[ttwinder]

They chased police out of a section of the city under threat of violence, with the explicit goal of dismantling the local (and national) police force and upending governed rule of law. They're also armed (video of Raz with an AK variant on site, and public announcements of the gun club being on-site and armed "for their protection") and, of course, making demands.

This objectively meets the definition of both terrorism and criminality. Now, you may agree with their cause, and even their methods, but if we want to document and discuss exactly what's happening, we need to start by calling spades spades.

[eggy]

"Hoping to break through the barricade, protesters attacked officers with bricks, bottles, rocks, and improvised explosive devices, sending some officers to the hospital. At the same time, activists circulated videos of the conflict and accused the police of brutality, demanding that the city cease using teargas and other anti-riot techniques."

Expecting not to be tear gassed while your antifa cohorts are using bricks, bottles, rocks, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against the police seems unreasonable even if people are calling to ban tear gas and rubber bullets. Rubber bullets can kill, but tear gas as an equal response to IEDs seems the lesser of two evils.

I expect they will relinquish control of their "autonomous zone" when they can no longer maintain their own order or clean up the waste that will build up as services fail.

[fwip]

I hope you know that the "IEDs" that the cops found were candles left over from a vigil earlier. Still with the sticker on them, no less.

[eggy]

I didn't, but it seems upon following up on your comment they were thrown and not found left overs. Not IEDs, but one of the objects along with bottles and rocks being thrown.