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Rittenhouse Trial: Vigilantism a Threat to Workers

The Rittenhouse trial and the trial of the murderers of Ahmad Arbery have great importance. Coming as they do after the Texas abortion law, these trials will determine whether vigilantism will be increasingly sanctioned. It is a threat to the entire working class and it is not looking good.

It’s become so clear that even CNN has to comment on it numerous times: The judge, Bruce Schroeder, in the Rittenhouse trial is doing everything he can to get Rittenhouse off.

As for Schroeder, he’s known as a pro-prosecution judge. In fact, in the past he had a conviction of an accused murderer thrown out on appeal because he allowed some testimony that he should not have. So why is he pro defense in this case? The reason is that his pro-prosecution bias is a political bias in favor of a generally repressive society.

All of this will be used against the labor movement, especially in open carry states. In the past, striking workers have physically prevented scabs from crossing a picket line. At most, this usually lead to physical confrontations and battles. Now, in open carry states, scabs will be carrying arms. They will be entitled to shoot to kill if they feel “threatened”. Strikers will not have the equal right because they will have to be the “aggressor”, physically blocking the scabs. And that is completely aside from the fact that the entire criminal (in)justice system is almost always on the side of the scabs and against strikers.

Update: Today, Schroeder ruled that the prosecution may introduce the notion of provocation. In other words, if they can show that Rittenhouse provoked any of the aggression against him, then self defense doesn’t apply. Somebody must have pulled Schroeder’s coat and told him in effect: “Look, if you continue down this road so blatantly, then you will be contributing to the demise of any credibility for the judicial system. There has already been sharp criticism of you on major media like CNN. You must at least appear to be impartial.”

Open carry is a form of vigilantism and is a threat to the working class

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