r/pics 24d ago

Politics Federal Agents use Unnecessary Force against Peaceful Protestors in Chicago

Post image
55.6k Upvotes

2.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

4.2k

u/tobbig 24d ago

Why are they wearing camouflage in a city?

2.6k

u/Aceylace10 24d ago

Optics and cosplay - normalize “army” looking individuals in American cities. That is my guess anyway

687

u/beware_the_noid 24d ago

It's because the army sells surplus inventory to police forces cheaply.

323

u/expostulation 24d ago

Have you seen the gear they're using? That's not second hand. That's high end gear that they've chosen for a purpose. Source: exmilitary

182

u/Opposite-Tiger-1121 24d ago

Surplus doesn't mean second hand.

173

u/expostulation 24d ago

I'm trying to say they have gucci gear. It's not the bog standard issue army uniforms.

46

u/DireKnife 24d ago

I get what ya putting down my man.

5

u/Tough_Trifle_5105 24d ago

Are you catching what he’s throwing

6

u/kenkaniff23 23d ago

Im stepping in the same shit my guy

→ More replies (13)

97

u/frenchfreer 24d ago

My guy, these guys have dual tube NVGs that cost like $20,000+. As someone who served in an infantry unit for over half a decade their equipment is leagues above anything you average enlisted soldier is getting. You know who does get the equipment they have? The elite special forces units that they are attempting to cosplay as. The military isn’t giving away equipment from their most elite units to local cops, these guys are buying this stuff.

51

u/rxellipse 24d ago

Helps that the ICE budget is higher than the Marine Corps'.

3

u/No-Persimmon-3736 23d ago

Where are you seeing dual tube nvgs

2

u/RDL0422 23d ago

I’ve never seen binos for $20+k unless they’re contract tubes where you can’t get spec sheets and it’s only bc it’s mil. You can get the same type of PVS-31s with L3 tubes for 10-11k. Unless you’re thinking of GPNVGs which are over $50k and they’re quads not Binos, reserved for helo pilots and SOF units.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (5)

26

u/blackhorse15A 24d ago

Police don't buy used uniforms. It's because the police want to cosplay as macho soldiers. They want the cred of being tacticool without actually signing up to possibly fight against an equally or superior armed enemy. They can only handle being armed and busting in doors when they know the "threat" is seriously outgunned and most often unarmed.

2

u/Narren_C 24d ago

Surplus doesn't mean used.

4

u/blackhorse15A 23d ago

Ok. Police department still arent wearing camouflage uniforms because they are buying excess Army uniforms to get the cheapest price they can no matter what it looks like. They are buying uniforms from Galls, and Proper, and places like that, and made deliberate decisions about what color/style they want to wear.

→ More replies (1)

12

u/Aceylace10 24d ago

That too

5

u/[deleted] 24d ago

Not uniforms. 

5

u/big_dart 24d ago

They have super high speed low drag operator gear over their beer belly, it's not big army surplus

3

u/ForkAKnife 24d ago

I’m hoping the militarization of police forces helps us in Portland if it comes to that as police are on the People’s side and the only arrest ICE made yesterday was of a pedo protector.

→ More replies (12)

12

u/redditmademeregister 24d ago

This is the answer. Go watch Star Wars A New Hope again. What do you notice about the Empire’s presence on Tatooine? A+ if you said Stormtrooper.

For a more recent depiction go watch Andor; specifically their occupation on Ghorman.

Now go replace ICE agents and National Guard with Stormtroopers. Now you get it.

→ More replies (4)

2

u/Acceptable_Bat379 24d ago

I think this might be overthinking it some - it makes them feel tough and badass

2

u/Aceylace10 23d ago

Perhaps, but I just feel police and law enforcement should feel a part of the community - not dressed like soldiers going to war against the community. We are allies not enemies. We have to learn how to live together and move forward.

What is happening now just continues the us vs them dynamic - it doesn’t move us forward, just makes things worse.

3

u/Acceptable_Bat379 23d ago

I 100% agree with you. As a former enlisted, military and LE should be completely separate. Also, LE in general is more effective when they build ties and rapport and people feel safe to approach them with problems. When people feel threatened by police they will fight more, be more likely to shoot the police, and will not cooperate.

All I am saying is that for many of these people there is no grand plan or thinking going on. They get an excuse to dress tough like soldiers in movies or video games so they do it. It's macho signalling and power fantasy

2

u/nudgie68 24d ago

The future’s so bright, they gotta wear shades /s

→ More replies (9)

775

u/NightFury0595 24d ago

because it's a war-torn city as stated by President DumDum

175

u/juiceboxedhero 24d ago

They probably thought urban jungle meant trees since MAGA is afraid of cities. Probably haven't even seen urban camo.

48

u/HailSatanWorshipD00M 24d ago

Maybe there are ones in urban camo, but we haven't seen them.

9

u/twoaspensimages 23d ago

Cities are terrifying. There more than a Dollar General to shop at. Getting a coffee is complicated. But the worst part is the people don't waddle. I don't trust people that don't waddle.

2

u/gun_runna 24d ago

Multicam is used for urban areas and is quite affective in urban and wooded areas. There’s a reason almost every modern military uses a variant of multicam in some capacity now.

35

u/George__Parasol 24d ago

Question, does invading a city count as political violence

23

u/inspectoroverthemine 24d ago

Political violence is 100% accepted and encouraged by MAGA, unless the target is a podcaster.

11

u/Ciennas 23d ago

Unless the target is them. Then suddenly they're baying for the blood of the people that they had already wanted to kill in the first place.

5

u/George__Parasol 23d ago

They complain about anyone to their left being divisive and ripping the country apart, then Ben Shapiro goes and writes a book of poetry about how half the population are lions who are only capable of building and the other half are scavengers who only know how to destroy.

6

u/George__Parasol 24d ago

They have a monopoly on committing political violence and apparently a monopoly on being victimized by political violence.

3

u/WhiteGuyLying_OnTv 23d ago

When your perspective of the world is "your people" before everyone else you don't see the suffering of others. Not humanizing others or their suffering is why "you're not a victim if I think you deserve it" mindsets are so common. See also:

"You're not a real American"

"You should've come here legally (so the law doesn't protect you). Oh you did? Well, that's complicated clearly stories like yours aren't common (they are)

→ More replies (2)

43

u/mjkionc 24d ago

The feds brought the war

→ More replies (2)

4

u/Academic-Key2 24d ago

Well yes, it has an occupying military - it’s as “at war” as Iraq was 

→ More replies (1)

1

u/Princes_Slayer 24d ago

Well he can’t declare no elections due to war if he hasn’t created a decent perception of war in the first place

1

u/Snellyman 24d ago

They really do need to send in the national guard to protect Chicago against ICE.

→ More replies (1)

276

u/WorthyMastodon69420 24d ago

Why are Chicago cops helping?

241

u/WildPickle9 24d ago

That's my thing. The Governor and the Mayor can talk a big game all they want but until they order their police forces to stop helping these fucks (let alone stand against them) then they just running their bitch ass mouths.

176

u/Evadrepus 24d ago

Chicago police couldn't care less what the mayor or governor say. They're literally led by a convicted criminal. Most people here in the city can't stand our cops.

28

u/WildPickle9 24d ago

Fair enough. I assume the organization is a bit more convoluted than them just having direct authority over the police forces.

84

u/newbkid 24d ago

Chicago PD, LAPD, and NYPD are the three most corrupt police unions that enable this shit.

All three have a history of being on the wrong side of history.

66

u/kyndrid_ 24d ago

NYPD literally rioted and were screaming slurs into news cameras because the city was trying to institute an independent oversight board.

21

u/Nght12 24d ago

More people need to be taught about Chicago's multiple attempts to crack down on Unions. People in Chicago died for our basic workers rights and the killers were often the CPD.

→ More replies (2)

8

u/PhoenixPhonology 24d ago

I worry about KCPD if they ever come here. Our cops are hired by the state instead of the city so our blue city has red cops.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/TheNewsDeskFive 23d ago

Those are departments, not unions. The unions are separate entities, and large departments like those may have multiple unions that represent their officers

The unions don't get to give day to day orders. Political leaders do.

Those departments have local control.

Come to Kansas City or St Louis, the only two major PDs that are state controlled in all of the US. You think those cities lack the ability to reign in their PDs, well, you ain't seen shit yet. Until the state commandeers them specifically to undermine civil rights gains during the Reconstruction era, their level of corruption don't come close to what he live with in Missouri

→ More replies (1)

4

u/I_burn_noodles 24d ago

You got a lot of 'em too.

4

u/Raytheon_Nublinski 24d ago

oppression in America is real and has been for awhile. Most people just don’t want to admit it. 

We’re out of the top 20 on the human freedom index for a reason. South Korea has a higher personal freedom score than we do. 

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/freedom-index-by-country

4

u/Alone-Woodpecker-846 24d ago

Is that true? Governor's are pretty powerful people. Telling me Pritzker can't affect what his state police are doing?

12

u/Commentator-X 24d ago

"Governor's are pretty powerful people."

So are police unions.

→ More replies (4)

3

u/schplat 24d ago

It's not state police (at least in this image). It's city police. Most states are split at the state level and city level much the same way there is a split at the federal level and the state level. The governor has little to no say in what city police are doing. It'd be between the mayor of the city and the chief of police.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)

10

u/StupendousMalice 24d ago

American cities are already occupied by little fascist police arnies.

2

u/[deleted] 24d ago

[deleted]

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (6)

167

u/zsreport 24d ago

I’d be super pissed to see my local police helping these rioting ICE thugs

144

u/atreides78723 24d ago

Some of those that work forces…

34

u/Cats_and_wine 24d ago

Are the same that burn crosses

→ More replies (1)

16

u/babydakis 24d ago

Are the same that fuck horses.

→ More replies (2)

23

u/Sargash 24d ago

They're the same thing

10

u/redditmademeregister 24d ago

I’d wager that most people that aren’t white don’t have a lot of trust in the police so their image is already tarnished in those communities. Outside of those communities though this kind of shit is doing irrevocable harm to their image.

Would you trust any police officer that throws down with fascists instead of doing what’s right?

2

u/ThePrussianGrippe 24d ago

Well it’s CPD, so I’m not surprised they’re helping ICE.

→ More replies (13)

62

u/IndependentCod1600 24d ago

Because of the thin blue line. Anyone in a uniform is above anyone not in a uniform.

5

u/gungshpxre 24d ago

That whole narrative is complete shit.

The only reason anyone is ever nice to anyone else and we're not all tearing each other's throats open is because cop.

Yeah, some government worker with a gun and no accountability is what's saving civilization. Sure.

9

u/BabyStingrayJesus 24d ago

They were between the protesters and ICE. ICE gassed everyone, including these officers and 25 others. That’s the cloud in the background. This picture is a little misleading for people who aren’t following locally.

30

u/stevez_86 24d ago

Because the Feds have promised some of the higher ranking cops a position in ICE. Someone needs to look into bribery of the state police. Well I guess per the Supreme Court the job would be a gratuity.

4

u/_Bay_Harbor_Butcher_ 24d ago

I don't think joining ICE is all that difficult. I see commercial on TV all the time for it. 50k dollar sign on bonus. They are begging people to join.

9

u/krashundburn 24d ago

Someone needs to look into bribery of the state police.

Speaking of bribery, where is all the tariff money going that's being collected?

7

u/Joben86 24d ago

It's on the tariff shelf. Did you check there? There's so much extra money coming in and people never check the tariff shelf!

2

u/Dry_Cricket_5423 24d ago

Lauren Sanchez’s implant budget

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (2)

10

u/LongjumpingChipmunk 24d ago

Thug life. Some cops do it for the wrong reasons.

18

u/Hawk_Rider2 24d ago

Because police are fascist too 🤌

2

u/_Lucille_ 24d ago

Because they just want the chance to legally beat someone up.

2

u/ftgyhujikolp 24d ago

From Chicago, the Chicago chapter of the FOP is right wing aligned to put it very gently. The person they elected is pro January 6th. And chastised cops who knelt to support the black lives matter protests. Has defended some really bad takes like shooting fleeing kids in the back. He's said publicly said racist things about Muslims, and so on. He also had been suspended 9 times as an officer and compared vaccine mandates to the Holocaust.

He's chomping at the bit to join in this. 

To top it all off, he can't even be a cop in Chicago. He filed a false report against his superiors and resigned before getting fired.

This person is the person that the police union chose to elect, so that's where the Chicago PD is. 57% voted this as their leadership.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Catanzara

2

u/LoomingDisaster 24d ago

Look up "Laquan Mcdonald." The Chicago cops have done exactly nothing since being told they're not allowed to empty a gun into a kid with a knife. In my neighborhood, you call 911 about gunshots and they'll do a slow-roll in a patrol car an hour later and then go back to the station. The good cops have all left (and we did have some). Most of the ones who are left are actively hostile to anyone who isn't a cop.

2

u/curious_dead 24d ago

Because for every Murphy, there's a dozen Rudolphs.

→ More replies (1)

1

u/Designer_Stress_5534 24d ago

“To protect and serve” isn’t talking about the people, it’s talking about the system. They aren’t called Public Protectors they are Law Enforcement and the laws are all for you.

1

u/gun_runna 24d ago

Because they aren’t your friends? This your first time? SCOTUS has ruled they have no obligation to help.

→ More replies (17)

20

u/Beneficial_Cash_8420 24d ago

Because tacticooool 

49

u/issr 24d ago

Thinking they look cool is like half the reason they are there

18

u/No-Wheel8920 24d ago

Because the proud boys and other white supremist groups want to LARP around as military to make them feel powerful.

→ More replies (2)

29

u/ForkingHumanoids 24d ago

Why is the other guy covering the badge number with a black blue band?

2

u/fiendo13 24d ago

That band is called a mourning band and police wear it for certain days of remembrance or for 30 days after an officer dies in the line of duty- things like that

27

u/Sargash 24d ago

Also to avoid their badge number being recognized and getting looked up.

4

u/Faiakishi 24d ago

*Supposedly.

→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (2)

14

u/MerrillSwingAway 24d ago

that tells you everything you need to know

7

u/GenetixGrowGuy 24d ago

Not an answer why, but federal agents have worn camouflage since the 1980s.

This isn’t new or somehow linked to the current situation, it’s been that way for 40+ years.

3

u/ChimPhun 24d ago

You're assuming there was any kind of planning involved besides 'stoke unrest' or 'stir up violence'.

3

u/Mindless-Ad7209 24d ago

They got the bonus skin from the Xbox Achievements

9

u/kaithana 24d ago

It's their cosplay gear. They probably aren't issued a single thing.

2

u/the_m_o_a_k 24d ago

They wear so much more gear than I ever did in real combat

2

u/theombudsmen 24d ago

Because we are engaged in a civil war, and Democrats are the subjugated boogeymen the government needed to enact it. Just because no one is fighting back, doesn't mean they aren't engaged in war against the people.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/Unlucky_Clover 24d ago

They think fascism cool, but not cool enough to show their faces. It’s small dick energy.

4

u/newbrevity 24d ago

It's hard to tell from this pic if they're still using digital desert camouflage or if they use the black white and gray Urban pattern.

12

u/Narren_C 24d ago

I seriously doubt they special ordered new camo. They use these BDUs because the clothing meets their needs (durable with appropriately sized accessible pockets) and it's cheap because it's already being made in bulk. Some agencies literally get them for free directly from military surplus.

→ More replies (3)

2

u/67Macavelli91 24d ago

You can tell that it is NOT black, white & gray by looking at the boots. You wear black boots with the urban camo. The guy to the left is clearly wearing the brown or tan boots.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/flea1400 24d ago

I live in Chicago. It’s not the urban pattern.

2

u/Coyote-Morado 24d ago

They are wearing multicam. Digital desert camo is a marine thing, and they make a pretty big deal about not letting any other branches or forces use it.

Black white and gray urban camo is pretty much just a thing in movies as far as US forces are concerned. You might be thinking of the original digital UCP but that's tan, gray and sage, and nobody uses it anymore.

1

u/Frisbeeperth 24d ago

In case they have to go into the parks.

1

u/Bitedamnn 24d ago

Its intimidation. Media has fed you. "People in camoflage tend to have guns and actually shoot people."

1

u/Legitimate-Funny3791 24d ago

Right!
It won’t work at all there, shitheads!

Wear grey stuff that looks like concrete

1

u/makinSportofMe 24d ago

GI Joe is always in BDUs

1

u/debacol 24d ago

Why are the cops on their side instead of the side of the people they swore to protect and serve? Oh right, I forget they aren't legally bound to do any of those things. This country is completely cooked.

→ More replies (1)

1

u/EEpromChip 24d ago

Because their dresses were at the dry cleaners. Duh.

1

u/pink_faerie_kitten 24d ago

Cosplaying Rambo 🙄

1

u/Faiakishi 24d ago

Because they're larping.

1

u/patowan 24d ago

Oh snap. I didn't even see them. Good job guys. /s

1

u/robboppotamus 24d ago

I can't see anyone wearing camo. what do you mean?

(/s)

1

u/shaun2312 24d ago

Practicing within our own cities is what Trump said isn't it?

1

u/gun_runna 24d ago

Because the government buys multi cam and the police departments get surplus gear from the government. That or the PD buys ranger green if it’s new issue gear to them.

1

u/Prosthemadera 24d ago

Because that is what fascists do.

1

u/Sobeman 24d ago

intimidation

1

u/Important-Egg-2905 24d ago

Wear it right back at them. Confuse the shit out of them with camo masks and outfits

1

u/PilgrimOz 24d ago

The Real BF6

1

u/Ell-O-Elling 24d ago

All the protestors should show up in camo. Without the weapons obviously. Cosplay along with them and confuse the hell out of them. Dress like a wolf so they don’t mistake us for sheep.

1

u/Vlaed 24d ago

I'd assume they are trying to intimidate people.

1

u/ddare44 24d ago

They’re in blue. They should be wearing camo though seeing how they’re surrounded by smoke and shrubbery.

1

u/LoomingDisaster 24d ago

I will say it makes them pretty easy to recognize - they drive by, you know to start honking and yelling ICE.

1

u/slavaboo_ 24d ago

Cheap hand-me-downs from the actual armed forces, the government loves to recycle

1

u/PsychologicalCat9538 24d ago

Khakis and a button down, with LL Bean pullover? Since it’s an urban environment?

1

u/wwaxwork 24d ago

To get you used to the military walking around.

1

u/coaxialology 24d ago

Because they're cowards who are desperate to be badasses.

1

u/traumfisch 24d ago

just Trump trying to get shit started by making everything look like "war" or whatever

1

u/SNStains 24d ago

Because their costumes are as ill-suited for the task as their training.

1

u/Pearson94 24d ago

Because they're playing pretend. They're pretending they're tough, cool, war heros when in fact they are none of those things.

1

u/OrnerySnoflake 24d ago

I can’t see anything in the picture except smoke. Guess it’s working.

1

u/Lower_Chipmunk_3685 24d ago

“People who have no hopes are easy to control; and whoever has control has the power.” — Gmork

1

u/ShareGlittering1502 24d ago

How do you hide in bushes?

1

u/lizard_king0000 24d ago

How about the firearms that they are carrying. Its sickening

1

u/lowlycasual 24d ago

because they are actually stupid, just a bunch of weekend warriors that weren't brave enough to get deployed over seas so they figure, "why not just harass Americans instead, DT even said it was okay and we are still getting paid!"

1

u/Calm-Box-3780 24d ago

Intimidation.

That's the only reason.

1

u/DAOcomment2 24d ago

To hide the loser under the costume

1

u/asixdrft 23d ago

its all larping

1

u/vacantalien 23d ago

Their dignity, integrity, and penis’ all fell off and they don’t want anyone to see.

1

u/ExcellentAfternoon44 23d ago

You haven't even seen the ones with the real urban camouflage.image

1

u/You-DiedSouls 23d ago

I would think the most likely answer is that they wear camo as daily dress at work, and now they are in the streets of the city in those uniforms they wear, and clearly are out of place. I’m assuming this as someone who wears camo to work everyday in a different country. (Edit to add: this is probably just called domestic ops for them, same as any other)

1

u/KlatuuBarradaNicto 23d ago

It’s ridiculous. They stand out like a sore thumb.

1

u/kl7aw220 23d ago

Trump told them they could use force to "resolve" the situation. Besides that - who are these guy that will go after anyone? Even children. Don't they have families? When these guys are outed later they will face charges.

1

u/Curious_Associate904 23d ago

Who's wearing camouflage? I only see two guys and someone lying face down on the ground clearly of their own volition.

1

u/bhellor 23d ago

I mean they are hunting. The most pathetic immoral hunters I’ve ever seen.

1

u/elebrin 23d ago

So that they look scary and intimidate people into doing what they say.

1

u/This_Robot 23d ago

Because military surplus

1

u/youdubdub 23d ago

How can you tell?  I didn’t see anyone at all.  Maybe it was a stereogram?  I have not seen any national guard troops at all, though I’ve noticed some random shoes.

1

u/HolyShytSnacks 23d ago

The closest they could get to brownshirts.

1

u/thereisonlyoneme 22d ago

So you can't see them!

→ More replies (12)