Yeah, but did anyone get a PS5?

So I don't think anyone's saying that the scene in New York's Union Square wasn't a disaster. If you haven't heard, a YouTuber called Kai Cenat announced that he'd be giving away PlayStation 5's, thousands of teens showed up, and a riot ensued. There were injuries, arrests, and charges for Cenat. What a mess. 

The real crime is underestimating what kids will do for a free PlayStation.

Can I just honk police accountably
or do people with signs not do nuance?

But have you seen this video of cops grabbing some kid and putting his head through the rear window of a cab? It's been circulating on social media and it's alarming. Not because this is the kind of thing doesn't happen all the time, like, I think it does, it's just not always captured on video. It's alarming because of everyone who leaps to the defense of the cops in this case, or really any instance where police suddenly ignore their training and due process and beat the shit out of someone. Are our only choices defund the police or accept violent, jackbooted, fascist goonery? 

Breaking News: white buy with a blog
suddenly realizes police brutality is a thing.

The victim here was among other teens who were smacking the van, but he wasn't himself damaging it, at least not on video. And then he ran, which doesn't look good, admittedly. But next, the police officers come around the cab, grab the kid, seemingly at random, and then assault him. Brutally. Which, I mean, even if he did damage the cab (which again, we don't know that he did), and the cops saw him do it (which, who knows what they saw?), is what they did in any way a proportional response? 

No? Not going to talk about the hole
in the window? Of the kid's face? Huh...

Check out this screenshot of the New York Times coverage of the riot. They're using a picture of the teen in question bleeding and being handcuffed, but bizarrely caption it with:

"The police say they had made several arrests and said some in the crowd had shoved officers and refused to follow directions."

-The New York Ti-wait, did 

they not look at the picture?

"Teens are spending far too much time
watching the MTV and swearing!"

-The New York Times

Maybe this just an oversight? These are the same people that ran that crossword puzzle that looks like a swastika. Did someone grab a picture from a story about unwarranted police brutality and accidentally caption it with a story of how unruly teens need to learn some respect and disciple? Apart from a single, passive voice acknowledgement from police chief Jeffrey Maddrey about how "...a lot of young people got hurt," the story seems to be entirely about the damage caused and "the power of social media and the danger of social media."

Well what did you think 
was going to happen?

Look, to be clear, I'm not pro-riot. Kai Cenat promoted an event without a permit and told everyone he'd be giving away free PS5's or whatever. I think marine biologists call this chumming the water. It was a dumb move and of course it got out of hand and everyone who messed up city property should be charged.  You'd think the smart thing to do when a riot breaks out would be to leave, but people--particularly teens--don't always make the best decisions. 

But then they're not trained law enforcement. Trained law enforcement officers have training and tools available to them to help cope with crazy situations, like, say a riot. But none of those tools are a taxi window and then when they resort to 80's action movie nonsense, they don't need people on twitter (not calling it X) backing them up.

An Omnicorp executive who refused to obey a malfunctioning police
robot was subdued earlier today. A company spokesperson assures us that
the executive's family will be billed for the rounds fired and cleaning fees.

-The New York Times