Plaza move-ins (ongoing)

[earthling]

Four cops shot in STL, freeways shutdown by protesters.

In KC and a few other cities, someone is dropping off pallets of bricks in hotspot areas to entice rioting.
https://www.newsweek.com/missouri-polic ... st-1507891

In several cities, more organized looting is happening away from protest hotspot areas, away from police presence. With masks now a norm, can be more casually pulled off.

[normalthings]

Four cops shot in STL, freeways shutdown by protesters.

In KC and a few other cities, someone is dropping off pallets of bricks in hotspot areas to entice rioting.
https://www.newsweek.com/missouri-polic ... st-1507891

In several cities, more organized looting is happening away from protest hotspot areas, away from police presence. With masks now a norm, can be more casually pulled off.

What happens to the bricks dropped off? Does the city take ownership? Can they be used to build a nice path in a local park?

Many buildings burned in STL and a few killed during rioting and looting. EMS unable to assist due to heavy gun fire. Some police shot and others almost set on fire. The STL journalists who I got above info from also retweeted messages about certain vehicles and semi trucks seemingly following the action around. Interesting to say the least.

[earthling]

The police are asking anyone who sees bricks dropped off to call 911 and they'll pick them up. Haven't heard what happens to them but good idea.

Separately, would imagine a good chance we'll see even worse round of protests/riots when the trial for arrested cop happens. If he's acquitted or if sentence does not meet protester expectations (anything outside death sentence may not be acceptable to many even though I think MN doesn't allow), would think riots will get worse. And many also want the other cops charged and a subset of those will demand hard sentence. Am expecting many will be unrealistic with trial outcome expectations, doesn't seem likely there will be a good ending out of this. Could get much much worse, almost seems inevitable but will give hope benefit of the doubt. Doesn't help we have an incompetent president that fuels the fire.

edit: Just checked. Minnesota doesn't allow capital punishment/death penalty. That alone may create an uproar with certain factions (such as riot oriented or many over the edge with rage) across US who won't accept anything but. Can't reason with those truly in rage mode. Many won't care MN abolished death penalty and may already have DP in mind.

[WSPanic]

KC Police in action on The Plaza. Not a great look, IMO.

https://twitter.com/weslyinfinity/statu ... 2309544960

[earthling]

^Fuuuuck. That is really bad. Deep sigh feeling right now.

[horizons82]

Time for a wholesale change up at KCPD. That’s inexcusable. Smith needs to go and a whole hell of a lot more.

[normalthings]

Time for a wholesale change up at KCPD. That’s inexcusable. Smith needs to go and a whole hell of a lot more.

Police sales tax comes back up in 2026. Would really like to see some sales tax money shifted to preventative programs (early childhood education, transit).

If we are going to shake up the police, I also think wholesale change is needed at KCPS. No reason they should average or above average per student with a fraction of the results.

A real change the protestors could call for us the disarming or abolition of certain public worker unions (police, etc)

[earthling]

Time for a wholesale change up at KCPD. That’s inexcusable. Smith needs to go and a whole hell of a lot more.

And we may see a lot more of like this across country just due to the situation that we have lines of cops along raging protesters. All it takes is one cop making a bad call or a 'protester' making a bad call and things erupt. The guy was taunting the cop but didn't throw anything at him. The cop also sprayed the woman first even though she didn't do anything.

[WoodDraw]

KC Police in action on The Plaza. Not a great look, IMO.

https://twitter.com/weslyinfinity/statu ... 2309544960

Has any local official responded to this?

[herrfrank]

It will be heartbreaking if they burn portions of the Plaza. A huge majority of protesters are there peacefully, it's the minority within that group that wants to cause the problems.

To me, burning property and cars along with breaking windows and looting stores does nothing to advance a cause. If anything, it ruins and taints a cause. Sure, people have the right to be angry and protest but they do not have the right to destroy businesses because of their anger. Whatever happens tonight, let's just hope it doesn't ruin the Plaza for weeks or months to come.

I don't think the violent late-night part of the protests will be allowed to get any closer to the Plaza, especially with so many high rise residential buildings and a hospital nearby. But we might see the violence lead to bad outcomes further north (midtown, Westport).

Several references upthread of the riots after the MLK assassination, but those 1968 riots (which went on for weeks) were significantly larger and more violent. Many buildings on Troost were burned beyond repair. Troost never came back as a shopping street, which it had been for decades until then. The KCMO schools collapsed in the following years. Many white neighborhoods depopulated and several black neighborhoods also depopulated. Some of these trends may have happened anyhow or for other reasons, but the riots accelerated the situation and IMHO hobbled KCMO for decades.

Riots are not good for cities. Delineating speech and protests from riots is the responsibility of the police, and it's not a simple task. I think the mayor is doing a relatively good job compared to what is happening in Chicago and Boston.

[earthling]

First Service (condo mgmt company) hired a "specialty" security agency to patrol and be available to any of their Plaza condo buildings. Some closest to the park are literally barricading entrance each night.

[horizons82]

Police sales tax comes back up in 2026. Would really like to see some sales tax money shifted to preventative programs (early childhood education, transit).

If we are going to shake up the police, I also think wholesale change is needed at KCPS. No reason they should average or above average per student with a fraction of the results.

A real change the protestors could call for us the disarming or abolition of certain public worker unions (police, etc)

Agree with you for the most part though I think a union curb is DOA. Especially if the MO right to work repeal is any indication.

You’ll see a lot of folks online calling to “#defundthepolice” IMO a poor slogan choice but the core idea is to essentially what you’re describing.

Tangentially, 538 has a great article examining why the tactics being used by forces like KCPD are self defeating and can increase the likelihood of danger and property damage:

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/de ... ce-anyway/

[normalthings]

Police sales tax comes back up in 2026. Would really like to see some sales tax money shifted to preventative programs (early childhood education, transit).

If we are going to shake up the police, I also think wholesale change is needed at KCPS. No reason they should average or above average per student with a fraction of the results.

A real change the protestors could call for us the disarming or abolition of certain public worker unions (police, etc)

Agree with you for the most part though I think a union curb is DOA. Especially if the MO right to work repeal is any indication.

You’ll see a lot of folks online calling to “#defundthepolice” IMO a poor slogan choice but the core idea is to essentially what you’re describing.

I think the union changes could maybe happen on their own but probably not unless part of a national movement or federal legislation.

No police at mill creek nor a curfew tonight

[grovester]

KC Police in action on The Plaza. Not a great look, IMO.

https://twitter.com/weslyinfinity/statu ... 2309544960

Has any local official responded to this?

Lucas said he had seen it, but not been able to consult with anyone about it, the police chief said he had not seen it. As of yesterday though.

[TrolliKC]

BLM posts should be moved to their own thread

[jasty5]

Couldn’t find if there was a specific thread so I’m adding here. I am hearing that the holiday inn property is being sold and is in a 30-day due diligence period. The buyer is connected to Americo Life Insurance, same partner as the Waddell & Reed and Reverb projects. I am hearing they want to put 250 apartments and 250 hotel rooms on the site in a few different 8 story towers, plus a pad for a future development.

[Critical_Mass]

Is the Kimpton proposal dead?

[jasty5]

That’s what it sounds like to me.

[normalthings]

Couldn’t find if there was a specific thread so I’m adding here. I am hearing that the holiday inn property is being sold and is in a 30-day due diligence period. The buyer is connected to Americo Life Insurance, same partner as the Waddell & Reed and Reverb projects. I am hearing they want to put 250 apartments and 250 hotel rooms on the site in a few different 8 story towers, plus a pad for a future development.

A pad for a qsr or a pad for a mid/high rise?

The proposal sounds similar to Allé

[normalthings]

Whatever happened with this?