Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania police are preparing for “semi-spontaneous” riots in case President Donald Trump fires Special Counsel Robert Mueller. A memo sent to Pittsburgh detectives and possibly others in the police force instructs all Major Crimes detectives to come to work with “riot gear” until further notice.
“We have received information of a potential large scale protest in the Central Business District,” the memo states. “The protest would be semi-spontaneous and more than likely happen on short notice,” it continues. “Beginning Thursday, all Major Crimes detectives are required to bring a full uniform and any issued protective equipment (riot gear) with them to work until further notice.”
The email (below) was posted to Twitter by WTAE-TV’s Marcie Cipriani, and later appeared in a news report by a local Pittsburgh CBS News affiliate, KDKA. CBS News describes the possible protests as “possible riots.”
Cipriani says the mayor of Pittsburgh confirms the planning, but says it’s “precautionary.”
But rather than reach out to community leaders or the group organizing the protests, it appears the Pittsburgh Police Dept. is more interested in controlling and even quelling free speech than supporting it.
There are protests planned (more information here), should Trump create a constitutional crisis and move to fire Mueller or thwart his investigation.
Walter Shaub, former head of the federal government’s Office of Government Ethics, and others have referred to “spring-loaded” protests.
MoveOn.org Washington director:
Image by t3hWIT via Flickr and a CC license