#enforcement branch arrest one

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Civil Unrest

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

History books often talk about important events through the eyes of those with hindsight. Written in ways that make readers question how the people who actually lived through the events themselves ask how they could not have seen it coming from a mile away.

Yet for those who lived through such trying times the sequence of events were never so neat and orderly as “Point A” and “Point B”. They came on like a silent wave that could not be heard until it crashed against the foundation of society and tore everything it struck down into the dirt.

One such point of history was the day the Pentarki people experienced their first case of civil unrest.

For context in Pentarki society when a judicial ruling is handed down it could not be altered. There were no challenges, no reviews of inquiry, or appeal process to a higher form of political body for a different ruling. The end result was set in stone and there would be no argument. While strange to other space traveling societies who had several checks and balances for Pentarki it made complete sense.

To obtain a position in the judicial branches of society a Pentarki needed to be highly intelligent, well versed in social laws and history, and have some aspect of a moral code. It was through these foundation blocks that a near incorruptible governing body was created to hand out rulings for criminal cases.

The Pentarki had spent generations under this type of organization and whole heartedly believed that the process was secure; never questioning a ruling or lashing out in outrage.

That was until the day humans began migrating to their world.

Being one of the most adaptable species in the known universe, humans had a knack for setting up shop on just about any planet they came into contact with. On the Pentarki homeworld they found that despite the lethal levels of gases encircling the planet it was on average warmer than any other planet resulting in a steady stream of humans in search of said warmth.

Humans in contrast to Pentarki’s had a very different perspective of organized governing. They believed that laws and people could make mistakes and if needed, could be altered to reflect the current nature of the times. This alone was enough to ensure the Pentarki avoided dealings with humans as much as possible; at least until the “Night of ten thousand Fists.”

In a standard ruling, the governing body decided in the case of a little Pentarki child getting injured by a Pentarki enforcement officer that the officer was not at fault. Situations like this were rare but not unheard of and the enforcement officers were almost never marked for fault. While the Pentarki people had expected as much, they had not taken into account the overly passionate nature of the new human citizens who had moved to the planet.

Within hours of the ruling there were large scale protests in the streets, primarily composed of humans. They held signs and chanted dissenting slogans against the governing body that made the ruling. Enforcement officers were dispatched to try and contain the protests, but their presence only seemed to further enflamed the protestor’s anger. Pentarki enforcement officers were not trained for this type of civil disturbance as protests were all but unheard of in their culture. In an attempt to disperse the crowd the officers attempted to arrest the ringleaders who were using megaphones to rile the crowds. This backfired as the humans became further violent and began attacking the enforcers. They swarmed them from all sides and the officers were quickly consumed by a tide of human bodies.

From there things devolved rapidly as the protests turned into full blown riots. Any symbol of authority was defaced or destroyed while enforcing officers were targeted on site. Store fronts were destroyed, monuments defaced, and public destruction in general skyrocketed as several cities became consumed by anarchy. It took a full fifteen hours before order was finally restored and only then as a once in a lifetime reversal of the ruling was issued.

This action shook the Pentarki society to its core. Through open violence a ruling had been changed for the first time in their people’s history. There was open resentment towards the humans who many viewed as shoehorning their own beliefs into society, but there was also a newfound sense of disappointment of the ruling body as they were now seen as not as stalwart as they once were.

From that moment onwards many worlds were far more hesitant with allowing humans to settle on them in great numbers.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

Along the lines of two billboards placed earlier in the month on I-275 highway—west of Dearborn, Mich.—by the local branch of the Zionist Organization of America, a new sign was placed on US-23 near Ann Arbor on April 22, calling for the University of Michigan to “Stop Jew Hatred on Campus.”

It comes in the wake of threats, harassment, intimidation and discrimination against Jewish students at the public institution.

“The university has failed to respond to concerned students, parents and alumni who have contacted U of M, urging that it take action to stop violations of their own code of conduct and infractions of the law. We put up the billboard in hopes of getting their attention,” said Sheldon Freilich, president of ZOA-Michigan. “It’s time for enforcement—there must be serious consequences for those breaking the law and inciting antisemitism.”

Following the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, ZOA-Michigan said it has received numerous complaints from U of M students who fear for their safety. The situation has been exacerbated, it added, by pro-Hamas demonstrations on campus and in campus buildings calling for the end of Israel and the genocide of Jews, often punctuated by Nazi symbols and slogans.

In the weeks leading up to finals and graduation, antisemitic hostilities have reached a dangerous pitch.

Senior Salma Hamamy, a 22-year-old Palestinian American and the president of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE), stated on her Instagram page on March 22: “Until my last breath, I will utter death to every single individual who supports the Zionist state. Death and more. Death and worse.”

She was arrested in November at an anti-Israel sit-in at the office of the university’s president, Santo Ono, and in February was part of a stand-off with riot police near Detroit at a campaign event for U.S. President Joe Biden. This week, she was one part of the pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas activists that set up a tent encampment on school grounds.

In January, the University of Michigan honored Hamamy and SAFE with the 2024 Spirit of MLK Jr. Award for “exemplifying Dr. King’s leadership and extraordinary vision.”

In the last two months alone, two federal civil-rights complaints have been filed against U of M for failing to safeguard Jewish students.

[kazimirkharza]

Worse than Waco

What transpired between members of the Branch Davidians and federal law enforcement in Waco is one of those moments where the government showed its true colours, but there’s an an even worse case.

After prior years of harassment and abuse (including murder) at the hands of law enforcement. MOVE, a christian anarcho-primitivist communal organisation, was besieged by nearly five hundred police officers on 5/13/1985.

Arresting & detaining have been among the tactics pigs used to either destroy MOVE or chase them out of the city. The reasons were racism (most MOVE members were black), and the organisation's activism related to the injustices of the American "justice" system among other things.

MOVE was started by John Africa (pictured bellow), who came up with their philosophical underpinnings, but was not a leader in any traditional sense. These beliefs included a love for all life, state abolition, self defence, soberness, eating fresh raw food, and staying active.

On that day in 1985, neighbouring buildings were evacuated as an army of pigs showed up to arrest MOVE. Water and electricity was shut off. Police used more than ten thousand rounds of ammo before cops decided the compound be bombed (yes, literally). A helicopter dropped two bombs that caused a fire. The ensuing fire killed 11 of the 13 people in the house (John Africa, 5 other adults, and five children). Ramona Africa, the only adult survivor, said that police fired at those trying to escape. The fire destroyed over 60 other buildings.

In '96 a federal jury ordered the city to pay a $1.5 million civil suit judgment to survivor Ramona Africa and relatives of 2 people killed in the bombing. The city used excessive force and violated the members' constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure.

If you wish to learn more about MOVE, I recommend their booklet "25 years on the Move", available for free at Anarchist Library.

“All living beings, things that move, are equally important, whether they are human beings, dogs, birds, fish, trees, ants, weeds, rivers, wind or rain. To stay healthy and strong, life must have lean air, clean water and pure food. If deprived of these things, life will cycle to the next level, or as the system says, ‘die’.” - John Africa

[psychic-refugee]

So just to get my understanding in order.

They want PHW to be arrested for an unspecified crime with:

No date No named victim Unspecified location Has not been brought to the police and may never Has not been brought to an attorney and may never

The accuser has publicly admitted to:

Heavy long term drug use Mental health issues (she has admitted publicly to both narcissistic and borderline personality disorder) Possible memory issues since she has publicly admitted to not being able to give an actual date and has waffled on people’s ages.

The accuser can be quoted:

“my god am I happy these [leaked underage nudes] r on the internet.”

 “yall are ruining my fun”

Accuser has no proof of:

Ever having met PHW Attending one of these alleged parties

Has SS of:

Partial conversations with no context No dates No names in the screenshots themselves Admitting to no crimes No metadata to prove these are actual SMS files from her phone

Am I missing anything else?

This is what the antis are basing their entire campaign on?

I’ll outright ask, how can PHW be arrested if no one goes to the police?

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not Canadian nor do I practice in Canada…does Canadian Twitter have a law enforcement branch I’m not aware of that has the power to arrest people?

I’m fascinated by the thought of Twitter having its own LEOs. lol

[breitzbachbea]

🎈for Paddy and 🚨 for Tahir!

The regular order, coming right up!

Red Emoji OC Asks

🎈 (balloon) - What does your character do at parties? Are they a wallflower or a party animal? Do they go with friends or alone?

Paddy is that dipshit who brings the guitar! Has always been, part of a pub session. And he was - and still is! - a party animal! Doing fuck all while the world burnt around them was his favourite thing in his youth and once he was taken in by Aaron in Dublin, he threw himself right back into the fray! Now the difference was that he didn't have a friend group anymore. I do think he made a few tentative friendships/acquaintances with subordinates, strangers or people he ran in at church*, but often went alone as well. Certainly wasn't going with Ben, who had probably found a group of likeminded Corkmen in Dublin exile.

These days, he doesn't go out as much, but still sometimes happens. He's not 24/7 looking for the ride like he used to, but can't help it every few months. He mostly goes out for the pub sessions or a few drinks in company. When there's things like Rugby championships, he goes out with the kids, too.

When it comes to informal get-togethers with other Teams, he's faded much more into the background since the new generation has taken over, but he does enjoy it and joins in with his lads' shenanigans.

*Though probably not. Don't think the people his age of the Presbyterian congretation were much his speed.

🚨 (siren) - What’s your character’s relationship with the law? Have they ever been arrested? What for? What are their opinions on law enforcement?

Not a good one, in every regard, and I believe that was already the case before Arthur hired him. The Law Enforcement was never his friend and he didn't go into Law because he wants to change the system from the inside, wants to keep an eye on the executive from the judicial branch. Lawyers make money, that's it.

He never got into trouble growing up and has avoided any trouble with the law during his ilicit activities so far as well, but he has seen countless other people of his community being harrassed or arrested. The way he got into touch with Arthur was because his roommate sold weed and probably got sucked into the underground. I actually haven't revised this piece of backstory in years, which I should do.

[ridenwithbiden]

Military.com "Dozens of Troops Suspected of Advocating Overthrow of US Government, New Pentagon Extremism Report Says. An annual Pentagon report on extremism within the ranks reveals that 78 service members were suspected of advocating for the overthrow of the U.S. government and another 44 were suspected of engaging or supporting terrorism.

The report released Thursday by the Defense Department inspector general revealed that in fiscal 2023 there were 183 allegations of extremism across all the branches of military, broken down not only into efforts to overthrow the government and terrorism but also advocating for widespread discrimination or violence to achieve political goals.

The statistics indicate the military continues to grapple with extremism following its public denunciations and a stand-down across the services ordered by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in 2021. Furthermore, the numbers do not make it clear whether the military's approach is working. In 2021, the year the data was first released to Congress, there were 270 allegations of extremist activities. In 2022, that figure dropped to 146 before rebounding over the past year.

The Army had the most allegations in fiscal 2023 with 130 soldiers suspected of participation in extremist activity. The Air Force suspected 29 airmen; the Navy and Marine Corps reported 10 service members each. For the first time, the inspector general also reported numbers for the Space Force as a separate entity from the other services -- it suspected four Guardians of extremism.

The IG report also included instances of alleged criminal gang activity: There were 58 allegations of gang activity across the military.

However, the report did note that, out of all the suspected extremism and criminal gang activity, 68 of the total cases were investigated and cleared or deemed unsubstantiated.

In the U.S., extremist activity, including neo-Nazi, white supremacist and anti-government movements, has been growing, and numerous violent plots by veterans and even active-duty troops have been thwarted in recent years. Experts on extremist movements have warned about the growing potential of more violence and future attacks, similar to the Oklahoma City federal building bombing in 1995 that killed 168 and was carried out by an Army veteran.

In February, a former National Guardsman, Brandon Russell, who founded the Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi hate group, was charged with plotting to blow up Baltimore's electrical grid and cause as much suffering as possible. Russell, who allegedly kept a framed photo of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, was sentenced to five years in prison in 2018 after an arrest in Florida for possessing explosives.

In the wake of the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol building, the Pentagon tried to make a show of dealing with the problem of extremism among troops after it became clear that veterans as well as some active-duty troops were among the mob that stormed the halls of Congress in an effort to halt the certification of the 2020 election.

Military.com has reported that many of those efforts -- including the military-wide extremism training stand-down ordered by Austin -- were largely symbolic and were widely considered as just another box for commanders to check.

One active-duty noncommissioned officer said that, aside from the fact that no one was paying attention at the stand-down briefing he attended, the commander giving the lecture was "talking about what he thought were radical groups like Black Lives Matter."

The idea that far-left groups are just as problematic as far-right ones is a popular talking point among conservatives and Republican lawmakers. However, law enforcement officials and experts who study the topic have consistently noted that far-right groups espousing anti-government and white supremacist views are the biggest threat to the U.S. today.

The report also revealed that other efforts such as screening prospective recruits before enlistment are not working as well as intended.

Some recruiters did not complete all of the screening steps and "as a result, military service recruiters may not have identified all applications with extremist or criminal gang associations," according to the inspector general report.

"Further, the audit found that one military service entered data indicating applicants disclosed extremist or gang associations even though the applicants had not made such disclosures," the IG said, but it did not reveal which of the services falsely accused some of its recruits of having extremist ties.

What the report does make clear, however, is that when allegations are made, they are being referred for investigation, and when allegations are substantiated, some action is taken.

Of all the extremist and gang activity allegations, 135 were reported to military or civilian law enforcement, and 109 of the allegations were reported to another DoD organization or official.

Furthermore, 69 of all the allegations were substantiated at the time the report was written and the vast majority of those -- 50 -- were handled through administrative actions. That included involuntary discharge for 19 and counseling in three instances, while 17 more were handled by nonjudicial punishment and two went to court-martial.

There were no substantiated cases of extremism or gang activity where no action was taken.

While these figures, compared with the overall size of the services, are small, research and experts say that military service members and veterans pose an outsized danger to communities when they go down the path of extremism, given their increased familiarity with firearms and ability to organize and plan effectively.

In 2020, an Air Force sergeant at Travis Air Force Base in California pulled up to a federal courthouse in Oakland, California, in a white van and opened fire on security guards, killing one before going on the run and murdering a county sheriff's deputy a week later as part of a larger plan to incite a civil war.

Also in 2020, members of a group that included two Marines and styled itself as a "modern day SS" were arrested on allegations that they were plotting to destroy the power grid in the northwest. U.S. court records in that case say members discussed recruiting other veterans, stole military equipment, asked others to buy explosives, and discussed plans to manufacture firearms."

[petramysticaclxv]

I've been imagining a more detailed Dai Li (avatar last airbender)

where they have three branches

Body, Spirit, and Mind

Body is the main enforcing body, the ones on the surface of Ba Sing Se, climbing roofs and pillars, the ones you see arresting and making physical peace, the foot soldiers of Dai Li.

Spirit (is inspired from Vathara's Embers) where they deal with malicious spirits that roam the walled city

then...

Mind

Mind is the ones we saw in Lake Laogai. They have two branches, they are also the newest branch in Dai Li, as imagined they deal with Cognitive Functions.

the Molding Mind(maybe dark idk but the mind branches both having Ms is nice to hear) - ones we saw dealing with Joo Dee and then Jet. They also do experimentation with mesmer (ethic? what ethic, we are in a world with no Hippocratic oath lol)

Then

Mending Mind - my made one(lol) based on medical psych- they're the ones on the surface too, you can't just let shell-shocked soldiers stay that way especially if you have a policy of "no war in ba sing se", so u can either give ur soldiers mind healing or otherwise(go to molding or just get them out of ba sing se). They offer therapy, counselling and actual healing. but imagine if you're in a world with a war going on in a century Dai Li's offers are biased, (and with how obvious one can conclude ones nation, eyes eye colors)

ok just here to write this out... once i have more info.... maybe I'll write more(not here) but maybe just maybe i will write, or u can hehehe world building my beloved.

[mariacallous]

(New York Jewish Week) — As right-wing protestors descend upon Drag Story Hour events across New York, they have frequently been met by a loosely connected movement of counter protestors that includes many progressive Jewish groups.

Since September, right-wing activists have routinely protested Drag Story Hour events, where a person dressed in drag reads to children. The aim of these story times, according to the founder of the Drag Story Hour New York chapter, is to promote literacy while giving children positive queer role models. 

At the Queens Public Library in Jackson Heights on Dec. 29, at least five members of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, showed up to harass people attending a story session. Those protestors were met by hundreds of activists from the other side, many of whom are Jewish. They included members of Jews For Racial and Economic Justice, Outlive Them, United Against Racism and Fascism and other other organizations.  

“We’re out here,” said Sharona Farber, 32, who is a member of the Jewish anti-fascist group Outlive Them, which formed in response to the 2018 Pittsburgh Tree of Life shooting and has since become involved with other forms of activism across New York such as fighting for the homeless and against U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) raids.  

Those protesting Drag Story Hours claim the events are harmful to children, calling parents who are bringing their kids to the event “groomers” and “pedophiles” to their face. Demonstrators have breached library doors in the city on three separate occasions. They have also vandalized the homes and offices, using anti-LGBTQ slurs, of three New York City Council members who have shown support for Drag Story Hour.

Protestors have targeted 10 Drag Story Hour events in New York, according to independent reporter Talia Jane, who has been documenting the group on Twitter since September.

This group of protestors, which calls itself the Guardians of Divinity, started as an anti-vaccine movement in the pandemic. “We have lost our jobs and been arrested for protesting this madness,” a statement on the group’s Twitter said. “Now they are coming for your kids with programs like Drag Queen Story Hour, where they steal your tax money to pay grown men in dresses to read gender questioning books.”

Farber told the New York Jewish Week that last Thursday there were at least 300 people defending Drag Story Hour at the Queens library branch, from all ages and backgrounds. Farber added that “there are a lot of Jews” doing the behind-the-scenes work, the organizing and the outreach that goes into “pulling these defenses off.”  

“Jews are so heavily represented in the left,” Farber said. “There’s been a reinfusion of energy on what people call the Jewish Left. There are people getting self organized into small groups that do take political action into what they believe is needed to create a better world.” 

Sophie Ellman-Golan, communications director for Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, another prominent activist group that’s defending Drag Story Hour, told the New York Jewish Week that it’s important “to drown out fascists and neo-Nazis” by showing up in solidarity.  

“When there’s a threat of neo-Nazi violence against synagogues, the idea is not that we should stop going to synagogue,” Ellman-Golan said. “We actually deserve to be able to gather and pray or engage in whatever culture and ritual we want to. We believe that a community of diverse New Yorkers coming together to ensure that can happen, that’s the best way to do that, with community defense.” 

She described the scene as “two sides”: one that included colorful rainbow signs, glitter and Disney songs, while the other side included a neo-Nazi giving a “Heil Hitler” salute while talking about “a future for white children.” 

“It’s a violent attempt to stamp out trans people,” Ellman-Golan said, adding that there is “a very clear link between antisemitism and transphobia that is increasing at a terrifying rate.”

Ariela Rothstein, a queer Jewish parent who took her 6-month-old child to the Jackson Heights Drag Story Hour last Thursday, told the New York Jewish Week that these shouldn’t be controversial events. “It’s people sharing stories with kids,” Rothstein said. “There were people shouting all kinds of names. Things that are really disgusting, that I don’t really want to repeat or put in print. All we wanted to do was go into the library and hear some stories for our child.” 

Rothstein’s partner, Lauraberth Lima, told the New York Jewish Week that the right-wing protestors are “embarrassing themselves.” 

“It’s actually sad,” she said. “What we’re actually doing is talking about love and spreading representation of different types of people.” 

After last Thursday’s event, a video circulated online showing members of the Proud Boys being led by members of the New York Police Department into the 74th Street-Broadway subway station in Jackson Heights without paying.

“We don’t feel like the NYPD is there to actually protect or defend or anything like that,” Ellman-Golan said. “If their goal is to make sure that Drag Story Hours can continue in peace, they are failing.” 

The NYPD said in a statement on Monday that it was trying to “to deescalate the situation and prevent further violence a decision was made to escort one group to the Jackson Heights subway station to remove the group from the area.”

According to Lima, however, the video of the police letting the Proud Boys into the subway showed them getting “a literal free pass for what they were doing.” 

“The police never protected families like ours,” Lima said. “That’s not who we turn to for safety. We are protecting ourselves. The queer community understands very well what it means to be ostracized or hated, and knows how to show up for people.” 

Miriam, a queer Jewish activist who regularly shows up to defend Drag Story Hour, told the New York Jewish Week that she was only comfortable giving out her first name out of fear of being doxxed — having her private information made public — by the right-wing protestors. “This can result in significant stress, but also loss of unemployment, housing and in some cases physical attacks,” Miriam said. “If your employers get 50 calls a day from people telling them that you are a pedophile, that may make your life hard. It’s a significant concern.” 

Miriam said that these protests are a personal attack on her queer identity, but “it doesn’t mean I’m there as a queer person rather than a Jew.” “I’m there as both things,” Miriam said. “Jews have to be opposed to fascism because fascism is opposed to Jews. Jewish history and Jewish culture gives us ample reasons to oppose fascism. We should never be letting fascists in the streets unopposed, no matter what they are doing.” 

Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg of Malkhut, a progressive congregation in Jackson Heights, showed up at a Drag Story Hour defense on Oct. 28 at the library. She told the New York Jewish Week that “it was a pretty unnerving experience, to be facing such right-wing vitriol.” “The hatred feels like it’s coming from the same place of white supremacist activism, which holds hands with antisemitism,” Goldenberg said. “It was really painful and shocking to hear the language that was being used.” 

She recalled how a large man burst into her group while they were singing in front of the library. “He was very loud, hostile and violent,” Goldenberg said. “Not by throwing punches, but he had a violent vibe. You get the sense that they have been riled up by lies and conspiracy theories. They have no qualms about getting in our faces and accusing us of wanting to groom children.” 

Goldenberg surmised that so many Jews are showing up to protect Drag Story Hour because they’re inspired by the emphasis Judaism places on education. “We value learning,” Goldenberg said. “We value being open to multiple opinions, we value open discussion — that’s what Torah is about. Drag Story Hours and public libraries are then all very much tied into Jewish values.”

“These are our family members,” she added. “These are our friends. These are our neighbors. This is us as Jews.”

[swiftsnowmane]

Since 2022, when the Woman, Life, Freedom protests against the Islamic Republic’s leadership erupted across Iran, the authorities have dramatically intensified their clampdown on members of the Baha'is faith.

Many Baha'is have been arrested, prosecuted and handed stiff sentences, with multiple observers drawing parallels with the persecution they endured in the 1980s.

Baha'i women have borne a disproportionate brunt of the government’s repressive measures. 

Yekta Fohandej Sa'adi, who has been in custody for 48 days, is among them.

Her family remains uninformed of her health condition and the details of her case.

Fohandej had previously been arrested and tried on four separate occasions.

Initial Arrest and Trial

On February 3, 2012, agents from the Shiraz Intelligence Department simultaneously searched 30 Baha'i homes in the city, resulting in the arrest of Fohandej and 10 other people.

She was released on bail after spending 82 days in a detention center.

During her trial at the Shiraz Revolutionary Court, Fohandej faced charges of "propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic" and "formation and membership in illegal Baha'i organizations.” 

She was initially sentenced to five years of suspended imprisonment, but a court of appeals later acquitted her of all charges.

Second and Third Arrests and Trials

On March 16, 2014, two years after the first trial, Fohandej was apprehended at her residence in Shiraz during a raid by Ministry of Intelligence agents. 

Following 56 days of solitary confinement, she was released after posting another bail. 

Three years later, she faced a new case on similar charges, which resulted in a five-year prison sentence. 

After she filed an appeal, the sentence was changed to two years in prison and five years of suspended imprisonment.

Fohandej’s judicial saga continued, and on March 18, 2017, on the eve of the Persian New Year, she was arrested a third time when law enforcement officers raided her home. They did not present any warrant.

She was subsequently transferred to Adel Abad prison in Shiraz to serve her sentence.

But Branch 36 of the Supreme Court overturned Fohandej's sentence, leading to her release from prison after serving 74 days. 

The case against Fohandej was handled by the Second Branch of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court.

The first trial took place on October 6 of the same year, and the date of the second trial was postponed to allow the defendant to present her final defense. 

A year later, she discovered through a text message from the authorities she had been sentenced to 11 years in prison.

According to the verdict, Fohandej's received a one-year prison sentence for "propaganda against the Islamic Republic” and a 10-year prison sentence for "forming and being a member of illegal Baha'i organizations." 

The verdict was delivered without Fohandej's awareness of the court proceedings, and she had not been given a chance to present her defense in court.

Once again, Branch 26 of the Court of Appeals of Fars province acquitted Fohandej of all charges.

The Fourth Arrest and Trial

On July 16, 2016, agents from the Shiraz Intelligence Department arrested six individuals, including Fohandej, who were engaged in a discussion about the environment at a friend's house. 

The group was known for participating in nature-cleaning activities around Shiraz during holidays.

Following 81 days of interrogation and solitary confinement, she was released on October 13 after posting bail amounting to 250 million tomans.

Six years later, in April 2022, Branch 1 of the Shiraz Revolutionary Court sentenced Fohandej and 25 other Baha'is to a combined 85 years of imprisonment on the charge of "assembly and collusion with the intention of disrupting the domestic and foreign security of the country." The defendants were also sentenced to exile and banned from traveling.

The court session occurred despite one of the defendants revealing that the presiding judge had declared the case defective multiple times over the previous six years. 

According to the court's decision, Fohandej received a five-year prison sentence and a two-year travel ban. 

In a subsequent judicial investigation, Fohandej was acquitted of the charges in this case.

Who is Yekta Fohandej Sa'adi?

Fohandej, a 39-year-old resident of Shiraz, is married and part of a family that belongs to the Baha'i faith in Shiraz. 

In 1979, her family was displaced during an attack on Baha'i homes in the village of Saadiyeh, Shiraz.

She encountered educational discrimination due to her religious affiliation. Despite studying English language and literature for seven semesters at Shiraz’s Payam Noor University, she was expelled from the university simply because she was a Baha'i.

Fohandej's Current Detention Status

Fohandej was apprehended on the streets of Shiraz by Ministry of Intelligence agents on December 18, 2023, and taken to her home. 

The officers seized books and photographs related to the Baha'i faith and personal items, including children's toys and drawing books, gold and silver items adorned with Baha'i symbols and approximately $1,500 in cash.

For 48 days, Fohandej has been held at the detention center No. 100 of the Shiraz Intelligence Department. 

Despite ongoing efforts by her family to obtain information, there has been no response from the relevant authorities regarding the accusations against her, the status of her case or her well-being.

Fohandej has so far managed to have two brief phone conversations with her family.

[houseofbrat]

[link]

In 2019, the real William Woods was homeless, living in Los Angeles. He went to a branch of the national bank and explained that he recently discovered someone was using his credit and had accumulated a lot of debt. Woods didn’t want to pay the debt and asked to know the account numbers for any accounts he had open at the bank so he could close them. Woods gave the bank employee his real Social Security card and an authentic California Identification card, which matched the information the bank had on file. Because there was a large amount of money in the accounts, the bank employee asked Woods a series of security questions that he was unable to answer. The bank employee called Keirans, whose the phone number was connected to the accounts. He answered the security questions correctly and said no one in California should have access to the accounts. The employee called the Los Angeles Police Department, and officers spoke with Woods and Keirans. Keirans faxed the Los Angeles officers a copy of Woods’ Social Security card and birth certificate, as well as a Wisconsin driver’s license Keirans had acquired under Woods’ name. The driver’s license had the name William David Woods — David is Keirans’ real middle name — rather than William Donald Woods. When questioned, Keiran told an LAPD officer he sometimes used David as a middle name, but his real name was William Donald Woods. The real Woods was arrested and charged with identity theft and false impersonation, under a misspelling of Keirans’ name: Matthew Kierans. Because Woods continued to insist, throughout the judicial process, that he was William Woods and not Matthew Kierans, a judge ruled in February 2020 that he was not mentally competent to stand trial and he was sent to a mental hospital in California, where he received psychotropic medication and other mental health treatment. In March 2021, Woods pleaded no contest to the identity theft charges — meaning he accepted the conviction but did not admit guilt. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment with credit for the two years he already served in the county jail and the hospital and was released. He was also ordered to pay $400 in fines and to stop using the name William Woods. He did not stop. Woods continued to attempt to regain his identity by filing customer disputes with financial organizations in an attempt to clear his credit report. He also reached out to multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Hartland Police Department in Wisconsin, where Keirans lived.

[collapsedsquid]

According to a 17-page indictment returned by a federal grand jury, Lamond, who supervised the Intelligence Branch of the D.C. police's Homeland Security Bureau, was in regular contact with Tarrio beginning in July 2019 and through at least January 2021 about the Proud Boys' planned activities in the capital. 

Federal prosecutors said Lamond and Tarrio communicated at least 500 times through a variety of messaging systems and phone calls, including the encrypted messaging app Telegram. Lamond started using Telegram to share information with Tarrio about law enforcement activity relating to the Proud Boys around July 2020, and changed the settings of his Telegram app on numerous occasions to make some messages delete soon after they were viewed, the indictment claims.

[...]

On Jan. 8, during an exchange about arrests stemming from the Capitol assault, Lamond told Tarrio, "Of course I can't say it officially, but personally I support you all and don't want to see your group's name or reputation dragged through the mud."

Have we forgotten how it was that the DC police seemed totally unprepared for what happened on Jan 6th?

[randomfoggytiger]

Mailboxes in The X-Files Arcadia: Allegory, Leitmotif, and Chekhov’s Gun

Arcadia is, hands down, one of the best X-Files episodes. I feel this so strongly, so keenly, that I have made an entire post about mailboxes. MAILBOXES. (Of course, it only begins with mailboxes and ends with the Incredibles principal meme, but that’s for another post....) 

The mailboxes (this word will be used A LOT) in this episode are intriguing in how they’re used and framed in each scene as the plot changes, twists, and turns. First as a ploy for the villain; then as a symbol for “neighborly” surveillance; and lastly as a crucial pawn in the final confrontation. 

(Note: Please excuse the photo qualities. I am but a simple post writer.) 

The first mailbox focused on in Arcadia is the Klines’s. 

Win Schroeder, the right hand of Gogolak, is repainting it as a disguise for the malevolent errand he was sent to do. 

 As Mr. Klines walks away to keep his annoyance in check, Win’s stressed and resigned face is closely shot through the mailbox door’s opening. 

The episode uses sleight of hand-- The Whirligig of Doom--

to redirect the viewers’ questions away from the mailbox so that it can sit, unnoticed, throughout most of the episode (until, of course, it is cleverly brought to the fore by Mulder repurposing its trap potential-- which is a perfect, unintentional full circle to its original purpose. And that makes me giddy.)

The establishing shot for Mulder and Scully’s arrival is centered around the mailbox. This blurred-center shot on the now-monikered Petries’ box becomes a reoccurring tactic throughout the rest of the episode 

and is joined in ranks by the rest of the neighborhoods’ mailboxes. These, however, are used as metaphors of the neighbors themselves: information shut up behind doors, flags down, silently watchful and aware. 

Here’s the aforementioned second stage of Chekhov-gunning, where Mulder focuses all his pent-up frustration in a more direct way than Mr. Klines did.

Which fascinatingly produces results, rewarding his behavior with a clear warning (which he promptly does the direct opposite of.) 

Establishing mailbox shots are back (horror-movie-murder-of-crows-esque as the tension builds.) 

When Mulder arrests Gogolak, he demands if having ‘the same color mailbox” was that important. Gogolak, of course, sees it as important that everyone fit in. 

As the episode ramps up to its dramatic finale, the entire shot of Mulder walking up with his prisoner Gogolak is centered on the Petries’ mailbox

which provides the perfect payoff to the Chekhov gun setup (that I keep on mentioning): a post for Gogolak (the suppressor and enforcer of the neighborhood’s code of silence and the Whirligig Planter By Proxy) to be shackled to--  

and consequently killed by (by proxy)--

while Win and Cami retreat (so... homicide accomplices by proxy), their role taken to its conclusion by refusing to help (and reaching this independent decision while flanked by their mailbox.) 

Fitting. 

What I found even more fascinating was the bond that Mulder formed with his own/the Klines’ mailbox (more on that in another post) as it became an almost comrade-in-arms (parallel to Scully’s relationship with Big Mike.) As an olive branch, he tries to fix the damage Gogolak’s violent death caused; but gives up, leaving it wrapped in its yellow warning tape. 

Again: fitting. 

Well, this has been fun and quick-- but I just had to put this out there before I dropped from exhaustion. 

This episode is superb; and, shockingly, mostly misunderstood. I will single-handedly spit shine this episode until all behold and wonder, dazzled, at its glory. (More on that, stay-tuned.) 

[minteagalaxea]

special weapons and tactics | s.v.t

as the bureau’s trained unit in los angeles, the members are in charge of managing high-level crises, ranging from rescuing hostages to high-risk arrests. while their work is local, there have been occasions where they collaborate with other branches of law enforcement to apprehend criminals.

choi seungcheol: unit captain

as the captain of the sierra swat team, choi seungcheol is diligent as he is thorough, making sure he puts his utmost into keeping his community safe and being as good of a role model as he can be for his team, even if it means overstepping the red tape to make sure they are safe and protected.

however, seungcheol’s personality vastly changes when off the clock, being known among the team as the most competitive person on the team when it comes to the their weekly billiards session, which leads to him demanding several rematches until he finally wins one.

kwon soonyoung: lieutenant

lieutenant kwon soonyoung’s marksmanship is second to his undivided passion and enthusiasm for crime-fighting, despite his knowledge about the reputation being a crime-fighter leads to, which allows him to empathize with people he apprehends.

soonyoung’s enthusiasm extends to his persona outside of work, taking up dancing as a means of channeling his energetic nature, and also kissing his friends when drunk at their sessions at their favorite bar, eager to play games and dance around then, as well.

kim mingyu: sergeant ii

with his enviable height and distraction-inducing physique, sergeant kim mingyu has unofficially become the team’s press relations, much to his chagrin—though, he himself has admitted the benefits of this when dealing with criminals due to his surprising combat skills when apprehending criminals.

in stark contrast to his skills, mingyu is noted as the team’s worst billiards player, due to his tendency to accidentally knock the 8-ball in the pocket before clearing the remainder of his balls; his sulkiness can be easily rectified with a serving of fries or chicken wings.

lee chan: sergeant i

sergeant lee chan’s brazen ability to initiate situations makes him ideal for cases with equally powerful stubbornness, and he is the one that tends to leave the standoff victorious with his unrelenting nature and impassioned rationale, which has led to his rapid promotion to his current title.

chan’s competitiveness is also apparent outside of the life-threatening situations at work, having a longstanding rivalry with his captain in pool, a rivalry which continually fluctuates between the pair of them (chan currently has won two more games). 

[beardedmrbean]

A woman who tried to firebomb a Southern California bank because she was furious at waiting in line was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison.

Teranee Millet, 35, of Gardena was sentenced after pleading guilty in March to unlawful possession of a firearm and destructive device, the U.S. attorney's office said in a statement.

Millet entered a Bank of America branch in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance in September 2021. She spoke to the bank manager and demanded to be helped by another teller "because she believed she had been waiting in line for too long," the statement said.

Told no other tellers were available, Millet swore and threatened to blow up the bank, left, then returned a few minutes later with a Molotov cocktail that she hurled into the middle of the bank, prosecutors said.

A customer put out the fire, but Millet left before law enforcement arrived after threatening another customer and throwing a glass bottle at that person's truck in the parking lot, authorities said. No one was injured.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

About two months later, Millet was arrested in Georgia after crashing a stolen U-Haul van during a law enforcement chase, the U.S. attorney's office said, citing court documents.

Inside the van, authorities found glass bottles with tissue paper inserted in them, a can of lighter fluid and a can of gasoline, according to court documents.

[kramlabs]

Texas told the Biden administration to take a hike.

Via Brion McClanahan

But this isn’t “nullification”.

Texas insists that the Biden administration enforce the laws of the United States.

Biden has so far refused and instead retaliated by cutting off natural gas exports from Texas.

In other words, Biden has chosen economic warfare against a State, the very definition of treason in the Constitution, to appease the hard left faction in his political party.

This is the very thing the founding generation feared from the executive branch.

Some background is in order.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas National Guard to construct obstacles—barbed wire fencing and shipping containers--on land adjacent to the Rio Grande River. This is Texas property, not federal land.

The United States Border Patrol used it as a processing center for illegal aliens, and thus it became a focal point for massive numbers of “migrants” crossing into Texas across the Rio Grande River.

Invasion would be a better word.

Texas then told the Border Patrol that they were no longer allowed on State property while Texas law enforcement began arresting and deporting illegal aliens.

The Federal Government sued in federal court and demanded that the razor wire and makeshift border wall come down. Biden’s Justice Department also argued that Texas’ efforts to enforce federal immigration law violated the Constitution.

“Texas cannot run its own immigration system. It’s efforts, through SB 4, intrude on the federal government’s exclusive authority to regulate the entry and removal of noncitizens, frustrate the United States’ immigration operations and proceedings, and interfere with U.S. foreign relations.”

Here’s the catch. Texas isn’t running its own immigration system. It’s enforcing existing federal law.

Every officer in the United States, from the local governments to the President, takes an oath to uphold constitutional federal law. Biden did so in 2021. That is the primary language of his oath of office.

Biden has not claimed that immigration laws are unconstitutional. He has not claimed that these people are crossing the border legally.

He admits that they are entering Texas illegally, meaning his only job is enforcing the laws on the books, something his administration is clearly refusing to do.

Texas has done it for him.

But this raises several larger Constitutional questions.

The Founders unequivocally considered “invasion” to be one of the important reasons States maintained control of their own militia units.

That would be the modern misnamed “National Guard.”

Biden cannot “nationalize” the Guard in this instance because federal law would not allow it.

The Texas National Guard is already enforcing federal law, meaning that if Biden nationalized the Guard and told them to stand down, he would be in violation of the Constitution.

He would also violate federal law. The Insurrection Act of 1792 allows the President to nationalize the militia (National Guard) in three instances: to suppress insurrection, stop domestic violence, or enforce federal law.

Allowing invasion is not on the list. Nor is breaking the law.

That would be a dereliction of duty, an impeachable offense.

The parallels between Biden’s actions and other stand-offs between the States and the general government are impossible to find.

Texas wants to enforce federal law.

In 1798, Virginia and Kentucky nullified the Alien and Sedition Acts because they violated the Constitution. This wasn’t a case of neglect.

In 1815, several New England States refused to enforce laws in support of the War of 1812. Again, not a case of neglect.

In 1832, South Carolina nullified the federal tariff. Jackson threatened to send in the army to collect the tariff. He wasn’t refusing to enforce a federal law.

In the 1840s and 1850s, several Northern States refused to enforce the fugitive slave laws. The Supreme Court ruled that States did not have to use their own police powers to support federal law.

But in this case, Texas is supporting federal law. The Biden Administration has vacated its Constitutional responsibility.

The Justice Department’s claim that the general government has “exclusive authority to regulate the entry and removal of noncitizens” would also be news to the founding generation.

States could determine residency and who could and could not be within their borders. Jefferson made this contention in the Kentucky Resolutions of 1798. After 1808, the general government could prohibit “persons” from entering the States, but this power was not denied to the States in Article I, Section 10, meaning the States could also allow or prohibit “persons” from entering their borders.

The “supremacy clause” only applies to laws made in “pursuance of the Constitution.”

Nor does the 14th Amendment cover illegal aliens. Only citizens of the States are entitled to due process and the privileges and immunities of citizens of the other States. Foreign nationals are not citizens of any State or the United States.

This is an open and shut case of dangerous abuse of power by the executive branch. If the Republicans in Congress had any spine, they would immediately impeach Biden for his action against Texas and inaction on immigration enforcement.

In the Philadelphia Convention, James Madison listed “negligence” and betraying “his trust to a foreign power” as the chief causes of impeachment, among others.

Attempting to coerce a State though economic boycotts would satisfy Gouverneur Morris’s definition of “treachery”, what he considered to be an impeachable offense.

In either case, Biden should be easily convicted and booted from power.

That is, if we had a real Constitutional government in the federal city.

That dream died in 1789 in the First Congress.

I discuss all of this on Episode 926 of The Brion McClanahan Show.

You can watch it here.

OR

You can listen to it and download it here.

If you want a real history education, check out McClanahan Academy. I've produced several courses on secession, the Constitution, the War, decentralization, and a host of other cool topics. I think it's the antidote to our current Lincolnian nightmare. Use the coupon code Podcast at checkout and get 25% off every class.

And if you want to get my show ad free, just head over to my Patreon account. For $10 you get no ads and one additional Podcast per month that is based on your questions. It's a win/win.

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[smokedanced]

like a really quick and dirty summary of iris's mass effect verse so i can post a fucking interactions call-

grows up as a duct rat with her brother, on the citadel, meaning their mom dies much earlier in the timeline than usual. orphan kids trying to survive on the citadel kinda shittery.

when will (her big brother) is in his older teens, they have a better life, with him managing to find work here and there. never an apartment of their own, but often a room, and no immediate risk of starving. this continues into iris later managing to acquire odd jobs here and there as well, until they are in their twenties.

will dies, as usual, when iris is circa 22. in this verse, he's killed as the victim of a mugging. c-sec fails to properly conduct an investigation. there never is a sense of justice. no one gets arrested.

sometime later, cerberus recruits iris, using her grief as leverage. she's not important, but they want people in general, so someone gives it a shot with her.

she never aligns with cerberus's humanity first mindset but since she's been failed by law enforcement, it feels like she's doing something, working for someone who actually wants to get shit done. she's not involved in any anti-alien branches or any terribly unethical jobs, that she knows of, at least; she works as a laboratory assistant, and later as a security guard, cerberus giving her combat and tech training.

potential ME2 recruit. details can vary and be plotted to be specific, or she can be found at a random cerberus base of a shadier kind, where she goes against her own and begins fighting on shepard's team's side as combat begins, or possibly can be talked to/warns shepard's squad about something before combat. cerberus doing something definitely less ethical on a base she is assigned a security guard at, she wants out. she's good with pistols, several types of offensive and defensive tech, etc.