Brett Zimmerman
@b-zimm.bsky.social
🌲PNW 🏔️
🩺 Alternative/Community 911 response 🩵
Public health = public safety
January is National Blood Donor Month 🩸
For the love of old forests, wild rivers, and the reverence of lookin’ up 🪐
Offer a hand if you’re able - www.standwithminnesota.org
🩺 Alternative/Community 911 response 🩵
Public health = public safety
January is National Blood Donor Month 🩸
For the love of old forests, wild rivers, and the reverence of lookin’ up 🪐
Offer a hand if you’re able - www.standwithminnesota.org
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
A manager for the Immigrant Defense Network told MPR News that back in November, 2,500 people were trained as constitutional observers. Now, the total is nearly 30,000 trained observers in 77 of Minnesota's 87 counties.
Nearly 30,000 Minnesotans trained as constitutional observers
The Immigrant Defense Network works with more than 100 organizations to help train constitutional observers. At the end of November, there were 2,500 trained observers. That number has soared as more ...
www.mprnews.org
February 3, 2026 at 3:03 PM
A manager for the Immigrant Defense Network told MPR News that back in November, 2,500 people were trained as constitutional observers. Now, the total is nearly 30,000 trained observers in 77 of Minnesota's 87 counties.
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
My current cozy little hobby is reading up on the Nuremberg trials.
One of the key things they did was use Nazi officials' braggadocious speeches as evidence.
Give a speech taking credit for annexing Austria? Ok, that'll be a conviction for annexing Austria.
One of the key things they did was use Nazi officials' braggadocious speeches as evidence.
Give a speech taking credit for annexing Austria? Ok, that'll be a conviction for annexing Austria.
As a Springfield, Ohio resident, I'm particularly touched that Judge Reyes used a screenshot of Kristi Noem'sTwitter feed 🤣
February 3, 2026 at 2:23 PM
My current cozy little hobby is reading up on the Nuremberg trials.
One of the key things they did was use Nazi officials' braggadocious speeches as evidence.
Give a speech taking credit for annexing Austria? Ok, that'll be a conviction for annexing Austria.
One of the key things they did was use Nazi officials' braggadocious speeches as evidence.
Give a speech taking credit for annexing Austria? Ok, that'll be a conviction for annexing Austria.
100% this.
my first thought when I realized the cloud was tear gas was that people would stampede to escape it since we were bottlenecked and there was no warning.
can’t overstate how calm folks were, considering. people created space for those most vulnerable to the gas to get out first.
🩵 pdx
my first thought when I realized the cloud was tear gas was that people would stampede to escape it since we were bottlenecked and there was no warning.
can’t overstate how calm folks were, considering. people created space for those most vulnerable to the gas to get out first.
🩵 pdx
I genuinely cannot imagine this kind of scale and this suddenness being my first experience with tear gas. I am pretty astounded at the crowd's discipline, that no one panicked or trampled each other in that massive cloud.
February 3, 2026 at 3:03 PM
100% this.
my first thought when I realized the cloud was tear gas was that people would stampede to escape it since we were bottlenecked and there was no warning.
can’t overstate how calm folks were, considering. people created space for those most vulnerable to the gas to get out first.
🩵 pdx
my first thought when I realized the cloud was tear gas was that people would stampede to escape it since we were bottlenecked and there was no warning.
can’t overstate how calm folks were, considering. people created space for those most vulnerable to the gas to get out first.
🩵 pdx
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
Dem leadership: changing this is a difficult process, you fool. You rube. You utter infant. Give us between $5 and $50
Mamdani, wiping grease off his hands: So it turns out there's a switch on this machine that puts it into either orphan-shredding mode or free school lunch mode. Just had to flip it
Mamdani, wiping grease off his hands: So it turns out there's a switch on this machine that puts it into either orphan-shredding mode or free school lunch mode. Just had to flip it
February 3, 2026 at 4:05 AM
Dem leadership: changing this is a difficult process, you fool. You rube. You utter infant. Give us between $5 and $50
Mamdani, wiping grease off his hands: So it turns out there's a switch on this machine that puts it into either orphan-shredding mode or free school lunch mode. Just had to flip it
Mamdani, wiping grease off his hands: So it turns out there's a switch on this machine that puts it into either orphan-shredding mode or free school lunch mode. Just had to flip it
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
They want us working earlier and til we die to pay for their tax cuts for the rich. Supervillains.
February 3, 2026 at 4:15 AM
They want us working earlier and til we die to pay for their tax cuts for the rich. Supervillains.
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
'measles outbreak at the child prison' seems entirely avoidable, it's really the kind of thing that only happens if you do several unthinkably evil things on purpose all at once
Horrifying. ICE confirms measles outbreak at Dilley family detention center. www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-dil...
ICE halts "all movement" at Texas detention facility due to measles infections
The measles cases at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center were detected Friday, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to CBS News.
www.cbsnews.com
February 2, 2026 at 4:31 AM
'measles outbreak at the child prison' seems entirely avoidable, it's really the kind of thing that only happens if you do several unthinkably evil things on purpose all at once
this is absolute insanity. the law applies to the protesters, but not the ones who swore an oath to protect and serve. there are loads of apartments and medical buildings in this neighborhood.
Lots of teargas at ICE tonight in Portland. People were just standing and chanting.
February 2, 2026 at 4:37 AM
this is absolute insanity. the law applies to the protesters, but not the ones who swore an oath to protect and serve. there are loads of apartments and medical buildings in this neighborhood.
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
The fact that both are quite experienced—8 years and 12 years with CBP—is yet more evidence that CBP should be abolished and all of its agents fired. There's no way to "reform" or "retrain" that, it's just a violent gang with badges.
February 1, 2026 at 9:54 PM
The fact that both are quite experienced—8 years and 12 years with CBP—is yet more evidence that CBP should be abolished and all of its agents fired. There's no way to "reform" or "retrain" that, it's just a violent gang with badges.
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
One way to think through the victory in Tarrant County, given that Rehmet ran in labor issues, is that the voters were offered two competing theories of solidarity and chose collective bargaining over white supremacy as their mode
This shift is possible and important to aim for
This shift is possible and important to aim for
February 1, 2026 at 2:27 PM
One way to think through the victory in Tarrant County, given that Rehmet ran in labor issues, is that the voters were offered two competing theories of solidarity and chose collective bargaining over white supremacy as their mode
This shift is possible and important to aim for
This shift is possible and important to aim for
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
The Atlantic story on Ammon Bundy gets at an important distinction that I wrote about on Substack earlier this week: the people who were outraged about the feds killing members of the Patriot movement are not outraged about the killing of Good and Pretti.
open.substack.com/pub/leahsott...
open.substack.com/pub/leahsott...
67. Hypocrisy
On the whiplash of this chaotic moment
open.substack.com
February 1, 2026 at 6:02 PM
The Atlantic story on Ammon Bundy gets at an important distinction that I wrote about on Substack earlier this week: the people who were outraged about the feds killing members of the Patriot movement are not outraged about the killing of Good and Pretti.
open.substack.com/pub/leahsott...
open.substack.com/pub/leahsott...
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
What it's like to be tear gassed in a crowd by ICE, at the nonviolent Portland Labor Against ICE rally. There were children in the march.
February 1, 2026 at 5:21 AM
What it's like to be tear gassed in a crowd by ICE, at the nonviolent Portland Labor Against ICE rally. There were children in the march.
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
I am of the apparently idiosyncratic opinion that governments should generally try to avoid using chemical weapons on their own citizens who are peacefully protesting on a Saturday afternoon.
February 1, 2026 at 4:33 AM
I am of the apparently idiosyncratic opinion that governments should generally try to avoid using chemical weapons on their own citizens who are peacefully protesting on a Saturday afternoon.
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
Federal agents deployed tear gas and flash bangs at peaceful protesters during a “Labor Against ICE” march in Portland on Jan 31.
Photos by Taylor Griggs
Photos by Taylor Griggs
February 1, 2026 at 3:51 AM
Federal agents deployed tear gas and flash bangs at peaceful protesters during a “Labor Against ICE” march in Portland on Jan 31.
Photos by Taylor Griggs
Photos by Taylor Griggs
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
Congrats to ICE for dropping a metric ton of tear gas on a bunch of nurses, teamsters and children just now
February 1, 2026 at 1:52 AM
Congrats to ICE for dropping a metric ton of tear gas on a bunch of nurses, teamsters and children just now
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
I was there. They were indiscriminately firing multiple canisters into a huge peaceful crowd. Fucking cowards
February 1, 2026 at 2:17 AM
I was there. They were indiscriminately firing multiple canisters into a huge peaceful crowd. Fucking cowards
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
A little girl in Portland, OR after being tear gassed by ICE. what the actual fuck.
February 1, 2026 at 2:14 AM
A little girl in Portland, OR after being tear gassed by ICE. what the actual fuck.
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
Video shared with me by attendee at the ICE protest in Portland, OR earlier this evening where federal agents tear gassed peaceful protestors—including children, disabled and elderly:
February 1, 2026 at 4:09 AM
Video shared with me by attendee at the ICE protest in Portland, OR earlier this evening where federal agents tear gassed peaceful protestors—including children, disabled and elderly:
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
I just drove past an abandoned car, with the doors open. (wrong side of highway, others had already stopped.)
This is Minnesota. No one for any reason intentionally leaves their car on the side of the road w/the doors open in January
Please understand: nothing has changed here. Please tell people
This is Minnesota. No one for any reason intentionally leaves their car on the side of the road w/the doors open in January
Please understand: nothing has changed here. Please tell people
January 31, 2026 at 7:18 PM
I just drove past an abandoned car, with the doors open. (wrong side of highway, others had already stopped.)
This is Minnesota. No one for any reason intentionally leaves their car on the side of the road w/the doors open in January
Please understand: nothing has changed here. Please tell people
This is Minnesota. No one for any reason intentionally leaves their car on the side of the road w/the doors open in January
Please understand: nothing has changed here. Please tell people
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
Today I saw ICE gas little white kids in the streets of Portland with chemical weapons. Imagine what they're doing to brown and black kids in the detention camps
February 1, 2026 at 2:08 AM
Today I saw ICE gas little white kids in the streets of Portland with chemical weapons. Imagine what they're doing to brown and black kids in the detention camps
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
It's hard to overstate how ell-organized the portland march that got gassed was... organizers made the crowd promise to be peaceful, said the march would slow in front of the ICE building but not stop, that we would stick to one chant (ICE Out). They did absolutely everything right and got gassed.
February 1, 2026 at 3:10 AM
It's hard to overstate how ell-organized the portland march that got gassed was... organizers made the crowd promise to be peaceful, said the march would slow in front of the ICE building but not stop, that we would stick to one chant (ICE Out). They did absolutely everything right and got gassed.
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
The irony of my child’s sign they were so proud to bring this afternoon.
February 1, 2026 at 1:51 AM
The irony of my child’s sign they were so proud to bring this afternoon.
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
I just got tear gassed along with thousands of union members, many of whom had their families with them. Federal agents at the ICE facility tear gassed children. We must abolish ICE, DHS, and we must have prosecutions. I expect to see enforcement of our city code prohibiting the use of tear gas.
February 1, 2026 at 1:23 AM
I just got tear gassed along with thousands of union members, many of whom had their families with them. Federal agents at the ICE facility tear gassed children. We must abolish ICE, DHS, and we must have prosecutions. I expect to see enforcement of our city code prohibiting the use of tear gas.
this was bananas. ice sucks so fucking bad.
Just experienced the most intense tear gassing of my life by federal officers outside the ICE facility in Portland where marchers gathered. There was no fast exit as they indiscriminately threw loads of gas and flash bangs. Children were in the crowd screaming. @oregoncapitalchronicle.com
February 1, 2026 at 1:19 AM
this was bananas. ice sucks so fucking bad.
Reposted by Brett Zimmerman
Although all octopuses are venomous, Blue-ringed octopuses (genus Hapalochlaena) are the only cephalopods that have a bite venomous enough to kill a human.
You shouldn't be afraid of them though. They are timid and won't bite unless provoked. So just give them the space and respect they deserve.
You shouldn't be afraid of them though. They are timid and won't bite unless provoked. So just give them the space and respect they deserve.
January 31, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Although all octopuses are venomous, Blue-ringed octopuses (genus Hapalochlaena) are the only cephalopods that have a bite venomous enough to kill a human.
You shouldn't be afraid of them though. They are timid and won't bite unless provoked. So just give them the space and respect they deserve.
You shouldn't be afraid of them though. They are timid and won't bite unless provoked. So just give them the space and respect they deserve.