Military Violence Against Protesters

Video: ICE Protester Blinded by Federal Agent’s Point-Blank “Less-Lethal” Round

A 21-year-old protester was permanently blinded in one eye after a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer shot him in the face with a nonlethal round during a protest in Santa Ana, California. The incident, captured on video, shows the officer firing at the protester while he was attempting to intervene during an arrest. The protester suffered a fractured skull and had shrapnel embedded near his carotid artery. This incident, along with other cases of alleged excessive force by DHS officers, raises questions about the training and adherence to use-of-force policies, especially given that federal guidelines state officers should not aim impact weapons at the head.

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Hegseth’s Willingness to Order Soldiers to Shoot Protesters Sparks Outrage

Pete Hegseth’s apparent willingness to order soldiers to fire upon protesters is deeply unsettling. The very notion that this possibility isn’t met with outright condemnation is alarming. It suggests a disturbing normalization of violence against those exercising their right to dissent. The potential consequences of such an action are staggering, echoing historical tragedies like the Kent State shootings, but on a potentially far larger scale.

This isn’t simply a matter of speculation or “seeming” open to the idea; it feels like a deliberate and calculated position. The appointment of Hegseth and other like-minded individuals to positions of power strongly suggests a concerted effort to establish a system where dissent is met with forceful suppression.… Continue reading