student Gaza protest with an assault rifle to kill some students he sees as evil commies? The sniper is for those people.
     
     I don't like going to bat for the powers that be, but it's much more reasonable to suggest that the snipers are around big events to protect people: I know I'm definitely more comfortable knowing a rapid reaction is possible to protect people from mass killers.

     NaClKnight repeated this.