I don’t wanna talk about the details of how I was arrested, due to legal reasons. But I feel it’s important to share the fascism I experienced, and the racism I witnessed, at the hands of CPD last night. A thread.

(Please, for the sake of your soul, anything in quotes should be said in a THICK Chicago accent.)

At the Chicago protest, I got literally yanked from the crowd by a cop saying, “Okay now we’re takin’ ya.” As they dragged me away, they beat me with batons. This part is a blur; I went into shock. I have bruises all over my body and I’m limping from an injury to my right calf.

I am yelling my name and my birthday, so people can find me in jail. The cop kidnapping me shoves me and says, “Fuck you, you smelly bitch.” Honestly, LOL bc i know this cop wanted to call my queer ass in jorts with bleached hair a f*ggot so bad. @chicagomayor gets mad though.

This part is so fucking important, plz RT: I later find out that an 18 yr old Black woman and freedom fighter named Miracle Boyd filmed my arrest, as I was shouting my name. It was as she was filming me, in order to PROTECT me, that a fascist CPD pig PUNCHED HER in the mouth and

knocked her teeth out. She put her body on the line for me, a STRANGER. Grateful can’t even begin to capture it. We owe Black women everything. I owe Miracle more than I could ever repay. #JusticeForMiracle

Before you keep reading this, please donate to Miracle’s GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-4-miracle-police-brutality-victim-relief

As I am dragged to the wagon, my shoes fall off and I am barefoot. I loudly yell for the cops to let me get my shoes back. I don’t wanna go to jail barefoot. I can see my toe is bleeding. They ignore this and throw me in the wagon.

Once in the wagon, another kidnapped protestor is bleeding profusely from their head. We yell for police to get help for them get medical attention. The response from an officer is: “what’s wrong with em?” idk maybe the FUCKING BLOOD IS A CLUE, (ACTUAL) DETECTIVE.

They finally take the maimed comrade out on a stretcher. I don’t remember her name. She was white and had long, dirty blonde, curly hair. I really hope she is okay. She was so terrified.

Still in the van, our hands are zip tied too tightly and cutting off circulation. We complain, loudly, but told like children, “hey I can only do one thing at a time!” The officer saying this is just standing in the wagon. One comrade is worried his restrained hand is broken.

The entire time in the wagon: they do not read anyone rights, they do not tell us what we are being detained for, or if we are actually being arrested and charged, and they won’t tell us where they are taking us. We are just being kidnapped.

It’s also a PANDEMIC and most of us have lost our masks after being beaten. We yell we are being held in a tiny wagon, packed together, with no ventilation in blazing heat and no water. They eventually give us masks. With zip tied hands, we have to help EACH OTHER get them on.

We all have blunt force injuries. We all have been in the pepper spray cloud. They finally give us a couple bottles of water to pour on our bodies and drink. Not even enough for all of us. For the rest of my detention, this is the last drop of water I see.

Keep in mind—still in the wagon—the only way we can get any basic human right is by BEING LOUD AND PERSISTENT. But the cops tell us to shut up, or gaslight our needs, or tell us we won’t get anything if we are not patient. This is psychological manipulation. It’s a tactic.

After pouring water in a protester’s pepper sprayed eyes who starts coughing, the wagon cop scowls saying, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

Here’s where cops get extra fucking stupid and sloppily fascist, in my case: the entire time in the wagon NO COP ASKS MY NAME. They take NO INFO FROM ME. They don’t even know WHY I AM IN THE WAGON. What am I being detained for? they don’t know, and don’t care.

and once again, even with my shoes lying right there in the street, no cop will get them. They are too busy beating and kidnapping.

With 7 of us, they shut the wagon and start driving us to wherever the fuck. It’s completely dark, no seatbelts, no AC, and again, EVERYONE IS FUCKING INJURED. We hit several pot holes and almost go flying. Everyone is scared and confused.

We arrive ~somewhere~ and they march us out of the wagon. We get handcuffed to benches or in holding cells. I finally get an officer to tell me we’re now at the 18th and State precinct. Once again, none of us are told what we are being charged with.

These fascist cops literally keep using the term MASS ARREST. One of my trans comrades is worried they’re going to send him to the “women’s” jail. Luckily, they do not.

I keep asking for something to cover my dirty, bloodied, bare feet. An office eventually gives me these hospital slippers. Lol I think they speak for themselves

After collectively complaining, some EMTs finally arrive. I speak up that I’m limping from a cop beating my leg. This gets their attention, bc I have claimed an officer has injured me (they can smell my lawsuit). The EMT (fire dept I believe?) really doesn’t give a shit.

They don’t inspect my injuries. They don’t ask if I’m okay. Bc I am not a person! I refuse being taken to the hospital (bc $$$) and am given an ice pack. This is the last attention paid to our basic human needs for the rest of the night.

I’m handcuffed to a bench for the next 6 hours. None of the cops can tell me what I’m charged with. Why? BC I WAS KIDNAPPED, BEATEN, AND THROWN IN A WAGON. As we all were. But in my case, they couldn’t even find the officer who grabbed me. Everyone else will get arbitrary charges

At one point, after several hours of not knowing what to do with me, i shit you not, a cop asks, “Do YOU know what ya did?” No sir I absolutely mf’ing do not.

By 1am, one of the various “nice” cops says they are releasing me with no charges, because I repeat, THEY JUST GRABBED ME. Others are getting BS misdemeanors like “obstructing traffic.”

I can’t stop thinking about a Black comrade who was with us, who we hear is getting aggravated battery, a felony. I know he was put in the wagon right after me. I know he couldn’t have been standing far from me. There’s no doubt in my mind that we were both indiscriminately

arrested for the same BS reason. The only difference was the color of our skin. That is white supremacy in action. That’s our racist criminal justice system. My white privilege protected me.

They un-cuff me, lead me out of the precinct. I’m still wearing my foam slippers and I’m limping. An officer tells me, “You’re at 18th and State.” That’s it. No “get home safe,” no “hey sorry we beat and detained you for no reason.” They just leave me on the street.

Thank GOD dozens of jail supporters are there, or I would’ve been alone, limping through Chicago without shoes. I have so much gratitude for those strangers that I can’t even express.

I’m sharing this bc I hope it can shed primary source LIGHT that not only is CPD is a fascist gang, but that our whole policing system is set up so that I, a white man, get to walk free with minor injuries, while my Black comrades get horribly maimed or thrown into the system.

BLACK. LIVES. MATTER. The fight cannot stop. White folks: We need to listen. We need speak out when we can elevate Black voices. WE NEED TO STAND UP