I saw on several occasions where these fake protesters showed up at protests, dressed in colorful garb, and grabbed the media’s attention. They shut it down - it being the protests - with their intentional distraction. At the same time, they claim to be protest leaders, despite never showing their face at a protest except for the occasional media appearance. So far as I know, these men have never been held accountable for serving as an impediment to the very movement they claim to champion.
by Nick Kasoff
Some of you have heard the “press conference” this morning held by Anthony Shahid, and Anthony Smith’s mother. Cop lickers are slurping it up, and some of you are concerned. So let’s get a few things straight:
1. While we are sorry for her loss, these protests are not about her. These protests are about a murderous, racist system which killed her son. They go beyond any individual, because the line of black bodies is endless.
2. Nobody is getting paid to protest, and nobody is raising funds to pay protesters. The money raised by Jail Support goes to bond out protesters, period. Those who protest are comforted by the expectation that should they be arrested, bond will be readily available, and we applaud their efforts.
3. It is generally understood that Anthony Shahid works for the cops, and for himself. He is about getting paid, and getting his name in the media. While he has been around a long time, as far as I’ve seen he has been nothing but a distraction and an obstacle since Mike Brown was killed.
We must stand firm against those who would distract us from our purpose, who would divide us from those who stand beside us. We must resist those who seek to turn our protests to their personal benefit. We are not out there protesting so that somebody can get paid, we are there to demand justice. Until there is justice, there will be no peace.
Real Stl News is some bullshit for taking that video down. People need to know the scam Anthony Shahid is running.
It’s a complicated issue. On the one hand, yeah, it was an ugly situation, and we don’t like to look ugly. But it was an ugly situation which happened for a reason. There are a few people hanging around the movement who are an impediment. Shahid is one of them. People need to know.
Back in 2014, Shahid and Zaki Baruti held a fake protest in a lame attempt to derail the protests against Mike Brown. In the midst of a period of great street protesting, they announced their own protest, with great fanfare. We met on West Florissant, and were promptly marched to Forestwood Park. They had a stage and sound system provided by St. Louis County Parks, and a cooling bus provided by Metro. The whole thing was government approved.
When many of us saw that it was just some government sponsored entertainment to get us out of the streets, we decided to march to the Ferguson police station. We were admonished not to do so, and to remain in the park. Thankfully, stronger minds prevailed.
I saw on several occasions where these fake protesters showed up at protests, dressed in colorful garb, and grabbed the media’s attention. They shut it down - it being the protests - with their intentional distraction. At the same time, they claim to be protest leaders, despite never showing their face at a protest except for the occasional media appearance. So far as I know, these men have never been held accountable for serving as an impediment to the very movement they claim to champion.
So on the one hand, I will be happy if Shahid gets no media attention for this shameful grab for attention. On the other hand, within our ranks, I believe it is important that people understand who he is, and that he is not one of us. It is possible that he manipulated Anthony Smith’s mother, and that she is also a victim. That’s why I have nothing ill to say about her. But Shahid deserves no mercy.
